Lin Feng's eyes widened slightly. Madame Ye, what exactly are you implying?
He could almost see her morphing into another Dugu Bo with that teasing tone—a development he desperately needed to curb.
"Stay for dinner tonight," Madame Ye continued, deftly chopping vegetables. "Though I don't know what business takes you south, our home always welcomes you." She nudged Lin Feng playfully. "They say you're quite the chef. Care for a friendly cook-off?"
The challenge was clearly pretext for something more. Lin Feng rubbed his temples. "Madame Ye, surely you wouldn't trust us to take Lingling traveling? She's still so young."
Absolutely impossible, he thought. Their current journey involved far too many private moments—intimate nights where clothes disappeared and lanterns dimmed. Adding a seven-year-old to their party would spark mutiny from his two insatiable companions.
Madame Ye paused her knife work. "How old are you again, Xiaofeng?"
"..."
Watching his flustered expression, she chuckled. "Let's go with the rumors—fifteen or sixteen? So when are you planning children?"
"Wha—?!"
Lin Feng nearly choked. While early marriages were common in Douluo—Oscar's father had him at fourteen—fatherhood hadn't crossed his mind.
Madame Ye's eyes twinkled mischievously. "That 'queen' of yours... how does she truly view Ling Yuan?"
Grateful for the changed topic, Lin Feng relaxed slightly. "Their relationship is harmonious, Madame. No conflicts."
"Is proximity the key, I wonder?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Visit more often, Xiaofeng. Since Lingling's confinement is partly your doing, you owe her company. Bring Xue'er and Yuan'er along."
"We'll visit when time permits," Lin Feng promised.
That night found the trio sharing a bed—a rare occurrence since their first night in Snow City. The unfamiliar setting tempered their usual passions, leaving them simply lying side by side, Qian Renxue and Ling Yuan flanking Lin Feng like guardian angels.
Qian Renxue turned her head. "Xiaofeng, doesn't Lingling's martial soul deserve its own legacy now? A new lineage?"
Lin Feng nodded absently. "The 'Miracle of Martial Souls' title fits her Sacred Heart Begonia perfectly."
"Then we must secure its future," Qian Renxue mused. "Which of Spirit Hall's young talents might suit her? Xie Yue? No... Elder Qingluan's grandson? Too taciturn..."
Lin Feng laughed. "She'll decide when she's older. Why play matchmaker?"
Qian Renxue huffed. "I won't have our little sister snatched by some outsider! The thought makes my blood boil."
"Love isn't something we can control," Lin Feng countered. "Trust Lingling to choose wisely."
Ling Yuan propped herself up on one elbow. "I suspect she may never consider romance at all."
"Why's that?" Qian Renxue frowned until Ling Yuan's meaningful glance at Lin Feng explained everything.
As if our pure Lingling would develop such thoughts! Qian Renxue pinched Lin Feng's arm in protest.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Sleep!" She yanked the blanket over his face.
At dawn's parting, Lingling pressed a storage ring into Lin Feng's hand. "Candy for your journey, Big Brother."
The sheer quantity inside made Lin Feng glance at Ye Wanqing—miraculously, the notorious sweet-tooth hadn't raided the stash.
"Thank you, Lingling." He ruffled her hair, noting her crimson ears. "We'll meet again."
——
The road to Gengxin City wound through Goldenpeak Mountains—a peripheral range of Star Dou Forest teeming with soul beasts.
Mid-journey, a surge of energy rippled through their carriage as Qian Renxue clenched her fist triumphantly. "Finally—level fifty! Time for my fifth soul ring."
A thirteen-year-old Soul King! Before Lin Feng's cultivation method, becoming a Soul Elder by thirteen marked genius status. Twenty level jumps—ten innate plus ten cultivated—represented three normal years' progress. While advancement slowed post-Soul King, Qian Renxue's dual immortal herb enhancements ensured steady growth.
"Ling Yuan," Lin Feng began, only for her to wince.
"Call me 'Sister Ling Yuan' or something else," she pleaded. "Just my name feels... wrong lately."
Lin Feng blinked. So that's why she insisted on titles during our nights... "Very well, Sister Ling Yuan, let's hunt Xue'er's soul ring."
"Target acquired?"
"The Goldenpeak Mountains house exactly what we need—a ten-thousand-year Celestial Unicorn. Its light attributes carry spiritual qualities perfect for Xue'er's skill evolution."
After two weeks tracking, they found their prey: a twenty-three-thousand-year Celestial Unicorn, eleven millennia beyond theoretical limits. Yet none worried—breaking boundaries was routine for Qian Renxue.
As the unicorn fell, golden light enveloped Qian Renxue, granting her fifth soul skill: Sacred Blade.
Condensed from sacred flames, this sword (or hand-blade variant) tripled her Seraphim soul power's purification effects. Most soul masters would lose substantial energy upon contact before suffering grievous wounds—a potentially crippling strike.
The mutable skill perfectly aligned with Lin Feng's vision. Once soul veins formed, Qian Renxue's comprehension of fire laws would deepen naturally.
Her Six-Winged Seraphim martial soul embodied ultimate light with inherent sacred flames—representing both angelic grace and divine judgment. Theoretically, she could specialize in either light or fire paths.
Lin Feng's plan?
Both.
With soul veins, mastering dual fundamental laws was trivial.