"Alright, I'll go out first. You go in and soak for a bit. From now on, we'll take turns coming once a week." With that, Dongfang Jing prepared to leave.
Dongfang Yao stopped him, asking in confusion, "Why?"
"Because going in naked is the most effective. Look at those silvery-white and tiny specks of light in the pool; they're like elixirs, slowly flowing into your body through your pores, nourishing it."
"I understand, but can't you and Yao'er soak together?"
Dongfang Jing's expression stiffened, then turned serious.
He said solemnly, "Yao'er, you're all grown up now. There's a difference between boys and girls. Even though we're siblings, we should maintain the proper distance."
Dongfang Yao pouted, feeling wronged, "Brother, you're talking nonsense. Yao'er is only a few years old! And the color of this water looks strange. I'm scared... what if something happens?"
Her words reminded Dongfang Jing.
"Hiss, you're right." He slapped his forehead.
Although he had tested it on mice, he hadn't yet soaked in the Mirror Spring himself. He needed to personally confirm what it felt like before letting his sister soak in it.
"Then I'll go in and try it first. If it feels okay, you can come in."
"Okay!" Dongfang Yao obediently replied, a slight, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.
Dongfang Jing removed his outer robe and stepped into the Mirror Pool. The icy coolness made him shiver involuntarily.
It felt like taking a cold bath.
But gradually, the coolness seeped into his bones, and the fine starlight seeped through his pores, gently washing away the fatigue of the past few days. His spirit was refreshed and became exceptionally clear.
'The effect is so good? How pleasant it would be to soak in it after a day of cultivation!'
'It's a pity I can only soak for ten minutes each week.'
After confirming that everything was alright, Dongfang Jing just started to speak: "No problem, you can..."
"Splash!"
Water splashed up.
Dongfang Yao had quickly taken off her outer clothes and swam happily to his side.
"You—" Dongfang Jing was taken aback.
"Brother, look! It feels so good!" The little girl swam like a fish, the pool water wetting her hair and cheeks, shimmering slightly.
Looking at her innocent and carefree appearance, Dongfang Jing smiled helplessly and ultimately said nothing more.
He relaxed, leaned against the edge of the pool, and enjoyed this rare tranquility.
The shimmering pool, as time passed, grew lighter and lighter in color.
Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye, the silvery light of the pool faded, and it turned into a clear spring.
A gentle push transported the two of them out.
The two of them sat naked on the cool mirror surface of the Hall of Ten Thousand Mirrors.
"Ah? That's it? Wasn't it supposed to be ten minutes?" Dongfang Yao was still feeling unsatisfied, feeling relaxed all over and her mind clear.
Looking through the surrounding mirrors, she realized that she was now completely naked.
She felt embarrassed and hurriedly put on her clothes.
"Only five minutes? It seems the more people there are, the shorter the time. Let's soak again in seven days."
"Oh? Brother, didn't you say you were going to use that pool of water to nurture the soul of the Blue Silver Grass?"
"Uh, I forgot."
After resting for a night, the Dongfang siblings set off on the path to Notting City.
The scenery of Holy Soul Village was unremarkable, nothing special compared to White Sand Village where they used to live.
However, the mild inland climate was more comfortable than the sweltering heat of Hanhai City.
Holy Soul Village was not far from Notting City, and since they were riding two-wheeled vehicles, they were quite fast, taking only a little over half an hour.
To avoid any unnecessary trouble, Dongfang Jing activated Mirror Shuttle, silently leading his sister across the city gate and into the city.
Notting City was quite similar to their former home, Lingfeng City.
Both were small border towns of the Heavenly Dou Empire, bustling with activity, their architecture simple and unremarkable.
However, Dongfang Jing still took his younger sister for a leisurely stroll through the city, buying some snacks and watching street performances.
Whether studying or cultivating, a balance between work and rest was essential.
Blindly burying oneself in arduous cultivation could lead to qi deviation, a far greater loss than gain.
As dusk fell, when they reached the west side of the city,a rhythmic "clang!" "clang!" sound caught their attention.
A crowd had gathered around a blacksmith's shop bearing a hammer symbol, cheers erupting from the crowd.
"Shi San's Blacksmith Shop?"
Dongfang Yao asked curiously, standing on tiptoe. However, her small stature blocked her view from the adults in front of her.
Dongfang Jing smiled slightly, easily picking her up and letting her sit on his shoulders.
Although the boy was only ten years old, his physical development was phenomenal, far surpassing his peers in many ways.
Now nearly 1.7 meters tall, he easily carries his younger sister's weight.
"Thank you, brother!" Dongfang Yao happily hugged his neck, her gaze immediately drawn to the scene in front of the blacksmith's shop.
There, a dark-skinned, ordinary-looking boy was skillfully forging a red-hot iron blank with a hammer far larger than himself.
His movements had a peculiar rhythm;the hammer fell, bounced off, his body spun, and he swung again!
Each strike was heavier than the last!
"Wow!" Dongfang Yao exclaimed softly, "Brother, he's so strong! He can lift such a big hammer!"
"Hmm, this forging technique is indeed extraordinary. Using the opponent's force against them?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Dongfang Jing's eyes as he keenly noticed the boy's hands gleaming with a white luster as he swung the hammer. "Look at his hands, as white as jade. Is that an effect of his martial spirit?"
The onlookers also marveled:
"Is this the legendary Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique? Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation!"
"Hey! That's right. I heard that the new apprentice at this blacksmith shop is very skilled, so I came all the way from the next city to observe. This trip was definitely worthwhile!"
"..."
With the final hammer blow, the piece of pig iron noticeably shrank, its color became purer, and the impurities were completely removed. A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd.
The boy wiped his sweat and bowed slightly to the crowd.
Looking at the sky, he called out to a burly man in the shop, "Third Uncle, the pig iron refining is finished, I should go back to the academy."
"Alright! Same time tomorrow!" The man rummaged in his pocket and tossed him a silver soul coin.
The boy caught it, his expression indifferent.
Then he gathered several exquisite iron parts on the forging table and stored them in a black belt.
The belt was evenly inlaid with twenty-four warm, milky-white jade stones, clearly of considerable value.
'A Soul Master?' Dongfang Jing's gaze lingered on the belt for a moment.
Dongfang Yao was equally puzzled, thinking to herself, 'If he can afford such a high-level storage soul tool, why does he still come to the blacksmith shop as an apprentice? Could it be to train his body?'
She subconsciously touched the necklace around her neck.
Even if that belt was high-level, it was definitely not as good as her and her brother's Twin Star Vortex! The Twin Star Vortex not only had more space, but most importantly, it could also hold living beings!
The mysterious blue silver grass brought out of the cave is now stored inside.
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(End of Chapter)