The Secret of Symbiosis Ritual Begins!

"Formation, rise!"

Lu Xuan's voice was not loud, yet it carried a strange, piercing force.

Thud!

He brought the Antler Staff down heavily one last time.

In an instant, countless soft, milky-white lines of light awoke beneath the ancient stone altar, spreading outward from where the staff struck as though they were alive.

The lines were far from random. They wove into patterns of unfathomable complexity, layer upon layer, expanding from the center until they illuminated the entire vast Circular Altar.

The light was not dazzling, but it held an immense, gentle breath of life that enveloped Xiao Shenghe and Lu Yao.

Xiao Shenghe felt a faint tremor beneath his feet. It was no ordinary vibration; it felt more like the pulse of a sleeping giant beast stirring awake.

A fragrance filled the air, fresh as morning dew yet ancient as a forest at the dawn of time.

The little Soul Power he possessed, a mere fifteen levels, stirred of its own accord, like a stream hearing the call of the sea.

Lu Xuan slowly raised the Antler Staff. The unknown gem set in its head gave off a hazy, clear glow. He looked at the boy and girl standing at the formation's heart, his aged gaze deep as an ancient well.

"Xiao Shenghe, Lu Yao."

His voice turned solemn.

"The Secret of Symbiosis is neither a master-servant contract nor a bargain of mutual use."

"What it seeks is the truest resonance and bond buried deep in the bloodlines of Soul Masters and Soul Beasts, born when heaven and earth first opened. Once the pact is forged, souls intertwine and fates become bound. You will share joy and grief, and entrust your lives to each other."

"Once you set foot on this path, there can be no turning back. Do you understand?"

Lu Yao set aside her usual liveliness. Her small face tightened, and she nodded firmly, her emerald eyes full of resolve.

"Grandpa Xuan, I understand! I'm willing!"

Xiao Shenghe drew a deep breath. The altar's vast field of energy set his heart surging, yet left his mind all the clearer. He met Lu Xuan's gaze and bowed solemnly.

"I understand. My mind is made up. I will have no regrets."

"Good."

Lu Xuan gave a slight nod.

"Then, the first step: open your hearts and release the most primal aura of your souls. Do not control or guide it. Let the altar speak to your souls themselves."

Lu Yao moved first. She closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling faintly.

The next moment, a fresh, lively aura brimming with life spread from her petite body.

Faint green motes appeared along her skin like fireflies and danced lightly around her.

Behind her, the hazy figure of an elegant Spirit Deer emerged. It raised its head to the sky, starlike light flowing across its antlers.

That was her original Soul Beast form, pure and noble.

Seeing this, Xiao Shenghe closed his eyes as well.

He tried to relax his mind and stopped deliberately restraining his vast, unusual soul.

At first, it was difficult. His soul seemed accustomed to keeping its "weight" contained.

But as he let go, an indescribable sense of "presence" slowly seeped out.

There was no dazzling light, no startling surge of Soul Power.

Yet the instant his soul's aura emerged—

Hummm!

The altar's entire milky-white formation shuddered!

Every line of light flared brighter, giving off a low, resonant hum.

At the altar's edge, the stone pillars carved with ancient deer totems trembled in unison. Fine runes appeared across their surfaces, akin to those of the formation yet far older.

For the first time, visible astonishment broke through Lu Xuan's ancient-well composure. His knuckles whitened slightly around the Antler Staff.

He "saw" it.

To his soul perception, Xiao Shenghe still stood there, his frame as slight as ever.

But "above" him—or rather, in another dimension overlapping his body—there seemed to lie a boundless, silent deep sea.

Its surface was calm, its depths unfathomable. The sheer "capacity" hidden below made even Lu Xuan, who had presided over countless rituals, feel faintly dizzy in his soul.

It was not the pressure of powerful Soul Power, but a pure vastness of space, as though his soul itself were an immense, boundless "Soul Ring world" waiting to be filled.

No wonder. No wonder he has only level-fifteen Soul Power, yet...

Stormy waves rose in Lu Xuan's heart. At last, he understood firsthand why the Clouded Deer Chieftain had called it "terrifying."

The very nature of this boy's soul overturns everything we know about Soul Masters!

"Second step."

Lu Xuan forced down his shock. His voice remained steady, though his words came a touch faster.

"Resonate with each other's souls. Find each other's frequency."

The altar's formation began to turn. Milky-white light washed gently over Xiao Shenghe and Lu Yao like a tide, guiding the soul auras they had released to touch and mingle.

Lu Yao's soul aura was like the liveliest, clearest mountain stream in spring, merry and full of life.

It approached Xiao Shenghe's "silent deep sea" of its own accord, curious and eager.

The instant they touched—

"Hm?"

Lu Yao made a soft sound, a trace of confusion crossing her small face.

Her soul aura had not resonated easily as it usually did when she sensed other members of her clan.

Instead, it was like a drop of water falling into the sea, instantly surrounded and absorbed by that boundless "depth" and "stillness."

There was no rejection, no resistance, but neither... did the strong ripples of resonance she expected immediately appear.

Xiao Shenghe felt it too.

He sensed a warm, lively "little stream" trying to flow into his "sea."

Instinctively, he wanted to answer it, to reach out and meet that aura. But the vast nature of his soul seemed too still, too slow to respond.

Lu Xuan frowned slightly.

Such a situation was exceedingly rare.

The heart of the Secret of Symbiosis lay in a mutual, natural attraction and resonance between souls. If one soul was too unusual or "heavy" for that resonance to arise on its own, the ritual could not continue.

"Don't try to guide it, Xiao Shenghe."

Lu Xuan's reminder came in a low voice.

"Let your soul feel her, rather than control its response.

"Lu Yao, keep releasing your spirit. Don't fear his 'depth.' Your essence is 'life,' and the power of life can seep into any stillness."

Lu Yao pressed her lips together and focused more intently. The Spirit Deer's hazy form behind her grew more solid, light flickering in its eyes.

More green motes poured out. They no longer carried only joy, but also a tenacious will to grow, like a shoot breaking through the earth.

Her soul aura no longer tried merely to "flow in." Like the roots of a vine, it reached gently but persistently into the depths of Xiao Shenghe's soul, seeking a "foothold" where it could take hold and grow alongside him.