...
Generally speaking, even a fourth-ring flying Soul Master is considered quite good if they can cruise at a low altitude of around 100 meters.
To fly hundreds of meters into the air, only a Soul King-level expert could barely manage it.
As for the upper atmosphere above 1,000 meters... it's not just a matter of thin air and sharp winds, but also a test of rapidly dropping temperatures!
At this altitude, ordinary soul power shields simply cannot withstand the continuous drain.
Normally, only those who have reached the Soul Emperor level, or even Soul Saints specializing in flight, dare to undertake long-distance raids at this altitude!
As for the legendary 10,000-meter altitude, that is a forbidden zone that only titled Douluo dare to set foot in, because the gale there is enough to tear the bodies of ordinary soul masters apart!
Xuan Hao is only a level 42 Soul Master!
Flying at an altitude of two thousand meters with two people?!
"Calm down, calm down."
Xuan Hao felt his senior sister's stiffness on his back and explained:
"If it were before, I definitely wouldn't have dared to fly like this.
My soul power would have been depleted after flying for a while."
"But things are different now."
"After consuming that Dragon Blood Mushroom, coupled with the frenzied body tempering at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, my physical strength is already comparable to that of a top-tier Beast Martial Soul Emperor!"
"This wind pressure and low temperature are like a tickle to my body right now."
"Although the consumption was indeed a bit high..."
"But I can still manage to fly from here to Tiandou City."
"Why fly so high?"
Hu Liena asked, puzzled.
"Wouldn't flying at low altitudes be less strenuous?"
"Senior sister, you don't understand."
Xuan Hao pointed to the vast, boundless primeval forest below:
"Although Sunset Forest is not as terrifying as Star Dou Great Forest, it still has quite a few thousand-year-old and ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts."
"Flying at low altitudes makes you a sitting duck!
Not only do you have to be constantly wary of venomous snakes and ferocious beasts that might jump out from the treetops, but you can also be besieged for intruding into the territory of certain flying spirit beasts with a strong sense of territory."
"But it's different at a height of one thousand meters."
"At this altitude, ordinary flying soul beasts can't even fly up here, and even the ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts that can fly up here are too lazy to bother chasing after us for this little bit of meat."
"In the world of soul beasts, the altitude at which one can fly represents one's strength and status."
"As long as we fly high enough, the troubles on the ground won't be able to catch up with us!"
"By the way, junior brother."
Hu Liena, who was clinging to Xuan Hao's back, suddenly realized what was happening.
She stretched out a hand and waved it in front of her eyes, feeling the howling wind that wasn't truly biting, her eyes filled with confusion:
Why am I not cold at all?
This is the northern part of the Heavenly Dou Empire. It is autumn now.
Logically speaking, at an altitude of two thousand meters, the temperature should have already dropped below freezing.
Coupled with this flying speed that is faster than a knife, the perceived temperature would definitely freeze a person into an icicle.
This is a must-test question in the "High-Altitude Combat and Survival" chapter of the advanced theory course at Martial Soul Academy.
Every teacher would repeatedly emphasize:
low-level Soul Masters should never recklessly try to fly high.
Because being able to fly up and being able to continue flying and surviving at that altitude are two completely different things.
Without the protection of a Soul Saint-level Soul Power, or without a special warming Soul Guidance Device, recklessly entering the high-altitude layer will only lead to hypothermia and lack of oxygen, causing blurred consciousness, and ultimately causing one to fall like a stone and turn into a pile of minced meat.
That's called being brain-dead, not brave.
Choosing the altitude that best suits you, consumes the least energy, and provides the most comfortable environment is the first lesson for every flying soul master.
But now...
Hu Liena touched her face; not only was there no frost, but it even felt somewhat...warm?
It felt like being enveloped in a warm oven.
"This is all thanks to my vigorous blood and energy!"
Xuan Hao explained without turning his head:
"Senior sister, didn't you feel a faint golden-red halo around us?"
"That's the special force field formed by the outward release of the Qi and blood in my body.
It's like a natural protective shield, keeping out the biting cold wind and cold air."
"Besides, my body is like a giant furnace.
As long as I can fly and as long as I'm still breathing, no one can freeze you!"
"Aside from that initial surge being a bit too intense, and you might not be used to it yet, are you feeling much better now?"
Upon hearing this, Hu Liena carefully sensed the surroundings and indeed discovered a faint red light around Xuan Hao's body that was barely perceptible to the naked eye, radiating a reassuring warmth.
"Your body... is truly a monster."
Hu Liena couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
To be able to form such a "domain-like" shield high in the sky using only one's physical body and blood energy was even more monstrous than many defensive-type Soul Masters.
"That's right! Don't you even know who I am!"
Although Xuan Hao was smug, he was actually quite nervous inside.
Showing off is one thing, but the energy it takes... is really huge!
Maintaining high-speed flight, maintaining the blood and qi shield, and carrying two people... the soul power was flowing out like a tap that had been turned on.
"No, we have to speed it up!"
Xuan Hao thought to himself.
This was his first time trying this kind of extreme flight.
Although it was exhilarating, the battery life was indeed a big problem.
If you run out of soul power halfway through the flight and have to find a place to land and recover, then the effect of "showing off while carrying a girl" will be greatly reduced.
"Hold on tight! I'm about to accelerate!!"
Xuan Hao let out a low shout, no longer holding back, and poured all his soul power into the wings on his back.
"boom--!!"
The dragon's wings suddenly trembled, and a loud bang echoed through the air.
The golden streak of light instantly pierced the sky, its speed increasing to a whole new level, like a shooting star chasing the moon, heading straight towards Tiandou City.
...
After an incense stick has burned.
The Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, an exclusive teaching area for Heavenly Dou level students.
It was during recess, and many aristocratic students dressed in luxurious school uniforms were chatting or sparring in the training ground.
Sudden.
"call--!!"
A gust of wind suddenly descended from the sky, causing fallen leaves to scatter everywhere.
Many female students gasped in surprise and scattered, clutching their skirts to avoid the gust.
A golden figure descended from the sky with overwhelming force, landing heavily on the square in front of the teaching building.
As the smoke cleared, a handsome young man with silver hair, blue eyes, and an almost otherworldly appearance was revealed.
The golden dragon wings on his back slowly retracted, revealing a charming young girl on his back and a silver-haired, purple-eyed porcelain doll in his arms.
This eye-catching entrance instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"That's... Xuan Hao?!"
"Are you asking for it again?
Call me Brother Hao!"
"Who's that beautiful woman on his back?
She's so pretty! And she has such a unique aura!"
Just as the surrounding students were discussing, two beautiful figures parted the crowd and walked over quickly.
It was Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.
Dugu Yan wore a dark green outfit that perfectly accentuated her stunning figure, while her long, deep purple hair added to her dashing appearance.
Ye Lingling, on the other hand, wore a black gauze dress, exuding a cool and elegant aura.
However, at this moment, Dugu Yan's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Upon seeing the familiar figure, before Dugu Yan could speak, Na'er peeked out from Xuan Hao's arms and sweetly called out to Dugu Yan:
"Sister Yanzi! Sister Lingling!"
Seeing that Na'er was safe and sound and had a rosy complexion, Dugu Yan finally felt relieved, and her tense expression relaxed a bit.
But the next second...
She completely ignored Xuan Hao's bright smile, strode forward, reached out, and pinched the soft flesh of Xuan Hao's waist hard without any hesitation!
Moreover, it's the kind of "Poison Dragon Drill" that carries soul power and rotates 180 degrees clockwise!
"hiss--!!"
Xuan Hao gasped in pain and jumped up, almost throwing Hu Liena off his back.
"Ouch! That hurts!!"
Xuan Hao clutched his aching back, looking at Dugu Yan with a bewildered and aggrieved expression:
"Yanzi! What are you doing?!
Murdering your husband... ugh!
Murdering your friend?!"
"I just got back and you pull this on me?
This welcome ceremony is really something else!"
"You know you just got back?!"
Dugu Yan stood with her hands on her hips, her green eyes wide open, burning with raging anger:
"You bastard! How dare you ask me what I want?!"
"Do you even know how I've been these past few days?!"
"That day you suddenly flew down from the sky, picked up Na'er and ran away without saying goodbye or leaving a word!
If someone hadn't seen you, I would have thought Na'er had been kidnapped by human traffickers!!"
"Taking people away is one thing, but you've been gone for so many days without a single word!"
Dugu Yan grew angrier as she spoke, pointing at Xuan Hao's nose and cursing:
"Do you know how worried Lingling and I were?!
I was almost about to go to my grandpa's place!"
"Ahem... Um, it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding."
Knowing he was in the wrong, Xuan Hao quickly put on a smiling face, "The situation was urgent at the time, and I left in such a hurry that I forgot to leave a letter."
"It's my fault! It's all my fault, no matter what!"
"To express my apology..."
Xuan Hao waved his hand and said, "Noon today, it's my treat at the best restaurant in Tiandou City!
Order whatever you want! You can eat me out of house and home!"
"That's more like it!"
Dugu Yan snorted coldly. Although her expression was still unpleasant, she had already taken her hand off Xuan Hao's waist.
Instead, she snatched Na'er from Xuan Hao's arms and hugged her tightly, giving her a loving rub.
"Oh, right."
After comforting Na'er, Dugu Yan finally had time to observe the blonde girl who had been standing behind Xuan Hao.
She was extremely charming but had a somewhat aloof demeanor.
"And this is...?"
Dugu Yan narrowed her eyes slightly.
A woman's intuition told her that this woman... was not simple.
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