Testing Skills

"To the back mountain! No one goes there at night!" Ning Chuan made his decision in an instant.

He quietly pushed open the door. His parents still seemed to be busy out front.

He slipped out of the courtyard on tiptoe and hurried toward the back mountain of Holy Soul Village.

With his Level 25 Soul Power-enhanced body, he was light yet brimming with strength. His speed far surpassed that of an ordinary person, and before long, he reached a secluded hollow in the back mountain.

Trees grew thickly here, and there was no one around. It was the perfect place to test his Soul Skills.

Ning Chuan came to a stop, took a deep breath, and excitement flashed in his eyes.

"Let's try the First Soul Skill first—Endless Life!"

The thousand-year Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up in emerald green!

Bzzzz—!

A vast yet gentle life energy rippled outward from Ning Chuan. The Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass Martial Soul in his right palm seemed to be infused with vitality, its leaves unfurling, lush and verdant, radiating a soft green glow.

"Healing Light!"

With a thought, Ning Chuan raised his left hand and pointed at a somewhat wilted shrub nearby.

A jade-green beam as thick as a baby's arm shot from his fingertips, precisely enveloping the shrub.

A startling sight unfolded!

Under the glow of life energy, the shrub visibly perked up. Its yellowed leaves rapidly turned green, and its branches straightened, as though it had returned from the brink of death to the height of summer in an instant!

"The effect is remarkable!" Ning Chuan exclaimed happily, dispersing the light.

He sensed the Soul Power consumption. It had used around one-tenth of his reserves.

Both the healing effect and range were satisfying.

"Next, Flora Affinity..." Ning Chuan closed his eyes and carefully sensed his surroundings.

In his perception, the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees were no longer lifeless things. They seemed to possess extremely faint emotions.

Peacefulness, comfort, or a trace of thirst.

He could even vaguely "hear" the tiny "complaints" of the grass beneath his feet as it was stepped on.

This feeling of becoming one with nature was incomparably wondrous.

"Lastly, Life Gift!" Ning Chuan turned his gaze toward his Martial Soul.

He focused his mind, activated the Soul Skill, and poured an even greater amount of Soul Power into the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass.

"Grow!"

As Soul Power flowed into it, the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass in his palm suddenly erupted with intense emerald light!

Then, beneath Ning Chuan's delighted gaze, the little grass began to grow and expand at an astonishing rate!

In the blink of an eye, it shot up from half a foot tall to over a meter!

Its leaves became broader and thicker, the sharp cold glint along their edges more pronounced. The golden specks in its veins joined together like molten gold flowing through them! The entire plant radiated powerful life fluctuations and a sharp, cutting aura!

At this moment, the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass no longer looked like a blade of grass. Instead, it resembled a miniature jade divine tree, its sharpness fully revealed!

Ning Chuan could feel that his Martial Soul was far tougher and contained far more power than usual!

He tried swinging this "large tree."

Whoosh—!

The sound of tearing air was piercing! One leaf swept across a nearby boulder and left a clear gash in it like a sharp blade!

"What incredible power!" Ning Chuan marveled.

This was only a temporary enhancement. If it were permanent... he did not dare imagine it.

Of course, maintaining this state also caused his Soul Power consumption to rise sharply.

When he dismissed the Soul Skill, the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass quickly returned to normal.

Ning Chuan took a brief rest to recover his Soul Power.

"Next, the Second Soul Skill—Holy Radiance Judgment!"

The milky-white thousand-year Soul Ring beneath his feet flashed to life!

A warm, pure, majestic aura of light instantly dispersed the lingering dusk and chill within the mountain hollow.

Ning Chuan himself seemed to be shrouded in a faint, sacred halo.

"Radiant Impact!"

Ning Chuan raised his right hand and pointed his index finger at a tree trunk as thick as a bowl some distance away.

Swoosh—!

A condensed pure-white beam as thick as an arm shot forth in an instant, unbelievably fast!

The white light struck the trunk with pinpoint accuracy!

There was no violent explosion, only a soft hiss.

The struck section of the trunk instantly turned charred black, as though scorched by intense heat. Yet it also seemed as if some force had completely purified away its life force, leaving behind a hole that went clean through the tree!

The edges of the hole were smooth, without a single splinter!

What powerful penetration and purification!

If this struck a dark Soul Beast or an evil Soul Master, its power would likely be even more terrifying!

"Shelter of Light!"

With another thought from Ning Chuan, milky-white light rapidly gathered around him, forming a thin yet exceptionally solid shield of light.

Light shimmered across the shield's surface, and it radiated an aura that put one at ease.

He tried knocking on it with his hand. It gave off a dull sound, and its defensive power was quite impressive.

Moreover, the shield carried a warm feeling. Standing within it even calmed his mind considerably.

"Beacon of Piety!"

Ning Chuan finally tested this domain-type skill.

With both hands held up as if supporting something, an incomparably pure sphere of light the size of a fist slowly rose from his palms and hovered three feet above his head.

Like a tiny sun, the sphere radiated a gentle yet steadfast milky-white brilliance, instantly illuminating dozens of meters around it as brightly as day!

Under this light, the chill of night was driven away, and an atmosphere of tranquility, peace, and hope spread through the area.

Ning Chuan felt his mind become more focused, while the energy he had spent testing his Soul Skills slowly began to recover.

Even more wondrously, wherever the light reached, some nocturnal venomous insects rustled away in panic, as though they deeply loathed this aura of light.

"Good! Excellent!" Ning Chuan could hardly suppress the excitement in his heart. He withdrew his Soul Skill, and the light gradually faded as the back mountain returned to darkness.

Two twin thousand-year Soul Rings, two top-tier Soul Skills!

This immense gain had far exceeded his expectations!

With such power, Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy? He was already beginning to look down on it. Before, he had only wanted to slip in and examine its Soul Beast illustrated guide.

His future lay in a far broader world!