"Could it be that even without leaking anything, he could still kill in a second?"
Jiang Xiu lifted his eyes to look at Dong Zi'an standing before him. Shock filled his heart. He really did have a Second Martial Soul, but he hadn't released it at all just now.
Seeing Jiang Xiu's expression, Dong Zi'an smiled knowingly, certain that he'd guessed correctly. Then he did his best to soften his gruff voice.
"Little friend, don't be nervous. Uncle isn't a bad person. Come, let Uncle see what your Second Martial Soul is."
Bright lights shone down, and the bitter wind outside the emergency center suddenly grew stronger, beating against the metal walls with a mournful howl.
This isn't the Peerless Tang Sect era from ten thousand years ago. A Martial Soul with a darkness attribute shouldn't get branded as an Evil Soul Master. I should be fine...
Jiang Xiu tried to reassure himself. The Federation was unified in this era, no longer as chaotic as the four great empires during the Tang Sect era. Besides, Dong Zi'an was right in front of him, and it seemed he didn't have the power to refuse.
What's more, he was all alone now. Maybe this was an opportunity...
"Uncle, I really do have a Second Martial Soul."
Jiang Xiu made up his mind and spoke in a clear voice. The Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul slowly withdrew into his body, and that devastating power of destruction quietly faded away.
He still couldn't use both Martial Souls at the same time.
"So it really is as I thought. Let me see what sort of Martial Soul can exist alongside the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon."
A glimmer of anticipation appeared in Dong Zi'an's eyes as he stared intently at Jiang Xiu.
According to the theory of a certain Grandmaster in history, the quality of the two Martial Souls possessed by someone with Twin Martial Souls could never differ too greatly.
"Vmmm!"
Jiang Xiu slowly unclenched his left hand. A dense surge of darkness poured forth like night descending. In an instant, the entire spacious Soul Guidance Emergency Center seemed to sink into eternal night, plunging into pitch-black darkness as a cold aura gradually spread.
Dong Zi'an remained unfazed, continuing to watch Jiang Xiu closely.
"Heh, heh, heh!"
The darkness surged together like flowing water, and a pitch-black figure rose beneath Jiang Xiu's feet. Clad in sharp edges, it was tall and imposing. Not a single color could be seen on its body besides black.
The instant it fully took shape, a pair of blood-red eyes snapped open. Arrogance filled the Blood Pupil's gaze, and a kingly pressure swept out in an instant. With arms folded across its chest, it looked down at Dong Zi'an with haughty disdain.
At the same time, darkness covered Jiang Xiu's body. His purple eyes turned into blood-red ones, and a trace of arrogance flashed in their depths. The shadow behind him was like a king's guard.
"Is that a Shadow Body Martial Soul? A Body Martial Soul with the Ultimate Darkness Attribute?"
A green shadow flashed in Dong Zi'an's eyes. A wave of Soul Power easily dispelled the pressure, but the shock in his heart was no less intense.
On Douluo Continent, there was a type of Martial Soul that was both simple and powerful. It was also extremely peculiar, capable of evolving: the Body Martial Soul.
"But why did this Body Martial Soul come with an additional attribute the moment it appeared? And an Ultimate Darkness Attribute, at that?"
Even as he marveled at it, a wave of fervor surged through Dong Zi'an's heart.
He'd struck it rich!
Had there ever been a Soul Master with two Ultimate Attributes in history?
"Uncle, have you seen enough?"
Jiang Xiu smiled politely at Dong Zi'an, whose eyes burned with excitement and whose throat bobbed from time to time.
"Ahem, ahem. Put it away. Your Shadow Martial Soul is very good, very good!"
Realizing he'd lost his composure a little, Dong Zi'an cleared his throat and waved a hand. It wasn't that he lacked self-control; Jiang Xiu had simply shocked him too much.
He dared say that even Yun Ming, the strongest person on the continent right now, would be tempted if he were here.
Jiang Xiu's eyes flickered. As his hand slowly closed, the darkness receded, and the shadow behind him quietly vanished.
Jiang Xiu didn't contradict Dong Zi'an, but he knew perfectly well that the shadow behind him wasn't the Shadow Martial Soul Dong Zi'an had mentioned. It was the Sovereign of Eternal Night, the Shadow Monarch!
And the Shadow Monarch's strength didn't lie in its darkness attribute, but in its ability to extract the shadows of the dead.
"One man, one army" was the perfect description of the Shadow Monarch! And in this era, Jiang Xiu already had a target in mind for his shadow extraction...
"By the way, Uncle, how did you know I had a Second Martial Soul?"
Suddenly, Jiang Xiu seemed to think of something and asked in confusion. If he hadn't let anything slip, then Dong Zi'an must have noticed something.
"Haha, after you passed out during the Abyssal Tide, you might not have noticed, but your shadow was gone."
Dong Zi'an gave a rare smile and pointed with his thick finger to Jiang Xiu's side beneath the light.
Jiang Xiu followed the direction Dong Zi'an pointed. His expression abruptly froze when he saw that, beneath the light, he truly had no shadow at all.
"Am I not human anymore?"
Jiang Xiu's temple twitched as an idea surfaced in his mind. What was a person without a shadow?
"Don't worry. According to my guess, your shadow probably became your Martial Soul. After all, a Body Martial Soul is a part of its owner."
Dong Zi'an considered it for a moment, his eyes gleaming.
"Of course, there's another possibility: you weren't waiting for your awakening at the time. You were already in the middle of your Martial Soul Awakening ceremony.
"When the Abyssal Tide suddenly appeared and you were in danger, your Martial Soul protected its owner. Since your Martial Soul happened to be your own shadow, it used your shadow as a medium to appear and save you. Then your shadow fused with it."
After a pause, Dong Zi'an clasped his hands behind his back.
"Of course, that's all speculation. I wasn't beside you at the time."
But after hearing him out, Jiang Xiu felt a slight shock. He really had been undergoing his Martial Soul Awakening at the time. This man's insight was truly astonishing!
"Little friend, where are your parents? Uncle would like to meet them."
After a moment, a glimmer flashed through Dong Zi'an's eyes as he asked softly, though his voice carried a hint of urgency.
"Uncle, I'm afraid you won't be able to meet them."
At that, Jiang Xiu gave a slight shake of his head, a trace of sadness appearing on his delicate face.
"It's all right. Just tell me where they are. With Uncle's abilities, I can find them within half a day, no problem."
Dong Zi'an waved his hand. The five golden stars on his shoulder glimmered. With his standing in the Federation, finding two people would be a piece of cake.
"They died in battle four years ago."
"Only two small medals came back."
Dong Zi'an's expression abruptly froze as Jiang Xiu finished speaking. He opened his mouth, but couldn't manage to say a word.
"Good boy. Your parents were admirable people, and so are you."
Dong Zi'an patted Jiang Xiu's shoulder with his large hand and spoke solemnly.
"By the way, Uncle, the two medals my parents left behind are still in Snow City..."
"We'll get them back. Uncle will help you find them. Don't be afraid."
As a soldier, Dong Zi'an could better understand those feelings. Looking at Jiang Xiu's small frame, he gave a slight shake of his head.
Four years ago, Jiang Xiu had been only two, right?
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