Chapter 99

99. Chapter 99: Beautiful skin and bones, am I the only useless one?

” “Brother, what is this?”

That evening, at the Lu family’s residence, after dinner, Xiaoyan asked curiously, looking at the jade bottle Lu Qing had brought out.

“Good stuff, dessert for you,” Lu Qing said with a smile.

“Sweet?” The little one’s eyes lit up.

She loved sweet things.

“Yes, it’s a little sweet. Try it.”

Xiaoyan obediently opened her mouth, and Lu Qing dripped a drop of Earth Vein Spirit Liquid into her mouth.

“It’s really sweet!”

Xiaoyan smacked her lips, delighted.

Then she looked at Lu Qing eagerly, “Brother, just a little?”

“You can’t eat too much of this. You like sweet things. I’ll make you a snack tomorrow.”

Xiaoyan was still young, and the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid had a significant power. Although the medicinal effect was mild, Lu Qing didn’t dare give her too much at once.

He’d just use one drop to see the effect.

If she could digest more, he could give her more later.

“Then, brother, it’s a deal,” Xiaoyan said, instantly brightening.

After taking a drop of the earth vein spirit fluid, Xiaoyan quickly grew sleepy.

Before long, her eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted off to sleep beside her brother.

Lu Qing carried her to her crib and tucked her in.

Xiaoli also jumped in, settling into his own little bamboo nest at the head of the bed, silently guarding the tiny two-legged creature.

After tucking Xiaoyan into the thin blanket and feeling her steady breathing, Lu Qing felt relieved. He left the room and went out into the courtyard, settling into his favorite recliner.

It was almost dusk, and Lu Qing felt a sense of comfort as he watched the sunset in the distance.

Although his journey into the mountains had yielded immense rewards, granting him opportunities others wouldn’t even dream of, he

still had to maintain a certain level of alertness.

After all, there were many poisonous insects and snakes in the mountains, and if he relaxed too much, he could be in trouble.

Now, back home, he could finally relax completely.

After gazing at the sunset, his mind cleared for a moment, then thoughts began to drift back into his head.

His master was already helping him refine the Blood and Qi Replenishing Pill.

He had originally wanted to help and practice his alchemy skills.

However, his master had just achieved a breakthrough and was full of energy. He felt he was in the way and kicked him out of the medicine room .

He said it was just a few Blood and Qi Replenishing Pills, something

he could do alone without help. Furthermore, using century-old ginseng to practice alchemy was a waste, and he couldn’t bear to see Lu Qing waste such a precious herb.

Lu Qing didn’t insist. After all, he knew the recipe for the Blood and Qi Replenishing Pill and could practice it later.

Once his master finished refining the Blood and Qi Replenishing Pill, he could devote himself to cultivation

. Then, his strength would soar.

Now, he just had to wait for two or three days.

Besides martial arts training, the practice of runes must also be diligent.

While the runes may be weak at first, once one truly masters the art, one can master a mystical array of powers, a quality unmatched by martial arts.

How could Lu Qing possibly give up such a miraculous power?

With this thought in mind, Lu Qing pulled a piece of silver from his bosom, activated his supernatural powers, and entered a state of calm and clear mind, slowly observing.

He had actually already grasped something in the Jade Cavern, but was interrupted by Xiao Li’s awakening.

Now he could continue his contemplation.

The sky gradually darkened, and Lu Qing, in his contemplative state, didn’t notice the passage of time.

It wasn’t until the moon rose above the branches, the stars shone brightly, and deep into the night that he suddenly came to his senses.

He glanced around, then up at the sky, a little bewildered.

“It’s already this late! It’s so easy to lose track of time when contemplating these runes.”

It had been the same in the Jade Cavern before. He’d only felt like a few hours had passed, when in reality, more than a day and a night had passed outside.

“But it’s all worth the time,”

Lu Qing smiled, looking at the silver in his hand.

He had already grasped the patterns on the silver.

He believed that with a few more contemplations, he would fully comprehend them.

Of course, comprehending the patterns on a piece of silver didn’t mean he’d mastered the Way of Runes.

If the Way of Runes were so simple, it wouldn’t have vanished, leaving behind only a jade cave.

This tradition was profound and mystical, and Lu Qing still had a long way to go before he could fully master it.

Putting the silver away, Lu Qing stood up and noticed a layer of dampness on his body.

His clothes had been soaked by the night.

Fortunately, he was now a Qi and Blood Realm warrior, possessing a formidable constitution.

A weaker person, sitting in the courtyard for half the night, would have likely caught a cold and fallen ill.

Shaking his head, Lu Qing circulated his Qi and blood, rapidly raising his body temperature. After drying off the dampness, he returned to his room to rest.

The next morning, Lu Qing rose, practiced a few boxing moves, and then went to make breakfast.

Just as he finished breakfast, he heard Xiaoyan and Xiaoli playing in the room.

He entered the room and saw the two little ones rolling around on the bed.

“Brother!”

Xiaoyan called out as she saw Lu Qing enter.

“Wake up! You slept all night. How’s it going?”

“Brother, Xiaoyan seems to have gotten whiter!”

The little girl reached out, rolled up her sleeves, and showed Lu Qing her chubby little arms.

Her arms, once somewhat dark in color, were now as white and tender as lotus roots, adorable.

Even without her showing him, Lu Qing could already tell Xiaoyan had changed quite a bit.

The family’s meals had been good lately, and Xiaoyan’s health, under his care, was much better than when he first arrived.

Not only had she gained weight, but her once dull hair had also improved significantly.

However, despite the improvement, the treatment had only been done recently, so her hair was still a bit yellow.

And from playing outside all day, her skin had gotten a bit tanned.

Now, not only was her hair black and shiny, but her skin was fair and tender, too.

She had become even more adorable and endearing.

“Yes, not only had it gotten whiter, but her hair had gotten darker, too,” Lu Qing nodded. “

Really? Xiaoyan’s hair has gotten darker?” The little girl’s eyes lit up.

Ever since her friends told her her hair looked ugly, Xiaoyan had always been very self-conscious about it.

Now, hearing her brother say it had darkened, she suddenly became concerned.

“Of course it’s true. When you get up and wash up, just take a look and you’ll see,” Lu Qing nodded.

Xiaoyan quickly climbed out of her crib and said, “Brother, I’m going to brush my teeth and wash my face!”

Running out into the yard, she stared into the water in the washbasin for a moment and exclaimed happily, “Brother, Xiaoyan’s hair has really turned black!”

“Brother told me all along, as long as you eat well and sleep well, your hair will soon look good,” Lu Qing said with a smile.

Simultaneously, he activated his supernatural powers and quietly checked the little one’s information.

Soon, a faint red light emerged from Xiaoyan’s body.

[Lu Xiaoyan: A female human cub.]

[The lucky little one, after consuming the earth vein spirit fluid, seems to have unexpectedly awakened a special talent. 】

【Ice Skin and Jade Bones (not fully activated): The physique is pure, without any impurities or stains, pure as ice and jade, a natural seed for cultivation. Practicing water-cold attribute skills will achieve twice the result with half the effort. 】

Seeing the information that appeared on Xiaoyan, Lu Qing was very surprised.

It wasn’t just because of the red aura of supernatural power, the same level as Xiao Li’s, but also because of the two notes that followed.

Under the influence of the Earth Spirit Fluid, Xiao Yan had actually awakened a talent called Icy Skin and Jade Bones.

And judging by the description in the notes, this talent was quite powerful.

She was a true genius in cultivation.

But…

“Not fully activated?”

Lu Qing pondered the words on the third note.

Was it because he only took one drop of Earth Spirit Fluid?

Lu Qing felt that it was.

Xiao Li’s awakened invisibility talent required five points of Earth Spirit Fluid to fully activate.

Xiao Yan had only taken one drop, which was definitely not enough.

To fully activate this Icy Skin and Jade Bones talent, she would probably need a few more drops of fluid.

But then again, it was just Earth Spirit Fluid; he still had plenty.

From the Jade Cavern, Lu Qing had collected nearly forty drops of Earth Spirit Fluid.

He used three drops himself, gave five drops each to Xiao Li and his master, and gave Xiao Yan one drop last night, for a total of fourteen drops.

He now had over twenty drops of Earth Vein Spirit Liquid in his hand.

Even if he gave Xiaoyan four more drops, he would still have around twenty drops left.

Of these twenty drops, ten needed to cultivate the Divine Talisman Sect’s secret method of pre-tempering the soul.

He would still have at least ten drops left for emergencies.

So Lu Qing wasn’t worried about running out of Earth Vein Spirit Liquid.

Instead, he was delighted but also speechless to see Xiaoyan unexpectedly activate such a remarkable talent for cultivation.

After consuming the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid, Xiaoli and Xiaoyan both awakened their talents, and their master’s cultivation level also improved, nearing a breakthrough to the Xiantian realm.

He, however, saw no special benefits, aside from a slight increase in potential.

So, after all, everyone was gifted, and he was the only one left out?

Lu Qing couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.

Over the next two days, Lu Qing gave Xiaoyan several more drops of Earth Vein Spirit Liquid.

After finally waking up after taking the fifth drop of spiritual fluid, he used his supernatural powers to check Xiaoyan’s information.

A rich red light emanated from Xiaoyan.

[Ice Skin and Jade Bones: A pure constitution, free from impurities, pure as ice and jade, a natural seed for cultivation. Practicing water-cold cultivation techniques will achieve twice the result with half the effort.]

Seeing the incompletely activated words on the note disappear, Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

As he had expected, Xiaoyan’s gift required the same five drops of Earth Vein Spiritual Fluid to fully activate.

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

Xiaoyan had just finished washing and was waiting for Lu Qing to tie her hair, when she saw her brother staring blankly at her, somewhat puzzled.

“It’s okay, I’m just thinking.”

Lu Qing deftly tied Xiaoyan’s hair into two buns.

After tying it, he looked at her from head to toe, feeling very satisfied.

With her shiny black hair, fair face, and big eyes,

Xiaoyan, already adorable, became even more like a porcelain doll after taking the Earth Vein Spiritual Fluid, attracting everyone’s attention.

The little girl said that these past few days, when she’d run into Grandpa Zhang and his friends, she’d been showered with compliments and given lots of edible treats. She was incredibly happy.

“Okay, let’s go have breakfast.”

Inside, the brother and sister sat facing each other, drinking meat porridge, while Xiao Li enjoyed her fresh fish.

It had to be said that the Night Lizard truly loved fish.

Xiao Li could eat fish three times a day and never get tired of it.

While sipping porridge, Lu Qing was thinking about something else.

Xiao Yan had awakened such a unique talent for cultivation, and some of his plans would have to change.

Originally, Lu Qing had hoped Xiao Yan would live a peaceful life, without forcing herself to achieve anything.

But now that Xiao Yan had awakened such a gift, it would be a shame not to utilize it.

In this world where warriors reign supreme, mastering the power of the martial arts is something countless people dream of.

However, most simply don’t have the qualifications.

Since Xiao Yan possessed such talent, he should be even more supportive.

So, in the coming days, he would slowly begin teaching Xiaoyan some knowledge about cultivation.

However, according to the information revealed by his supernatural powers, the most suitable techniques for Xiaoyan’s cultivation were those with water and cold attributes.

Unfortunately, Lu Qing possessed neither of these techniques.

The inheritance left by Li Weitian consisted entirely of techniques for the Xiantian Realm, none of which were water- and cold-attributed, making them unsuitable for Xiaoyan’s cultivation.

“It seems I’ll have to find Xiaoyan a water- and cold-attributed inheritance later,” Lu Qing thought to himself.

Of course, there was no rush.

Before entering the Xiantian Realm, cultivation in the Acquired Realm didn’t actually have any attribute distinctions.

Everyone followed a systematic approach, cultivating Qi and blood, strengthening muscles and bones, and strengthening the internal organs.

Only after entering the Xiantian Realm, and cultivating one’s own unique Xiantian Qi, did attribute distinctions begin to emerge.

Xiaoyan was still a child, not even beginning the first step of cultivation. Even if she was gifted, it was unclear when she would reach the Xiantian Realm.

The search for a technique could be taken slowly.

For the Acquired Realm, Master’s nourishing fist was sufficient for her to learn for the time being.

Thinking of this, Lu Qing looked up and said, “Xiaoyan, do you want to learn to read?”

“Recognize words?” Xiaoyan blinked, a little confused.

“Well, it’s about recognizing words. Don’t you like listening to stories about little monkeys? There are actually many more interesting stories outside, but those stories are all written in books. As long as Xiaoyan learns to recognize words, she will be able to read those stories by herself in the future.”

During this period, Lu Qing still told stories to Xiaoyan from time to time.

He didn’t understand why the little guy never got tired of hearing the story of a little monkey after hearing it so many times.

Not only Xiaoyan, but even Xiaoli, every time he told a story, would sit up obediently, looking at him with bright eyes, listening with relish.

So in order to stimulate Xiaoyan’s desire to learn, he decided to use this to tempt her.

Sure enough, Xiaoyan became interested as soon as she heard it.

Even Xiaoli pricked up his ears.

“Brother, are there really more fascinating stories out there than the little monkey story?”

“Of course, but those stories are written in books. Those who can’t read can’t understand them.”

“I want to learn, I want to learn, brother, I want to learn!” Xiaoyan said immediately.

“Okay, starting today, I’ll teach you. If I’m busy, you can learn from Grandpa Chen.”

Seeing the little one take the bait, Lu Qing smiled.

Just then, he felt something tug at his trouser leg. He looked down and saw Xiaoli looking at him expectantly.

“Why, Xiaoli, you want to learn to read too?” Lu Qing was stunned.

Seeing it nod, Lu Qing was speechless.

He hadn’t expected the story to be so captivating that even the black beast wanted to learn.

But how could he teach a little beast?

He had no experience!

“That’s perfect, brother. Xiaoli and I will learn together!” Xiaoyan beamed.

Having a study partner was, of course, the best.

“Well… okay then.”

Facing the two little ones’ expectant eyes, Lu Qing could only nod in agreement.

(End of this chapter)