Ting pointed at her hair and said:
— See, it's got strands tinged with a bluish hue, almost white… Just a few days ago it was completely black, but now it's slowly starting to change.
"What…?"
[Well, that must be because of the connection between you and the beastly souls in your body. When the phoenix absorbed the Frozen Fire, it changed color—and your hair ended up taking on the same tone, or something similar.]
'Tsk! So what was the point of forging this body from scratch, after all…? Soon enough, kicking a stone in the forest is going to shave off half a meter of my height.'
[And after absorbing the flame, there was a huge increase in the Qi of your body, but no evolution occurred—I blocked your cultivation level.
This is because, up to now, you haven't really shaped your foundation—even though you've already passed through all the stages in terms of Qi quantity—where the Golden Core should be.
If you keep evolving this way, your cultivation will be as fragile as a sandcastle… maybe even more.]
'...So things didn't end well in the end… All that's missing is for you to tell me that none of the lineages were awakened, either.'
[No, the lineages were awakened, even the phoenix lineage—even if in a weakened form.
You could say that instead of the phoenix lineage, it's more akin to Frozen Fire with a portion of a phoenix's flames.]
Noah looked at the girl—who seemed to be awaiting an answer—and, after sighing, replied:
— I haven't the slightest idea how that happened.
"Just that? You don't care about your own body?"
"It's fine. In the end, it's only the hair, right? I didn't go bald or anything like that; it just changed color… Or do you think it's strange? We could cancel the engagement if you want…"
He headed toward the forest, and the girl watched him while whispering:
— It's just changed color, huh…
After Noah left, Ting went back into the house. As soon as she passed through the door of the room, Fusu—sitting at the edge of the bed—asked:
— So? What did he say?
She smiled as she walked over to him and said:
— Of course he agreed.
"Oh, and how did you manage that? That kid seemed too clever to accept something that wasn't advantageous to him."
"What? You too, Uncle?" she frowned, stopping in front of him. "How could exposing that curse have been beneficial for him? And why wouldn't marrying me be?"
The old man slowly stood and replied:
— That wasn't what I meant… But about the curse… I still don't know. But I'll surely find out. I believe it's connected to that change in his hair.
"Ah, that?" she said as she lay down. "He said he didn't know the cause. And he didn't seem to care either."
"Hmm, and where is your fiancé now?"
"He left."
"...And you let him go?"
"He said that he'd come back. And I said that you would force him to marry me, even if he didn't want to. So… he'll probably return. Unless he wants a cultivator from the Golden Core hunting him all over the world."
The old man smiled:
— So that's why he accepted? You threatened him?
"Of course not. It was just a warning, not a threat."
"Understood. I just think that if that's the case, maybe you should reconsider your methods..."
Ting stood up, confused, and asked:
— What do you mean, Uncle? Are you saying he doesn't fear you...? Even being in the Golden Core? And that idiot still had the nerve to call me crazy... Tsk!
Crossing her arms and puffing up her cheeks, she let her body slump onto the bed.
"I thought so too, until I realized it was all just an act a little before he woke up—that energy he emitted..."
Sighing, Fusu shook his head, unwilling to believe it—yet, looking at Ting, he saw a look full of curiosity. Irritated by his silence, she said:
— Don't stop mid-story! What did you feel...? Are you saying that that boy has the same cultivation level as you, Uncle?
"Same level...?"
He smiled as he handed Ting a tray of apples cut in the shape of rabbits, and then continued after a moment of thought:
— If he were on the same level, it would actually be better… that boy seems to have more Qi than I do, even though his Foundation or Golden Core still don't seem to be fully formed.
"What?! That's impossible!" Ting exclaimed, her mouth full of apple.
"Don't talk while you eat!" Fusu chided her, giving a light tap on the top of her head.
"Sorry..."
Fusu sighed. Smiling, he patted her head while looking around at the state of the room and recalling the pressure he had felt days ago, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, as Noah was walking through the forest, weaving between trees and checking the system map, he asked:
— Hey, have all the beasts really fled from this area?
[Affirmative!]
"But why...? Was it because of that pressure I felt before blacking out? Did it spread that far?"
[Affirmative!]
"Then can I roam anywhere around here?"
[For now, yes.]
"For now...? Can you tell me how long it'll be until they come back?"
[You still have a few days—about four, at least.]
"Hmm, that should do."
Noah pulled out his space bag, retrieved the black book from inside, and said:
— I'll take a look at this first, then search for some herbs.
But something felt off. When he tried to open the book, the pages wouldn't budge an inch.
"Shit! Why the hell won't this thing open?!" he exclaimed, flinging the book to the ground.
[Just like the space bag, you need to channel some of your own Qi into the book for it to open.]
"Ah, thanks for the heads-up," Noah said sarcastically. "Always on time, as usual, huh..."
[You're welcome!]
"...You do that on purpose, don't you..?"
[Without a doubt!]
After the explanation, he bent down, irritated, picked up the book from the floor, and with a deep sigh began to transfer his Qi into it.
The moment he did, a faint glow traced along the edges of the pages. Noah was impressed, imagining how powerful that technique could be. But shortly after the glow faded and he finally managed to open the book, only a few pages turned out to be enough…
"SHIT!" he shouted, hurling the book far away.