Chapter 115

On the second afternoon, Gu Xuan and Xue Qinghe appeared in his garden; after not seeing each other for several months, Xue Qinghe seemed to have matured a bit more.

Now Xue Qinghe, oh no, Qian Renxue should already be twenty-two; I recall that when she first appeared in the original story she was twenty-nine, and at that time she was already a Soul Saint.

There are still seven years until she reveals her identity in the original story; she probably hasn't yet reached Soul Saint cultivation, but at least she should be a Soul Emperor. A twenty-two-year-old Soul Emperor—this talent truly lives up to being an innate rank‑twenty divine martial soul.

Gu Xuan and Xue Qinghe sat opposite each other in the pavilion, watching the lotus blossoms in the pond; the table held prepared lotus‑seed snacks, and Gu Xuan sipped fruit tea while gazing at Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe now barely manages to get used to Gu Xuan's new appearance; when she first saw him she didn't dare acknowledge him, even thinking he was a new student at the academy.

In just a few months, how could one person change so much? Did you get plastic surgery or something?

That said, Gu Xuan really is more charming now than before, and he also looks considerably more mature.

Damn, cutting down women was bad enough, but now he's cutting down men too.

"How come, after not seeing each other for months, you've become distant?" Xue Qinghe glanced at Gu Xuan and suddenly said.

Gu Xuan set down his cup, smacked his lips, and replied: "Big brother, what are you talking about? You have no idea how I've spent these past few months—it's been like living in purgatory. Just seeing you makes me happy I can't even begin to express it."

Listening to Gu Xuan's words, Xue Qinghe silently analyzed the information and how much of it could be believed.

Quietly sizing up Gu Xuan, Xue Qinghe said: "Where have you been these past few months? Even the teacher isn't in the sect."

Very straightforward, indeed—just that straightforward—because Xue Qinghe is currently using the identity of a student of Ning Fengzhi.

Gu Xuan pursed his lips and replied: "Where else could I go? The Star Dou Great Forest, of course. Big brother, let me tell you, that place is no fit for humans—the first few days were okay, like a trip, but the following months I almost couldn't help running away."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe snorted: "How? With the teachers' protection, you still end up suffering?"

Upon hearing that, Gu Xuan instantly flared with indignant righteousness: "Protection? Sure, it's protection—as long as you don't die."

"Have you ever seen protection that throws you straight into the territory of a hundred‑year wind baboon pack? Or the lands of hundred‑year gale magic wolves and hundred‑year Human Face Demon Spiders?"

"They said they were taking me to the Star Dou Great Forest to broaden my horizons, but I never expected it to be like this—I almost died at the hands of those Human Face Demon Spiders!"

Watching Gu Xuan chatter on with his complaints, Xue Qinghe also rarely showed a smile, listening with interest as he spun his tall tales.

Of course, hearing these words, Xue Qinghe found them quite credible, after all, major sects usually train their core disciples in exactly this way.

After Gu Xuan finished venting, he felt his whole body relax, leaning back in the chair as if still recalling something.

After a long while, Gu Xuan turned his gaze back to Xue Qinghe and said: "Big brother, I've basically escaped death this time—won't you comfort me?"

Gu Xuan said this while rubbing his hands together, the intent being as obvious as could be.

Xue Qinghe's face darkened at the words; he gave Gu Xuan a white look and snapped: "All the good stuff I have is about to be picked clean by you—what else do you want? Besides, you're the young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect; you lack nothing—do you really have to keep squeezing me alone?"

Seeing Xue Qinghe's speechless retort, Gu Xuan couldn't help laughing inwardly, wondering whether this was an act or genuine.

In fact, Xue Qinghe was truly speechless at this moment; Gu Xuan has been taking advantage of her since childhood, plucking her like wool—if it weren't that her female identity couldn't be exposed, she'd love to give him a slap that would send him flying a hundred thousand miles.

"Fine, fine, fine." Xue Qinghe wore an expression of unwillingness, yet still produced a brocade box from his Soul Tool.

"I picked this up not long ago; maybe it'll help your cultivation." Xue Qinghe handed the box to Gu Xuan, his tone a bit uneasy.

She didn't really want to give it, but Gu Xuan insisted.

Gu Xuan wasn't polite either; he took the box and opened it right away, revealing its contents.

This is a piece of bone—not a soul bone, but the skull of a dragon‑type soul beast; it does indeed help Gu Xuan's cultivation, since a mimetic training ground is set up as a space matching one's martial soul attribute or of the same origin.

This skull looks fine, and at a glance it's clearly from a ten‑thousand‑year soul beast; besides being useful for setting up a mimetic training ground for dragon‑type martial soul masters, it also has decent collectible value.

Those black‑hearted nobles love collecting such things.

"Whoa!" Upon seeing the skull, Gu Xuan let out an exclamation of surprise: "It's definitely a good item—must have cost a pretty penny, huh?"

Xue Qinghe waved his hand: "One thousand gold soul coins!"

"?" Gu Xuan stared, stunned—so expensive? Just how ruthless would the person who sold this to you have to be?

Although this ten‑thousand‑year skull looks decent, it's truly not worth that price.

Xue Qinghe sighed: "If you like it, then I don't mind the cost."

"Oh dear, big brother, this is really letting go of something precious." Gu Xuan said, then promptly put the skull away, since it really does help him a bit.

Setting up a mimetic training ground is indeed a good thing.

Watching Gu Xuan put things away, Xue Qinghe raised an eyebrow: "You could at least say thanks—you didn't utter a word, yet your hands are quick to take."

After putting the box away, Gu Xuan also pulled out a porcelain bottle from his Soul Tool and casually placed it before Xue Qinghe.

"Congratulations, you've passed my test. Since big brother is willing to part with something precious, I naturally ought to return the favor." Having set down the bottle, Gu Xuan's face broke into a warm smile.

"?" Xue Qinghe blinked, then laughed: "What, did you strike it rich? You're actually giving me a gift?"

Xue Qinghe said while picking up the bottle and turning it in his hand: "Go on—what is this?"

"It's a pill—only a few exist, so it's precious." Gu Xuan laughed as he explained: "Your cultivation isn't hopeless; this helps your training, and I'm already at rank forty‑five."

"It helps with cultivation…" Wait—what did he say?

"You're rank forty‑five?!" Xue Qinghe asked in disbelief.

Gu Xuan gave a slight smile and said: "Yes, hard to believe, right? Even I find it hard to believe, but that's the fact."

"You didn't use some evil secret method to forcibly boost your soul power, did you?" Xue Qinghe frowned.

But then she immediately shook her head: "No way—even if you wanted to, the teachers would never allow it. How did you manage it?"

Xue Qinghe isn't stupid, and Gu Xuan had no need to deceive him, so he quickly figured out the issue.

"Because of this?" Xue Qinghe raised the porcelain bottle in his hand.

Gu Xuan laughed and nodded: "Just try it and you'll know."

Xue Qinghe suddenly took interest in the thing in his hand—being able to boost Gu Xuan's soul power by twelve ranks in just a year already proves how extraordinary it is.

Earlier, when Gu Xuan said this pill could increase strength, Xue Qinghe hadn't cared, since his Ning Fengzhi disciple guise had only modest cultivation talent, but he himself is already rank sixty‑eight—what use would he have for such a trifle?

But merely hearing Gu Xuan's words, he now couldn't help but take it seriously.

"Try it?" he thought to himself, then affirmed: "Try it."

From his perspective, it was impossible for him to be exposed; Gu Xuan treated him like an older brother, so he wouldn't harm him. Thinking this, he opened the bottle and poured out a brown pill the size of a longan.

The moment the Hunyuan Pill appeared, a fragrant medicinal aroma began to spread, signifying its extraordinariness.

ps: Typos will be corrected first, then revised.

Song Xueqinghe sending the Hunyuan Pill is also part of the layout, not a thoughtless gift; after all, although the Hunyuan Pill can boost soul power, that's all it does—it doesn't do much for talent improvement and can't compare to immortal herbs. I've been too busy these past two days to write the plot, but the continuation will come out soon.

I kneel and beg for everything!

(End of chapter)