Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Beast Succubus Form

Bibi Dong walked over at an unhurried pace. As she looked at Ling Xiao, a trace of amazement flashed through her eyes.

She had already thought her disciple was exceptionally handsome.

Now that he had absorbed a Soul Ring, his bearing had become even more outstanding. His features were refined, and he had an irresistible air of approachability.

Even she found him more and more pleasing to the eye.

"How do you feel? Is anything bothering you?"

Bibi Dong asked gently, her voice full of concern.

"Reporting to Master, this disciple is perfectly well. I don't feel any discomfort."

Ling Xiao bowed to Bibi Dong, his voice brimming with delight.

"I successfully absorbed the Soul Ring and awakened a Soul Skill. My Soul Power also rose from level ten to level thirteen."

"Level thirteen?!"

Hu Liena cried out in surprise, her eyes widening even further.

"You absorbed your first Soul Ring and jumped three levels at once?!"

That kind of talent was simply heaven-defying!

Bibi Dong raised a hand and patted Ling Xiao on the shoulder, smiling as she said:

"Good! As expected of my disciple!"

"Master, you flatter me."

Ling Xiao replied modestly.

"This disciple has already comprehended his First Soul Skill. I've named it [Crimson Dream Heart-Binding]."

"Oh? Tell me about it. What does the Soul Skill do?"

Bibi Dong asked with interest.

Ling Xiao didn't hide anything. He explained the Soul Skill's effects in full:

"This First Soul Skill uses my own spiritual power as a guide to lock onto a target and release spiritual power, marking them with a spiritual imprint that triggers two effects."

"One effect makes the target feel close to me, preventing them from launching any active attacks against me. It also forcibly interrupts any Soul Skill they're currently using."

"The other is the traditional creation of an illusion, trapping the target within it."

"It also seems to slightly increase my personal charm and the upper limit of my spiritual power."

Could a Soul Skill really have this many effects?!

It could forcibly interrupt Soul Skills, prevent the target from attacking, and create illusions!

One Soul Skill was worth several of someone else's.

Ling Xiao had managed all that with just his First Soul Skill!

"Monstrous... Junior Brother, isn't your Soul Skill a little too versatile?"

Hu Liena swallowed and couldn't help saying.

"If anyone fights you in the future, this one Soul Skill alone will make them sick of it! They can't even attack. How are they supposed to fight?"

"Good. Very good."

Bibi Dong came back to herself and nodded with a smile.

"This Soul Skill is quite effective. The risk you took was not in vain."

What delighted Ling Xiao was not only that he had obtained his First Soul Skill.

When he finished absorbing the Soul Ring, he sensed that the Demon Fruit Tree in his Sea of Consciousness had finally borne its first fruit.

The fruit was crimson all over, pulsing faintly like a heart, with intricate patterns carved into its surface.

"Master, I've finished absorbing the Soul Ring. We should return to Spirit City now."

Ling Xiao looked up at Bibi Dong and spoke softly.

"Mm, it's time to head back."

Bibi Dong nodded, her gaze passing over the surrounding sea of flowers as she spoke calmly.

"We've accomplished what we came here to do. We'll set off at once and return to Spirit City."

"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Everyone answered in unison, and the guards quickly packed up their belongings.

The party turned and headed for the edge of Star Dou Forest.

On the road from Star Dou Forest back to Spirit City.

Inside the carriage, Hu Liena chattered around Ling Xiao the entire way.

"Junior Brother, can your Crimson Dream Heart-Binding really forcibly interrupt other people's Soul Skills?"

"Is its control really that strong against targets with weak spiritual power?"

"My First Soul Skill is also a type of mental control. Want to compare it with mine?"

She kept asking questions about the finer details of his Soul Skill.

Her eyes held both curiosity and a competitive streak.

"I definitely can't beat Senior Sister's Charm Eye right now. Let's not compare."

Ling Xiao mostly just nodded quietly, occasionally answering with a sentence or two.

Bibi Dong watched the two disciples, one still and one lively, interacting. A pleased smile filled her eyes.

She only reminded Ling Xiao:

"Once we return, take good care of your Soul Power and stabilize your newly reached level thirteen. Don't rush things."

The sun sank toward the west, scattering golden light across the land.

The carriage entered Spirit City and stopped in front of Spirit Hall.

"All right, we've had a long journey. Go back and rest."

Bibi Dong gave the two of them an order.

"Nana, resume your regular training tomorrow. Don't slack off."

"Ling Xiao, you've just absorbed a Soul Ring, so I'm giving you three days off. Focus on stabilizing your cultivation."

"Come see me in the main hall three days from now."

"Yes, Master."

Hu Liena winked at Ling Xiao, then returned to Lanyue Hall.

Ling Xiao, meanwhile, turned and walked toward Qinghui Hall.

As soon as he stepped into the familiar courtyard, the weariness of the long journey came rushing over him.

The maids waiting by the hall entrance hurried to greet him and bowed.

"Welcome back, my lord."

"You may all leave."

Ling Xiao spoke calmly, his voice gradually taking on the authority of someone in a position of power.

"Without my orders, no one is to enter the inner hall and disturb me."

After absorbing the five-hundred-year Soul Ring of the Scarlet Dream Heart Fox and breaking through to level thirteen as a Soul Scholar, his presence had grown much steadier.

Though he was still only a six-year-old child, the maids of Pope Palace didn't dare show him the slightest disrespect.

They all answered at once, then withdrew to stand outside the courtyard gate.

The hall doors slowly closed.

Ling Xiao walked to the meditation cushion in the inner hall and sat cross-legged, letting down all his guard.

He closed his eyes and sank his mind into his Sea of Consciousness.

"Martial Soul, appear!" he shouted.

In an instant, dazzling light burst from his palm.

The Demon Fruit Tree's phantom slowly appeared.

Its branches were lush, and Soul Power shimmered over its glossy leaves. A green glow emerged across the Martial Soul.

This was a protective disguise he had put over his Martial Soul. He also claimed that it was a Myriad Spirit Tree, a top-tier Plant-type Martial Soul.

Ling Xiao's thoughts shifted.

The green phantom faded away.

In its place stood an ancient, dark-purple tree.

This was the true appearance of his Martial Soul, the Demon Fruit Tree.

Compared with when it had awakened, the Demon Fruit Tree had changed considerably.

Its thick trunk, gnarled like a dragon, had grown sturdier, and strange crimson patterns had appeared on its dark-purple bark.

A crimson fruit now hung from the lowest branch.

The fruit was about the size of a heart. Its skin was smooth and lustrous, with a faint pink glow.

Intricate patterns covered its surface, and a rich, bewitching aura wafted from it.

He focused his mind on the fruit.

A stream of information flooded into his mind.

[Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Beast Succubus Form]

[Fruit Abilities: Desire Control, Mental Manipulation, Succubus Domain, Superhuman Physique]

[Special Attribute: Can perfectly replace the original Martial Soul and become a new Martial Soul]

[Fruit Rules: Bound to the Demon Fruit Tree's origin. Once bound, the soul imprint cannot be removed, and control of the fruit belongs to the Demon Fruit Tree's owner. As the host cultivates and increases their Soul Power, it will in turn benefit the tree's owner. The host's level cannot exceed the tree's owner.]

Line after line of information slowly flashed through his mind.

Ling Xiao slowly opened his eyes.

Uncontainable delight flashed through his dark eyes.

Just as he'd expected.

The Soul Beast's innate attributes determined what kind of Mythical Zoan Fruit the Demon Fruit Tree would produce.

He had absorbed a Soul Ring from the Scarlet Dream Heart Fox, which specialized in charm and mental control, so the Demon Fruit Tree had produced this Human-Human Fruit: Succubus Form.

That meant his earlier guess had been right.

In the future, every time he advanced to a new major cultivation realm and absorbed a Soul Ring, he would obtain a top-tier Mythical Zoan Fruit suited to its attributes.

Nine Soul Rings, nine Mythical Zoan Fruits—enough to create nine geniuses with top-tier Martial Souls!

His fingertips moved slightly.

The crimson Succubus Fruit detached from the Demon Fruit Tree and transformed into a streak of crimson light, landing in his palm.

The fruit felt warm and smooth in his hand, yet it had no weight, as though it were only a phantom.

And yet it appeared before him as real as anything.

Ling Xiao gently ran his fingertips over the patterns on the fruit, his mind beginning to race as he made plans.

He needed to choose a suitable host for this first Succubus Form fruit.

Going by the Demon Fruit Tree's rules, the weaker someone's original Martial Soul was, the easier it should be to replace. The better suited they would be to the fruit.

So the host's foremost requirement had to be high innate Soul Power—preferably Innate Full Soul Power—paired with a Trash Martial Soul that had no potential for growth.

Only someone like that would treasure this chance to defy fate, and be easier to control.

After all, he would be the one giving them the chance to rise from the dust and become strong.

Most important of all:

They had to be absolutely loyal, have a clean background, and be able to rely on him alone.

Ling Xiao rubbed the fruit in his palm and slowly narrowed his eyes.

Someone who met all these requirements wouldn't simply appear out of nowhere.

He needed to obtain all the recent Martial Soul Awakening records for youths in Spirit City.

He would sift through them to find suitable candidates, investigate them one by one, and then choose the host for this first fruit.

At that thought, Ling Xiao's mind shifted.

The Succubus Fruit in his palm turned into a streak of crimson light and returned to the Demon Fruit Tree.

He straightened his robe, rose to his feet, and walked to the hall doors. He raised a hand and pushed them open.

The supervisor waiting outside the courtyard gate was a maid named Chuntao. As soon as she saw the doors open, she hurried forward.

She bowed. "My lord, what are your orders?"

Bibi Dong had specially assigned Chuntao to serve at Qinghui Hall.

She was attentive and reliable, and had served in Pope Palace for many years.

Ling Xiao looked at her and spoke calmly:

"Go at once to the Spirit Hall Martial Soul Awakening Department."

"Have them bring me all the Martial Soul Awakening records from the past six months for every six-year-old in Spirit City."

He paused, his voice growing more emphatic.

"Remember: every record."

"That includes the Orphanage, Spirit Hall relatives, and ordinary residents of Spirit City. Not a single one is to be left out."

Chuntao froze for a moment, clear puzzlement flashing through her eyes.

She couldn't understand it.

The second disciple personally taught by His Holiness the Pope had just returned from hunting his first Soul Ring in Star Dou Forest. Instead of focusing on stabilizing his cultivation, he wanted the Martial Soul Awakening records of ordinary youths.

They were utterly useless to a genius with Innate Full Soul Power.

But even if she was confused, she didn't dare ask a single question.

The young man before her was His Holiness the Pope's personal disciple, a figure destined to stand at the very summit of Spirit Hall.

All she had to do was carry out his orders.

"Yes, my lord."

Chuntao answered at once, her tone respectful.

"I'll see to it immediately. I'll bring all the Awakening records to you within half an hour."

"Good. Go."

Ling Xiao nodded slightly.

Chuntao didn't dare delay. She immediately turned and ran toward the Martial Soul Awakening Department.

The Martial Soul Awakening Department wouldn't dare neglect an order from the Pope's personal disciple. They would surely present all the records with both hands.

Ling Xiao stood before the hall entrance, watching Chuntao's retreating figure.

Slowly, he lifted his head and gazed at the myriad lights of Spirit City.

The evening breeze brushed his hair. The handsome young man's face showed no expression.