He looked up and saw Gu Yuena and Tang Xue standing at the entrance to the backyard, waiting for him.
Tang Xue's face held a trace of worry, while Gu Yuena's gaze flickered slightly, her silver eyes reflecting the pale golden glow that had yet to fully dissipate around Xu Qing.
"Mom, Nana."
Xu Qing withdrew his Martial Soul and Soul Ring into his body, while the little cordyceps Soul Spirit climbed onto his shoulder by itself. Only after that did he walk out of the blue silver grass surrounding him.
Tang Xue hurried forward and looked him over carefully. "Xiao Qing, are you all right? We suddenly smelled a strange fragrance just now. I thought something had gone wrong."
"A fragrance? What fragrance?"
Xu Qing had not smelled any fragrance.
Gu Yuena thought for a moment. "Release your Martial Soul and take a look."
Xu Qing nodded and raised his right hand. A stalk of blue silver grass slowly grew from his palm.
Xu Qing picked up a blade of blue silver grass and held it under his nose, sniffing it.
There really was a peculiar scent.
Gu Yuena and Tang Xue sniffed it as well.
"That's the smell, though it's much fainter," Tang Xue said.
As though something had occurred to him, Xu Qing tore a small piece of leaf from the blue silver grass and put it straight into his mouth.
This?!
Xu Qing's eyes instantly widened, his face filled with disbelief.
"Xu Qing, did you discover something?" Curious, Gu Yuena also tore off a small piece and chewed it.
Gu Yuena discovered it too.
Xu Qing's blue silver grass had not only inherited the cordyceps' parasitic ability, but also some of its medicinal properties.
They were very faint, but they were indeed there.
Tang Xue tried some too, but she only felt a strange warm current in her abdomen after eating it.
"If I'm not mistaken, since the Soul Spirit I absorbed was a medicinal herb, my blue silver grass must have inherited some of its medicinal properties," Xu Qing explained, withdrawing his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
Gu Yuena nodded, but soon her attention shifted to the little cordyceps.
At that moment, the little Insect Spirit lay on Xu Qing's shoulder, its large, watery eyes looking curiously at Tang Xue and Gu Yuena.
"Oh~ What's this?"
Gu Yuena immediately picked up the little cordyceps and examined it curiously.
Xu Qing said, "This is my cordyceps Soul Spirit. It became like this after the fusion was complete."
Tang Xue froze. "This is... a Soul Spirit?"
Gu Yuena leaned slightly closer, her silver eyes fixed on the Insect Spirit. It tilted its little head to look at her, its antennae swaying gently. In a rare gesture, Gu Yuena reached out a finger and lightly touched its head.
Rather than dodging, the Insect Spirit stretched out a soft little foot and gently rested it on Gu Yuena's fingertip.
"It seems to really like you." Xu Qing was somewhat surprised.
The corners of Gu Yuena's lips lifted slightly as she withdrew her hand. "It's very clean."
Xu Qing: "..."
What kind of assessment was that?
Still, Xu Qing could indeed sense the pure breath of life coming from the Insect Spirit.
And Xu Qing kept feeling that the cordyceps was a little dopey.
"By the way, Xu Qing, what name did you give him?" Gu Yuena asked.
Xu Qing shook his head. "I haven't yet."
"How about I help name it?"
Gu Yuena thought for a moment, then suddenly seemed to think of something. "How about calling it Lingrong?"
Xu Qing nodded. He had originally been thinking of Little Bug or Little Spirit, but since Gu Yuena had helped name it, Lingrong it would be!
"Heehee~ Little fellow, you'll be called Lingrong from now on!" A smile appeared on Gu Yuena's face, and her slender fingers played with Lingrong's soft little feet again.
Lingrong rubbed against Gu Yuena's finger in response.
"By the way, Xiao Qing, did you get the Soul Skill you wanted?" Tang Xue asked with concern.
Xu Qing nodded. "My first Soul Skill is called Blue Silver Spores. It has a very strong parasitic ability. And my cultivation has now reached rank twelve."
Tang Xue smiled. "That's good. I'll prepare some extra food today so we can have a proper celebration."
With that, Tang Xue left to prepare the food.
Only after playing with Lingrong a little longer did Gu Yuena open her hand. The little fellow obediently turned into a scattering of light and slipped into Xu Qing's body.
Gu Yuena looked up at Xu Qing, her eyes curving with a smile. "Xu Qing, we finally have a day off today. Let's go out and have some fun!"
Xu Qing readily nodded.
"Great! Let's go to the beach first. Tonight, I want grilled squid!"
"No problem! My treat!"
"Yay! It's a deal, then. No backing out!"
Gu Yuena took his hand, and the two headed out side by side. Before long, they arrived at the beach.
The azure sea stretched as far as the eye could see, and waves washed over the beach one after another with soft swishing sounds.
The evening breeze blew gently in the setting sun. Barefoot, Gu Yuena ran lightly over the fine, soft sand, her silver hair lifted by the sea breeze, her figure radiant and enchanting.
Xu Qing followed quietly behind her, watching her laugh freely with a smile.
After playing for a long time, the two gradually grew tired and sat side by side on the beach.
The sea breeze brushed their faces, and the waves murmured softly.
"Xu Qing, if someone wanted to kill me one day, would you protect me?" Gu Yuena asked, leaning against him.
"Yes!" Xu Qing answered without hesitation.
"What if that person was very, very powerful?"
"Then I'd become even stronger!"
"What if lots of people wanted to kill me?"
"I'd kill however many came!"
"What if it was the whole world?"
"Then I'd kill until heaven and earth turned upside down!"
"Xu Qing, thank you!"
As she spoke, Gu Yuena suddenly kissed Xu Qing on the cheek, then stood up.
Xu Qing instantly froze where he sat, dumbstruck.
After walking a few steps, Gu Yuena turned back and saw that Xu Qing had not moved. She smiled slightly and reminded him:
"Come on, dummy!"
"Oh!"
Xu Qing came back to his senses, stood up, and hurried to catch up with Gu Yuena.
Afterward, the two made their way to the bustling night market.
Night had just fallen. The roadside stalls blazed with light, voices filled the air, and waves of food aromas greeted them.
The scents of grilled skewers, seafood, and all kinds of snacks mingled, brimming with the warmth of everyday life.
The two arrived at the familiar squid stall, ordered a few skewers of grilled squid, and began eating at a leisurely pace.
As she bit into the crisp, fragrant, lightly charred squid, perhaps because she was in a good mood, Gu Yuena enjoyed it more than ever before.
As she ate, she occasionally looked up at Xu Qing, who quietly kept her company beside her, a hint of a smile showing in her eyes.
But since Tang Xue had prepared a celebratory dinner at home, neither of them ate much.
The evening breeze blew softly, and the brilliant lights of the night market illuminated the boy and girl standing side by side.
Afterward, the two soon returned home.
Tang Xue had already laid out a lavish table of dishes, their aromas wafting everywhere.
"Xiao Qing, Nana, wash your hands and come eat," Xu Yan called with a smile when he saw them return.
"Okay!"
The two answered, quickly washed up, and sat down at the dining table.
The family gathered around the table, talking and laughing in warm harmony as they enjoyed their celebratory dinner.