Douluo Continent: The Eternal Dawn

Chapter 41 The Unfulfilled Marriage
Given Ling Luochen's personality, she has always been averse to direct physical contact with the opposite sex. Furthermore, her relationship with Ma Xiaotao is strained, so it seems she has no other choice but to ultimately choose Ye Xixuan.

However, everyone could clearly sense a difference in her attitude towards Ye Xixuan.

"Could it be that Zifeng was right? Besides their family ties, is there some other secret between Xixuan and Luochen that no one knows about?" Gongyang Mo's peach blossom eyes gleamed with an unusual light as he gracefully rested his chin on his hand, looking back and forth between Ye Xixuan and Ling Luochen.

The content of this secret is not hard to guess; it is probably related to a marriage alliance between the two families.

Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan stared in astonishment, finding it hard to believe that Ling Luochen would say such a thing.

The two families may be on good terms, but that shouldn't have caused such a drastic change in Ling Luochen.

Yao Haoxuan, in particular, was completely numb. His last remaining illusions seemed to shatter instantly, and he lowered his head again with a dim gaze.

Although Ye Xixuan was somewhat puzzled by Ling Luochen's special attitude towards him, he readily agreed. Whether it was due to the connection between their families or because Ling Luochen had kindly offered to take him along earlier.

His unique childhood experiences shaped his personality. He remembers kindness shown to him and sincerely reciprocates in return.

"Senior Ling, then I'll show you around."

"Hmm." Ling Luochen maintained her indifferent expression, nodding slightly in response, revealing nothing of her thoughts.

Even Dai Yueheng, who hadn't paid much attention before, couldn't help but give Ling Luochen a strange look.

A subtle smile curved Ma Xiaotao's lips, and she smacked her lips meaningfully.

"Now that everyone has made their assignments, let's hurry up and set off. We can rest once we've entered the heart of the Star Luo Empire." As she spoke, she unleashed her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. Her third Soul Skill, Phoenix Wing Soaring, activated, and magnificent fiery wings unfurled behind her.

With a sudden swing, her figure rose into the air. The scorching heat seemed to distort the surrounding space.

With a light touch of her toes, Xixi nestled into Ma Xiaotao's arms.

Ma Xiaotao lifted Xixi up with her arms, and her 'domineering' appearance immediately caught Gongyang Mo's eye.

"As expected of Little Peach, she's much tougher than all of you men."

"Never mind how tough we are. Enough talk, just release your martial spirit."

Hearing Gongyang Mo's words, Chen Zifeng began to regret his actions and urged him impatiently. As for Yao Haoxuan, he had already felt like he had shot himself in the foot when Ling Luochen suggested that Ye Xixuan take him along.

Gongyang Mo sighed wistfully, but his movements were swift. Behind him, a pair of large wings appeared, their feathers displaying a rainbow of colors. The crimson on his back extended to the purple at the wingtips. The seven colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—were crystal clear, their breathtaking beauty surpassing even Ma Xiaotao's phoenix wings.

At this moment, Gongyang Mo's long hair also turned into the same seven colors. His legs became thicker, and seven-colored scales grew on his calves and ankles, while his feet transformed into something resembling dragon claws.

It's called a dragon claw, but it lacks the domineering and powerful nature of the Beibei Bright Holy Dragon Claw. Instead, it's more like the sharp claw of a bird-like soul beast, long and powerful.

Amidst Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan's exclamations, Gongyang Mo lunged forward, like a bird-like spirit beast catching its prey, grabbing their shoulders with its sharp claws and soaring upwards to catch up with Ma Xiaotao and Xixi ahead.

Yao Haoxuan curled up his small body again, and said to Chen Zifeng, who was also in the same predicament, with a bitter face: "Why do I feel that being carried by Gongyang Mo is even less safe than using a flying soul tool? When we get back to the academy, I'd better learn how to use a flying soul tool properly."

"Count me in too." Chen Zifeng was no longer as averse to soul tools as before. Regardless of whether flying soul tools were safe or not, at least his life was still in his own hands.

Dai Yueheng followed closely behind, and before using his flying soul tool to ascend into the air, he kindly reminded Ye Xixuan, "Xixuan, you guys should hurry up and catch up too."

"Yes, Senior Dai." Ye Xixuan readily agreed, but when he actually faced Ling Luochen, he was at a loss.

He wondered if, given his current relationship with Ling Luochen, the way Ma Xiaotao was embracing Xixi was a bit inappropriate.

Just then, Ling Luochen spoke again, his expression still blank as he uttered a startling statement.

"hold me."

"Oh, oh." Ye Xixuan reacted and subconsciously responded. Looking at Ling Luochen's cold, icy blue eyes, which were like ten thousand years of ice, he quickly picked him up and carried him around the waist. The Fallen Wings, which shimmered with black and purple light, condensed behind him and were engraved with many obscure and complicated patterns.

This is the core magic array for compressing soul power in a level four flying soul tool. It is imprinted on the Fallen Wings through the first soul skill, Shadow Condensation, which is equivalent to giving his flight speed the boost of a level four flying soul tool.

Ye Xixuan, with Ling Luochen in his arms, overtook Gongyang Mo and Dai Yueheng, quickly surpassing Ma Xiaotao, who had the cultivation of a Soul Emperor.

His Fallen Wings weren't as stunningly beautiful as Gongyang Mo's Rainbow Dragon Martial Soul Wings, nor as dazzling as Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Wings, but their eerie and restrained nature gave them a profound and unfathomable quality.

The feathers on the Fallen Wings appear to be carved from obsidian, each texture like a perfect work of art.

Ling Luochen stretched out her jade-like arms and wrapped them around Ye Xixuan's neck, her long black hair, mixed with a few strands of dark blue, fluttering in the wind. The smooth hair perfectly obscured Ye Xixuan's vision, but what he didn't see was that Ling Luochen's cold eyes revealed a hint of warmth, as if ice and snow were melting.

The Ling family is a long-established family of Soul Masters, and among the younger generation, she and her brother, who is six years younger than her, are the most talented. The family has high hopes for the siblings.

Ling Luochen's dazed gaze seemed to drift back to four years ago.

She was thirteen years old that year.

Lingbo City is shrouded in ice and snow all year round. Because it is close to the Arctic Ocean, the moist air makes the snowflakes falling from the sky soft.

Her younger brother had recently been taken by an elder of the family to the far north to hunt soul beasts, while she learned of another piece of great news for the family in her own courtyard.

The Ye family of Tianling City, who have been on good terms with the Ling family for generations, produced a direct descendant genius with innate full soul power.

This was the information that others in the Ling family knew publicly, but Ling Luochen heard a different version from her grandfather, who was the head of the family.

A mutated martial soul with innate full soul power and extreme dark attributes. Furthermore, the two families have already verbally agreed to arrange their marriage.

Looking up at the glistening snowflakes, Ling Luochen's clear eyes reflected their graceful dance. She didn't feel any aversion to them. Having enjoyed the family's resources since childhood, she felt it was only right to give back.

Although she had only met the little guy who was seven years younger than her once a few years ago, she had already accepted the outcome in her heart.

However, a change occurred on that day.

The Ye family was wiped out for no reason, and her younger brother also encountered an extremely powerful soul beast while hunting soul beasts and perished in the far north.

(End of this chapter)