Bylai returned to the cave and signaled Isabella that what the spirit said was the truth. Isabella nodded ever so lightly before turning to look at the Grand Geocrest Metal Spirit. She let her go and caressed her golden locs that felt very different than the hairs she had touched in her lifetime. She was curious but let her go.
"You're a good spirit. Hide well and don't get caught. Otherwise, elder sister won't be here to save you."
After caressing her cheek, she turned around and left, leaving the Grand Geocrest Metal Spirit with a lost look.
She couldn't understand what had happened, trying to process it.
While hiding, she had seen many spirits beg to be released after they were caught, but none of them bothered to let them go. How come this human woman released her? She felt curious, so she couldn't help but follow slowly and carefully.
Isabella and Bylai flew through that ceiling in the corner and appeared outside. A multitude of warm colors brushed against their figures and the entire world. There was only Aila at the edge of the cliff at this moment, looking like she was going to be in trouble.
"Elder sister Shirley didn't listen and jumped ahead- I tried to stop but she..."
"It's fine. Shirley's always been like that..."
Isabella smiled with a forced smile as she arrived before the edge and looked at Shirley and the others descending towards the ruins of the city. Even Niera followed Shirley ahead, causing her to shake her head since she felt like it was no use controlling the excitement of these young ones.
She had her fair share of adventures from a young age. After all, she had carved out a path for herself even before Davis was born.
Nonetheless, she didn't follow suit and instead chose to take a deep breath, noticing the thick air of light energy while surveying the entirety of the ruins with her eyes.
Dilapidated conical hut-like buildings, pylon-like structures that appeared to be bedding for spirits where they phase inside and descend to sleep, transparent spherical reservoirs that absorbed light and turned it into light energy in a liquid state, and many other peculiar structures.
She could see the one being fought for the most was that spherical reservoir that contained a thick amount of light spirit water essence.
There was a group of light spirits guarding there while battling supreme geniuses. Shirley seemed to make her way there.
She turned to look at Bylai, sending a soul transmission.
"Are you sure you don't want the little Grand Geocrest Metal Spirit? Although it's an earth-attribute heaven-tier spirit, it can adopt the properties of any metal it wants and mold it. Right now, it has managed to mold gold, which is perfectly suitable for you."
"I know, elder sister." Bylai replied with a wry smile, "There should also be a gold-attributed ore mine nearby here or back in the mountains... but I didn't see it was right to investigate, seeing that it probably belongs to that little spirit. As your sister, I need to abide by your words and not harm it."
"Oh... I apologize. I didn't think-"
"No, no." Bylai quickly waved her hands, "I am not going to pull a gold mine from a child either, so don't worry!"
"..." Isabella blinked, a little smile embracing her lips.
"Thank you."
"For what?" Bylai blinked, not understanding.
"For having my back-" Isabella patted her back, "I'm glad you don't hold anything against me for terrorizing you back then."
"..." Bylai giggled, "I wouldn't call that terrorizing when all you did was manage to get a good husband for me and take an arrow to the leg by having me as your equal-"
"You little-" Isabella pinched her waist, causing her to squirm and laugh.
At this moment, the little Grand Geocrest Metal Spirit peeked out and blinked at them with her little golden eyes. She couldn't tell what they were doing, but it seemed like they were pranking each other as spirits of the same tribe did.
She also had tried to mingle with other spirits but she was feared or chased away. As the clash raged at the foot of the transparent spherical reservoir, beams of searing brilliance streaked across the sky, lighting the ruins like a midday sun. The ambient hum of light energy was so dense it vibrated in the bones of those who dared to come close.
A pair of radiant spirits soared through the air, one with ethereal wings veined with golden jade-like bones, the other descending like a comet, their translucent forms pulsing with holy light.
These were no ordinary spirits.
The Golden Jade Illumination Spirits and Celestial Descent Light Spirits were paragons among their kind, ranked third and first in the Emperor Grade Light Elemental Charts of Mortal-Tier, lashing out with arcs of purifying brilliance that shredded the defenses of even the most talented cultivators, causing them to be constantly at bay.
These spirits were extraordinarily powerful than their counterparts in the First Haven World or the true immortal world. Clearly, the difference in the environment they grew up in and the current environment they battled in played a big role in enhancing their prowess.
Suddenly, the air twisted. A wave of scarlet heat split the atmosphere.
*Boom!~*
A pillar of crimson flame erupted in the center of the battlefield, sending shockwaves outward and causing even the noble spirits to flinch and falter mid-attack. From within the blaze, a figure rose, a woman with crimson hair, her eyes sparkling like two
blazing suns.
Shirley landed lightly amidst the stunned geniuses and startled light spirits, her arms crossed, posture relaxed. Yet the sheer heat radiating from her body warped the air, melting chunks of the nearby ruins into puddles of light-forged stone.
"Oh? This reservoir looks juicy. Think I'll take it."
"You dare!?" A Celestial Descent Light Spirit's voice boomed like thunder, its form growing brighter until it was a blinding silhouette, "This sacred spring is not for humans!"
Shirley yawned, "Then I'll just have to show you how human I am."
*Swoosh~*
She disappeared, reappearing right before the spirit, her fist already mid-swing. The air ignited. A crimson phoenix emerged from her blow, engulfing the radiant spirit
entirely.
*Creck~!*
The spirit's body, composed of holy light, fractured like glass under the pressure, causing it to instantly flee.
The Golden Jade Illumination Spirits reeled, unleashing barrages of spears and beams, but Shirley didn't even dodge. With a flick of her hand, a flaming lotus bloomed around her, absorbing the attacks and feeding them into her ever-growing heatwave. She lunged, faster than thought, tracing trails of scorching fire in her wake. Each punch, each kick was laced with phoenix fire. These nirvanic flames drowned out the
light of the spirit.
One by one, the spirits were defeated, unable to resist her blazing might. She danced among them, flames twirling in her wake, until not a single spirit remained to contest her as they had no choice but to retreat to a distance.
Smoke curled from the ground as Shirley flew up to the spherical reservoir.
The geniuses watching in stunned silence didn't dare move as she placed her hand
against its surface.
"Mine," she said with a wink and absorbed the entire light spirit essence into a huge container she brought out.
The light spirit essence within rippled and entered the huge container before disappearing into Shirley's spatial ring.
"Alright- what else is there? Before that, what does this treasure even do?"
After she was done with it, Shirley turned to look at a supreme genius.