Tales of Demons and Gods: Light Devil Fruit

"AZURE!!"

Gyuutarou and Ye Xinghan were left speechless by the sight of the crystal glowing with such an intense and rare color. Gyuutarou had never imagined his little sister, Ume, would possess such prodigious talent in Glory City, her potential even surpassing that of Ye Mo, the city's only legend-ranked demon spiritualist. However, Ye Xinghan was taken aback for a different reason. As the crystal in Ume's hand began to shine, an indescribable aura, ancient and profound, seemed to fill the room, reminiscent of the smell of dust and decay from ages long past (though, what an 'ancient aura' might truly feel like was beyond even his imagination).

Ume, finally opening her eyes, was just as shocked to see the crystal's azure glow. 

"Onii-chan! It's azure, it's azure!!" she exclaimed, bouncing with the energy of a child, her excitement causing her to throw the crystal in the air as she ran to hug Gyuutarou.

Fortunately, Ye Xinghan's quick reflexes saved the crystal from shattering on the floor. These crystals were not just rare but also purchased with his limited allowance, making each one quite valuable. (Always be frugal, he reminded himself.)

Ye Xinghan turned his attention to the illusory figure within the crystal — a simple black tortoise, but with a peculiar small horn on its head. There was no way such an ordinary-looking creature could emit such an aura, so he returned to the books, flipping through pages until he found an ancient text, unearthed recently alongside Ye Han's return by Ye Zong. This book, from an era before the age of darkness, was written in a language Ye Xinghan hadn't fully mastered yet.

He landed on a page depicting a soul form identical to Ume's.

"Mystic... Deep... Turtle?" Ye Xinghan muttered to himself.

If his memory served him right, this was the martial spirit of Xu Sanshi from "Soul Land 2"!

"Mystic Deep Turtle, wow, the name is so cool! What does it do?" Ume, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, approached him.

"Mystic Deep Turtle is a spirit beast specializing in defense and endurance," Ye Xinghan explained. "Its shell is so hard that even a divine weapon would struggle to break through. Its vitality is top-notch; at its peak, regrowing limbs would be trivial." However, he kept one thought to himself:

'Turtle as the body, snake as the tail — this is the true form of Xuanwu, the original Divine Beast in Chinese culture. No wonder I felt such an ancient aura from the soul crystal. In "Demon Slayer," Gyuutarou always hid within Ume, his nature cunning like a snake. They are truly one entity, one body. There might be many secrets yet to be uncovered about them.'

"Why did you go silent?" Gyuutarou asked, noticing the thoughtful frown on Ye Xinghan's face.

"Nothing, your sister's cultivation journey will be much easier than yours since this mountain range is teeming with water-attribute demon beasts. Are you envious, perhaps?" Ye Xinghan teased with a smirk.

"I always believed that my sister is destined for a good life. There's no need for jealousy," Gyuutarou replied with an air of nonchalance, though his twitching mouth betrayed his pride and happiness.

'What a tsundere,' Ye Xinghan thought, shaking his head.

Then, with a playful tone, he suggested, "I have a little sister who's around four. What if Ume becomes her personal babysitter?"

Gyuutarou's demeanor shifted to one of caution. "What are you trying to pull off?" he asked, his voice chilling.

Ye Xinghan laughed off the concern. "You always become sensitive about anything related to your sister, huh?"

"The deal was only between you and me. I don't want to bring Ume into danger," Gyuutarou retorted instantly.

"Of course not," Ye Xinghan reassured. "The main reason for bringing this up is simple."

"I want you to have peace of mind, which is beneficial for your future."

Gyuutarou raised an eyebrow, skeptical yet listening.

"I need a legitimate reason to protect your sister," Ye Xinghan clarified. 

"The Snow Wind Family will protect your sister! There's no greater reassurance than this, right?"

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