A year passed quietly— Inside a quiet small courtyard of the Xiao Family.
“Creak—” The wooden door was gently pushed open, and a little girl in a light purple dress peeked her head in.
Her face was as delicate as a porcelain doll, and her slightly chubby cheeks made her look very cute; she was Gu Xun’er.
Gu Xun’er’s big, dark eyes quickly scanned the room, and finding it empty, her small mouth pouted slightly, showing an expression that said, “Not here again, as expected.” “Has Brother Xiao Qing run off to the back mountain to Cultivate again?” The little girl frowned and muttered to herself, her tone carrying a hint of loss and anticipation.
“I wonder if I’ll be able to wait for Brother Xiao Qing to come back and help nourish my body today…” Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, and a figure carrying the aura of the mountain wind and frost walked in; it was Xiao Qing, who had just returned from cultivating in the back mountain.
“Yo, isn’t this our Sister Xun’er?
Why are you here alone?
Who made our Xun’er unhappy?” Xiao Qing spotted Gu Xun’er standing in the courtyard with a slightly dejected face and couldn’t help but chuckle, slowing his pace and asking in a teasing tone.
“Brother Xiao Qing!” Hearing that familiar voice and seeing that familiar figure, Gu Xun’er’s originally disappointed little face instantly bloomed like a spring flower, overflowing with a brilliant smile.
She moved her short legs and quickly ran toward Xiao Qing, opening her arms, her voice full of joy: “Catch Xun’er, quick!” Xiao Qing laughed, bending down to pick up the little girl who lunged at him, spinning her around easily, and intentionally weighing her, teasing, “Oh my!
It seems our Xun’er has gotten quite a bit heavier!” “I have not!” Gu Xun’er was immediately displeased, wrinkling her small brow and puffing out her cheeks in protest.
“Xun’er is not fat at all!” Xiao Qing gently placed Gu Xun’er back on the ground, then extended his right hand to measure her height against his own, saying with a gentle smile, “If you’re heavier, doesn’t that mean our Xun’er has grown taller?” Gu Xun’er’s eyes instantly lit up, and she nodded vigorously, echoing happily, “Right!
Xun’er has grown taller!
Xun’er has grown!” Recalling when he first met Gu Xun’er a year ago, Xiao Qing had discovered that her small body was exceptionally weak, her Meridians thin and fragile, even showing signs of atrophy.
Xiao Qing understood then that this was a side effect left by forcibly fusing with the “Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame,” ranked fourth on the strange fire ranking list, which resulted in Gu Xun’er’s frail Physique and year-round pale complexion.
Because she was too young and still in the foundational Dou Zhi Qi stage, she couldn’t rely on potent Medicinal Pills for conditioning and could only be slowly nourished by gentle Fighting Qi.
This physical condition, combined with her status as the Young Miss of the Gu Clan and her cold, mature personality, meant she had almost no playmates in the Gu Clan.
When she first arrived at the Xiao Family, she treated everyone with a detached indifference.
By chance, perhaps because Xiao Qing was the first youth Gu Yuan evaluated as “interesting,” Gu Xun’er became less guarded toward him.
Don’t forget, although Xiao Qing possessed a high level of deterrence and suppression against the strange fires of heaven and earth, he also had a natural affinity for the flames of heaven and earth.
Xiao Qing took advantage of the characteristics of his Fighting Qi, which made nourishing the Meridians exceptionally smooth, providing a gentle and nourishing effect.
He smoothed out Gu Xun’er’s Meridians for over a month, which greatly accelerated her recovery process.
If Gu Xun’er had relied on her own slow recuperation, it would have likely taken at least half a year.
Now, Gu Xun’er’s body had long since recovered; her originally pale face had become rosy and healthy, and with her delicate features, she was so cute it could melt one’s heart.
But even though she had recovered, the little girl would still find excuses from time to time to pester Xiao Qing to use his Fighting Qi to “nourish” her Meridians, seemingly enjoying that warm and comfortable feeling, which had become a unique interaction between the two.
After playing, Xiao Qing looked at the smiling little girl and sighed softly, his tone becoming more serious: “Xun’er, in a few days…
I might have to leave the Xiao Family with my teacher to go out and experience the world for a while.” The place Xiao Qing was going to for his experience was the Magical Beast Mountain Range, where there was a remnant map of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame, ranked third on the strange fire ranking list!
He had already said his goodbyes to Xiao Zhan and Aunt Yan Qian yesterday.
Regarding the arrangements of that mysterious teacher, although the Xiao Zhan couple felt reluctant, they were mostly supportive and expectant, and they even prepared many resources Xiao Qing would need for his journey.
But facing Gu Xun’er, Xiao Qing hadn’t known how to speak up, dragging it out until today.
The smile on Gu Xun’er’s face instantly froze, and her bright eyes were quickly covered with a layer of mist, filled with deep reluctance.
“Is Brother Xiao Qing…
going out to gain experience with that ‘soul body’ Senior?” Gu Xun’er’s voice choked up slightly as she tried hard to keep her tears from falling.
She knew that Xiao Qing had an Alchemist teacher in a soul body state by his side; Xiao Qing had not deliberately hidden it from her.
Seeing that her tears were about to fall, Gu Xun’er quickly turned around, her back to Xiao Qing, and used her small sleeve to swiftly wipe her eyes.
Only then did she turn back, trying her best to look strong, and said, “It’s a good thing for Brother Xiao Qing to go out and gain experience to become stronger!
Xun’er…
Xun’er has a gift for Brother Xiao Qing!” Saying this, Gu Xun’er took out two scrolls from her small storage ring that appeared ancient yet faintly emitted extraordinary fluctuations, and handed them to Xiao Qing.
Looking at these two scrolls, which were clearly high-level Dou Technique scrolls, Xiao Qing’s heart was filled with mixed emotions, eventually turning into a helpless chuckle.
‘Am I…
also eating soft rice now?’ Xiao Qing didn’t look closely at the contents of the scrolls; he just felt the obscure energy fluctuations coming from them and knew they were definitely not ordinary items.
He didn’t refuse and solemnly accepted them, putting them into the storage ring he had purchased with the money earned from his year of alchemy.
This gift carried a sentiment far heavier than its actual value.
Then, Xiao Qing spent half a day carefully performing the final Fighting Qi nourishment for Gu Xun’er and bid her a proper farewell, promising to bring her a gift when he returned next time.
…
A day later, a figure left Wutan City alone, heading toward Qingshan Town near the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
On the way, Old Yao’s soul body drifted out from the bone flame ring, looking at the calm Xiao Qing and unable to help but chuckle, his tone a bit teasing: “Tsk, tsk, tsk, kid.
When I first saw you, I thought you were a serious youth focused only on cultivation.
I didn’t expect you to be a fake serious kid!” Old Yao teased as he drifted out from the bone flame ring.
“The precious daughter of a Peak Dou Sheng powerhouse has been coaxed so obediently by you?
This soft rice…
tastes quite good, doesn’t it?” When Old Yao was young, while in the Medicine Clan, he had once seen the Gu Clan Chief from afar—that peerless powerhouse who had already reached Peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng, Gu Yuan!
And this time, the distance was so close!
So close that Old Yao could clearly feel the other’s faint yet seemingly heaven-and-earth coexisting vast aura.
Before such an existence standing at the Peak of the continent, his wisp of a remnant Soul was like a candle in the wind; any means of concealing his aura or hiding appeared pale and laughable.
With just a single glance, Old Yao felt his Divine Soul vibrate, as if his entire Soul were enveloped by an invisible force, with nowhere to hide.
Especially since that gaze was not indifferent but carried a meaningful pause—Gu Yuan had clearly recognized who he was!
Regarding his teacher Old Yao’s teasing, Xiao Qing’s lips twitched slightly, but he didn’t argue.
He just shook his head helplessly, no longer paying attention to the irreverent Old Yao, and continued his journey.
On the horizon, the outline of the Magical Beast Mountain Range was already faintly visible…