A Woman Eight Years Older, Prosperity in Sight

The moment Li Xin heard Long Haochen say that, she bristled.

"How can you do that? Do you have a death wish?!"

Long Haochen said nothing, only giving Li Xin an incomparably resolute look.

Gazing into Long Haochen's steadfast azure eyes, Li Xin gradually calmed down. She had only lost her composure because she was worried about him.

"Fine. If that's the case, then your sister will go with you."

With that, Li Xin grabbed Long Haochen's little hand without another word and headed down the bizarrely dazzling path.

Looking at Li Xin's figure walking ahead without regard for herself, Long Haochen was deeply moved.

As the saying went, true feelings were revealed in times of hardship. In the end, he had not known Li Xin for long, yet she had chosen to support him without hesitation.

If he could spend his life with such a loyal and devoted girl, that would not be bad either.

The moment that thought arose, Long Haochen blushed.

Long Haochen, Long Haochen, what are you thinking?! She's your sister! She's a full eight years older than you!

But... Grandpa had said that if a woman was three years older, you embraced a golden brick; four years older brought fortune and longevity; five years older was better than an old mother; six years older brought endless joy; seven years older kept you smiling; eight years older meant prosperity was in sight. Sister is eight years older than me. According to Grandpa, doesn't that mean prosperity is in sight for me?

"Haochen, what are you thinking about?"

Li Xin's voice interrupted Long Haochen's thoughts. He gave an embarrassed smile and explained, "Nothing."

The two followed the narrow path onward. Strangely, the deeper they went, the thinner the swamp gas became. The surroundings were no longer filled with swamps, but birdsong and fragrant flowers, like a paradise on earth.

At the end of the path lay an endless sea of flowers. Long Haochen could not tell what kind of flowers they were, only that they were very beautiful.

Li Xin took a deep breath, stretched, and said, "Mmm—Little brother, I've never seen such a huge sea of flowers before!"

Long Haochen had been looking at the flowers as well, but Li Xin's stretch drew his gaze over. Her hips tilted slightly upward, her curves exquisite and full, accompanied by that heartfelt sound...

The flowers were beautiful, but the person was even more beautiful.

Long Haochen felt his nose grow a little hot, as though something had started to flow out.

He instinctively wiped his nose with the back of his hand, as if wiping away snot. His little hand was immediately stained red with blood.

(ΩДΩ)!

Long Haochen hurriedly turned around and frantically wiped away the nosebleed, terrified that Li Xin would notice anything unusual.

Fortunately, Li Xin was focused solely on admiring the beautiful scenery before her. Only after Long Haochen swiftly destroyed all the "evidence of his crime" did he turn back around.

"Little brother, this doesn't seem like an illusion. How about we go into the flower sea and take a look?" Li Xin suggested.

"Alright, but we still can't let down our guard."

Long Haochen and Li Xin each placed one hand on the hilt of the sword behind them, ready to draw their weapons and fight at any time.

The two gradually ventured deeper into the sea of flowers. Aside from the increasingly rich floral fragrance, there was nothing unusual. They walked for a full half hour and still had not left the flower sea, as though it had no end.

The feeling in Long Haochen's heart grew stronger and stronger. He felt that he was getting closer and closer to that thing.

"Haochen, look. What's that?" Li Xin pointed ahead in surprise.

Long Haochen looked in the direction Li Xin was pointing. Not far ahead, within the sea of flowers, a ball of light flickered. It contained six colors, blending together.

Li Xin and Long Haochen quickly stepped forward, drawing the swords from their backs at the same time.

When they approached, they were shocked to discover that the thing emitting the light was not some magical beast, but a small furnace.

The small furnace had three legs and was only an inch tall. Its body was engraved with extraordinarily intricate patterns. Six rays of light surrounded it, flashing according to a special rhythm, while a strange energy fluctuation danced across its surface.

Long Haochen's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. His intuition told him that the thing that had drawn him here was the small furnace before him.

Li Xin covered her mouth, looking utterly incredulous.

"Th-this is a Spirit Furnace!"

The moment Li Xin finished speaking, the small furnace suddenly released a blinding light. Li Xin and Long Haochen instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes. Long Haochen only felt his chest grow hot, as though something had appeared there. Then his chest suddenly became scorching, the heat swiftly spreading throughout his entire body. Long Haochen felt every pore on his body burning.

Yet this heat brought Long Haochen no pain. Instead, it felt wonderful. His entire body was warm and comfortable, a hundred times better than soaking in a medicinal bath.

The dazzling light gradually faded, and the scorching heat gradually disappeared with it. When Li Xin and Long Haochen opened their eyes again, the small furnace before them had already vanished without a trace.

Li Xin looked regretfully at the spot where the small furnace had hovered and beat her chest in frustration. "What a pity! Such a fine Spirit Furnace! The duck that was almost in our mouths just flew away."

Long Haochen touched his chest and said, "Sister, I think this duck flew into my mouth."

"Hm?"

Li Xin grabbed Long Haochen by the shoulders and examined him from head to toe, but still found nothing.

"Where is it?"

Long Haochen pointed at his chest. "Here. I just tried using spiritual energy to communicate with it, but I failed."

Li Xin said in astonishment, "The Spirit Furnace actually fused with you on its own? That's unbelievable!"

"Sister, do you recognize this Spirit Furnace?"

Li Xin shook her head. "I know very little about Spirit Furnaces. I probably don't know much more than you do."

As its name implied, a Spirit Furnace was a furnace of spiritual energy. It was not an ability cultivated by humans, but a supreme treasure miraculously nurtured by nature.

Generally speaking, Spirit Furnaces could only be found in places where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered, or within ancient ruins. In any profession, those who possessed Spirit Furnaces were one in a thousand.

Spirit Furnaces were rare. Simply put, someone with a Spirit Furnace might not necessarily become strong, but someone without one could never stand at the pinnacle.

Li Xin looked at Long Haochen with envy. Patting him on the shoulder, she said earnestly, "You little rascal, you've really stumbled upon a treasure this time. Who would have thought that Bright Moon Swamp hid a Spirit Furnace? An innocent man was ruined by the treasure he carried. You're still far too weak. Before you have enough strength to protect yourself, don't use the Spirit Furnace's power carelessly."

Long Haochen took Li Xin's words to heart. Warmth filled his chest as he nodded. "Sister, I understand. I'll protect myself."

Li Xin and Long Haochen returned the way they had come. Fortunately, they encountered no more troublesome magical beasts and successfully left Bright Moon Swamp.

Long Haochen and Li Xin returned to the Adventurer's Guild and handed in their mission. Aside from the completion mark on their adventurer certificates, they also received a considerable number of gold coins.

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