Zhu Ziyang emerged from the Yin Spring with his soul spirits, landing on the shore.
Qian Lingyi, who had long since awakened, immediately rushed to him, her eyes brimming with worry.
"Brother Yang, where did you go for so long? It's been seven whole days!"
"Seven days already?" Zhu Ziyang was taken aback. He hadn't expected the fusion with the Ice Dragon King's torso bone to take an entire week.
"Yes!" Qian Lingyi wanted to bombard him with countless questions, but noticing the lingering haze of confusion on his face, she held back.
"Master!" Kou Marco and Roger approached, bowing respectfully.
"You've worked hard. Go and rest," Zhu Ziyang said warmly. With a wave of his hand, a portal opened, and without hesitation, the two Light-element powerhouses stepped through and disappeared.
"Hey! Zhu Ziyang, where's Bingbing? What did you do to her?!" From within the spring, Liehuo Xingjiaoshu's voice rang out, tinged with both anger and anxiety.
"Jiaojiao, I'm here!" Zhu Ziyang didn't answer directly. Instead, it was Lu'er—the transformed Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass—who spoke, addressing Xingjiaoshu's worry.
"You… you're Bingbing?" Liehuo Xingjiaoshu's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the young flower fairy dressed in a blue-white gown. Her voice trembled with shock.
"She's the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass? How could she become like this?" Qian Lingyi also examined Lu'er curiously, then turned her gaze to Snow Empress, Ice Empress, and Second Frost, her face filled with speculation. "Could this be what Brother Yang meant by 'soul spirits'?"
"Yes," Lu'er nodded, smiling. "I've already signed a soul spirit contract with Master. From now on, I am his soul spirit. And… my name is Lu'er."
"Lu'er?" Liehuo Xingjiaoshu found it difficult to accept. She had originally asked the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass to stop Zhu Ziyang from entering the spring's depths. Yet not only had he done nothing harmful, somehow the grass had become his soul spirit! Still… thinking of Zhu Ziyang's second martial soul, she couldn't deny that Bingbing suited him perfectly. A strange mix of envy and jealousy welled in her chest.
"Congratulations, Lu'er," Xingjiaoshu finally said sincerely. "You can finally leave this prison!"
"Mhm!" Lu'er smiled brightly. "And Jiaojiao, I believe it won't be long before you leave this cage as well! That girl named Yiyi—you like her, don't you?"
"Hehe, yes! Yiyi really surprised me!" Xingjiaoshu replied excitedly.
"Oh? Yiyi, what about you? How was your harvest?" Zhu Ziyang, now adjusted to the lost time, turned to Qian Lingyi with interest. "Did your fire attribute awaken?"
"Of course!" Qian Lingyi giggled with delight. "Watch!"
She summoned her martial soul. The Angel Spirit descended, and a pair of pure white angel wings unfolded from her back. Then, another pair unfurled beneath them. The only difference was that the upper pair's feathers were tinged with gold, while the lower pair's were edged in red—light and fire.
"This is your second pair of angel wings?" Zhu Ziyang asked, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Mhm!" Qian Lingyi lifted her chin proudly. "My martial soul has now become the Sacred Flame Angel, a branch of the Four-Winged Sacred Angel! And my soul power has also reached Rank 65—I advanced three whole levels!"
"Not bad at all," Zhu Ziyang said with approval. "Since you now have a second pair of wings, does that mean when you reach Soul Sage, you might grow a third pair? Or will they only appear once you reach Titled Douluo?"
"That…" Qian Lingyi's brows furrowed, her small face showing uncertainty. "I don't know."
"No need to worry," Zhu Ziyang reassured her. "When you reach Soul Sage, the answer will reveal itself."
"Mhm! I'll find out soon enough!" Qian Lingyi said with determination.
"Zhu Ziyang, are you leaving now?" Xingjiaoshu called out, seeing that their conversation had ended.
"Yes," Zhu Ziyang nodded. "Don't worry. Next time I return, you may well be free of this prison of the Yin-Yang Icefire Well."
"I believe in you—and in Yiyi," Xingjiaoshu said firmly. "Lu'er, don't worry, I'll explain everything to Youyou."
"Thank you, Jiaojiao!" Lu'er smiled sweetly. "But how do you plan to explain? Last time, because of Kuikui, Youyou was furious."
"It's fine. I've already decided. I'll confront her openly with Chacha and the others," Xingjiaoshu said, her voice steady with resolve. "If she wants to stay here serving him, that's her choice. But if we want to leave, that is our right. We'll no longer interfere with one another!"
"That's right," Lu'er agreed, nodding firmly. "In that case, I'll go first. See you later!"
"Goodbye," Xingjiaoshu said solemnly.
Lu'er returned to Zhu Ziyang's side, then slipped into his brow, entering his spiritual sea.
With everything settled, Zhu Ziyang wrapped his arm around Qian Lingyi's slender waist. With a thought, space rippled, and the two vanished, reappearing outside the Yin-Yang Icefire Well.
"Chacha, wake up!" Xingjiaoshu called out as soon as they were gone, beginning her preparations for the confrontation. She started by awakening the Moon Laurel Fairy Tea…
Outside the Icefire Well, Zhu Ziyang and Qian Lingyi did not linger. They soared northward, leaving the Sunset Forest behind and making for the Extreme North.
"Brother Yang, can you finally tell me what a soul spirit is?" After traveling dozens of miles, Qian Lingyi could no longer hold back.
Her face was full of dissatisfaction and grievance. She had expected him to explain long ago, but even after so much time alone together, he hadn't said a word.
"Hahaha! I thought you'd hold out longer!" Zhu Ziyang chuckled. Seeing her pout—her lips jutting out as though she could hang a bottle from them—he couldn't resist reaching out to pinch her cheek. "Alright, I won't tease you. I'll tell you now."
"That's better!" The girl's mood shifted instantly. Smiling, she hugged his arm. "Go on, tell me!"
So Zhu Ziyang explained the concept of soul spirits, their origin, and their purpose. Finally, he concluded, "That's how it is."
"Unbelievable!" Qian Lingyi was stunned, her delicate face filled with awe. "Brother Yang, you're too incredible! You actually created something so miraculous! So… when I reach seven rings, I can turn Liehuo Xingjiaoshu into my soul spirit and gain a hundred-thousand-year ring?"
"Exactly," Zhu Ziyang nodded. "In theory, any Soul Emperor with a sixth ring over twenty-thousand years can choose a hundred-thousand-year soul beast as their soul spirit at the seventh ring. You're very lucky—you'll become the second or third person to enjoy this privilege."
"Second or third?" Qian Lingyi tilted her head, smiling slyly. "So who was first? Jiang Nannan?"
"No," Zhu Ziyang shook his head. "The first was a senior sister from the Inner Court. She's traveling the continent now—you wouldn't know her. As for Nannan, she's like you, a Soul Emperor, but I think she'll reach Soul Sage before you."
As he spoke, thoughts of Jiang Nannan surfaced, filling him with longing and curiosity. How far had she progressed in her Taiyin Nine Trials? Nearly a year had passed—she should have completed the first three by now.
"So you're saying I can't compare to Jiang Nannan?" Qian Lingyi's lips twisted in a pout, jealousy flashing in her eyes. "Just you wait—I'll be the second!"
"Hahaha, then I'll wait and see!" Zhu Ziyang laughed, amused by her jealous determination.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 early chapters available on Patreon: [email protected]/facficmax10