After walking for quite some time, Arthur and Jing Liu finally arrived at the waterfall, a place used to train the control of "spiritual energy" and to sharpen their focus.
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### The Waterfall
"So this is the place we were heading to? It's truly beautiful!" Jing Liu exclaimed in awe.
"Yeah, it's amazing here. But we're not done visiting other places yet," Arthur replied, glancing at the small mountain near the village.
After spending some time at the waterfall, Arthur and Jing Liu began making their way to the mountain, which was covered in flowers, vast fields, and breathtaking scenery. However, all of this could only be seen from the summit, making it a rare destination for villagers—a perfect spot for secret training.
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### The Mountain Near the Village
"Wow! This place is incredible!" Jing Liu shouted, running with her arms outstretched like a bird.
"Hah, despite her cold demeanor, she still acts like a child," Arthur muttered with a small smile.
After enjoying the view and playing around, Arthur eventually led her back to the village via the usual path, introducing her to the streets of "Saint Village."
"Alright, it's time for me to train. Do you want to come along or go back home to rest?" Arthur asked.
"I'll go with you! Staying home alone is so boring!" Jing Liu answered enthusiastically.
"Then watch how I train and feel the spirit of youth!" Arthur grinned. "Let's head back to the waterfall to begin!"
"Wait, what exactly are you going to train there?" Jing Liu asked curiously.
"You'll see for yourself later," Arthur replied mysteriously.
---
### The Waterfall
"So… this is what you've been training?!" Jing Liu stared in disbelief as Arthur kept falling from the tree every few steps near the lakeside.
"What? Hahaha! Once you have spiritual energy, I'll teach you this technique too—and you won't be able to refuse!" Arthur smirked slyly.
"What? What's even the point of this?" Jing Liu grumbled in annoyance.
"It trains energy control and a special skill. Once mastered, I'll be able to walk in places ordinary spirit masters can't reach! And the next level—refining balance and finer control—is… standing on water!" Arthur declared proudly.
"Oh? Well then, once I have 'spiritual energy,' I'll learn it too—and I'll master it before you!" Jing Liu challenged confidently.
Before they knew it, the sun was directly overhead—time for lunch. Arthur stopped training and prepared to catch some fish to bring home. Jing Liu helped too, though it seemed she was far more skilled at fishing than Arthur!
After gathering enough fish for three people, the two decided to head back, accompanied by nature's symphony—the rustling of leaves in the wind.
When they arrived home, Uncle Jack was shocked by the amount of fish Arthur and Jing Liu had brought—way too much for just three people!
"You two shouldn't overdo it! Even though the lake is full of fish, the villagers struggle to catch them! And you caught this much?! You need to understand—overfishing leads to extinction!" Uncle Jack admonished them.
"I know, Uncle… but I don't know why I was so hungry today, so I ended up catching more than I should have…" Arthur replied.
"Alright, fine. But don't do it again!"
After hearing Arthur's explanation, Uncle Jack didn't press further and decided to cook all the fish to prevent them from spoiling. But in truth, it wasn't him who had overfished—Arthur had deliberately covered for Jing Liu to avoid an awkward situation!
"Alright then, as punishment, you'll help clean the fish! Meanwhile, I'll go get the missing spices from the garden!" Uncle Jack declared.
Don't think Uncle Jack was being cruel by making him clean the fish! The reason was simple—he believed Arthur could handle it, not just because he had already reached a height of 150 cm (5 feet)! As for Jing Liu, though slightly slender, she was nearly as tall as Arthur at 143 cm (4.7 feet), but her mature and calm demeanor made her all the more trustworthy!
"So, will you help me?" Arthur asked with a smile.
"Yes… and thank you for covering for me…" Jing Liu replied, slightly embarrassed.
"Alright, let's start cleaning the fish so we can cook them as soon as Uncle Jack gets back!"
As they cleaned the fish, Uncle Jack returned with the spices to prepare the fish in various dishes. Because of this, the cooking process took quite a while before all the dishes were finally laid out on the table—overflowing with fish dishes!
"Hah?! This is way too much food for us! But thankfully, we can finish it all!" Uncle Jack exclaimed, patting his stomach.
"Well, this is amazing… but definitely excessive! I'll go exercise at the mountain near the village to help digest it. But first, we have to clean these dirty dishes!" Arthur said, carrying plates to the kitchen.
"I'll help!" Jing Liu chimed in, gathering the remaining plates.
After washing the dishes and tidying up the dining table with Uncle Jack, Arthur and Jing Liu headed to the nearby mountain to exercise. However, as soon as Arthur reached the mountain, he heard a very familiar sound—it was his system's voice!
Just as Arthur was about to ask why the timing was off, suddenly—
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Jing Liu screamed, surrounded by the same shimmering light as when she awakened her "Soul Wuhun"!
"What's happening?! She shouldn't be able to awaken her 'Soul Wuhun' without the stimulation of spiritual energy flowing through her body!" Arthur wondered, confused.
"Because she isn't entirely human. She's a 100,000-year-old soul creature who transformed into a human! But it's extremely rare for a transformed soul creature to awaken like this! Normally, a 'soul creature' should be reborn at 6 years old and immediately awaken their 'Soul Wuhun,' which matches their original form!" the system explained calmly.
"What?!" Arthur was stunned by the system's revelation.
But before he could ask more—Jing Liu had already finished awakening her "Soul Wuhun" and collapsed, unconscious!
"This will be a huge problem if anyone sees her! Luckily, we're on a mountain rarely visited by villagers!" Arthur muttered, holding Jing Liu tightly in his arms.
TO BE CONTINUED ....