Return to Holy Soul Village

Wang Xingyu picked up the meat roasting on the fire, blew on it, and looked down—it was already charred.

It was a dark, charred mess. The group had been so engrossed in their conversation that no one had bothered to flip it over. He set the burnt meat aside and dusted off his hands.

"Never mind. Let's absorb the Soul Bone first."

He took the blue Soul Bone out of the box and stuck it to his right leg.

The moment the Soul Bone touched the skin, it transformed into a warm blue light, slowly seeping into the meridians.

Both are Blue Silver Grass, so their compatibility is very high, and they don't require the long adjustment period that was required when absorbing the Spirit Skull Bone before.

He closed his eyes, feeling the vast yet gentle life force flowing into his body through his meridians—not as turbulent as the impact of the Soul Ring, but more like a warm river, flowing slowly through every meridian and permeating every inch of his flesh.

The campfire went from blazing to dim, and two rounds of firewood were added.

Xiao Wu initially stood by, chin in hand, but then her head gradually drooped until she finally fell asleep on Tang San's shoulder.

Tang San didn't move, but simply added another piece of firewood to the fire. Tang Hao was under a tree not far away with his eyes closed, it was unclear whether he was asleep or awake.

Daylight broke.

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy and fell on Wang Xingyu's face.

Suddenly, a rich aura of life emanated from him, and the withered grass beside the campfire sprouted tender shoots at a visible speed, while several unidentified white flowers quietly bloomed at his feet.

His Soul Power jumped four levels, reaching level forty-eight.

Xiao Wu was startled awake by this aura. She rubbed her eyes and saw Wang Xingyu looking down at his palm, with lingering blue light still swirling around his fingertips.

"Did it work?" Xiao Wu asked, yawning.

"It's done. One takes flight, the other Spring Breeze Brings New Life, a powerful self-healing mechanism that can even repair a damaged heart."

Wang Xingyu flexed his fingers, his tone excited, "Moreover, the Soul Bone greatly improved my life attributes, and my Fourth Soul Skill also evolved. If I use it at full power now, I should be able to regenerate a Level 60 Soul Emperor's severed limbs."

Blue Silver Grass was summoned from his palm. The vine could no longer be called grass; it had completely transformed into a small tree.

"Wow, that means we can fly!" Xiao Wu exclaimed excitedly.

Tang Hao stood up from under the tree, dusted himself off, glanced at the three of them, and said nothing.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated when the four of them stood at a fork in the road at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. Tang Hao led Tang San north, while Wang Xingyu and Xiao Wu went south, venturing deeper into the forest.

The three waved goodbye.

A pair of blue wings unfurled from Xiao Wu's back. Those were the flight skills that came with the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, Symbiosis Transfer.

She flew above the forest, just a few feet above the treetops, glancing down every now and then.

Wang Xingyu wasn't so carefree.

Two strands of Blue Silver Grass were wrapped around Xiao Wu's waist, with the other end tied around her own waist, and she hung there, swaying and floating.

As Xiao Wu flew, she released the aura of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. The surrounding Soul Beast sensed this aura and kept their distance, saving her a lot of trouble along the way.

As they approached the core area, Wang Xingyu released the Blue Silver Grass and landed back on the ground. Xiao Wu folded her wings and followed him down.

"Xiao Wu, why don't you go in and ask for me? I won't go in."

"You're quite timid," Xiao Wu said with a smile, then turned and headed towards the Lake of Life.

Wang Xingyu leaned against an ancient tree, watching her figure disappear into the depths of the dense forest.

It's not that we're cowardly—no one knows what might be hidden in the core area. If we were to encounter something inexplicable, like a Golden-Eyed Black Dragon, then the phrase "difficult to handle" wouldn't suffice.

Not long after, the ground began to tremble slightly. The Titan Giant Ape emerged from the dense forest, its palm outstretched, and Xiao Wu sat on its palm.

Although it was the second time they had met, the oppressive feeling was not diminished at all—his Lou Gao figure left a shallow crater in the ground with every step he took, and his heavy breathing sounded like a bellows.

The Titan Giant Ape glanced down at Wang Xingyu, its gaze clearly conveying something like, "You better watch out."

Wang Xingyu looked back and shrugged sincerely. That look should be directed at Tang San, not him.

The Titan Giant Ape lowered its enormous hand, placing it flat on the ground. Xiao Wu jumped down from its palm, a smile of excitement on her face, "Xingyu! Da Ming tens of thousands of years ago, something with an exceptionally large life force appeared in the far east!"

The easternmost point. Wang Xingyu quickly reviewed the map from the original novel in his mind—it indeed didn't mention anything about the easternmost point. However, the east was the direction of Holy Soul Village, which was a good opportunity to go back and visit Grandpa Jack.

He nodded. "Let's go then, head east."

"Okay!" Xiao Wu turned around and waved to the Titan Giant Ape. "Goodbye Er Ming! I'll come find you to play again sometime!"

The Titan Giant Ape stood still, watching the two walk away, its massive figure motionless among the treetops. Only after Xiao Wu's figure had completely disappeared into the depths of the forest did it slowly lower its arms, turn around, and walk towards the Lake of Life, its back view showing a hint of indescribable loss.

The two set off again, heading east.

Five days later.

Holy Soul Village remains unchanged. The dirt roads and earthen houses are still there, and the old locust tree at the village entrance is even thicker than it was a few years ago. Several village children were chasing and playing under the tree. When they saw two strangers enter the village, they followed them curiously for a few steps before dispersing.

Old Jack was squatting in the yard repairing a hoe. The handle was cracked, and he was wrapping it with a hemp rope, his strength as sharp as ever. Years had passed, and his hair had turned a bit whiter, but he was still full of energy, and the way he squatted there working was as nimble as before.

"Grandfather!"

"Grandpa Jack!"

Old Jack paused, his hoe still in his hand. Where did that voice calling him "Grandpa" come from? He looked up, squinting at the courtyard gate.

A young man and a young woman stood at the door, smiling at him. One was a girl with a scorpion braid, and the other was a boy with hair of varying lengths.

"Little Yu? Xiao Wu?" Old Jack leaned his hoe against the wall, stood up, brushed the dirt off his knees, and his face crinkled with wrinkles. "What brings you here?"

"I've come to see you." Wang Xingyu walked into the courtyard, bent down, and gave Old Jack a hug. Xiao Wu also came over and hugged him back. After the two hugs, Old Jack smiled from ear to ear and said "hello" several times.

After chatting for a while, the two rolled up their sleeves and helped Old Jack with chores all morning. Wang Xingyu chopped wood and carried water, while Xiao Wu swept the floor and wiped the table, taking a bite of the carrots from the house. Old Jack sat beside her, smoking his pipe, watching the two young people busy themselves, forgetting to even light his cigarette.

After finishing their work at Old Jack's house, the two went to Tang San's blacksmith shop. The door wasn't locked; they pushed it open and found the furnace cold, with a thin layer of ash on the anvil.

However, the two men at the blacksmith shop simply swept up the fallen leaves.

Finally, Wang Xingyu pushed open his own door.

That dilapidated house is still there.

The bed frame was the one he replaced a few years ago. The earthenware jar was repaired and placed in the corner, and the small oil lamp was still on the table, covered in dust.

This is the room—his first home after he transmigrated. Back then, he lay alone on this hard bed, his stomach cramping from hunger. The half-bowl of thin porridge that Old Jack brought him was enough to sustain him for a whole day.

He is now a level 48 Soul Ancestor. He has become family with Tang San and Xiao Wu, won the Soul Master Tournament, and even hammered a nail into the Pope's Palace.

He stood at the doorway, looking at the dusty little oil lamp inside, and patted the doorframe.

"Let's go," he said, turning to Xiao Wu.

"Won't you come in and sit for a while?"

"That's enough, you've seen it." Wang Xingyu closed the door again.