Upon seeing Su Cheng after nearly a year, Ah Yin's initial reaction was joy, but this was quickly replaced by anger and resentment as she recalled his teasing words just moments earlier.
All the emotions that had been churning inside her over the past year, the complex thoughts that refused to leave her mind, and the images that lingered in her head...
When they finally met, everything she had intended to say was completely shattered by Su Cheng's playful remark.
"How can you speak like that!"
Ah Yin's brows furrowed, and her face flushed red. She leaped down from the bluestone, her previous graceful and celestial demeanor gone.
Though she loudly reprimanded him, she quickly closed the distance between them.
However, as she got closer, Ah Yin was startled.
She sensed something different about Su Cheng now compared to before.
The intense energy that used to emanate from every part of his being, constantly showcasing his strong presence, was now completely gone.
Although the young man in front of her appeared natural and not weak in terms of physical appearance, from an energy perspective, he was far inferior to his former self.
"What happened to you? Did something happen?"
The joy and anger in Ah Yin's heart faded, replaced by concern in her eyes.
She moved even closer, momentarily forgetting his earlier offensive words.
Ordinary strong practitioners might notice something unusual about Su Cheng, but they would find it difficult to discern his true state.
As for someone as powerful as Bibi Dong, she could sense his terrifying presence—a natural reflex in his movements and gestures.
But that perception relied on the heightened intuition of the strongest practitioners, not a complete understanding of him.
In fact, if not for their past experience of dual soul cultivation, Bibi Dong wouldn't have been able to glimpse Su Cheng's true condition.
However, Ah Yin was different.
Although her strength was far inferior to Bibi Dong's, her sensory abilities were stronger in certain aspects.
Especially now, being in the Blue Silver Grass Forest, she had a unique advantage, allowing her to more clearly perceive Su Cheng's state.
In Ah Yin's eyes, Su Cheng appeared extremely peculiar.
Despite his natural behavior, there was no strong energy fluctuation emanating from his body.
It wasn't that the energy was hidden or suppressed—it simply wasn't there. He was almost like an ordinary spirit master who had lost most of his spirit power.
As for the serene and composed aura that he exuded, it appeared to her as mere outward strength hiding internal weakness.
Su Cheng, on the other hand, was caught off guard by her sudden question. "What do you mean, 'what happened?'"
"Where is your spirit power? What about your innate strength?" Ah Yin's eyes were filled with undeniable shock and concern.
"You noticed?"
Su Cheng was initially surprised, but then his expression shifted slightly. He didn't immediately explain.
Instead, he raised his hand, summoning his martial spirit, the Eternal Sword, which appeared in his hand with only a single, lonely spirit ring orbiting it, looking rather pitiful.
The sword's glow was also subdued and dim, lacking the sharp aura it once had.
"Ring explosion? No, this isn't a ring explosion. Your spirit rings have completely disappeared?! Why... Why is this happening?"
Ah Yin stared at the Eternal Sword in disbelief, her voice trembling slightly.
She knew this martial spirit too well.
In the past, her spiritual form resided within it, and she could even control the domain abilities that the Eternal Sword had developed.
She was also intimately familiar with the five elemental spirit rings that could complement one another. Even if there had been a ring explosion, the energy fluctuations shouldn't have completely disappeared.
Therefore, she knew that the current state of the Eternal Sword was not simply due to a ring explosion.
The spirit rings had truly vanished!
But with Su Cheng's strength, who in the world could have harmed him?
And when a spirit master's martial spirit lost all its spirit rings, how different were they from a cripple?
In such a situation, how could he continue to advance? Could he still hope to become a Spirit Douluo or even a Titled Douluo?
For someone like Su Cheng, if his path forward was cut off, what would he do next?
His dreams, his ambitions, all the knowledge and skills he had painstakingly honed through relentless cultivation—would they all become futile?
Could he bear such a blow...
"Without spirit rings, how will you advance in the future?! Wait, perhaps..."
As she spoke, Ah Yin's eyes lit up as if she had thought of something.
But then, she abruptly stopped herself, swallowing the rest of her words.
"So what? Even if the power is gone, I'll just find a new path. As long as I'm alive, there will always be other opportunities." Su Cheng nonchalantly put away the Eternal Sword and spoke casually.
Although he still possessed considerable strength, these were indeed his true feelings.
If he hadn't had such confidence and awareness, he wouldn't have been able to face the situation so calmly after using the Ring Fragmentation technique. He would have lost his composure during the subsequent events, making it impossible to manage them properly.
Even if Bibi Dong had risked her life to save him, she might not have been able to pull him back from the brink of death. At best, it would have been a life for a life.
If he had placed too much importance on power, how could he have let go of the constant influx of soul essence while his soul was being scorched by flames?
In fact, when he took Qian Renxue's sword, Su Cheng had already prepared himself for the consequences.
Surviving was already a blessing. The subsequent events were just fortunate coincidences.
Years of continuous research and study had not only accumulated knowledge but also the confidence to find a way out of seemingly impossible situations.
After putting away his martial spirit, Su Cheng's nose twitched, and he looked into the distance.
"What a fragrant smell. Did you prepare something nice for me?"
"At a time like this, how can you still be thinking about that?"
Ah Yin's expression grew more anxious, convinced that something was indeed wrong with him. Otherwise, there was no need for him to divert the conversation like this.
At the same time, she silently made up her mind and looked up at Su Cheng. "Tell me what really happened."
As soon as she finished speaking, she realized he had no intention of answering.
Instead, after quickly identifying a direction, he began walking toward it.
Ah Yin stomped her foot in frustration but had no choice but to follow him, calling out urgently, "You should at least say something!"
If she weren't worried about Su Cheng's current state, even with her temperament, she would have found it hard to restrain herself from taking action.
Su Cheng, however, ignored the nagging voice beside him and soon arrived at the entrance of a stone cave.
The moist cave entrance was covered in moss, and several large wine jars were neatly arranged inside. However, it seemed that the sealing was not done well, as a rich and pure fragrance of wine wafted out continuously.
"You know how to brew wine?"
Su Cheng raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.
Without hesitation, he entered the cave and grabbed two jars.
He lifted one to his nose and inhaled deeply. The rich fragrance, mixed with the scent of various flowers, filled his nostrils, making the aroma particularly enticing.
Su Cheng turned to the beauty following him, his eyes gleaming slightly. "Can I drink it?"
"No, you can't!" Ah Yin replied angrily.
Unfortunately, the person before her rarely heeded her suggestions or objections.
The wine jar, weighing dozens of pounds, was light as a feather in Su Cheng's hand.
The clear and bright wine poured out from the shattered jar's mouth, forming a crystal-clear stream that flowed into his mouth.
The wine's aroma, mingled with the floral fragrance, exploded on his taste buds, then flowed down his throat, delivering a mild spiciness and warmth.
After taking a sip, the lingering taste of the wine in his mouth left him thoroughly satisfied.
Su Cheng felt an unexpected addiction after just one sip.
In reality, Su Cheng had never had a particular craving for alcohol. Over the years, he had rarely touched the stuff.
Firstly, there was no time—training and research were still insufficient, so how could he find the mood to drink and drown his sorrows? Secondly, when his cultivation level was low, he couldn't control himself well. Being intoxicated by alcohol could lead to mishaps and hinder his progress in cultivation.
But today, the Hundred Flowers Brew meticulously crafted by Ah Yin was evidently quite different. Even Su Cheng found it hard to resist its tempting flavor.
Just like the new tea she once planted, this too was a uniquely delicious beverage.
If Ah Yin were to open a teahouse or tavern like the famous "Moon Pavilion" in the future, it would surely become a hit with the public.
"Do you want a drink?" Su Cheng asked with a smile as he savored the lingering taste in his mouth, extending the wine jar toward her.
"I don't drink." Ah Yin shook her head.
Watching Su Cheng enjoy the wine so much, the worry in her eyes gradually lessened, replaced by a hint of joy.
After all, her efforts had not been in vain.
"If you don't drink, why did you make all this? Don't tell me you prepared it just for me?"
"Can't you be serious for once?"
Ah Yin lightly chided, feeling somewhat frustrated. She was so worried about him, yet he remained so indifferent.
Su Cheng smiled at her reaction but didn't mind. He pulled Ah Yin to sit down on the grass beside him and said calmly, "You've seen my current condition. I've been doing my best to heal over the past year. As for the promise I made to you before—to research a way for Spirit Masters to independently condense spirit rings—I'm afraid I won't be able to fulfill it for now."
After saying this, he took another swig of the Hundred Flowers Brew, but his eyes subtly glanced at Ah Yin, silently observing her reaction to his words.
Ah Yin's expression momentarily froze. She had almost forgotten about that matter.
It seemed like a long-forgotten wish—something she once thought was extremely important, but now appeared insignificant.
If she had known this outcome, would she have still stepped forward during that battle in front of the Pope's Palace?
Even after Su Cheng and Qian Renxue killed Xiao Wu to seize her spirit ring, Ah Yin hadn't distanced herself from them.
The answer was already clear in her heart back then, wasn't it?
She shook her head and softly said, "It doesn't matter anymore. None of that matters. You still haven't told me—how did you end up like this?"
"What do you think?" Su Cheng smiled wryly, asking in return.
"…"
Ah Yin was stunned.
Indeed, what could have caused this?
Who in the world could possess the strength to injure Su Cheng, who had mastered innate power?
Unless the person who hurt him had also learned innate power and was exceptionally talented, even surpassing him.
Inexplicably, two faces with vastly different temperaments yet both exquisitely beautiful appeared in her mind.
"Bibi Dong? Or Qian Renxue?"
"Hah, you guessed right."
Su Cheng chuckled, but there was no humor in his eyes.
"It was Xiao Xue. She's grown much stronger. Somehow, she found out about me and Zhuqing and wanted to kill her. I had no choice but to take her sword head-on. Otherwise, one of the two would likely have died."
"She… how could she…"
Ah Yin's eyes trembled, her delicate face turning pale.
That woman, was she truly so extreme?
No matter the circumstances, surely it hadn't reached the point of taking lives?
"It wasn't her fault. This is my own karma." Su Cheng sighed, taking another drink from the jar. "Ah, the punishment for greed…"
With that, he recounted the events of that day without hiding anything.
From Qian Renxue's breakthrough and the terrifying sword she unleashed toward Zhu Zhuqing, to how he narrowly escaped death by using the secret Ring Shattering Method to avert a fatal crisis, and finally, Qian Renxue's resolute departure from Spirit City.
He left out most details about Bibi Dong but shared everything else about the ordeal and the entanglement between himself, Qian Renxue, and Zhu Zhuqing.
As she listened to him speak, Ah Yin's emotions continuously shifted—shock, sighs, fear—each taking turns.
"…That's the full story of what happened that day."
"…"
After Su Cheng finished, Ah Yin remained silent for a long time.
Then she reached out, grabbed another jar of Hundred Flowers Brew, unsealed it, and took a swig just like Su Cheng had.
However, it was clear that she had never truly tasted alcohol before.
Even though she had brewed this Hundred Flowers Brew herself, and her own cultivation base was quite strong, the spicy alcohol still choked her, making her face flush as she coughed lightly.
"I thought you didn't drink," Su Cheng remarked in surprise, gently patting her back while trying to suppress a laugh.
"It's… this stuff is awful!" Ah Yin wiped her lips, feeling aggrieved.
"You get used to it after drinking more. Besides, your brewing skills are exceptional. And alcohol is a good thing—it can help you forget many worries. Unfortunately, with my constitution, it's difficult to get drunk now."
"…"
Ah Yin panted lightly, her eyes drifting toward Su Cheng beside her.
Although she wasn't used to the taste of alcohol, it only slightly stimulated her taste buds and didn't affect her much. Her focus remained on the man beside her.
Especially when she saw the faint confusion and bewilderment deep in Su Cheng's eyes, an inexplicable pang of heartache arose.
Caught between two women, unsure of what to do, wounded by the one he loved, nearly losing his life—now, with his spirit ring shattered and his future ruined, how could he possibly be at ease?
Perhaps all those words were just a facade, masking his true emotions.
What kind of feelings had driven him to seek her out at this moment?
At that instant, her previous thoughts grew even more resolute.
She reached out, grabbing the young man's arm beside her. "Su Cheng, let me help you restore your spirit."
"What did you say?"
Su Cheng looked up in surprise.
"I said…"
Ah Yin bit her lip, avoiding his slightly probing gaze, but her voice was firm. "I can restore the damage to your spirit. I can do it."
"…"
Seeing Su Cheng remain silent, Ah Yin thought he didn't believe her. She hurriedly explained, "I can perfectly fuse with the Eternal Sword. If you let me bind with it again, my current spirit base and all my spirit rings can be transferred to your spirit."