Domain

Hearing this, Lie Yan was already filled with shock.

This far exceeded the amplification brought by an ordinary soul bone of over two hundred thousand years.

But Lie Xu had not finished speaking, and he continued to address the group.

"The fourth is a soul bone domain skill—Ten Thousand Beasts."

"A domain?!" Everyone gasped in unison, save for Qian Renxue, who looked at them with a blank expression. Although she roughly knew what a domain was and that it was difficult to obtain, she had no concept of just how difficult it truly was.

Lie Xu nodded and let out a breath. "Within a radius of ten kilometers, soul beasts with soul power lower than mine will unconditionally submit; those higher than me will be forcibly suppressed. Even if I encounter a ten-thousand-year soul beast now, it will be briefly intimidated by me. The range and the intensity of the suppression will expand and strengthen as my soul power increases."

Lie Xu paused, then continued, "Moreover, this domain can be stacked with the previous Berserk and Beast Might."

"Berserk will become a group amplification skill, causing the entire team to go into a frenzy. Aside from increasing all my attributes by two hundred percent, it increases all attributes of others with soul power lower than mine by one hundred percent, those at the same level by eighty percent, and those higher than me also receive an increase, though it decreases by twenty percent for every ten levels."

"Beast Might will evolve into a soul control skill, 'Holy Might Soul Capture'."

"Anyone within my domain will be subjected to indiscriminate soul-level control. Every move they make will be at my command. Those with mental power lower than mine will be completely controlled, while those with higher mental power will have shorter control durations, and it will be much more difficult."

As his voice fell, Xiao Jiu leaped to the ground, instantly transforming into a three-meter-tall golden two-headed giant lion.

"Grandfather, come and try it. Don't resist."

Lie Xu also took the opportunity to distance himself from the others.

Suddenly, a crimson-gold light erupted from the spinal region of Xiao Jiu's back, and a crimson domain surged outward!

"Is this soul bone sharing?" Qian Daoliu, who had arrived in the courtyard at some point, couldn't help but exclaim at the sight.

ROAR—!!!

As the Nine Spirit Primal Saint manifestation appeared behind Xiao Jiu, the pressure pierced through heaven and earth!

Lie Yan felt his body stiffen and his soul stagnate; he was completely dazed for half a second.

When he regained his senses, his face was filled with horror. "I am a ninety-seventh-level Super Douluo! To think I was affected by your domain for an instant?!"

At this moment, Lie Xu's mental power was overly exhausted, and his legs went weak.

"Brother Xu!" Qian Renxue immediately rushed over to support him.

Lie Xu smiled, and just as he was about to say he was fine, his vision went black and he fainted.

"Brother Xu—!"

Qian Renxue's cry of alarm rang out.

The next moment, Qian Daoliu appeared instantly, took Lie Xu from Qian Renxue's arms, and immediately used his soul power to examine him. A moment later, he let out a long sigh of relief. "It is merely an overdraft of mental and soul power. It is not a major issue; he will be fine after some rest."

"But... this soul bone domain is too terrifying."

He looked down at the unconscious boy, his eyes incredibly grave.

"The Star Dou Great Forest... I am afraid we cannot go there as we used to."

Seeing that her grandfather said Lie Xu was fine, Qian Renxue couldn't help but set her anxious heart at ease, but upon hearing this last sentence, she couldn't help but feel curious.

"Why? Grandfather, why can't Brother Xu go to the Star Dou Great Forest anymore?"

Qian Daoliu began to explain to Qian Renxue while channeling soul power into Lie Xu.

"It is not that he cannot go, but that he can no longer enter the Star Dou Great Forest as swaggeringly as before, and he certainly cannot hunt soul beasts to absorb soul rings like others do."

"Why, Grandfather?"

Qian Renxue still asked, puzzled after hearing this.

"Because Xiao Xu's aura now is like that of an emperor among soul beasts. The moment he steps into the Star Dou Great Forest, it will be as if a new Beast Emperor has entered the territory of an old one, and he will be sensed instantly."

"Xiao Xue, what do you think the old Beast Emperor will think when he sees a new Beast Emperor?"

Qian Renxue answered without thinking, "He will kill the existence that threatens his status..."

At this point, Qian Renxue realized something. "But Grandfather, Brother Xu is not a soul beast."

Qian Daoliu flicked Qian Renxue's forehead lightly and said, "Silly girl, do you think those soul beasts will reason with you? Besides, after a hundred thousand years, soul beasts may shed their beast forms and cultivate into human forms. Do you think those hundred-thousand-year soul beasts will simply view him as a human?"

Qian Renxue opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, so she asked weakly, "Grandfather, what should we do then? Many soul beasts are only found in the Star Dou Great Forest. How will Brother Xu add soul rings in the future?"

Qian Daoliu handed the unconscious Lie Xu to the healing soul master who had arrived and sighed softly.

"Alas, there is no good solution for now. We can only take it one step at a time, or perhaps find some heaven-sent treasure that can conceal his aura..."

When Lie Xu woke up, it was already three days later.

He was lying in a soft carriage, and Qian Renxue had placed her lap under his head, gently massaging his forehead with her small hands.

"Brother Xu, you're finally awake!" The girl's eyes were red; it was clear she had been worried for a long time.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Lie Xu grinned. Although he had already awakened his martial soul and had been nourished by heaven-sent treasures and soul beast meat since childhood, giving him a physique far superior to ordinary people, his current body was still that of a six-year-old child. Having gone without food or water for several days, he was naturally somewhat weak.

Seeing her brother in such a state, Chi Yuan handed some snacks and warm water to Qian Renxue, signaling for her to feed them to Lie Xu.

Across from them, Qian Daoliu wore a grave expression as he watched Lie Xu, who had just regained consciousness.

"Little Xu, do you realize what your spirit bone domain signifies?"

Lie Xu chewed on a snack, propped himself up against the carriage wall, and shook his head.

"The submission of ten thousand beasts, the suppression of souls... Once you enter the Star Dou Great Forest, the hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts in the depths will inevitably sense you. Your every move will be laid bare before their eyes, and any attempt you make to hunt spirit beasts will be viewed as a provocation."

A chill ran through Lie Xu's heart.

He knew the Star Dou Great Forest harbored the most formidable spirit beasts on the continent; a single misstep could lead to total annihilation.

"That is not all," Qian Daoliu said in a deep voice. "Both you and Little Xue possess innate full spirit power of level twenty, and your spirits are heaven-defying. Right now, every faction on the continent has its eyes fixed on Spirit Hall."

"Furthermore, Star Dou Town is a place where dragons and snakes mingle. The seven great sects, the two empires, and all manner of desperate outlaws are watching you from the shadows."

Lie Yan clenched his fists until they cracked. "What is there to fear! With us here to protect our grandson, no one can touch him!"

Qian Daoliu nodded in agreement with Lion Douluo. On this continent, no one dared to openly provoke Spirit Hall just yet; they were nothing more than rats in a gutter, resorting to underhanded tactics.

No one noticed the cold glint that flashed in the depths of Lie Xu's eyes at that moment.

Perfect.

He was in need of some whetstones to test just how sharp his blade had become.