The Light Maiden floated lightly before Lin Ciyan, her pure golden eyes studying him with curiosity.
As if she were examining a rare treasure.
She tilted her head slightly and spoke in a clear, ethereal voice, breaking the silence:
"You... are outsiders? It's been a long time... since I last saw any outsiders."
Her words carried an ancient cadence. She didn't seem very practiced at speaking, but she expressed herself clearly.
"She can speak!"
Lin Qingmo's pupils contracted sharply, shock surging through his heart.
As a 95th-level Super Douluo, he knew all too well what this meant—the Soul Beast before them had to be at least a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!
And the pure, boundless aura of light radiating from her was far deeper and more terrifying than that of an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!
"Child, be careful." Lin Qingmo instinctively stepped forward, subtly shielding Lin Ciyan behind him. His expression was grave.
A Soul Beast at least a hundred thousand years old, showing an inexplicable fondness for Ci Yan—who knew whether this would bring fortune or disaster!
The Light Maiden seemed to sense Lin Qingmo's wariness, but she wasn't angered.
Instead, she focused her gaze even more intently on Lin Ciyan. A trace of pure admiration appeared on her lovely face. "The light within you... is warm and comfortable."
"It's like mine, but also different... It seems... more special?"
Lin Ciyan's heart stirred. He knew this was the natural attraction caused by his Holy Radiance Qilin Martial Soul.
He patted his grandfather's arm, signaling for him to relax, then stepped forward with his signature, harmless, lazy smile. "Hello, beautiful spirit. My name is Lin Ciyan, and this is my grandfather."
"We are outsiders, yes. We came here... to look for my Second Soul Ring."
He decided to get straight to the point. Trying to play tricks in front of a being of this caliber would be foolish.
"A Soul Ring?" A glimmer of understanding appeared in the Light Maiden's eyes. She nodded gently. "I know... the Soul Beasts outside give you humans their power... this way."
"But I've been here... for a very long time."
"By the way Soul Beasts measure strength... I suppose I've cultivated for over three hundred thousand years."
"Over three hundred thousand years?!"
Even Lin Qingmo, a man of vast experience, was shaken to the core by that number!
Three hundred thousand years! That surpassed nearly every known Ferocious Beast! Why had the Soul Beast Realm never heard of her?
Not even among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts had anyone ever heard of such a being with light attribute!
Lin Ciyan was likewise shaken, but then it dawned on him.
He couldn't help teasing her. "Over three hundred thousand years... You've really taken seclusion to the extreme, haven't you? You're practically a fossil-level shut-in. I have to say, I'm genuinely impressed!"
The Light Maiden didn't quite understand what "shut-in" or "genuinely impressed" meant, but she could tell Lin Ciyan meant no harm. If anything, she found him rather amusing.
She shook her head gently and explained, "It's not that I don't want to go out... It's just that the light outside is too dim."
"Only here, in the Glazed Light Realm, is the light alive and warm."
"Everywhere else... the light is barely worth mentioning, and I don't feel comfortable there."
Her reasoning was simple and pure—stay wherever you're comfortable.
That reason captured the essence of Lin Ciyan's Way of Slacking!
Lin Qingmo could only laugh helplessly at her words, his wariness easing somewhat.
A Soul Beast that had stayed home for over three hundred thousand years because the energy outside was too thin to bother with.
It sounded... far less threatening now.
After all, the Snow Empress also stayed in the Far North year-round. Perhaps most Soul Beasts born of heaven and earth were much the same.
Just then, Lin Qingmo glanced deeper into the Glazed Light Realm, as if he'd suddenly sensed something. His expression turned serious. "Ciyan, I'm going to scout the area and make sure there are no other threats."
"Be careful on your own... If anything happens, call out immediately."
He was deliberately creating an opportunity for his grandson to speak privately with the mysterious Light Maiden.
He trusted Ci Yan to know his limits, and the Light Maiden's attitude toward him was indeed unusual.
Once his grandfather had disappeared into the Light Crystal Forest, Lin Ciyan turned to the Light Maiden, his smile growing a little more sincere.
Lin Ciyan's thoughts stirred. The Holy Radiance Qilin Martial Soul within him resonated faintly, and an auspicious glow naturally spread from his body.
At the same time, he summoned a trace of the Slacker System's aura—a distinctive quality of transcendent detachment and carefree ease.
"See? We're destined to meet, aren't we?" Lin Ciyan's voice was enticing.
"Your light likes my light, and my 'way' might give you a whole new experience."
"Staying here all the time may be comfortable, but don't you ever get... a little bored?"
The Light Maiden's golden eyes flickered faintly. The aura around Lin Ciyan came from the same source as hers, yet seemed even more transcendent.
And his state of being "lazy as can be, yet seemingly embodying the laws of heaven and earth" truly aroused a curiosity she had never felt before.
"Bored... Perhaps," she admitted softly.
Ten thousand years of solitude was an awfully long time, even for an elemental spirit.
"Then I have a proposal." Lin Ciyan finally revealed his true intentions, his eyes shining as he looked at her.
"Become my Soul Ring! Not an ordinary Soul Ring, but a Wisdom Soul Ring!"
"A Wisdom Soul Ring?" Confusion appeared in the Light Maiden's eyes.
"Exactly!" Lin Ciyan started painting her a grand vision—no, describing a beautiful future.
"I have a special method that lets you keep your soul and intellect intact when you offer yourself as a Soul Ring, and lets you dwell in my Sea of Consciousness."
"From then on, we'll share one body. Through my eyes, you can see the vast, fascinating world outside and experience a completely different life!"
"And if you follow me, you may have a chance to become a god in the future!"
"Once you become a god, you'll be able to reshape your body and gain true freedom. You can go wherever you want. This partnership is a win-win!"
The Light Maiden fell silent. For the first time, intense emotions rippled across her lovely face.
Tens of thousands of years of loneliness, curiosity about the outside world, and longing for a higher plane.
And Lin Ciyan's qualities, which made her feel close to him while seeming to hold limitless potential... All of it formed an irresistible temptation.
"Keep my soul... share one body... become a god..." she murmured, her golden eyes growing brighter and brighter.
It was undoubtedly a path she had never imagined throughout her long life—a way to break from convention.
"But... how can it be done?" she asked, raising the most crucial question.
For a Soul Beast to keep its soul after offering itself was practically defying the natural order!
He thought of how he had restocked an item and then gone a long time without using the System Shop's restock function...
"Haha, good question!" Lin Ciyan said silently to himself. "System, open the Slacker Shop!"
A virtual interface appeared, visible only to him.
[Slacker Shop (Beginner)] [Item: Soul Hyperion (One-Time Use)] [Description: A black-tech creation from a certain captain who loves to slack off (modified to fit the unique properties of this world). It can completely separate and safely store a Soul Beast's soul, provide a comfortable "first-class cabin" for it, allow it to move into the host's Sea of Consciousness without any damage, and establish a stable symbiotic channel. The motto: "Pain-free relocation, move in with just your bags."] [Effect: Ensures the Soul Beast becomes the host's Wisdom Soul Ring, with its soul completely preserved, consciousness clear, and the ability to provide the host with power as the host grows.] [Price: 8888 Slacking Value] [Slogan: You slack off, I'll escort you. No need to fret when moving your soul!]
"That's the one!" Lin Ciyan thought, feeling certain. This thing was practically made for this very moment! It was expensive, but he'd saved up just enough Slacking Value!
"I have a secret method." Lin Ciyan smiled confidently at the Light Maiden, his faith in the System lending his words a persuasive conviction.
"If you're willing, I can do it. So, what do you say? Care to take a chance?"
"Come outside with me and see how wonderful this world is. It has to be more interesting than 'lying around' here until the end of time, right?"
The Light Maiden looked at Lin Ciyan's resolute, sincere gaze and felt the reassuring, hopeful aura around him. She remained silent for a long while.
At last, she raised her delicate hand, formed from light, and gently brushed her silver hair. A radiant smile bloomed across her exquisite face, one bright enough to outshine the sun and moon.
"Okay."
"I've indeed grown a little tired... of this peaceful life that's lasted tens of thousands of years."
"Take me... to see the world you told me about."
At that moment, Lin Ciyan knew that with the Slacker System and his exclusive talent for painting grand visions,
he had successfully "conned" a top-tier, three-hundred-thousand-year-old fighter into joining him—no, a partner! This was a massive win!