Lu Yu shook his head, his tone tinged with gravity. "No, this feeling is strange. It's completely different from the fluctuations of ordinary soul beasts. It's like... like there's some invisible barrier blocking my spiritual power from probing further."
"A barrier?" The girl in the green dress froze slightly and could not help asking, "Could it be some special soul skill?"
"Not likely." Lu Yu shook his head. "My spiritual power is strong enough to crush any soul master of the same rank. If someone could completely block my detection, they would at least have to be a Soul Sage. But the aura here isn't powerful. It could even be called weak... yet it's exceptionally well concealed."
The group exchanged glances. Just as the atmosphere grew peculiar, faint footsteps sounded from nearby.
"Who's there?" Lu Yu's expression changed as he instantly raised a hand. A faint wave of spiritual power spread out like a tide, precisely locking onto the source of the sound.
The bushes rustled gently, and several leaves drifted down. A girl in white slowly stepped out. She looked no more than seventeen or eighteen, with delicate, gentle features and a tranquil air between her brows. In her hands, she held a lush, radiant flower: the exceedingly rare Nine Heart Begonia.
"Don't be nervous. I mean you no harm." The girl's voice was gentle, like a spring breeze brushing over them, making people relax without realizing it.
Yet Lu Yu's gaze grew increasingly solemn. He stared fixedly at her and asked in a low voice, "Who are you? Why can't my spiritual power detect your presence?"
The girl in white raised her head and met Lu Yu's gaze. "My name is Ye Lingling. Perhaps... it's because of my martial soul."
"Nine Heart Begonia?" Lu Yu's gaze fell upon