Whispers of the Wind

At night, the ancient forest was left with only the soft rustling of the evening breeze through the giant trees' branches and leaves.

Bored, Chen An wandered about until he reached the nearly dried-up Life Lake.

Moonlight spilled across the lake's surface like rain.

Once brimming with life energy and capable of nourishing countless soul beasts, Life Lake was now shallow and pale, with less than a quarter of its water remaining.

A slender, petite figure in white sat alone by the lake, her bare feet lightly stirring the cool water.

It was Na'er.

Hearing the faint footsteps behind her, the girl suddenly turned, and her eyes instantly lit up.

"Chen An!"

She called softly, her voice sweet and gentle.

These days of playing together had been the most relaxed and carefree time since she awakened.

She did not have to bear the destiny of the soul beasts' sovereign, weigh the struggle between humans and soul beasts, or endure and scheme. She could simply be an innocent, naive little girl who laughed as freely as she wished.

But deep down, she knew this freedom ended here.

Once she entered humanity's highest academy and hid among humans, she would no longer have such carefree, worry-free days of play.

Chen An slowly walked to her side. Seeing the sadness she could not hide in her eyes, he softly asked, "My... Na'er, are you unhappy?"

"How could I be? I'm very happy, especially after you took me around the human world these past few days."

Na'er gently shook her head, then seemed to think of something and smiled.

"It was just too short. I haven't had enough fun yet. That thing that can fly quickly over the water—you said children can't ride it. What a pity..."

Though she looked cheerful, she could not hide the disappointment in her voice.

Chen An lifted his robe and naturally sat beside her. He was rather good at comforting children.

"Didn't we agree that I'd definitely take you again later? Do you think I'd break my promise?"

Na'er pursed her lips. "It's not that... I..."

Na'er nodded gently. Her hanging hair concealed the emotions in her eyes, and her voice grew quieter. "I have my own mission too."

She had never been merely Na'er. She was a fragment of Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King; the final hope of the soul beast race; the sovereign who carried Star Dou's great cause of revival upon her shoulders.

After a moment of silence, Na'er raised her eyes. Her clear gaze fixed on the small Chen An before her, her tone filled with sincerity.

"I really want to stay a little longer..."

For thousands upon thousands of years, she had been surrounded by ferocious beasts who revered and submitted to her. All living beings feared her power and respected her status, but Chen An alone was different.

He possessed a clear and open heart and was familiar with human customs and culture. Compared to the soul beasts who lurked in the forest and stubbornly obsessed over grudges and reincarnation, he seemed more like a living, clear-minded human boy.

Chen An played with her, watched the stars with her, and bought her those novel foods. This purity was a warmth she had never possessed.

The evening breeze swept past, stirring the hem of the girl's white dress and scattering the tenderness in her eyes.

Na'er quickly gathered her emotions. Her gaze gradually became resolute, shedding a child's softness and taking on a trace of the cool detachment belonging to destiny.

She spoke no more of personal feelings, afraid that one more word would shake the resolve in her heart. She merely looked earnestly at Chen An and instructed him word by word.

"Be careful. I'll wait for you. Don't forget our promise. Complete your mission properly and return safely."

As soon as she finished speaking, she did not linger. While Chen An was still considering how to respond, Na'er had already risen lightly and headed into the dense forest, neat and decisive, leaving behind not the slightest attachment.

"Na..." Chen An realized that calling out too loudly would alert the other ferocious beasts, so he changed his words. "My Lady! My Lady?"

The evening breeze by the lake remained unchanged, leaving only Chen An standing there alone.

He looked in the direction Na'er had departed and let out a soft sigh.

The next day.

Morning light pierced through layer upon layer of leaves and fell upon Star Dou Great Forest.

Chen An had finished preparing early. His simple cloth clothes made his six-year-old body appear even thinner and smaller, making him look like an ordinary, harmless child.

In the void, a tall figure slowly solidified.

Demon Spirit appeared.

His human form was that of a young man with incomparably handsome features. His brows and eyes carried an inherently wicked, flamboyant charm, yet there was not a trace of warmth in him. A deep, chilling aura of the void lingered around his body.

As the ferocious beast with the strongest spiritual power in Star Dou Great Forest, Demon Spirit had always been a man of few words.

That gave Chen An a headache. He neither communicated nor showed any warmth, like a surveillance monitor.

Demon Spirit's pitch-black eyes seemed capable of piercing through flesh, blood, and veins to pry into every secret buried deep within one's heart.

The feeling of being completely scrutinized sent a chill down Chen An's spine.

Compared to the gentle and approachable Bi Ji, Demon Spirit was an entirely different type.

Although Gu Yue had asked Demon Spirit to help him, this fellow was still older than him. Ordering him around was out of the question.

Chen An wisely looked away and stopped meeting Demon Spirit's gaze.

Demon Spirit's appearance seemed only to indicate that he would follow behind Chen An. A moment later, he completely concealed both his aura and figure.

When ferocious beasts entered human society, they generally had to deliberately hide their auras, disguise their identities, and proceed with caution at every step. Only Chen An was different.

After fusing with the Dragon Scale, his appearance as a six-year-old child required no deliberate disguise.

Before long, a graceful purple figure arrived through the air.

Zi Ji's figure was seductive as she slowly landed. Her purple eyes settled faintly on Chen An, and her tone carried a solemn warning.

"Chen An, this infiltration into the human world concerns the entire plan. There can be no mistakes.

Forget about finding My Lady. This time, infiltrating the Golden Dragon King is even more important. You must not slack off, play around, and ruin My Lady's plans."

Chen An lowered his head and respectfully replied, "Sister Zi Ji, I definitely won't this time."

He understood perfectly well. Last time, he had been slacking off on the job. This time, staying close to infiltrate the Golden Dragon King was also greatly connected to his own growth.

Seeing his serious expression, Zi Ji said no more. She bent slightly and summoned a gentle wave of soul power, lifting Chen An's small body before her.

"I'll send you part of the way. Show me the direction."

Before her words had fully faded, Zi Ji shot into the air, transforming into a purple streak as she sped through the sea of clouds toward the human city.

Demon Spirit remained hidden in the void, following silently without uttering a word.

They sped all the way, crossing forests and plains, until the outlines of human buildings gradually emerged on the distant horizon.

Aolai City was a remote little city, peaceful and tranquil, home to countless ordinary people living settled lives. It was also where the Golden Dragon King, in the form of Tang Wulin, was currently hiding and growing.

As the city drew closer, Zi Ji gradually slowed down. A hundred li outside the city, she stopped and gently set Chen An down on the ground.

"I won't take you any farther."

Zi Ji looked solemn as she reminded him once more.

"Lie low, endure, and keep a low profile. Follow all messages from Demon Spirit, report intelligence regularly, and remember: you must not expose your identity as a soul beast or disrupt My Lady's great plan."

"Got it, got it." Chen An nodded repeatedly.

Zi Ji gave a slight nod, said nothing more, and turned into a streak of light as she returned to Star Dou Great Forest.

Now only Chen An remained, along with Demon Spirit, who was still hiding nearby and silently accompanying him.

Chen An took a deep breath and suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart.

The faintly translucent Dragon Scale pattern on his chest quietly glimmered with an almost imperceptible light.

A strand of heavy, violent, incomparably majestic golden dragon aura crossed the distance of a hundred li and entered his senses with perfect clarity.

The sensation was incredibly clear, and the direction was precise.

It was time to test his acting skills.

A glint flashed through Chen An's eyes. He concealed all his soul power and soul beast aura, shedding his cool, composed bearing.

Not enough. He needed to get himself a little dirtier.

The next moment, an innocent, naive, timid six-year-old child who had become separated from his family took perfect shape.