A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in Human Form, a Peerless Beauty! Yinxing!

Inside the Sea God Pavilion, the light gradually faded.

Bai Lan stood where he was, the two Soul Rings—one black and one red—pulsing slowly around his body, radiating a suffocating pressure.

Black, thirty thousand years.

Red, one hundred thousand years.

A two-ring Soul Venerable; such a ring configuration was enough to make any Title Douluo take notice.

Yet, there was not much joy on his face.

"One hundred thousand years..." He looked down at his hands and muttered, "As expected, it isn't five hundred thousand years."

Elder Mu, who had been walking toward the door, paused and turned back.

"Disappointed?"

Bai Lan looked up, meeting those deep, profound eyes.

He thought for a moment and nodded honestly, "A little."

Elder Mu smiled.

There was no mockery in that smile, only the seasoned wisdom of someone who had seen through the ways of the world.

"Kid, do you know what one hundred thousand years signifies?"

Bai Lan was stunned for a moment.

Elder Mu walked back and stood still in front of him.

"A one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast has already transcended the category of ordinary Soul Beasts," he said slowly. "They possess intelligence no lower than that of a human, can transform into human form, and can even cultivate to become gods."

"If your Void Butterfly Empress were willing, she could stand before you as a great beauty right now."

Bei Bei and the other two widened their eyes in unison.

"Trans... transformation?" Tang Ya asked, stuttering.

Elder Mu nodded, "It is the signature ability of a one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. However, since it chose to remain your Contract Beast, it means it acknowledges you."

Bai Lan turned to look at the Void Butterfly Empress.

The silver-white butterfly hovered in mid-air, its wings trembling slightly as if responding to Elder Mu's words.

"As for five hundred thousand years..." Elder Mu continued, "That falls into the category of Fierce Beasts. Existences on the level of Di Tian or the Snow Empress can be counted on one hand across the entire continent."

He looked at Bai Lan, his gaze deep:

"You are six years old, level thirty, and possess a thirty-thousand-year Tiangang Bamboo and a one-hundred-thousand-year Void Butterfly Empress."

"Do you know what this means?"

Bai Lan was silent for a second, then said, "It means I'm very strong?"

Bei Bei and the others nearly choked.

Elder Mu was also amused.

"Strong?" He shook his head. "Not strong; it's absurd."

He turned around, facing away from Bai Lan, and looked out the window.

"I have lived for over a hundred years and have seen countless geniuses. Some had innate full Soul Power, some had twin Martial Souls, some were Soul Venerables at ten, and some were Soul Saints at twenty."

"But never has there been anyone who, at the age of six, possessed a one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring."

He turned back to look at Bai Lan:

"You are the first."

Bai Lan did not speak.

Because there was still someone even more absurd than him who hadn't appeared yet.

That person was Huo Yuhao.

That guy's first Soul Ring was at the one-million-year level.

Even though it was sealed to only ten years.

It was still a genuine one-million-year first Soul Ring.

Compared to that guy, he still wasn't quite there.

But according to the evolution and improvement of the Contract Book.

It wouldn't take him too long to surpass Huo Yuhao.

And his Soul Ring abilities, or even his Contract Beast abilities, were certainly more powerful than that guy Tianmeng Iceworm, who relied purely on eating to reach his level.

Elder Mu walked back to him and reached out to pat his shoulder.

"So, don't be disappointed."

"One hundred thousand years is not the finish line."

"It is the starting point."

Bai Lan was taken aback for a moment.

Then, he smiled.

"Understood."

Elder Mu nodded, turned, and walked toward the door.

This time, he did not linger.

Yan Shaozhe walked over, looked at Bai Lan, and hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

In the end, he only said: "Rest well, I'll take you to that place tomorrow."

Then he followed Elder Mu and left.

Only Bai Lan, Bei Bei, and the others remained in the pavilion.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Then, Tang Ya was the first to break the silence:

"Um... Bai Lan."

Bai Lan looked at her.

Tang Ya pointed at the Void Butterfly Empress and asked cautiously: "Can it really turn into a human now?"

The wings of the Void Butterfly Empress trembled slightly.

The next second, silver light flickered.

A young girl of about twelve or thirteen appeared before everyone.

Her long, silver-white hair cascaded to her waist, her eyes were like the deep starry sky, her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, and she wore a silver dress embroidered with butterfly patterns at the hem.

She was a peerless beauty.

She stood there quietly, looking at Tang Ya with an expressionless face.

Tang Ya's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

Bei Bei stood frozen in place.

Xu Sanshi's jaw nearly hit the floor.

Bai Lan was also stunned.

"You..." He opened his mouth.

The girl turned to look at him and bowed slightly: "Master."

Her voice was cold and clear, like a mountain spring.

Bai Lan took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

"You... can speak?"

The girl nodded: "A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast possesses complete intelligence and the ability to speak; I simply did not wish to before."

Bai Lan was silent for a second.

"Then why do you wish to speak now?"

The girl glanced at Tang Ya: "Because she asked."

Tang Ya: "...???"

The girl withdrew her gaze and looked back at Bai Lan:

"Does Master have any instructions?"

Bai Lan thought for a moment and asked: "What is your name?"

The girl was taken aback.

Then, she lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.

"...None."

"I do not have a name."

"From the moment I was born until now, I have always been alone."

"Master, please give me one."

She said, a trace of emotion appearing in her voice for the first time.

She raised her head and looked at Bai Lan.

The pavilion fell into a brief silence.

Bai Lan looked into her deep eyes and suddenly understood something.

She had always lived alone in that isolated Illusion Valley.

Without kin.

Without companions.

No name.

Only endless loneliness.

Until she met him.

"Then I'll give you one," Bai Lan said.

The young girl's eyes widened slightly.

Bai Lan thought for a moment, looking at her long, silvery-white hair and those eyes that resembled a starry sky.

"Let's call you... Yinxing."

"Yin for silver, xing for the stars."

The girl was stunned.

She lowered her head, whispering softly:

"Yinxing... Yinxing..."

Then, she looked up.

For the first time, a glimmer of light appeared in those eyes that had always been as calm as still water.

"Thank you, Master."

She said, her voice much softer than before.

Bai Lan smiled and waved his hand: "No need to thank me."

Yinxing looked at him and suddenly asked:

"Master, may I stay outside?"

Bai Lan was taken aback: "Stay outside?"

Yinxing nodded: "The Contract Space is very safe, but... it is very quiet."

She didn't say lonely, but everyone understood.

Bai Lan was silent for a second, then nodded:

"You may."

The corners of Yinxing's mouth lifted slightly.

That was the first time she had smiled.

An hour later.

By the lake outside the Sea God Pavilion.

Yinxing sat quietly on the grass, gazing at the surface of the lake.

Beside her, the massive Tiangang Bamboo had also been released by Bai Lan, taking root by the lake, its golden stalk shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.

Bai Lan sat not far away, flipping through the text in the Contract Book.

Bei Bei and the others sat on the other side, stealing glances at Yinxing from time to time.

"She is... truly beautiful," Tang Ya whispered.

Xu Sanshi nodded, uncharacteristically refraining from retorting.

Bei Bei said nothing, only watching Bai Lan's back with a complex expression in his eyes.

Before today, Bai Lan was just a junior with a lot of potential.

After today...

He didn't know how to define this person.

A Soul Venerable who possessed a hundred-thousand-year Contract Beast?

In the entire Douluo Continent, there wasn't a second one to be found.