The thirteen of them slowly followed the winding, rugged mountain path deeper into the Heavenly Wind Mountain Range. The farther they went, the denser the towering ancient trees became. Their canopies blotted out the sky and sun, cutting the sunlight into scattered fragments and making the forest increasingly dim and oppressive. Years of dead branches and fallen leaves lay thick on the ground, soft and springy underfoot. Every step made a rustling sound that stood out with particular clarity in the deathly silent mountain forest.
At a fork in the path, Feng Xiaotian stopped. His gaze flashed like lightning as it swept over the others behind him, and he said gravely, "From here on, we split into two teams. Together, we make too large a target and could easily disturb high-level Soul Beasts. I'll take one team north. Lingtian will take the other south. We must return here before sunset to regroup."
As soon as he finished speaking, he swiftly selected those who would go north: Lu Hanxiao, Jiang Lin, Lu Qing, Cheng Luo, Ye Qingyu, and Su Ran.
Before they left, Feng Xiaotian looked at Feng Lingtian, his tone serious. "Lingtian, look after your team. You must return here before dark."
Feng Lingtian nodded, his expression composed. "Understood, Brother. Be careful yourselves." With that, he turned and led the remaining five straight into the dense forest to the south. Feng Xiaotian stood where he was until their figures had vanished completely into the deep shadows of the trees. Only then did he withdraw his gaze and give a low command. "We're moving out too."
The seven swiftly adjusted their formation and headed north. Feng Xiaotian led the way, clearing a path, while Lu Hanxiao and Jiang Lin tacitly took up positions on either flank to keep watch. The others stayed in the middle, ready to provide support.
After roughly an hour of walking, Lu Hanxiao, who had been on the flank all along, suddenly slowed. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze shooting like a hawk's into the depths of the forest on the right. Feng Xiaotian keenly noticed this and immediately raised a hand to halt the team. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Found something?"
Lu Hanxiao gave a slight nod. His Snowy Owl Martial Soul gave him a natural advantage in perception within the forest. "A Night Shadow Falcon. Over there, in the hollow of a dead tree."
Feng Xiaotian followed his gaze. An old, dead tree leaned amid a pile of rocks, a pitch-black hollow in its trunk. "Can you lock onto it?"
"Already have. It's resting, but Night Shadow Falcons have sharp senses. It'll wake if we come within fifty paces."
Feng Xiaotian turned to Jiang Lin, noticing the pale golden light flowing through his pupils. "What can you see?"
Jiang Lin was silent for a breath. "There's more than one. I saw a chick deeper inside the hollow. Its presence is almost completely concealed."
After sensing again, Lu Hanxiao's expression changed. "There really are two... The little one's fluctuations were too weak. I missed them."
"How old is the adult?" Feng Xiaotian asked Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin's pupils contracted slightly. "Around eight hundred and fifty years."
Feng Xiaotian quickly judged that this adult was just right for Lu Hanxiao. "We wait. Night Shadow Falcons are most active around dusk. Wait for it to leave the nest."
They spread out and concealed themselves. Ye Qingyu leaned behind a large tree, holding the simple, antique zither tightly in her arms, her expression somewhat nervous. Su Ran crouched beside her, conjured a pastry in his palm, and offered it to her. "Have something to eat. Don't be so nervous." Ye Qingyu accepted it and softly thanked him.
As the sun sank westward, a faint fluttering came from the direction of the dead tree. The Night Shadow Falcon spread its wings and flew out.
"Move!" Feng Xiaotian commanded in a low voice.
Lu Hanxiao drew a deep breath. Without a pause in his stride, he shot toward the Night Shadow Falcon like an arrow loosed from a bow. He moved so fast that he left a faint afterimage where he had stood.
The instant he moved, clear, ringing zither notes sounded behind him.
The sound was not loud, yet it was exceptionally clear, like a bead of ice falling onto a jade platter, instantly piercing the noise of the forest. Ye Qingyu held the simple, antique zither, her fingertips gently plucking its strings. There were no dazzling lights or elaborate melodies, only a single simple, pure note that she played over and over.
That note was like an invisible barrier, shutting out the wind, the rustling leaves, and even the Night Shadow Falcon's shrieks within three feet of Lu Hanxiao.
Lu Hanxiao felt his world fall quiet all at once. His mind was more focused than ever. All he could see was the Night Shadow Falcon beating its wings and the single opening in its defenses.
The Night Shadow Falcon reacted extremely quickly, dodging the surprise attack while flinging out several wind blades. Just as the blades were about to strike, blue light blazed in Jiang Lin's eyes. He unleashed his first Soul Skill, Soul Impact, and the Night Shadow Falcon instantly went rigid.
Feng Xiaotian activated Gale Flash Step, sealing off its retreat, with Cheng Luo's Wind-Binding Vine and Lu Qing's Wind Scythe close behind. Caught by their control, the Night Shadow Falcon fled blindly, running straight into Lu Hanxiao's trap. The deep-blue dagger in Lu Hanxiao's hand traced a perfect arc and pierced precisely into the side of its neck.
The entire sequence flowed in one unbroken motion, without the slightest drag or hesitation.
The Night Shadow Falcon fell, and a deep yellow Soul Ring rose. Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Hanxiao sat cross-legged, first taking a bottle of Foundation-Fortifying and Essence-Nurturing Powder from inside his robes and tipping his head back to swallow it in one gulp. Its medicinal potency instantly dissolved in his abdomen, protecting his heart meridians. Immediately afterward, he drew the Soul Ring into his body.
A short while later, he opened his eyes, a gleam flashing in their depths. His second Soul Skill, Night Owl Gaze, had successfully fused.
Lu Hanxiao stood and returned to the group. Feng Xiaotian glanced at him, the corner of his mouth moving slightly in acknowledgment.
Then Feng Xiaotian's gaze swept toward the dead tree. Deep inside the hollow, the Night Shadow Falcon chick was poking half its head out, giving faint, frightened cries. In this forest where danger lurked on every side, it might not survive the night.
Feng Xiaotian's eyes were calm and unruffled, holding neither pity nor cruelty, only the detachment of someone accustomed to life and death. In the world of Soul Masters, such cruelty played out every day. Whether Soul Beast or Soul Master, anyone who wanted to survive could ultimately rely only on themselves.
Feng Xiaotian said nothing. He merely turned in silence, his back conveying an unquestionable resolve.
"Let's go."
The team continued north. After passing through a dense stretch of forest, the terrain ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a meadow filled with pale purple wildflowers. At its far end stood a low cliff, where a flock of small gray birds roosted on the rock face. They were much smaller than the Night Shadow Falcon, with pale cyan markings along the edges of their feathers. They were Echo Sparrows.
Feng Xiaotian looked at Ye Qingyu. She walked to the edge of the meadow, sat cross-legged, and laid the zither across her knees. Rather than act immediately, she merely plucked a string gently. An exceedingly soft note rippled outward, like a drop of water falling onto a still lake. The flock of Echo Sparrows stirred on the cliff face. The largest raised its head, its golden eyes turning toward Ye Qingyu.
Ye Qingyu plucked the strings again. This time, there were two notes, one high and one low, like a question and an answer. The Echo Sparrow tilted its head, then suddenly opened its beak and let out a clear chirp. Its pitch was exactly the same as Ye Qingyu's zither notes.
The corners of Ye Qingyu's mouth curved slightly. Her fingers gently plucked the strings, and a flowing sequence of notes streamed from her fingertips. The Echo Sparrow spread its wings and took flight, circled once in the air, and began answering her zither with its own calls. One human and one bird conversed through notes.
Zither notes and birdsong intertwined, rising ever higher and brighter. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Ye Qingyu's forehead, but her fingers did not stop. Finally, the Echo Sparrow gave a long, lingering call, its body slowly descending from the air to land on the grass before her.
A deep yellow Soul Ring rose from the Echo Sparrow's body. Ye Qingyu gently exhaled, took out some Foundation-Fortifying and Essence-Nurturing Powder and swallowed it, then guided the Soul Ring into her body. A short while later, she opened her eyes. Her second Soul Skill, Echo Amplification.
Ye Qingyu looked down at the ordinary ancient zither in her arms. She gently plucked a string, sending an exceedingly soft note rippling outward. Then she raised her right hand, and a ball of pale cyan light appeared in her palm. The light gathered, gradually taking the shape of a zither. Its body was grayish cyan, its ends curved slightly upward, and its strings were as fine as hair, shimmering with faint cyan light. This was her Martial Soul, the Wind Zither.
Ye Qingyu rested her fingers on the strings and gently plucked one. An exceedingly soft note rippled outward, cleaner and clearer than any she had just played on the ordinary zither.
Ye Qingyu withdrew the Wind Zither and stood. Su Ran stood beside her, watching her draw the Wind Zither back into her body. The corners of his mouth curved slightly. "You won't have to carry a zither on your back anymore."
Ye Qingyu nodded once, her voice very soft but carrying an unprecedented ease. "Mm. Not anymore."
Feng Xiaotian stood a short distance away, watching the scene. He said nothing, merely turning and sweeping his gaze over the remaining team members.
Feng Xiaotian's gaze settled on Jiang Lin. Jiang Lin stood motionless at the edge of the meadow, his light brown eyes fixed on the far side of the low cliff. He had held that same posture for some time.
Feng Xiaotian was about to ask when Jiang Lin suddenly spoke. "It's noticed me."
Feng Xiaotian froze for a moment. "What?"
Jiang Lin did not answer. Within his pupils, that layer of pale golden light suddenly blazed like two miniature suns. Then he stepped forward, heading toward that unexplored patch of bushes.