Second Spirit Ability: Touch of Returning Void

Wang Chuan's eyes lit up at Chen Xin's question. His grip on the katana tightened unconsciously, and his voice carried both eagerness and seriousness. "Master, my Second Spirit Ability is called 'Touch of Returning Void.'"

He turned slightly, his fingertips gently brushing across the katana's blade as he explained the ability in detail. "The core of this ability is using the katana to absorb the free energy in the surrounding environment—whether it's Soul Power dispersed in the air, the light and heat within sunlight, or even the faint life force in the soil, the katana can draw it all in. After absorption, this energy is directly converted into two forms of power: one is pure Soul Power, and the other is a large amount of attribute enhancement. These two forms of power are also very flexible. They can replenish me, or be assigned to my teammates. Most importantly, the efficiency of absorption and conversion will increase along with my Soul Power. The stronger I become, the more useful this ability will be."

At this point, Wang Chuan paused before adding the key detail, a hint of pride entering his voice. "It also has another advantage: it can absorb energy while fighting, without needing to stop and charge it deliberately. With my current Soul Power, it can restore up to 80% of my own Soul Power at once. If I use it to restore someone else, it's also calculated based on 80% of my maximum Soul Power. And besides Soul Power, it can grant the target a massive attack boost. More importantly, the person receiving the enhancement will have their attacks imbued with a layer of Power of Void—if they hit an opponent, the effect will be the same as mine. The corrosion of the Power of Void will cause the opponent's Soul Power to stagnate and become difficult to recover, while their consciousness will quickly grow hazy. It's like adding another layer of crowd control."

"So this is an ability that combines recovery and enhancement. Although the Power of Void may have a slight potential effect on the user's mind, overall, the advantages absolutely outweigh the drawbacks." After hearing this, obvious approval flashed through Chen Xin's eyes. He raised his chin and spoke bluntly. "Come. Use it on me once and let me experience its effects firsthand."

"Yes, Master!" The instant Wang Chuan answered, he flicked his wrist, and the katana left its sheath with a swish. The blade gleamed with a cold sheen beneath the hall's light. He focused his mind, channeling Soul Power through his arm and into the blade. The air around it seemed to distort slightly as countless tiny specks of energy gathered toward the edge. In less than three seconds, the ability had charged to 80%.

The next second, Wang Chuan gave his wrist a light shake, and an invisible force burst from the blade, ignoring the tables, chairs, and barriers within the hall as it surged directly toward Chen Xin. At the same time, he clearly felt that about one-tenth of his Soul Power had been consumed. For the effects of Touch of Returning Void, that cost was clearly well worth it.

Chen Xin stood in place. The instant that force enveloped him, an indescribable sense of despair suddenly surged into his heart—as though everything before him would be swallowed by endless void, and all existence in the world would eventually return to silence. But he was, after all, a Titled Douluo with unfathomable Soul Power, and his will had long been as firm as stone. In the blink of an eye, he circulated his Soul Power to steady his mind. The despair instantly faded, and he returned to his usual composure.

Immediately afterward, Chen Xin moved his wrist, and the Long Sword at his waist slid from its sheath. A fierce sword aura howled forth, slashing directly toward a stone pillar in the corner of the hall. The instant it struck, stone fragments scattered everywhere. At the cut in the pillar, a faint layer of gray-black mist clung to the surface—it was the Power of Void carried by Touch of Returning Void, slowly corroding the pillar's structure.

Chen Xin sheathed his sword and looked at Wang Chuan, his voice full of affirmation. "The attack boost is around 30%. That percentage is already extremely high. My base attack power is not low to begin with, so an increase like this is enough to show the quality of this ability. And the corrosive effect of the Power of Void cannot be underestimated either. It's equivalent to adding sustained damage and interference. The only thing to watch out for is the effect of the Power of Void entering the body. But don't worry—anyone whose will is not firm enough will never become your teammate, nor would they be fit to receive this ability's enhancement. Xiao Chuan, this is a very good ability. You did well."

Hearing his master's approval, Wang Chuan's eyes instantly brightened, and the corners of his mouth rose despite himself. The confusion he had felt over Indelible Color was washed away by overwhelming joy. Holding the katana, he bowed lightly. "Thank you, Master! I'll definitely train hard from now on and live up to your teachings!"

Seeing that Chen Xin thought highly of his ability, Wang Chuan took the opportunity to report the matter of Lucius hiring Black Market assassins to ambush him. "Master, that ambush I encountered at the academy before—it was investigated afterward. Lucius had hired assassins from the Black Market."

Chen Xin had assumed it was merely an ordinary conflict between academy students. But upon hearing the word "assassins," his expression instantly darkened, and the pressure around him dropped noticeably. His voice carried obvious anger. "Xiao Chuan, you should have told me about something like this at the time! If I had known they were assassins, I would never have let Caspar off so easily when I dealt with him, much less allowed these desperate scum the chance to set their sights on you!"

He paused briefly, quickly suppressing his anger as his gaze sharpened. "But we won't bring up old matters for now. The urgent priority is dealing with these assassins, so they don't cause trouble again in the future. Come, I'll teach you how to handle this sort of thing. Try sensing whether that Soul Tool containing the Gold Soul Coins can still locate the assassin's position."

Wang Chuan immediately nodded and closed his eyes in concentration. He had previously used the Soul Tool to mark the assassin codenamed Poison Fang. As he sent his Soul Power into the Soul Tool, he caught the other party's aura after only a moment. "Master, he's in the forest outside the city!"

"Good!" Before Chen Xin had even finished speaking, he tapped off the ground with the tip of his foot, soaring into the air like a silver bolt of lightning. At the same time, he wrapped an arm around Wang Chuan's shoulder and carried him away at high speed. The wind howled past their ears. In less than half an incense stick's time, the two arrived above the forest outside the city. Beneath the shade of the trees, a figure was furtively packing his things. It was none other than Poison Fang.

Chen Xin did not hesitate in the slightest. The instant he landed, the Long Sword at his waist had already left its sheath. An incomparably fierce sword aura tore through the air, so fast its trajectory could not be seen. Poison Fang did not even have time to react. Without letting out a scream, he vanished where he stood along with the sword aura, leaving behind neither blood nor even a scrap of clothing, as though he had never existed.

At that moment, a suppressed gasp came from behind a nearby tree. Chen Xin and Wang Chuan turned to look, only to see a mother and daughter standing there in a daze. The girl was only five or six years old, clutching her mother's clothes tightly in terror, her face pale. When the mother saw Chen Xin looking at them, her legs went weak and she dropped to her knees. Her voice trembled with tears. "My lord! My husband was foolish. He should never have accepted employment to harm you... Please show mercy and spare our child! I am willing to die to atone for his sins. I only beg you not to hurt her!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled a short dagger from her robes and slashed it across her own throat without hesitation. Blood instantly poured out. Her body went limp as she collapsed to the ground, her final gaze still fixed desperately upon her daughter, full of reluctance.

Chen Xin was not made of stone. Seeing this scene, a trace of complexity flashed through his eyes. After a moment of silence, he turned to Wang Chuan. "Take out all the Gold Soul Coins in your Soul Tool." Once Wang Chuan handed over the heavy bag of Gold Soul Coins, Chen Xin bent down and placed it before the girl. His voice softened slightly. "Take this money and find somewhere safe to live. Don't get involved with people like these again." After saying that, he spoke no further and left with Wang Chuan. He knew this was already the greatest mercy he could show the innocent.

The two soon arrived at a ruined temple south of the city. This had been a temporary hideout for the assassin organization. As Chen Xin approached, he carefully examined the area with his Soul Power. Sure enough, more than a dozen auras were hidden within the temple, all belonging to assassins disguised as beggars or drifters. A cold light flashed in his eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he shouted, "First Soul Skill, Long Sword Unsheathed!"

As the Soul Skill activated, a sword aura even stronger than before burst from the blade, sweeping through the entire ruined temple like a silver tidal wave. With a thunderous boom, the dilapidated temple and the assassins inside were instantly annihilated by the sword aura, leaving behind only a devastated patch of open ground.

After finishing all this, Chen Xin returned his sword to its sheath and flew toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Wang Chuan. Along the way, he looked at the pensive Wang Chuan beside him and spoke earnestly. "Xiao Chuan, remember this: you cannot show mercy to assassins like these. Their hands are stained with countless lives, and every one of them is steeped in evil. If you let even one of them go today, and they come back for revenge someday, it won't only be you who falls into danger. Your family and friends will as well."

He paused, his expression becoming especially grave. "What we did today was not merely rooting them out. It was also a warning—to let those organizations hiding in the shadows know that the price of provoking us is not one they can afford. Do you understand?"

Wang Chuan recalled the scene at the ruined temple, then thought of the fate of that mother and daughter. Though his heart was moved, he also understood his master's intentions. He nodded firmly, his voice resolute. "I understand, Master. I will never leave behind future trouble because of a moment of softness."