Having his body hollowed out like this felt awful, but fortunately, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale was continuously supplying him with power.
Since he was already so weak, Lin Xing simply closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Time slowly passed, and Ning Rongrong's cheerful laughter outside the tent never stopped. He really had no idea why someone as old as Chen Xin could have so much fun playing with a little girl like Ning Rongrong.
Fortunately, Lin Xing had always slept well, and the laughter outside did not disturb him.
He slept very comfortably this time, and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale soon replenished his depleted body.
His condition was far too unusual. The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale supplied power to strengthen his body, allowing it to withstand more of Fufu's power. It formed a complete chain.
That was why his power seemed utterly inexhaustible in his Fufu state, but once he left that state, his exhausted body resurfaced, naturally bringing drowsiness with it.
The cheerful laughter outside still had not stopped. He really had no idea where Ning Rongrong got all that energy.
After moving his body around and checking his current condition, Lin Xing reached out and pulled Fufu straight out of his Sea of Consciousness.
Fufu seemed to have fallen asleep too. Her body was curled into a ball, and she was mumbling something he could not make out.
Lin Xing had no intention of leaning closer to listen. Instead, he reached out, shook her, and patted her face.
"Fufu, wake up. Stop sleeping. Neuvillette took all your little cakes to feed Sigewinne."
"What!"
Some sort of switch seemed to flip in the soundly sleeping Fufu. She sprang straight up, her eyes full of anxiety as she looked around.
"Neuvillette, you can't..."
Before she could finish, she got a clear look at her surroundings.
Her fair little face flushed slightly.
"All right, all right. There's no Neuvillette here, and naturally, there aren't any little cakes either. So you don't need to worry about Neuvillette feeding your little cakes to Sigewinne, because you don't have any little cakes in the first place."
Now Fufu really did turn a little red.
Fufu was very angry, and the consequences were very serious.
Smack!
Furina pulled open the tent and walked out. Ning Rongrong, who was still playing with Chen Xin, lit up at the sight of her. Ignoring Chen Xin, she threw herself straight at Furina.
"Big Sister Furina!"
Chen Xin's expression stiffened, and he awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hands.
Damn it, why did Rongrong care so much about a girl she had only just met?!
And she could not even really be considered a person, only a Martial Soul at most. Although she did possess a certain inexplicable appeal, he still felt hurt by it.
It was over. His darling granddaughter was going to divide off yet another share of her attention.
Lin Xing walked out with one hand covering his slightly reddened face and the other clutching his waist.
"Hiss..."
"She really didn't hold back!"
That pinch Fufu had just given him had really been vicious.
"How do you feel?"
Chen Xin's question rang out, and Lin Xing lowered the hand covering his face.
Lin Xing's skin was so fair and delicate that once he lowered his hand, the bright red handprint on his face was easy to see.
Chen Xin froze for a moment.
"So your Martial Soul actually hits you too?"
"Ahem..."
Lin Xing felt a little awkward.
"It is a physical Martial Soul with a consciousness of its own, after all. This sort of thing is perfectly normal."
Chen Xin could not be bothered to ask what had just happened. He took Lin Xing over to sit beside the fire, then reached somewhere and produced a lunch box.
"Have something to eat."
"Thank you, Teacher."
After nodding his thanks, Lin Xing picked up the lunch box without standing on ceremony and began shoveling food into his mouth.
It really had been a long time since he had eaten. Although he did not feel hungry, the food had practically been delivered to his mouth, so why pass it up?
It tasted pretty good. As Lin Xing shoveled food into his mouth, he chatted on and off with Chen Xin.
"Teacher, this might be a little presumptuous, but I still want to know. You're so old you've practically got one foot in the grave, so how can you have such a great time playing with someone Miss Rongrong's age?"
"You brat!"
"Even being presumptuous has its limits!"
Chen Xin slapped Lin Xing on the back of the head.
What did he mean, so old he practically had one foot in the grave? He was indeed getting on in years, but he was still a long way from the grave!
"I'm just telling the truth..."
Lin Xing did not think there was anything wrong with it. Chen Xin seemed far too kind to him. With such a handsome old man treating him so warmly and affectionately, he really found it difficult to act all respectful and solemn.
"Ah, at your age, you naturally wouldn't understand how I feel now."
Chen Xin turned to give Furina an envious look, then looked at Ning Rongrong laughing happily in her arms. He could only force himself to look away.
"I've had no descendants in my life. I watched Rongrong grow up. You certainly wouldn't understand how that feels. Even if I explained it, you wouldn't get it."
Lin Xing calmly shoveled another mouthful of food into his mouth.
"By the way, Teacher, how old are you this year?"
"I'm exactly ninety this year."
"Ninety... But your looks can still hold their own, Teacher. You must have been a famously handsome man when you were young."
"Of course."
"Then, Teacher, don't tell me you're still an old virgin?"
This was something Lin Xing was very curious about: was Chen Xin an old virgin or not? Judging by the way Chen Xin treated others, he must have been a handsome, aloof heartthrob when he was young.
"You brat!"
"Is that something you should be asking?!"
Chen Xin slapped Lin Xing on the back of the head again.
He refused to answer that question.
"All right, then. Looks like you probably are an old virgin, Teacher."
Lin Xing was rather disappointed. He still had not gotten to hear Chen Xin recount the romance of his youth.
What a pity that the open-minded Douluo Continent had raised a Sword Douluo as cold and proud as ice.
"You've asked so many questions. Now let me ask you one."
"Sure. Go ahead, Teacher."
Casually tossing the lunch box into the fire to burn, Lin Xing clapped his hands clean.
"That water sword move you used when you sparred with me-did you already know how to do that?"
"No. Fighting you was actually the first time I ever used it for real. Unfortunately, your Soul Power was too strong, Teacher, so the move didn't have any practical effect."
"Otherwise, my Splendor of Tranquil Waters definitely could have left a wound on you."
"You really are my wonderful disciple."
Expressionless, Chen Xin reached out and patted Lin Xing's shoulder.
"That move certainly caught me off guard. And judging by its strength, as long as the gap between their strength and yours isn't particularly large, anyone below rank fifty should be no match for you."
"I'm not sure about that, but that move is rather vulnerable to fire. Against fire-type Soul Masters whose own Soul Power is more explosive, its effect would be negligible."