Rebellious Streak

Austin Griffin's neck began to bulge.

The crisp sound of stretching bones was like tearing silk, while its skin rapidly alternated between splitting and healing.

A third head emerged from between its shoulder blades. It was slightly smaller than the first two, but its features were more refined.

The moment its eyes opened, the room suddenly brightened—the pure light attribute gleamed in its golden pupils like two miniature suns, driving the shadows from every corner.

The three heads turned in different directions at once, six eyes surveying the world.

The newborn head lifted up and let out a cry unlike a long howl, clear as a horn and carrying the air of a proclamation.

It felt invincible.

Three heads, three attributes. Darkness and light had reached a dangerous balance within it, like two sides of a coin forcibly cast together.

Ziyang felt the surging power within him. A Three-Ring Soul Elder, level thirty-one.

"Ziyang, Austin Griffin grew a third head!" Na'er's voice came from nearby.

Austin Griffin's three heads raised themselves at the same time. The middle head let out a low growl, the left head screeched, while the newly born head on the right emitted a strange, almost singing trill.

Three different cries, yet Ziyang understood that all three heads meant the same thing.

Now, I am invincible!

Ziyang looked at his martial soul. Three heads, three wills—and another rebellious streak had grown in.

Its eyes even revealed a yearning to be beaten up.

How could Ziyang possibly refuse such a small request from his martial soul?

He stood and walked over to his martial soul.

When Austin Griffin saw a tiny shadow blocking its light, its body trembled involuntarily, and all three heads shrank back.

Ziyang said nothing. His Soul Rings suddenly changed, and three rose-gold Soul Rings appeared behind his head. They did not light up, instead rotating slowly, almost elegantly.

His soul skill activated. Countless transparent threads poured from his palms, as fine as hair and as tough as steel wire, winding toward Austin Griffin.

This was his third soul skill, Thread.

In terms of practicality, he considered it inferior to his first soul skill, but he had never considered that his soul skills themselves were concepts.

Austin Griffin tried to flee. All three heads roared at once as flames of Destruction, lightning of Chaos, and newborn holy light intertwined into a net and surged toward the threads.

Yet the threads did not avoid their sharp force at all. Instead, they sliced straight through like blades and coiled around Austin Griffin's body.

When the first head was bound, it still struggled.

When the second head was restrained, its roar turned into a whimper.

When the third head—the head of Destruction, raised the highest—had its mouth bound by the threads, its purple eyes finally showed a clear, almost aggrieved expression.

But it was useless. Ziyang approached, ready to suppress Austin Griffin's newly grown rebellious streak.

The threads tightened, dragging Austin Griffin toward the ground. Its four claws gouged deep furrows into the floor.

Leng Yaoyu did not stop this farce either. After all, Soul Spirits all had tempers, much less a martial soul with self-awareness.

A little discipline was perfectly normal. Besides, the records from twenty thousand years ago had not said what to do in such a situation, so Ziyang's method had to be right.

Ziyang raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.

The first punch landed on the middle head, and the will of Destruction let out a dull boom.

The second punch smashed into the left head, scattering its dark aura.

The third fist hovered above the head of light for a moment before coming down. The golden pupils reflected the fist's image as it grew larger and clearer.

Austin Griffin wanted to dodge, but the threads held it in a humiliating pose. Its three heads were forced together, watching helplessly as the fist descended.

It swore that if it ever harbored thoughts of rebellion again, its fourth head would get beaten every day.

The blows continued.

This was the conversation between the two of them.

Ziyang's fists were not heavy, but they came extremely fast, producing dull slapping sounds.

Austin Griffin's roars changed from anger to begging, from begging to whimpering, and finally into faint, catlike cries of misery.

The threads continued to wind around it.

Austin Griffin felt weightless. Its four claws left the ground, its wings were tied shut and unable to spread, and its body spun through the air before finally being hung upside down in the middle of the room.

It swayed, all three heads looking down at Ziyang below.

But no one noticed that the other ends of the threads were not connected to the ceiling—they simply vanished into thin air.

Ziyang looked up at his martial soul. Its gaze had already become clear.

"Still thinking about rebelling?" Ziyang asked.

"Boss, you know me. I'm a loyal subject."

"You've already beaten me three times."

Austin Griffin was speechless. Its three heads shared one consciousness—it had been thoroughly beaten three times over.

At those words, the room fell silent once more.

Ziyang withdrew his Soul Rings, ending the soul skill, and Austin Griffin fell straight down.

"Finally finished? Will it behave now?" Na'er asked as she looked at Austin Griffin.

"Don't worry. If it misbehaves again, just beat it up," Ziyang said with a smile.

Leng Yaoyu walked over from afar, her red hair flowing like fire beneath the lights. She stopped before the two of them, her gaze sweeping over the messy traces in the room.

"You both performed well today." After praising them, she continued, "You have something more important tomorrow."

"Gu Yue is coming tomorrow. You mustn't exclude her."

"Teacher, is Gu Yue officially joining us?" Ziyang asked.

"Officially joining." Leng Yaoyu rubbed Ziyang's little head. "But she'll start as a registered disciple."

"Understood, Teacher." Ziyang nodded.

Leng Yaoyu stood and said, "Tomorrow, I do not want you to have any conflicts with Gu Yue."

At that moment, Na'er patted her chest and promised, "Don't worry. Mission guaranteed."

Ziyang nodded as well.

Just then, Li Jing entered from outside. His expression was grave, and beads of cold sweat dripped from his temples.

"Ziyang, about... the orphanage."

"I found what you wanted to know."

Ziyang looked up. "What happened?"

"It was Guang Long's older brother, Guang Biao. He kept causing trouble for the orphanage every day. Of course, he did not dare do anything excessive, but for a long time, he kept pestering your director to sign a letter of understanding. That was how Guang Long got out early."

Ziyang's face darkened slightly at those words.

"Did he use force to threaten them?"

"No, he relied on connections and favors. Of course, there was some intimidation too. With a face like his, it works even without trying..."

Ziyang was somewhat speechless. "I understand. I'll go teach him a lesson."