Skills

Buzz—

The Soul Bone rose into the air on its own. A crimson-gold light enveloped his spine and gently melded into his body. There was no pain, no resistance—only a steady stream of power flowing through every part of him.

Xiao Jiu lay sprawled across his legs, basking in the light as well. Its aura was quietly growing stronger.

Time passed bit by bit.

The moon sank in the west, and the warm sun rose. A fish-belly white gradually spread across the horizon.

Lie Xu let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. A flash of golden light flickered in his gaze.

He stood and stretched. His bones gave a series of crisp cracks.

Feeling the changes in his body, Lie Xu couldn't help smiling with delight. His physical strength had increased more than tenfold compared to before.

"Grandpa, I did it!!!"

Lie Yan rushed over and grabbed his arm, immediately probing his grandson's condition with Soul Power.

After a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter. His broad hand patted Lie Xu on the shoulder.

"Wonderful, wonderful! My grandson, Lie Yan's grandson, has made history on the Douluo Continent! A Soul Scholar absorbing a two-hundred-and-eighty-thousand-year-old Soul Bone, hahaha!"

As Lie Yan laughed, his eyes reddened and grew moist.

He sighed quietly to himself, Too bad Chi'er can't see this...

Just then, the door swung open, and a little golden-haired girl bounced inside. Seeing Mighty Lion Douluo's reddened eyes, she couldn't help asking, "Fourth Grandpa, why are your eyes all red?"

Lie Xu had been absorbed in sensing his own condition, and Qian Renxue's sudden voice startled him too. He looked up at his grandfather and saw that his eyes were indeed very red.

"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Lie Xu asked, his face full of concern.

"Nothing, Grandpa's fine. I just got too excited laughing."

Mighty Lion Douluo chuckled and shook his head, then walked out of the room, leaving the space to the two little "monsters."

As he went through the doorway, he added, "Get yourselves ready in a bit, then come out for breakfast together. Oh, and don't bully Xiao Xue."

Lie Xu's face went dark. He'd just been looking at his grandfather's lonely back, feeling a little sorry for him.

But now? Hmph. What sorrow? That was just an irregular heartbeat caused by insufficient blood supply to the heart.

Meanwhile, Qian Renxue was as pure as a little white flower. She called out solemnly to the doorway, "Don't worry, Fourth Grandpa. Brother Xu would never bully me. He's so good to me."

Only after Mighty Lion Douluo had gone some distance did Qian Renxue turn to Lie Xu.

The moment she sensed the aura around him, her eyes widened.

"Brother Xu, y-you suddenly got so strong!"

Lie Xu smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Because my grandpa took out my family's ancestral Soul Bone and let me absorb it."

"Huh? Brother Xu absorbed a Soul Bone too?"

The little plan Qian Renxue had had to show off quickly deflated.

"Yeah. Did Xiao Xue absorb a Soul Bone too?"

Lie Xu might have been a child on the outside, but his soul belonged to an adult and his mind was already mature. There was no way he couldn't see what Qian Renxue was thinking; he just had to keep up the act most of the time.

"Mhm."

Qian Renxue nodded like a little chick pecking at grain.

"Last night, Grandpa let me absorb the torso bone from the Angel God Suit. He said it could make my body stronger, so I'd be able to absorb higher-year Soul Rings more easily."

"Wow, Xue'er is amazing too! You made history last night as well. That's incredible!"

Lie Xu praised her earnestly. Qian Renxue lowered her head a little, twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers. The tips of her ears turned red as she murmured, "No, Brother Xu is the best..."

Lie Xu pinched Qian Renxue's cheek, a smile hidden in his eyes. "Come on, let's go outside and try out our Soul Bone Skills."

With that, he took her little hand and hurried to the middle of the courtyard...

Neither of them had a Soul Ring yet, so they couldn't actually fight. They could only use Soul Power to activate their Soul Bone Skills and demonstrate them in the air.

"Xue'er, you go first." Lie Xu stepped aside and leaned against a tree, his eyes full of anticipation.

Qian Renxue nodded and took a deep breath, instantly raising her Soul Power to its peak.

"Angel Protection!!!"

At her cry, Soul Power surged around Qian Renxue, and a golden pillar of light shot into the sky. The phantom of an Eight-Winged Angel solidified behind her.

The angel slowly knelt behind her, sheltering the little girl in its arms. Eight sacred feathers spread open at once, and eight pure white wings unfurled like a domed canopy, glowing with divine radiance as they firmly shielded her from the front.

After displaying her first Soul Bone Skill, Qian Renxue didn't stop. She gave another soft cry.

"Angel Holy Light!!!"

The angel that had just been protecting her beat its wings and rose into the air. As Qian Renxue raised her arm, light gathered in the Eight-Winged Angel's hands, forming a golden holy sword.

Qian Renxue pointed toward the distance. The holy sword in the angel's hands blazed brighter, and a dazzling platinum beam of holy light tore through the air, shooting toward the direction she indicated.

Seething, sacred, dazzling...

The grass beneath it charred in an instant, leaving a black streak behind.

The angel slowly faded away. Qian Renxue swayed, her little face deathly pale. She had clearly used too much Soul Power and looked utterly exhausted.

Lie Xu hurried over and caught her, then sat her down on the grass with her leaning against him.

Even then, the little girl remembered to look up and ask for praise. "Brother Xu, my Soul Bone is amazing, right? It has two Skills!"

"It's amazing. Our Xue'er is the most amazing of all." Lie Xu smiled and gently tapped the tip of her nose, his voice full of affection.

After resting a moment, Qian Renxue sat up and looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Brother Xu, what are your Soul Bone Skills?"

She looked so eager that she even seemed to be holding her breath.

"Yeah, Xiao Xu. What Soul Bone Skills did you get?"

Mighty Lion Douluo and Chi Yuan had also come into the courtyard.

Holding Xiao Jiu, Qian Renxue widened her eyes and waited.

Chi Yuan stood off to the side too, looking curious.

Lie Xu took a deep breath and began:

"This Soul Bone gave me four Skills in total."

"Four?!" Mighty Lion Douluo was stunned. "I could've sworn your great-grandpa's instructions said it only had two when he handed it to me!"

"I think it evolved because of my Martial Soul." Lie Xu scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed, then continued.

"Passive Skill: Berserk

As my Soul Power increases, it continually strengthens my physical body, which in turn raises the maximum age of the Soul Ring I can absorb;

Active Skill: Berserk

Once activated, all my attributes increase by one hundred percent. My speed, attack, and defense all soar;

Control Skill: Beast Might

Soul Masters with Beast Martial Souls and Soul Beasts whose Soul Power is lower than mine will be completely suppressed. Those at the same level will be suppressed by eighty percent, with the effect decreasing by twenty percent for each level higher.

The fourth is..."