In the parking lot.
Mu Xi held Xu Yue's hand as they followed behind Mu Chen. Smiling, she asked, "Dad, how far do you think A-Yue will grow in the future? Will he become a Super Douluo on the Continent Wind and Cloud Ranking?"
"Haha, as long as Xiao Yue doesn't slack off, making the Continent Wind and Cloud Ranking definitely won't be a problem. He might even reach a level like Sky-Lifting Douluo's," Mu Chen replied.
"Sky-Lifting Douluo, the continent's strongest person?" Mu Xi murmured. "I think A-Yue will definitely surpass him."
Hearing Mu Xi's words, Xu Yue merely smiled indifferently.
Sky-Lifting Douluo Yun Ming was indeed very powerful.
A Rank 99 Quasi-God, a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, and he had even condensed the prototype of a God Position. He was an absolute powerhouse on the continent.
If he were placed back in Spirit Hall's era twenty thousand years ago, he would have absolutely had the potential to forge a First-Rank God Position like the Angel God or Sea God.
But compared to someone with Dual Herrscher Authority like himself, that was another matter entirely.
There was still a difference between a genius and someone with cheats.
Still, he decided to be modest for now. Smiling, he looked at Mu Xi. "Sister Mu Xi, aren't you a little too confident in me?"
"Of course!" Mu Xi lifted her chin proudly. "You're my little bro..."
But before she could finish, she glanced to the side and happened to spot an acquaintance in another passageway.
"Huh? Xu Xiaoyu?"
"Hm? Mu Xi?"
The sudden shout drew the attention of a group on the other side. The person called out was one of the young men among them.
Looking at the man leading the group, Mu Chen smiled and greeted him. "What a coincidence, Chief Secretary Xu. To think we'd meet here!"
"It is indeed a coincidence, President Mu." The man Mu Chen had addressed was Xu Wei, Chief of Finance of Eastsea City and head of the Xu Clan.
Xu Wei's gaze swept over Xu Yue. "You've brought the child here to purchase a Soul Spirit? What extraordinary talent!"
"Haha!" Mu Chen laughed proudly. "My nephew, Xu Yue, possesses Limit Potential!"
As the two spoke, a little head suddenly poked out from behind Xu Wei.
Her light blue hair was tied into twin ponytails. Her skin was fair, her features delicate, and she looked just like a doll.
Seeing her appear, Xu Yue smiled and nodded at her.
Mu Xi just called Xu Xiaoyu, so she must be Xu Xiaoyan—the future Number One Controller Under the Starry Sky.
However, he was rather surprised.
In response to his greeting, she was not timid as described in his memories. Instead, she continued staring at him curiously.
Seeing Xu Xiaoyan staring so directly, Mu Xi frowned slightly. She unconsciously shifted, shielding Xu Yue behind her.
She felt that calling out to them had been unnecessary. Xu Xiaoyan's appearance had inexplicably made her heart skip a beat. She should never have called out in the first place.
Then she looked at the two men still talking and interrupted, "Dad, A-Yue is still waiting to go home and absorb his Soul Spirit."
"Oh, right." Mu Chen slapped his forehead and looked apologetically at Xu Wei. "My apologies, Chief Secretary Xu. I'll have to excuse myself first. We can chat another time."
With that, he led Mu Xi and Xu Yue toward his car and drove out of the parking lot.
Xu Xiaoyan's gaze remained fixed in the direction Xu Yue had left.
"Xiaoyan! Xiaoyan!" Xu Wei called twice. "What's wrong with you?"
Only then did Xu Xiaoyan come back to her senses. Blinking her dark blue eyes, she looked at her father.
"Dad, it feels like there's something about that big brother that's attracting me."
"..."
Blacksmith Association.
In the living room.
Under the gazes of the Mu family of three, Xu Yue adjusted his state and opened the energy shield containing the Earth Element Soul Spirit.
"Awroo!"
The instant it opened, a Soul Spirit with an earth-yellow body, resembling a fat crocodile, leaped out. It let out a roar in every direction, and the aura of a Thousand-Year Soul Spirit immediately spread through the room.
At the same time, influenced by its innate talent, tiny earth-yellow crystals began gathering around it.
Seeing its mischievous appearance, Xu Yue smiled and casually reached out to pat it.
However, before his hand had even extended halfway, Mu Xi stopped him with concern.
"A-Yue, be careful! Soul Spirits may not be like Soul Beasts, but they can still be dangerous!"
"Sister Mu Xi, trust me. It'll be fine!"
Then he once again reached toward the Soul Spirit's head.
Sensing someone approaching, the Soul Spirit instinctively wanted to retaliate.
But the moment it sensed the aura coming from Xu Yue, its desire to attack instantly vanished. Instead, it obediently rubbed its head against him, cooperatively bumping against Xu Yue's hand.
If it could cry, it would already have been moved to tears.
Earth! This is family!
"This..." Mu Xi was speechless as she watched the scene.
Mu Chen, on the other hand, smiled.
"Xiao Yue's Martial Soul is an Ultimate Attribute, after all. Against Martial Souls and Soul Spirits with some Lower Attributes, he has extremely high affinity and suppressive power."
Xu Yue played with the Soul Spirit in his hands and smiled as he nodded.
As the Herrscher of Rock, he naturally had an extremely high affinity with a Soul Spirit condensed purely from the earth element.
From a human perspective, calling them brothers would not be an exaggeration.
But his first priority was still to absorb the Soul Spirit, obtain his First Soul Ring, and break through his bottleneck.
With that in mind, he stopped teasing the Soul Spirit. He sat down cross-legged and, following the method Mu Chen had taught him, began circulating his Soul Power and sensing the Soul Spirit.
At that moment, the Soul Spirit did not resist or struggle. It only anticipated.
It anticipated merging into the earth, merging into Xu Yue's body.
Very soon, as Soul Power circulated, a bright purple Soul Ring began spiraling upward around Xu Yue's body. At the same time, the Soul Power locked behind his bottleneck began to rise.
"A Thousand-Year First Soul Ring!"
As Mu Xi watched that bright purple glow, envy flashed through her eyes.
Although Soul Rings could now absorb energy in the Spirit Ascension Platform to raise their age, a Thousand-Year First Soul Ring was still rare even in Eastsea Academy's Intermediate Division.
Even Mu Xi herself only hoped that after becoming a Soul Elder, she would be able to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Spirit.
It could be said that Xu Yue had already surpassed many of his peers the moment he absorbed his Soul Ring.
One step ahead, every step ahead.
The strong remained strong. That was exactly what it meant.
But when she thought of the person before her as her little brother, the corners of Mu Xi's lips unconsciously curved upward again.
So what if he was a peerless genius?
Wouldn't he still be at her mercy, free for her to knead and pinch as she pleased?
A moment later, as the Soul Ring's energy gradually settled, Xu Yue rose from the ground. The aura of his Soul Power had completely stabilized at Rank 13.
None of Mu Chen and the others were surprised by Xu Yue's increase in Soul Power.
In ancient times, absorbing a Beyond-Limit Soul Ring would raise one's Soul Power. Though Soul Spirits had replaced them now, that effect had not disappeared.
It was simply because Soul Spirits required sufficient spiritual strength that few people absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Spirit immediately after awakening their Martial Soul.
"A-Yue, how is your Soul Skill?"
Mu Xi asked expectantly. Not only her, but Mu Chen and Yuan Bao'er also watched curiously, wanting to know what kind of Soul Skill their great genius had acquired.
Facing everyone's gazes, Xu Yue did not hesitate. He directly lit up the First Soul Ring on his body.
With a hum, bright yellow light flashed.
Solid as a Rock!
Before you continue