Back at their residence, Mo Li sat down beside the pool again. He had just been about to start cultivating when he heard Liu Erlong's voice.
"I'm back."
He turned around, somewhat surprised. "Sister Erlong, why are you back so soon?"
He had only just gotten home. The grass hadn't even had time to warm beneath him.
Liu Erlong came over to Mo Li. She'd been thinking about his situation the whole time, so she'd simply set aside the work she'd been doing.
"There's no rush with the academy's affairs. Let's talk about your situation first."
"Oh."
"It's like this. I discovered that my Martial Soul seems to be capable of using something else... something special."
"What?" Liu Erlong asked, puzzled. "Show me."
Mo Li nodded. With a thought, he released the domain that came with his Martial Soul.
He had sensed the existence of his domain ever since awakening his Martial Soul, but he hadn't shown it directly. He'd needed the right moment and a good reason.
A ring of deep black ripples abruptly spread out from him, covering a radius of dozens of meters in an instant!
Within the domain, Black Flame silently blazed to life. Streams of dark Soul Power surged upward, and the Soul Power in the air ignited in an instant, making the air ripple and distort.
Liu Erlong stared at the sight, her eyes wide as she froze on the spot.
"A... born domain," she murmured, speechless.
A domain—what a powerful ability! As a Soul Saint, she understood that better than most.
She had already witnessed the strength of Mo Li's Martial Soul that morning. But seeing this dark domain appear before her eyes, she realized she had still vastly underestimated his talent.
Liu Erlong's breathing quickened involuntarily. Waves crashed through her heart without pause. She took a deep breath, tamped down her turbulent emotions, and said solemnly:
"Good. Very good!"
"Xiao Li, your talent is truly incredible. You could say it's the greatest I've ever seen."
"The power you just used is called a domain. Only the very best Martial Souls and the most exceptional talents have a chance of awakening an Innate Domain when their Martial Soul awakens!"
"An Innate Domain?"
Mo Li pretended to look bewildered.
Seeing his expression, Liu Erlong couldn't help smiling.
Of course. How could a child know what a domain was, let alone understand how powerful one could be?
Even she, a Soul Saint, knew very little about domains. Soul Masters who could comprehend the domain realm were rarer than phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
As for Innate Domains, she'd never even heard of one.
Seeing Mo Li's confused expression, she patiently explained the basics of domains to him. Mo Li, of course, picked it up quickly.
After explaining domains, Liu Erlong looked up at the lingering heat in the air. After a moment's thought, she said:
"Use your domain on me. I'll see what it can do."
Mo Li hesitated. "Then... be careful, Sister Erlong."
"Don't worry. Give it everything you've got."
Liu Erlong waved a hand, looking completely at ease.
As if! She was a seventy-two-level Soul Saint. Even if she stood still without using a single Soul Skill, her protective Soul Power alone would be more than enough to keep Mo Li's domain from breaking through her defenses.
And so...
"Why the hell did you burn my clothes?!"
Liu Erlong clenched her teeth, her face burning with embarrassment and anger, her eyes blazing as if they were about to spit fire.
Mo Li gave an awkward smile. Liu Erlong had told him to attack with all his might, so that was exactly what he'd done.
Using the domain at full power consumed a tremendous amount of mental strength. Even with mental strength comparable to a Soul Elder's, Mo Li could only maintain it for a few minutes.
During that time, he kept attacking Liu Erlong with his domain, but still couldn't even break through her protective Soul Power.
After all, the gap between them was enormous. The difference between a quasi-Soul Master and a Soul Saint was immense.
Just as Mo Li was struggling to keep going and about to give up, a surge of powerful Soul Power suddenly came from the domain. He was startled at first, then realized it had come from Liu Erlong's protective Soul Power. In other words, his domain could devour other people's Soul Power and use it for itself!
Mo Li glanced strangely at Liu Erlong, who was maintaining her protective Soul Power, then drew on the power he'd absorbed to prepare his next attack.
Liu Erlong figured Mo Li had decided to give up. After all, it was already impressive for a Soul Master to maintain a domain for so long.
She withdrew her protective Soul Power and walked toward Mo Li. At that moment, Mo Li was fully focused on controlling the Soul Power his domain had returned to him, and his prepared attack struck right on cue.
They both froze.
Mo Li hadn't expected Liu Erlong to suddenly drop her defenses, while Liu Erlong hadn't expected him to still have enough strength to attack!
"Boom!"
A Soul Saint's body could easily withstand Mo Li's attack, of course. But in her haste, Liu Erlong had forgotten to protect her clothes.
The result was that wisps of flame devoured her skirt, leaving her in this awkward state.
Liu Erlong grabbed the black skirt, half of which had already been burned away. It had once covered her thighs, but now it barely covered the tops of them, leaving broad stretches of pale skin exposed.
She was furious, but even more embarrassed. She strode right up to Mo Li and smacked him on the head.
The blow landed solidly. Mo Li winced in pain and quickly covered his head, protesting:
"Sister Erlong, weren't you the one who told me to attack with all my strength? You said if I could hurt you by even a single hair, then you'd wasted your time cultivating as a Soul Saint."
He had pushed his domain to its limit, but the gap between them was simply too great. No matter how he attacked, nothing worked.
If not for the Soul Power his domain had devoured, and Liu Erlong withdrawing her defenses at just the wrong moment, he wouldn't even have brushed the edge of her clothes.
"You still dare talk back!"
"I never told you to burn my clothes!"
"Well, you never said not to..."
Liu Erlong was so embarrassed and angry that she raised her hand and smacked Mo Li on the head again. She didn't care about the details—she was going to give him a beating first.
After Liu Erlong changed into another skirt, she finally explained what the domain could do.
"I tested it just now. Within your domain, Soul Power is suppressed, but the effect is negligible."
"That's because you're a dignified Soul Saint."
"Be quiet." Liu Erlong's face reddened slightly, and she gritted her teeth as she warned him.
But Mo Li thought the warning had no effect at all. If anything, it made her seem adorable.
Seeing Mo Li only smile and say nothing, Liu Erlong gave a soft snort. Her expression returned to normal, and she continued, "Besides that, all your attacks have an erosive effect, and the flames within your domain are very hard to deal with."
Mo Li nodded at Liu Erlong's analysis. She'd covered just about everything his domain could do, but she hadn't described one part quite accurately.
His attacks didn't carry an erosive effect, but a devouring one. The Soul Power devoured from his opponents could immediately flow back into him within the domain. Their loss was his gain, making the domain extremely difficult to deal with.
"Listen carefully," Liu Erlong said, giving him a solemn warning. "Don't reveal that you have a domain unless you absolutely have to. It'll be one of your greatest trump cards in the future, but it could also make people jealous of you."
"You can give your domain a name."
"A name?"
Mo Li pondered for a moment, a glint passing through his eyes.
"I'll call it the Nine Nether Domain!"
"The Nine Nether Domain?"
Liu Erlong looked thoughtful, then gave a slight nod.
"As long as you like it."
"Sister Erlong, from now on, I'll protect you!"
Mo Li patted his chest, his face earnest.
Liu Erlong froze for a moment. She was touched, but also amused as she looked at Mo Li. "You certainly talk big. From now on, don't let me catch you slacking off when you cultivate."
"For your sake, Sister Erlong, I suppose I can put in a little effort."
"Such a silver tongue."
Hearing Mo Li's somewhat childish yet strangely resolute promise, something soft in Liu Erlong's heart stirred. She couldn't help smiling, her eyes glimmering as she radiated charm.
If anyone who knew what she'd been like back then saw her now, their jaw would probably hit the floor.
Who would have thought that the murderous member of the famous Golden Iron Triangle, renowned across the continent more than a decade ago, could also show such a gentle, captivating expression?
Liu Erlong herself had noticed that ever since Mo Li had come into her life, her state of mind had become much calmer and more peaceful. Because of certain events, she'd once been extremely violent and bloodthirsty, and that period had gradually made her cold and indifferent.
Later, after her friends persuaded her, she had come to Heaven Dou City and founded Blue Tyrant Academy, where she could focus on cultivating her character. Especially the six years she'd spent with Mo Li had reminded her of the carefree, cheerful days she'd once known while traveling across the continent.
She liked this change very much, and she liked her life now.
Perhaps if things could stay this way forever, that would be nice...