Perhaps it was because too much time had passed, or maybe due to renovations and reconstructions, he spent an entire day there but still couldn’t find much information in the palace.
The only potentially useful information was found on a stone pillar at the front of the palace, where there was a pattern that looked like an emblem mark.
The pattern showed a seven-stringed harp floating on gentle waves in a simple drawing.
It looked like the emblem of some music academy.
It was the first time Angel had seen this pattern, and he didn’t know what it represented, so he could only make a note of it for future reference.
Beneath this emblem was a painting by Feng of a former Desert Monarch.
However, there was nothing unusual about Feng’s painting, and after checking it several times, Angel moved on.
...
The gondola was leisurely flying through the air, and ahead of the gondola, a Sand Hawk was soaring with its wings spread.
This Sand Hawk was the accompanying flight arranged by Ke-Platinum.
"Tired of flying? Why not rest on the ship for a while?" Angel communicated with the Sand Hawk.
The Sand Hawk, however, flapped its wings triumphantly and said, "No need, I won’t get tired flying in the Baya Desert."
Angel opened his mouth, wanting to tell it that the reason he suggested coming on board wasn’t out of concern for its fatigue, but because it was flying too slowly!
The reason the gondola appeared to be flying leisurely was entirely due to this "accompanying flight" not keeping up. It’s not that the Sand Hawk was slow; by ordinary standards, this Sand Hawk was already very fast, comparable to Sanders’ pet Magic Falcon, but its speed still lagged significantly behind the gondola’s.
The normal three-hour flying distance of the gondola would take the Sand Hawk at least a day or two of full-speed effort.
At the current speed, they would likely reach the border of the Baya Desert by early morning.
Seeing the Sand Hawk’s smug expression, Angel couldn’t bring himself to dampen its spirits, and after a moment of silence, he refrained from speaking, deciding to let it lead the way as a chance to relax. It was just right for him to take this leisure time to visit the Wilderness of Dreams.
He arranged for Toby to take the helm and silently sent a mental message to make sure Earl Mi was on guard, after which Angel closed his eyes and stepped onto the Dream Bridge.
Wilderness of Dreams, Originheart City.
Angel appeared at the top level of the Sky Tower, and after crossing the balcony, he walked into the inner room.
At that moment, Frode was sitting at the table, holding a pen and working on something.
However, unlike usual, Frode didn’t seem to be that focused, occasionally turning to glance at a small disc on his left.
When Angel entered the room, Frode was looking at the disc, so deeply engrossed that he didn’t even notice the sound of footsteps.
It wasn’t until Angel stood in front of Frode that he finally reacted.
"My lord." A hint of embarrassment flashed across Frode’s face, and he stood up somewhat awkwardly to pay his respects.
Angel nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two items on Frode’s desk.
On the right was a research topic he was writing, clearly titled in black ink on white paper as "Application Report of Soul Blind."
It appeared to be the development and usage manual for Frode’s first Soul Trick.
The item on the left was the small black disc—the Mother Tree Interlinker.
The screen showed that Frode was chatting privately with someone, with message bubbles popping up intermittently. Previously, Frode had been so engrossed, likely because he was reading other people’s messages.
"What are you doing?" Angel asked, puzzled.
Frode: "I was chatting with Mr. Jon..."
According to Frode, he was chatting with Jon in the morning about Adar’s progress in piano studies when halfway through the conversation, Jon told him that Ironclad Granny had arrived.
Recently, Ironclad Granny often visited the library to chat with Jon, so Frode wasn’t surprised and planned to end the private conversation with Jon.
Then, Frode began writing a developmental report for Soul Blind, and while writing about some application techniques, he encountered some questions. Unable to find someone to answer them right away, he thought of Ironclad Granny on Jon’s side. He attempted to privately chat with Jon, asking him to inquire about Ironclad Granny.
It was initially a hopeful inquiry, but unexpectedly, Ironclad Granny actually replied, and she patiently provided a comprehensive analysis of the solutions to his questions.
When Angel arrived, Frode was reading the information Jon had forwarded on behalf of Ironclad Granny.
"I see." Angel smiled at Frode. "Ironclad Granny’s knowledge reserve is probably among the best in the Barbarian Cave. You’re quite lucky."
Frode chuckled, "I didn’t expect to get a reply from Ironclad Granny... but this made me discover a special feature of the tree network."
Angel: "A special feature? Do you mean remote mentorship?"
Frode nodded, "Sort of, but more importantly for me, it’s the ’remote’ aspect of this feature. If I were face-to-face with Ironclad Granny, I wouldn’t dare make any requests, but with a screen separating us, I find myself much braver. Even though I still don’t dare be disrespectful, I have the courage to ask for help."
As Frode said this, he couldn’t help but smile, looking quite silly.
Angel shook his head; while he said that, Frode still relied on Jon to pass messages. Ironclad Granny did have the tree network, and Frode still didn’t dare to privately chat directly.
Angel didn’t point it out, waiting for Frode to finish chuckling before asking, "How are things on your end? How are Adar and Shanni coming along in their practice?"
Frode regained his composure and said, "I’m still near that cave altar, and there’s no need to worry about Adar for now. His emotions have been stable, and he’s completed the initial practice. Shanni’s temperament isn’t as stable as Adar’s, so it’s a bit tricky, but currently, she’s also in a calm state."