Chapter 76: News on the Third Soul Skill's Soul Beast
"Alright, since everything's settled, let's drop this topic for now."
Guang Ling took the initiative to end the relatively heavy conversation and turned to the three of them.
"This afternoon, I'll make a trip back to Tian Dou City to see if there's any news about the soul beast Xiao Li wanted."
"You stay here to protect them, stabilize your cultivation, and also do some psychological counseling for your granddaughter. Otherwise, things might get chaotic when the time comes."
At this point, he paused briefly, discreetly glancing at Han Li before continuing:
"Besides, the soul ring enhancing elixir for her should have arrived. Let Xiao Li guide her in taking it. Strengthening her as much as possible before the martial soul evolution will increase her chances of success."
Han Li understood Guang Ling's meaning and nodded. He had planned to bring this up anyway, and since his master mentioned it, he might as well go along with it.
"Then I'll have to trouble you. Rest assured, with me here, nothing will happen to these two kids."
A hint of gratitude flashed across Dugu Bo's face.
Guang Ling waved his hand dismissively, quickly changing the subject. He had heard too many similar words in the past few days and was practically immune to them by now.
That afternoon, after seeing Han Li enter a meditative state, Guang Ling exchanged a few words with Dugu Bo before soaring into the sky, heading toward Tian Dou City.
Tian Dou City, Spirit Hall
Disguised in a different outfit and carrying Salas' token, Guang Ling made his way unimpeded to the latter's office.
"Your Excellency, we have a lead on the soul beast you asked me to investigate."
As soon as Salas saw Guang Ling, he immediately got up to greet him, delivering the news without delay.
"Oh? Tell me, what kind of soul beast is it, and what are the details?"
Guang Ling didn't bother with pleasantries and casually found a seat before looking over at Salas expectantly.
"It was indeed difficult to find a soul beast that met your conditions. However, I mobilized all our personnel to search through related records. Coincidentally, just yesterday, while reviewing documents, I came across a soul beast that fits the criteria."
Salas wasted no time in highlighting the effort it took before respectfully presenting a piece of paper.
"Here is the relevant information. Please take a look and see if it meets your expectations."
Guang Ling took the paper while completely ignoring Salas' attempts to emphasize the hardship of the search.
"Azure Shadow Divine Eagle? This name sounds familiar… where have I heard it before?"
He muttered to himself while scanning the document.
"The Azure Shadow Divine Eagle is the fastest among eagle type soul beasts. It possesses extreme speed and razor sharp claws capable of delivering lethal strikes. Additionally, it can alter its body mass to further enhance its flight speed. Moreover, this species has a tracking ability once its prey is marked, no matter how fast the target is, escape is nearly impossible."
"Incredible speed, mass alteration… a wind type soul beast, huh?"
Guang Ling smacked his forehead as the memory surfaced his senior brother, Qing Luan, had mentioned encountering an Azure Shadow Divine Eagle during a soul hunt long ago. But since he had failed to recognize it in time, the eagle had escaped, something he regretted for years.
Whether it was speed or mass manipulation, these traits suited Xiao Li perfectly.
As for the wind attribute, it wasn't an issue. It wouldn't clash with his existing elements, though integrating it into his martial soul might be a challenge.
"Perfect, we'll go with this one. Have you pinpointed its activity range yet?"
Guang Ling put away the document, clearly satisfied with the choice.
"That… not yet."
Salas cautiously replied before hastily adding, "However, I have already dispatched messages to our personnel. The last sighting was in Star Dou Forest, roughly half a month ago. Due to its extreme speed, it quickly vanished from sight. But if we're only confirming its general range, I estimate we can locate it within ten days no, one week should be enough."
Salas deliberately shortened the timeframe, intending to immediately offer generous rewards to incentivize his intelligence network.
Guang Ling saw through his thoughts and waved a hand. "No need to rush. As long as there's news within half a month, that's fine. Don't send people too deep into dangerous areas just because of my request there's no need for unnecessary casualties."
"Understood, Your Excellency."
Hearing Guang Ling's words, Salas secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He, too, preferred avoiding unnecessary losses among his subordinates.
"By the way, has Her Highness had any noteworthy movements lately?"
Guang Ling suddenly shifted the topic.
"Movements? Nothing out of the ordinary. If anything, she was absent from political duties for one day, citing health reasons. However, upon investigation, it turned out that she had made a breakthrough. She has used this excuse in the past whenever she focused on cultivation, so it's nothing unusual she resumed normal activities the following day."
Salas diligently reported, understanding that Guang Ling and Qian Renxue seemed to share a close relationship.
"She had a breakthrough?"
A faint smile appeared on Guang Ling's face Qian Renxue had likely absorbed the immortal herb by now.
"Alright, I'm leaving. Keep an eye on the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle's whereabouts. I'll return in half a month."
Guang Ling got up and walked toward the door.
"Oh, right. Make sure the intelligence personnel only observe and track the soul beast do not alarm it."
Before stepping out, he turned back to give an additional instruction.
"Understood, Your Excellency. I will ensure your orders are carried out."
Salas bowed respectfully as Guang Ling swiftly disappeared.
Back at Sunset Forest
Guang Ling was in a great mood after securing news on Han Li's soul beast. Even his flight speed back to the Sunset Forest was noticeably faster than usual.
"Xiao Li, Xiao Li, come out! There's news about your third soul ring!"
As soon as Guang Ling landed in the valley of the Yin Yang Ice and Fire Eyes, he shouted in the direction of Han Li's training chamber.
Hearing the familiar voice, Han Li exited his meditation, stood up, and pulled aside the vines covering the cave entrance, stepping out with a hint of helplessness on his face.
Good thing this was Douluo Continent, where there was no concept of going into qi deviation or suffering internal injuries due to abrupt interruptions. Soul power circulated through wide meridians, allowing one to stop at will.
Otherwise, with how his master operated, in any other world, he'd have suffered internal backlash, meridian rupture, and a bloody demise.
"Master, what kind of soul beast is it?"
Han Li approached Guang Ling, looking at his delighted expression.
"Here, take a look for yourself. I think it suits you well. Even your senior brother Qing Luan couldn't catch one back in the day."
Guang Ling retrieved the document from his storage belt and handed it over.
"Azure Shadow Divine Eagle?"
Just reading the name, Han Li felt a vague sense of familiarity.
He took a deep breath and continued reading until he had finished the entire document, then nodded.
He remembered now there had been a "Skyhawk Douluo" in later generations, known for having speed that could rival a Rank 99 Title Douluo despite only being at Rank 97. However, he hadn't followed up on the details, so his impression wasn't very strong.
But just based on the information in the document, he was already intrigued.
(End of Chapter.)
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