In the blink of an eye, Xue Yuheng had spent four months in the First Heaven.
Those four months had transformed Xue Yuheng's understanding of wind.
Xue Yuheng sat cross-legged on a floating boulder. Not a trace of Soul Power leaked from his body, yet the raging gales around him seemed to have a will of their own, slowly circling him.
The Wordless Heavenly Book floated before Xue Yuheng's chest, its pages turning of their own accord as dense lines of text shimmered across them.
They were the words that gave form to his understanding of the Law of Wind.
For those four months, Xue Yuheng hadn't rushed to climb higher. Instead, he had focused on studying every wisp of wind in the First Heaven—from its path and speed to its strength and nature. At last, today, he had touched the very heart of wind.
Half a month ago, his mother, Su Weiwei, had sent a trusted aide to the Heavenly Dragon Gate to ask after her son.
Even though Xue Yuheng had sent someone back to the Douling Royal Family beforehand to explain where he was going, his mother was still a little worried.
As for His Majesty, he was quite pleased that Xue Yuheng, the crown prince, was out making connections with the continent's various powers.
Of the three great empires that had once ruled Douluo, the Dou Ling Empire was the weakest.
On Douluo Continent, top-tier experts were far more useful than ordinary armies.
Now that Xue Yuheng had become a machine for producing Limit Douluo, the old emperor could hardly wait for him to spend more time away.
The old emperor's exact words in his letter to Xue Yuheng were: "As long as it doesn't interfere with your cultivation, the royal family won't care how many women you have.
"If your children inherit powerful Martial Souls, the royal family can welcome them back into the family. If they're ordinary and have no claim to the throne, then let them live ordinary lives out in the world."
The old emperor had only ever had Xue Yuheng for a son. From a father's point of view, Xue Yuheng was quite skilled at winning women over, so the task of carrying on the family line fell to him as well.
Xue Yuheng could only accept this with a helpless smile.
Four months had passed. According to the reports from the "front lines," Xiao Xiao had already reached the twenty-sixth level of the storm dimension.
Aside from Rou, who was accompanying Xue Yuheng, the other members of the Moon Shadow Squad were generally between the twentieth and twenty-fourth levels.
Yesterday, Xue Yuheng had summoned everyone in the small world to return to the First Heaven.
As the seconds ticked by, eight figures appeared before Xue Yuheng one after another.
The one who interested him most was Xiao Xiao, who came last.
They hadn't seen each other for more than three months, and Xiao Xiao's presence had changed completely.
Some of the girlish charm she'd once had was gone. She stood taller now, and even in her green dress, torn in places by the gales, she carried a distinctive grace.
Her long hair was tied in a simple ponytail, and her almond-shaped eyes brimmed with resolve and composure.
The Four Symbols Heaven-Suppressing Cauldron had grown more lively. It floated beside Xiao Xiao, with the White Tiger, Golden Crow, and Xuanwu apparitions circling its body.
Only the Dragon position remained empty, though a faint cyan shadow had begun to appear there.
"Everyone's here." Xue Yuheng rose, his gaze passing over the group before settling on Xiao Xiao. His tone was warm with approval.
"Beyond these Thirty-Three Heavens, there are other opportunities found nowhere else on the continent.
"Today, I'm going to take you along a shortcut."
As he spoke, Ying stepped forward and silently released her Shadow Martial Soul.
A pitch-black domain instantly spread across the area, forming a shadowy passage with no visible end.
Wan, Yue, Rou, and the others didn't hesitate. They blurred and merged into the shadows, their auras vanishing completely into Xue Yuheng's shadow.
Once everyone was in place, Xue Yuheng turned to Xiao Xiao and held out his hand. "Come here."
Xiao Xiao walked over with a smile and placed her hand in his palm. The warmth of her touch passed between them.
Xiao Xiao had never imagined that she'd go more than three months without seeing Xue Yuheng. Cultivation really could make a person lose track of time.
They activated their Martial Souls together, and the Four Symbols Heaven-Suppressing Cauldron and the Wordless Heavenly Book shone in harmony.
A strange sensation welled up in both of them.
Xue Yuheng clearly felt Xiao Xiao's instinct to "guide" and "embrace" the wind.
Xiao Xiao, in turn, felt Xue Yuheng's understanding of wind—a complete "mastery" over its power.
Their understanding of the Law of Wind seemed to trade places in an instant. They grasped each other's insights, filled in each other's weaknesses, and reached a new level of understanding.
"Xiao Xue, you lost! I've already made it to the twenty-sixth level!"
Xiao Xiao pinched Xue Yuheng's cheek, a hint of smugness in her eyes. Her playful tone was as familiar as ever.
Over the past four months, nearly all the dresses stored in her Soul Guidance Ring had been torn to shreds by the gales. The one she wore now was the most intact.
She didn't dare wear the women's clothes from the Moon Shadow Squad. They were too revealing. To Xiao Xiao, who had grown up in a traditional family, they were a little too daring.
The slits in those dresses reached higher than hers, and their necklines plunged almost to the navel.
"All right, I did lose." Xue Yuheng laughed, pinching her cheek affectionately. "How about we make another bet?"
"Sure! What are we betting on?" Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up.
"Whoever makes it to the thirty-third level." Xue Yuheng spoke with confidence, and the gales around him grew sharper.
"Impossible. The twenty-sixth level is already the limit for a Super Douluo..." Xiao Xiao frowned.
Xiao Xiao was now facing the same predicament as the Heavenly Dragon Gate elder from a thousand years ago.
Goddess Transformation would grant her temporary insight into God Level laws, but as for putting that insight to use in a real fight... she hadn't tried yet.
Did getting struck by lightning count?
The gales on the twenty-sixth level seemed soft as water, but they could erode a person's soul. It was dangerous to force one's way through; doing so could easily lead to a cultivation deviation and leave someone a fool.
"How about this? If I manage to take you to the thirty-third level, you'll have to..." Xue Yuheng whispered in her ear. Xiao Xiao's cheeks immediately flushed red.
Her gaze flickered as she bit her lip and thought it over for a long while. At last, she gave a gentle nod.
With her agreement, Xue Yuheng didn't hesitate.
He raised his hand, palm up. The Wordless Heavenly Book floated above his head, and golden light poured down, enveloping them both.
"Watch closely, Xiao Xiao... This is the wind I've come to understand."
Xue Yuheng didn't activate his Soul Rings or unleash his Soul Power. Instead, he closed his eyes and let his mind fully merge with the wind around them.
All the study he'd done over the past four months came together in that moment. Xue Yuheng imitated the wind's path and controlled its speed, ultimately creating a wind of his own.
It had no fixed form. At times it was as gentle as a stream; at others, as fierce as a blade. It could be hard or soft, restrained or unleashed, perfectly embodying the nature of wind.
This tiny breeze began to lead the currents of the entire First Heaven.
"Wind, rise."
Xue Yuheng let out a low shout. The wind he'd created swept up the gales around them and surged toward the unseen wall of air at the far end of the First Heaven.
The next moment, the situation changed abruptly.
The wall was no lifeless thing. It had been formed from the Law of Wind, and the moment it sensed an outside force striking it, it unleashed a violent counterattack.
Countless cyan blades of wind burst out of the wall, each carrying the power to tear through space. The floating rocks beneath their feet were instantly ground to dust, and the space around them began to tremble.
Xiao Xiao remained calm and used her Second Martial Soul. As she played her long flute, the lilting melody soothed the raging blades of wind, and the Law of Wind's attack gradually subsided.
The Wordless Heavenly Book's deductions flashed through Xue Yuheng's mind.
He took a deep breath and studied the wall closely, guiding the wind he'd created along its patterns. Instead of forcing his way through, he let the wind seep in bit by bit, blending with it.
The process was agonizingly difficult.
The wall's laws kept changing, at times raging like a tide and at others still as water. Xue Yuheng had to adjust his wind constantly.
Every moment of attunement drained an immense amount of mental energy. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, while the Power of Creation that Rou had accumulated rapidly dwindled.
Xiao Xiao clasped his hand tightly, sending her Soul Power into him without pause.
The members of the Moon Shadow Squad inside the shadow also activated their Martial Souls with all their might, supporting Xue Yuheng.
The seconds ticked by, and Xue Yuheng's wind gradually fell into sync with the wall's laws.
There was no earth-shaking clash, only laws blending with laws.
The last trace of resistance broke, and the invisible wall of air suddenly vanished. In its place appeared a wind passage stretching straight into the heavens.
At the far end, a dazzling cyan light was just visible.
They'd done it.
Xue Yuheng opened his eyes, his face weary. He took Xiao Xiao's hand and stepped into the passage.
A few minutes later.
The barrier of the thirty-third storm shattered.
The chaos inside the passage cleared, revealing a scene so immense that Xue Yuheng and Xiao Xiao were left speechless.
A cyan winged dragon's skeleton, tens of thousands of meters long, floated silently in the void. A deep, narrow sword scar ran along its spine. Though tens of thousands of years had passed, it still radiated a chilling aura.
At the end of the storm lay the resting place of a giant dragon.
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