"I don't know if it was because I absorbed the Dream-Weaving Spider's soul ring, but my body seemed to have become as powerful as a Dream-Weaving Spider's."
Duan Fan muttered to himself, then picked up the dagger again. This time, he was even bolder, stabbing it straight toward his own stomach.
"Duan Fan!"
Li Yi snapped back to his senses and hurriedly shouted, grabbing Duan Fan's arm.
It was then that Li Yi discovered in shock that Duan Fan was extraordinarily strong. Caught off guard by his sudden movement, he failed to restrain him in time.
The dagger ultimately stabbed into Duan Fan's stomach, its sharp tip easily piercing through his clothes.
Clang—!
The scene of the dagger piercing flesh did not occur. Instead, it was as if it had struck a steel plate, producing a piercing metallic ring.
And seemingly unable to withstand the tremendous force, the dagger actually snapped in two.
This sight left Li Yi and Li Ruolan utterly stunned.
"How is this possible?"
This was the second time Li Yi had voiced his disbelief.
He released Duan Fan's arm and immediately crouched down to inspect the spot where Duan Fan had stabbed himself.
There was no blood. Through the torn clothing, he could not even see the slightest mark.
Li Yi swallowed hard, looking at Duan Fan as though he were a monster.
Li Ruolan also stepped before Duan Fan at this moment. After carefully examining him and confirming that he was unharmed, she finally let out a breath of relief.
The way she looked at Duan Fan had also become shocked and strange.
"Duan Fan, what exactly is going on?"
Of course, it was because Duan Fan had trained his Diamond Skill to the second level, reaching the [Iron Bone] stage.
The first level of the Diamond Skill, [Copper Skin], made one's skin as tough as copper and iron, making it difficult for ordinary blades to cut through.
The second level, [Iron Bone], made one's bones as hard as steel and greatly increased resistance to blows.
Beyond these defining traits, his physical strength continued to improve, as did his power and speed.
But Duan Fan clearly could not reveal that he was cultivating the Diamond Skill, so he could only find another explanation.
Duan Fan said, "I don't know what happened either. After obtaining my First Soul Ring, my body became much stronger."
Li Yi gently shook his head. "That's impossible. A Soul Master's body does become somewhat stronger after advancing, but it could never reach your level."
"And the strength you displayed just now..."
"Hit me with your full strength."
Duan Fan asked, "Directly on your body?"
After hesitating briefly, Li Yi extended his large hand and half-crouched. "Hit my palm."
"Alright."
Duan Fan nodded. He immediately clenched his right hand into a fist and struck Li Yi's palm with all his strength.
Bang—!
With a dull thud, Li Yi was forced back several meters before barely managing to stop, leaving two deep marks in the ground beneath his feet.
His palm felt as though it had been struck by a hammer, and a sharp pain ran from his wrist all the way up his arm.
His eyes had widened into circles, his mouth unconsciously hanging slightly open, his face full of disbelief.
"This strength is far too outrageous!"
Li Yi was currently maintaining his Martial Soul activation. Even without using Soul Power to defend himself, his physical power and durability were far beyond those of ordinary people. After all, he had five soul rings.
Yet even so, he had been driven back by a six-year-old child.
And this six-year-old child's Martial Soul was not even the type known for strength. His Martial Soul was merely a Writing Brush.
Even if it was not an ordinary Writing Brush, it could not possibly grant such terrifying strength.
Li Ruolan, standing nearby, was completely dumbfounded. It took her a while to regain her senses.
The way she looked at Duan Fan was somewhat unfamiliar, as though she had only just met him.
Li Yi shook out his arm and walked over to Duan Fan again. His gaze was complicated as he slowly spoke.
"Duan Fan, tell your teacher the truth. Do you have a second Martial Soul?"
"No matter how special or mutated your Writing Brush Martial Soul is, it cannot possibly develop in the direction of physical strength and power."
"The only explanation is that you possess another Martial Soul. Under the influence of that Martial Soul, as your Soul Power rises, your strength will also increase, and even your body will grow stronger."
Duan Fan froze slightly.
He knew it would not be so easy to fool a professional teacher.
He simply had not expected Li Yi to infer the existence of a Second Martial Soul from the changes in his body.
I definitely can't reveal the Diamond Skill. I'll have to use the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe, my Second Martial Soul, sooner or later anyway. Revealing it will only draw more attention.
Duan Fan sighed inwardly and finally made his decision.
"Yes, I have a Second Martial Soul."
Duan Fan spoke softly and extended his left hand.
The Fantasy Pen in his right hand slowly vanished, along with the yellow soul ring.
Black energy emerged from his left palm, then condensed into a black battle axe.
The axe handle was covered in unusual patterns. Its broad blade resembled outspread wings, while a dark blue gemstone was embedded in the center, faint white mist swirling within it.
The Soul-Sucking Battle Axe, Duan Fan's Second Martial Soul.
The instant they saw the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe, Li Yi and Li Ruolan showed expressions even more shocked and excited than before.
They stood utterly still, as though holding their breath.
After a long while, Li Yi was the first to speak. "It really is Twin Martial Souls!"
"You child, why did you keep something this important to yourself?"
Duan Fan said, "I didn't want people to treat me like a monster and stare at me every day."
Li Yi did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Why would anyone treat you like a monster? You're a one-in-ten-thousand genius!"
As he spoke, Li Yi looked at Li Ruolan with excitement written all over his face. "I knew that coming with you to the Star Dou Forest to help Duan Fan obtain his Second Soul Ring would bring us a surprise!"
"I just never expected the surprise to be this huge!"
"Twin Martial Souls!"
"These are Twin Martial Souls!"
"What kind of teacher are you? Your own student possesses Twin Martial Souls, yet you never knew!"
Li Ruolan replied irritably, "You specialize in Martial Souls, yet after asking Duan Fan about his situation so many times, you still failed to discover it."
Her gaze fell on Duan Fan, and she put on a gentle smile again. "Duan Fan, you should have told us earlier that you possess Twin Martial Souls. This is extremely important."
"Mm."
Duan Fan nodded lightly. Like a child who had done something wrong, he looked down at his toes and said nothing more.
Seeing this, Li Ruolan quickly comforted him, her voice becoming even gentler. "Your teacher isn't blaming you. The fact that you're willing to tell us now is already very good."
Li Yi said gravely, "This matter must be reported."
Li Ruolan nodded. "I know. We'll report it as soon as we return. I'm no longer qualified to be this child's teacher."
"Just his Innate Full Soul Power had already brought people from above to contact me."
"Now that Twin Martial Souls have been revealed as well, it will definitely cause quite a stir."
Li Yi smiled. "That is inevitable."
Throughout the siblings' conversation, neither of them took their eyes off the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe in Duan Fan's hand.
"Brother, have you ever seen an axe Martial Soul like this before?" Li Ruolan asked.
Li Yi shook his head. "No. This is my first time."
"Just its appearance alone is extraordinary, and it can even alter Duan Fan's body. This Martial Soul is definitely not simple."
"We'll talk about the Second Martial Soul after we return."
Li Yi's gaze returned to Duan Fan as he smiled. "Put away your Second Martial Soul. Let's first find a suitable soul ring for your first Martial Soul, the Writing Brush."
Before you continue