Lingyu was next.
Not because Jin Yue agreed.
“Why her?”
“Because we found more reliable information on her candidates.”
“We can find reliable information on crocodiles.”
Golden Crocodile answered:
“We are.”
“You are literally Golden Crocodile Douluo!”
“And that is precisely why I know you should not choose the first one you see.”
Jin Yue crossed her arms.
Longyu patted her shoulder.
“Patience.”
“I’m going to hit you.”
“That will not make your Soul Ring arrive faster.”
“It will make me feel better.”
Longyu could not argue with that logic.
Lingyu’s selection had changed.
At first, Longyu preferred the Jadeheart Deer.
After studying more medical data, he was less certain.
The White Spirit Lotus Beast offered excellent purification.
But there was a problem.
It was an extremely rare plant-type Soul Beast.
Finding one of suitable age could take months.
The Verdant Vitality Deer possessed strong vitality, but lower compatibility with the Healing Angel’s sacred attribute.
The Jadeheart Deer remained the most balanced candidate.
Vitality.
Recovery.
Peaceful nature.
Affinity with life energy.
And according to several medical records, Soul Masters who absorbed rings from related species tended to obtain relatively stable healing-type Soul Skills.
Not guaranteed.
But favorable.
Lingyu, however, had a concern.
“I don’t want my first ability to only heal wounds.”
Longyu looked up.
“Why?”
“Healing someone after they are hurt is useful.”
She looked at her hands.
“But I want to do more.”
Longyu waited.
“I want to help before.”
Mu Qinghe, who was present, smiled.
“Prevention.”
Lingyu nodded.
“Healing.
Recovery.
Purification.
Strengthening.”
Longyu understood.
She did not want to simply repair damage.
She wanted to sustain the team.
That affected her future direction.
“Then the first ring does not need to do everything.”
Lingyu looked at him.
Longyu smiled.
“Qian Daoliu told me that with Renxue.
I suppose now it is my turn to repeat it.”
The group traveled to a forest east of Spirit City.
This time, Qianjun came with them.
Mu Qinghe as well.
And a man Longyu had seen several times in the Worship Hall but had barely spoken with.
Qian Mingzhao.
A member of a secondary branch of the Qian family.
An older relative of Lingyu.
Not a Worship.
Not a Titled Douluo either.
But a Level 84 Soul Douluo.
His Martial Soul was a Four-Winged Sacred Heron, specialized in support and purification.
Lingyu called him great-uncle.
Longyu immediately understood why he had been invited.
“Your grandfather asked me to come,” Mingzhao said.
Lingyu nodded.
Longyu did not ask further.
Lingyu’s family branch was something he still knew little about.
That could change with time.
They found traces of the Jadeheart Deer on the second day.
Lingyu was surprisingly good at tracking them.
Not by footprints.
By plants.
“It ate here.”
Longyu looked at a bush.
“How do you know?”
“These leaves were cut recently.”
“Many Soul Beasts eat plants.”
“Yes.”
Lingyu pointed toward another patch.
“But this is Silver Dew Grass.”
Longyu waited.
“It has calming properties and helps stabilize Soul Power circulation.”
Longyu looked at her.
“Jadeheart Deer prefer it?”
“According to three records, yes.”
Qian Mingzhao smiled.
“Correct.”
“You knew?”
“I hunted one before.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wanted to see if you knew.”
Longyu felt a strange familiarity.
All the Worship Hall elders seemed to enjoy doing that.
They found the herd that afternoon.
Seven.
Two adults.
Three juveniles.
Two of intermediate age.
They did not attack.
Lingyu observed.
So did Longyu.
The Jadeheart Deer were beautiful.
White-green fur.
Small jade patterns around the chest.
Short antlers on the older individuals.
One approached a juvenile with an injured leg.
Its chest glowed.
Green light.
The wound did not disappear.
But the bleeding stopped.
Lingyu’s eyes widened.
Longyu immediately looked toward Mu Qinghe.
The Soul Sage nodded.
“Vitality transfer.”
Lingyu was fascinated.
“It doesn’t only heal.”
Qian Mingzhao asked:
“What else?”
She observed.
“It stabilizes.”
Longyu smiled.
That was exactly what she had wanted.
The candidate was approximately 480 to 520 years old.
Younger than the other three rings.
Jin Yue would have complained.
Lingyu did not.
“Is it the best?” she asked.
Longyu answered:
“Of the ones we have found, I think so.”
“Then I do not care if it is younger.”
Longyu smiled.
“Good.”
Compatibility first.
Age second.
Someone was finally listening.
The hunt was different.
Lingyu was not a frontline fighter.
Qian Mingzhao isolated the target from the herd without harming the others.
Longyu helped prevent its escape.
Renxue used Sacred Light Spear for the first time in a real hunt, controlling its power so she would not kill it.
Luoyue used Azure Wind Wings to cut off escape routes.
Their coordination was much better than during the Ruinclaw hunt.
Not because they were much stronger.
Because two of them now had Soul Skills.
Longyu felt the difference immediately.
The group was growing.
When the final moment arrived, Lingyu approached.
The deer lay on the ground.
Breathing heavily.
Lingyu hesitated.
Longer than Renxue.
Longer than Luoyue.
Longyu said nothing.
She was a healer.
Killing would probably always be harder for her.
That was not weakness.
Finally, Lingyu placed a hand over the beast’s head.
“I’m sorry.”
She ended it quickly.
The absorption was the calmest so far.
Not easy.
But calm.
The Jadeheart Deer’s energy seemed to integrate with the Healing Angel with little resistance.
Longyu watched.
Lingyu did not suffer the same pain he had.
Nor Renxue’s pressure.
Her body seemed to accept the energy.
Mu Qinghe was fascinated.
“Exceptional compatibility.”
Longyu wrote.
Qian Mingzhao shook his head.
“Not only that.”
Longyu looked up.
“What else?”
“Her Martial Soul.”
He pointed toward Lingyu.
“The Healing Angel is doing what it does best.”
“Stabilizing itself?”
Longyu wrote more.
Another variable.
Forty minutes later…
the ring stabilized.
Lingyu opened her eyes.
Her Healing Angel appeared.
Two white wings.
Golden-green light.
The change was subtle.
A small jade mark had appeared at the center of its spiritual chest.
Longyu saw it.
Case four.
Fourth modification.
The pattern was becoming difficult to ignore.
But he still would not call it proof.
“Soul Skill,” Jin Yue said.
Everyone looked at her.
Longyu blinked.
“When did you get here?”
Golden Crocodile stood behind her.
“Ten minutes ago.”
Jin Yue had convinced her grandfather to follow them.
Of course she had.
Lingyu smiled.
Her first ring lit up.
Soft light appeared in her hands.
“First Soul Skill.”
The light spread over Longyu.
“Healing Light.”
Longyu felt warmth.
No pain.
The expedition’s fatigue eased slightly.
A small cut on his hand began to close.
Slowly.
Not instantly.
Lingyu frowned.
“I can feel where you are injured.”
Longyu raised an eyebrow.
“With the ability?”
“I think so.”
Mu Qinghe approached.
“Try it on me.”
After several experiments, they discovered that Healing Light did more than close wounds.
It accelerated recovery.
Stabilized circulation.
Reduced mild inflammation.
And allowed Lingyu to perceive, in a basic way, the physical condition of the person she was treating.
Not perfect diagnoses.
Not individual organs.
But she could sense where damage or imbalance existed.
Longyu looked at Lingyu.
She was smiling.
Not because of the power.
Because of the information.
“This will help with the research.”
Longyu began to laugh.
Renxue looked at him.
“Now there are two.”
“Two what?”
“Two people who would rather research their Soul Skills than show them off.”
Jin Yue raised a hand.
“I’m not going to be like that.”
Golden Crocodile spoke:
“First you need a Soul Ring.”
Jin Yue turned around.
“Exactly!”
Everyone began laughing.
Longyu looked toward Golden Crocodile.
The old man nodded.
“We found one.”
Jin Yue stopped laughing.
So did Longyu.
“What?”
Golden Crocodile smiled.
“An Earthscale Dragon Crocodile.”
Jin Yue looked ready to explode with excitement.
“Age?”
Golden Crocodile looked directly at Longyu.
“Approximately six hundred forty years.”
Silence.
Jin Yue slowly smiled.
“Longyu.”
Longyu sighed.
He knew exactly what was coming.
“Not a word.”
“My ring will be older than yours.”
“Compatibility first.”
“Older than yours.”
“Risk afterward.”
“Older.”
Longyu looked toward the sky.
He had definitely created a monster.
And she did not even have her first Soul Ring yet.