After flying around for a while, Dugu Yan still felt unsatisfied. She directly opened the balcony window and shot into the sky, soaring higher and higher, spiraling and gliding freely through the air.
"Watch your soul power consumption!"
"Got it!"
After calling out the reminder to Dugu Yan, Xu Yang sat back down at his desk, pulling out a stack of metal materials. These weren't the usual greenish metals but a pale blue alloy. A carving knife materialized in his hand, and he got to work.
Having succeeded once already, the crafting process this time was significantly easier. Four years of practice had made his hands steady and precise. His control over soul power had also improved, allowing him to compress it with ease. Engraving soul power circuits into metal was no longer a challenge.
Aside from the control core stored in the backpack, the most important part of the Windchime Wings was the metallic feathers. In order for the wings to achieve true flight, at least 1,500 of these feathers were required.
Not only did Xu Yang need to cut the metal into feather shapes, but he also had to hollow out the central shafts, mimicking the structure of real feathers. Inside each, he carved delicate soul power circuits designed to control airflow.
With swift precision, Xu Yang's carving knife glided over the metal, and soon, faint outlines of fifty feathers appeared on the blue metal sheet. The blade was incredibly sharp—one smooth motion was all it took to slice the metal.
After making the initial cuts, Xu Yang's carving knife morphed into a long, fine tip. He inserted it right into the center of the feather shafts…
…
In just ten minutes, he completed seven metallic feathers—averaging just over a minute per piece. The speed was impressive.
"Xu Yang! These Windchime Wings are mine now!"
At that moment, Dugu Yan flew in from the balcony, loudly declaring her claim. She was absolutely thrilled with the wings—the exhilarating freedom of flying through the sky had her completely hooked.
Xu Yang didn't respond. He simply waved his hand to show he understood.
He had anticipated this outcome even before he started making the wings. Ever since Dugu Bo had become friends with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, there had been much more contact between the two factions. During school breaks, Dugu Yan often tagged along with Xu Yang to visit the clan.
These days, Dugu Yan was very close with Xu Yang—and even closer with Ning Rongrong.
You could say they were kindred spirits, both with mischievous personalities. Together, they often tormented the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan disciples to the brink of emotional breakdown.
That was precisely why Xu Yang didn't mind Dugu Yan taking the wings—he immediately sat back down to craft a new set. This one was intended as a gift for Ning Rongrong. In just half a month, her Martial Soul Awakening would take place. As her senior brother, he wanted to prepare something meaningful.
Dugu Yan stowed the Windchime Wings into her storage ring and walked over to sit beside Xu Yang. In a soft voice, she asked,
"Xu Yang, can I go soul hunting with you this time?"
"I don't mind… but Senior Dugu might…"
Xu Yang paused, slightly hesitant. All of Dugu Yan's soul rings had been meticulously selected by that old monster himself. Most likely, he'd be taking her on another hunt this time too. Meanwhile, Xu Yang was planning to head to the Star Dou Great Forest with Ning Haiyan, so their paths might not align.
In the world of Douluo, people typically hunted for soul rings in one of the three major soul beast territories simply because of the sheer number of beasts found there—it didn't mean those were the only options. For example, Dugu Yan's upcoming destination was a poisonous marshland deep in the southernmost region of the Star Luo Empire, home to several ten-thousand-year flame-poison soul beasts—the Cataclysmic Fire Scorpion.
This was a rare dual-attribute fire and poison soul beast with traces of dragon blood. It possessed an incredibly potent flame poison and was one of the dominant species in that marshland.
How did Xu Yang know? Because the ideal soul beast location for Dugu Yan had been identified and passed on to Dugu Bo by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Most likely, they'd be escorting her there.
"No wonder the major powers are so strong. Just being able to always find the most optimal soul beasts for every stage puts them leagues above us lone cultivators."
That was Dugu Bo's sentiment at the time—and he'd voiced it many times over the past four years.
The value of having a strong background was on full display here. If Dugu Bo had to rely solely on himself to find a suitable soul beast for Dugu Yan, who knows how many years it might take? After all, soul beasts of the draconic variant were extremely rare.
"No worries," Xu Yang said. "My destination this time is the southern Star Luo region too, and I'll be passing through the Star Dou Great Forest anyway. Going soul hunting with you guys won't delay me much."
"In that case, alright—just make sure to explain it clearly to Senior Dugu!"
"Got it."
…
Two weeks later, Xu Yang brought Dugu Yan back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"Yan-yan-jie! You came to play with me!"
As soon as they entered the clan, a small figure came sprinting toward them and dove straight into Dugu Yan's arms, snuggling close.
"What, you only see your Yan-yan-jie and not me?" Xu Yang put on a mock stern face.
"That's not true! Of course I saw you too, Brother Yang!"
Ning Rongrong immediately looked up with a guilty smile.
She genuinely feared Xu Yang—he was the only person in the entire clan who dared to hit her. And not pretend-hits either—he hit for real. Complaining to the elders was useless too.
Just thinking about the last time she got punished for misbehaving—getting her butt smacked—still made her rear ache.
"Alright, this is for you."
Xu Yang's eyes softened with a hint of affection as he took the pale blue Windchime Wings from his storage-type soul tool and handed them to Ning Rongrong. Thanks to him, her values had matured a lot over the years. Still, she had no real friends in the clan. Not because of her personality, but simply because of her status.
Dugu Yan was the only one she could truly connect with. That's why Ning Rongrong was always excited when she came to visit. They'd talk, play pranks, have fun together.
"What's wrong? You unhappy that Rongrong's closer to me than you are?" Dugu Yan shot Xu Yang a cold glare.
"No, no! How could I possibly be?" Xu Yang hurriedly waved his hands. He knew better than to reason with women—especially ones who were close friends with each other.
"Hehe~"
Ning Rongrong giggled behind her hand.
"Let's go."
Rolling his eyes, Xu Yang led the two girls further into the clan.
The next day, in the plaza of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, three hundred children had already assembled, waiting to awaken their Martial Souls. These were the children eligible for awakening this year within the clan.
Among the three top sects, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was the largest, with more than three thousand soul masters. Naturally, the number of children undergoing Martial Soul Awakening every year was considerable—and this didn't even include the surrounding villages under Seven Treasure City's jurisdiction.
Standing at the very front of the group was Ning Rongrong, waiting for her Martial Soul Awakening. In her hand, she still clutched the Windchime Wings Xu Yang had gifted her. After being carried through the sky by Dugu Yan the previous day, she was beyond eager to awaken her Martial Soul—so she could take to the skies under her own power.