Song Qingxi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she grabbed the box with her name on it and eagerly tore it open.
Inside was a short sword made of jade, just over a foot long. The blade was a deep emerald green, with a thick spine and dull edges. A dark green tassel hung from the hilt, and the characters "Yu Hua" were carved into the blade in a bold, flowing script.
"This is a first-grade high-tier magical weapon that I forged myself the Yu Hua Sword. Do you like it?"
Song Changsheng asked confidently. The sword had been custom-made for her. She was bound to love it.
"I love it."
Hugging the short sword to her chest, Song Qingxi's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled sweetly.
Then, glancing at the other unopened box, her eyes lit up with mischief. Tilting her head up, she asked,
"Cold Blockhead is still facing the wall. Can I open his gift for him?"
"Cold Blockhead?"
Song Changsheng blinked, then instinctively looked over at Song Qingxing. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Honestly… the nickname suited him pretty well.
There are no wrong nicknames just perfectly fitting ones. And Song Qingxing did resemble a cold, expressionless block of wood.
Unaware of Song Changsheng's amused expression, Song Qingxi had already torn open the second box in a flash. She had expected to find a flying sword inside, but to her surprise, it was a black robe.
"Huh? Why is it a robe?"
She held up the robe, confusion on her little face.
"This is a first-grade high-tier Blackthread Robe. Wearing it grants resistance to fire and water, and it can withstand blade attacks. Its defense is excellent. Qingxing's offense is strong, but his defense is lacking. This fills that gap."
Song Changsheng carefully considered the needs of both children when choosing their gifts.
"Thank you, Little Uncle!"
Song Qingxi beamed gratefully, then happily ran to the cottage to store the two gifts. Moments later, she came dashing out again with a white jade jar in her hands.
She held the jar out to Song Changsheng, puffing up proudly,
"Your tea leaves!"
Song Changsheng blinked and opened the jar. Inside were eight tender green tea leaves, with a faint mist curling off them. The quality was a notch higher than the few leaves he still had left on him.
"These must be the fresh buds from the Mistveil Tea Tree after it advanced to first-grade supreme quality, right?"
He had noticed as soon as he arrived on the island that the Mistveil Tea Tree had ascended in rank but he hadn't expected this little girl to have harvested and saved the tea leaves for him.
"Yep! I picked them as soon as they sprouted!"
She said with a grin.
"Oh? Qingxi knows how to pick tea?"
Song Changsheng chuckled, ruffling her hair but in truth, he was quite surprised. Picking spiritual tea was a delicate skill. One wrong move and you could damage the leaves, lowering their quality.
He examined the jar again: every single leaf was pristine. He had assumed Elder Song Luhuai had done the harvesting. Never imagined it had been this little girl.
"Uncle underestimates me. I'm already a mid-tier first-grade Spiritual Botanist, you know!"
Song Qingxi lifted her chin proudly.
Song Changsheng suddenly understood. With her lively aura and eight-inch wood spiritual root, she was a perfect fit for spiritual planting.
"Alright, alright our Qingxi is the best!"
Song Changsheng laughed and gave her nose a playful flick. Then he handed the jar of tea leaves back to her and said,
"Keep this tea for you two to drink it'll do you good."
Since Song Qingxi was a spiritual planter, she naturally understood the value of Mistveil Tea. She didn't turn down the gift and happily accepted it with a bright smile.
Right after, she began pestering Song Changsheng to tell her a story an unspoken tradition between the two of them.
Having read plenty of storybooks and novels in his previous life, Song Changsheng decided to tell a magically altered version of "The Three Fights with the White Bone Demon."
He told the story with great enthusiasm, and Song Qingxi listened intently. Time passed without them realizing, and before long, the sun began to set. The orange-red glow reflected on the surface of the lake, casting a breathtaking scene.
"Oh no! The sun's already setting and I haven't watered the tree yet!"
Song Qingxi suddenly cried out and then rushed into the house in a panic to grab something.
"Water the tree?"
Song Changsheng was confused.
Song Qingxi walked over to a cluster of green plum trees and took out a jade bottle. She poured some clear liquid at the base of the tallest tree in the center.
Then she placed her small hand on the rough trunk, and a soft green glow radiated from her palm, filled with a vibrant, life-giving aura.
Song Changsheng watched, puzzled. He used to cultivate under that very plum tree, and while it had a trace of spiritual energy, it was nothing particularly special. What exactly was this girl doing?
Moments later, something that shocked him occurred. The tree started to sway without any wind, its branches and leaves moving with a kind of joy that seemed almost… human.
"Alright, alright, I know. I'll come earlier next time."
Song Qingxi spoke gently as if responding to the tree.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the tree stopped moving and returned to its usual stillness, as if nothing had happened.
Song Changsheng formed a sword finger and gently swiped across his right eye. A faint glow flickered, and a mysterious pattern emerged in his iris.
This was the secret technique of the Eye of True Sight, which he had comprehended from the Dao Scripture when he broke through to the peak of Qi Refinement. The technique caused subtle changes in his eyes when activated, so he rarely used it to avoid drawing attention. But now, he was extremely intrigued by this plum tree.
With the technique active, the world around him transformed drastically. The sky, earth, and cottage all turned to shades of gray and white.
However, Song Qingxi shone with a bright green hue, Song Qingxing glowed faintly blue, and the spiritual plants in the fields each revealed their distinct colors.
That was the wonder of the Eye of True Sight anything imbued with spiritual energy would appear in color, while mundane objects remained gray and white.
He turned his gaze to the green plum trees. Most had only a faint hint of green, indicating they contained only a small trace of spiritual energy.
But the one in front of Song Qingxi was completely different. A vivid green line could be seen running from its roots up its trunk to the canopy.
This meant the tree had accumulated a significant amount of spiritual energy and had the potential to shed its mortal form and become a true spiritual plant in the future.
Song Changsheng was astonished. He had cultivated under this tree every day, yet had never noticed anything unusual before.
"Qingxi, this tree… it seems to have developed some spiritual awareness?"
He deactivated the technique and walked over to the girl.
His instincts told him the tree's transformation was undoubtedly connected to Song Qingxi.
"You noticed too? It can even talk!"
She said excitedly.
"Talk?"
Song Changsheng was taken aback. That was a hallmark ability of a fourth-grade spiritual plant. This tree wasn't even at first grade yet how could it possibly speak?
"Mhm! Just put your hand on it and you'll feel it."
Song Qingxi nodded earnestly.
Still skeptical, Song Changsheng followed her instructions and placed his hand on the tree's trunk, focusing intently but he felt nothing.
"What's going on?"
He knew Song Qingxi wouldn't lie. She must truly be sensing something.
Looking back at her, a thought suddenly popped into his mind:
Could it be… this girl is different from the rest?
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