"Stop saying foolish things."
After listening to Ah Yin's explanation, Su Cheng lowered his eyelids and replied calmly.
Of course, he understood what she meant by her previous words. He was just surprised that she would even suggest such a thing.
Currently, Ah Yin's existence is not that of a pure human being. Whether it was her regaining a physical body back then or her true rebirth in the Blue Silver Grass Forest later on, both were made possible with the help of the Eternal Sword.
It was the result of the resonance between the innate domain of Su Cheng's Martial Spirit and his spirit rings, combined with the continuous influx of homogeneous energy from the small world of the Blue Silver Grass Forest. This, coupled with her intact soul and the powerful immortality of the Blue Silver Emperor herself, enabled her rebirth.
The body Ah Yin condensed after her rebirth is no longer the simple transformation from a soul beast into human form. Essentially, it is a body formed by energy, a physical form materialized from natural energy. She is neither human nor beast—a very mysterious existence.
Because of this, when Ah Yin practiced innate techniques, she advanced with incredible ease, almost without any bottlenecks, since the power of flesh and blood within her was originally converted from spirit power.
In this state, she could indeed reintegrate into the Eternal Sword if she wished. The spirit rings she bore could also be used to fill the gaps in the Eternal Sword.
In fact, when Ah Yin had just been reborn, she continued to reside within Su Cheng's Martial Spirit. It wasn't until after the battle in Spirit City that she completely severed her connection with the Eternal Sword.
However, reintegrating into the Eternal Sword would mean she would lose her freedom once again. Abandoning her spirit rings would further signify that her physical form would lose its foundation and she would revert to her previous state as a spirit entity.
Moreover, she would no longer have the possibility of regaining a physical body through the same means, as by then, she would have completely become a part of Su Cheng's Martial Spirit.
No one would willingly make such a sacrifice.
Su Cheng also didn't believe he had the right to ask another free life to make such a sacrifice.
"I'm not worth such a sacrifice from you."
It wasn't like he needed to desperately find a way to continue his path as a Spirit Master. Even if his path was cut off, he could always seek other directions for cultivation and advancement.
But he would never rely on sacrificing others to make up for the flaws in his Martial Spirit.
If he truly did that, wouldn't all his previous persistence become a joke?
Compared to strength, the purity of the heart and will is far more important.
"Why aren't you worth it?" Ah Yin, however, did not agree.
She gazed at Su Cheng with those clear, watery eyes. "You were the one who brought me back to life. You are my benefactor. It's only natural that I repay your kindness."
"Alright, stop saying such things." Su Cheng frowned. "There's no need to talk about being a benefactor. There's no so-called kindness between us. I benefited greatly from taking your spirit bone, and later, with your help, I found this forest. If anything, you've already repaid any kindness."
"Who says I've repaid it? What kindness could be greater than saving someone's life? It can't even be compared to what you've mentioned. And besides..."
At this point, Ah Yin's voice trailed off, as if she found it difficult to continue.
But after glancing at Su Cheng, she bit her lip and continued, "Besides, you brought me happiness that I had never experienced before."
"And also torment and pain," Su Cheng remarked indifferently, leaning against a tree and taking another sip of the Hundred Flowers Brew. He glanced at her, adding, "You told me that yourself a year ago. Have you already forgotten?"
Ah Yin was stunned by his words, suddenly recalling the scene from the flower garden behind Spirit City, where she had lost control of her emotions.
Despite feeling somewhat embarrassed, she stubbornly replied, "Fine. I'm willing to do this, regardless of any so-called kindness. I see you as my younger brother, and I don't want something like this to affect your future. With your talent and abilities, you should have a much higher ceiling."
Su Cheng fell silent this time.
After a long while, he finally looked up at Ah Yin's determined face and asked, "Do you realize what this means for you?"
Ah Yin turned her face away, avoiding his gaze, and spoke in a soft, indifferent voice:
"It's really nothing. It's just going back into the Eternal Sword. Besides, merging into the Eternal Sword is still much better than that state of muddled soul slumber I was in before. And I've always been indifferent about such things anyway. I'm aware of my potential and abilities; my limits aren't that high."
Su Cheng sighed softly, "You know what kind of person I am, Ah Yin. Don't act on impulse anymore. Sacrificing yourself or anything else—when you make a decision, be sure not to let your future self regret it. It's hard enough for spirit beasts to cultivate, and even more so for you."
He lowered his eyes, staring at the clear liquor in the jar. "To have come this far and attained the peace and freedom you now have—this did not come easily for you. Don't take it for granted. Think it over before you say anything else."
"This isn't impulsive. Over the years, I've been deceived and helped, and I've seen and understood many things that I never truly grasped before. You taught me all that." Ah Yin shook her head, locking eyes with him.
"After spending so much time with you, of course, I know what kind of person you are. I also know that you would rather take that sword strike yourself than let the two of them get hurt. As for the rest, it's none of my concern."
Su Cheng frowned without saying a word.
He seemed dazed, lost in thought.
"Can you…call me sister?" In the midst of the silence, Ah Yin suddenly asked.
"Sister…?" Su Cheng looked up, staring at her in a daze.
He suddenly laughed, as if relieved, "But I don't want to be your younger brother."
"…"
Hearing his response, Ah Yin felt a bit dejected.
However, before she could say anything further, Su Cheng spoke again with a smile, "Alright, you don't need to worry about me anymore."
He raised his hand gently as he spoke, "Do you remember what you said about innate power before? You were right; relying on states of enhancement isn't a long-term solution, and a path that cannot be stabilized is incomplete. But I've been fortunate this time, and I've finally managed to harmonize all the forces within me."
As he spoke, Su Cheng extended a finger and pointed forward.
There was no obvious movement, and almost no energy fluctuation was released, but at that moment, Ah Yin felt a sudden alarm in her heart.
Though her senses told her this move posed no threat, her intuition suggested it could bring her great danger.
This contradiction between her rationality and instinct made her feel extremely uneasy.
The next moment, a gentle breeze passed by, and the massive boulder that had withstood countless millennia of wind and rain in front of them began to shed a fine layer of dust.
A large character for "Yin" appeared, carved a foot deep into the stone.
Ah Yin's eyes widened as she gazed at the scene before her. Her pinkish-red lips parted slightly in shock.
Surprise, confusion, and joy flashed through her mind.
While the destructive power wasn't anything extraordinary, as many high-level Soul Masters could easily achieve it, what was terrifying was that when Su Cheng unleashed this strike, there was no warning, no fluctuation of energy. It was as if some inexplicable, elusive force had suddenly emerged from within him, allowing him to effortlessly execute such a powerful attack.
Not only was the destructive force impressive, but the level of control displayed was even more astonishing. The depth of the inscription was perfectly uniform—neither too deep nor too shallow.
"Xiao Xue's Solar Fire is indeed formidable. In terms of pure power in a head-to-head confrontation, even my innate power pales in comparison. It was Bibi Dong who saved my life back then. However, it was precisely because of the uniqueness of this flame, burning both my flesh and soul power, that it facilitated the fusion of various forces within me, allowing me to take a crucial step forward."
Su Cheng withdrew his hand and explained softly, "Over the past year, Bibi Dong has gone to great lengths to help me recover, and with her assistance, I've gradually mastered this power. I call it 'True Force.' Although it doesn't have the explosive power of my previous innate strength, and my overall combat ability has been significantly reduced, this state is stable and enduring. Moreover, it has immense potential for growth in the future. In the long run, I'm actually far stronger now than I was before."
"..."
Ah Yin looked at the stone slab, then turned back to Su Cheng's hand, her eyes filled with confusion, as if she was trying to process the meaning of his words.
But as time passed, her expression slowly changed.
The initial surprise and bewilderment gradually turned into grievance and resentment.
"Why didn't you say this earlier?!"
"Hmm?"
Su Cheng was taken aback by her sudden outburst.
But before he could respond, the beauty sitting beside him abruptly stood up, her face flushed.
Perhaps it was due to the Hundred Flowers Brew she had just consumed, or perhaps it was something else, but Ah Yin's emotions became extremely agitated at that moment, her cheeks flushed with anger.
"I was so worried about you, and you found it amusing to deceive me?!"
"..."
"Yes, to you, I'm just a soul beast in human form! Unlike Qian Renxue, who, even if she tried to kill you, you'd still tolerate her in every way! I was truly foolish to think that what I said earlier was meaningful to you. In your heart, it must have sounded like a joke, right?"
"I just didn't have the chance to explain yet..."
Hearing his explanation, Ah Yin's expression changed again.
She suddenly recalled that similar situations had happened before.
The same pattern—using concealment to deceive!
Her eyes turned red, and tears welled up as she stared at Su Cheng.
"Hey, hey, hey, isn't that a bit too much?" Su Cheng's heart skipped a beat. "Why are you reacting so strongly?"
"I get it now; you still don't trust me. You're testing me, aren't you?"
"I—"
"Don't bother denying it." Ah Yin's voice turned icy. "Yes, I'm not as clever as your Qian Renxue, nor do I have those convoluted schemes, but don't take me for a fool!"
She bent down, picked up the wine jar in front of her, and despite her dislike for the taste, took a large gulp. "I don't understand—why are you so wary of me? Looking down on me with such arrogance and prejudice! Su Cheng, are you truly that heartless?!"
Seeing her genuinely upset, Su Cheng couldn't help but smile wryly. "No, no, don't get so worked up. We've only just met again—"
"Don't say things like that to me! Do you think I'm so easily fooled? From the moment we met until now, you've had plenty of chances to explain, yet you kept avoiding the topic. The reason you've been doing this is to test me, isn't it? You want to see if, after losing your power, I'd turn against you?"
"..." Su Cheng was left speechless.
In fact, Ah Yin was right. Earlier, he did have such thoughts.
When Ah Yin misunderstood that his power had greatly diminished, he instinctively acted this way, without even thinking.
Because of her past, even if Su Cheng didn't say it aloud, he always harbored some doubt about Ah Yin in his heart.
After losing the constraint of the Eternal Sword, he could never fully trust her.
Even when they parted at Spirit Hall, he left a trace of his innate power on her as a precaution.
Though he wasn't afraid of betrayal, given his strength, as a man, he still hoped for genuine loyalty from his partner.
Before he could fully give his heart, he wanted to make sure the other person didn't harbor ulterior motives—though, given his own complicated emotions, he wasn't in any position to make such demands.
Ah Yin stood there, taking another large gulp of the Hundred Flowers Brew.
Under the influence of alcohol, her eyes grew misty, the corners of her eyes a deep peach color, and even her body exuded a faint scent of wine.
Holding the large wine jar in one hand, she pointed at Su Cheng with the other. "Haha, congratulations, you've succeeded! So, are you satisfied now?"
At that moment, a look of realization crossed Ah Yin's face. "No wonder you started talking to me about your research on self-condensing soul rings. What, did you think I was using you? Haha, you've really overestimated me! I was a fool to worry about you, to waste my thoughts on you!"
With that, she fiercely threw the wine jar.
"Crash—"
The jar shattered on the ground, wine spilling everywhere, and the air filled with a strong aroma of alcohol and flowers.
"You're truly disappointing! I told you before, this wine wasn't even brewed for you! You're right; you are that kind of person. I've been deceiving myself all along, never truly seeing you for who you are!"
"..."
Su Cheng blinked, momentarily stunned by her outburst.
But quickly, he regained his composure and smiled. "Alright, you're right. But didn't you say you wanted to be my sister?"
"?" Ah Yin froze, not understanding the connection.
Su Cheng stretched lazily and stood up. "Sisters are meant to be bullied by their brothers, aren't they?"
"Then I don't want to be your sister anymore."
"You don't have a choice now."
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out, wrapping his arm around Ah Yin's slender waist.
Then, he leaned down, and with his lips, he silenced her soft, pink lips.