Chapter 731: The right time

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    Sitting atop an ice-covered boulder, Hubert exhaled a plume of frigid air and rubbed his hands together for warmth.

    Despite coating his body in spiritual energy to protect himself from the surrounding ice, his skin still felt the sharp sting of the cold.

    "At this rate, we''re going to freeze into ice sculptures just like the forest. Why is so much cold emanating from him?"

    On his left, the fire phoenix who had transformed into a beautiful young lady clad in a feathery outfit, mimicked his actions and rubbed her hands together.

    -"I don''t feel much cold because my body naturally resists it. Not to mention, I am bonded to Kyle, so his aura doesn''t affect me as much. You can leave if it''s getting difficult; I can keep an eye on him."

    Hubert sighed and shook his head. He couldn''t leave, not when he still couldn''t figure out why Kyle wasn''t waking up.

    "No, I am fine. But why aren''t you wearing the shoes I gave you? They may be a bit big, but in your human form, you will injure your feet if you don''t wear them."

    He reprimanded her gently, and Bia grumbled in response.

    -"But they are so uncomfortable!"

    Hubert shook his head again.

    "I understand that. It''s definitely uncomfortable since you''re not used to being in human form. However, in the future, your larger form could hinder your battles against enemies. It''s important to adapt and be prepared."

    Without waiting for Hubert to respond, she turned and, despite knowing that there were no monsters in the forest-since, aside from the ones killed by Hubert, the rest had fled because it was completely frozen-she began scanning the area for something to eat or perhaps find some trees with fruit.

    Hubert''s eyebrow twitched. How could a transcendent-rank phoenix feel hunger? She could go for years without eating, thanks to her strength. But he quickly followed behind her to make sure the kid didn''t accidentally harm her human form.

    Shortly after the two of them left, Kyle''s fingers twitched violently.

    After ensuring Bia and Hubert''s safety, he managed to throw himself into a portal before losing consciousness.

    However, even in the darkness of his dreamless sleep, he somehow knew that his essence had mended his broken body within mere minutes after he fainted.

    The damage inflicted on his body by the power he wasn''t supposed to wield yet was healed, but the scars it left on his mind and soul remained. That''s why he fell into a slumber and didn''t wake up.

    Kyle''s twitching fingers clenched into tight fists as his consciousness began to return. First, his awareness manifested in his mind space to check on his essence, which had once again retreated into a corner.

    His eyes fluttered open, a brilliant glow illuminating his emotionless gaze as he focused on the tiny blue particles floating in the distance, which conveyed a deep sense of sorrow directly to him. His lips parted.

    "The essence failed... it failed to merge with me completely. But why? Is it because my body is still too weak?"

    He fell silent as the understanding of the natural laws he had grasped while wielding a power beyond his strength solidified in his mind. He recalled the pain he had endured from directly tapping into a fraction of his bloodline''s power. It felt as if all his internal organs and bones were breaking apart and merging together only to break apart again.

    Conflicted emotions flickered in his eyes. If it was already this painful, how much more agony would he have to endure when the Celestial Bloodline completely merged with him? With a sigh, he shook his head.

    "I guess I will wait for the right time. There is no hurry. It''s not like I or the essence in my body is going anywhere. The way it clings to me so desperately, it''s clear that the moment I die, it will return to nature and disappear as if it never existed before."

    With an exhale, Kyle''s consciousness disappeared from his mind space. His body shifted slightly above the bed of ice where he was lying.