That wild current had raged through the stone chamber for who knew how long. Luo Mo had been battered and bruised, and there were traces of blood on the ground.
He had woken early, full of energy.
He had endured the pain, curled up and shuddering, but he hadn't made a sound. He was afraid the villagers might hear him.
He didn't know how long it took, but the pain finally faded.
Warmth spread through his body. The sensation was so comfortable that it was hard to describe, as if he had been lifted from the depths and carried into heaven.
Luo Mo got out of bed and stretched, then jumped in place a couple of times.
His limbs were brimming with strength, and he felt better than ever.
"So this is what it feels like to become a Soul Master!"
When he came to the mirror, Luo Mo seemed to have grown a little taller. His skin looked fairer, and he looked much better than before.
He could only guess that he'd gained around twelve or thirteen levels of soul power.
He'd unexpectedly obtained a hundred-year Soul Ring, and his rank had risen. But Luo Mo still felt a little worried about exploring Snake's Den.
The Soul Ring he absorbed was probably around four hundred years old.
If it had been any older, he might not have been able to endure it.
After the snake returned, he would have to ask it about the situation on the Douluo Continent. He also wanted to find out whether it had ever come across thousand-year or even ten-thousand-year Soul Rings. Perhaps it would have some way to help him.
He was curious about his Soul Skills, too. The other Soul Masters all absorbed Soul Rings themselves.
Why had Tang San's Diary been absorbed?
Maybe it was because the diary was his Martial Soul.
"Hey, since Snake's Den is my Martial Soul, can I summon it back?"
But after Luo Mo gave it a try, he could only admit defeat.
"What a pity. The Great Soul Land has so many rules, and you can't just ask for anything you want. I can summon it back, though, and that counts as a Soul Skill. It can even be used in battle. So why can't I do that with the diary?"
Luo Mo thought about it for a while, then finally concluded that it was probably the diary's special concealment effect.
He could summon the diary back despite the restrictions on his Martial Soul, allowing him to come and go freely.
Otherwise, wouldn't the diary have to travel everywhere with him?
Next, Luo Mo tried summoning his Soul Ring. A clear yellow ring of light rose around him, slowly circling his body.
"Wow! Even a Martial Soul can summon a Soul Ring? How does that work?"
Luo Mo found it harder and harder to understand.
Could it be that there was no way to summon Snake's Den back?
He'd experienced his Soul Skill. It was called Snake's Home, and seemed to be a separate space for Snake's Den and for storing things.
However, it required physical contact with the object before he could use it.
"Is that for real? What kind of Soul Ring can provide a separate space like this?"
Luo Mo couldn't help feeling doubtful. He reached for the empty cup on the wooden table, wrapped his fingers around it, and used his Soul Skill.
Whoosh!
The cup vanished in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, a three-dimensional image of a space appeared in his mind.
It covered an area of about four hundred square meters and was roughly four meters high. Its layout looked much like the place where he was standing: a small house with a courtyard. It was far bigger than his own home.
The little house was empty. Apart from the cup he had just put inside, there was nothing else.
There was a patch of tilled earth beside the courtyard.
The space was bright, with its own day and night.
But there was no sun or moon.
It seemed the outside light changed in sync with the space.
"Could that snake's Soul Ring really have turned into a space-type Soul Skill?"
Seeing the Soul Ring's effect, Luo Mo understood everything.
It was a space-type Soul Skill. That explained why the diary was unaffected by the Soul Beast's influence and had its own unique characteristics.
After all, Snake's Den looked just like a little house and courtyard.
And there was even a potted crabapple tree.
Tang San's diary had its own system, so he couldn't accept just any Soul Skill.
"I see. Snake's Home is Snake's Den. So the person who comes inside is also called Tang San?"
Luo Mo's dark eyes suddenly brightened.
To be on the safe side, he picked up an ant from the ground and used his Soul Skill on it.
The next moment, Luo Mo vanished from the wooden house.
He appeared in the courtyard in the separate space.
Cough, cough.
He drew a deep breath, and finally felt at ease.
The air inside was connected to the outside world, too.
He looked around the spacious courtyard like a child who had just arrived somewhere new, glancing in every direction and touching whatever he could. He felt both astonished and delighted.
"This is the home I've always wanted..."
Tang San had lived in other people's homes since childhood. Apart from his foster father, no one had ever regarded him as family. He had somehow made do, but the land and house had never been his—they belonged to the village.
Now he had a whole separate space of his own.
Luo Mo felt more fulfilled than ever.
Although the space was called Snake's Home, it was Tang San's place, where he could store his things.
And since the snake was his Martial Soul, of course the place belonged to him!
Clatter!
Luo Mo turned around and saw a patch of glossy, pale green grass lying in the courtyard.
"Hm? Could it be..."
He hurried over and picked up the green grass.
The grass looked fresh and dewy. A rich vitality flowed from it. He took a deep breath of its refreshing scent. No wonder this was the ten-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone.
Gulp.
Why did he suddenly feel greedy?
Amy's tofu, Sister Xia's ribs, and An Daqing's kindness—he had to repay them all!
Licking his lips, he wanted to take another bite, but Luo Mo forced himself to think clearly.
The Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone was in his hands, but absorbing it would take a long time.
His strength was still weak, and he couldn't hide that fact.
Besides, there were soul beasts around the village. If he absorbed it, someone might notice.
"Tsk. It's no use having treasure if I can't use it. Now that I've got the ten-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, I should give it to Tang San."
Luo Mo's eyes gleamed.
Whether Tang San became handsome or not, he'd be tied to Luo Mo from then on. That could only be a good thing.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Luo Mo suddenly found himself back in the little house.
The porcelain-skinned beauty, with her delicate features and soft, peach-like lips, looked so familiar that it was hard not to want to take a bite.
Her hair fell to her waist, and her long legs were as fair as white jade. Her skin glowed, and she was slender and graceful.
She wore simple clothes, but they were neat and well-fitted, and she had a naturally fresh, appealing air about her.
Yet now, her bright eyes were filled with shock.
A stranger had suddenly appeared in the empty space, and her instincts kicked in. Without thinking, she launched a kick at him.
She didn't seem to put much strength behind it, but the kick was astonishingly fast.
Bang!
Luo Mo barely had time to react. A protective armor-like gauntlet appeared and blocked the kick against his chest. Her long leg struck it with a sharp sound.
The impact hadn't injured Luo Mo at all. He didn't even take a step back.
The protective gauntlet turned into a chain and wrapped around the woman's long leg, stretching upward until it bound her securely from head to toe.
A chain tightened around Luo Mo's right hand. He tugged, and little Luo Li fell to the ground.
No matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free.
P.S. Deleted; this was the author's note.
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