40: Chapter 40 Because I Like You

"Thank you, Qingci..." Meng Hongchen's voice was very soft, so soft that almost only she herself could hear it. But that sense of being moved and gratitude was genuine.

Mu Qingci smiled and patted her head: "Alright, Sister Meng, hurry up and absorb it, I will stand guard for you."

Looking at the crystal-clear Spirit Bone in her hand, Meng Hongchen was so moved that she lost all sense of her surroundings.

"Qingci, why do you treat me so well?"

"Because kindness is mutual." Mu Qingci looked into Meng Hongchen's eyes and said seriously: "Sister Meng, you treat me so well, so naturally, I am not someone who doesn't know how to repay it."

Mu Qingci reached out and cupped Meng Hongchen's face with both hands, brought his face close to her ear, and whispered: "If you really must find a reason, then it is naturally because I like you."

Meng Hongchen felt as if her brain had been struck by lightning, becoming unable to think.

Her cheeks quickly turned red, surpassing a ripe apple, and the flush spread all the way to the tips of her ears.

"Qingci said he likes me..."

She whispered softly.

"Alright, hurry up and absorb the Spirit Bone, I will stand guard for you."

Mu Qingci reached out and flicked her nose with his finger, interrupting her thoughts.

Meng Hongchen nodded blankly, then sat cross-legged on the grass.

Her brain was still hot, and the little deer in her heart was bumping around non-stop.

"Qingci likes me... Qingci likes me..."

She could never have imagined that the boy she thought about day and night would actually like her too.

Meng Hongchen's mood at this moment could not be described by just joy; it was more of a sense of happiness.

She hadn't even thought about how she would feel if the person Mu Qingci liked wasn't her.

But now, Meng Hongchen didn't need to think about these things anymore.

Under Mu Qingci's urging, Meng Hongchen quickly adjusted her breathing and began to absorb the Spirit Bone.

She placed the Spirit Bone against her left arm, then circulated her Soul Power to begin absorbing it.

Mu Qingci could feel the fluctuation of Soul Power coming from her at this moment, which had barely reached level 52.

It seemed that during the days he was away, she hadn't had the heart to cultivate her Soul Power.

Thinking of this, a flash of heartache crossed Mu Qingci's heart. Looking at Meng Hongchen, who was focused on absorbing the Spirit Bone, he shook his head helplessly: "What a silly girl."

A full two hours passed before Meng Hongchen finished absorbing the Spirit Bone.

This ice-attribute left arm bone had a very high compatibility with her Spirit, so she didn't feel any discomfort while absorbing it.

As soon as Meng Hongchen opened her eyes, she sprang up and hugged Mu Qingci: "Thank you so much, Qingci, my Soul Power suddenly increased to level 55, and my Mental Energy and physical fitness have also improved significantly."

Meng Hongchen spoke of her improvements with surprise and delight, and her gaze toward Mu Qingci was full of affection.

"Alright, we are family, why say words of thanks."

"Then what status does Qingci want to be family with me in?"

Facing the verbal teasing from this white-haired little loli, Mu Qingci didn't indulge her at all.

He grabbed Meng Hongchen's hands and pushed her against a large tree.

Meng Hongchen's hands were forced above her head, held in place by Mu Qingci, unable to move.

"Then what status does Sister Meng want me to become family with you in?"

Feeling the warm breath coming from beside her ear, Meng Hongchen, who had just been teasing him, immediately lost her composure.

"Annoying, let me go quickly!"

Watching Mu Qingci's thin lips slowly approach her, Meng Hongchen actually closed her eyes with some anticipation.

But after waiting for a long time, the feeling she imagined still didn't come.

She only felt her hands loosen, and the large hand that was holding her hands let go.

Mu Qingci turned and walked away dashingly: "Alright, it's getting late, Sister Meng, go back early."

Watching his slowly receding back, Meng Hongchen finally realized she had been teased by him.

"Mu Qingci!!!"

Listening to the scream coming from the small woods behind him, Mu Qingci quickened his pace.

After Meng Hongchen shouted, the anger in her heart dissipated.

She looked at the faint light flashing on her left arm and gradually smiled.

"Qingci, since you said you like me, you have to be responsible, okay."

Mu Qingci didn't go directly back to his dormitory, but instead went to the Enshrinement Hall.

In the Enshrinement Hall.

Kong Deming looked at the disciple before him who seemed to have grown quite a bit, and nodded with satisfaction.

"It seems the effect of this training was good."

As a Titled Douluo, he saw Mu Qingci's current cultivation at a glance: "Breakthrough to a quasi-Spirit King?"

The so-called quasi-Spirit King refers to a Spirit Master who has not yet obtained a fifth spirit ring, but has already reached the bottleneck, which is level 50.

Mu Qingci nodded: "By some coincidence, my Soul Power increased a little, reaching the bottleneck."

Kong Deming didn't ask too much about the reason for the increase in Soul Power; after all, everyone has their own secrets, and as his teacher, he naturally had to respect his disciple.

"Since you have reached the bottleneck, do you need me to send someone to accompany you to obtain the fifth spirit ring?"

"No need, thank you for your kindness, Teacher, the disciple has a way to solve it."

Every experience of obtaining a spirit ring is also a good way to improve oneself.

Although having a powerful helper would make obtaining a spirit ring much more convenient, that would defeat the purpose of tempering oneself.

Mu Qingci really wanted to try and see how powerful he was now that he had obtained the Ice Emperor.

Kong Deming didn't insist, as he knew Mu Qingci still had quite a few trump cards; just obtaining a fifth spirit ring shouldn't be a big problem.

After all, with the Silver Moon Guardian he gave him, it could still block sneak attacks from Spirit Beasts under 100,000 years.

"Teacher, the disciple has another matter to discuss this time."

Under Kong Deming's puzzled gaze, Mu Qingci took out his Level 3 Soul Engineer badge.

"The disciple wants to take the assessment for Level 4 Soul Engineer."

After absorbing the Ice Emperor's spirit ring and Spirit Bone, Mu Qingci's Mental Energy had significantly improved.

Powerful Mental Energy could increase the success rate of making spirit tools, which was why Mu Qingci was confident in participating in the Level 4 Soul Engineer assessment.

One must know that at this time, it had been less than a year since he first became a Soul Engineer, and in this less than a year, he had passed three assessments and became a Level 3 Soul Engineer.

And today, he was coming to challenge the fourth one.

Kong Deming knew his disciple wouldn't do things he wasn't sure about, so his face was already full of smiles now.

This pillar of the Empire, who was usually stern and serious, was now smiling like a kind old man; this was pride from the bottom of his heart.

Becoming a Level 4 Soul Engineer within a year, a goal he had set originally just to polish Mu Qingci, was now actually going to be exceeded by him ahead of schedule.