"There's hope!"
Dai Chengfeng felt a surge of joy in his heart.
He was well aware that Qiu'er was the Imperial Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, and carried the bloodline of the Golden Dragon—a direct descendant of the Golden Dragon King, one of the incarnations of the Dragon God.
Her bloodline was among the noblest of all soul beasts, unparalleled in its purity.
Thus, no matter how powerful the energy contained within the ancient Dragon King Core was, its essence still originated from the dragon lineage.
This power would instinctively resonate with and be drawn to Qiu'er's soul, which possessed the pinnacle of dragonic heritage.
Soon, the overwhelming and turbulent dragon force ceased its violent surges, transforming instead into a gentle flow akin to spring water, brimming with an indescribable sense of joy and recognition. It actively enveloped Qiu'er's golden soul aura.
Dai Chengfeng held his breath, not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.
He carefully guided this awakened, supremely pure ancient dragon power, channeling it bit by bit into Qiu'er's slightly ethereal soul essence.
Qiu'er's soul seemed like a parched seedling finally receiving rain, instinctively beginning to absorb this ancient and purer dragon power that shared its origin.
The golden soul aura rapidly became denser and brighter, visibly solidifying as the weakness caused by the sacrifice swiftly dissipated…
A purer, more potent dragon aura began to emanate from her soul, even faintly resonating with Dai Chengfeng's own White Tiger bloodline.
Time passed, but Dai Chengfeng seemed oblivious to it…
His entire focus was immersed in this meticulous process of guidance and protection. He could clearly feel that Qiu'er's soul was not only being stabilized and repaired—
It was undergoing a profound transformation, nurtured by the ancient dragon power, ascending to a higher plane of existence.
After a long while, when the light of the Dragon King Core in his middle dantian had completely dimmed, all of its essence fully absorbed into Qiu'er's soul…
The boiling sea of energy gradually calmed.
Everything settled into place.
Dai Chengfeng slowly opened his eyes, a glimmer of relief flashing deep within their depths like a radiant golden light.
He sensed the dense, vibrant soul mass in his middle dantian, pulsating with the majesty of a dragon's soul, and couldn't help but let a smile spread across his face.
"Resurrect, my… cough, cough…" Dai Chengfeng initially intended to mimic a dramatic line from memory, something slightly over-the-top.
But in the end, the words softened into a tone filled with affection and gentle amusement.
He shook his head, suppressing his teasing thoughts, and instead spoke in an impossibly tender yet resolute voice: "Come, Qiu'er."
At his call, the golden soul mass in his middle dantian trembled slightly.
Then it transformed into a streak of light, emerging from Dai Chengfeng's chest.
The next second, on Dai Chengfeng's shoulder, golden light converged…
A miniature, lifelike golden beast materialized.
Its body was covered in dazzling golden fur, elegant and divine in form, with a vertical line on its forehead that flickered faintly with golden light.
Though its size had shrunk immensely, the noble presence of the Imperial Auspicious Beast and the pure dragon aura remained undiminished. In fact, due to the perfect fusion of her soul with the ancient dragon power, it gained an even deeper and more mysterious quality.
It was Qiu'er!
"Dai… Dai Chengfeng?"
Soon, Qiu'er seemed to regain her senses. She blinked her golden eyes in confusion, looked down at her now solid little paws, and then gazed up at Dai Chengfeng's gentle face.
She let out a soft, clear voice filled with disbelief.
"I… I'm… what happened to me?"
"Didn't I already perform the sacrifice?"
"Even with the Soul Forming Pill, my consciousness shouldn't have remained so intact, and I certainly shouldn't be able to… leave your body, right?"
Dai Chengfeng didn't answer immediately. Instead, he carefully felt the changes within himself and the wondrous connection between his palm and the miniaturized Qiu'er—a soul-fused bond.
"It worked!"
Dai Chengfeng sighed softly, cradling Qiu'er. "Qiu'er! It wasn't the effect of the Soul Forming Pill! It's… my second martial soul! It has awakened!"
"And my second martial soul… is you!"
"You are no longer just a soul. You are now my second martial soul—an external, sentient, super beast-type martial soul: the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, wielding the power of fate and the golden dragon bloodline!"
This had been Dai Chengfeng's plan from the start…
After all, if it succeeded, it meant that Qiu'er wouldn't need to endure a long, uncertain wait for resurrection.
She could now exist in a higher form, directly and fully by his side!
She was his martial soul, yet she retained her independent consciousness and form. She could exist outside his body, share his power, and perhaps even fight independently in the future!
Much like the young golden sacred dragon Luo Sanpao.
And the powers of fate and the golden dragon bloodline that should have been bestowed upon Dai Chengfeng through the sacrifice now belonged to him in another form…
As he cultivated this second martial soul, those powers would continue to grow!
"Second… martial soul?"
Qiu'er, after a brief moment of astonishment, finally understood her current state.
An immense wave of joy overwhelmed her. She let out a delighted chirp, her tiny body spinning joyfully several times on Dai Chengfeng's palm before leaping onto his cheek and nuzzling him affectionately:
"It's wonderful! Dai Chengfeng! This is truly wonderful!"
"I thought… I thought I wouldn't be able to stay by your side like this for a very, very long time…"
Feeling Qiu'er's overwhelming joy and her complete dependence, Dai Chengfeng's heart swelled with indescribable affection and gratitude.
After all, at first, Dai Chengfeng had only envisioned this outcome, unsure if it would succeed…
"Yes, we won't be separated anymore."
Dai Chengfeng smiled, gently stroking Qiu'er's little head with his fingertip. "From now on, we'll grow stronger together."
"Mm, mm!"
Qiu'er nodded vigorously, rubbing against Dai Chengfeng's cheek again.
"I…"
Just as Dai Chengfeng was about to say something more, his mind suddenly stirred, and his gaze turned toward the direction of Qingmu Town.
With his powerful spiritual perception, he sensed several familiar presences rushing anxiously and worriedly toward the outskirts of the town.
Clearly, the earth-shattering phenomenon caused by Qiu'er's sacrifice had inevitably alerted Hu Liena and the others in the town.
...
Just a few minutes earlier, in the night market of Qingmu Town.
When the towering pillar of rose-gold light and the vast, majestic energy fluctuations from Qiu'er's sacrifice erupted outside the town, the entire night market fell silent for a moment before erupting into chaos.
"Oh my god! What was that? Such terrifying energy fluctuations! Is some kind of treasure appearing?"
"It's coming from outside the town! Let's go check it out!"
"…"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, and many soul masters, unable to contain their curiosity, rushed toward the source of the light.
Hu Liena, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, who had been browsing accessories at a stall, were also startled.
The three girls turned sharply, their gazes fixed on the direction of the fading golden light, which still carried an awe-inspiring aura. A flicker of shock and uncertainty passed through their beautiful eyes.
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