My little sect, which disappeared a thousand years ago, has become a sacred site!

Gu Changyuan put the teacup aside, stood up, walked to the girl, gently placed his right hand on her head, and once again probed her sea of ​​consciousness with his divine sense.

His sea of ​​consciousness at this moment is very different from when he left.

The girl's sea of ​​consciousness had expanded several times over, and was now clearly divided into two regions, each containing a cluster of divine souls.

One of the wisps of energy was still faint and dormant, which was the girl's original soul; the other wisp of energy was pure and stable, which was the new soul that had just communicated with him.

Gu Changyuan withdrew his divine sense, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"I see..."

He muttered to himself.

It is highly likely related to her chaotic astral nature and the severe damage her soul had previously suffered.

Under the immense pressure of her constitution activation, in order to prevent the old soul, burdened with too much trauma, from completely collapsing, her body or constitution instinctively adopted a protective mechanism.

The differentiation gives rise to a relatively "pure" new auxiliary soul, which temporarily takes over the body's control, while the old soul enters deep hibernation to repair itself.

Once the girl's strength has improved and her consciousness and body can fully withstand it, she can choose to awaken.

This newborn soul is like a blank sheet of paper at the most crucial moment of its birth.

The first person she "saw," perceived, and who provided her with immense help and unparalleled security was him—Gu Changyuan.

Furthermore, since Gu Changyuan's consciousness had previously entered the other party's sea of ​​consciousness, the initial understanding would be biased towards his memories.

Having figured this out, Gu Changyuan looked at the little girl in front of him, who was still standing with her arms outstretched and staring at him expectantly, and his feelings were extremely complicated.

Saving someone and picking up a disciple with a talent level of ten as a reserve, how did I suddenly become a father?!

Looking into the girl's pure, unadulterated starry eyes, Gu Changyuan remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

He knelt down on one knee, bringing his gaze level with the girl's, and asked gently:

Do you have a name?

The girl tilted her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her clear eyes, as if she was trying to understand the question.

She subconsciously searched through her newly reconstructed, still somewhat chaotic memories, and after a moment, shook her head in bewilderment.

"No...?"

Gu Changyuan pondered for a moment, looking at the faint starlight flickering in her eyes.

"Then I'll call you 'Xing'er. As for your surname, it'll be the same as mine. Gu Xing'er."

"Gu Xing'er..."

Gu Xing'er repeated the name, seemingly finding the syllables pleasant to hear, or perhaps she felt a sense of belonging and security from this new name.

The confusion in her eyes faded, replaced by pure joy, and a sweet smile curved her lips.

She had initially just opened her arms, but now she was waving her little hands up and down, her big eyes gazing longingly at Gu Changyuan, making no attempt to hide her desire for a hug.

Looking at her like this, Gu Changyuan sighed helplessly. In the end, he bent down and, with slightly stiff movements, gently hugged this suddenly appearing "daughter".

However, Gu Xing'er was clearly not satisfied.

Feeling Gu Changyuan's embrace, she immediately took advantage of the situation and climbed up using both hands and feet, wrapping her arms tightly around Gu Changyuan's neck, pressing her small face against the crook of his neck, and hanging her whole body on him.

Gu Changyuan's body stiffened, but fearing she might fall, he stood up and used his right arm to steadily support her little bottom, picking her up in his arms.

A handsome young man in his mid-twenties, dressed in a black robe, with a refined and aloof demeanor, held a delicate, barefoot eight-year-old girl in his arms...

Even Gu Changyuan himself felt that the scene was a little... strange.

It's rather strange to see a thousand-year-old young man holding an eight-year-old girl!

He suddenly thought of a more crucial question.

"By the way, Xing'er."

Gu Changyuan looked down at the little girl in his arms, who was rubbing her face against his clothes, and tried to correct her. "From now on, you should call me brother."

Suddenly having multiple "daughters" is quite a leap in identity, and he himself hasn't gotten used to it yet.

Moreover, it seems inappropriate for Xing'er to call him "Dad" once his soul has fully merged and his memories have returned.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xing'er raised her head, blinked her big eyes at Gu Changyuan, and seemed to be processing this new instruction.

Then, she nodded very seriously and replied crisply:

"Yes! Brother, Dad!"

"..."

Gu Changyuan's lips twitched uncontrollably. Looking at Xing'er's earnest expression that seemed to say, "I'm very obedient, aren't I?", he instantly gave up the idea of ​​continuing to correct her.

"Never mind, I'll just call him Dad."

......

At dinner time, the Su family delivered the spirit food on time.

Before the other party arrived, Gu Changyuan specially took out some ingredients that were not of high grade but had pure and mild spiritual energy, which were very suitable for young children to build up their foundation and strengthen their constitution. He gave them to the Su family steward so that they could prepare a special portion for Gu Xing'er.

Gu Xing'er's sudden appearance naturally aroused curiosity and speculation among the Su family, but they did not inquire about it.

There are some things that are safer to not know than to know; asking questions rashly will only displease your seniors.

Gu Xing'er was extremely clingy, and Gu Changyuan specially made a delicate little bed for her, but she refused to sleep in it even if it meant death.

Every night, I would sneak to Gu Changyuan's bed and curl up next to him to fall asleep peacefully.

He also discovered during his observations that Gu Xing'er's mind was not simply stuck in the stage of a young child.

As she spent more time with him and gained more exposure to the outside world, her cognitive, comprehension, and language abilities grew at an astonishing rate.

When she first appeared, her cognitive level was only that of a child a few months old, ignorant and dependent.

But in just two days, she was able to understand more complex instructions and express her wishes more clearly.

Gu Changyuan judged that at this rate of growth, it might not take more than a month for her cognition to truly match that of an eight-year-old child, and for her to possess relatively independent thinking abilities.

......

Time quickly passed to the afternoon before the "Heavenly Abyss Holy Scripture" at the Celestial Sacred Land.

The Su family's delegation, which had traveled to the sacred site to observe the ceremony and participate in the election, has finally returned to Fengling City.

The Su family's delegation to the Celestial Sacred Land was led by Su Tianhui, an inner disciple and Su Yunhao's second son.

He became a disciple of the Celestial Holy Land decades ago and is considered one of the best among his peers.

Upon returning to the Su family, Su Tianhui immediately heard the news that his fourth sister, Su Wanqing, had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage.

After Su Wanqing vividly recounted Gu Changyuan's deeds, Su Tianhui was filled with curiosity about this senior who could easily resolve inner demons and casually suppress a great thief in the Mahayana stage. He couldn't wait to see him in person.

Knowing that he would be setting off for the Celestial Sacred Land today, Gu Changyuan had prepared himself well in advance. Holding the barefoot and hopping Gu Xing'er in one hand, he slowly walked to the Su Family Square.