The matter concluded, Lin Luo had intended to leave immediately, but Sister Ti was reluctant to see him go and insisted he stay for lunch before departing. For the past two days, Ti Da had been wholly absorbed in assisting her grandfather with research on the True Shikongyoku (Soul Gem), barely finding time to eat even three meals a day, subsisting entirely on the food Lin Luo had "cooked and brewed." This made her feel terribly self-conscious, and she also wished to showcase her own culinary skills for Lin Luo.

Lin Luo found it hard to refuse the little loli’s kind intentions and agreed.

In the meantime, while Ti Da was busy preparing lunch, Russell spoke to Lin Luo with meaningful gravity, "Although the pendant you gave her is far less valuable than the bead, in my estimation, that bead is nowhere near as valuable as the pendant. I originally intended to caution you that while that jade holds immensely miraculous power, it can also easily invite deadly disaster. However, I suppose there is little need to worry about that now." "An object itself possesses no intrinsic value; value is entirely subjective to the beholder." Lin Luo smiled faintly.

Previously, because Russell sensed the pendant Lin Luo gifted Ti Da was made of an unusual material, he had borrowed it for research. Although his system of power was entirely different from this world's, with Russell’s abilities, he was surely capable of discerning something, as energies across different systems are fundamentally similar.

For instance, energies like wind, water, electricity, and fire are the same regardless of the world; the only difference lies in the method of mastering and utilizing those energies—in essence, it's the same fish, but a different method of fishing.

Russell might not have been able to determine the pendant's specific function, but with careful inspection, he certainly would have noticed its exceptionally strong defensive capabilities. Based on Russell’s own judgment, in all that he knew of this world, few human or material forces could breach the pendant's defenses.

Of course, this did not mean Ti Da was invincible wearing that pendant. To avoid attracting undue attention, Lin Luo had specifically configured its function to activate only when her life was in imminent danger; it would absolutely not trigger for a common fall or a minor cut.

This arrangement prevented any ill-intentioned individuals from discovering the pendant’s marvel and attempting to seize it. Though, even if they did snatch it away, it would be useless, as all the magic tools he crafted possessed a master-recognition function, only activating for the first owner.

"Well, with your insight and arrangements, I am much more at ease," Russell nodded after hearing Lin Luo’s brief explanation.

It is said that an innocent man possessing treasure invites trouble. Ti Da wearing such an item was a mixed blessing, but given the nature of that pendant, it minimized the danger. As long as Ti Da didn't flaunt the pendant about and wore it close to her body, no one would ever discern its uniqueness.

"Ti Da has been with me since she was young, without parents to care for her. Although her disposition is optimistic and obedient, she is inevitably lonely. It is rare that you treat her like a sister, and she is very fond of you. If you have time in the future, please come back to see her." "Mhm, I will visit again when I am free."

"Grandpa, Brother, lunch is ready. What were you two talking about?" As they spoke, Ti Da emerged from the kitchen carrying the dishes.

Lin Luo laughed, "Your grandfather asked me to stay here from now on. I said I would come and stay frequently when I have time." "Ah! Stay permanently?" The little girl’s face suddenly flushed red, apparently thinking of something. But she quickly masked it, smiling sweetly as she began serving the meal.

Although Ti Da’s cooking was incomparable to the maids of Sky City, having learned household chores since childhood, her dishes were comparable to the head chef at a common restaurant. The lunch was eaten harmoniously. Previously, it was just her and her grandfather, so having an extra person for the meal made Ti Da exceptionally happy. Yet, the thought that Lin Luo would be leaving today made her inevitably a little melancholic.

Shortly after, amid Ti Da's reluctant farewells, Lin Luo finally departed. As soon as he left Cais, he activated his speed and shot toward Luan City. However, when he arrived, he could not find Huang Quan and the others; he searched almost the entire city but couldn't sense their aura.

"Damn it, where did these guys run off to?" Lin Luo hadn't expected Huang Quan and the others to disregard his instructions to wait in Luan City, giving him a headache. If he had known they would leave without permission, he should have equipped them with cell phones... A complete oversight!

Regarding the bizarre "disappearance" of Huang Quan and the group, Lin Luo was not worried about their safety. After all, few people in this world could pose a threat to them. Coupled with Leiya and Feina, the twin goddesses possessing the power to bless everything, for them to encounter danger would be more miraculous than a miracle itself.

The real question was: where in the world did they go?

"Screee!"

As Lin Luo pondered, he suddenly heard a strange cry from above. Instinctively looking up, he saw a white avian circling overhead.

"Screee! Screee! Screee!" The bird circled three times above him, then let out a long cry before spreading its wings and flying off in a specific direction.

What was going on? Judging by its demeanor, it seemed to be deliberately guiding him! Lin Luo’s mind stirred, and he suddenly remembered what this white avian was.

Looking closely, it was indeed a falcon, and the direction it flew was outside the city, toward the vicinity of Bifa. Lin Luo knew his judgment was likely correct; this avian was precisely the one he imagined it to be.

Without hesitation, he immediately gave chase in the direction it flew.

This white falcon was not only incredibly fast but also highly intelligent. Lin Luo saw it flying quickly, so he deliberately slowed his speed slightly to make it think he couldn't keep up. A moment later, the white falcon would fly back, circle a few times ahead of him, and then fly onward. At this point, Lin Luo was certain this white falcon was truly guiding him, although he still didn't know why.

Knowing its intent, Lin Luo stopped concealing his strength and pursued at full speed, maintaining a distance of a few meters steadily behind the white falcon. The white falcon, noticing a human whose speed was no slower than its own, seemed to take it as a challenge. It flapped its wings and accelerated forward.

But when it glanced down, the human on the ground was still following closely behind.

"Screee!" The white falcon cried out, sounding both excited and provocative, and increased its speed again.

"Heh heh, looks like it's really locked onto me," Lin Luo instantly found it amusing. Knowing that this gentle, highly spiritual white falcon had been provoked into unleashing a sliver of the aerial sovereign's wild nature, he immediately increased his speed another level, eager to witness just how fast it could truly fly.

Like this, the man and the bird seemed to race, intermittently accelerating forward, the surrounding scenery rushing backward as if on fast-forward. Fortunately, they encountered no people on this mountain path; otherwise, onlookers would surely have been stunned speechless. Of course, ordinary people likely wouldn't have seen their figures at all, only a blur at most.

After about ten minutes, the white falcon slowed down before a village and lightly flapped its wings, flying into the settlement. Lin Luo, at the same moment, ceased his abilities and ran, tracking the falcon's silhouette with the running pace of an ordinary person.

This was a village built by the sea, or perhaps the village was established atop a wide cliff. On one side were the villagers' dwellings, and on the other, a sheer precipice dropping down to the boundless ocean below.

A moment later, near a large windmill rotating in the wind on the cliff edge, Lin Luo spotted three young women. Two of them were Huang Quan and Kagura, and the third was a girl with short, purple hair.

The girl appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, possessing delicate features and an elegant demeanor, dressed in a school uniform, a kind smile gracing her face. From the first glance, she gave the impression of being a gentle and sensitive girl.

And the white falcon that had guided Lin Luo was currently perched on the girl's wrist.

Hearing footsteps, all three turned simultaneously to look at Lin Luo.

Kagura immediately ran toward him, laughing happily, "Brother, you must thank Kiku properly this time, otherwise finding us would have been quite a task."

Lin Luo certainly knew who she meant by Kiku, but he pretended to be bewildered, "Who is Kiku?"

"Hehe, you guess," Kagura chuckled slyly but offered no explanation.

"Could it be that white falcon?" Lin Luo feigned contemplation, and after a few seconds, pointed to the falcon on the purple-haired girl’s wrist.

"Screee!" The white falcon tilted its head and let out an affectionate cry.

At this moment, Huang Quan and the purple-haired girl also walked over. The latter nodded slightly to Lin Luo as a greeting and smiled, "Hello, my name is Colosse Siline, a student at the Jennis Royal Academy. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Lin Luo, the pleasure is mine," Lin Luo returned the smile and bow. He certainly wasn't unfamiliar with the girl before him, as she was, after all, a member of the main protagonist group. However, since she wasn't Ti Da, he couldn't deceive her with just a few casual words, so he had to pretend this was their first meeting.

Of course, in reality, this was his first face-to-face encounter with her.

Then, Colosse pointed to the white falcon on her wrist and introduced, "This is my friend, Kiku. He said he is also very happy to meet you, and he admires that you could actually match his speed."

"That is truly too kind of him," Lin Luo smiled humbly.

"Screee!" The white falcon chirped softly at him, seemingly telling him not to be modest.

Colosse, who could understand Kiku, smiled at Lin Luo, "He says you shouldn't be humble; he has truly never met a human who could match his speed before."

The speed of the white falcon Kiku surpassed that of most airships; for a human to be able to keep up with it could only be described as incredible. Colosse, however, didn't seem surprised by this. Lin Luo speculated this might be related to Huang Quan and Kagura; if Colosse had witnessed some of their strength, then his own abilities might not warrant such astonishment.

But on second thought, how did these three girls meet?

"Ah, that’s a long story..." Hearing Lin Luo ask, Huang Quan frowned, a hint of anger subtly showing on her face.