Past Events No Longer Haunt

Qian Lingche's consciousness gradually returned. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself still standing before the statue of the Snow God, his palm still pressed against the stone.

He withdrew his hand and began to walk toward the hall doors.

At first, his pace was somewhat sluggish, but as the emotions in his heart began to surge, his steps quickened until he was finally running.

He rushed to the hall doors and pushed open the heavy panels without a moment's hesitation.

Blinding sunlight instantly flooded his vision. He squinted slightly, adjusting to the sudden brightness.

The moment his eyes cleared, he saw Guang Ling standing at the entrance, waiting for him.

His long, silver-white hair drifted gently in the breeze, and his face wore its usual gentle expression.

The corners of his mouth lifted the instant he saw Qian Lingche, revealing a faint smile. "Little Che, you're finally out."

Qian Lingche looked at Guang Ling, suddenly took a step forward, and without hesitation, opened his arms to pull him into a tight embrace.

Guang Ling was caught off guard by the sudden movement. His body stiffened slightly, his arms hovering in mid-air as he didn't know how to react for a moment.

A flash of surprise crossed his face, but soon, he lowered his arms and allowed Qian Lingche to hold him.

Qian Lingche buried his head in Guang Ling's shoulder, his voice tinged with a hint of exhaustion. "Let me hold you for a moment."

His voice was very soft, yet it carried an indescribable fragility.

Guang Ling was slightly stunned. He raised his hand and gently patted Qian Lingche's back. "Alright, you can hold me for as long as you like."

On the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, the fires of war had already been ignited.

Two massive armies stood in confrontation across the vast plains, the air thick with tension and oppression.

The Heaven Dou Empire's army was arranged in perfect order, their silver-white armor shimmering with a cold, sharp light under the sun.

The Heaven Dou banners fluttering in the wind appeared exceptionally majestic. The leading general sat atop his warhorse, raised his longsword high, and shouted in a booming voice, "For the glory of Heaven Dou, charge!"

At his command, the Heaven Dou soldiers surged toward the Star Luo positions like a tidal wave.

The Star Luo Empire's army was no pushover, either. Their cavalry had long been poised for action; the warhorses neighed and the ground thundered under the rhythmic pounding of hooves.

The Star Luo general stood on high ground and roared, "Soldiers of Star Luo, kill!"

Guang Ling and Qian Lingche sat on stone stools in the garden, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a warm halo over them.

Guang Ling picked up a pastry, took a bite, and mumbled, "Little Che, what have you been busy with lately? I never see you around."

Qian Lingche smiled and took a sip of tea. "Nothing much. Ji Lin is about to break through, so I've been helping him handle some trivial matters. What about you, Brother Ling? Not in seclusion today?"

Guang Ling shrugged. "I have no inspiration for a breakthrough, and I'm just idling about. Besides, we haven't chatted in a long time; we can't just spend every day busy with cultivation, right?"

Qian Lingche nodded, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "That's true. By the way, how is your self-created soul skill coming along?"

Ever since Brother Ling couldn't find the path to break through to level 98, he had suddenly started researching self-created soul skills. A few days ago, he had nearly shot a hole through his own palace.

Guang Ling waved his hand, his tone carrying a trace of pride. "It's alright. When are you going to break through to level 50?"

Hearing this, Qian Lingche sighed. "Working behind closed doors isn't very effective. I don't have any inspiration for a breakthrough, so I plan to go out for a walk once Ji Lin finishes his."

Guang Ling patted his shoulder. "Don't rush, take it slow. Breakthroughs aren't just about cultivation; you need to get out more."

Still, reaching level 50 at this age is quite frightening. It's a good thing he's the cub I raised.

After a moment of thought, a flash of curiosity crossed Qian Lingche's eyes. "By the way, Brother Ling, when you went to Heaven Dou City a while back, did you hear anything interesting? Being cooped up at home all day, I'm practically cut off from the world."

I want to go out but am too lazy to move, and when I don't go out, I feel stifled. But there's nowhere worth going anyway.

Guang Ling nodded and said, "Now that you mention it, I did run into something interesting when I was in Heaven Dou City a few days ago."

"A young noble was trying to woo a commoner girl and actually went out into the street to perform, only to be dragged back by his family and given a sound thrashing."

Qian Lingche couldn't help but laugh. "That is quite amusing. However, the gap between nobles and commoners isn't so easily bridged."

Guang Ling stretched and sighed with emotion. "Indeed. Sometimes I think that even though we soul masters are powerful, we still face many helpless situations."

"For instance, there are things we clearly want to do, but due to the constraints of our status and position, we can only watch from the sidelines."

As his voice trailed off, Qian Lingche looked at him strangely. "Brother Ling, are you talking about the war between Heaven Dou and Star Luo?"

Guang Ling gave an 'en' sound and asked, puzzled, "Why do you think they insist on fighting?"

Two nations at war, wasting manpower and wealth—and besides, there's no profit worth them making a move right now, is there?

Qian Lingche shook his head, his tone tinged with uncertainty. "I don't know either, but for the two great empires to openly go to war while ignoring the deterrent power of Spirit Hall, I suspect it isn't that simple."

After a moment of silence, Guang Ling suddenly laughed. "Little Che, you really are more thorough than I thought. Still, sometimes I truly wish you didn't understand these things and could just be a little happier."

"Brother Ling, are you praising me or mocking me?" Qian Lingche looked at Guang Ling with suspicious eyes.

Seeing his expression, Guang Ling poked Qian Lingche's forehead with his finger. "You, of course I'm praising you."

Suddenly thinking of something, Qian Lingche stood up, a flash of excitement in his eyes. "Brother Ling, forget about those bothersome things. Come, let's try our soul fusion skill!"

"Although our soul power levels are quite different at the moment, if I provide the amplification for you, we might be able to achieve an unexpected effect."

Guang Ling was stunned for a moment, then teased, "Oh? You've got quite the ideas, haven't you? But a soul fusion skill is nothing to play around with. What if something goes wrong?"

Qian Lingche waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of confidence: "Rest assured, Brother Ling. I've studied it; although our martial souls are different, they are both the pinnacle of the ice and light elements. Theoretically, they can complement each other."

The two walked to an open space behind the mountain, where the surroundings were so quiet that only the rustling of wind through the leaves could be heard.

Guang Ling stared at a mountain peak in the distance, his fifth soul ring suddenly lighting up.

"Fifth Soul Skill—Arriving Without Interval."

Just as Guang Ling was charging his power, Qian Lingche's figure flashed, soaring into mid-air.

"Fourth Soul Skill—Angel Holy Light!"

As his voice fell, the powers of ice and light intertwined, transforming into countless fine threads that coiled toward the intangible arrow Guang Ling was currently charging.

Guang Ling felt the icy sensation emanating from the arrow and was slightly taken aback, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes: "Little Che, what are you doing?"

Qian Lingche's tone carried a touch of smugness: "Brother Ling, give it a try and see if my power can add a bit of might to yours."