The watermelon slices were crescent-shaped.
The red flesh was soft and tender, with glistening juices dripping down, leaving small wet marks on the wooden table.
The girl watched with delight and carefully lifted one slice with both hands.
Just as she was about to take a bite, she suddenly thought of something.
She struggled to stand on her tiptoes, raising the watermelon slice higher and offering the flesh side to Xu Xi's mouth.
"Hehe, Brother, you eat first."
"Thank you, my adorable little Moli," Xu Xi said with a smile, taking a light bite.
It was sweet and delicious.
The texture was sandy, the juice was sweet, and the taste was refreshing.
Eating a slice of watermelon on a sweltering summer day brought a sense of redemption and joy that spread through the entire body.
The siblings each held a slice of watermelon.
They sat at the entrance of their home, eating while watching the passersby and the ancient tree rustling in the wind.
"Brother, when will Moli grow taller?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure about that."
"I really want to grow taller soon..."
The girl sat on the high wooden threshold, eating her watermelon.
The threshold was so tall that her legs couldn't reach the ground when she sat down.
So, her feet dangled up and down, swinging back and forth, each movement accompanied by the crisp sound of her eating.
One swing, one bite.
Back and forth.
Her toes drew gentle arcs in the air, and in that light, bird-like tranquility, time seemed to slow down.
Summer, the girl, and watermelon.
They combined in a peaceful and beautiful way.
At least Xu Xi thought so. The scene before him was indeed beautiful.
However, beautiful as it was, the necessary lessons still had to be given.
Xu Xi tapped the girl's forehead gently with the back of his hand: "Eat quietly, don't fidget around."
"Brother, you're so annoying!"
Xu Moli grumbled but obediently pulled her legs back and quietly continued eating her watermelon.
Soon, all the watermelon slices were gone, devoured by the siblings.
Xu Moli, being younger, couldn't eat much, so most of it was finished by Xu Xi.
Even so, the girl's belly was now round and full, and she lazily leaned against Xu Xi's back, mumbling: "I got like this because of you, Brother. You have to take responsibility and let me rest for a while."
The girl was probably really tired.
Her voice grew softer and softer.
After a while, Xu Xi heard faint snores coming from behind him.
"..."
"Being young is nice, you just fall asleep like that."
Xu Xi shook his head, carefully lifting the sleeping girl and carrying her slowly to the bed.
He placed her gently on the bedding, half-reclining.
The girl had eaten until her belly was round and full.
Xu Xi was worried about indigestion if she lay flat, so he used the bedding to prop her up slightly, allowing her to rest in a half-reclining position.
"What a troublesome child."
Xu Xi gave this assessment.
In front of him, the girl slept soundly, her breathing gentle and even, like a cute little beast, showing a completely defenseless, innocent, and adorable face.
Sunlight filtered through the window, not too strong, just enough to form a warm veil.
It fell gently on the edge of the bed.
Xu Xi watched for a long time, holding a fan in his hand, occasionally waving it to drive away the heat and annoying mosquitoes for the sleeping girl.
"This child... is she a bit too clingy to me?"
"By next year's disciple recruitment conference, I'll have to leave. If I don't take her with me, she'll probably cry and make a fuss for a long time."
Xu Xi clicked his tongue.
He seemed to imagine a rather amusing scene.
A smile played on his lips.
Originally, Xu Xi had planned to enter the cultivation sect alone during next year's disciple recruitment conference, but the girl was too clingy, and Xu Xi didn't trust leaving her with others.
Considering this, it would be better for both of them to leave together.
With the extraordinary talent of a Heaven-grade spiritual root, Xu Xi believed the cultivation sect wouldn't refuse his request.
...
【Time continued to flow】
【You quietly waited for the disciple recruitment conference to arrive and proposed to your sister that you both leave together. She agreed, thinking it was a cool thing to do, and that she only wanted to be with you】
【One month, two months, three months…】
【Time passed again for a year. This was your fifth year since crossing into the cultivation world, and a new disciple recruitment conference began】
【'Immortal beings' descended from the sky, some flying on swords, others riding airships, and together they activated a large-scale formation covering the entire city, used to identify the spiritual roots of mortals】
【Three-spiritual-root, four-spiritual-root, five-spiritual-root…】
As the formation was activated, people with spiritual roots in the city were quickly screened out. You were surprised to find that very few people had spiritual roots, and most of them were mediocre mixed spiritual roots.
【Suddenly!】
【You felt a surge of power breaking through your chest, and your Heaven-grade spiritual root was no longer concealed, revealing itself!】
【Sister Xu Moli was happy but also felt inferior, as she was a pure mortal with no spiritual root at all】
A year later in Blackstone City.
Within the spiritual root formation, a towering green light suddenly shot up, and the cultivators who had been calmly exchanging cultivation experiences were instantly shocked.
"This aura, could it be!"
"Sss, there's no mistake, it's a Heaven-grade wood spiritual root!"
"Hahaha, this child is destined for our Heavenly Sword Sect!"
Almost simultaneously, the so-called exalted cultivators in the eyes of mortals all revealed ecstatic expressions and simultaneously appeared in front of Xu Xi and his sister.
"Brother…"
"It's okay, let me handle this."
Holding the trembling little hand in fear, Xu Xi shielded his sister behind him and faced the cultivators alone.
Some tempted, some recruited, some offered benefits, and the scene suddenly became chaotic, like a bustling mortal marketplace.
In the end, Xu Xi chose the Heavenly Sword Sect as his final destination.
In terms of heritage, the Heavenly Sword Sect was the strongest among the sects present, with multiple Nascent Soul cultivators.
In terms of sincerity, the Heavenly Sword Sect's cultivators were the most genuine, promising that upon entry, Xu Xi would be a direct disciple, with a private cave residence and abundant cultivation resources.
And they allowed both siblings to leave together.
"Boy, have you thought it through?"
"Yes, Senior, I wish to join the Heavenly Sword Sect."
【The cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect were delighted with your choice and immediately took you and your sister away from Blackstone City, flying into the sky on a flying sword】
【You didn't know how long you flew or how fast】
【All you knew was that clouds flew past on either side, and the sun and moon revolved once in the sky before the flying sword finally slowed down and landed on a magnificent mountain range, which was the location of the Heavenly Sword Sect】
You and your sister were placed in a room and got a simple night's rest.
【When you woke up, the cultivator who brought you there hurriedly took you to the grand hall of the Heavenly Sword Sect, where many powerful cultivators rushed to take you as their disciple】
【After weighing the pros and cons, you decided to join Forest Sword Peak, related to your wood spiritual root, and became the direct disciple of the Nascent Soul elder, the master of Forest Sword Peak】