Before long, the maid brought over a set of clean light purple dress made of fine Cloud Brocade fabric.
When she emerged after changing, her hair was still damp and draped over her shoulders like a young deer fresh from a bath. Seeing Su Yu, she somewhat shyly smoothed her skirt:
"Brother Su Yu, I'm ready."
Su Yu pointed to the cushion in front and spoke softly: "Sit."
Xiao Xuena sat down on the cushion. A handkerchief appeared in Su Yu's hand as he gently dried her damp hair.
"After washing your hair from now on, you must dry it promptly, otherwise you'll feel uncomfortable!"
Xuena sat obediently, feeling the gentle pressure from Su Yu's fingertips and the warmth brought by the handkerchief drying her hair. Her cheeks gradually flushed pink.
She responded softly: "Mm, I'll remember, Brother Su Yu."
After her hair was dried, it became fluffy and soft, carrying a faint fragrance.
Su Yu put down the handkerchief, looking at her slightly lowered eyelashes and flushed earlobes, the corners of his mouth curving upward:
"Alright, now I'll teach you how to cultivate!"
About five minutes later, seeing that Xuena had already mastered the basic Soul Power cultivation method, Su Yu withdrew his guiding hand and stopped demonstrating.
Looking at the serious little girl before him, he spoke slowly:
"Xuena, you have Innate Full Soul Power. Normally speaking, you could go obtain a Soul Ring right now and directly break through to become a Soul Master."
His tone shifted, becoming more solemn: "But you need to know that the Limit Age for the first Soul Ring is around four hundred and twenty years."
"If you want your Soul Ring's age to approach this upper limit as much as possible, your physical fitness must keep up, otherwise you could easily suffer backlash from the Soul Ring's power."
"So for this period of time, I won't take you to hunt for a Soul Ring. After you've built a solid physical foundation through training, I'll take you to obtain a Soul Ring."
Xuena listened with intense concentration, immediately nodding emphatically after hearing him, her eyes sparkling:
"Mm! I'll listen to whatever Brother Su Yu says!"
Su Yu was amused by her obedient demeanor, raising his hand to gently ruffle her hair as he said softly:
"Good, rest well today and build up your energy. Tomorrow I'll teach you how to train scientifically to make your body strong and healthy."
Xuena gave a firm "Mm" in response, standing up and looking at Su Yu as she said quietly:
"Then... Brother Su Yu should rest early too."
"Alright."
Watching Xuena skip away following the maid back to her room, the smile on Su Yu's face faded slightly as he turned to look out the window.
Night had already fallen over Nuoding City, with scattered lights twinkling in the distance.
His fingers twitched slightly as he recalled the Soul Power affinity Xuena had displayed during her cultivation.
This child not only had Innate Full Soul Power, but her sensitivity to elemental Soul Power was also extraordinary, especially with the lightning attribute, which she seemed naturally suited for.
Meanwhile, Su Yu strode directly into the conference room of Nuoding City's Spirit Sub-Hall. The heavy wooden door closed slowly behind him, cutting off the noise from outside the hall.
Inside, the deacons responsible for external Martial Soul awakenings were already standing in orderly formation. When they saw him enter, everyone bowed simultaneously, their voices filled with reverence:
"Holy Son!"
Su Yu nodded, walking steadily toward the main seat.
The hem of his black robe traced a sharp arc across the floor.
When he took his seat, the chair legs made a light sound as they touched the blue stone floor.
He raised his hand, his fingertips pausing lightly on the armrest as his gaze swept over the crowd:
"Sit."
Only then did the deacons take their seats in order, their eyes involuntarily drawn to the young man in the main seat.
His brows still carried a hint of youthful spirit, but his eyes were sharp as blades, seemingly capable of piercing through the thoughts hidden in people's hearts.
The dust from his recent travels had not yet completely faded, adding to his aura of steadiness.
"Report the awakening situations from each region today."
Su Yu's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable authority.
The first deacon on the left stood up promptly, holding a scroll with both hands as he approached and bowed, presenting it to Su Yu:
"Your report, Holy Son. In Holy Light Village, twenty-three children of appropriate age underwent awakening. Among them, two children awakened with Innate Soul Power, both at level three."
Su Yu took the scroll, his fingertips brushing over the densely packed names and data, lightly rubbing the paper surface as he motioned for him to continue.
Another deacon immediately stood up to add: "Dragon Dusk Village, thirty children underwent awakening, five of them possess Innate Soul Power."
"One with level one Innate Soul Power, three with level three, and one with level four."
"Continue." Su Yu lifted his eyes to look at the crowd, his gaze calm like a deep pool.
"Ox Ox Village, nineteen children participated in the awakening, none possessed Innate Soul Power." A female deacon spoke hesitantly, her voice very soft.
"Pillar King Village, twenty-nine children participated in the awakening, only one child possessed level two Innate Soul Power."
...
The reports came one after another, the writing on the scroll gradually filling up.
In the blink of an eye, only the last deacon had yet to speak.
That deacon stood up, his gaze falling on Su Yu, his tone carrying barely concealed delight:
"Holy Son, the village under my responsibility is called Eternal Peace Village. Fifteen children participated in the Martial Soul Awakening."
He paused, emphasizing his tone: "Among them, only one child awakened with Soul Power, but it was Innate Full Soul Power! However... her Martial Soul is a rabbit."
Su Yu's fingers holding the scroll paused slightly as he looked up at the deacon:
"Rabbit Martial Soul?"
"Yes, Your Highness." The deacon quickly responded.
"Is that child still in Eternal Peace Village?"
"When I left, she was still in Eternal Peace Village. I asked her if she wanted to join the Spirit Hall, but the child refused!"
Su Yu remained silent for a moment, tapping his finger on the scroll:
"Tomorrow I will personally go to Eternal Peace Village!"
The deacon was taken aback: "Your Highness, it's just a child who refused to join. Why trouble yourself to make the trip?"
"Innate Full Soul Power is still worth striving for!"
"By the way, the child I brought back today—treat her well. In a few days, I will take her back to the Martial Soul Holy City!"
"Yes! Holy Son!"
...
Early the next morning—
A carriage, modestly decorated yet unable to conceal its dignified presence, rolled into the village, crushing the morning dew beneath its wheels.
The carriage curtain was lifted as Su Yu, accompanied by the deacon from the previous day, stepped down. His blue cloth robe still carried traces of travel dust, but his eyes sharply scanned the village as if searching for something.
By the stone roller at the village's threshing ground, the village chief was squatting and weaving a bamboo basket. Seeing the newcomers, he quickly stood up, rubbing the grass scraps from his hands as he approached:
"Soul Master! Hasn't the Martial Soul Awakening already concluded? Why trouble yourself to come again?"
The deacon smiled, looking at the village chief, his tone carrying a sense of urgency:
"The awakening is over, but we heard there's a child with Innate Full Soul Power in the village, so we came specifically to see."
"Oh! You must mean Xiao Wu!" The village chief slapped his thigh, his face crinkling into a smile.
"That girl is so clever! Come, I'll take you to her! She's right in that thatched cottage up ahead."