Xie Xiaoqing's gaze was fixed on one particularly conspicuous jade box, as if drawn by an invisible chain. The box was suffused with a warm, deep crimson, as if an inextinguishable flame burned within. Even through the jade, one could feel a pulse of vitality and burning energy.
This strange sensation was like a tiny needle, piercing the lake of her numb heart and sending ripples she didn't notice. She stared at it for a long time, until her eyes ached, then finally tore her gaze away and looked at the Grand Elder.
Her lips moved a few times, and at last, from her dry throat, a hoarse, wandering voice emerged, almost like an illusion:
"Grand Elder… what you said… what does it mean?"
She heard it clearly, but the meaning was so shocking and unreal that her mind instinctively refused to believe it at first.
Restore her Martial Soul?
These words had never even appeared in her wildest, most foolish dreams amid her chaotic life.
The elder gazed at her with caution, as if afraid everything before his eyes would turn out to be in vain. His eyes were filled with deep pity. His expression seemed to transcend worlds and decades, as if Xie Xiaoqing were still the little girl with braided hair, calling "Uncle Master!" and overflowing with yearning for the world of Martial Souls.
The lines on his face softened, and his voice was gentle as melting spring snow, every word clear and deliberate.
"Xiaoqing, we are not lying to you. Today, Uncle Ye and I are here to restore your Martial Soul."
"Restore… my… Martial Soul?"
These words struck Xie Xiaoqing's heart like thunder, completely shattering her stagnant mental state.
Buzz— All she felt was a roar in her mind. Her eyes, vacant for years, suddenly shone with unprecedented light—a mix of shock, disbelief, and a faintly burning flame of hope.
She was so overwhelmed that she coughed violently, her body trembling, but she fought to control herself and, with hands thin as bone, suddenly grabbed the Grand Elder's arm. Her grip was so strong her nails almost pierced his flesh.
She looked up, tears quickly welling in her eyes, her voice trembling with urgency and the desperation of clutching a life-saving straw.
"Is it true? Is this real? Uncle! My Martial Soul… my heart… is there still hope? Can I really recover?!"
Restoring a Martial Soul was unheard of in the entire soul master world of the Douluo Continent, a concept that would overturn all perception. If anyone else had said this, Xie Xiaoqing would have thought it a cruel joke.
But this was the Grand Elder—the one who had watched over her as a teacher and father, who had never deceived her! She believed him.
Her reason told her it was nearly impossible, but in the depths of her heart, her longing for the light chose to believe without hesitation.
Seeing Xie Xiaoqing on the verge of breaking down in tears, the elder's heart ached even more. He gripped her thin shoulders firmly. She was so thin, it startled him. He nodded emphatically, his tone utterly certain.
"It's true! Xiaoqing, it's true! By chance, the sect found an unparalleled immortal herb outside. After repeated deductions with Ye Cian, we finally discovered a method that might use the power of this fairy grass to repair the origin of your damaged Martial Soul!"
This was one of the reasons Chu Shanhe had given the Ye Family three spirit medicines—besides the reward, he had asked Ye Cien to guard Xie Xiaoqing's heart veins and help her overcome difficulties with the Nine-Hearted Begonia's ultimate healing power.
Xie Xiaoqing followed the elder's gaze and looked again at the crimson jade box. Tears flowed down her pale, thin cheeks like broken pearls.
Immortal herb!
How could she not know what an Immortal herb meant? It was a treasure nurtured by heaven and earth, enough to make any soul master go mad!
Although she had lived in seclusion, she had vaguely heard rumors of the Immortal herb after the sect acquired it. But she never imagined it would be used… on her. On a "useless person."
To use a treasure that could raise a powerhouse on someone who had ruined her future… the price was too great. She was filled with shame and unease.
"Grand Elder… I… I don't deserve such treatment…"
Her voice choked, words coming out with difficulty.
The elder, like comforting a wounded child, gently patted her back.
"Silly child, what are you saying? This Immortal herb was given to you by the sect. Nothing is more valuable than you. You are the Heavenly Horn of my Body Sect, a child we raised. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, the sect will never give up on anyone!"
He kept patting her back, soothing her emotions as she sobbed. After a while, the elder's expression became extremely serious; he had to make sure she understood the risks.
"But Xiaoqing, you must understand. This method, though deduced many times, is unprecedented. No one can guarantee success, and for you, the risks are especially great."
He took a deep breath and continued in a low voice, "If… if something goes wrong with the process…"
But before he could finish, the moment Xie Xiaoqing heard these words, instead of fear, a nearly crazed determination burst from her eyes—the ultimate desire for "life" suppressed by despair.
Suddenly, she reached out. Without hesitation, as if a moth to a flame, she seized the crimson jade box tightly, gripping it as if it were the only light in her life.
She looked up. Though her eyes brimmed with tears, they now shone with surprising brilliance, with a raging flame inside—a fighting spirit and unwillingness long silent. Her voice trembled with excitement.
"If I can restore my Martial Soul, then I won't live in vain anymore. If I die, I'm not afraid, Grand Elder! I want to try!"
Rather than rot away in this corner like dead wood, she wanted to burn brightly in pursuit of hope!
Seeing the familiar brilliance return to her eyes—the same pride he remembered—the elder thought to himself, Yes, this is as it should be.
He understood her as much as she trusted him.
The elder didn't say more. He nodded heavily, then turned to look at Ye Cien. Ye Cien understood, and in the next instant, a majestic, life-filled soul power fluctuation rose from his body.
In the shimmering light, two yellow, two purple, and four black soul rings—the perfect combination—rose slowly from his feet, encircling him. At the same time, an illusion of a begonia flower, radiating gentle, healing white light, bloomed quietly in his palm.
The warm, bright glow instantly swept away the haze and medicinal smell in the room, and in Xie Xiaoqing's eyes, a clear light of determination and hope shone.
…
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