"Are you looking for me?"
A clear, ethereal voice sounded behind Lin Xiuran, making him startle.
He slowly turned his head. Standing there was a figure—silver hair, purple eyes, wearing simple yet elegant white clothing and a white skirt, her gaze cool yet gentle.
Lin Xiuran was immediately struck by her beauty, but at the same time, caution surged within him. How could someone appear inside his Spirit Sea?
Moreover, this person, though unfamiliar in appearance, felt strangely familiar.
Silver hair, purple eyes… these features, this face… she seemed…
But Lin Xiuran dismissed the thought as impossible. He had seen Gu Yue a few days ago—how could he be seeing her again, let alone inside his Spirit Sea?
"I am Gu Yue Na," she said simply, offering a slight smile that seemed full of charm. Combined with her cold and reserved appearance, the entire Spirit Sea seemed to brighten.
"Gu Yue Na!" Lin Xiuran's mind went blank for a moment. When he finally came back to himself, he stared at the woman before him.
He didn't know what emotions to feel, his mind completely in turmoil.
He had always thought his greatest advantage was knowing the plot, but now… it all seemed out of control.
"Why are you in my Spirit Sea?"
Gu Yue Na shook her head, her gaze calm: "I saved you."
Lin Xiuran was slightly stunned. If that were the case, it explained why the four soul masters chasing him had gone completely mad.
What Master Wu Zhangkong had mentioned—the overwhelming spiritual power—was likely her. That would make sense. After all, the Silver Dragon King is known for her immense spiritual strength.
"Actually, I do not belong to this time, and in your world, there is also a version of me."
These words would have confused an ordinary person, but Lin Xiuran seemed to understand.
This explained everything: in his world, Gu Yue Na had already split into two. He had already seen one version.
"I come from the past, to the present, only to reclaim what I have lost," she continued. Pain flickered in her purple eyes, but more than that, there was determination.
"Past?"
Could it be that the past Gu Yue Na had crossed into this world? If so, that made sense.
But Lin Xiuran didn't know that the "past" she referred to was the life she lived before her rebirth—her experiences she did not wish to revisit—not another timeline. At least, he didn't realize this yet.
Gu Yue Na's purple eyes remained fixed on Lin Xiuran, soft and gentle, almost powerless in appearance.
Yet Lin Xiuran felt a chill run through him, not knowing how to respond.
Seeing his hesitation, she smiled lightly: "Do you want to grow stronger?"
"Of course," Lin Xiuran replied firmly, though still cautious. His mother's situation and Xu Junwen of the Xu family required him to have strength—without it, he could do nothing.
"I can help you," Gu Yue Na said, lifting an eyebrow. "For example, your current soul ring problem."
Soul rings were Lin Xiuran's most pressing concern. A soul master without proper soul skills loses at least half of their combat strength.
"Your soul ring problem is simple. Essentially, it is caused by insufficient soul energy. Of course, even if your soul energy is sufficient, it wouldn't form a soul ring properly." Gu Yue Na explained.
"The real issue isn't a lack of soul energy—it's a lack of elemental energy."
Lin Xiuran was puzzled. While Gu Yue Na's explanation was clear, he couldn't understand why he lacked elemental energy—his element had always been wind.
Gu Yue Na noticed his thoughts. She leaned closer, teasing: "You don't really think your martial soul is just a Wind Bird, do you?"
"Isn't it?" He had trained his Wind Bird martial soul for years. How could it be wrong?
Gu Yue Na didn't answer immediately. She waved her hand in the void. The two light orbs above fused, forming the shape of a phoenix. For now, it was only red and green; the rest remained dim.
"Your martial soul is not a Wind Bird—it is a Phoenix!"
Lin Xiuran's eyes widened. Gu Yue Na continued: "It is not a single-element Phoenix soul, but one that can rival even the Dragon God. It controls all nine elements. Now, your body only contains the most basic wind element, which is why your first soul ring successfully awakened."
"But your second soul ring cannot awaken due to the lack of elemental energy. Of course, insufficient soul energy also plays a role, but even with enough soul energy, without elemental energy it cannot awaken."
Lin Xiuran processed her words carefully. "So… my martial soul is actually a Phoenix. The first soul ring awakened because I had wind element, and my second soul ring lacks… which element?"
"Your second soul ring should be fire. You just need to supplement fire element."
"Fire element?" Lin Xiuran asked. "How do I supplement it?"
Gu Yue Na smiled proudly: "I can do it. I control all nine elements, so naturally I can help restore the missing elemental attribute."
Lin Xiuran didn't smile. Instead, he frowned. "How do you know all this? And why help me?"
It wasn't strange he asked. Gu Yue Na's words sounded guiding—as if she wanted him to rely on her.
"Why so knowledgeable?" She paused, her smile stiffening, tinged with bitterness. Her exquisite face carried a hint of sorrow, yet remained captivating.
"I also need your help. I am the Silver Dragon King, half of the Dragon God, and the Phoenix blood in you can help me. We can only achieve our goals by helping each other."
Lin Xiuran blinked. "But what could I possibly do to help you?"
Their power gap was immense. How could he assist her?
"Simple." She waved her hand. A chair appeared behind her, and she sat down. "I do not belong to this world. Your Phoenix energy allows me to inhabit this space. I also need the energy from your body in this world to maintain my presence."
(Chapter End)