Soul Skill: Colorless Wall

Hearing Old Li's "I don't accept this," Mu Chen finally snapped out of his profound shock.

He grinned, laughing heartily as he slapped Old Li on the shoulder, his smugness practically overflowing:

"Hahaha! I knew it would be like this! You just can't understand the world of a genius, kid! Admit defeat yet?"

This insufferable display made Old Li puff out his cheeks in anger, nearly jumping on the spot:

"Old Mu! Don't get too arrogant, you bastard! Isn't it just... isn't it just that you got lucky and picked up a monster!"

Laughter aside, Mu Chen didn't forget the business at hand. He quickly lowered his voice to caution him:

"Alright, alright, stop shouting. Old Li, you need to keep this matter regarding Yao Chuan under tight wraps. Find a way to hide the awakening records and make sure nothing leaks out, especially to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters. You understand what I mean?"

Upon hearing this, Old Li's face immediately crumpled into a bitter mask:

"I'm telling you, Old Mu, aren't you just dumping a massive problem on me? The awakening records are one thing; I can find a way to fudge those. But the problem is, we've lost a living 'Indomitable Soul Spirit' in our branch, and one of the Ao Jin White Flame Dragon level at that! These things are all accounted for!

How am I supposed to hide the disappearance of something so significant? What am I supposed to tell the higher-ups?

This isn't a game!"

Mu Chen spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders, putting on a shameless "not my problem, let the heavens deal with it" expression:

"That's a technical issue for you to worry about, Old Li. I can't help you there. Regardless, you have to cover for my son!"

Seeing that Old Li remained miserable and utterly unwilling, Mu Chen's eyes darted around. He leaned into his ear and used his trump card, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Hey, Old Li, think about it... You wouldn't want to see the goddess you've pined for all these years, Leng Yaozhu, miss out on a brilliant talent just because some people set their sights on her future disciple and caused trouble, would you? Hmm?"

"You...!"

Struck by the mention of his youthful unrequited crush, Old Li's face turned beet red, and he nearly choked on his own breath.

He glared at Mu Chen, his finger trembling as he pointed at him.

But then he thought of the methods used by Qiangu Dongfeng, and recalled the promise Yao Chuan had made with Leng Yaozhu earlier—that "Sister will wait for you"...

Old Li deflated like a punctured ball, sighed heavily, and gritted his teeth in defeat:

"Fine! Fine! You win! I... I'll shoulder it! I'll do my best to smooth this over!"

"That's more like it!"

Mu Chen patted him with satisfaction. "Don't worry, I owe you a big favor!"

Having handled Old Li, Mu Chen was in high spirits. With Yao Chuan and Mu Xi in tow, he walked out of the Spirit Pagoda with a swagger, ignoring the resentful and helpless gaze of the branch master, and boarded the car back to the Blacksmith Association.

The car started smoothly.

Yao Chuan sat in the back seat. Thinking of how Old Li had been rendered speechless by Mu Chen's threat regarding his "secret crush on Leng Yaozhu," he found it quite unexpected and couldn't help but say:

"I didn't expect a big shot like Uncle Li to actually..."

Mu Chen, sitting in the front row, nodded as if it were only natural and laughed:

"Of course! Leng Yaozhu is the recognized beauty of the Spirit Pagoda. She's beautiful and powerful. Back at headquarters, the line of people secretly pining for her could stretch from here to the gates of Eastsea City! Old Li's little feelings are perfectly normal!"

"Is that so?" No sooner had Mu Chen finished speaking than a voice filled with sourness and skepticism came from the back seat: "Then Daddy, judging by your tone, did you have a secret crush on Auntie Leng Yaozhu back in the day too? Hmm?"

Mu Xi's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, flashing with a dangerous light, and she added in a breezy tone:

"Do you want me to make a soul guidance communication call to Mommy right now and ask? I'm sure she'd love to know."

Mu Chen jumped, nearly bouncing off his seat. A cold sweat broke out on his back instantly, and he hurriedly denied it, his voice rising several octaves:

"No! Absolutely not! My heart for your mother, Bao'er, is as clear as the sun and moon!

Back then, for her sake, I even gave up the opportunity to develop in the core region of the continent, and I even pushed that kid Zhen Hua aside—isn't that proof enough?

My feelings for Vice Pagoda Master Leng are purely based on admiration! Admiration, get it? Xi'er, you can't just go around saying things like that!"

Mu Xi pouted, hummed, and turned her head to look out the window.

Of course, she knew her parents had a wonderful relationship, and her father's deep affection for her mother was common knowledge.

She had only said that because the nameless fire in her heart hadn't yet been extinguished.

That Leng Yaozhu, relying on her figure, had kissed Yao Chuan on the cheek the moment they met!

She hadn't even kissed him yet!

The more Mu Xi thought about it, the angrier she became. She looked down at the still-budding curves on her chest, then back at the streetscape flying past the window, her inner self roaring wildly:

"Hmph! Just a pure old woman! What's there to be proud of? Isn't it just... isn't it just that her chest is a little bigger and her butt is a little perkier... I...

I'm still young!

When this young lady grows up a bit more, I'll definitely crush her! Hmph!"

Seeing his precious daughter puffing out her cheeks in the rearview mirror with an "I'm unhappy" look, Mu Chen knew she was still jealous over Leng Yaozhu.

He shook his head helplessly; the little girl's thoughts were written all over her face.

Forget it, it was just childishness; she'd be over it in a while.

The car soon arrived at the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association, returning to Mu Chen's home turf.

Walking into the president's office, Mu Chen finally had the chance to ask the question that had been burning in his curiosity the entire ride.

He rubbed his hands together, looking at Yao Chuan with an excited expression:

"Yao Chuan, we're safe now. Quickly, tell Uncle Mu, after absorbing the Indomitable Soul Spirit of that Ao Jin White Flame Dragon, what exactly is your first Soul Skill? My heart has been itching like a cat's been scratching at it; I've been dying of curiosity! I didn't dare ask back at the Spirit Pagoda for fear of causing too much of a stir."

Mu Xi, who had been sulking just a moment ago, perked up her ears at this. She cast her jealousy to the back of her mind for the time being and leaned in, asking curiously:

"Yeah, yeah, hurry up and tell us, what kind of powerful skill is it?"

Yao Chuan closed his eyes, carefully sensing the newly acquired power within his body. A moment later, he opened them, but his expression appeared somewhat strange, his brows slightly furrowed as if he had encountered something unexpected.

Seeing this expression, Mu Chen's heart skipped a beat. Thinking the Soul Skill's effect was not up to expectations, he quickly began to console him:

"What's wrong? Does the Soul Skill not feel strong? It's normal if it isn't; after all, you're just starting out. Even though the Soul Spirit is special, its age is what it is. For a first Soul Skill, the important thing is laying a good foundation, and later on..."

Mu Xi also hurriedly nodded in agreement:

"Exactly, exactly! Being able to absorb it successfully is already a massive miracle! It doesn't matter what the skill is!"

Yao Chuan shook his head, interrupting their speculations:

"That's not it. The skill itself feels... well, quite special. It's just that I didn't expect it to be this type."

He paused, seemingly organizing his words. "Forget it, I might not be able to explain it clearly just by talking. I'll let you see it directly."

He raised his right hand, palm upward, and warned: "But stand back to look at it. Whatever you do, don't touch it with your hands."

As his words fell, a soft yet inexplicably heart-palpitating transparent curtain of light opened silently in the center of Yao Chuan's palm.

The light curtain looked fragile, but... it also resembled an invisible, towering wall!

"This is my Soul Skill... let's just call it, Colorless Wall."

Behind the Colorless Wall, Yao Chuan's voice slowly resonated.