Li Ang remained silent for a while.

"Has The Soul Apex turned out like this... Xiaomo, when did you leave the team?"

Li Ang's words momentarily deflated Morales' imposing manner.

"Let me think, it was about six months to a year after Viel retired..."

"So vague? Such a critical matter." Li Ang smiled.

"Uh."

The young man with beast ears paused, then vigorously scrunched his hair and ears: "Sigh, I'm not blaming you, besides, I have no right to, as I was the one who ran away."

Li Ang turned around, crossing his arms: "I'm not questioning you, or rather, questioning you to obscure the fact that I witnessed but couldn't reverse the corruption of The Soul Apex."

He sighed, tapping his temple with his index finger: "I just want to say, after getting in touch with you old friends these days, I've started to get a new perspective."

Li Ang thought of the members he'd gathered along the way, those four young girls who could be likened to small animals.

They... haven't yet grown to the point where their contributions outweigh the troubles they bring, but nonetheless, Li Ang felt a long-missed sense of the past, though not as pure, because there were still some unspeakably pink-tinted fragments.

Now, standing before Xiaomo, certain thoughts that had been forming since he left The Soul Apex surfaced.

"What do you think, why is a team formed?"

"There could be many reasons, because mutual cooperation is needed to achieve goals, or simply for adventures and making money with friends."

Morales spread his hands, being an experienced Elder Sky Knight, he wasn't only in The Soul Apex or the Super Lucky Team.

"Yes, summed up, there are many reasons for forming a team. So, why is a team able to be sustained?"

"Why sustain? Common interests, getting used to each other, I suppose?"

For the second question, Xiaomo's tone was less certain.

Moreover, it didn't yield many accurate answers.

"It's easy to form a team, but very few can truly last."

Li Ang recalled some events from his time on Earth.

Whether online or in reality, it's always very easy for a group to drift apart, whether due to objective impacts, or a gradual subjective lack of words.

That's precisely why, when he joined the former Soul Apex and gradually realized in adventures that it was a group where neither conflicts nor benefit distribution could affect their emotions, he felt an incredible disbelief.

Is there really such a team in the world? Am I right here?

"...When I came back from that unbelievable amazement, we had already traveled many places together."

Li Ang's inner changes weren't just thoughts, he also expressed them to Morales before him.

"Wha, what? Saying it like that makes me feel awkward."

The young man with beast ears grinned, naturally moved, yet he was the type not accustomed to directly expressing his feelings.

"These things, perhaps you should tell Farina, maybe she'd cry, we've never seen—"

"But still, as the saying goes, even the best banquet must end."

Li Ang interrupted Xiaomo's attempt to change the topic out of embarrassment.

The young man with beast ears froze, his expression slowly turning solemn.

"The reason I'm saying I'm not blaming you is because I completely understand now."

Li Ang smiled: "Viel, Farina, Kitan, me, you, we were the closest of friends, but the team atmosphere was so good, like Lawrence and the others, they were key parts too. But without you guys, once they're gone too, the team is no longer the same place, no matter how similar it seems, it's not the same anymore.

"Viel was the pivotal core; if we were mature enough, perhaps we should've disbanded when he retired. In fact, you guys left shortly after, and you were right to go. Even if the four of us remained, sometimes the harmony among people changes with the absence of anyone.

"So, I'm not blaming you at all."

Xiaomo's expression gradually relaxed, with a hint of melancholy.

"Actually, I understood this long ago, I just didn't want to wake up from that beautiful past, maybe longing for friends, or wanting to rely on others? Anyway, I took Viel's words on his departure as a very important goal and have been fighting for it." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Actually you—"

"Actually, I didn't need to take it so seriously."

"No, I mean, you're really impressive, not just Viel, I personally want to thank you. The Soul Apex was important to me too, I'm just more self-centered, not as emotionally invested as you; I felt the atmosphere change and thought it was time to leave. But I was truly happy to see it reach the top ranks that time and show the world."

Morales leaned on the railing, his fingers clutched tightly, with a kind of smile yet not a smile.

"I think they must feel the same."

The young man with beast ears grinned: "Viel asked you to visit his daughter, and Farina joined your team, so it can't be something they'd do for just anyone, right."

Li Ang opened his mouth, but said nothing.

"So, what's the plan?" Morales gave Li Ang a pat on the arm: "How will you deal with those three bastards down there?"

"That's what I meant by gaining a new perspective."

Li Ang took a deep breath: "At this point, discussing whether I have any responsibility for what's happened to The Soul Apex is pointless. Simply from an emotional standpoint, coupled with some notion of a grand mission for Aerial Realm's peace, I'll do what's necessary."