Probing and Shock

"Arrogant!"

Yu Luomian spat out the word coldly.

Mo Li's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "You say that given your strength, you are inferior to your clan leader, so your word doesn't count. Then, if one day I am able to defeat your clan leader, does that mean my word will count?"

Hearing this incredibly brazen remark, Yu Luomian's eyelids twitched. He laughed in spite of his anger, "Junior, I shall overlook the tone you use when speaking to me, but I wonder if your mother ever told you which sect she came from?"

My mother? Mo Li was stunned for a moment, but he immediately cast the topic aside. Now was not the time for this; he could not let his thoughts wander.

Liu Erlong had also recovered by now. She gripped Mo Li's hand in return and pulled him slightly behind her.

Yet, Mo Li's body remained motionless, standing firmly in front of her to block Yu Luomian's mockery.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, you just said it yourself."

"Since that is the case, do you know how terrifying the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is as one of the top three sects in the soul master world?"

"I don't see it. If I were to judge by you, I see no future for this sect. With no desire to forge ahead, I am quite curious—where does your sense of superiority come from?"

Although Mo Li's tone was calm, the irony contained within it was no less sharp than Yu Luomian's.

From their previous conversation, he had clearly understood that what Sister Erlong wanted all along was not status within the clan, but for her mother to have a proper name.

She did not want her mother to be nothing more than a lonely soul drifting outside even after death.

Liu Erlong's mother had been a woman of the red-light district, neither wealthy nor noble. As one of the top three sects, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan naturally could not tolerate such a stain, even if Yu Luomian was the second-in-command.

Whether this was due to pressure from within the clan or Yu Luomian's own cowardice, Mo Li did not know.

He simply wanted to seek justice for Liu Erlong.

"Hmph, you arrogant brat!"

Yu Luomian let out a cold snort. His hands remained behind his back, but a massive surge of Soul Power erupted from his body, pressing down upon Mo Li from all sides.

Standing in place, Mo Li could clearly feel the waves of pressure emanating from Yu Luomian. It felt as if the space around him had been compressed, leaving him unable to move.

However, there was no real hostility behind it.

Although Yu Luomian did not intend to kill Mo Li over his words, that did not mean he would forgive the mockery directed at himself and his sect.

This move was merely intended to teach the boy a lesson before he left.

Even though it was only a sliver of his Soul Power, it was certainly not something an ordinary soul master could withstand.

The boy before him was not even ten years old; he might not even be a soul master yet.

Thinking this, Yu Luomian had no more reservations. In any case, with Liu Erlong present, she would not let the boy come to any real harm.

Yet, when his Soul Power touched Mo Li, the boy's body did not react as he had imagined. Instead, he remained as steady as a rock, not moving in the slightest.

I misjudged him.

Yu Luomian's gaze returned to Mo Li. This time, he looked with extreme focus and increased his output of Soul Power.

Mo Li immediately felt a pressure far greater than before rushing toward him. This wave of Soul Power was enough to sweep away anyone below the rank of Soul Grand Master.

Yu Luomian thought the same, but as time passed, he discovered with shock that Mo Li's body still showed no reaction; he had not even manifested his Martial Soul or Soul Rings.

He glanced at the hands tightly clasped between Mo Li and Liu Erlong, his brows furrowing slightly, before he looked away.

He could feel that Liu Erlong had not used a shred of her own Soul Power to assist Mo Li.

The boy had achieved all of this on his own.

At this moment, although Liu Erlong's expression remained grim, she was no longer as flustered as before. When Yu Luomian's pressure had first descended, her expression had turned icy, and she had been about to act, but then she felt a movement from their joined hands.

It was Mo Li's palm; he was signaling her not to interfere with this test.

Though she was worried, she held onto her trust in him. Mo Li was standing up for her.

Liu Erlong's nose stung again. Although she had lost much in her life, fortunately, she still had Mo Li.

If the previous two attempts were merely casual probes, then the serious-faced Yu Luomian was now definitely getting serious.

The failure of the first two attempts was already a slap to his own face and a disgrace to their Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

He could not bring himself to bully the weak, but he was absolutely unwilling to lose face in front of a boy who had just mocked him and his sect.

For this third attempt, he released Soul Power comparable to that of a Soul Elder, his eyes fixed on Mo Li like a hawk.

This time, he wanted to see if Mo Li truly had the ability or if he was just putting on a front.

As the third wave of Soul Power arrived, the silent contest between the two began once more.

The moment the pressure hit, Mo Li felt immense strain. Under this level of force, he could no longer remain as nonchalant as before.

This Yu Luomian has skipped the Soul Grand Master level and jumped straight to the level of a Soul Elder.

Mo Li chuckled inwardly. Sister Erlong's so-called father really thinks highly of me; he didn't hold back at all on this third attempt.

But so what?

Although he could not remain as relaxed as before, Mo Li was still fully capable of holding his ground. It was not yet time to reveal his Martial Soul and Soul Rings.

As time ticked by, the corners of Yu Luomian's eyes began to twitch as he kept a constant watch on Mo Li.

Even though he had raised his Soul Power fluctuations to the level of a thirty-fifth-rank Soul Elder, he still could not see the boy's spirit rings or Martial Soul.

This boy was only eight or nine years old; how could he possibly withstand pressure comparable to that of a Soul Elder?

Yu Luomian finally had a moment to calculate Mo Li's age, but to his utter disbelief, even when he quietly pushed his Soul Power to the thirty-ninth rank, the youth before him still had not released any spirit rings.

Just as Yu Luomian was struck with shock, Mo Li was not faring well either.

If he hadn't been gripping Liu Erlong's hand tightly to prevent her from acting, she likely would have attacked long ago.

He was adamant about not letting Liu Erlong intervene in this test; he wanted Yu Luomian to see that he possessed the potential—the potential to help Liu Erlong.

Perhaps in the near future, Mo Li would truly have the ability to accomplish the things he had just spoken of.

He had long understood that in this world, strength reigned supreme, and dignity without strength was merely something to be trampled upon.

If Liu Erlong's Martial Soul had not been a Fire Dragon Martial Soul, and if it hadn't been a mutation that was not inferior to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, she would never have even had the chance to return to the clan.

Suddenly, Yu Luomian's eyes flickered as he saw one yellow and one purple spirit ring erupt from Mo Li's body, causing his expression to change drastically.

At this moment, the Soul Power pressure he was exerting had already surpassed the level of a Soul Elder!