Holy Blood Angel, Take Flight

On the eighty-ninth day, Xu Sheng had been stuck at level twenty for several days.

His Soul Power could still accumulate, but without a Second Soul Ring, his level could not rise. At meals, he watched Mo Yifan fold away his Flame Eagle wings; between sword practice sessions, he could not resist looking up at the birds outside the courtyard.

He had wings too. He could use them to leap over ditches and ridges, and make short glides to change position, but he was still a long way from crossing an entire forest like Mo Yifan.

This time, no matter what, he had to gain the ability to fly!

After catching Xu Sheng staring at him twice, Mo Yifan finally asked, "Why do you keep looking at my wings?"

"To see how you fly. We're going to hunt for my Second Soul Ring tomorrow, so I'm trying to learn a little first."

"You should've said so! Once I finish eating, I'll fly a lap for you. Do you want to learn how to turn, or how to come down?"

"Both. Especially landing. I can't just fly up and then crash headfirst into the ground."

As they spoke, Ji Juechen came over with his sword. Xu Sheng stood up and set his bowl aside.

"I'll practice swordsmanship first. I'll find you again in a bit."

Ji Juechen was already level twenty-six. Seeing him eagerly pick up his steel sword, he asked, "We're leaving the city tomorrow, and you're still practicing today?"

"Yes, I'll just take it a little easier." Xu Sheng spread his wings. "From now on, I won't just be dodging on the ground. You'll have to change how you fight too."

"Then we'll try it once you get your second ring."

Ji Juechen thrust his sword forward, and Xu Sheng stepped back half a pace to meet it with his steel sword. The moment their weapons clashed, he put all other thoughts aside.

Xu Sheng beat his wings and sidestepped, drawing Ji Juechen toward the open ground.

They would fight on the ground today. Once he had his second ring tomorrow, he had to find out what it felt like to bring his sword down from above!

The next day, the group packed everything they needed and entered the Soul Hunting Forest in Barak with written authorization from the hall.

Shen Zhaolin led the group. Du Wenhe's leg had healed, so he came along too. Lu Song was thirteen, Ren Yu fourteen, and Mo Yifan fourteen. Once they entered the forest, the youngsters were much quieter than they had been in the courtyard.

They were looking for a Gale Eagle this time.

His first ring had already given him the light attribute and sharpness. What Xu Sheng wanted now was the mobility to make full use of his wings. No matter how sharp his sword was, it was useless if he could not catch his enemy.

When they reached a rocky slope in the forest, Du Wenhe crouched down, brushed aside the stiff feathers on the ground, and carefully examined the claw marks on the rocks.

"This should be the one the field team saw a few days ago. Judging by the body length they recorded, and these feather roots and claw marks, it's about seven hundred years old."

Xu Sheng looked up the rocky slope.

"Is its nest on this slope?"

"In that crevice up there. It often circles nearby when it hunts. Don't go up yet. If we startle it, it'll be hard to chase down."

Xu Sheng folded the map and gestured to the others.

They had practiced several times in the courtyard, using targets to lay out this rocky gully. They had already discussed where to place the shield and hide the vines. Now that they had seen the actual terrain, the youngsters exchanged glances and retreated into the forest.

Lu Song guarded the gully's exit, Ren Yu hid her Green Jade Vine beneath the dead leaves, Ji Juechen took his place beside the slope, and Mo Yifan went above to find a branch he could perch on.

Xu Sheng crouched behind a rock and glanced at Shen Zhaolin. Shen Zhaolin nodded to him and left the frontal position to them.

Shen Zhaolin hung a short rope with fresh meat tied to it in a low spot, then withdrew to the side and rear. Du Wenhe laid several bundles of tough vines among the rocks, leaving a gap where the eagle could land.

After a long wait, the sound of wings finally came from above the treetops.

A gray-blue shadow swept over the rocky slope. It did not land immediately, but circled around again.

Xu Sheng held his breath, his grip on his sword tightening slightly.

This eagle was even larger than the Golden Feather Falcon that had given him his first ring, and the rush of wind was much fiercer when its wingtips swept through the branches and leaves. If he could put that speed to use with his own wings...

The sound of wings suddenly drew close overhead, and he immediately fixed his eyes on the gray shadow.

The Gale Eagle came around for a third time and finally dived toward the fresh meat.

Ren Yu's first yellow ring lit up. The vine beneath the dead leaves snapped taut and wound around one of its feet.

The Gale Eagle abruptly turned its wings and yanked with its talons, snapping two strands of vine at once.

"Mo Yifan, block it from above!"

Mo Yifan spread his wings on the branch, and a fiery feather fell toward the space above the Gale Eagle, forcing it toward the rocky gully.

Lu Song raised his shield. The eagle's talons struck its edge, pushing him back two steps in succession. His yellow ring lit up, and he angled his shield, using the force to guide the eagle toward the side of the slope.

Xu Sheng immediately leaped out from beside the shield.

A crimson-gold sword beam went straight for the base of its wing. The Gale Eagle beat its wings fiercely, sending a current of air and swirling leaves rushing at him, but he had already pulled back his sword and used his wings to glide diagonally toward a rock.

The eagle turned with the movement, only to face the iron sword Ji Juechen swung in to intercept it.

His second Yellow Soul Ring lit up. Taking advantage of the boost to his Soul Power, Ji Juechen gripped his sword in both hands and pressed down, blocking the left wing the eagle was about to spread and forcing it lower.

The tough vines Du Wenhe had left among the rocks snapped taut, winding around the bases of its talons.

After that sequence, the Gale Eagle had failed to take flight again.

Standing in the tree, Mo Yifan was so excited he nearly cried out. But at that moment, the eagle twisted violently and braced its left talon against a rock, about to tear the bundle of vines apart.

Heavy stone armor covered Shen Zhaolin's arms. He rushed in from the side and rear, seized the eagle's wing, and flipped it back into the gully!

"White Wings!" Lu Song braced his shield outward, opening up the last half-step of space.

Xu Sheng was already there.

The Gale Eagle pecked at him, but his steel sword slid past the side of its beak first. Crimson Holy Judgment blazed beneath its neck.

The blade sank into soft feathers.

He gripped the hilt with both hands and used the force of his forward charge to drive it deeper.

The Gale Eagle struggled violently, its wings sending a great sheet of dead leaves flying. Xu Sheng braced both feet against the loose stones and put all his remaining strength behind the sword.

When that pair of wings finally drooped, a yellow Soul Ring slowly rose.

He had done it!

Xu Sheng withdrew his sword and looked at the Soul Ring before him. His chest was still heaving, but a smile had already appeared on his face.

Ren Yu released her vine and leaned against a tree trunk, letting out a long breath.

"It snapped two strands with one pull. I thought we weren't going to be able to stop it."

"You did stop it." Lu Song turned his shield around and pointed it out to her. "If you hadn't caught its foot, that would've hit my arm."

Mo Yifan jumped down from the branch and landed beside Lu Song, first lowering his head to look at the eagle's wings.

"It was so big, and we really held it down!"

Xu Sheng wiped the blood from his sword and pointed toward Shen Zhaolin.

"Big Brother Shen helped with that last part."

Shen Zhaolin withdrew his stone armor and brushed the bits of feather from his cuffs.

"You youngsters linked everything together well. You saved me a lot of trouble."

Mo Yifan broke into a grin. Xu Sheng was pleased to hear it too, and raised his hand to bump fists with Lu Song.

The others still wanted to come closer and examine the Soul Ring, but Du Wenhe had already called for Xu Sheng to sit down.

"Steady your breathing first. Don't rush to draw in the ring. We'll be right beside you, so speak up if anything feels wrong."

Xu Sheng nodded and sat down beneath the rocky slope. The others withdrew to keep watch around him. Once his breathing had steadied, he gathered his Soul Power and drew the Soul Ring before him.

The energy left by the Gale Eagle was unlike that of the first ring, which had only made him feel sharpness. As soon as it entered his body, it was as though wind were battering his shoulders and back.

Xu Sheng's wings spread on their own, their feathers trembling in waves, while the bases of his wings grew hotter and hotter.

Gritting his teeth, he guided his Soul Power back along its usual meditation route. That force surged fiercely several times, and each time he brought it under control again. Crimson-gold patterns lit up along his wings, then slowly drew together, and his body gradually steadied.

Time passed, and the Soul Ring finally settled into place.

Xu Sheng opened his eyes and looked down to see two circles of yellow light.

Level twenty-one!

He raised a hand, feeling the Soul Power inside him, far fuller than before. He could not keep the corners of his mouth from turning up.

Ji Juechen was still standing beside the tree. Seeing him wake, he handed him a water flask.

"Have some water first. The feathers on your shoulders kept trembling just now. I thought something had gone wrong."

"It really was uncomfortable then, but I'm fine now." Xu Sheng took a large drink before asking, "Have you been standing guard here the whole time?"

"Lu Song and I switched once. Leader Shen said not to call you, and to wait for you to wake on your own."

Xu Sheng turned to look. Lu Song was walking over from the other side, and Mo Yifan had also folded his wings and landed on the slope.

"Perfect, everyone's here." He put the flask away and stood up. "Come see my second Soul Skill!"

His second yellow ring lit up.

Firmament Holy Wings!

Air currents suddenly gathered between his wings. With a single beat, he left the ground. This time, he did not just leap forward a short distance. His wings kept beating, and the rocks and bushes below him receded farther and farther away.

He was flying!

Xu Sheng soared over the treetops and looked down at the others below, unable to keep from laughing aloud.

"Mo Yifan, come up here! From now on, when we go out, I can fly the whole way with you too!"

Mo Yifan had been waiting for those words. He spread his Flame Eagle wings and immediately flew up after him.

One white and one red, the two figures swept over the rocky slope.

Xu Sheng tried tilting his wings. The air currents between them supported his body, and he turned lightly around a treetop. There were no more scattered rocks or broken trees underfoot to go around. A route that had taken quite a while to walk could now be seen to the end with a few beats of his wings.

He laughed even louder.

"Yifan, this way!"

Mo Yifan followed him, but just as he rounded the treetop, the white figure ahead had already climbed higher. He beat his wings twice more and could not help shouting:

"Wait for me! You just got into the air and you're already shooting ahead. How am I supposed to keep up?"

Below, Lu Song looked up with a hand across his forehead.

"He's finally gotten his wish."

Ren Yu was still gathering the vines from the ground. Hearing him, she looked up just in time to see Xu Sheng waving to them from the air.

She raised a hand and waved back, the corners of her mouth curving upward.

Xu Sheng turned in midair and saw Ji Juechen still standing beside the rocky slope, his hand already gripping his sword hilt.

"Ji Juechen, come take a strike from me!"

Hearing him, Ji Juechen immediately walked to the center of the clearing.

Xu Sheng adjusted his wings and dived down along the rocky slope.

Wind swept past his ears as his second Soul Skill propelled him faster. While he was still several steps away from Ji Juechen, his first Yellow Soul Ring lit up, and crimson-gold light climbed all the way up his blade!

Both yellow rings shone at once.

Ji Juechen saw the sword light, and the hand gripping his sword sank slightly. His First Soul Ring lit up immediately afterward.

Clang!

The two swords collided. Ji Juechen stepped outward, his foot sending loose earth flipping away. Xu Sheng used the recoil to glide sideways and landed on both feet. By the time he turned around, his steel sword was already pointing forward again.

Before Xu Sheng could follow up, Ji Juechen raised a hand.

He lowered his head and glanced at the fresh white mark on his blade.

"This sword needs replacing."

Xu Sheng froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Replace it! We'll replace it as soon as we get back!"

Shen Zhaolin walked over from the side and first asked how much Soul Power he had left. Xu Sheng tried circulating it, then folded his wings away.

"About enough for two more attempts. I still need to save some for landing."

"You only exchanged one strike just now. That doesn't show the whole picture." Shen Zhaolin pointed to the clearing beside the rocky slope. "Once you've rested enough, try following up after you land too. I'll keep watch for you."

Xu Sheng had been thinking the same thing. He handed the flask to Ji Juechen, then found a place to sit and regulate his breathing.

Mo Yifan landed beside him. Before he had even folded his wings, he asked how Xu Sheng had accelerated just now.

Xu Sheng reached out and tapped his Second Soul Ring.

"Want to learn?"

Mo Yifan understood at once. He looked down at his own ring and sighed.

"Fine, I'll get to level twenty first."

Xu Sheng leaned happily against a tree, letting the circle of yellow light slowly revolve around him. Only when Ji Juechen called him did he get up again.

The second time, sword light fell from midair, then flashed again beside Ji Juechen.

This time, neither of the two beside the rocky slope was in a hurry to put away his sword.

On their return to the city, Du Wenhe added the estimated age, the Soul Ring's attributes, and the details of the test flight to the record. He also checked the condition of Xu Sheng's shoulders and back.

Two lines were added to Xu Sheng's file. Du Wenhe sealed it together with the field records from the past three months and sent it to the upper hall. This time, the upper hall forwarded it to Spirit City.

Xu Sheng did not stay around waiting for news.

Upon returning to the training courtyard, he had Lu Song set up two wooden targets. He took off from low down, turned in midair, and used the acceleration from Firmament Holy Wings' dive to charge in front of the targets.

Crimson Holy Judgment lit up only at the last moment, and his blade slashed through the wooden target. He landed, stepped forward, and came to a steady stop.

Behind him, Mo Yifan also leaped into the air, fiery feathers falling in front of the other target. Ren Yu's vine had already stopped the flying chunks of wood for Lu Song.

The wood chips settled, and the group remained at their respective positions. Xu Sheng looked back at the two wooden targets and put away his sword in satisfaction.

The wooden sign by the door that read "Holy Blood Angel" really did look better the more he looked at it!

A few days later, Shen Zhaolin brought a formal letter.

Spirit City required Xu Sheng to bring the information on his Martial Soul and Soul Rings and report there for a review and an assessment for further training.

"The records of both your ring hunts were sent over, along with the field report from the trip to the stone quarry." Shen Zhaolin handed him the letter. "When you reach Spirit City, report to the place given in the letter. How far they can arrange things will still depend on seeing your Martial Soul in person."

Xu Sheng read the letter twice and examined the seal on it before raising his head.

"Leader, when do I leave?"

"First get all the documents ready, and pack what you'll need on the road. Come see me again before you leave. I still have a few things to tell you."

"All right!"

After answering, Xu Sheng still did not hurry to put the letter away. He pointed to the line on it and held it up for everyone to see.

Spirit City!

When he had first arrived in Soto, he had still needed to ask at the hall's entrance whether they were taking people. Now, the letter from above had named him and told him to go there!

Mo Yifan came over and read it twice. He was envious at first, but then asked, "What about our courtyard? Once you leave, are we still going to train?"

Xu Sheng turned to look at Shen Zhaolin.

"Leader, can my team come with me?"

Shen Zhaolin looked at the faces all turned toward him.

"The letter only transfers you. If the others want to go, I'll submit a separate request for them to accompany you. First, make sure the duties here in Soto are properly handed over."

Xu Sheng immediately turned back. "You heard that? Anyone willing to go, come over. Let's look at the route together!"

Ren Yu spread out the map first, and Lu Song held down the edges for her. Mo Yifan squeezed in beside them and reached for Spirit City. After searching for ages, he realized it was still on the folded page.

"That far?"

"So what if it's far? They invited us. Are we really going to complain about the journey?"

Xu Sheng unfolded that page and pressed his finger firmly on Spirit City.

Ji Juechen came over too, his gaze falling on the map, but he asked about something else.

"How many sword users are there?"

Xu Sheng looked at him and grinned.

"Enough to keep you fighting!"

Ji Juechen nodded, set his sword beside the table, and began packing his belongings.

Xu Sheng folded the letter and tucked it away close to his body, then took the wooden sign down from beside the door and hefted it.

Holy Blood Angel.

He'd bring the people and the sign, and once they reached Spirit City, he'd find an even bigger place to hang it!