Na'er's Surprise, the Heaven-Defying Second Soul Skill

"Xiao Li, you really are a freak!"

With that, Tang Wulin ran off to fetch the soul power tester Tang Ziran had bought, wanting to see just what level her heaven-defying little brother had reached.

After all, across the entire Tianhai Alliance, anyone who broke through Level 20 before the age of twelve could be called a genius. A seven-year-old Two-Ring Great Soul Master was absolutely at the level of a peerless prodigy.

Before long, Tang Wulin came running back with the soul power tester. She pressed the temperature-gun-like device against Tang Li's forehead. With a beep, the number 22 popped up on the display facing Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin: ꒰꒪꒫꒪⌯꒱

"Level 22? Xiao Li, weren't you only Level 19 yesterday? Why did your soul power jump by three levels all at once? Didn't the books say that soul power only increases when a Soul Spirit is fused, and won't increase again when it provides Soul Rings afterward?"

Watching Tang Wulin nearly lose her composure, Tang Li raised a brow. Planning to put a little more pressure on her so she would cultivate even harder, he said casually:

"Well, when I broke through, I accidentally triggered a resonance between heaven and earth. The heavens took pity on me and granted me a small fortuitous opportunity. I happened to seize it. If I cultivate for another few days, my soul power might even rise another level."

Tang Li was not lying to Tang Wulin. The residual soul power from the soul power tide within him had already been consumed considerably by the Demon-Sealing Pot, but what remained was definitely enough to raise him another level.

"The heavens are way too biased! Why didn't any fortuitous opportunity appear when I broke through? This isn't fair." Tang Wulin immediately deflated, pouting as she complained.

I'm so weak. You just don't know what's going on with your family. Otherwise, you'd be praying that the Plane Will, this so-called heavens, hadn't done everything in its power to punish you.

You still want a fortuitous opportunity? Do you want the fortuitous opportunity of tempering your body with heavenly lightning and earthfire?

Though Tang Li was full of such thoughts, he put on an earnest, guiding tone and tempted her instead:

"How do you know the heavens haven't helped you? Maybe when you reach Level 20, they'll come help you too. Besides, heaven helps the diligent. Do you think you're diligent enough?"

Tang Wulin: (ʘ̥∧ʘ̥)

"I'll work hard!"

Na'er: ʕ(ⓛ-ⓛ)ʔ Why is Sister Wulin so foolish? Brother Xiao Li is obviously lying to her!

"I originally wanted to share with you that my cultivation reached Level 12, but you ended up discouraging me. Stupid Xiao Li! I'm ignoring you. I'm going to cultivate."

Tang Wulin had clearly been provoked. She turned to leave and cultivate. She was proud that Tang Li had grown stronger, but she was also someone who refused to admit defeat. She wanted to become stronger too, to protect her family rather than hide behind her little brother.

"Then do you still want to see Big Eyed? Its changes are huge now that it's reached five thousand years!"

That devilish whisper reached Tang Wulin's ears. After hesitating for only a second, she made her decision—

"I want to see!"

Na'er: Poor Sister Wulin was being wrapped around his finger so easily.

Tang Li did not waste any time. He released Big Eyed, the Evil Eye Lord whose cultivation had already broken through to five thousand years.

A flash of black light passed by, and Tang Wulin reflexively shut her eyes. When she opened them again, a terrifying monster over a meter in diameter, covered in tentacles, had appeared in the living room.

The enormous eye first looked at its master, Tang Li, with undisguised reverence before turning toward Na'er in Tang Li's arms.

Whenever this silver-haired, purple-eyed little girl looked at it, Big Eyed had an uneasy feeling, as if some apex predator had fixed its gaze upon it.

It was suppression born of absolute strength.

Unlike before, Na'er's gaze at Big Eyed was full of curiosity and scrutiny, as though she had seen some unbelievable creation.

That look gave Big Eyed a fright. It hurriedly shifted its gaze toward Tang Wulin, only to discover that the little girl was staring at it with the same curious expression.

Following the principle that one should be polite, it greeted them as well. "Hi! Big Eyed greets Boss Tang Li and the two young ladies."

"Big Eyed, you can actually talk now!" Tang Wulin was clearly shocked by this.

Tang Li showed no reaction. Big Eyed's intelligence had always been there; it simply lacked sufficient spiritual power to speak.

But Na'er was different. Over the past year, the terrifying aura on Tang Li's body had stimulated her to recall most of her memories. In those memories, speaking human language was an ability Soul Beasts only gained after reaching one hundred thousand years. Even if this Evil Eye was an alien species, it should at least have ten thousand years of cultivation, shouldn't it?

For it to speak after only five thousand years, along with the mixed powerful auras hidden within the Evil Eye—including her own—there was only one possibility—

Her Brother Xiao Li had worked his magic again...

What a miraculous yet terrifying power! If her other half were here, she might try to drag Brother Xiao Li aboard their pirate ship.

If Brother Xiao Li refused, she might even use some frightening methods to control him! At that thought, Na'er seemed to make some sort of decision in her heart.

Once those Fierce Beasts came knocking, she would definitely seal this portion of her memories. She absolutely could not let her other half learn of this after merging with her!

After Tang Wulin circled Big Eyed several times, she had Tang Li put it away.

"Xiao Li, what about your Second Soul Skill? Let me see it. I'll go cultivate after I'm done watching!"

Curious little Tang Wulin had set her sights on Tang Li's Second Soul Skill again. Tang Li had no intention of hiding it from them. Under his control, the second purple Soul Ring immediately lit up, and Tang Li lightly pointed a finger at Tang Wulin.

The next instant, ripples appeared in the air before Tang Li's fingertip. From within those ripples, a dark cyan chain covered in golden runes shot forth like lightning and wrapped directly around Tang Wulin's body.

Tang Wulin, bound by the chain, felt the soul power in her body become impossible to circulate. Trying to mobilize it was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Tang Li curled his finger, and the golden patterns on the chain crawled over Tang Wulin's body like living creatures. Then the chain suddenly snapped back, dragging away a phantom within Tang Wulin's body that clung to the golden patterns like spider silk.

Even after the chain left, Tang Wulin still found it difficult to circulate her soul power. She tried several times, but could not break free from the restriction.

"Don't bother trying to break free. Your Soul Skills and soul power have already been sealed by me. Now try summoning your Martial Soul."

Hearing that, Tang Wulin immediately tried to summon her Clear Sky Hammer. But to her horror, she discovered that the Martial Soul within her body had vanished!

She could no longer sense her Martial Soul!

Fear filled Wulin's heart. She looked helplessly at Tang Li, wanting to know what was happening.

At that moment, Tang Li held the rune-covered phantom he had just pulled from Tang Wulin's body. It was a dark-gold hammer—the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang Wulin's Martial Soul.

"This is my Second Soul Skill. It's called Refining. Its effect is as simple as its name. It takes the form of chains. Anyone bound by it has their Soul Skills restricted and their Martial Soul refined. Without a Martial Soul, they naturally can't use Soul Skills. The duration depends on the circumstances. If their soul power cultivation doesn't exceed mine by too much, it's impossible for them to break free. At the same time, I can also use the refined person's Martial Soul."

With that, Tang Li put away the Clear Sky Hammer and Soul Ring in his hand. Only then did Tang Wulin feel the soul power in her body return to normal and her Martial Soul return. She finally let out a sigh of relief.

But in truth, Tang Li had still held back just a tiny detail about this Soul Skill...