The Special Thunderclap Nether Vine (Two-in-One)

Seven or eight minutes passed before Sun Kong finally spoke up to interrupt the two, who were stuck together like glue.

The three of them soon entered a private elevator that required identity verification. As the elevator ascended, the floor numbers on the screen flickered continuously.

With a "ding," the elevator stopped. After the doors opened, Sun Kong stepped out first. What came into view was an extremely spacious room dominated by a Pale Silver hue.

Nan Liujing and Wu Sidao had just caught up when they heard a hearty, resonant laugh ring out:

"It's only because it's you, Sun Kong. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have bothered to make the trip."

"Greetings, Elder Yuan." Sun Kong's sturdy frame bowed slightly. After paying his respects, he stepped aside to clear the way.

Only then did Nan Liujing and Wu Sidao get a clear look at the person who had spoken.

He was an old man with hair as white as snow. He had a well-proportioned build and wore a simple long robe. His face was ruddy and full, radiating vitality, and his eyes were bright and spirited.

"So these are the two children who want to obtain their Soul Spirits?" the old man asked.

"Liujing, Si Duo, hurry and pay your respects to Elder Yuan," Sun Kong said.

"Greetings, Elder Yuan."

Nan Liujing and Wu Sidao bowed respectfully.

Elder Yuan gave a smiling "Hmm" and let his gaze linger on the two of them. His tone was gentle as he said, "I imagine you two can't wait any longer. Let's test your physical strength and Mental Power first, then you can quickly go choose your Soul Spirits."

Two drone-like instruments flew out from the ceiling and arrived at the sides of Nan Liujing and Wu Sidao, respectively. They immediately projected a beam of light, scanning them from head to toe twice.

Following that, Elder Yuan waved his hand gently, and two projections descended from the ceiling.

Sun Kong looked over immediately, his eyes landing first on Wu Sidao's physical data.

"Physical strength level eighteen, Mental Power value seventy-five. Not bad." Sun Kong nodded in approval.

Both of Wu Sidao's Martial Souls were Beast Martial Souls, and her White Tiger Martial Soul was a top-tier one at that, so the boost to her physique was naturally significant. As for her Mental Power, because of her Twin Martial Souls, it was naturally much higher than an average person's.

Coupled with the help from her family, she had essentially won at the starting line.

Elder Yuan, meanwhile, was observing Nan Liujing's physical data. He looked through each item one by one, only nodding slightly in silence. For instance, Nan Liujing's physical strength was comparable to that of a level twenty-two Power Attack Soul Grand Master.

For someone from an ordinary family, this would be incomprehensible.

But given the family background Nan Liujing came from, where he could eat his fill of various spiritual medicines suitable for his current age, laying a solid foundation in the early stages was easy. The true difficulty lay in his later growth.

However, when Elder Yuan looked at the most important value—Mental Power—even he, a person who had seen it all, had his calm expression shift slightly: "Two hundred and twenty? Mid-stage Spirit Connection Realm?"

Wu Sidao was also looking at the light screen. As Elder Yuan expressed his surprise, her magnificent heterochromatic eyes immediately filled with disbelief. Even though she already viewed Nan Liujing as a friend, as a fellow holder of Twin Martial Souls, her competitive spirit was not lacking in the slightest.

Seventy-five and two hundred and twenty—the gap was immense.

Staring at the two numbers, Wu Sidao bit her red lips. Her gaze quickly turned resolute; a large gap did not mean she couldn't catch up.

Nan Liujing was also somewhat stunned. He remembered that when Tang Wulin had tested his Mental Power for his first Soul Spirit, the value was only thirty-eight. He was actually several times stronger than the other boy.

"Kid Sun." Elder Yuan reacted quickly, the gentleness on his face turning serious as he transmitted his voice: "You should understand what this implies."

Sun Kong's expression turned solemn, and he transmitted back: "Rest assured, the Boss has already made arrangements for this child's future."

Elder Yuan nodded and said nothing more, but the look he gave Nan Liujing grew increasingly kind.

"Sit down first."

Sun Kong gestured for Nan Liujing and Wu Sidao to sit with him on the sofa.

Without Elder Yuan needing to operate anything, a dozen projections condensed in mid-air.

A row of information regarding various Soul Spirits appeared. Clicking on them allowed one to directly see the Soul Spirit moving within the simulated Star Dou Great Forest inside the Spirit Ascension Platform.

[Hundred Year Soul Spirit Shadow Leopard: Cultivation 450 years. Characteristics: Possesses the Shadow Attribute, a mutation of the Wind and Dark attributes. Has a certain probability of causing the integrator's identical Martial Soul attribute to evolve in a positive direction. If the attributes are not identical, it can still provide additional similar abilities.]

[Hundred Year Soul Spirit Ghost Tiger: Cultivation 500 years. Characteristics: Possesses both the explosive power of tiger-type Soul Beasts and the agility of cat-type Soul Beasts...]

[Hundred Year Soul Spirit Phantom Cat: Cultivation 470 years. Characteristics...]

[Hundred Year Soul Spirit Wind Shadow Beast: Cultivation 520 years. Characteristics...]

The series of Soul Spirits was dazzling.

Elder Yuan said to the mesmerized Wu Sidao: "Girl, your Martial Souls are the White Tiger and the Hell Spirit Cat, but your current Mental Power value only allows you to add a Soul Spirit to one Martial Soul. Which step do you intend to take first?"

Wu Sidao struggled to pull her gaze away from the light screen. Subconsciously, she looked toward Sun Kong.

Sun Kong did not hesitate: "Choose a Soul Spirit for the Hell Spirit Cat first."

Wu Sidao immediately looked at Elder Yuan and nodded.

"Very well." Elder Yuan first removed the Soul Spirits unsuitable for the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul and said, "Now you may choose. The Soul Spirits within the light screen are all Inherited Soul Spirits created from real Soul Beasts, and they are all relatively rare existences among the Hundred Year level. No matter which one you pick, the boost to you will be excellent."

Soul Spirits were divided into defective Soul Spirits, Artificial Soul Spirits, Inherited Soul Spirits, Unyielding Soul Spirits, Companion Soul Spirits... Since they were using the back door, the Soul Spirits displayed here were naturally incomparable to what ordinary people could buy with money.

Wu Sidao still sought Sun Kong's help, and in the end, she selected the Shadow Leopard as her first Soul Spirit.

Because the Shadow Attribute possessed by this Shadow Leopard through mutation was a perfect fit for the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul, the strengthening effect was far more than a simple one plus one equals two.

There was nothing much to say about the absorption process. Wu Sidao's temperament became colder, or perhaps more icy, and her height increased slightly.

"Congratulations," Nan Liujing said, offering his well-wishes.

"Thank you."

Although Wu Sidao was unwilling to accept that her Mental Power value had been firmly suppressed, she was also quite easygoing; it was just a momentary setback.

Now it was Nan Liujing's turn to obtain a Soul Spirit.

However, this time, Elder Yuan did not bring out a pile of Soul Spirit catalogs for Nan Liujing to choose from. Instead, he stood up and walked toward the depths of the room. "Follow me."

Nan Liujing was puzzled. After seeing Sun Kong nod at him, he had no choice but to suppress his inner curiosity and hurriedly follow.

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

With just a glance, Nan Liujing's expression changed slightly. The existence within this sphere of light would be of great benefit to him.

Elder Yuan glanced at the light sphere. "For a Soul Master, the first Soul Spirit is often the most important. As the host improves, their growth will far exceed that of subsequently obtained Soul Spirits, and they are more likely to develop sentience. Thus, it is called a Destiny Soul Spirit."

"Your Martial Soul is the Dragon Subduing Staff, which possesses a Thunder Dragon Soul. It is incomparably rigid and fierce, but what is too rigid is easily broken. Therefore, the Soul Spirit you obtain must not only be highly resilient but also possess top-tier lightning attributes and explosive power."

"Originally, the Spirit Pagoda did not have a Soul Spirit that was perfectly suited to your absorption range, but someone has found one for you."

Someone found one for me?

Nan Liujing thought to himself, Could it be my uncle?

In truth, he had intended to choose for himself, mainly hoping to find an existence that wouldn't be affected by the Gold and Silver Dragon Kings. Otherwise, if he were to face Tang Wulin in the future, he would be restrained to no end.

"Elder Yuan, what is this Soul Spirit called?" he asked respectfully.

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

"Identity authentication successful. Serial number 'Thunderclap' has been delivered."

Hum~

As the sound rang out, the light film on the surface of the sphere within the pillar slowly dissipated. Under Nan Liujing's gaze, the object hidden inside revealed its true form, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

The main body of the object looked like a newly sprouted bamboo shoot, but more than eight pale purple, bamboo-joint-like vines extended from its surface. It was covered in fine, dense patterns, with electric light occasionally flickering across them. Its top resembled an unopened dark purple flower bud. It looked simple, yet Nan Liujing vaguely felt an extremely terrifying fluctuation emanating from it.

It was as if a volcano were ready to erupt at any moment.

Elder Yuan looked at this special "bamboo shoot" with an appreciative gaze. "It is called the Thunderclap Nether Vine. Among the ever-changing plant-type Soul Beasts, it possesses what can be called the strongest attack power. Most importantly, it is a lightning-attribute existence; it is the Soul Spirit that all lightning-attribute Soul Masters dream of."

As he spoke, he pointed a wisp of Soul Power with his finger, lightly touching the flower bud at the top of the Thunderclap Nether Vine. As if provoked, the eight pale purple vines immediately began to thrash wildly. Amidst the flickering electric light, more than twenty-four small lightning spheres condensed.

Elder Yuan casually pressed a button beside him, and these lightning spheres immediately vanished without a trace.

Before the two of them, a light screen appeared, displaying an image of a dense forest.

"Watch," Elder Yuan said calmly.

Nan Liujing focused his full attention on the light screen.

"Boom!"

Right in the middle of a dense forest, twenty-four thunder orbs appeared out of thin air. After a brief tremble, they erupted violently. Intense dark purple lightning bolts exploded like shockwaves; looking down from the sky, it was as if a stone had been dropped into water, sending ripples spreading out in layers.

Within a hundred-meter radius, blades of grass turned to ash, and sturdy tree trunks and boulders were shattered into countless fragments that scattered outward. As the subsequent lightning rampaged, everything was wiped clean. The power was so great that even the other elements within the forest were torn apart, forming a region of shattered elements.

In Nan Liujing's astonished gaze, the bombarded area had been brutally transformed into a pitch-black ruin. The residual heat still lingered, and occasionally, electric arcs would jump and crackle.

Such astonishing power. Nan Liujing felt a slight shock in his heart.

"This Thunderclap Nether Vine Soul Spirit has a cultivation age of eight hundred years. The power of that strike 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 break it through to the thousand-year level, it will be comparable to a ten-thousand-year Soul Skill," Elder Yuan explained, detailing the characteristics of the Soul Spirit.

Nan Liujing glanced at the Thunderclap Nether Vine, which had become dim and lusterless, as if its body had been hollowed out.

In his mind, the words of the mysterious person with the Thunder God Wheel behind his head, spoken when he awakened his Martial Soul, surfaced.

Face the heavenly thunder, accept the baptism.

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

The cultivation of the Thunderclap Nether Vine relies on the infusion of heavenly thunder. Since he is so similar to it, it must be a great destiny.

The opportunity was clear; he had to seize it!

Moreover, the Thunderclap Nether Vine did not possess a Dragon Clan Bloodline, so it had no fear of suppression. The only thing worth being vigilant about was the identity of the Child of Nature that Tang Wulin might become in the future.

Nan Liujing took a deep breath, his eyes becoming firm. "Elder Yuan, please assist me with the fusion."

"Very well." Elder Yuan nodded slightly.

Weak Soul Spirits could be fused with independently, but powerful ones were usually fused with the assistance of experts whenever conditions allowed.

Elder Yuan softly recited the Soul Spirit Contract Incantation passed down by the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao.

Nowadays, there were very few equal contracts for Soul Spirits; they were almost always Master-Servant Contracts.

Nan Liujing sat cross-legged, watching as the Thunderclap Nether Vine, now bound by the Master-Servant Contract, transformed into thin, thread-like currents of electricity and flowed into his body. At the same time, he felt rich soul power surging back and forth along his meridians, with his Dantian as the core. With every cycle, it felt as if a shackle had been broken; it was as if thunder was roaring within his bloodline, and the aura of soul power he emitted grew stronger to the naked eye.

The dark green Dragon Subduing Staff appeared once again, hovering horizontally in front of him. The fine dragon scales rose and fell slightly, taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the fusion of the Soul Spirit to continuously devour the lightning elements left behind by the Thunderclap Nether Vine in the air.

A few minutes later, Nan Liujing reached out his right hand and gently grasped the Dragon Subduing Staff. In an instant, surging lightning power sputtered out from around his body. Amidst the flickering electric light, a bright yellow soul ring rose from beneath him. Looking closely, the surface of the soul ring even bore some special lightning textures.

"Strange."

Just as Nan Liujing was feeling the comfort brought by the breakthrough in soul power, Elder Yuan frowned.

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

Elder Yuan stared at the Dragon Subduing Staff, his voice dropping to a deep, serious tone. "Ever since the Thunderclap Nether Vine was first discovered by humanity, it has been notorious for its untamable instincts. It is so difficult to forge into an Inherited Soul Spirit that, in the past, they were simply killed to obtain their Soul Rings for absorption."

"The only exception is the current Pagoda Master of the Star Luo Continent's Spirit Pagoda headquarters, the Nether Flame Douluo. He possesses a Thunderclap Nether Vine Soul Spirit, but that was only because the vine realized it couldn't break through the fifty-thousand-year threshold and entered into an equal contract to save its own life. While it's called a Soul Spirit, it could actually break free at any moment."

"Yet this one you have is a mere eight hundred years old. Logically, the difficulty of merging with it should be comparable to merging with an Unyielding Soul Spirit, but it was so simple—you were even able to perfectly establish a Master-Servant Contract."

Elder Yuan frowned. That person had specifically instructed him to be extremely careful with this Thunderclap Nether Vine Soul Spirit during the fusion, saying that if it didn't work, there were backups. But the current situation was so smooth—so smooth that it actually made him worry.

"Perhaps it's because my Martial Soul is compatible, so the Thunderclap Nether Vine doesn't reject me," Nan Liujing said with a light laugh, simultaneously sensing the Soul Spirit that lay motionless and dormant within his Sea of Consciousness.

"Regardless, since the fusion was successful and you have broken through, that is a good thing." Elder Yuan stopped dwelling on it and led Nan Liujing out of the fusion chamber.

Wu Sidao, who had been waiting in the living room, jumped up from the sofa the moment she saw Nan Liujing. She strode over in a few quick steps, grabbed his arm, and widened her large, expressive eyes. "How did your breakthrough go?"

Elder Yuan paused, teasing, "Don't worry, little girl. With me here, nothing would go wrong with a Soul Spirit fusion."

Wu Sidao was stunned. What was he talking about? She just wanted to know how many levels Nan Liujing had broken through. If their cultivation levels were equal again, she would have regained some ground.

But noticing the playful smile at the corner of the old man's mouth, how could she not understand? A flush of embarrassment crossed her fair, pretty face, and she hurriedly explained, "I... I just wanted to ask what level he reached."

"I went up three levels. I'm at level thirteen now," Nan Liujing said, smiling to steer the conversation away.

Wu Sidao froze and slumped back onto the sofa in defeat; she had only improved by two levels.

She had lost again.

Nan Liujing was momentarily speechless.

"Three levels in a row, not bad," Sun Kong said with a smile, patting Nan Liujing on the shoulder. "I thought your fusion would fail. It seems your uncle misjudged the situation."

So it really was prepared for me by my uncle, Nan Liujing thought to himself.

Elder Yuan interjected, "With two hundred and twenty points of Mental Power, plus a physique comparable to a level twenty-two assault-type Soul Master, the Soul Spirit's age shouldn't exceed two thousand two hundred years. I assume you have arrangements for the Spirit Ascension, so this old man won't overstep."

Sun Kong bowed again. "Many thanks, Elder Yuan."

Nan Liujing followed suit and bowed as well.

Elder Yuan laughed heartily. "Alright, I've received an order from headquarters that I need to attend to, so I won't keep you. See you tonight at the Wu Family Manor."

"Then we shall take our leave," Sun Kong said respectfully. He then led Nan Liujing and Wu Sidao—who had just steeled her heart only to suffer another blow—out of the Spirit Pagoda.

Some readers are curious why the male protagonist awakened a rather abrupt Candy Martial Soul.

Because this Martial Soul is different from normal ones, it is certainly not a random setting.

Thanks to: Gorgeous Iron Fan, Dye Dream, Old Su's Wuling Hongguang, Divine Li Rui, Terror Demon King of the Scourge Legion, Gathering Clouds Strike, Digital Tail Number 5865, Di Shitian Who Loves Spicy Rabbit Head, Liu Mouqi Who Just Wants to Be a Salted Fish, Beacon Fire Play Princes, The Very Beginning, Yuxiangrous Dream Dream, Wandering Messenger.

Thank you all for your tips and monthly tickets. I wish you all abundant wealth and success in your careers.