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On the way back to the dormitory, Xiao Xiao clutched Yuwen Tuo's gold spirit coin card with uncontainable excitement.
"Oh my gosh, three million gold spirit coins! I've never seen so much money in my life. So this is what it feels like to get rich overnight!"
"If you like it so much, why don't you keep it?" Yuwen Tuo said with a smile.
"No, no way! This money was won through your incredible victory in that cross-tier challenge. How could I possibly take it?" Xiao Xiao quickly shoved the card back into Yuwen Tuo's hands.
She couldn't let him think she was materialistic.
Even if she planned to manage their finances once they were together, she had to win his heart first. Patience was key.
"Alright then," Yuwen Tuo said, pulling out one of the Profound Water Pills and placing it gently in Xiao Xiao's palm. "You have twin martial souls, so your innate soul power must be at its peak—either full or very close to it. Take this pill to cleanse any remaining impurities from your body. Even if it doesn't boost your potential, it'll still give you a bit more soul power."
"A Profound Water Pill? For me?" Xiao Xiao gasped. The value of this pill was no less than the gold spirit coin card.
While not astronomically expensive, these pills were rare and difficult to obtain. Even if one tried to buy them from the Xuanming Sect, success wasn't guaranteed—it required both wealth and connections.
The Profound Water Pill had the ability to purify impurities within the body. For soul masters below level 20, it could increase their innate soul power by at least one level. For prodigies, this was merely an enhancement, but for average soul masters, it was a godsend.
"Xiao Xiao, my innate soul power was originally at the peak of level nine, but due to a minor mishap, it dropped. One Profound Water Pill will be enough for me to recover and even surpass my previous level. A second pill would just go to waste on me—it'd be redundant. You might as well make use of it."
Yuwen Tuo told a small white lie.
But it wasn't entirely false. The Profound Water Pill held minimal benefit for him, especially since he already possessed full innate soul power. Its effects would be negligible unless he was at the critical juncture between levels 19 and 20, where his acquired soul power was transitioning into innate soul power.
One pill was sufficient—if it worked, great; if not, a second wouldn't help. After all, cleansing impurities required actual impurities to cleanse.
"Thank you, Yuwen Tuo!" Xiao Xiao's face flushed red. She had been able to refuse the gold spirit coin card, but the allure of the Profound Water Pill was too great for any soul master to turn down.
A single level increase in innate soul power wasn't just about immediate gains—it also accelerated future cultivation speed. Yuwen Tuo's guess was correct: Xiao Xiao indeed had full innate soul power at level 10.
However, there were distinctions even among those with full innate soul power. Xiao Xiao remembered how, during her awakening, the crystal ball used to measure soul power had flickered faintly toward the end, indicating that her level 10 wasn't perfectly stable.
It felt more like someone who had just broken through from level 9 to 10 rather than achieving flawless mastery.
True perfection would mean reaching the absolute peak of level 10, where, without the restriction of soul rings, further cultivation could push someone straight to level 11.
This pill should stabilize her at true full innate soul power.
Yuwen Tuo chuckled. "Why are you calling me by my full name now? Didn't you just give me a nickname earlier?"
"Can I call you by your nickname from now on?" Xiao Xiao asked hopefully.
Earlier, she had boldly given him a nickname to assert her position among the girls at school. Now, alone with him, she felt shy again.
Yuwen Tuo nodded. "I don't mind. My master, my auntie, and one of my close friends all called me by a nickname back then—though it was 'Little Tuo' instead."
"They're your elders and siblings, which makes them different from me. I want to call you 'Tuo Tuo.' It sounds unique, and it pairs nicely with my name, 'Xiao Xiao.' Is that okay, Tuo Tuo?"
"You've already started calling me that—why ask now?" Yuwen Tuo waved a hand dismissively and began walking ahead.
Xiao Xiao's face lit up with joy. His response meant he agreed. She happily skipped after him.
"Hey, Tuo Tuo, tell me about your family and friends! If I ever meet them, I'll need to prepare myself mentally."
"Mentally prepare? What do you need to prepare for? But since you're curious, I'll tell you. You've heard of my master—he's a very gentle person who hasn't killed more than seven figures in his lifetime."
"My auntie is also incredibly kind. The worst thing she's ever done is assist a demon lord in destroying the world."
"Honestly, Tuo Tuo, stop teasing me with jokes!"
"Haha, let me tell you about my neighbor back home. He's a super slacker—a total dunce who can barely scrape together 60 points on a 100-point test. Still, he's a good guy. Oh, and I have a rival who's pretty devious. To this day, I still feel the urge to stab him sometimes."
As they chatted under the moonlight, their shadows stretched long across the ground. Eventually, they parted ways at the dormitory entrance, and Yuwen Tuo returned to his room.
He opened the treasure box containing the shimmering Profound Water Pill. At level 19, this was the perfect time to consume it. After reaching level 20, its effects would diminish significantly.
Placing the pill in his mouth, he swallowed it whole.
Instantly, a cool sensation spread through his internal organs as the pill's energy began cleansing his body of impurities. Yuwen Tuo immediately sat cross-legged and activated his cultivation technique to accelerate the absorption process.
Though potent, the pill's energy was gentle, not overwhelming. Yuwen Tuo could feel his strength steadily increasing.
Breaking through from level 19 to 20 was something he'd done dozens of times over the past six years. Even the smallest bottleneck had grown larger over time, making breakthroughs effortless.
With the aid of the Profound Water Pill, he smoothly broke through once again, returning to level 20.
Meanwhile, Tang Ya and Beibei had carried the unconscious Huo Yuhao back to their dormitory.
Beibei sighed deeply. "It's all my fault. Yuhao exhausted himself helping me win, only for me to lose both Profound Water Pills in return."
"It's unfortunate," Wang Dong remarked. Given her background, she understood the significance of the Profound Water Pills for Huo Yuhao.
For him, their impact would be even greater.
Huo Yuhao's innate soul power was only at level 1, far below the norm for someone with a Spirit Eye martial soul. Such a martial soul should inherently possess high quality, yet his poor nutrition and accumulated impurities had stunted his development.
The Profound Water Pill could compensate for his deficiencies. While others might gain one level of innate soul power per pill, Huo Yuhao could potentially gain two—four levels from two pills.
At that point, his innate soul power would reach level 5, qualifying him as talented, if not extraordinary. Combined with the Mystic Heaven Technique, his future prospects would brighten considerably.
But alas...
"Hmph! It's all because of that Yuwen Tuo. He ruined little Yuhao's future—I'll make him pay sooner or later!" Tang Ya huffed indignantly.
"Xiaoya, don't say that. Yuwen Tuo is truly remarkable. He defeated me fairly and squarely. His martial arts prowess is unparalleled—I've never seen anything like it. I suspect he has something akin to our Tang Sect's Mystic Heaven Record—a complete combat system of his own. His Solar Flame Finger technique is incredibly precise, targeting my pressure points effortlessly despite my Jade Hand. Even my Ghost Shadow Maze Steps were useless against his heterochromatic eyes—they saw through every move I made."
"No wonder you lost so badly, Senior Beibei. It seems Yuwen Tuo really is extraordinary," Wang Dong mused, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
After being classmates for so long, she was astonished to realize just how unfathomable Yuwen Tuo truly was.
Tang Ya pouted, visibly dissatisfied. "Hmph, Beibei, don't praise him so much. Those lesser sect techniques can't compare to our Tang Sect's Mystic Heaven Technique. Don't forget, our ancestor Tang San became a god! You lost today simply because your Jade Hand, Extreme Violet Pupil, and Ghost Shadow Maze Steps aren't refined enough."
Beibei chuckled. "You're right. I lost today, but that doesn't mean the Tang Sect lost. In the future, I'll reclaim my honor. As for Junior Brother's Profound Water Pills, I'll have to swallow my pride and see if our clan can procure another from the Xuanming Sect."
For Huo Yuhao's sake, this eldest disciple of the Tang Sect was willing to go to great lengths.