Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

A pale blue glow streaked across the sky, its edge, increasingly hazy against the vast blue sky, revealed the young man's dragon-like hair, which roared against the wind, carving a faint scorch mark in the void.

As Kong Tianxu flew, he touched the Vast Ocean Universe Cover in his hand.

The triangular blue crystals felt slightly cool to the touch, and their surface was almost too smooth. When you ran your fingertips over them, you could hardly feel any friction, like a small piece of solidified deep-sea crystal.

Kong Tianxu probed it with a wisp of spiritual power, and the divine aura that was extremely similar to the light of the sea god immediately reacted.

It trembled slightly as if awakening from a deep sleep, and then climbed up to Kong Tianxu's spiritual power with an almost greedy desire.

Kong Tianxu decisively severed his mental energy.

In that instant, something seemed to sigh with resentment.

Immediately, the purple-gold divine seal between Kong Tianxu's eyebrows, which resembled a winding bolt of lightning, flickered slightly. In that instant, the sigh abruptly stopped as if it had been choked.

The azure brilliance of the Vast Ocean Universe Cover, resembling a scene of sea and sky, vanished instantly. The water-like patterns flowing on the surface of the crystal returned to silence, turning it into a merely pretty blue stone.

Feeling the wondrous energy of the Vast Ocean Universe Cover and the divine aura hidden within it, and confirming its authenticity, Kong Tianxu was completely relieved. The ends of a few strands of silky silver hair revealed a slightly burnt color in the sunlight.

Previously, in order to resolve the issue of how he learned Bibi Dong's secrets and used them to threaten Qian Renxue, he made a bet with Qian Daoliu.

The content is simple: if Qian Daoliu loses, he must not investigate his origins or the source of the information, nor can he make things difficult for Ye Lingling.

The fight didn't last long, but it was extremely intense. Qian Daoliu suffered a small loss, but he didn't gain much advantage either.

The six-winged angel's divine dissolving power, which had reached its ultimate state, and its ability to utilize the sun's properties were extremely troublesome. Kong Tianxu was caught off guard and had a few strands of his hair singed.

Of course, Qian Daoliu didn't fare any better. Kong Tianxu delivered a solid punch to the old man when he set the fire, using the "Transforming Force" technique, a secret skill of the Body Sect specifically designed to penetrate force.

The force of neutralizing force does not directly act on the opponent's skin or bones, but rather penetrates and lingers in the gaps between bones and soft tissues, continuously stimulating the surrounding nerve endings.

Qian Daoliu will not be able to see anyone for at least a year or two. It can be said that he has lost both substance and face.

Moreover, given Qian Daoliu's personality, since he lost the bet, he probably wouldn't make things difficult for Ye Lingling, which Kong Tianxu was relieved about.

So next—

Kong Tianxu put away the Vast Ocean Universe Cover and turned his gaze to the end of the vast ocean beneath his feet.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

A cold, divine light flashed in his eyes.

Last time, he was caught off guard and had to fight hastily. This time, it's time to let that arrogant beast know who the real prey is.

……

Hanhai City.

The sea breeze rushed in through the open windows, carrying the salty, fishy smell and the noisy sounds of people coming from the distant dock.

Ye Lingling sat by the window, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold. The aroma of the first brew had long since dissipated, leaving only a bland, astringent taste.

Her gaze wasn't fixed on the tea in her cup, but rather across the windowsill to the endless sea.

Sunlight casts its golden rays upon the sea. These golden fragments dance on the crests of the waves, then are filtered through the pale blue gauze curtains beneath the eaves, leaving only countless shimmering silver streaks. The silver light is soft and light, like countless silver threads scattered in the air by the wind, drifting and scattering, gathering and dispersing again.

It's like someone's hair flying in the wind.

I wonder how he is doing.

Judging from the fact that His Highness the Crown Prince sent me back, there shouldn't be any problem, but why haven't I heard from him at all?

As Ye Lingling thought this, her fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her skirt.

Could something have happened?

She then shook her head, dismissing the idea.

Perhaps they've already left without even saying goodbye.

Ye Lingling gave a self-deprecating smile.

Ever since Kong Tianxu met Qian Renxue that day, he sent Ye Lingling out of the Fallen Star Plane. Qian Renxue did not make things difficult for her and sent her back to Hanhai City directly.

But the time spent waiting alone was always hard to bear. Ye Lingling felt as if she had just stepped into some kind of novel life, but in the blink of an eye, everything returned to the way it was.

She thought about the name that person had told her.

Kong Tianxu.

She chewed on those three words repeatedly, like a piece of candy that had been treasured for a long time. She couldn't bear to eat it all at once, so she could only touch its outer sugar coating with the tip of her tongue again and again.

"Tianxu..."

She parted her lips slightly, her voice as soft as a breeze, and was immediately dispersed by the sea breeze blowing in from outside the window.

"Ok?"

A familiar voice rang out in front of her.

Ye Lingling suddenly raised her head, almost dropping the teacup in her hand.

The young man stood before her. Dressed in white with silver hair, he looked exactly the same as when they parted that day, as if he had simply gone out for a stroll and then returned.

The sunlight outside the window shone on him, casting a soft halo on his white clothes, making half of his figure melt into the light, as if he might disappear at any moment.

The girl's face visibly radiated light, like a flower slowly unfolding its petals in the morning light, starting from the center and spreading outwards little by little until the entire flower was bathed in that warm sunlight.

"I'm leaving."

Kong Tianxu's second sentence caused the flower that had just bloomed to slightly close its petals again.

“You’re very lucky. I found a thousand-year-old emerald swan on the road.”

With a casual toss, a swan with a pure jade-colored plumage appeared before Ye Lingling. The swan's feathers were not ordinary white, but a translucent jade color, as if carved from a single piece of the finest jade.

Its eyes were tightly closed, and its breathing was weak and intermittent, clearly on the verge of death. But even in its dying state, it still emanated a pure and chillingly powerful life force.

"The Emerald Swan is one of the top healing-type soul beasts. Its soul ring can not only greatly enhance healing abilities, but also fundamentally improve the vitality of a soul master. It is the perfect fifth soul ring for your Nine Heart Begonia. With its pure vitality and my previous purification, you will have no problem cultivating to the Soul Saint level before the age of thirty."

The light in Ye Lingling's eyes dimmed for a moment.

She seemed to want to say something; her pink lips trembled slightly, but she ultimately failed to utter a single word.

"Hmm, aren't you happy with this spirit ring?"

Kong Tianxu tilted his head and looked at her with a childlike air that was completely different from his usual image.

"Can I...can I not take it?"

Ye Lingling twitched her delicate toes, lowered her head, and dared not look him in the eye, only stealing peeks at him timidly.

Kong Tianxu seemed to realize something, and his eyes suddenly became deep and unfathomable.

He didn't say anything, he just looked at her.

Silence rose between them like the sea.

"Only a fool would refuse. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Ye Lingling suddenly smiled.

The smile came suddenly, as if someone had lit a lamp on her face. Kong Tianxu looked at her, feeling that her momentary sadness was just his imagination.

The Emerald Swan, an extremely rare soul beast, is a coveted choice for every healing-type soul master with a life attribute, and is extremely rare and highly sought after.

Ye Lingling felt that having such a soul beast as her fifth soul ring should make her extremely happy.

So she forced a smile.

But why can't I feel happy at all?

They broke through the level 50 bottleneck so quickly.

The lifespan issue that has troubled me for so many years is about to be completely resolved.

Maybe I was too greedy.

She wanted to talk to Kong Tian about Xiao Hei. She wanted to tell him that although Xiao Hei looked scary, it was actually very timid, like a paper tiger. She simply reached out and touched its ears, and it froze, then nuzzled its big head into her hand like a kitten.

She wanted to ask him if he was really only eighteen years old, as he and Qian Renxue had said. How could an eighteen-year-old have such a look in his eyes?

Is he from another world? How can he have so many amazing abilities?

There are so many more things I want to say.

She had mentally rehearsed these words countless times, like beads strung together, neatly arranged, just waiting for him to return so she could tell them to him one by one.

But when he actually stood in front of her, the beads scattered all over the ground as if a string had broken. She couldn't pick up a single one.

She understood. Kong Tianxu had come back specifically to see her, bringing with him something that could completely resolve the problem of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul; he must have come to say goodbye.

For a fleeting moment, she even felt the urge to refuse this life-saving medicine. If she didn't want the jade swan, if her Nine-Heart Begonia problem remained unresolved, would he stay longer? Would he return to help her find another solution?

Even staying just one more day would be nice. Even just coming here one more time would be nice.

But people from different worlds always have to part ways. I just never expected that day to come so soon.

Too fast, just one day, not even enough to finish a cherished dream.

But Ye Lingling wasn't the kind of child who would act willfully, so this time, she simply accepted the jade swan happily and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

He revealed a smile that was even uglier than crying.

My eyes feel heavy and sore, as if something is gathering in my eye sockets.

Seemingly realizing her abnormality, Ye Lingling raised her hand and rubbed her face vigorously.

The moment the warmth of her palm touched her cheek, she forcefully rubbed away the tears that were about to overflow, turning them into a barely perceptible wetness at the corner of her eye.

She lowered her hand, and her smile returned to its sweetness.

Judging from her miraculous experience in the Fallen Star Plane, she had a vague sense of Kong Tianxu's alienation from this world. He was destined to be a passerby, so she only asked that last question.

Let's end it here.

Asking that question was already her biggest act of rebellion; she had rehearsed that monologue countless times in her mind, but in the end, she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

But this time, an echo suddenly came:

"I am indeed only eighteen years old. I come from another world."

Kong Tianxu's voice seemed to come from near and then fade away, as if he was carefully choosing his words, or perhaps recalling something.

"Hakimi, which is what you call Little Black, was originally a tiger. It's just a bit timid now, probably because it was a cat reincarnated into the wrong body."

Ye Lingling suddenly raised her head, tears streaming down her face.