"So, Ling Yu, you're my junior brother now, right?" After hearing Dugu Bo's explanation, Dugu Yan, who was inside the manor, raised the corner of her mouth and revealed a hint of mockery in her eyes.
"Hello, Senior Sister Yanyan..." Ling Yu looked somewhat embarrassed, her seniority had dropped in just a few days.
"Oh no, those people were so aloof when I asked them to help me find Soul Beast a few days ago, they even told me to let go!"
"Senior sister..."
"Alright, alright, Yanyan, stop bullying your honest junior brother. Act like a senior sister." Although Dugu Bo was trying to smooth things over, there was a hint of amusement in her eyes, pleased with the scene before her.
"It's been so many years since I've seen a scene like this. Such a large mansion needs many people to create a lively atmosphere," Dugu Bo sighed inwardly.
" Xiao Yu, I'll have the servants prepare a room for you in a bit. From now on, it will be your private room. You can come and stay here whenever you have time."
"Okay, teacher." Ling Yu nodded.
" Yanyan, you two play together for a while, I'll go cook, it'll be ready soon."
"Grandpa, let my junior brother and I help you out; he's a great cook too."
"What do you think, Junior Brother—" Dugu Yan drawled, turning to look at Ling Yu, her eyes clearly saying, "You dare not go... Hmph."
"Oh? Indeed, you did say his cooking was excellent when you came back a few days ago. I'd like to see for myself." Dugu Bo stroked his beard.
"Teacher, I'm just taking advantage of my status as a spirit-type Soul Master, which allows me to see the changes in the food more precisely."
"You're probably the first person to use Soul Skill to cook." Dugu Bo glanced at Ling Yu sideways, a hint of mockery flashing in his dark green eyes.
"Aren't there food-type Soul Master already? How can I be the first one?"
"The nature is different." Dugu Bo lightly tapped Ling Yu's head, eliciting a soft laugh from Dugu Yan.
The three of them soon arrived at the kitchen, which at first glance appeared to be an ordinary farmhouse kitchen. With Dugu Bo's resources, he could have easily built a more upscale kitchen, but he had no intention of being extravagant.
"Speaking of which, those Soul Tool that don't reach any rank are actually quite practical. Whether it's a freezing device or a soul tool fan, the country must have been very prosperous with Soul Tool back then. Maybe in the future, we can promote these things so that ordinary people can also use them. Low-rank Soul Master won't have to fight each other, they can just focus on charging their Soul Tool." Ling Yu's heart stirred.
" Yanyan, you take care of the vegetables. Xiao Yu, go and light the firewood to steam the rice. I'll cut the meat and stir-fry the vegetables." Dugu Bo took out some vegetables and meat from his Treasure Wishful Purse and placed them on the cutting board.
The two agreed and then went about their respective tasks.
"Grandpa, has your hair gotten a little darker?" Dugu Yan, who was cutting green peppers, lowered her head slightly, her short hair falling down and just covering her face.
Dugu Bo, who was cooking, shuddered, realizing that his granddaughter had actually guessed some things a long time ago, but had never said anything. He sighed, "Yes, in a few days, Grandpa's hair will be black again. Grandpa is looking forward to officiating your wedding."
"Grandpa, you're being inappropriate again. I don't even have a boyfriend yet..." Dugu Yan's voice was choked with emotion, yet it also held a hint of joy.
"The chili peppers are really spicy today..." Tears welled up in my eyes and fell onto the cutting board.
"Don't worry, Yanyan, Grandpa's health will get better and better."
"Um..."
Thank you, Xiao Yu.
"Why are you thanking me, Senior Sister Yanyan? I didn't do anything." Ling Yu peeked out from behind the stove.
"Can't you just say it?" Although Dugu Yan didn't know the specifics, she guessed that her grandfather's changes were related to Ling Yu, otherwise how could it be such a coincidence?
"Alright, alright, whatever Senior Sister Yanyan says is right." Ling Yu gave a French salute helplessly.
"That's more like it." Dugu Yan wiped away her tears and smiled.
Soon, several dishes of rustic stir-fry were served, and the three of them began to eat.
"By the way, Xiao Yu, what are your plans for your third ring? If not, I'll take you to explore the Star Dou Great Forest after you reach level 30. You still need some offensive Soul Skill, otherwise you'll be at a disadvantage when you encounter enemies later."
Dugu Bo sighed inwardly, "Although his two Soul Skill are excellent, even somewhat monstrous, Soul Master should always prioritize their own strength. It seems that his impoverished background meant that no one helped him choose his Soul Beast before, but that can still be compensated for."
"Currently, I plan to look for the Silver Ying Beast. Its talent allows it to imprint the Soul Skill of other Soul Beast, and it also has Mental Attribute. If I can obtain this ability, I will have more options when encountering enemies in the future," Ling Yu said after swallowing the food in his mouth.
"Oh? There are actually Soul Beast like that? I really underestimated your knowledge." Dugu Bo was surprised. Although the information listed Ling Yu's grades at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he didn't really have much of a real sense of them.
"Grandpa, he gets full marks in all his required courses at school, and he's known as a bookworm and a genius. You're underestimating him by using this to test him."
"Haha, Yanyan is right. As expected of my disciple, she should have such talent."
" Xiao Yu, do you know what it looks like? I'll arrange for someone to go to the Star Dou Great Forest to find its habitat beforehand."
"Teacher, it resembles a dog in appearance, but its limbs are abnormally thick, its body is covered in scales and has no hair, it can use abilities such as Mental Interference, and it is also exceptionally fast."
"Having these characteristics is convenient. After you finish eating the Immortal Herb, can you sense how many years of Soul Beast lifespan you can withstand?"
" Immortal Herb? What's that?" Dugu Yan peered over curiously.
"It's a magical hot spring that the teacher discovered in Sunset Forest. There are many rare and precious herbs growing nearby. These Immortal Herb can improve cultivation talent and even Martial Soul Evolution." Ling Yu glanced at Dugu Bo, and seeing him nod, he explained to Dugu Yan.
"Could it be that Grandpa's change was also because of the Immortal Herb? So he came to you for the Spiritual Appraisal?" Dugu Yan's eyes lit up as she connected the events of the past few days.
"You're so smart, Senior Sister Yanyan!" Ling Yu said with a smile in her eyes.
"Hmph, why do I feel like your smile isn't innocent? Are you mocking me?" Dugu Yan waved her fist.
"No way," Ling Yu feigned innocence.
"You wretched junior brother, take this punch!"
I'm outta here.
"Don't play around while eating, how old are you both?" Dugu Bo tapped each of them, and they both burst into laughter instantly, even making Dugu Bo's lips curl up involuntarily.
"Senior sister, don't worry. Teacher will take me to the Yang Family to exchange some knowledge about medicinal herbs. You'll have Immortal Herb to eat then."
"Then I'll be waiting." Dugu Yan raised the corner of her mouth, full of anticipation.
"Oh, right, Grandpa, can I have one for Lingling? She's my best friend and she cured my congenital poison," Dugu Yan said coquettishly, clinging to Dugu Bo's hand.
"Of course, we already owe the Ye Family a favor, and we have to repay it." Dugu Bo nodded.
"Thank you, Grandpa!" Suddenly, a thought struck Dugu Yan: " Lingling and Junior Brother, doesn't this mean that Lingling might have to call me Senior Sister from now on?"
"Hehehe..."
Ye Lingling, who was at home, suddenly sneezed, and a thought struck her, "What's going on?"
"Alright, let's get back to the main topic, teacher. I don't know the specifics either. I've only absorbed a small portion so far. The rest will be absorbed slowly as my cultivation level increases. I probably won't know the specifics until I reach level 30."
"Yes, you're right. Let's see when the time comes. Let's find it first." Dugu Bo nodded.
After eating, the three returned to their respective rooms to cultivate and rest. Dugu Bo, in particular, had been taking the pills for a few days, and his poison no longer flared up at night, allowing him to finally get a good night's sleep.
"I'd like to go and let her know I'm safe. I'll go early tomorrow morning," Ling Yu sighed inwardly as he sat on the bed before starting his cultivation.
The next morning, after Ling Yu got up, he greeted the servants in the manor and asked them to tell Dugu Bo that he had to go out for a while and would probably be back before dinner.
They then traveled by carriage to the Crown Prince's residence.
" Angel Martial Soul, bestowed with divine Soul Power, must have reached its peak in attributes, otherwise its cultivation wouldn't be so slow. If it weren't, it would actually lower the grade of divine power. Would Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji also cultivate this slowly?"
"Could it be that it's precisely because of her unusual attributes that Qian Daoliu believes the person he's waiting for is Qian Renxue?"
" The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower would be perfect for her; not only is it purely Yang in nature, but it can also enhance her Soul Power," Ling Yu thought to himself.
They soon arrived at the Crown Prince's residence, where the guards immediately recognized Ling Yu and invited him to the reception room.
A moment later, two figures appeared hastily.
"Are you alright?" Qian Renxue asked, instantly transforming into her true form.
A hint of worry flashed in Su Yao's eyes, but she still kept to her duty and closed the door to let the two of them talk.
" Sister Xue, I'm fine. I even received some unexpected benefits, but I can't tell you because of my vow. I've prepared a gift for you, but I'll have to wait a few days to give it to you. It's very precious, you know."
However, Qian Renxue didn't pay attention to the gift Ling Yu mentioned. She bit her lip and lowered her voice, "What did you call me in the letter?"
Ling Yu paused, somewhat apologetically. "I was afraid you wouldn't believe what the teacher said, so I... Please don't mind..."
"So your letter was just to fool me?" Qian Renxue frowned slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of sadness, as if she had become quite dejected.
"No, I..." Only now did Ling Yu seem to confirm something, but he wasn't sure.
"Xue..." When Ling Yu softly uttered this name, Qian Renxue's expression instantly brightened.
Seeing the light in her eyes, Ling Yu was unsure how to respond. After all, he had never experienced anything like this before and worried that he was just imagining things.
I'm back safe and sound.
"Yes, welcome back, Earl." Qian Renxue's lips curled slightly, like snow melting, and her eyes shone with a soft light, making her breathtakingly beautiful.
Then the two of them suddenly burst into laughter, breaking free from the previous atmosphere.
"Teacher? That old viper forced you to be his disciple?" A murderous glint flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes as she came to her senses.
"Initially, we didn't want to alert the noble forces behind Xue Xing and the others, and planned to wipe them all out in one fell swoop, so we spared that old viper as a benchmark. Now it seems we have to take action."
"No, Xue, he didn't force me. It was my own choice." Ling Yu said helplessly.
"How could you accept him as your teacher? What could that old venomous snake possibly teach you? You want to learn about poisons? Then I'll have Uncle Ci Xue teach you; isn't he even better than that old venomous snake?" Qian Renxue said indignantly.
Xue, do you have a grudge against your teacher?
"There was no direct conflict, but Xue Xing kept using him as a shield, making me lose face in court."
"It won't happen again. I'll go back and tell him, 'Don't blame your teacher, okay? That big gift also had a part in it, thanks to your teacher's kindness.'" Ling Yu quickly explained, afraid that Qian Renxue would really arrange for the Ci Xue Douluo to attack his teacher, since the Pufferfish Martial Soul was quite effective against poison-attribute Soul Master.
"Since you've put it that way, what else can I do? As long as he doesn't side with Xue Xing and continue to embarrass me, I naturally won't be hostile towards him."
"Snow is the best."
"Where did you learn to be so glib at times like this?"
"No, this is all from the heart."
Qian Renxue's lips curled slightly, a smile she couldn't suppress, then she suddenly remembered something and asked:
"Are you going back to his place?"
"I'm going to the Star Luo Empire with him in a few days to do some business with the Yang Breaking Clan Yang Family. I'll need you to ask the education commissioners for me to let me off the hook again."
"You've been really busy lately. You went out to Soul Hunting and came back for less than a day before you went out again. Now you even have to ask for leave." Qian Renxue's eyes were filled Youyou a deep sadness, a hint of loneliness and melancholy that she couldn't hide.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely be there on your birthday." Ling Yu suddenly realized a while ago that Qian Renxue was almost twenty and about to have her hairpin ceremony, so he secretly asked Su Yao if she knew her birthday. Fortunately, Su Yao knew and hadn't reported it. Both of them wanted to give her a surprise.
As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Renxue blushed slightly and nodded, then suddenly remembered something.
"When is your birthday?" Qian Renxue asked hesitantly, not daring to look up at Ling Yu.
I don't know exactly when I was born, but my grandfather would cook me a bowl of longevity noodles with lots of meat on the day he found me every year.
"Children from ordinary families rarely have the concept of birthdays, Xue, you don't need to worry about it."
A complex emotion flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes. She seemed to want to say something but didn't, as if she had made a decision in her heart.
After a moment, she changed the subject. "What are you going to do with the Breaking Clan? Is it for alchemy?"
I'd like to exchange some knowledge about herbs.
"Oh?" Qian Renxue's eyes flickered, as if she had guessed something.
"Could it be... that your benefits are also..."
"I can't say." "I can't say" confirmed Qian Renxue's suspicions, and she nodded.
"If it's about knowledge of herbs, the Spirit Hall might be able to help you."
Upon hearing this, Ling Yu immediately thought of someone— Yang Wudi's younger brother, Yang Wushuang.
Qian Renxue continued, "During the Clear Sky War, the Yang Family's Soul Breaking Spear left a deep impression on us, as did their unique alchemy skills."
"Among the prisoners was Yang Wushuang, the younger brother of the current head of the Yang Family family, whose alchemy skills were no less than his brother's."
"If you need that kind of knowledge, I can arrange for someone to import his works."
"That's good, it's beneficial to verify each other's information, and it would be best to also have his brother's information."
"I'll arrange for someone to go back and get it soon. So, do you still need to go to the Star Luo Empire?"
"I have other things to do," Ling Yu sighed softly.
Qian Renxue said no more.