"How do you feel?" Su Cheng, turning around, looked at the no longer illusory A Yin and asked.
Even he, relying solely on his naked eyes and spiritual power, without using the connection of his domain and the Eye of True Sight, would find it difficult to perceive that she was not a real human.
A Yin had now conjured a blue-gold palace dress with her soul power, covering her entire body and showcasing her tall and perfect figure.
After her soul completely merged with this body, the original physical form, which had no concrete appearance, had now become indistinguishable from her.
Her long blue-gold hair cascaded to her waist, her fair face was flawless, and her unusual blue eyes shimmered like gentle waves.
Su Cheng was slightly taken aback.
The now materialized A Yin was even more beautiful than before.
While her soul form was beautiful, it had an unreal, ethereal quality, like a figure in a painting, always lacking vitality.
But now she was indistinguishable from a real person. Every smile and frown carried a unique charm.
"So weak..."
Ah Yin replied softly after hearing Su Cheng's question.
Her words seemed dissatisfied, but her face was already full of smiles.
She hadn't been this happy in a long time.
This feeling of regaining a body filled her with a mix of emotions that were hard to describe.
Especially after truly dying once, she could appreciate its preciousness even more.
Before this, she had never thought that she could be resurrected.
The so-called "immortality" of the Blue Silver Emperor was only due to the characteristics of its race's emperor and its extremely strong vitality, making it difficult for her to be killed by external forces.
But the skill of sacrifice was about giving up all life and soul, which was "suicide."
She had never sacrificed before, and she never thought that she could survive.
"This is not bad." Su Cheng glanced at her after hearing this, his voice somewhat helpless.
"You can't expect me to unravel all your muscle tissue and acupoints. I wouldn't be human, I'd be a god. Be grateful this body can maintain basic balance; at least you're a normal person with all four limbs intact."
Ah Yin looked up at him, her face earnest, and said, "Thank you, Su Cheng."
"No need. I told you, you've helped me a lot these past few days, this is your due reward. Besides, your materialized body is also very beneficial to me."
Su Cheng waved his hand.
He could now clearly feel that his domain had an independent center, no longer entirely based on his martial soul.
In other words, even without using his martial soul, he could perfectly unleash the Five Elements Domain.
Hearing his answer, Ah Yin pursed her lips but said nothing more.
She lowered her head, silently sensing her new body.
"You can feel it, right?" Su Cheng looked her up and down.
"As long as you are within the domain, you can freely change your form of existence, and you also possess the characteristic of 'immortality.' This physical body is essentially composed of my blood and the essence of plants. My blood resides within my martial soul, while the essence of plants is connected to the foundation of the domain, allowing me to switch freely between the real and the illusory."
Ah Yin nodded.
Moreover, she could feel that her current body could grow and strengthen together with Su Cheng's domain.
She glanced again at the silently swaying Blue Silver Emperor seedling in the distance.
"Your true body can just grow slowly here. However, your existence is no longer constrained by your true body. If that seedling matures in the future, I can try to make it into an avatar for you."
Su Cheng followed her gaze and casually explained.
Then he stepped out of the valley. "Let's go, let's go out and take a look." As they approached
the vicinity of Heaven Dou City, Ah Yin's figure shifted slightly, preparing to hide herself again as before.
But Su Cheng stopped her.
"I'll be staying at the academy for the next while. Now that you have a body, you can go out and explore on your own."
He gazed at the bustling, wide streets of Heaven Dou City in the distance.
"As long as you avoid the Spirit Temple, the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, and the Royal Academy, your true form shouldn't be discovered.
"Even if you encounter danger, it won't be a big deal. While you won't be able to regenerate without damage like you would in my domain, your life won't be in danger. Your soul core will still reside within the Longevity Sword.
"At that point, I'll just need to bleed a little more and collect some herbal essence.
"Also, if you die outside, your soul will be as weak as it was when you first awakened a little over a year ago." Upon hearing this
, Ah Yin paused for a moment, then fell silent, her expression hesitant.
She naturally had much curiosity about the world, but even more so, she feared humanity and the unknown.
In the period between her initial human form and her sacrifice, her life consisted mostly of travel and adventure, with little interaction with strangers. After a moment's
thought, she turned her gaze to Su Cheng, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something.
Su Cheng, observing her expression, interrupted her before she could speak.
"Don't expect me to accompany you. I have my own things to do. Besides, you always hide behind others; without experiencing things firsthand, you'll never understand many things."
"Then go ahead and do your thing. I don't want to experience anything. Just let me return to your martial soul," Ah Yin
said softly, lowering her head. Su Cheng didn't speak immediately, but stopped and stared at her.
Only when she seemed slightly uncomfortable did he suddenly say, "Actually, I admire you very much. "
Ah Yin was taken aback by his words. "
Although I don't think Tang Hao is worth sacrificing your life for, that kind of courage to face death is not something everyone possesses. No, it should be said that very few people have that kind of courage."
Su Cheng's tone became unusually serious at this moment.
"Knowing that death is inevitable, yet daring to make a sacrifice. Whatever your reasons for doing so, you deserve my admiration. There is great terror between life and death; without fear, there is no courage. All of Tang Hao's past actions were simply due to his recklessness and ignorance, but you are different; you are truly brave.
"To be honest, I don't know if, in your place, when I faced a similar situation, and had the option to escape, I would dare to face death for the sake of my beliefs."
As they spoke, a phantom of a sword aura rose behind Su Cheng.
In an instant, a terrifying shadow seemed to loom over A Yin's heart.
The image of her death flashed repeatedly in her mind.
"Did you feel it?"
Su Cheng glanced at A Yin, whose face had turned pale.
"This is my sword intent, capable of igniting fear in the hearts of sentient beings. It is precisely because I understand the power of fear that I understand the preciousness of courage even more. I hope you haven't lost your courage because of your past death."
A Yin stared blankly at Su Cheng.
His voice echoed repeatedly in her heart.
After a long while, her eyelids lowered slightly, her gaze seemingly evasive.
She whispered, "Is that how you see me?"
"Do you think I need to flatter you?" Su Cheng withdrew his sword intent and said calmly.
"I also hope that you won't become a coward like Tang Hao, only daring to seek refuge under the protection of others."
"Don't spout your nonsense anymore." A Yin's face darkened, and she whispered.
She was somewhat afraid to hear Su Cheng's words.
Whenever the other person mentioned these things to her, it would unconsciously shake her beliefs.
Most terrifyingly, she found herself increasingly unable to refute their statements.
It was like a sharp scalpel hanging over her heart, slowly carving away the marks of the past.
Lies never hurt; only the truth is the sharp blade.
Heaven Dou Imperial City, Spirit Temple.
This was the second most powerful institution under the Spirit Temple's administrative system, second only to the Papal Palace in Spirit City, and only located in the capitals of the two great empires.
But today, all the high-ranking members of the Spirit Temple, led by Platinum Bishop Salas, stood quietly waiting in the hall.
At the same time, countless guards patrolled outside the hall, suspending all services related to spirit masters.
He wore a formal suit he rarely wore. His bright red robe was clean and tidy, and a five-pointed platinum crown, signifying his status, was worn on his head.
His slender frame stood straight like a javelin, his face serious. His usually drowsy eyes were now gleaming with a sharp light, showing no trace of their usual dullness.
As the Hall Master of the Spirit Temple in Heaven Dou City, Platinum Bishop Salas's rank in terms of authority was second only to the Pope.
His actions today puzzled many in the Spirit Temple, who secretly wondered if the Pope himself had arrived.
To most, even an ordinary elder wouldn't warrant such a grand display.
After all, while the elders of the Spirit Temple were powerful, they held little real power, and their status within the Spirit Temple system was no higher than that of the Platinum Bishop.
Not long after, the person Salas was waiting for arrived.
A young man dressed in a black crown robe strode into the hall, followed by two powerful figures dressed as Spirit Temple elders.
His appearance was merely handsome, only above average in a crowd.
But he possessed a certain indescribable, special aura.
Despite his gentle smile, he inspired a sense of unease.
Like a satiated tiger roaming a dense forest, his languid demeanor instilled fear.
"Peerless Bishop Salas of the Spirit Hall greets Your Highness,"
Salas said, bowing slightly as he entered.
While few in the lower ranks of the Spirit Hall knew of this man's existence, Salas was clearly not among them.
As a powerful Platinum Bishop, he held considerable influence in Spirit City.
This young man, though currently without official rank, was a descendant of the Angel Clan, a direct descendant of Qian Daoliu, destined for greatness.
Salas, a high-ranking member of the Spirit Hall whose strength had already reached its peak, couldn't afford to be overly concerned.
The young man nodded slightly in return, smiling calmly, "Bishop Salas, there's no need for such formality. I'm here on personal business; please disperse."
After everyone left, Salas led him to a relatively private meeting room, followed closely by two elders.
"Your Highness, what brings you to Heaven Dou City?"
Salas asked, a hint of unease in his voice.
Over the years in Heaven Dou City, while he hadn't broken any major rules, he'd done a number of questionable things, and he worried the man was investigating him.
However, the young man seemed unconcerned about such minor matters.
After taking a sip of his tea, he said, "I'm going to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy later, so I'll stay here for a while. Visiting under the name of the Spirit Hall will be easier. Otherwise, if we're turned away, it would be a laughingstock."
Salas secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed, "No problem."
He then looked at the two Spirit Hall elders, both at the Title Douluo level.
His tone was slightly hesitant, "However, these two elders…"
If the Spirit Hall's Title Douluos were to also enter the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the commotion would be too great.
That place was a gathering place for many noble children, the apple of the Heaven Dou royal family's eye.
Adding to the events of Xue Qinghe a few years ago, the royal family is now like a frightened bird. If these two go together, it's uncertain how much of a chain reaction it will cause.
The young man saw his predicament and said calmly, "They can stay here for now; I'll go by myself later."
Salas quickly stopped him, "How can that be? Your Highness's status is noble; it would be disrespectful to go alone. I will accompany you."
The young man thought for a moment and didn't refuse, nodding, "That's fine then. I'll trouble Your Highness."
====================
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