The Special Thunderous Nethervine

Another seven or eight minutes passed before Sun Kong finally spoke, interrupting the inseparable pair.

The three soon entered a private elevator requiring identity verification. As it rose, the floor numbers on the screen kept jumping.

With a ding, the elevator stopped. Once the doors opened, Sun Kong stepped out first, revealing an exceptionally spacious room dominated by pale silver tones.

Nan Liujing and Wu Sidu had just followed him out when a hearty laugh rang out:

"Only for you, Sun Kong. If it were anyone else, this old man wouldn't have bothered making the trip."

"Greetings, Elder Yuan." Sun Kong's imposing body bent slightly. After finishing his salute, he stepped aside.

Only then did Nan Liujing and Wu Sidu clearly see the speaker.

He was an elderly man with snow-white hair, a well-proportioned build, and simple robes. His face was rosy and full, his vitality abundant, and his eyes bright and keen.

"Are these the two children seeking spirit souls?" the elder asked.

"Liujing, Sido, hurry and greet Elder Yuan," Sun Kong said.

"Greetings, Elder Yuan."

Nan Liujing and Wu Sidu bowed respectfully.

Elder Yuan gave an amused hum, his gaze lingering over the two of them as he said warmly, "I imagine you can hardly wait. Let's test your physical strength and Spiritual Power first, then you can quickly choose your spirit souls."

Two drone-like devices flew down from the ceiling, stopping before Nan Liujing and Wu Sidu respectively. They then projected beams of light that scanned them twice from head to toe.

Elder Yuan lightly waved his hand, and two projections descended from the ceiling.

Sun Kong immediately looked over. The first set of data belonged to Wu Sidu.

"Physical strength: Level 18. Spiritual Power: 75. Not bad." Sun Kong nodded approvingly.

Both of Wu Sidu's Martial Souls were beast-type Martial Souls, and her White Tiger Martial Soul was even a top-tier beast Martial Soul. Its enhancement to her body was naturally considerable. As for her Spiritual Power, being blessed with Twin Martial Souls meant it was innately far higher than that of ordinary people.

Coupled with her family's support, she had started well ahead of the pack.

Elder Yuan, meanwhile, examined Nan Liujing's physical data item by item. He merely nodded slightly without saying anything. For example, Nan Liujing's physical strength was comparable to that of a Level 22 assault-type Soul Grandmaster.

For someone from an ordinary family, that would have been difficult to comprehend.

But given Nan Liujing's family background, he had been fed Spirit Medicine suited to his age until he was full. Building a solid foundation early on was easy; the real difficulty lay in later growth.

However, when Elder Yuan looked at the most important Spiritual Power value, even his normally unruffled expression shifted slightly. "Two hundred and twenty? Mid-stage Spirit Connection Realm?"

Wu Sidu was also looking at the display. At Elder Yuan's surprised exclamation, disbelief immediately filled her beautiful mismatched eyes. Even though she already regarded Nan Liujing as a friend, as fellow possessors of Twin Martial Souls, she had no small sense of competitiveness.

The gap between seventy-five and two hundred and twenty was enormous.

Staring at those two numbers, Wu Sidu pressed her red lips together. Her gaze soon became firm. A large gap did not mean she could not catch up.

Nan Liujing himself was somewhat stunned. He remembered that when Tang Wulin obtained his first spirit soul, his tested Spiritual Power had only been thirty-eight. Yet his own was several times that.

"Boy Sun." Elder Yuan quickly recovered. The warmth on his face turned serious as he transmitted, "You should understand what this means."

Sun Kong's expression sharpened as he transmitted back, "Rest assured. The boss has already made arrangements for this child's future."

Elder Yuan nodded and said no more, but the way he looked at Nan Liujing became increasingly kind.

"Sit first."

Sun Kong motioned for Nan Liujing and Wu Sidu to sit with him on the sofa.

With no one knowing what Elder Yuan had done, more than a dozen projections formed in midair.

Lined up before them was information on all kinds of spirit souls. By selecting one, they could even directly watch that spirit soul moving about in the Star Dou Great Forest simulated within the Spirit Ascension Platform.

Hundred-year spirit soul, Shadow Leopard: cultivation of 450 years. Trait: possesses a shadow attribute mutated from wind and darkness attributes. It has a certain chance of causing the fusion recipient's Martial Soul attribute to evolve in a beneficial direction. Even for dissimilar attributes, it can grant additional similar abilities.

Hundred-year spirit soul, Ghost Tiger: cultivation of 500 years. Trait: combines the explosive power of tiger-type soul beasts with the agility of cat-type soul beasts...

Hundred-year spirit soul, Phantom Cat: cultivation of 470 years. Trait...

Hundred-year spirit soul, Wind Shadow Beast: cultivation of 520 years. Trait...

The long list of spirit souls was dazzling.

Elder Yuan looked at the entranced Wu Sidu and said, "Girl, your Martial Souls are the White Tiger and Hell Spirit Cat. But with your current Spiritual Power, you can only add a spirit soul to one Martial Soul. Which path do you intend to take first?"

Wu Sidu reluctantly pulled her gaze away from the display and instinctively looked at Sun Kong.

Sun Kong did not hesitate at all. "Choose a spirit soul for the Hell Spirit Cat first."

Wu Sidu immediately looked to Elder Yuan and nodded.

"Very good." Elder Yuan first removed the spirit souls unsuitable for the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul, then said, "Now you may choose. Every spirit soul on the display is an inherited spirit soul made from real soul beasts, and all are relatively rare among the hundred-year level. No matter which one you choose, it will enhance you considerably."

Spirit souls were divided into defective spirit souls, artificial spirit souls, inherited spirit souls, unyielding spirit souls, bonded spirit souls... Since they had pulled strings, the spirit souls available to them were naturally not comparable to those ordinary people could simply purchase with money.

Wu Sidu still sought Sun Kong's advice. In the end, they settled on the Shadow Leopard as her first spirit soul.

The Shadow Leopard's mutated shadow attribute was highly compatible with the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul. The enhancement it provided was far more than a simple one plus one equals two.

There was not much to say about the absorption process. Wu Sidu's temperament became even more aloof—or rather, colder—and she grew slightly taller as well.

"Congratulations," Nan Liujing said.

"Thank you."

Although Wu Sidu was unwilling to have her Spiritual Power completely suppressed by Nan Liujing's, she was also open-minded about it. It was merely a temporary shortfall.

Now it was Nan Liujing's turn to obtain a spirit soul.

This time, however, Elder Yuan did not bring out a collection of spirit soul profiles for Nan Liujing to choose from. Instead, he rose and walked toward the depths of the room. "Follow me."

Nan Liujing was puzzled. Seeing Sun Kong nod at him, he could only suppress his curiosity and quickly follow.

The two soon arrived in a room suffused with faint silver light. In the center stood an energy pillar, within which floated a special orb of light.

With only one glance, Nan Liujing's expression changed slightly. Whatever was inside that orb would be of immense benefit to him.

Elder Yuan glanced at the light orb. "For a Soul Master, the first spirit soul is often the most important. As the host grows stronger, its growth will far surpass that of spirit souls acquired later, and it is more likely to develop sentience. Thus, it is called a bonded spirit soul."

"Your Martial Soul is a Coiled Dragon Staff possessing a Thunder Dragon Soul. It is incomparably fierce, but what is overly rigid is easily broken. Therefore, the spirit soul you acquire must not only possess exceptional resilience, but also top-tier Lightning Element affinity and explosive power."

"Originally, the Spirit Pagoda had no spirit soul within your absorbable cultivation range that suited you so perfectly. But someone found one for you."

Someone found it for me?

Nan Liujing wondered inwardly. Could it have been his eldest uncle?

He had originally wanted to choose for himself, mainly in hopes of finding something unaffected by the Gold and Silver Dragon Kings. Otherwise, if he faced Tang Wulin in the future, he would be suppressed terribly.

"Elder Yuan, what is this spirit soul called?" he asked respectfully.

Elder Yuan pressed a button beside the energy pillar. A beam of white light swept over Nan Liujing, followed by an electronic voice:

"Identity verification successful. Unit 'Thunderous' has been delivered."

Buzz—

As the voice sounded, the light membrane on the orb's surface slowly dissipated. Under Nan Liujing's watchful gaze, the thing concealed inside revealed its true form, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

Its main body resembled a newly sprouted bamboo shoot, yet more than eight pale-purple, bamboo-joint-like vines extended from its surface. Fine patterns covered them, with arcs of electricity occasionally flickering across them. At its tip was what appeared to be an unopened dark-purple flower bud. It looked simple, yet Nan Liujing could faintly sense an incomparably terrifying fluctuation emanating from within.

Like a volcano, it seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

Elder Yuan looked appreciatively at the unusual "bamboo shoot." "It is called the Thunderous Nethervine. Among the ever-changing plant-type soul beasts, it possesses what can be called the strongest offensive power. Most importantly, it is a Lightning Element being—the spirit soul every lightning-element Soul Master dreams of."

As he spoke, he extended a strand of Soul Power from his fingertip and lightly touched the flower bud atop the Thunderous Nethervine. As if enraged, its eight pale-purple vines immediately lashed about wildly. Amid flashing electricity, more than twenty-four small lightning spheres condensed into existence.

Elder Yuan casually pressed a button beside him, and the lightning spheres immediately vanished.

A display appeared before them, showing a dense forest.

"Watch," Elder Yuan said calmly.

Nan Liujing focused intently on the display.

"Rumble!"

Within the dense woods, twenty-four lightning spheres appeared from thin air. After trembling for a moment, they exploded with a deafening crash. Intense dark-purple lightning burst forth like shockwaves. From the sky, it looked like a stone falling into water and sending layer upon layer of ripples outward.

Within a hundred-meter radius, grass and leaves turned to ash, while hard trunks and boulders shattered into countless fragments that sprayed outward. As the subsequent lightning ravaged the area, everything was wiped away completely. Its power was so immense that even the other elements within the forest were torn apart, creating a region of shattered elements.

Under Nan Liujing's astonished gaze, the bombarded area had become a pitch-black wasteland. Yet residual heat still lingered, and arcs of electricity occasionally leaped and crackled.

What astonishing power, Nan Liujing thought in surprise.

"This Thunderous Nethervine spirit soul has a cultivation of eight hundred years. The power of that attack just now is enough to rival an eight-thousand-year soul beast that specializes in area-of-effect damage. Once you use the Spirit Ascension Platform to raise it to the thousand-year level, it will rival a ten-thousand-year soul skill," Elder Yuan explained.

Nan Liujing glanced at the Thunderous Nethervine, which had become dim and lifeless, as though its body had been hollowed out.

The words of the mysterious person who had possessed a Thunder Divine Wheel behind his head when Nan Liujing awakened his Martial Soul surfaced in his mind.

Face the heavenly lightning and accept its baptism.

The Heavenly Tribulation Bead will help the weak, but it will not help the cowardly.

The Thunderous Nethervine cultivated by relying on heavenly lightning to temper its body. It was so similar to him; surely this was an immense stroke of fate.

The opportunity was clear. He had to seize it!

Moreover, the Thunderous Nethervine did not possess a Dragon Clan Bloodline and would not fear suppression. The only thing worth being wary of was Tang Wulin's potential future identity as the Child of Nature.

Nan Liujing took a deep breath, his gaze turning resolute. "Elder Yuan, please help me fuse with it."

"Very well." Elder Yuan nodded slightly.

Weak spirit souls could be fused independently, while powerful spirit souls, whenever conditions allowed, would be fused with the aid of an expert.

Elder Yuan softly recited the spirit soul contract incantation passed down by Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao.

Nowadays, spirit soul contracts were rarely equal contracts. Most were master-servant contracts.

Nan Liujing sat cross-legged and watched as the Thunderous Nethervine, now bound by a master-servant contract, transformed into threadlike currents that entered his body. At the same time, he felt rich Soul Power flowing through his meridians, surging back and forth with his dantian as its core. Each cycle seemed to break through another shackle, as if thunder roared within his bloodline. The Soul Power aura emanating from his body visibly grew stronger.

The dark cyan Coiled Dragon Staff appeared once more, floating horizontally before him. Its fine dragon scales rose and fell slightly. Taking advantage of the spirit soul fusion, it continuously devoured the lightning elements left in the air by the Thunderous Nethervine.

Several minutes later, Nan Liujing extended his right hand and gently gripped the Coiled Dragon Staff. In an instant, surging Thunder Power erupted around him. Amid flickering lightning, a bright yellow soul ring rose from beneath him. On closer inspection, its surface even bore peculiar lightning patterns.

"Strange."

Just as Nan Liujing enjoyed the comfort brought by his Soul Power breakthrough, Elder Yuan frowned.

"Elder Yuan, is something wrong?" Nan Liujing asked in confusion.

Elder Yuan stared at the Coiled Dragon Staff and said solemnly, "Since the day humans discovered the Thunderous Nethervine, it has been famous for its untamed nature. It is even extremely difficult to make into an inherited spirit soul, which is why people once directly killed them to obtain their soul rings for absorption."

"The sole exception is Netherflame Douluo, who is currently serving as the Pagoda Master at the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters on the Star Luo Continent. He possesses a Thunderous Nethervine spirit soul. Yet that spirit soul only formed an equal contract because it knew it could not break through the fifty-thousand-year barrier and wanted to survive. It may be called a spirit soul, but it can leave at any time."

"And this one on you is merely eight hundred years old. By all logic, fusing with it should be as difficult as fusing an unyielding spirit soul. Yet it was so easy, and we even planted a master-servant contract perfectly."

Elder Yuan's brows furrowed. That person had specifically instructed him that this Thunderous Nethervine spirit soul was unusual and that he must be extremely careful during the fusion. If it did not work, there were alternatives. Yet the fusion had gone too smoothly—so smoothly that it made him worried instead.

"Perhaps my Martial Soul is compatible with it, so the Thunderous Nethervine did not resist," Nan Liujing said with a faint smile, while sensing the spirit soul lying motionless and dormant in his sea of consciousness.

"Forget it. Since the fusion succeeded and you have broken through, it is a good thing." Elder Yuan stopped dwelling on it and led Nan Liujing out of the fusion room.

The moment Wu Sidu, who had been waiting in the lounge, saw Nan Liujing, she sprang from the sofa and rushed over in a few strides. She grabbed his arm, widened her big eyes, and asked, "How did your breakthrough go?"

Elder Yuan paused, then teased, "Don't worry, girl. With Grandpa here, nothing will go wrong during spirit soul fusion."

Wu Sidu froze. What was that supposed to mean? She only wanted to ask what level Nan Liujing had reached. If their cultivation levels were equal again, she would have regained some ground.

But when she noticed the teasing smile at the old man's lips, how could she not understand? A trace of blush crossed her fair, pretty face, and she hurriedly explained, "I... I only wanted to ask what level he broke through to."

"I went up three levels. I'm Level 13 now," Nan Liujing said with a smile, steering the conversation elsewhere.

Wu Sidu blanked out, then helplessly returned to the sofa. She had only risen two levels.

She had lost again.

Nan Liujing was momentarily speechless.

"Three levels in a row—not bad." Sun Kong smiled and patted Nan Liujing's shoulder. "I thought your fusion would fail. Looks like your eldest uncle misjudged you."

So it really was Eldest Uncle who prepared it for me, Nan Liujing thought.

Elder Yuan interjected, "With 220 points of Spiritual Power and a physique comparable to a Level 22 assault-type Soul Master, a spirit soul cultivation below 2,200 years will be fine. I assume you already have plans for Spirit Ascension, so this old man will not make decisions for you."

Sun Kong bowed again. "Thank you, Elder Yuan."

Nan Liujing bowed as well.

Elder Yuan laughed heartily. "All right. I've received an order from headquarters that I need to carry out, so I won't keep you any longer. See you at Wu Family Manor tonight."

"Then we shall take our leave as well," Sun Kong said respectfully. He then led Nan Liujing and Wu Sidu, whose newly firm resolve had just suffered another blow, out of the Spirit Pagoda.

Some readers are curious why the male lead awakened a seemingly abrupt Candy Martial Soul.

That Martial Soul is different from ordinary Martial Souls, so it definitely was not added casually.

Thanks to: Gorgeous Iron Fan, Dreamstain, Old Su's Wuling Hongguang, Shen Lirui, Dreadlord of the Scourge Legion, Cloud-Gathering Strike, Number Ending in 5865, Indra Who Loves Spicy Rabbit Heads, Liu Mouqi Who Only Wants to Slack Off, Beacon Fires Playing With the Lords, At the Beginning, Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork Mengmeng, Wandering Envoy.

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