Su Xun sprang back to life, and Na'er promptly received a double dose of punishment.
"Look at you two, getting worked up again. I was only joking!"
Na'er glared at them both, looking aggrieved and thoroughly unconvinced.
Leng Yaozhu rolled her eyes and mocked her mercilessly.
"Your brain probably couldn't handle thinking about that much..."
"Aunt! Leng!"
Na'er raised her voice.
Su Xun chuckled merrily and successfully changed the subject by dangling an all-you-can-eat trip to the snack street as bait.
Back on the hundredth floor, Su Xun sat cross-legged before the floor-to-ceiling windows and meditated, digesting everything he had gained.
By evening, three Soul Rings-black, black-and-white, and black-appeared around Su Xun.
His consciousness, however, had already sunk back into the Six Roots Tribulation Soil's "Origin Mindscape."
Of the six stone statues of exotic beasts, three had now awakened.
The Night Owl of the Eye Root corresponded to the Night Owl Progenitor.
"Little Abao" of the Body Root corresponded to the Iron-Eating Beast, otherwise known as the giant Panda. Though he looked endearingly guileless, the power within him was not to be underestimated.
The Four-Eared Macaque of the Ear Root corresponded to Changyou.
Changyou was a beast that summoned calamity. He had four ears, possessed exceptionally keen hearing, and could bring about disasters with his cries.
Compared with the Night Owl's connection to the Night Owl Progenitor and "Little Abao's" connection to the Iron-Eating Beast, the Changyou bloodline within the Four-Eared Macaque was extremely faint.
Thus, after the fusion, the Four-Eared Macaque had fallen into slumber, undergoing a transformation under Changyou's influence.
In fact, the Night Owl and Little Abao were also undergoing continuous transformations; they simply had not fallen asleep.
"Perhaps there won't be any further changes until all six have been activated."
After observing for a while, Su Xun withdrew his consciousness from the "Origin Mindscape."
The moment he opened his eyes, he met Na'er's wide-eyed gaze.
"You're awake! Come on, come on, I want to use my all-you-can-eat voucher!"
As soon as Su Xun opened his eyes, Na'er grabbed his arm, afraid he would go back on his word.
Having already agreed, Su Xun naturally had no intention of backing out.
"Go get ready first. I'll call Teacher."
"Okay!"
Na'er skipped back to her room.
Su Xun went upstairs and gently knocked on Leng Yaozhu's door, only to see it swing inward under that negligible force.
"Teacher?"
Su Xun paused, assuming his beloved teacher had given him permission. He poked his head inside, just in time to see a red evening gown fall into place, covering those imposing...
A moment later, a phoenix-red blur filled his vision.
Leng Yaozhu tugged her beloved disciple's ear in displeasure.
"You're getting bolder and bolder. Who said you could come upstairs?"
Su Xun felt utterly wronged.
She was a mighty Limit Douluo. Sensing his movements should have been effortless for her. Who could have imagined he would stumble upon her changing?
Besides, you were the one who didn't close the door!
You even said before that if I didn't want to pick a new room, I could keep sharing yours!
Seeing that Su Xun remained unconvinced, Leng Yaozhu curled her lips slightly and tugged harder.
"Do you yield?"
"I yield!"
Downstairs, Na'er tilted her head back and shouted:
"Aunt Leng, Su Xun, what are you doing? Hurry up, hurry up! I can't wait anymore!"
Only then did Leng Yaozhu give a soft huff and release Su Xun. She strode ahead with proud composure on her long, fair, toned legs.
Su Xun left his beloved teacher's bedroom, closed the door, and obediently followed her.
Come to think of it, in the short time since activating the Body Root, Su Xun had already grown past one hundred and sixty centimeters, despite his young age.
Following behind Leng Yaozhu, his level gaze happened to take in her entire warm, jade-smooth back, her shoulder blades rising slightly beneath the loose red hair that swayed to reveal and conceal it.
As they descended the stairs, a deep, shadowed line extended down from the delicate hollow of her neck, tracing astonishing curves.
Su Xun stole one glance, then immediately lowered his eyes to his nose and focused inward, not daring to look again.
After activating the Body Root, his vitality was far too vigorous for him to look at such things.
He darted forward, intending to pass his beloved teacher and escape the temptation.
Leng Yaozhu pressed a hand to his shoulder and fixed him with a glare from her phoenix eyes.
"Were those three years of posture and etiquette lessons all for nothing?"
"Or do you want your teacher to personally teach you again from the beginning?"
Waiting downstairs, Na'er snickered delightedly when she saw Su Xun being scolded.
Su Xun glared irritably at the heartless girl, conveying a clear warning with his eyes: Keep laughing, and I'll cut off your food for three days!
Having spent more than three years together, Na'er understood instantly and behaved herself.
A little while later.
The three of them entered the bustling streets they knew so well.
Spiritual Power flowed around Leng Yaozhu. Though she walked beside Su Xun, ordinary people could not see her at all.
Even the passing pedestrians unconsciously cleared a path for her.
As for Na'er, she had already entered sweep-and-devour mode, eating and drinking with abandon while Su Xun followed behind to pay.
Every vendor wore a broad smile, and quite a few even took the initiative to greet Su Xun and Na'er.
It was no exaggeration to say that Na'er could keep the entire snack street afloat with her mouth alone.
Over the past three years, these vendors had long since committed her firmly to memory.
Knowing Su Xun would settle the bill, they willingly let Na'er buy on credit whenever she slipped out alone, even worrying that she might not eat enough.
Leng Yaozhu quietly watched it all, a faint smile on her lips.
Ever since bringing Su Xun home, she had looked much healthier and more radiant, nothing like before.
"All those years before were simply squandered."
Leng Yaozhu murmured inwardly. After three years of change, her state of mind quietly took another step forward.
The obsessions and shackles of the past silently cracked at that moment, crumbling away like a shower of invisible stone dust.
In an instant, her Spiritual Power spread invisibly outward, bringing every detail of the bustling street into her perception.
Faint images of light and shadow appeared around her, filled with glimpses of her life over the past three years.
Leng Yaozhu's eyes grew even more captivating, with only the figure of her disciple, Su Xun, remaining in them.
Breaking through to the Limit, and now further breakthroughs in her state of mind and Spiritual Power-all had happened after Su Xun appeared.
Su Xun truly was the lucky star of her life.
Suddenly, Leng Yaozhu's phoenix eyes sharpened, and her Spiritual Power instantly locked onto an inconspicuous green plant beside the street.
"Screee-"
Phoenix Cry rang out invisibly. The plant abruptly shattered, and the power within it rapidly dissipated into nothing.
Leng Yaozhu's phoenix eyes turned icy as her Spiritual Power surged outward to investigate.
Yet she could find no further trace.
Noticing the change in his beloved teacher's mood, Su Xun immediately realized something unusual must have happened. He grabbed Na'er and hurried to Leng Yaozhu's side.
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
Na'er was still chewing, but after eating her way through the street for quite some time, she was now happily satisfied. Coupled with Su Xun's serious expression, that kept her from instinctively guarding her food.
After continuing to sense her surroundings carefully for a while, Leng Yaozhu gently shook her head.
"It's nothing. Perhaps I sensed it wrong."
But a chill spread through her heart. With her current level, how could she possibly have sensed it wrong?
Someone dared to watch her-or Su Xun and Na'er-right under the Spirit Pagoda's nose. What audacity!
At the same time, however, Leng Yaozhu felt a lingering fear.
Had she not made those successive breakthroughs, she might never have detected such surveillance.
In the future, it might well have led to a terrible disaster.
Su Xun knew Leng Yaozhu was denying it because she did not want him to worry.
Still, he did not press her. As he was now, he lacked the strength to share her burdens.
"Teacher, Na'er, let's call it a day and head back."
Before you continue