The sky was deepening into dusk, and a faint orange light stretched across the quiet street. From a distance, a lone figure trudged toward the exchange building. Her steps were slow, her face pale with exhaustion.

"It's inhuman," Yue Feiyan muttered bitterly, dragging her tired feet. "Making me use my fire power all day long… I'm completely drained."

In her arms, she carried a bulky clay pot, clutching it like it might slip from her hands at any moment. Her hair, the color of burning flame, was matted with sweat.

Behind her, a petite girl with short brown hair noticed her staggering gait. After a moment of hesitation, she quickened her pace and trotted up beside her.

"Master Xiaoyue," the girl said softly, carrying a wooden bucket, "do you want me to help you get back home?"

"Little Moon Lord? Are you calling me that?" Yue Feiyan blinked in surprise and pointed to herself.

"Yeah," Xiaomi replied with an innocent smile.

"Hehe~ that's the first time anyone's ever called me that." Yue Feiyan grinned despite her exhaustion. Looking at the shy, short-haired girl beside her, she felt a wave of warmth.

"I'm almost at the exchange," Feiyan said, shaking her head gently. "You go ahead and fetch your water. Don't worry about me."

"Then please be careful, Master Xiaoyue." Xiaomi gave a small bow before running toward the water line.

Watching the girl's back, Feiyan sighed with a hint of amusement. "Seems like her family keeps her well protected."

Hugging the clay pot tightly to her chest, she quickened her pace toward the exchange. She made a silent vow to herself—next time, she would never push her limits like this again. The pain of exhaustion wasn't worth it.

After ten long minutes, Yue Feiyan finally reached the entrance of the exchange building. There, Yue Qinlan looked up just as Feiyan arrived, surprise flashing in her serene aqua-blue eyes.

"You came back on your own?" Qinlan exclaimed, quickly stepping forward to catch her daughter before she could fall. "I thought I'd have to pick you up again."

"I—I finished it," Feiyan said, holding out the clay pot like a child presenting her homework.

"Oh? You managed to fire the pot again?" Yue Qinlan carefully took the clay vessel, turning it over in her hands. Her brows lifted with pleasant surprise.

"This is much better than the one you made two days ago," she praised with a faint smile.

"I was so tired before that I could barely concentrate," Feiyan murmured, trying to hide the small sense of pride on her face.

At the tail end of the rock tortoise's massive shell, a small kiln had been built specifically for pottery and material testing. For the past five days, Yue Feiyan had been training nonstop—at Luciel's request—to refine her control over her fire awakening ability. She'd spent days heating iron blocks, firing clay, and pushing her limits to maintain precise control.

The first few days had been pure torment. By the third day, she could barely stand. Yesterday was the first time she managed to walk back without collapsing. Today, she'd returned home entirely on her own.

"Come on, I'll carry you back," Yue Qinlan said, closing the door and crouching down.

Feiyan flushed, waving her hands quickly. "No, I can walk by myself."

"It's already been four days," her mother said with a knowing smile. "What's one more?"

Without waiting for permission, Qinlan pulled gently on her daughter's arm and hoisted her up.

"Ah! Mother!" Feiyan yelped, instinctively wrapping her arms around her mother's neck.

"Hold on properly—my neck's about to snap," Qinlan teased, rolling her beautiful eyes.

"S-sorry!" Feiyan loosened her grip in panic.

Qinlan chuckled softly as she began climbing the highland steps, her daughter on her back. Midway up, she asked, "So, how's the training with your awakening ability?"

"There's… been some progress," Feiyan whispered. Her eyes darted nervously around, worried someone might see her being carried like a child. It was so embarrassing.

"When I was your age," Qinlan said with a playful smirk, "I was already a Tier Four Awakener."

Feiyan's face stiffened. Her mother was definitely doing this on purpose.

"I'll reach Tier Four too—this year!" she blurted out, half a promise, half a challenge.

"Then you'd better work hard," Qinlan teased, pinching her daughter's cheek gently.

"Mother, your hand—lower, please!" Feiyan squeaked, her face burning red.

"I thought that was your thigh," Qinlan replied innocently, eyes twinkling with laughter.

"How could you mistake that?!" Feiyan cried out in outrage.

Qinlan burst into laughter, her fatigue melting away at the sight of her daughter's fiery expression.

"Hmph!" Feiyan puffed out her cheeks in mock protest, though her embarrassment only made her mother smile even more fondly.

As they reached the top of the highland, a sharp hissing sound broke the calm.

Feiyan turned her head toward a nearby building. "Luciel's still inside… tinkering with his beasts again?"

"Seems so," Qinlan replied, curiosity glinting in her eyes. "I wonder what kind of spiritual weapon he's come up with this time."

Over the past five days, Luciel had practically locked himself inside his new workshop—dedicated solely to crafting spiritual tools. Rumors spread that he'd been experimenting with strange materials and even using his domesticated beasts for testing.

Feiyan frowned slightly. "I still can't believe he's pulling scales from his own beasts just to make spirit weapons. Poor things."

She covered her mouth and giggled. "When I saw that big lizard yesterday, it actually looked grumpy. Like a sulking child."

"Maybe he's really created something incredible," Qinlan said thoughtfully. "With Luciel, nothing seems impossible anymore."

Just then, the studio door creaked open with a metallic "clang."

But no one appeared.

"Huh? No one came out?" Feiyan murmured, eyes narrowing.

"There is someone," Qinlan whispered, her body tensing. "We just can't see him."

Before she could react, a faint cough sounded directly behind them.

Both women froze in shock.

"Ah!" Feiyan shrieked, grabbing her mother's shoulders in fright.

"Feiyan—you're strangling me," Qinlan gasped.

Feiyan immediately let go, face turning crimson. "S-sorry!"

A familiar voice chuckled behind them. "Looks like my spiritual weapon armor works perfectly."

Luciel appeared out of thin air, the shimmering outline of his armor fading as his figure materialized.

Qinlan's eyes widened. "That's… an invisible full-body spirit armor?"

Feiyan's red eyes sparkled with excitement. "It's so cool!"

She wriggled free from her mother's back and dashed toward Luciel, running her hands over the armor's smooth, tri-colored surface.

Luciel smiled faintly, lifting the mask from his face to reveal his handsome features. "Five days of work," he said. "What do you think?"

"It's amazing! Every girl would love this!" Feiyan said breathlessly, tugging at the armor's shoulder plates.

Luciel chuckled, holding her forehead with one hand and gently pushing her away before she could dismantle it.

"You actually managed to make an advanced spiritual weapon," Qinlan said, astonished. "In just five days!"

"There are still areas to improve," Luciel admitted, flexing his arms. "It's the first full-body spirit armor prototype. Plenty of fine-tuning left."

Feiyan's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Then take it off and let me try!"

Luciel gave her a look. "You? It's too heavy for you to even move in."

Before Feiyan could protest, Qinlan stepped forward with a graceful smile. "In that case, let me test it instead."

"Mother!" Feiyan cried, tugging at her sleeve. "That's so unfair!"

But Luciel hesitated. His gaze flicked briefly below Qinlan's collarbone before he said awkwardly, "You might not fit perfectly. The armor was molded to my measurements. I'd need to… adjust the chest plate for you first."

Qinlan instantly understood. Her face flushed pink, and she turned around quickly. "I—see. In that case, I'll wait until it's properly modified."

Luciel's lips curved in amusement. "Once I fix it, you can both try it."

Just then, a large three-colored lizard crawled slowly out of the workshop, its tongue flicking. Its eyes locked onto the matching tri-colored armor on Luciel's body.

Luciel coughed lightly, pretending not to notice the lizard's glare. "Hey, don't give me that look. I treated your wounds, didn't I? And I've been giving you plenty of evolution points."

Indeed, the armor's scales had been crafted using the lizard's shed scales—though Luciel had "encouraged" a few to come off prematurely. Over the past five days, he'd combined the lizard's natural regeneration with his own refining skills, removing and re-growing scales dozens of times to collect the materials he needed.

The lizard hissed resentfully.

"No, no, don't give me that attitude," Luciel said, crouching down. "If you let me take a few more scales, I'll reward you with extra points."

The creature froze.

Luciel chuckled and transferred a few glowing points of energy toward it. "See? Good deal, right?"

With another reluctant hiss, the tricolored beast slithered away—half in pain, half in reluctant satisfaction.

Feiyan watched it go, shaking her head. "That poor lizard… meeting an owner like you is pure bad luck."

Luciel smirked. "Careful, or you'll be next for testing."

Feiyan straightened instantly. "Ah—actually, now that I think about it, the lizard looks totally fine! Strong, resilient! I think it could lose at least eighty more scales without issue!"

Qinlan pressed her hand to her forehead, sighing helplessly. "When did my daughter become so shameless?"

Luciel just laughed, the warm sound echoing softly through the twilight.

And under the fading light of evening, the first advanced spiritual weapon of the new age shimmered faintly—proof of progress, pain, and possibility yet to come.

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