"Here, Na'er, it's time to put the candles on your cake!" Lin Ximeng's voice was warm with maternal affection as she handed six slender candles to the silver-haired girl.
Over the past six months, a special bond had flourished. Lin Ximeng's heart had completely opened to Na'er, embracing her not as a temporary ward, but as a true daughter. The girl's quiet grace and innate sweetness had effortlessly carved a permanent place in their small family.
"Okay, Mom." Na'er's reply was a soft chime. She took the candles with delicate care, her small fingers pressing each one firmly into the soft cream of the cake, creating a circle of six tiny beacons.
"Allow me, Na'er." Yao Xuan stepped forward, a simple lighter in his hand. With a soft click, a small flame sprang to life, and he carefully touched it to each wick. One by one, the candles bloomed with light. Lin Xuan then moved to the wall and switched off the main soul-guided lamp. The room plunged into a cozy darkness, illuminated only by the six dancing points of fire that cast flickering, warm shadows on their faces.
After a soft, harmonious rendition of the birthday song, Yao Xuan leaned closer to Na'er. "Alright, little sister," he whispered, his voice gentle in the semi-darkness. "Close your eyes, make a wish from your heart, and then blow out all the candles."
"Mmhmm, Brother Yao Xuan!" Na'er nodded, her amethyst eyes squeezing shut. She stood perfectly still before the cake, her expression one of deep, sincere concentration.
'I wish to be with Brother Yao Xuan forever,' she thought, the wish forming not as a childish fancy, but as a fundamental, unshakable truth in her young heart. It was the deepest desire of a lonely soul who had finally found its anchor.
She took a deep, steadying breath, filling her small lungs, and then exhaled in a concentrated stream. The six flames wavered, danced, and were snuffed out as one, leaving behind six thin trails of smoke that curled upwards like fading spirits.
"Wow, Na'er! You did it! All in one breath!" Yao Xuan exclaimed, his smile audible in his voice. "You know, they say that if you can blow out all your birthday candles in a single breath, your wish is sure to come true."
"Really?" Na'er's eyes flew open, wide with hope and delight. A radiant smile spread across her face, making her two adorable dimples appear. "That's wonderful!"
Seeing the pure joy on the children's faces, Lin Ximeng chuckled softly. "Alright, you two. That's enough magic for one night." She turned the soul-guided lamp back on, flooding the room with warm light. "Let's eat before the food gets cold."
"Great!" Na'er's smile, if possible, grew even brighter at the mention of food. The family settled around the table, the earlier moment of quiet magic giving way to the happy, noisy warmth of a shared meal.
Time, like a steady river, flowed onward. In the blink of an eye, nearly a year had passed since Na'er's birthday. Yao Xuan was now seven and a half years old, his frame a little taller, his presence a little more assured.
During Yao Xuan's second year at the academy, Na'er had undergone her own Martial Soul Awakening. To the astonishment of everyone at Red Mountain Academy, the test revealed that she had no martial soul at all—a statistical anomaly on the entire Douluo Continent.
Yao Xuan, of course, knew the truth. Na'er was not soulless; her martial soul was the Silver Dragon King itself. But with her memories and power still dormant and sealed, her magnificent true form remained hidden from the crude detection methods of the Spirit Pagoda. He held this secret close, a silent guardian of her destiny.
Without soul power, Na'er was placed in the regular curriculum, separated from Yao Xuan during the school day. Her ethereal beauty, a source of Yao Xuan's affection, became a magnet for unwanted attention. Some boys viewed her with clumsy curiosity, while some girls regarded her with sharp-eyed jealousy. Whispers sometimes turned into shoves, and isolated corners became sites of petty bullying.
Yao Xuan, her self-appointed knight, showed no mercy to these tormentors. His response was always swift and decisive. At six and a half, his strength, honed by the Ancestral Dragon bloodline, already exceeded two hundred kilograms. Dealing with schoolyard bullies was as simple as brushing away flies. He was a storm they never saw coming—a firm grip on a wrist that meant to pull hair, a steadying hand on a shoulder that meant to shove, a calm, low-voiced warning that promised consequences far worse than any teacher's scolding.
He was always careful. His interventions were designed to shock and deter, not to maim. The bullies would yelp in surprise and pain, but they were never left with bruises or blood. His actions were always in defense of his sister, and as the top student of the Soul Master class, the teachers often turned a blind eye, assigning him nothing more severe than a short written reflection.
Soon, a reputation spread through the halls of Red Mountain Academy: Na'er, the beautiful, quiet girl in the regular class, was protected by a brother named Yao Xuan. He was strong, he was fierce in a fight, and he never, ever let a slight against his sister go unanswered. Na'er's school life became peaceful once more.
Yao Xuan's reasons were twofold, and both were equally important to him. Primarily, his care for Na'er was utterly genuine. He saw her as his true sister, his family. The thought of her being hurt, of seeing that quiet light in her eyes dimmed by sadness, was unbearable to him. Wrapped around this pure motive was the quiet, systematic chime of rewards—over twenty Golden Evolution Points gained in six months for being her protector. It was a synergy of heart and strategy that suited him perfectly.
Today felt significant. As Yao Xuan sat in meditation, he felt a familiar thrumming within his dantian, a feeling of fullness and pressure. His soul power was at a bottleneck. After a full year of unwavering cultivation, he was on the precipice of a major breakthrough—from Level 9 Soul Warrior to Level 10, the very threshold of becoming a true Soul Master. Simultaneously, his mental power had solidified its place in the late stage of the Spirit Origin Realm, reaching 83 points. The peak of the realm was within sight.
His progress in other areas had been equally relentless.
In forging, shortly after his seventh birthday, he had successfully refined ten different types of metal a hundred times each, formally reaching the rank of a Level 2 Blacksmith. While the distant goal of a thousand refinements still lay ahead, his speed and precision had left Mang Tian in a state of gruff, proud astonishment. This achievement had also completed the second stage of his system quest, netting him a hefty reward of thirty Golden Evolution Points. His training had now evolved from simple metal refinement to crafting basic components, honing his skill for more complex work.
Beyond the quest and his role as Na'er's guardian, Yao Xuan had accumulated points through diligent cultivation and other minor endeavors. In total, he had amassed eighty points. As always, he funneled every single one into his Ancestral Dragon Bloodline, pushing its concentration to 4.8%. With each percentage point, his connection to that primordial power deepened, and his physical vessel grew more formidable.
On his seventh birthday, Mang Tian, fueled by curiosity, had tested Yao Xuan's strength. Even while deliberately holding back, Yao Xuan had displayed a power of 300 kilograms. The result had left the master blacksmith speechless. Brother Long, a full-grown man, could not match that pure, soul-power-less strength. And Yao Xuan was just a child.
Now, with his bloodline at 4.8%, his strength had surged to nearly 500 kilograms. The dormant energy from the Primary Ancestral Dragon Body had been fully absorbed, but the passive enhancement from his bloodline alone made him a physical prodigy. He was 2.5 times stronger than his friend Tang Wulin, a living testament to the cosmic legacy slumbering within his cells. He was no longer just a boy with potential; he was a force being meticulously, patiently forged.