Glazed Light Realm

The Star Dou Great Forest is vast and boundless, with ancient trees reaching the sky and vines twisting throughout.

Lin Ciyan followed behind his grandfather, Lin Qingmo, having already spent two full days searching.

According to ancient records and past experience, the Golden Hawksbill Turtle should be active near specific bodies of water on the edge of the forest's core area.

Yet, they had scoured almost every possible location without catching even a glimpse of a golden shell.

Strange, did these old turtles go off on a group retreat? Lin Ciyan muttered to himself, though he maintained his usual relaxed and indifferent demeanor on the surface.

He was not impatient; after all, searching for top-tier soul beasts of high age naturally required a bit of luck.

Just as they passed through a valley filled with thin miasma, Lin Ciyan's martial soul—the Holy Radiance Qilin—suddenly emitted an imperceptible throb within his body.

It was an attraction born of instinct, as if something in the distance was calling out to him.

"Grandfather, wait." Lin Ciyan stopped and closed his eyes to sense carefully. "Over there... it seems a bit different."

Hearing this, Lin Qingmo also focused his senses, then raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? The light element particles over there are exceptionally active and dense. Let's go take a look!"

The grandfather and grandson changed direction and headed toward the sensed location.

The closer they got, the more the surrounding vegetation began to change.

Ordinary broad-leaf forests were gradually replaced by glazed-colored grasses and low shrubs that emitted a faint, shimmering glow.

A warmth permeated the air, and even the breeze carried the scent of pure energy.

Pushing aside the final cluster of dense, halo-emitting strange vines, the scene before them moved even the well-traveled Lin Qingmo, let alone Lin Ciyan.

It was as if they had stumbled upon a fairyland forgotten by the world.

A valley, not particularly large, presented itself before them.

In the center of the valley lay a lake as smooth as a mirror.

The lake water was not transparent, but instead possessed a flowing, warm, milky-white radiance.

Surrounding the lake shore grew countless crystal-like trees with translucent trunks and leaves that seemed to be condensed from the purest light.

The leaves swayed gently with the breeze, scattering tiny specks of brilliance.

Even the gravel on the ground looked like polished light-attribute gemstones, shining brightly.

The entire valley was bathed in a soft and holy radiance, and the concentration of light elements in the air was terrifyingly high; with every breath, one could feel their soul power leaping with joy.

"This... is this the 'Glazed Light Realm'?" Lin Qingmo's tone carried a hint of uncertain shock.

"I have only seen similar descriptions in ancient travelogues and assumed they were legends. I never expected such a treasure land to be hidden deep within the Star Dou Great Forest!"

This environment—the special effects are maxed out, the budget is burning! Lin Ciyan marveled inwardly, though he feigned a profound analysis on the surface.

"Grandfather, such an extreme light-element environment will likely give birth to extremely unique soul beasts. The Golden Hawksbill Turtle is fine, but it likely wouldn't inhabit a place like this."

He scanned his surroundings, his brain working at high speed.

Combining various settings he had read about in his past life, a bold conjecture emerged: "The light elements are so condensed that there are even signs of materialization..."

"Could this place give birth to a heaven-and-earth spirit like the 'Snow Empress'—a 'Light Maiden' born from extreme light elements?"

He thought of the Snow Empress from the original work, the seven-hundred-thousand-year-old Heavenly Snow Woman, who was the purest condensation of ice elements in the core of the Far North.

Light and ice were both extremes of elements; since there could be a Snow Empress, why couldn't there be a Light Maiden?

"She wasn't in the original work, perhaps because such spirits are too rare, their habitats are extremely hidden, or... they have long since vanished in the long river of history," Lin Ciyan speculated.

"If she truly exists, her quality would definitely far exceed the Golden Hawksbill Turtle. As my second soul ring, her potential would be limitless!"

This thought made his heart beat slightly faster.

He was not Huo Yuhao and did not have the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm delivering himself to his doorstep, but wasn't this "Glazed Light Realm," discovered by sheer coincidence, his own destined opportunity?

Keep a steady mindset, maintain a broad perspective, he silently admonished himself, suppressing his excitement and maintaining his consistent "sense of relaxation." If I gain it, it is my fortune; if not... then I'll just keep looking for the old turtle.

Having made up his mind, the grandfather and grandson began to search carefully through the valley, which was not large but had complex terrain.

The light-attribute valley was filled with tangled branches and intersecting light and shadow, making it easy to confuse the eyes.

The energy fluctuations around the light lake were intense, interfering with their perception.

They had no choice but to slow down and investigate inch by inch.

Time passed bit by bit, from high noon to sunset, yet the valley remained as bright as day because the light source here came from the dense light elements themselves.

Just as Lin Ciyan began to doubt whether his guess was wrong, they arrived deep within the crystal forest, in a "stone forest" composed of massive clusters of light crystals.

Here, the concentration of light elements reached its peak.

And it was at this moment that they saw—

She was floating quietly one foot off the ground, with her back to them.

The first thing that caught their eyes was the silver hair flowing down to her waist, like a waterfall of light woven from moonlight and starlight. It moved without wind, flickering with soft and dreamy specks of light.

Her figure was slender and graceful, wrapped in a long dress that seemed to be outlined by light, accentuating her slim waist and smooth, beautiful body curves.

The long dress reached the ground, but the hem seemed like melting light, blending into the surrounding mist of radiance.

She seemed to have heard the commotion and slowly turned around.

It was a face of exquisite beauty that defied precise description in words.

Her skin seemed carved from the finest mutton-fat jade steeped in moonlight, translucent and warm, faintly radiating an inner glow.

Her features were too delicate for a mortal creation, with dark brows like distant, verdant mountains.

Her eyes were the purest gold, like two miniature suns, yet they held no blinding glare.

There was only endless warmth, curiosity, and a sense of ancient tranquility.

Her nose was elegant and straight, her lips a pale cherry pink, the corners of her mouth naturally curved into a faint, serene, and gentle arc.

She lacked the wariness and hostility typical of soul beasts encountering humans, instead radiating an ancient, pure, and curious mental fluctuation.

This was the Light Maiden! The darling of the purest light elements in heaven and earth!

What surprised Lin Ciyan even more was that upon "seeing" him, the Light Maiden did not flee or launch an attack.

Instead, she took the initiative, drifting toward them with light, graceful movements.

Her wings of light trailed a brilliant wake behind her, like a fairy of light descending into the mortal realm.

She stopped not far in front of Lin Ciyan, tilting her head slightly to "gaze" at him, particularly at the Holy Radiance Qilin martial soul within him that was glowing faintly from resonance.

A wave of friendly, inquisitive mental energy spread out slowly like a warm tide.

Lin Ciyan exchanged a glance with his grandfather, both seeing the astonishment and gravity in each other's eyes.

This situation seemed quite different from the soul hunting they had anticipated.