Soul Land: Achievement Complete

The first rays of dawn filtering through my window brought with them a single, overwhelming imperative: escape. After the confrontation with Liu Erlong the previous evening, remaining in her care for even one more day felt intolerable. My body had recovered sufficiently from both my injuries and the onset of periods, and I was determined to put as much distance as possible between myself and the woman who seemed intent on forcing unwanted family connections upon me.

"Time to go," I whispered to myself, moving quietly through my morning preparations. "Before she decides to continue yesterday's conversation."

The irony of Liu Erlong's behavior wasn't lost on me as I gathered my belongings. From what I knew of her personal history, she had explicitly rejected her own father due to his abandonment of her and her mother. Her mother had died of illness, much like mine had died in childbirth, leaving her to grow up without parental support. Yet here she was, attempting to force me into accepting a relationship with Yu Xiaogang despite my clear and repeated rejections.

"Hypocrite," I muttered under my breath while carefully folding the clothes her students had provided. "She denies her own father but expects me to embrace mine? The logic is completely backwards."

It was no wonder that my friend from my previous life had always spoken poorly of Liu Erlong, despite acknowledging her exceptional beauty. Her inability to apply consistent standards to emotional relationships made her frustratingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous to be around. Someone who could rationalize such contradictory positions might be capable of any number of questionable decisions in pursuit of her obsessions.

I left the borrowed clothing neatly folded on the bed, replacing them with backup garments from my storage soul tool. Years of experience had taught me the wisdom of maintaining extensive emergency supplies—I always kept at least ten complete outfits readily available, having learned from countless anime that clothing rarely survived intense battles intact.

"Should I change my appearance again?" I wondered aloud, considering my options. Liu Erlong had seen me in my red-haired disguise during my previous visits to Suotou City, and she might remember those encounters if she had reason to investigate my background further.

The decision was easy enough to make. A few moments of concentration shifted my appearance to something completely unremarkable—ordinary black hair, dark eyes, and features that would blend seamlessly into any crowd. This was my "invisible" disguise, designed to attract absolutely no attention whatsoever.

Satisfied with my transformation, I slipped quietly from the room and made my way through the academy's corridors without encountering any staff or students. The early hour worked in my favor, as most residents were still enjoying their morning rest. Within minutes, I had exited the building entirely and was walking freely through the streets of the settlement.

My first priority was addressing a biological need that had been building since my recovery—hunger for proper food. The bland porridges and mild fruits that had constituted my recovery diet were nutritionally appropriate but utterly unsatisfying to someone accustomed to more robust cuisine.

"Meat," I said decisively, spotting a well-regarded restaurant that was just opening for the day. "Real, properly prepared meat."

The establishment I chose was known for its generous portions and skilled preparation of various game dishes. After two days of invalid food, the prospect of sinking my teeth into perfectly cooked rabbit meat felt like the pinnacle of luxury.

I had just settled into a corner booth and was perusing the extensive menu when a familiar mental voice interrupted my meal planning.

"Big Sister," Tian Meng's voice echoed through my consciousness, "I need some of your time to resolve leftover business in the spiritual sea. There are matters regarding the Demon Bird that require your attention."

I paused with the menu halfway to my face, suddenly remembering that I had left the Emerald Demon Bird's spiritual remnant in Tian Meng's care during my soul ring integration. I was curious about the results of their interaction.

"Give me a moment to order," I replied mentally, "then I'll join you."

After requesting an impressive selection of meat dishes from the slightly surprised but accommodating server, I settled back in my booth and allowed my consciousness to sink into my spiritual sea. The transition was smooth and familiar, bringing me into the vast inner space where my soul spirits resided.

The scene that greeted me was both amusing and telling. In one corner of the spiritual realm, the Emerald Demon Bird huddled in obvious dejection, using one wing to trace endless circles in the ethereal ground while muttering what sounded like self-deprecating comments. Her once-proud bearing had been replaced by the posture of someone whose confidence had been thoroughly shattered.

Meanwhile, Bing Bing sat nearby with an expression of supreme smugness, her ice-blue eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Everything about her body language suggested someone who had just delivered a devastating verbal victory and was savoring the aftermath.

"Well," I said, raising an eyebrow as I approached Tian Meng, "this looks like it was an interesting conversation. What exactly happened here?"

Tian Meng's mental chuckle carried notes of both amusement and slight embarrassment. "The Demon Bird attempted to be clever," he explained. "She tried to flatter Bing Bing and convince her to rebel against you, suggesting that as strong soul beasts, they should band together against human authority."

"And I assume Bing Bing was... unimpressed?" I prompted, glancing at the Ice Empress's satisfied expression.

"That's an understatement," Tian Meng replied. "Bing Bing's response was magnificently brutal. She told the bird, and I quote: 'How does a mere twenty-thousand-year soul beast who couldn't even defeat a ten-year-old human child dare to presume to give advice to me? You should focus on understanding why you're so pathetically weak instead of trying to involve your betters in your delusions of grandeur.'"

I winced in sympathetic embarrassment for the Demon Bird. Bing Bing's tongue could be devastatingly sharp when she chose to employ it, and having one's defeat characterized in such dismissive terms would be psychologically crushing for any proud predator.

"I can see why she's drawing circles in the corner," I observed. "That level of verbal destruction would shatter anyone's confidence."

Looking at the dejected bird, I felt a mixture of pragmatism and mild pity. "My initial instinct is to simply eliminate her," I admitted. "I don't see any practical benefit to maintaining a depressed and potentially rebellious soul beast in my spiritual space."

However, Bing Bing raised a crystalline hand to interrupt my reasoning. "Xiao Qing," she said, using the affectionate nickname she had adopted for me, "I believe she could serve a valuable purpose in your development. Neither Tian Meng nor I have any expertise in aerial combat techniques. And while this lazy Tian Meng has spent millennia sleeping rather than developing practical skills."

"Hey!" Tian Meng protested weakly, though he didn't dispute the fundamental accuracy of the accusation.

Bing Bing continued without acknowledging his objection. "The Demon Bird, despite her recent behaviour, possesses extensive knowledge of advanced flight techniques and aerial combat maneuvers. You may know how to fly, but there's an enormous difference between basic flight and the sophisticated aerial tactics used in high-level combat. She could teach you to utilize your wing-based abilities to their full potential."

Before I could respond to this suggestion, Xiao Wu's enthusiastic voice joined the conversation. "Yeah, Qing Qing! I also think Senior Bing is absolutely right! And besides," she added with barely concealed glee, "even if the bird tries to rebel again, I can beat the stuffing out of her whenever you want!"

The rabbit spirit's excitement was palpable, and I realized that she had probably been looking forward to having a sanctioned target for her more aggressive impulses. Xiao Wu had always been at lowest position among us even being a 100,000 year soul beast, and finally someone below 100,000 years showed up making Xiao Wu senior, and the prospect of a permanent punching bag clearly appealed to her.

Considering the arguments presented, I had to acknowledge that they made practical sense. My aerial abilities were indeed limited to basic flight and maneuverability. Advanced techniques like combat diving, evasive spiraling, and coordinated wing-and-weapon attacks were beyond my current knowledge. If the Demon Bird could provide expertise in these areas, her presence might justify the potential risks.

Approaching the dejected soul beast, I extended one hand in a gesture of potential alliance. "I know we fought each other brutally," I began, my voice carrying both authority and a hint of respect. "But the law of the jungle is absolute—the strong rule over the weak. You lost, which means you follow my leadership now."

The bird looked up at me with eyes that held a mixture of wariness and resignation, but she didn't immediately respond.

"However," I continued, "I'm prepared to offer you something beyond mere survival. Teach me to master aerial combat, share your knowledge of advanced flight techniques, and help me develop my wing-based abilities to their full potential. In return, I promise you that—when I eventually ascend to the Divine Realm, I will resurrect you and every other soul beast who helped me by being soul ring, directly promoting you to the status of Beast Gods."

I waited patiently for her response, knowing that such a decision required careful consideration. The promise I was making was extraordinary—resurrection and divine status were rewards beyond the wildest dreams of most soul beasts. However, it would also require absolute loyalty and genuine commitment to my success.

After several long moments, the Demon Bird suddenly moved with startling speed. Her wing flicked out and slapped against my extended hand before I could fully register her motion, and I felt little pain in my palm briefly.

Tian Meng quickly translated the gesture's meaning: "She says it's better to serve you with purpose than to wait for death meaninglessly."

"Welcome to the team," I said with genuine warmth, and the Demon Bird's posture straightened slightly with what might have been renewed dignity.

There was one additional benefit to our alliance that would manifest over time. As a soul beast whose spiritual remnant attached to soul ring had been upgraded into a hundred-thousand-year soul ring through Tian Meng's enhancement abilities, the Demon Bird would gradually develop the capacity to manifest a human form. This transformation would make communication and instruction considerably easier than relying on constant translation.

With the negotiations concluded, I returned my consciousness to the physical world and immediately noticed a delightful problem—the table before me was completely empty. Every dish I had ordered, including generous portions of perfectly prepared rabbit meat, had been consumed entirely.

"Xiao Wu," I said with fond exasperation, "did you really eat everything? Even the rabbit?"

The spirit's mental response carried notes of satisfaction and complete lack of remorse. "You said I could use your body while you were busy! And I was very hungry and at the end that's your body!"

I had indeed given Xiao Wu to inhabit my physical body temporary, as she asked to taste some human food. However, I hadn't anticipated her appetite would prove quite so comprehensive.

"Next time, maybe save me at least one piece of meat?" I requested with good-natured resignation.

With my immediate hunger addressed through Xiao Wu's enthusiastic intervention, I turned my attention to more pressing matters—testing the capabilities of my newly acquired fourth soul ring. The integration process had been successful, granting me access to two distinct abilities that promised to significantly enhance my combat effectiveness.

The first skill, Emerald Blessing, provided substantial passive benefits whenever activated. The ability granted a sixty percent boost to all wind-element techniques, increased my overall movement speed by thirty percent, and provided fifty percent immunity to wind-based attacks. These bonuses would make me significantly more effective in aerial combat while providing substantial protection against similar opponents.

However, the second skill was truly remarkable in its versatility and potential power. Emerald Plume Wings operated on a fascinating accumulation system—while the soul ring remained active, it would generate one emerald feather every ten seconds, continuing until a total of one hundred feathers had formed two complete wing constructs.

Each individual feather was incredibly versatile, functioning equally well as a projectile weapon, a melee implement, or a defensive barrier. The feathers would be consumed based on the strength of attacks they encountered, but their defensive capabilities were proportional to their offensive potential. Most intriguingly, as I acquired additional soul rings in the future, both the generation rate will reduce by 1 seconds and individual feather strength would improve dramatically.

"Let me calculate the current parameters," I mused, working through the mathematics of my enhanced abilities. "With four soul rings, the generation time decreases by four seconds, meaning one feather every six seconds. To accumulate the full hundred feathers would require exactly six hundred seconds—ten minutes of continuous generation."

The tactical applications were immediately apparent. In extended battles, I could build up substantial offensive and defensive reserves while maintaining pressure on opponents through other techniques. The feathers could be deployed individually for precision attacks, launched in volleys for area denial, or used as mobile shields to protect against incoming threats.

"Finally," I said with genuine satisfaction, "a proper attack skill that combines offense and defense seamlessly."

The Emerald Demon Bird's abilities had integrated perfectly with my existing arsenal, providing the aerial combat capabilities I had been lacking while offering tactical flexibility that would prove invaluable in future encounters. Combined with my other skills and the expertise my new spiritual ally would provide, I felt genuinely prepared for the challenges ahead.