“I think you’re going to like it.”
Luoyue said those words while a soft current of blue wind still circled around her body.
Longyu put away his notebook.
For now.
Blue Luan Douluo remained behind his granddaughter.
His expression was still calm, but Longyu had spent enough time observing him to notice the small difference.
He was proud.
Very proud.
“Medical check first,” Mu Qinghe said.
Luoyue nodded.
She did not complain.
Longyu felt a little jealous.
Jin Yue would have complained.
Renxue would probably have negotiated.
He…
Well.
Mu Qinghe had already learned to ignore him.
The Jade Spirit Lotus appeared above the Soul Sage’s palm.
A soft green light slowly covered Luoyue.
“Meridians stable.”
Lingyu stepped closer.
“Inflammation?”
“Mild.”
“Where?”
Mu Qinghe pointed to three areas.
Lingyu immediately took notes.
Longyu leaned over to look.
“The distribution seems more even than mine.”
Mu Qinghe looked at him.
“Do not turn her medical examination into your experiment.”
“It can be both.”
“Longyu.”
“I’m listening.”
Mu Qinghe sighed.
Blue Luan smiled.
The examination took nearly twenty minutes.
The result was good.
Considerable fatigue.
Mild inflammation.
No major injuries.
Nothing close to the stress Longyu had suffered while absorbing the Ruinclaw Dragon Lizard.
That mattered.
The ages of their rings were not radically different.
Yet the absorption experiences clearly were.
Longyu wrote:
Case 2: Qing Luoyue.
Blue Feather Gale Hawk.
Estimated Age: approximately 540–570 years.
Compatibility: very high.
Observed physical burden: lower than Case 1.
Then he stopped.
He did not want to write a conclusion too early.
He added:
Possible factors: slightly lower age, less violent energy nature, better circulatory compatibility, individual differences.
Variables not yet isolated.
Blue Luan looked over his shoulder.
“You write a lot just to say you don’t know.”
Longyu looked up.
“It is important to know exactly what I do not know.”
Blue Luan remained silent for a moment.
“That was actually a good answer.”
Once Mu Qinghe gave permission, they moved on to the part everyone had been waiting for.
The Soul Skill.
Luoyue walked toward an open area.
“I don’t know exactly what all of it does yet.”
Longyu immediately took out his notebook again.
Renxue looked at him.
“That didn’t last long.”
“What?”
“You put the notebook away for about eight minutes.”
“Nine.”
Renxue shook her head.
Luoyue closed her eyes.
Her Blue Luan appeared behind her.
The yellow ring rose.
Weng.
The wind changed.
Longyu first felt it around his legs.
Then around Luoyue.
The air seemed to wrap around her body.
The Blue Luan’s spiritual wings spread wide.
“First Soul Skill.”
Luoyue opened her eyes.
“Azure Wind Wings.”
The wind exploded.
Her body shot forward.
She did not fly.
Not exactly.
But for a moment…
Luoyue crossed more than ten meters before touching the ground again.
Immediately, she propelled herself forward once more.
This time she changed direction.
Left.
Right.
A turn.
Another.
Her body seemed much lighter.
Blue Luan watched carefully.
So did Longyu.
“Acceleration,” he murmured.
Lingyu added:
“Apparent weight reduction.”
“And control.”
Luoyue jumped.
The wind held her in the air longer than normal.
It was not true flight.
But it was close to a primitive form of aerial mobility.
She landed.
Her breathing was slightly faster.
Renxue smiled.
“Now I understand why you said we’d like it.”
Luoyue smiled too.
“So do I.”
Longyu began testing.
With permission.
After Mu Qinghe threatened to break his notebook if he exhausted Luoyue.
Speed without the Soul Skill.
Speed with it.
Directional changes.
Jump distance.
Air time.
Soul Power consumption.
Duration.
After several attempts, Longyu had an initial picture.
Azure Wind Wings did not provide true flight.
Not yet.
It significantly increased speed and acceleration.
Reduced the apparent effect of body weight during movement.
Improved maneuverability.
Allowed short aerial bursts.
And seemed to increase Luoyue’s sensitivity toward air currents.
That last part was the most interesting.
Longyu threw a small leaf toward her.
Luoyue closed her eyes.
She dodged it.
Renxue raised an eyebrow.
“Did she see it?”
“No.”
Luoyue opened her eyes.
“I felt it disturb the air.”
Blue Luan finally smiled openly.
“Good.”
Longyu wrote faster.
This was not simply speed.
It was the beginning of a form of aerial perception.
Exactly the kind of characteristic that could become extraordinarily valuable after several compatible Soul Rings.
Longyu looked at the Blue Luan behind Luoyue.
Its wings seemed slightly longer.
The outer feathers carried clearer lines.
Small changes.
But visible.
Second case.
Second observable modification.
Still not proof.
But it was no longer one.
That night, they camped near the mountain.
Renxue sat beside the fire.
Longyu reviewed his notes.
Luoyue organized information on the Soul Beasts they had encountered.
Lingyu prepared an infusion approved by Mu Qinghe.
Blue Luan watched the sky.
“We keep searching tomorrow,” Renxue said.
Longyu looked up.
“Yes.”
“Yesterday’s Sunhawk was good.”
“Yes.”
“But not good enough.”
Longyu thought.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You thought it.”
“I thought we could search for a few more days.”
“That means you think we can find something better.”
Longyu closed the notebook.
“Renxue.”
“What?”
“I don’t want you making the opposite mistake from most people.”
“What mistake?”
“Choosing a worse Soul Beast only because it is older.”
Longyu continued:
“Your body can endure more.
That is an advantage.
Not an obligation.”
Renxue looked into the fire.
“So if the best one we find is four hundred years old…”
“We take the four-hundred-year one.”
“Even if I can handle six hundred?”
“Yes.”
Renxue frowned slightly.
Not from disagreement.
From pride.
Longyu understood.
At six years old, they already competed in almost everything.
Soul Ring age could easily become another competition.
That was dangerous.
“We are not competing,” he said.
Jin Yue was not there, but he could almost hear her protesting from Spirit City.
Renxue smiled.
“Tell that to Jin Yue.”
“I plan to.
Many times.”
The next morning, they found something else.
Not a Radiant Sunhawk.
Something that was not even on the list.
Luoyue was the first to detect the flash among the mountains.
“There.”
Blue Luan raised his head.
His expression changed.
“Interesting.”
Longyu immediately paid attention.
If a century-old Titled Douluo said something was interesting, he wanted to know why.
A white figure descended onto a rocky formation.
A bird.
Larger than the Sunhawk.
White feathers.
Golden edges.
A crest that looked almost like a small crown.
Renxue stood up.
Her Six-Winged Seraph reacted.
Much more strongly than before.
Longyu felt the pressure of light.
“What is it?” he asked.
Blue Luan answered:
“Sacred Crown Eagle.”
Longyu searched his memory.
Nothing.
In the archives…
Very little.
Luoyue was already flipping through pages.
“It isn’t on our list.”
“Because it is rare,” Blue Luan said.
“Light attribute?”
“Light.
Purification.
And a minor sacred affinity.”
Longyu looked at Renxue.
She was already smiling.
“Don’t say anything.”
“I didn’t.”
“You’re thinking it.”
Longyu looked back at the eagle.
“This time, yes.”
The beast spread its wings.
The light emanating from it was different from the Sunhawk’s.
Less aggressive.
Purer.
Longyu felt slight pressure against his Destruction Coiling Dragon Staff even without manifesting it.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
“Age,” he said.
Blue Luan did not answer.
Luoyue watched carefully.
“Over five hundred.”
“Yes.”
“Six hundred?”
Blue Luan narrowed his eyes.
“Probably between five hundred eighty and six hundred thirty.”
Renxue looked at Longyu.
Longyu looked at Mu Qinghe.
The Soul Sage already understood.
“Possible,” he said.
One word.
But enough.
Renxue stepped forward.
The Sacred Crown Eagle opened its eyes.
Gold against gold.
Seraph against Soul Beast.
The luminous pressure increased.
Longyu slowly smiled.
Perhaps Renxue’s search had just become much more interesting.