A pile of dull gray ordinary crystal cores and two high-quality white-and-yellow crystal cores had been arranged in a row on the floor by Xu Qing.
The moment the crystal cores were taken out, an intense craving rose within Xu Qing, as though a voice in his mind were telling him that the crystal cores would be enormously beneficial to him.
Xu Qing picked up a crystal core and examined it under the light for a while.
He found nothing unusual about it.
Then he tried probing it with his Spiritual Power, and a chaotic force filled with destruction and brutality instantly surged into his mind!
Fuck!
What?!
Agonizing pain struck at once. His entire head felt as though it were about to explode, and the force seemed intent on invading Xu Qing's brain.
Damn it!?
I will never let you succeed!
Faced with death, Xu Qing's soul, encompassing both his lives, frantically resisted the invasion of the savage force.
Just then, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon tattoo on Xu Qing's back seemed to come alive.
It let out a furious roar!
Roar-!
Golden light instantly dispersed the strange invading force!
And at the moment the force vanished, Xu Qing passed out from the excessive drain on his Spiritual Power.
What Xu Qing did not know was that after he lost consciousness, a faint golden light enveloped his body. Within that light, fine golden dragon scales grew across his neck and arms, and his body slowly grew stronger.
Early the next morning, the sky had only just begun to brighten.
A crisp knock suddenly sounded at the door, followed by Gu Yuena's voice from outside:
"Xu Qing, hurry up and wake up! It's time for school!"
Xu Qing groggily opened his eyes and rubbed his sore, heavy eyelids, answering sleepily, "Okay... coming."
As soon as he woke, Xu Qing felt a slight heaviness in his head. After taking a moment to recover, he involuntarily recalled what had happened last night.
A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out across his back.
Good thing the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon was there, or my star would have exploded.
After taking a deep breath, Xu Qing quickly got up, put the crystal cores away, and locked them up.
Only then did he leave his room with peace of mind.
Gu Yuena looked him over, her brows knitting slightly as she asked in puzzlement, "Did you not rest well again last night? Why do you look so...?"
Xu Qing scratched his head awkwardly and gave an embarrassed smile. "I really didn't sleep too well."
Afraid she would ask more, Xu Qing quickly raised his hands and gently pushed her toward the stairs. "All right, all right, let's head downstairs first. Any later and we won't make it."
Gu Yuena nodded, and the two headed downstairs.
They walked down the stairs one after the other, then went straight to the dining table after washing up.
Shortly after they sat down, Xu Yan walked over from the living room. Looking at the two children, he teased with a smile, "You two certainly got up early."
No sooner had he spoken than steaming dishes were brought out of the kitchen one after another.
Seeing this, Xu Qing immediately hurried forward, taking the initiative to help his mother carry the dishes and set out bowls and chopsticks.
In no time at all, a lavish breakfast had been neatly laid out across the entire dining table.
There was nothing special about today. This was simply an ordinary daily breakfast for Xu Qing and Gu Yuena.
The delicious aroma filled their noses, and as soon as they sat down, Xu Qing and Gu Yuena dug in without ceremony.
After yesterday's battle and pushing himself to the limit to break through, Xu Qing's stomach had long since been empty. His appetite was now enormous, and he picked up his bowl and chopsticks and wolfed down his food.
Gu Yuena was no exception, though her movements were far more graceful than Xu Qing's. She ate in small but extremely quick bites, leaving nothing behind.
Sitting opposite them, Tang Xue and Xu Yan watched the two children wolfing down their food, sweeping through it like a gale through scattered clouds, and sighed softly with helpless affection.
They had long since grown used to this sight.
As he shoveled food into his mouth, Xu Qing looked up and said indistinctly, "Mom, today's breakfast is so delicious."
Tang Xue laughed at his words. "Such a sweet talker."
Xu Yan chimed in with a smile, "Slow down. No one's going to steal your food."
Beside them, Gu Yuena ate quietly, her purple eyes curving slightly. As she watched the lively family before her, a trace of a smile flashed through her eyes.
After breakfast, Xu Qing and Gu Yuena gathered their things and headed to Red Mountain Academy together.
Upon arriving at school, the two made their familiar way into Soul Master Class One.
As soon as they entered the classroom, Tang Wulin spotted them. He immediately smiled and waved enthusiastically. "Gu Yuena, Xu Qing, you're here!"
"Morning, Wulin~"
Xu Qing answered with a yawn. Gu Yuena paid Tang Wulin no attention, and afterward, she and Xu Qing returned to their seats together.
Ever since Gu Yuena had awakened her Martial Soul and displayed the top-tier talent of Innate Full Soul Power, the principal had specially placed her in Soul Master Class One, the same class as Xu Qing, so they could look after each other and cultivate together.
Before long, Lin Ximeng stepped up to the podium and began class on time.
During class, Lin Ximeng earnestly explained Soul Master theory.
Below the podium, however, Xu Qing was completely distracted, his mind continually revisiting what had happened last night.
Just what was that force?!
Could it be what turned the humans on Parallel Earth into zombies?
And that strange power inside my body-if I'm not mistaken, it should be the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Origin that Earth Consciousness mentioned!
And my craving for the crystal cores came from the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon.
But why did last night's situation happen?
Was I going about it the wrong way?
Forget it. I'll stop thinking about that and figure out how to deal with that zombie instead!
After all, the next time I enter, I'll be right where I last exited.
I also need to upgrade my weapon. The crowbar handles well, but its killing power is limited.
Time passed quickly, and before long, the bell rang to end class.
As soon as class ended, Xu Qing got up and approached Tang Wulin.
"Wulin."
Tang Wulin turned around, looking a little puzzled. "Xu Qing? Did you need something?"
Xu Qing got straight to the point. "I wanted to ask, have you been learning forging from Grandmaster Mang Tian?"
Tang Wulin froze for a moment and asked in surprise, "How did you know I was learning forging?"
"The last time your mom came to pick you up, I happened to overhear you mentioning it," Xu Qing explained.
He looked at Tang Wulin and said earnestly, "Wulin, I'd like to ask you for a small favor."
"A favor? What kind?" Tang Wulin asked curiously.
Without saying more, Xu Qing took off his backpack, pulled out a blank notebook and a pen, and lowered his head to sketch rapidly.
The pen tip raced across the page, drawing line after line before adding measurements.
Before long, the drawing of an enormously oversized, broad chopping saber, almost as long as Xu Qing was tall, appeared clearly on the paper.
The blade was broad and thick, its shape fierce and imposing. Its design was simple yet striking.
Its appearance alone made it clear that this large saber would be extremely heavy.
Tang Wulin leaned over to look, his face full of amazement.
Pointing at the drawing, Xu Qing said earnestly, "Wulin, I'd like you to help me forge a chopping saber like this. Follow the drawing exactly for the dimensions and design. Of course, I won't make you work for nothing. I'll pay you the market rate for the forging."
Looking at the exaggeratedly large saber, Tang Wulin could not help asking in puzzlement, "Xu Qing, why... why do you want to forge such a huge saber? Besides, it'll probably be very heavy if it's made like this."
Xu Qing did not answer directly. After all, he could hardly tell Tang Wulin that this saber was specifically meant for him to take along to hack up zombies!
His thoughts shifted, and Xu Qing gave two light coughs before explaining with a perfectly straight face, "As you know, both our Martial Souls are just Blue Silver Grass, so we don't have many ways to attack. That's why I want to forge a saber and practice saber techniques to improve my combat ability."
After hearing his explanation, Tang Wulin nodded thoughtfully.
"So that's it! No problem! Leave it to me!"
With the matter settled, Xu Qing thanked him, then turned and returned to his seat.
Beside him, Gu Yuena tilted her head, curiosity in her purple eyes as she asked softly, "What were you talking to Tang Wulin about just now?"
Xu Qing answered casually, "Nothing much. I just wanted him to help me forge a weapon."
Gu Yuena nodded slightly and asked no more questions.