Su Cheng did not look at her. He casually released the hand he had been holding tightly all the way, as naturally as he had when they walked hand in hand before, and began to carefully observe the small shrub in front of him.
Instead, it was Ah Yin who, despite having just been freed, inexplicably felt an emptiness in her heart and a sudden pang of fear.
Maybe she shouldn't have spoken in that tone earlier.
Perhaps he didn't mean it?
They had just finally cleared up the misunderstanding...
Su Cheng seemed not to notice the abnormality of the person beside him. He reached out to gently touch the dark green tender leaves at the top of the tea tree.
Compared to the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Fragrance tree from earlier, the tea tree in front of them was even shorter.
The straight, dark brown trunk looked exceptionally smooth and very young, with not many branches and even fewer leaves.
However, what was peculiar was that even though it was almost noon, a drop of dew still hung from the tip of each tender leaf on the tree.
Yes, it was dew, not rainwater.
Clear, pure, and flawless.
Even though it was currently drizzling, none of the small raindrops falling on the tea tree could stay on the leaves.
He could clearly see the entire process of the raindrops falling off, obviously not merging with the dew.
Su Cheng reached out and caught a drop of dew, then placed it near his nose to sniff it. A faint, delicate fragrance lingered around him.
Then, he put the drop of dew in his mouth.
As the dew touched his tongue, it melted, and the fresh fragrance spread through his mouth and throat, bringing a refreshing sensation far surpassing any top-grade tea.
However, he felt that it was still slightly inferior to the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Fragrance, possibly due to his tasting method being incorrect.
"What is this tea tree called?" Su Cheng asked casually.
"Jade Dew Immortal Sprout. The drop of 'Jade Dew' you just caught is produced in the early morning when its fragrance is the most intense. Now, its taste would be a bit inferior," Ah Yin explained earnestly while carefully observing his expression. Her voice was no longer cold but as gentle and soft as a breeze.
"Sprout..." Su Cheng's mouth twitched at the term.
Hearing this, he felt embarrassed to continue asking if he could pick the leaves to make tea.
After all, it was just a child less than ten years old.
Shaking his head to dispel the odd thoughts, Su Cheng took her delicate hand lightly and said, "Let's go."
With this action, Ah Yin's eyelashes trembled slightly, the blush that had just faded reappeared on her cheeks, but she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Forcing herself to discard all those messy thoughts, she regarded it as ordinary physical contact.
"Ah Yin, I want to ask you, why are you so concerned about the soul beasts? I remember telling you before that conflicts often occur between the various species of soul beasts."
As they walked, Su Cheng spoke casually, "From a macro perspective, humans are just a link in the chain. Is it somewhat inappropriate to simply regard soul beasts as a single faction? I could understand if you valued the Blue Silver Grass clan or even the entire plant-type soul beast group."
"It's different," Ah Yin shook her head.
Taking the opportunity to speak, she also suppressed the thoughts in her mind, trying not to pay attention to their clasped hands.
"The conflicts you mentioned are like wars between human nations, arising from disputes over territory and interests. These conflicts are not the same as the natural predator-prey relationships.
"Moreover, just as there are occasionally evil soul masters among soul masters, there are also more ferocious species among soul beasts. But unlike mindless beasts, most soul beasts live in peace and regard each other as the same kind."
"I see..." Su Cheng realized.
Previously, he knew very little about the living habits of soul beasts and had no interest in understanding them.
All his knowledge was based on subjective assumptions, fundamentally treating soul beasts as inferior beasts.
Moreover, his knowledge of soul beasts was entirely derived from the books in the Spirit Hall.
There were no organizations in this world dedicated to the protection of soul beasts, so the authors of those books had no interest in studying the social structures of what they considered "cultivation resources."
The theories in those books focused entirely on soul rings, soul bones, cultivation years, and racial potential. It was normal for him not to know.
At this moment, the valley garden, drenched by the rain, was filled with the fragrance of soil mixed with the scent of flowers, making it a refreshing and delightful place.
The two walked in silence towards the outside of the valley.
The drizzle had unknowingly ceased, and the sky had cleared.
Sunlight pierced through the atmospheric moisture, casting a colorful halo over the forest and flower clusters, making it look like a fairyland.
Walking side by side, hand in hand, they were close enough for their arms to occasionally brush against each other before separating again.
An odd atmosphere slowly grew between them.
Ah Yin couldn't help but secretly glance at the young man beside her.
In the sunlight, his handsome face was sharply defined, like a sculpted statue. Under his long, sharp eyebrows, his deep, dark eyes stared straight ahead. His gaze was slightly unfocused, as if lost in thought.
The warmth from his palm continued to transmit, steadily warming her heart.
At that moment, Ah Yin inexplicably recalled the scene when he condensed his soul ring and advanced in the Blue Silver Grass forest years ago.
Under the baptism of the vast blue soul power, Su Cheng's appearance had temporarily changed, with blue hair, blue eyes, and skin as white as snow.
That face had been even more beautiful and gentler than it was now, without the pressure he usually exuded.
But that was only temporary.
How could mere soul power change him?
Many things had changed over the years, but he seemed to have remained the same.
Back then, he was just over ten years old, yet his behavior and demeanor were mature to an exaggerated degree.
Even now, his face still bore traces of his youthful spirit...
"What are you looking at?"
Suddenly, Su Cheng stopped and turned to face Ah Yin, teasingly smiling.
"...Nothing."
Ah Yin, clearly not expecting him to stop suddenly, appeared flustered and stammered in response.
Su Cheng smiled slightly but didn't say anything further to embarrass her.
Instead, he pondered, "You should return to the Blue Silver Grass forest first."
Hearing this, Ah Yin showed neither surprise nor fear, silently looking at him, waiting for his explanation.
Their hands were still clasped.
"As for the method of condensing soul rings, you can't help me much. I can research this on my own. Also, the issue between soul beast races and humans isn't something that self-condensing soul rings alone can alleviate. There are many obstacles to overcome.
"But your unique condition and the special soul power in your body indeed hold significant reference value. If possible, I'd like to study it further.
"Your transformation started to manifest after condensing your eighth soul ring. Perhaps it will be fully formed when you advance to Title Douluo and condense your ninth soul ring.
"Based on my observations, your soul power contains strong vitality and profound potential, resonating and coexisting with nature. The environment of the Blue Silver Grass forest should expedite this power's growth.
"And since you don't like Spirit City and stayed just for me, it's unnecessary. This emotional suppression is detrimental to your cultivation."
After a moment of thought, Su Cheng continued, "It won't be long before I go to the Blue Silver Grass forest to find you. But for now, I have many matters to attend to and can't leave."
Hearing him say, "you stayed just for me," Ah Yin blushed with embarrassment but didn't deny it.
Since he wasn't sending her away and had promised to visit her later, returning temporarily seemed reasonable.
With this in mind, Ah Yin nodded gently without refusing.
"But this flower garden is a bit troublesome..."
Su Cheng glanced around at the exotic flowers and plants, frowning in thought.