When Flowers Bloom and Hearts Unite, Lovesick Heartbreak (3)
Xiao Wu blinked, as if she didn't quite understand, yet also as if she understood a little. Her cheeks slowly flushed red, spreading from her ears to her temples.
Lin Chen looked at her flushed cheeks, and his heart beat a little faster.
He took another half step forward, his voice soft but earnest, saying each word clearly, "Xiao Wu, will you... stay with me forever?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the wind in the valley seemed to stop.
The only sounds were the bubbling of the spring at the bottom of the valley and the soft breathing of the two people.
Lin Chen stared into her eyes, his heart pounding faster and faster.
He's waiting, waiting for an answer.
Xiao Wu stared blankly at Lin Chen.
The icy and fiery light from the valley floor reflected in his eyes, half intense and half clear. His usually calm and composed gaze now held a trepidation she had never seen before.
The wind swirled the mist around his hair, the boy's back was ramrod straight, but his fingertips were slightly clenched, as if he were waiting for an answer that would determine his entire life.
Her heart suddenly started pounding, making her chest pound with anxiety.
Why would you need to think about it?
From their first meeting in the Star Dou Great Forest, where he concealed his presence, to every little detail at the Nuoding Academy, to every delicious meal, every story she loved to hear, to their training and shopping trips together at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, to his ever-present protective figure on the Soul Fighting Stage—six years have passed, and she has long since grown accustomed to following him and clinging to him.
It's not that the younger sister is dependent on her older brother; it's that she wants to spend her whole life with him, no matter where we go.
Her cheeks grew increasingly hot, the heat spreading from her ears to her temples. She lowered her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, her voice barely audible, yet perfectly clear:
"I do."
Lin Chen suddenly looked up.
"Brother Lin Chen, I do." Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed red, but her tone was exceptionally firm. "I want to be with Brother Lin Chen forever."
The moment the words left his mouth, the weight that had been hanging over Lin Chen's heart for so long finally lifted.
He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
The embrace was warm, carrying a familiar, faint medicinal scent and the refreshing coolness of Soul Power.
Xiao Wu buried her face in his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. Her face grew even hotter, but she reached out and hugged his waist tightly, refusing to let go.
A gentle breeze blew through the valley, and icy and fiery mist swirled around the two of them, the warm and cool air brushing against their hair, making time seem to slow down.
After a long while, Xiao Wu looked up, rubbed her red eyes, and whispered, "Then... then I'll go pick flowers?"
"Hmm." Lin Chen released her, his fingertips gently stroking the top of her hair, his tone solemn, "Remember, don't think about anything else, just focus on what matters most to you. Take a little of your heart's blood and lightly touch the calyx. Don't force it; if it doesn't work, we'll think of another way."
"I understand."
Xiao Wu took a deep breath, and her Third Soul Ring lit up beneath her feet.
The pink figure flashed and Teleportation teleported to a protruding rock beside the cliff, perfectly level with the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
She crouched down, looking at the bright red flower blooming like blood in the crack in the rock. Her heart was at peace, filled only with images of Lin Chen.
It was his smiling face, his focused expression while cultivating, and the back of his figure shielding me.
She raised her fingertip, gently bit her fingertip, and a drop of bright red blood seeped out, which she slowly brought to the base of the calyx.
The moment the drop of blood touched the flower stem, the once quietly swaying Lovesick Heartbreak Red suddenly trembled slightly.
The petals, far from withering, became even more vibrant, as if dyed with heart's blood, radiating a warm red glow. The flower stem automatically withdrew from the crack in the rock and floated down lightly. Xiao Wu quickly reached out to catch it.
The flowers were warm to the touch, as if they were still beating, and showed no signs of wilting.
"Brother Lin Chen! It worked!" She waved happily, Teleportation back to the ground, and presented the flowers to Lin Chen. "Look! They're intact!"
Lin Chen accepted the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
A warm touch spread across my fingertips; the petals were soft, blood-red, and carried a faint fragrance.
He looked up at Xiao Wu's smiling face, and his eyes suddenly felt a little warm.
After so many years of worry, he finally took a step forward. With the Lovesick Heartbreak Red), his plan was already half successful.
A tear slid down his cheek and landed on a flower petal.
"Brother Lin Chen?" Xiao Wu was taken aback, then quickly reached out to wipe his eyes. "Why are you crying? Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing." Lin Chen turned his face away, quickly wiping away his tears, and smiled. "I got sand in my eyes."
He held the flower and turned to walk towards the ice spring. "There's one more medicinal ingredient, Crystal Snow Dragon Ginseng. We need to find it to use it with this flower."
Xiao Wu followed obediently behind, secretly feeling sweet inside.
She didn't believe it was sand in her eyes.
He cried because he wanted to, right?
The two searched along the rock wall beside the icy spring for a while, and Lin Chen finally stopped in a shady crevice in the ice.
Embedded in the ice crevice was a crystal-clear ginseng, its roots snow-white and shimmering with a faint fluorescence. The surrounding ice crystals seemed to radiate spiritual energy; it was indeed the Crystal Snow Dragon Ginseng.
"Found it." Lin Chen released a little Soul Power from his fingertips and carefully took the ginseng out of the ice crevice. It was cool to the touch, yet warm and translucent, clearly a rare and aged product.
Xiao Wu leaned closer and curiously poked it. "Is this the Crystal Snow Dragon Ginseng? It looks so beautiful. Does it become especially nourishing when paired with this red flower?"
Lin Chen held the two medicinal herbs in his hands and remained silent for a moment.
He turned his head, looked into Xiao Wu's curious eyes, and finally decided to tell her the truth.
"Xiao Wu, these two herbs are not ordinary tonics." His tone was soft, but extremely solemn.
"You are Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form. Although the Chaos Pearl conceals your aura, Titled Douluo- level expert can easily detect your presence. The Spirit Hall's investigations will become increasingly stringent in the future, and with so many powerful figures around, exposing your identity will surely lead to your death."
Xiao Wu's smile slowly faded, and she stared at him with wide eyes.
"The Lovesick Heartbreak Red can bring the dead back to life and heal flesh and bones, and can wash away the original aura of Soul Beast. The Crystal Snow Dragon Ginseng has the effect of transforming the body and reshaping the physical form." Lin Chen looked into her eyes and spoke each word clearly.
"Using my attribute-less Chaos Soul Power as a guide, combined with the spiritual energy of heaven Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, I can completely cleanse the Soul Beast's original aura from your body. Once the refining is complete, you will be exactly the same as a true human Soul Master. Even Titled Douluo, no, even a higher-level powerhouse, will find it difficult to detect the slightest flaw."
The valley was quiet, save for the bubbling sound of the spring.
Xiao Wu stood there, stunned, her mouth slightly agape.
She had initially thought it was just ordinary medicinal herbs that would solidify her foundation and aid in cultivation.
She never imagined that Lin Chen would go to such great lengths and risk his life to venture deep into the Sunset Forest to find these two rare and precious herbs, just to help her completely shed her Soul Beast identity and become a "human" again.