Master of Power

Xu Mengqing smiled and agreed. He reached out to ruffle Na'er's fluffy hair, took her little hand, and after they had washed up, the two returned to their room.

At first, Meng Ling'er had planned to clear out a room for Na'er alone.

But Na'er was unwilling to be separated from Xu Mengqing, so Meng Ling'er could only keep the two-person arrangement. Besides, in her eyes, there was nothing wrong with two six-year-old children sharing a room.

When Xu Mengqing and Na'er returned to their room, Na'er lay down on the bed, and before long, soft, even snores drifted from her. She was clearly exhausted. Moonlight streamed through the window lattice and fell across her peaceful little face. Her long lashes cast faint shadows, her purple eyes were tightly shut, and her tiny brows had relaxed slightly. She looked completely defenseless.

Xu Mengqing did not continue meditating as usual. Instead, he lay directly on the soft little bed and soon slowly fell asleep as well.

The next afternoon, after saying goodbye to Tang Wulin, Xu Mengqing returned home.

The evening breeze carried the gentle warmth unique to spring, stirring the branches by the courtyard gate. Before he even stepped inside, he caught the aroma of food drifting from the kitchen. Meng Ling'er was preparing dinner, and the rich scent of meat mingled with the fragrance of rice, instantly dispelling some of the fatigue from his day outside.

"Brother, you're back!"

A soft, childish voice rang out first. Na'er had been waiting in the courtyard all along. The moment she spotted him, she ran over on her short little legs, clutching a large watering can in her arms. Her purple eyes sparkled with delight.

She threw herself straight into Xu Mengqing's arms, rubbing her little head against his chest as she said sweetly, "I watered the Blue Silver Grass today! They've grown so fast!"

He smiled and rubbed Na'er's hair, taking the watering can from her hands. "Our Na'er is so capable."

Holding Na'er's little hand, he entered the courtyard and immediately saw the neat Taiji Eight Trigrams arrangement of Blue Silver Grass in the backyard. Under the setting sun, the pale green blades shimmered with a gentle glow. The Blue Silver Grass arranged in the eight directions stood in orderly layers, while the round bluestone slab at the center had been coated in a warm yellow hue by the fading light. From afar, it seemed to give off a mysterious aura. Compared with when it had first been planted yesterday, it now possessed a little more vitality. Even the surrounding air carried a faint grassy fragrance, and the life force there was far richer than elsewhere.

After that, Xu Mengqing and Na'er began playing among the Blue Silver Grass.

Soon, the small courtyard was filled with their laughter.

After playing around for a while, Na'er went to help Meng Ling'er prepare dinner.

Meanwhile, Xu Mengqing began experimenting with his second Martial Soul—the Holy Light Lizard.

With a thought from Xu Mengqing, Soul Power surged through his body.

In an instant, an aura of sacred light spread outward from him.

A platinum-white phantom, somewhere between a snake and a lizard, appeared behind Xu Mengqing.

The instant the Holy Light Lizard appeared, it turned into a streak of light and poured into Xu Mengqing's body.

An unprecedented sense of power swept through him in an instant. Every limb and bone brimmed with surging energy. Xu Mengqing's originally neat golden hair took on a dazzling platinum sheen, becoming even softer and glossier. His once clear golden pupils transformed into sharp platinum vertical pupils, with a faint holy radiance in their depths. Fine, translucent platinum scales covered the skin of his arms, cool to the touch and possessing formidable defensive power.

Although his physique had not changed much, Xu Mengqing could clearly sense that his strength, speed, and physique had all increased severalfold.

"So this is the power of Holy Light Lizard Martial Soul Possession..." Xu Mengqing murmured.

Next, Xu Mengqing drew upon the Holy Light Lizard's Devouring Power. His fingertips moved slightly, and he suddenly noticed a wisp of black-gray airflow slowly swirling above his right palm. This airflow seemed capable of devouring everything, and it carried a trace of fierce Destruction Power, creating the ultimate contrast with the sacred light surrounding him.

"So this is the Holy Light Lizard's hidden power of devouring and destruction." Xu Mengqing's gaze sharpened. He knew very well that if this were exposed, he would likely be branded an Evil Soul Master and might even be hunted across the entire continent.

He did not rashly activate it. Instead, he carefully condensed the black-gray airflow in his palm, sensing its properties of devouring life and erasing all things. Then he slowly raised his hand and aimed at a stalk of Blue Silver Grass in the corner of the courtyard.

Controlling the black-gray airflow, he gave a gentle push with his palm, and the airflow slowly sank into the Blue Silver Grass.

The next second, the Blue Silver Grass visibly shriveled and withered. Its woody outer layer rapidly decayed, while the life force and essence within it were instantly devoured clean. In the blink of an eye, the once vigorous Blue Silver Grass had turned into a pile of brittle grass debris that shattered at the slightest touch. A gust of wind scattered it into powder.

Xu Mengqing's pupils contracted slightly. The Devouring Power and Destruction Power were far more potent than he had expected. If he activated them with full force, their power would be unimaginable.

However, Xu Mengqing did not end the experiment. Instead, he walked over to another stalk of Blue Silver Grass.

This time, however, he did not condense Devouring Power or Destruction Power. He simply placed his hand directly on the Blue Silver Grass and immediately activated the Devouring Power within his body.

At the instant the Devouring Power was about to erupt, the Blue Silver Grass visibly shriveled and withered. At the same time, a stream of pure Life Force slowly flowed into Xu Mengqing's body.

Xu Mengqing's body was like parched earth receiving sweet rain. Part of it was rapidly absorbed and refined by his body, while the other part surged into the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul within him.

Xu Mengqing could clearly feel that the circulation speed of his Soul Power had increased considerably. At the same time, many impurities in his body were expelled with his sweat, leaving him refreshed all over.

Sure enough, devouring was addictive.

No wonder so many people chose shortcuts.

Fortunately, his Holy Light Lizard Martial Soul possessed light and sacred attributes, so devouring had little effect on him.

Xu Mengqing slowly withdrew the power from his palm. Feeling the pure life energy still surging within him, a complex emotion flashed through his eyes.

There was awe at the Holy Light Lizard's formidable abilities, wariness toward Devouring Power, and an almost imperceptible sense of caution.

He knew full well that this power, which seemed capable of rapidly increasing one's strength, was like a double-edged sword. One careless mistake could lead to eternal ruin.

Evil Soul Masters—those devoured by desire and reduced to slaves of power—all ultimately met the same end: disgraced, ruined, and condemned by all. He clenched his fists. The platinum vertical pupils gradually faded, returning to their original clear gold, while the fine scales on his arms slowly receded into his skin. The aura of sacred light withdrew as well, and the pressure surrounding him vanished without a trace.

Yet the Life Force he had obtained through devouring continued to circulate slowly within him, nourishing his meridians and Martial Soul. The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul swayed gently within his dantian, as though it had drunk its fill of nutrients. It grew increasingly robust, and even his Soul Power became more stable, faintly showing signs of a breakthrough.

What Xu Mengqing wanted was to become the master of power.