by Fat Bread
If Mei'er was in her human form, staying together with him in bed and a jealous Hua Huo found out, what would happen next... just imagining it made Yun Xi unable to stop shivering.
"Hmmm... hmmm... it's really from this little dog..." Hua Huo sniffed and finally relaxed.
However, in this way, this little golden dog who was named "Mei'er" had become even more valuable than before!
Chapter 18: Yun Xi's Potential
As a Royal Blood Golden Dog whose body had a special aroma, they were rare creatures above all rare creatures, the sweetest honey. Even princesses, princes, and dukes were not able to easily cast a look at them, not to mention owning one.
Originally, they were rare. The chance to breed such a special individual was even more outrageously low. There wouldn't be over five golden dogs that good in the entire Western God's Domains.
"Little Xi, where did you find this little dog?" The more she observed the little golden dog, the more unique characteristics Hua Huo found.
"Eh? In front of the door of my bread store. The little guy was hungry and ran in, so I gave it several pieces of bread crusts, then it got close to me."
"I think it's pitiful, so I decided to keep it." Yun Xi lied about Mei'er's story and nervously looked at Hua Huo.
What bad luck. Had Hua Huo found something?
Indeed. Mei'er wasn't a golden dog. She was a star spirit, an unique being. She was a million times more precious than any special breed golden dog.
"You fed it bread crusts?" Hua Huo wordlessly looked at Mei'er happily staying in Yun Xi's arms.
The princesses in the Western God's domains always dreamed of having a Royal Blood Golden Dog. If they knew what Yun Xi used to feed this little honey, they would scream loudly.
In the Western God's Domains, these golden dogs who had royal blood were also known as "Golden Fairy". They were fed precious milk cakes from their puppyhood. They would never put their feet in soil, for fear that the soil would dirty their beautiful golden fur.
The milk cakes were made from the best quality milk. These prideful golden princesses wouldn't take a look at any milky cakes lower than the 5th Rank.
No one knew the reason, but nobody saw any male dogs with the blood of a "Golden Fairy". They were all doggy princesses.
So, these little cuties had a nickname - Golden Princess.
Yun Xi was a 3rd-ranked baker. Even if he made desserts using the best ingredients and production method, presenting it to the real royal Golden Princesses, he would get nothing but their supercilious eyes.
The prideful Golden Fairies were really charming. No girl could escape from their charm after touching these Pokemon-like fantastic creatures.
In her childhood, Hua Huo once hugged such a Golden Fairy, so she knew pretty well that the one in Yun Xi's arms was of the highest grade.
If he sold this little guy - Mei'er - the fans of the Golden Fairy, the princesses of the Western God's Domains would definitely raise a ruckus.
"Look! It likes bread. It's not that hard to feed it." As Yun Xi didn't know that Hua Huo misunderstood Mei'er's identity, so he picked up bread crumbs beside his bed and put them in front of Mei'er.
*Munch* *Munch* Mei'er licked Yun Xi's hands... no, the bread crumbs, again and again, with a happy smile.
Now, she could stay with master, help master warm his bed and lick her master. What a happy life!
"Strange... it's not picky about food." As she looked at Mei'er happily licking the breadcrumbs, Hua Huo was confused about her judgment.
In the Western God's Domains, the Golden Princesses were more pampered than real princesses.
She never heard of any Golden Princesses that would be able to eat rough breadcrumbs with such a happy face.
Maybe she did make a mistake. This little golden dog just looks like a Golden Princess, but actually, it would grow up. Was it simply a cute, but common golden dog?
"Eh... Mei'er, come here. Let's shake hands!" Yun Xi asked Mei'er to sit down as she reached out her little paws.
As Yun Xi's personal star spirit, Mei'er had a special unspoken consensus with Yun Xi and didn't need any training.
Once Yun Xi said ‘shake hands’, she quietly sat down and stretched out her little paw, softly patting Yun Xi's small hand.
"Mei'er. She is Hua Huo, my childhood sweetheart, and the best sword arts genius." Yun Xi smiled, introducing his childhood sweetheart to his star spirit.
Mei'er put out her tongue and ran towards Hua Huo, then enthusiastically licked her palms.
"Good girl... well, she really doesn't look like a Golden Princess. What a cute little guy... maybe I made a mistake."
Looking at Mei'er's face, she then remembered the proud and reserved golden dog her childhood self tried to hug. Hua Huo had to admit that Yun Xi's Mei'er had a better character than those imperious Golden Princesses who would only let the princesses tirelessly follow them around.
Could be feed by bread crumbs, understood how to ‘shake hands’, and was fervent and active. Hua Huo knew no Golden Princesses that would act like this.
Yun Xi was really lucky to find this Golden Princess-like, cute and obedient little guy.
"Hua Huo, I also want to talk to you." Taking the chance when Hua Huo was still addicted to Mei'er's special ability "glamorous golden dog", Yun Xi launched an attack on his childhood sweetheart.
"What?" In the face of the combined cheat of Yun Xi and Mei'er, Hua Huo was a little unprepared. She had already forgotten her goal before she broke into the room.
"I want to learn sword skills from you."
That wasn't a lie, rather, a sincere desire of Yun Xi's.
After obtaining Hua Huo's seed, he became aware of the gap between him and the village's sword genius.
The gap was so deep that it appeared to have no bottom.
The more of the seed he understood from his childhood sweetheart, the more he would grasp Hua Huo's formidable strength.
She was the true genius of geniuses, born to be above all others. She would be a hero or someone who had a higher place in the world.
"Huh... you finally understand?" Hua Huo was not surprised, but rather, she had on a face of longing.
"I knew that one day you would be able to bring out your hidden potential."
"Yun Xi, you possess a special ability that no one can see."
"However, this ability is awfully strange and has been suppressing you. Now, at last, it has awakened?"
There was such a thing? Yun Xi was surprised to hear Hua Huo say that he had potential.
"Well, I'm absolutely not wrong!"
"Although you were incapable of bringing out your abilities and there were no traces of a seal, I knew that once you turned 18, you would amaze the world!"
Eighteen years old!
Yun Xi remembered that Hua Huo did remind him of this thing once.
At that time, Hua Huo said:
"Little Xi, don't lose your heart. You will become strong after you grow up."
"I'll be waiting for you, forever."
Chapter 19: Accelerated Seeds
With the ‘Closed for today’ sign hung up in front of his shop, Yun Xi was jogging while holding Mei'er in his bosom along with Hua Huo toward the river outside of the village.
"One... Two..."
"One... Two..."
"Yes, that's it. Maintain that breathing rhythm, adjust your pace. Excellent!" Hua Huo looked at Yun Xi who was running beside her with a rare happy expression on her face.
At this moment, Yun Xi was practicing the breathing method which she had been diligently trying to instill into him.
"This is all thanks to you" Yun Xi sincerely thanked his childhood sweetheart. Without this breathing method, it would have been impossible for him to win the deathmatch with the Green Hippo and do it with such a splendid performance.
Regarding her praise, Yun Xi was actually very ashamed.
The reason he could perfectly execute this breathing method was completely because he had a
bsorbed the memories of sword arts from Hua Huo's seed.
In other words, Hua Huo praise of his breathing method practice was in fact, a part of her body's instinct, which had been practiced by Hua Huo herself.
"I knew that sooner or later, you would find your own suitable cultivation method one day." The more Hua Huo looked at Yun Xi's footsteps and rhythm, the happier the smile was on her lips.
She could feel that at this time, Yun Xi and herself had a wonderful sense of connected feelings.
She stepped out with her left leg, Yun Xi also stepped out with his left leg.
She stepped out with her right foot, Yun Xi also stepped out with his right foot.
Obviously, it was not because they tied one of their legs together, but Yun Xi's rhythm and breath were almost exactly the same as her’s. Even if they were using the same secret breathing method, it shouldn't be the same
Could it be that this was the legendary soul synchronization, a perfect heavenly match?
"Haha..." Looking at Hua Huo's overjoyed expression, Yun Xi felt some kind of guilt.
However, at the same time, he also realized some strange signs.
Was this an illusion? Did running together with Hua Huo and synchronizing moves and breathing timing with her really make the seed absorption rate accelerate?
The answer to this question, after running together along the small river outside the village and practicing Hua Huo's sword technique at her secret training place, became even more obvious.
In the clear water stream, a few small fishes were leisurely swimming as the tinkling sounds of water accompanied the sounds of the breeze blowing through the trees. The small birds chirping made the early morning at the riverside brim with life and vitality.
"Come, Yun Xi. Try this sword first." Hua Huo threw the sword on her back to Yun Xi as she broke the nearby branch and palm-knifed the branch, cutting it several times to make a wooden sword stick that was the same length as her sword.
"OK." After receiving Hua Huo's seed, Yun Xi knew clearly about Hua Huo's great ability on sword arts better than anyone else. Let alone using this wooden sword stick, even if she was empty-handed, she would still be powerful.
Between the 1st Rank and 3rd Rank, even though the disparity was actually really big, at least it was still within the limits of the mortal body. So theoretically, skipping a rank to challenge the upper rank was feasible.
However, this didn't apply in Hua Huo's case.
The Quicksilver Steps, the comprehension towards many kinds of supreme sword arts and the Heavenly Flying Sky Sword (Beginner Level) were all Hua Huo's skill. These were the strongest skills a mortal warrior could have. Even Yun Xi thought that there couldn't be anyone else who had it.
"I'm coming!" Feeling the seed in his body becoming more active, Yun Xi then moved first to rush forward and attack Hua Huo.
Using his toes' strength and his soles to grip the ground, he rapidly moved. Resulting in the outbreak of fantastic speed in a flash, this was the most powerful instant movement technique in the Mortal Grade.
Flying Swallow Sword!
This was one of various sword arts mastered by Hua Huo, one of the most nimble and flexible sword arts that had three flying swallows' moves along with its speedy, but effective unique technique.
Yun Xi, at the time that he killed the hippo, he had fully utilized these three swords strikes at the last minute and these three Flying Sky Swallows moves were exactly what he was displaying now. It could be only be said that Hua Huo's was the main version of the Flying Sky Swallow sword arts.
The contraction movement, coupled with the Flying Sky Swallow sword arts, were battle skills Yun Xi had initially mastered from Hua Huo's seed.
However, compared to Hua Huo who had practiced the Flying Sky Swallow Sword arts to the near-perfect level, his perception of one tenth of Hua Huo's talent was only an abbreviated version.
As for Hua Huo's most powerful and most terrifying skill, the Godly Sword Skill- Heavenly Flying Sky Swallow (Beginner Level), Yun Xi was not even able to comprehend its threshold until now. He didn't even understand how the Mortal Ranked Hua Huo could grasp this unfathomable Hero Ranked sword technique.
"Flying Sky Swallow, great!" Seeing Yun Xi adeptly execute her sword skills, Hua Huo was pleasantly surprised.
Indeed, she obtained the Flying Sky Swallow sword art when she was still a 1st-ranked swordmaiden and it was her most practiced sword arts when she was in the 2nd Rank.
Nimble, yet sharp. Practicing it into the Great Perfection stage made it as strong as an antelope's horns and as invisibly fast as flying swallows.
Also, the Flying Sky Swallow sword art was the prerequisite for the Godly Sword Skill - the Heavenly Flying Sword. Only after one reached the Great Perfection stage in this Three Flying Swallows technique, was one able to change the Flying Swallow's motion trajectory at will and would then be able to practice the Heavenly Flying Sword.
When Yun Xi performed the Flying Sky Swallow sword art, he was already able to perform like she was at the 2nd Rank. He was only a step away from the 3rd Rank.
A sword light flashed and Hua Huo's wooden sword stick was sent out. Which impressively was also the same Flying Sky Swallow sword art.
She also suppressed her strength and speed to be equal to Yun Xi's and directed Yun Xi's practice.
The same swordsmanship, the same sensibility level. In an onlookers' view, Yun Xi and Hua Huo were just like two mirrors that were reflecting each other's postures.
Not only just the sword's strikes, but the strength, breathing, rhythm, and heartbeat were unbelievably alike.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
In the middle of the nimble and flexible sword lights, Yun Xi and Hua Huo were practicing as if they were one in mind and performed the Flying Swallow sword art's unique technique.
Flying Sky Swallow, First strike!
The sword's motion was almost alike with the Flying Sky Swallow transition moves in midair. It was dexterous, nimble and flexible. Even if it was a true swallow, it would perhaps be cut and fall by this sword instantly.
Almost in the same posture and angle, the two swords met.
Then, from an entirely different angle, the second sword's position suddenly reversed.
Flying Sky Swallow, Second strike!
Ordinary people would be almost unable to predict the angle of this sword's strike with the naked eye since this sword move had almost reached the Great Perfection level in swordsmanship.
Then, the final one, with faster speed and hidden moves carried along with a deadly strike.
Flying Sky Swallow, Third strike!
This sword move was not a horizontally cutting strike, but a counter move using the sword's edge. It was a concealed move that would strike horizontally twice after being hidden; a blitzkrieg backhand sword.
It struck without preparation and was virtually impossible to guard against, which was similar to a flying swallow's shadow. Should you see the flying swallow appear in front of you, it implied that you were almost at death's door.
*Swish!* The two swords abruptly stopped almost at the same time with the sword's edge almost touching each other's throat.
However, the one Hua Huo was facing was a real sword, while the one at Yun Xi's throat was only a blunt wooden sword stick.
"Yun Xi..."
"Hua Huo..."
The two sword's tip dropped together and then rised at the same time.
Sword's tip to sword's tip.
Eyes to eyes.
In this moment, Yun Xi felt that his heart and Hua Huo's were interlinked.
At this moment, Yun Xi finally realized something.
Hua Huo's seed in his body was accelerating and started to grow.
Chapter 20: Jealous Eyes
It was not an illusion. The seed was really growing rapidly.
Its pace of growth was ten times faster than usual. Yun Xi could even see its rapid growth with his eyes.
At the beginning when he just fi
nished the trial and woke up in his room, the completion of Hua Hup's seed was about 10%, which was quite fit to be the last reward of the Star Trial.
However, as he did three continuous attacks using the Flying Swallow just now while practicing with Hua Huo, the completion of the seed suddenly rose to 15%.
If it were via the normal method, he should have achieved this only after half a month.