The mixed zone, five days later.
Ye Que had spent five days hunting Soul Beasts deep in the mixed zone of Star Dou Forest.
During those days, he hadn't encountered any suitable Soul Beasts. Instead, he'd been attacked by several Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts working together, but each time, he'd narrowly escaped danger.
Star Dou Forest really was full of danger at every turn.
Fortunately, the Six-Winged Angel was far faster in the air than he'd imagined, allowing him to avoid danger time and again.
But he couldn't keep going like this. The longer he stayed without finding a suitable Soul Beast, the more dangerous it became.
Should he go deeper?
But Ye Que quickly dismissed the thought and calmed his restless nerves. He built a fire where he stood, took out a skinned Soft Bone Rabbit, and propped it beside the flames.
Soon, the aroma of roasting meat filled the air.
As Ye Que ate the rabbit, he cursed, "This is all your fault, you rabbit. You brought disaster on the Soul Beast Clan. You deserve to be roasted every day."
Just as he was grumbling, faint footsteps came from the dense woods nearby.
Ye Que paid them no mind. He calmly sat down and continued eating breakfast.
It was perfectly normal to run into Soul Masters hunting for Soul Rings in Star Dou Forest. There was nothing surprising about it. Maybe he'd even run into people from Shrek.
"Kids, let's sit down and rest for a bit. We can have something to eat!"
An old, world-weary voice came from ahead, and a Soul Hunting team appeared in Ye Que's sight.
Ye Que looked up at them and frowned.
Weren't these people from Zhengtian Academy in the Heaven Dou Empire?
Ye Wuqing, Tang Xiaolei, Shangguan Can, Yu Mengdi, a descendant of the Angel Legion, and a Titled Douluo who looked like a little child.
At the same time, the Zhengtian Academy team looked toward Ye Que.
The Titled Douluo at the head of the group spoke. "Are you here to hunt for a Soul Ring too, young man? We happen to be passing by. Why don't we all have breakfast together?"
The man didn't look very tall, but he wore a blue coat. He looked remarkably like an old acquaintance of Spirit Hall from ten thousand years ago, and even spoke in a child's voice.
Ye Que moved aside to make room. "Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, young man. This old man is Guangyu Douluo. May I ask your name and which academy you're from?" the Titled Douluo asked.
Guangyu Douluo... Ye Que replied, "This junior hasn't attended any academy. I haven't even graduated from a junior Soul Master Academy."
Guangyu Douluo furrowed his brow and examined Ye Que closely, then forced a kind smile.
What a potent aura of holiness. A rare Angel Martial Soul—and he couldn't even sense the boy's Soul Power.
How could such a gifted young genius not belong to an academy?
He was genuinely baffled.
But with the others there, Guangyu Douluo didn't dwell on it. He sat down with the team to warm himself, then took out the ingredients he'd prepared and cooked a simple meal.
Ye Que sat to one side, silently eating his roast meat.
Yet Ye Wuqing, Yu Mengdi, and Tang Xiaolei kept looking at the Angel Holy Sword at Ye Que's waist.
It was the Angel Clan's unique emblem, the sword a symbol of their Martial Soul.
The handsome, golden-haired young man before them had an Angel Martial Soul, just like Yu Mengdi. They simply didn't know how many wings his angel had—or whether it was a Holy Angel.
As Yu Mengdi ate a flatbread, she asked quietly, "Little brother, are you an Angel Soul Master too?"
Ye Que didn't deny it. He nodded.
Members of the Angel Clan felt an affinity for one another when they met, so there was no need to deliberately test it.
Besides, Yu Mengdi looked only a year or two older than he was, and she didn't seem hostile.
"What a coincidence!"
Yu Mengdi beamed and continued, "I'm an Angel Soul Master too, but I have a Two-Winged Angel. I wonder how many wings yours has."
This time, Ye Que didn't answer.
Guangyu Douluo shot his disciple a look, then turned to Ye Que and apologized. "Please don't be offended, young man. My disciple is a member of the Angel Clan, but she's had a tragic fate. Her family was wiped out by Evil Soul Masters when she was a child. She's seen fewer than five people with an Angel Martial Soul in her life, so she got a little excited when she saw you."
"I understand..." Ye Que sighed and continued, "My childhood was much like hers. We both had our families wiped out by Evil Soul Masters, leaving us to wander the world with nowhere to call home."
The mood in the team turned somber.
The meat in Ye Wuqing and the others' mouths became difficult to swallow, catching in their throats.
It was often tragedy that allowed people to understand one another, and everyone knew how sorrowful the Angel Clan's history was.
Every Angel Soul Master they encountered had a blood feud with the Evil Soul Masters behind them.
Their Martial Souls' opposing attributes had set them at odds from birth. It was either kill or be killed.
Guangyu Douluo sighed. "Young man, it seems you're a descendant of the Angel Legion too. You must have suffered a great deal over the years. If you don't mind, I can take you along while we hunt for Soul Rings."
Ye Que waved a hand. "I appreciate your kindness, senior, but there are some things we have to do ourselves. Our lineage can't rely on others."
Guangyu Douluo nodded in admiration.
As expected of someone from the Angel Clan. Just that strength of character alone set him above many others.
Beside them, Yu Mengdi silently wiped away a tear.
When she awakened her Martial Soul at six, her mother had told her the same thing.
Their lineage had no true god left. They couldn't rely on others.
Yu Mengdi immediately said, "Little brother, Senior Guangyu is a good person, and he's from our lineage. His Martial Soul is..."
She trailed off, unable to finish.
Looking at Ye Que, Guangyu smiled. "Young man, I won't keep it from you any longer. My Martial Soul was passed down from the lineage of Guang Ling Douluo, who lived ten thousand years ago. It's called the Blazing Feather Divine Bow."
"That makes us family through our ancestors, so there's no need to be so formal."
A descendant of Guang Ling!
Ye Que raised an eyebrow and studied the old fellow, who looked a bit like an old child.
It seemed the rumors that descendants of Spirit Hall could still be found on the continent were true.
But in their current circumstances, it was hard not to laugh.
They were all poor souls left homeless and adrift.
Guangyu Douluo smiled and asked, "Young man, can you tell us about yourself now? If you're willing, we can help each other as people of the same lineage."
Ye Que cupped his hands in greeting. "This junior is Ye Que, a descendant of the Angel Legion. My Soul Power is currently at level 40, and I'm here to obtain my fourth Soul Ring. My Martial Soul is the Six... Six-Winged Angel."
As soon as he finished speaking, the team fell silent.
Ye Wuqing and the others stared at Ye Que, dumbfounded.
Yu Mengdi gazed at him without a word.
Guangyu's eyes widened, and his breathing suddenly quickened.
What had they just heard?
A Six... Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul?
There was actually still a Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul on the Douluo Continent, passed down through the Qian Family lineage. Was heaven playing a joke on them?
Since the fall of Angel God Qian Renxue, there had been no innate Six-Winged Angels in the world, only Angel Douluo who held the title.
Yet now, the owner of a Six-Winged Angel had appeared right before them.
Guangyu Douluo asked excitedly, "Young man, is your Martial Soul really a Six-Winged Angel? You're not joking with me, are you?"
He was so overwhelmed that he lost his composure and gripped Ye Que's hand tightly.
As a descendant of the Offering Lineage, no one could know what this meant to him.
Yu Mengdi asked too, "Little brother, is it really true?"
Before you continue