Bound by Destiny: A Tale of Winds and Gold

"Cousin Xiao Yu, tutor Ruolin, let's go in first," Gu Xun'er said softly, her fingers gently brushing a strand of blue silk away from her forehead. 

Surrounded by a group of teasing onlookers, she found it increasingly hard to endure.

"Alright, let's head inside," Xiao Yu replied with a slight shake of her head. Her eyes held a hint of melancholy, as she hadn't anticipated her cousin taking advantage of the situation.

Who would have thought that these two would meet just once?

It was truly a matter of timing and fate. Originally, this was an opportunity she had prepared for herself, but Gu Xun'er had beaten her to it. It was hard to suppress the discomfort.

Lu Yunxiao nodded and followed Xiao Yu and the others into the Xiao family residence.

The Xiao family's hospitality left no room for complaints; it was exceptionally thoughtful. To everyone's surprise, Lu Yunxiao and several elders of the Xiao family seemed to know each other well.

After dinner, guided by Gu Xun'er, Lu Yunxiao retired to his room.

"Xun'er, would you like to come in for a chat?" Lu Yunxiao leaned against the door, wearing a faint smile.

Gu Xun'er hesitated momentarily, then shook her head and replied, "Big Brother Yunxiao, you must be tired after today's journey. I won't disturb your rest. Tomorrow, I'll show you around Wutan City."

She did want to spend more time with Lu Yunxiao, but considering his arduous journey, she decided to let him rest for the night so he would be refreshed for the next day.

"Very well, see you tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow." Gu Xun'er offered a sweet smile, casting one last lingering glance at Lu Yunxiao before stepping away with delicate, measured strides.

Lu Yunxiao watched her depart, his gaze filled with affection. She always displayed such thoughtfulness, making it impossible for him not to care for her.

Turning the doorknob with a squeak, Lu Yunxiao entered his room.

"System, collect the rewards."

Seated cross-legged on the bed, Lu Yunxiao accepted the accumulated rewards.

The daily sign-in task had actually been completed long ago, but with Gu Xun'er constantly by his side, he hadn't found the opportunity to claim them.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for unlocking the wind element."

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the low-level martial arts manual 'Feng Xu Jing'."

"This time it's the wind element," Lu Yunxiao mused, his eyes gleaming. The wind element symbolized unparalleled speed, granting its wielder a substantial advantage in swiftness over others.

This element was well-suited to his current circumstances.

In the martial world, there was no unbreakable defense; only speed could guarantee invincibility. Combining the wind element's ultimate speed with the power of the metal element, he would achieve an immeasurable increase in combat effectiveness.

"Feng Xu Jing," a low-level martial arts manual of the earth tier, accompanied by the low-level martial skill "Wind Sutra." It was a rare combination for a martial arts manual to include a matching skill. Although Lu Yunxiao couldn't use it, he could study the martial skill, "Wind Sutra."

Lu Yunxiao placed the manual into his storage.

"System, let's begin unlocking the wind element."

With this command, an inexplicable energy surged into Lu Yunxiao's body. An invisible restraint seemed to shatter, and a cyan energy emanated from him, rapidly spreading throughout the room.

A small whirlwind formed around Lu Yunxiao, causing his robe to billow and small objects to float in the air, accompanied by a faint humming sound.

...

As time passed, midnight arrived in the blink of an eye.

Outside Lu Yunxiao's room, a figure dressed in black appeared.

"The young lady's behavior today was quite unusual—voluntarily approaching a young man like that. Perhaps there's more to this than meets the eye."

The figure in black muttered softly. Having accompanied Gu Xun'er since childhood, he understood her character better than anyone else.

She appeared gentle on the surface, but her pride in her ancient god's blood ran deep. She had never shown interest in males, not even the girls within the Xiao family.

In his memory, only one person could make Gu Xun'er set aside her pride and initiate contact—Gu Xiao.

But today, Gu Xun'er had approached a young man she had never met before, even holding his hand. Such behavior was extremely peculiar and warranted further investigation.

Could Gu Kaoru, a girl known for her aloofness, really act so familiarly with an ordinary man?

Certainly not.

With these thoughts in mind, he grew increasingly suspicious of the identity of the boy named Lu Yunxiao.

Hence, he had doubts and chose to visit Lu Yunxiao's room in the dead of night to seek answers, hoping to uncover any hidden truths that might be of significance to the clan.

The figure in black required no introduction; he was the Dou Huang tasked with protecting Gu Xun'er—Ling Ying.

Silently, Ling Ying pushed open the window, leaped lightly, and silently entered Lu Yunxiao's room.

"Ding, the wind element has been unlocked," the system announced.

The wind element was fully unlocked in Lu Yunxiao's body. A light cyan energy enveloped him, creating a small tornado around him. His robe fluttered gently, and a breeze filled the room.

"Has there been a breakthrough?" Ling Ying wondered but didn't dare to interrupt. He knew who had come; the changes within Lu Yunxiao's body hadn't ceased.

As the wind element unlocked, Lu Yunxiao appeared to awaken an extraordinary ability.

"Ding, the gold element and wind element have been unlocked. Congratulations to the host for awakening the Elemental True Eye, a true pupil innate supernatural power."

The Elemental True Eye, one of the innate abilities of the Elemental Body, had finally awakened after unlocking both elements.

Lu Yunxiao felt a strange power flowing into his eyes, causing his soul power to rapidly expand under its influence.

The two energies, gold and cyan, converged in his eyes, emitting a dazzling light along with powerful energy fluctuations.

Ling Ying held his breath, observing the mysterious scene. The more bizarre Lu Yunxiao's behavior, the more convinced he became of his suspicions.

After all, the old Gu Xiao possessed an exceptional talent and lineage, well-known to many within the ancient family.

Ling Ying watched silently. After a while, he decided to withdraw. However, at that very moment, Lu Yunxiao's lips curled into a smile, and he gazed directly in Ling Ying's direction.

Lu Yunxiao's eyes opened slightly, and the brilliant cyan and gold light radiated from them.