Douluo: Venom Martial Soul

Night had fallen, blanketing the land in darkness.

Having already eaten dinner and finished washing up, Ye Qiu spread out the old, sun-dried bedding on the wooden bed.

Xiao Wu stood nearby, shyly watching Ye Qiu, a faint blush on her cheeks.

It had been a long time since she had shared a bed with Ye Qiu. What's more, the bedding was the one Ye Qiu had used since he was a child—naturally smaller than the ones at Nuoding Academy. If the two of them so much as shifted apart slightly, they'd end up off the bed.

Seeing Ye Qiu lie down and tuck himself into the covers as soon as he finished making the bed, Xiao Wu pinched her clothes uneasily and asked with uncertainty:

"Ye Qiu, don't you have any other bedding at home?"

"Do you think there's anywhere in my house I could hide anything?"

Ye Qiu's slightly lazy voice came from under the covers. He opened his eyes again to look at Xiao Wu and reminded her, "If you don't want to sleep, then just sit at the bedside and cultivate quietly. Don't disturb me. We walked so much today, I'm exhausted."

With that said, Ye Qiu shut his eyes again, turning to the side and leaving a reasonably sized spot for Xiao Wu.

"Hmph! Sister Xiao Wu is just worried you'd suffer, that's all…"

Xiao Wu pouted, raised her small fist toward Ye Qiu, and, seeing that he ignored her, touched her still-damp hair and sat cross-legged at the edge of the bed, silently cultivating.

About half an hour later, Xiao Wu opened her eyes again.

Feeling Ye Qiu's now steady breathing and gazing at his fair little face, she pursed her red lips, then leaned forward on the bed, unable to resist the urge to reach out and touch his cheek.

But Ye Qiu's earlier warning suddenly echoed in her ears.

Xiao Wu awkwardly pulled her restless hand back. Quietly, with a blushing face, she slowly slipped into the blanket. Perhaps because it had been dried in the sun, the old and worn blanket was surprisingly warm.

Looking at Ye Qiu, who was just ten centimeters away, Xiao Wu slowly inched closer to him. Only when his breath began brushing her face did she finally stop, inhaling his scent… and feeling the strong urge to throw herself into his arms.

…

The next day.

Purple air came from the east, and dawn broke.

While Tang San was still cultivating his Purple Demon Eye, Ye Qiu was still comfortably nestled in a warm dreamland.

His breathing a bit labored, Ye Qiu could faintly smell a familiar fragrance. He slowly opened his eyes—only to see Xiao Wu lying right on top of him. The corners of his mouth twitched.

This rabbit still sleeps so restlessly!

Looking at Xiao Wu's flushed ear tips, her long eyelashes trembling lightly, and her little hand clutching tightly… Ye Qiu originally wanted to pull her off forcefully, but he smiled softly instead and gently pried her off little by little.

Creak!

The door opened, and as Ye Qiu walked out—

Still lying on the bed with her eyes closed, Xiao Wu suddenly opened her eyes. She covered her burning face with both hands and dived back under the covers, wriggling like a furry little caterpillar.

…

Time flew by.

The vacation at Nuoding Academy ended quickly.

Ye Qiu, Xiao Wu, and Tang San returned to their familiar Dorm Seven and resumed their respective cultivation. Even though new students had joined, they couldn't shake the position held by the trio.

Xiao Wu remained the undisputed boss of the entire academy.

Outside the quiet Dorm Seven—

Suddenly, a crisp, excited voice rang out:

"Ye Qiu! Ye Qiu! I'm back!"

A pink blur rushed inside. A pair of big, rosy, dazzling eyes locked instantly onto Ye Qiu, filled with a hint of longing.

"You're back, fine. But do you have to shout so loudly? So noisy. Don't people need to cultivate?"

Sitting cross-legged on his bed cultivating, Ye Qiu's face darkened as he opened his eyes. Looking at Xiao Wu, who had grown noticeably more elegant, he couldn't help but complain.

"Sister Xiao Wu isn't that loud! Look, no one else even reacted." Xiao Wu dashed to Ye Qiu's bedside and pointed around at the others in Dorm Seven—no one dared meet her eyes.

Grinning smugly, Xiao Wu flopped straight onto Ye Qiu's bed and cheerfully pulled out a small cloth pouch, presenting it like a treasure. "Ye Qiu! Look! Sister Xiao Wu has successfully broken through to Soul Elder! This pouch has 100 gold soul coins in it!"

"Oh~"

Already expecting this, Ye Qiu only let out a casual "oh," his expression calm as still water.

"You! What kind of reaction is that? I've even broken through to Soul Elder faster than Tang San, and you're not going to praise me? I'm even stronger than you now! You better watch out!" Xiao Wu sat up angrily, glaring at Ye Qiu and shaking her little fist, looking like she was about to beat him up.

"Stronger than me?" Ye Qiu smirked teasingly and turned to look at her, reaching out to pinch her chin gently and wiggling it. "I'm a Soul Elder too now. You sure you can beat me?"

"Well… well, I'm still stronger! If you dare bully me again, I'll make you suffer! My third soul skill is Teleportation—you'll never catch me!" Xiao Wu blushed and batted Ye Qiu's hand away, flicking her long scorpion braid.

"But it seems like… you like it when I catch you?"

Ye Qiu glanced sideways at her, quietly moving her shoed foot off his bed.

"What nonsense?! Y-You better not say that!"

Ye Qiu had grabbed her by the ankle—Xiao Wu's body trembled slightly, her face turning crimson, her eyes full of bashful panic.

"If you dare put your shoes on my bed again, I'll throw you out." Ye Qiu shot a glare at this cheeky bunny, who was clearly getting bolder.

"I-I didn't do it on purpose! I was just too excited this time, so I didn't notice. And even if it got dirty… Sister Xiao Wu would wash it clean for you…" Xiao Wu lowered her head, lips pursed, patting the blanket where a faint shoeprint remained. Her snow-white face flushed pink with obedience, looking like she'd endure anything for him.

Looking at her expression, Ye Qiu couldn't help but smile. Seems like… his training of her had gone well, though she was still a bit rebellious.

But a bit of rebellion was good. That's what made her herself.

Since entering second grade, Xiao Wu's attitude toward Ye Qiu had become increasingly warm. Not only did she regularly hand over her stipend for him to manage, but when Ye Qiu was feeling lazy, she even helped him wash clothes. Though… she did often haggle for conditions, frequently demanding that Ye Qiu accompany her on strolls.

Nuoding Academy had six grades in total. Ye Qiu, Xiao Wu, and Tang San were currently in the fifth grade. That meant Ye Qiu was now eleven years old.

Cultivating together with Xiao Wu, Ye Qiu's soul power advanced steadily. He had already surpassed Tang San and broke through to Soul Elder even before Xiao Wu.

This rapid progress was largely thanks to Ye Qiu's second soul skill:

> Little Black Parasite Worm!

From a 700+ year-old threadlike bloodsucking leech, it could parasitize the human body, lurking in the meridians and feeding off soul power as it circulated.

Naturally…

Ye Qiu used it on Tang San.

> "A father's debt should be paid by the son," he thought. "Let him pay what his old man owes."

In just a few days, Ye Qiu used the Little Black Worm to obtain what he wanted:

The Mysterious Heaven Technique (玄天功)

The Purple Demon Eye (紫极魔瞳)

And over time, he continued sparring with Tang San, copying his other techniques like:

Mysterious Jade Hand

Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and more.

It's worth mentioning—

Xiao Wu didn't know any of this.

Ye Qiu had already learned to skillfully control his martial spirit, slightly blurring certain memories…

He only passed the Mysterious Heaven Technique to Xiao Wu.