The first light of dawn had not yet touched the cobblestones of Soto City's southern gate when Arthev arrived. The air was cold and still. Behind him, the city murmured with the first hints of morning. He leaned against the damp gate wall, a quiet figure in the fading dark.
A few minutes later, soft footsteps approached. Ye Lingling came into view, veiled again, a dark cloak pulled around her robes. She carried a small pack and a wrapped bundle that looked like gear for the road.
"You're punctual," Arthev said, pushing off the wall.
"As are you," she answered, her breath pale in the cold air.
Without further discussion, they passed through the gate and onto the worn road leading south. The journey was a quiet one, filled with the growing sounds of the waking countryside and then, gradually, the deepening silence of wilderness. They spoke little, conserving their energy, their focus ahead.
By late morning, the air had warmed and the Star Dou Great Forest rose ahead of them. The trees formed a vast, dark line against the sky, old and crowded, humming with a pressure that felt alive.
They stopped where the road vanished under roots and thick brush. The forest air was different, heavy with the smell of wet soil and something older.
Arthev turned to Ye Lingling, his gaze sweeping from the dense forest back to her. "This is it. Once we step inside, stay close. Your job is to watch and listen. My job is everything else."
She nodded once, eyes on the shadows beneath the trees. "Understood."
"Then let us begin."
They stepped inside. The light faded, filtered by a dense canopy. Arthev's posture was now all focused vigilance. "Stay close," he said.
Ye Lingling nodded, her own resolve firm. I cannot die here. I must get my ring and rebuild my clan's glory.
But finding a thousand-year soul beast proved difficult. Even with low standards, she saw none. They wandered deeper, the path disappearing behind them.
Arthev observed strange, ghostly plants with detached interest, while Ye Lingling grew increasingly frustrated.
Suddenly, she pointed through a thicket. "That one looks like it's a thousand years old."
A seven-colored deer drank from a stream.
"How do you know?" Arthev asked, skeptical. "I don't think it is."
Ye Lingling's shoulders slumped. "I guessed..."
"Whoosh!"
Before Ye Lingling could speak, Arthev flicked his wrist and sent a wooden spike flying. The spike was imbedded with Soul power, sharpening it and giving it a tearing bite.
It struck the seven-colored deer in its side. The creature jerked, stumbled, and struggled to remain standing.
Arthev formed a single seal with his hands. "Sprout."
Instantly, a thicket of sharpened branches erupted from within the deer, tearing it apart from the inside. It collapsed, lifeless.
He let his hands fall.
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique."
"Let's go," Arthev said, already walking towards the carcass.
Ye Lingling stood frozen, the image of the deer's violent end seared behind her eyes. What… what did he just do? That was… brutal.
By the time she reached him, Arthev had already recalled the wooden thorns. A faint, yellow soul power drifted from the seven-colored deer's body the sign of a mere hundred-year soul beast. Even if it had been nine hundred years old, it was nowhere close to a thousand-year beast. The gap in their soul power and skills was not just in strength, but in what they could do.
Furthermore, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was notoriously unforgiving. It didn't matter if a soul ring was a hundred years old or nine hundred; if it wasn't the absolute best for one's spirit,even with the Nine Heart Begonia, you'd still become a laughingstock.
A faint yellow glow began to fuse, slowly forming the outline of a soul ring. The moment Arthev saw the color, he knew Ye Lingling's guess had been off. He gave a casual wave of his hand. "It's fine, let's keep looking. We're bound to find one that suits you!"
As they continued their trek, Ye Lingling's curiosity about Arthev's exact rank got the better of her. "By the way," she ventured, "what level have you actually reached?"
"Hmm." Arthev pondered for a moment. Simply telling her he was a Soul Elder might not convey the full picture, especially if she assumed he was a Soul Ancestor or higher. Sometimes, seeing was believing.
Arthev took a steadying breath. He activated his spirit, causing his Soul Power to surge outward.
Immediately, three soul rings manifested around his body.
The first soul ring appeared, a distinct, deep purple. It settled into orbit.
The second ring followed almost instantly, also a purple ring, identical to the first, taking its place just above it.
Finally, the third soul ring materialized. It was an unmistakable jet black.
The three rings,two purple, one black spun slowly around arthev signifying his rank and the power level of soul ring.
Ye Lingling's eyes widened, her jaw going slack. She took an involuntary step back, her voice a disbelieving whisper that quickly escalated into a shocked exclamation. "Th-that's impossible! A thousand-year first ring?! And a… a ten-thousand-year third ring?! How… how is that even possible?!"
Her mind was reeling. A thousand-year first ring? A ten-thousand-year third ring? That configuration was simply ridiculous, utterly defying the common sense and established limits of the spirit master world. Here she was, agonizing and searching desperately for a mere thousand-year ring for her third soul ring, and yet,here stood this boy, almost the same age, whose first ring was what she aspired to for her third! The sheer absurdity of it was enough to shatter her understanding of soul masters.
Witnessing her reaction,Arthev immdeiatle explain," yeah. I am a 3 ring soul master. So your guess that i am two Realm higher than that that soul master is an error from your prospective. As you can see the ring ,this is the reason."
"Let's not talk about me anymore," he said, deftly changing the subject. "What about you? Your soul power accumulation should have broken through level 30 by now, right?"
"Yeah," Ye Lingling nodded, studying Arthev's expression carefully. Reaching level 30 at fourteen was a feat that usually earned her looks of respect and admiration from anyone who heard it.
Arthev simply gave a casual nod. "Well, that's pretty good. I have a friend who's level 27 at twelve. And I'm about to be thirteen as well, but I'm at level 34."
"Twelve?!" Ye Lingling blurted out.
"But you're still a bit better," Arthev added, though his tone was matter-of-fact.
The comment did little to soothe the turmoil in Ye Lingling's heart. I'm the one who's two years older, she thought, a bitter taste in her mouth. Yet he's the one who looks more mature, and his power level is... monstrous.
For a moment, she felt utterly diminished, a flickering candle next to a bonfire. The confidence she had in her own talent, the identity she clung to, felt fragile.
Then, a spark of defiance ignited within her. She couldn't compete with his absurd soul rings, but she was not without her own legacy. She straightened her shoulders, and a note of pride, deliberate and firm, returned to her voice. "That's for sure. After all, I am the successor of the Nine-Heart Begonia."
As she spoke, a faint, elegant fragrance filled the air. A soft white light emanated from her body, and a magnificent pink-and-white begonia flower materialized over her chest. The precious, gentle radiance it emitted made Ye Lingling's delicate features appear exceptionally beautiful.
"Your spirit is truly beautiful," Arthev commented, his tone genuine but simple, devoid of the awe she was accustomed to.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Ye Lingling's heart. Has the legendary name of the Nine-Heart Begonia really fallen into such obscurity? With a sigh, she dismissed her spirit.
"Let's keep moving," she said, her voice slightly subdued.
"It's not that it isn't impressive," Arthev said, as if reading her thoughts. He began walking again, leading the way.
"It's that beauty and legend don't stop a claw to the throat. Power does. Your spirit's value isn't in its fame, it's in what it can do when it matters. And from what you've said, what it can do is save lives. That's a different kind of power altogether."
His words, though blunt, held a strange comfort. He wasn't dismissing her legacy; he was evaluating it by his own ruthless, practical standards. And by those standards, it had merit.
"Alright." Arthev just stretched, his sharp eyes suddenly catching a movement in the distance. A strangely soothing aura washed over him.
He looked up to see a soul beast of breathtaking elegance gliding towards them. It possessed the graceful lines of multiple noble birds, standing tall on slender, crane-like legs. Its plumage shimmered like liquid moonlight and polished silver, glowing softly even in the daylight, while its primary and tail feathers faded into a stunning, wind-kissed jade-green.
"It's a Heavenly Feathered Phoenix Crane!" Arthev exclaimed, his voice laced with excitement.
Judging by the potent aura radiating from the soul beast, it was clearly one of the finest among thousand-year soul beasts!
Most importantly, the gentle, healing nature of this soul beast could harmonize perfectly with Ye Lingling's own Nine-Heart Begonia.
To be continued.....