Found Ah Yin!

In the dead of night,

Ye Qiu washed the smell of blood from his body, changed into dry clothes, and returned to the house in the peach grove.

He had just pushed open the bedroom door when a gentle voice rang out.

"Xiao Qiu~"

"Sister Yun'er, haven't you gone to bed yet?"

Ye Qiu looked toward the bed and closed the bedroom door behind him.

His beautiful wife lay on her side beneath the covers, the curves of her waist and hips on full display. Her beautiful eyes, clear as glass and reflecting the lovely moonlight, gazed gently at him.

"I just finished cultivating and was about to sleep."

As Su Yun'er spoke, she couldn't help opening her mouth to yawn.

Ye Qiu sat down on the edge of the bed with a smile and stroked Su Yun'er's cheek. "Then get some rest early, Sister Yun'er. I'll cultivate here beside you tonight."

"Mm~"

Su Yun'er answered softly, her delicate nose sniffing as she looked at Ye Qiu with some curiosity.

They had only been apart for a day, but Su Yun'er noticed that her Xiao Qiu seemed a little different, though she couldn't put her finger on what had changed.

It was as if he had acquired a touch of... chill?

Even his palm had grown a little colder.

"Mm~ Good night, Sister Yun'er."

Ye Qiu leaned down and gently kissed Su Yun'er on the cheek. The memory of their romp on the rooftop the previous night was still vivid in his mind. He was still capable of restraint; even if he was in a poor mood, he wouldn't use Su Yun'er's body as a means of amusement.

"..."

Su Yun'er silently closed her eyes.

Ye Qiu sat cross-legged beside her and began cultivating in silence.

He had been through a lot since graduating in Nuoding City: he had obtained Kamui, cooked the raw rice into a meal with Sister Yun'er, found an Immortal Herb, faced a Titled Douluo, visited an auction house and a Soul Fighting Arena. He had traveled far and wide, and every day had been fulfilling... yet in truth, less than a month and a half had passed since his graduation.

Ye Qiu made time to cultivate every day.

Each level required a longer period of accumulation and consolidation... He was quite satisfied with his current level-thirty-four Soul Power and wasn't eager to rush things. It was enough to keep advancing steadily, step by step.

Besides, compared with his pitiful cultivation speed at Nuoding Academy, when he had possessed level-one Innate Soul Power, his cultivation speed after being baptized by the Immortal Herb was nothing short of divine.

Perhaps the Sage Body gave him a boost as well,

but Ye Qiu felt that even Innate Full Soul Power was nothing special.

The night grew deeper.

Ye Qiu suddenly felt a soft body press against his back and hold him tightly. Two soft, fragrant lips brushed the back of his neck as she murmured:

"Xiao Qiu~"

"Hm? What is it, Sister Yun'er?"

Ye Qiu opened his eyes and looked back.

Su Yun'er's clothes were half-undone. Holding his waist and leaning against his back, she asked with concern, "Xiao Qiu~ there's a bit of a bloody smell on you. Even though you washed, I could still smell it. Did something happen? If you're feeling uncomfortable, you can tell me... I can help you..."

As she spoke, Su Yun'er's voice turned soft and alluring, and she reached out to gently grasp Ye Qiu's dangling head.

Ye Qiu couldn't help laughing. Of course he knew how Su Yun'er intended to comfort him.

But he didn't want to do that.

"I'm fine, Sister Yun'er..."

Ye Qiu took Su Yun'er by her jade wrist and moved her hand away. Taking a deep breath, he told her the truth. "I went to steel my nerves. I chopped off an enemy's head in a life-and-death match."

"!!!"

Su Yun'er's delicate body trembled, and disbelief filled her beautiful eyes.

Her Xiao Qiu had always been gentle and kind.

"..."

Ye Qiu stroked the back of Su Yun'er's hand, soothing her.

"Don't worry, Sister Yun'er. I'm fine."

"..."

Su Yun'er was silent for a moment before something occurred to her. She couldn't help holding Ye Qiu tighter as she asked softly:

"Xiao Qiu~ as a Soul Master, do you have to go through things like this?"

"Probably."

Ye Qiu answered.

"I see."

Determination gradually shone in Su Yun'er's eyes. She gripped Ye Qiu's hand and said in a trembling voice, "Xiao Qiu, I want to steel my nerves too... may I?"

Before Ye Qiu could answer, Su Yun'er continued, "Please don't refuse, all right? I don't want you to bear these things alone... Besides, I'm a Soul Master now. It's inevitable that I'll get caught up in battles, isn't it?"

"..."

Ye Qiu hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.

"Mm~ Sister Yun'er, I agree!"

"All right~ We'll go tomorrow."

For once, Su Yun'er acted with considerable speed and resolve. Perhaps she felt that she would have to go sooner or later, so she might as well get it over with early.

When she finished speaking,

Su Yun'er released Ye Qiu's waist and came around to kneel before him. Bending forward, she raised her eyes and said, "Xiao Qiu, don't cultivate just yet... I'll help you..."

"Sister Yun'er? Hiss...?"

Caught off guard, Ye Qiu watched Su Yun'er's movements and couldn't help sucking in a cold breath. He reached out with both hands and stroked her beautiful hair.

"Whew..."

Ye Qiu raised his head and exhaled, rolling his eyes upward to look at the bright moon beyond the skylight.

Su Yun'er's comfort was very effective.

The slight discomfort Ye Qiu had felt after beheading his enemy was completely swept away...

"Gulp~"

The next evening,

Ye Qiu took Su Yun'er straight to the Soto Great Soul Arena.

He had originally planned to go to the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, but he didn't want his Soul Ring Configuration to become common knowledge just yet, so he chose the more low-profile Soto Great Soul Arena instead.

Su Yun'er registered as an Iron Soul Fighter under the alias Clouds Curl and Unfurl, then formed the Qiu Yun Team with Ye Qiu and entered a two-on-two life-and-death battle!

Although their opponents were two Battle Soul Elders, Ye Qiu still crushed them with ease.

Even when the enemies severed his Blue Silver Grass, his first Soul Skill, Endless Life, allowed it to quickly regrow from the cut. And with his second Soul Skill, Blue Silver Spores, as well...

In just thirty seconds,

one Soul Elder was strangled to death by Ye Qiu.

The other Soul Elder had his Soul Power drained and was bound, then left for Su Yun'er to execute.

Su Yun'er's reaction after killing her enemy was calmer than Ye Qiu had imagined. She didn't vomit, but she was nauseated and dizzy. After returning home, she washed herself repeatedly and changed into clean clothes.

Fortunately,

with Ye Qiu by her side, Su Yun'er recovered in just two days.

After that,

Su Yun'er unexpectedly took the initiative to ask to go to the Soto Great Soul Arena to steel her nerves again.

Naturally, Ye Qiu could only agree.

"..."

Time flew.

In about ten more days, Shrek Academy would open for the new term and begin admitting students.

In Holy Soul Village,

Tang San had already set out with Xiao Wu on the journey to Suotuo City.

At the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City, Soul Masters had arrived from Spirit City for Su Yun'er, whose Soul Ring Configuration exceeded the norm.

Meanwhile,

Ye Qiu finally found the waterfall where the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin, was located!