World Origin Power

"Just as expected of the big brother—you said so easily what none of us could do!"

"But how are we supposed to resist those powerful figures?" Compared with Jin Longsheng, who was shouting loudly, Luo Zhong was more rational and had pointed out the key issue.

They were merely children who had just completed their Martial Soul Awakening. Recklessly interfering in something like this would undoubtedly bring trouble to their elders.

Lin You was an exception. His parents were the commanders of the White Tiger Guard Regiment under army commander Dai Hao. They were the most direct members of the duke's faction and graduates of the Shrek Inner Academy. One was a Soul Emperor, and the other was a Soul Saint-level powerhouse. They commanded considerable prestige in the army. Even if he really died in the Duke's Mansion, the couple would definitely go mad and turn the place upside down. Even the White Tiger Duchess would suffer for it and would not dare offend them too deeply.

More importantly, his parents were still very young. They had already become Soul Saints before turning thirty, and becoming Titled Douluos was within reach in less than thirty years.

But they were different. Luo Zhong and his father were merely powerful guard officers at the Soul Elder level. They counted as respectable figures in the mansion, commanding a hundred or so men. Outside, they were at least on the level of a small-city lord, but before a true wealthy noble family, they were nothing special. If things really came to blows, they would not count for much at all.

To make matters worse, their opponent was the empire's youngest princess, whose methods were extremely tough.

If a real fight broke out, they would probably have no choice but to return to the army for refuge.

Although they really wanted to stand up for justice, if it meant dragging their fathers into trouble, they would have to think twice.

"It's simple. You only need to help me pass along messages. As long as you don't clash with them head-on, they won't make things difficult for you. Leave the rest to me."

Lin You raised his head and glanced over the surrounding courtyard walls, then looked up at the open-air courtyard. He had already made up his mind.

Idle rumors alone would not drive anyone away.

"All right, Aunt Huo, Yu Chan, leave this to me. Hide outside the courtyard for now. It won't be safe here soon."

"Jin Longsheng, Luo Zhong, go watch that secluded path for me. If anyone comes, imitate a bird twice."

Watching Lin You bustle about, Huo Yun'er furrowed her delicate brows and hurried forward. She gently placed her slender hands on Lin You's arms, her eyes filled with worry and reluctance.

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet every word was heavy. "You'er, I appreciate your kindness, but this worthless life of mine truly isn't worth all this effort from you. If you were implicated or even injured because of me, how could I ever live with myself? At worst, I'll give up this little courtyard. Even if they drive me to the woodshed, so be it. The most important thing in life is staying safe. As long as no one is hurt, I can disregard everything else."

But Huo Yuhao, who had always been obedient and gentle, suddenly raised her head. Her voice was unusually firm and cold. "Mother, always giving in will only make them push further. Today they drive us to the woodshed; tomorrow they cut off our food and water. The day after that, they might even lock the doors and forbid us from leaving, starving us to death inside. If you ask me, even if we have to risk our lives, we have to bite them back! I'll fight them alongside You-ge!"

"You—you want me to watch my child die before me?"

Huo Yun'er's eyes instantly reddened. She already had a gentle, graceful appearance, with the delicate charm unique to a woman from Jiangnan. With tears threatening to fall, she seemed like a pear blossom in the rain, quietly moving and heartbreaking. Even Huo Yuhao, who had just hardened her resolve, became flustered and hurried to comfort her.

"Don't be reckless either. Protecting your mother is your duty. All right, there isn't much time. Go, go, go."

Lin You helplessly pushed them all out and shut the courtyard gate. Now, only he remained in the modest courtyard.

There was a reason he had made such a commotion.

The range of his Martial Soul's influence was enormous, and it would affect them, so he had to clear the area first.

What Lin You had to do was simple. He would pull the hydrogen atoms still within his control into the courtyard, then purify them as much as possible and create a high-energy hydrogen-gas concentration zone.

Since you claim Aunt Huo is suffering from a contagious disease and cannot approach anyone, then watch this. If this artificial plague technique of mine were used in ancient times, I'd at least have been called the Poison Immortal!

Then, without caring whether the ground was dirty, he sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and manifested his Martial Soul.

Although they were invisible to the naked eye, Lin You could clearly sense countless hydrogen atoms around him. He had already detected them, and when he gently reached out, he could even "rub" against them.

In theory, this should have been utterly impossible. Hydrogen atoms were on the nanometer scale, far smaller than anything human fingers could sense or touch. The way fingers and skin perceived objects was based on the physical properties of the macroscopic world, such as shape, size, temperature, and texture. Those methods of perception did not apply to microscopic particles like atoms.

Yet he could feel them. He was immersed in some indescribable ocean.

He opened his mind and magnified his Martial Soul's perception. At that moment, he seemed to enter another world—a microscopic atomic world!

"Lend me your power."

The next moment, he gently raised his hand. Everything was silent and still. Collisions on the atomic scale could hardly produce sounds detectable by any means.

As everyone knew, hydrogen gas was very light. Given enough volume, it could even carry a person into the sky. The gas inside balloons, airships, and hot-air balloons was hydrogen.

Without control, it would keep drifting upward, because Earth's gravity could not restrain it. Its final destination would therefore be the universe.

Douluo Continent was clearly different, however. Lin You could sense that the gravity near the ground was somewhat stronger, and some hydrogen gas still remained there, making it convenient for him to work.

Time passed second by second. Gradually, fine beads of sweat began to appear on Lin You's forehead.

Although his Martial Soul could control hydrogen atoms, and the Soul Power they required was almost negligible, he was still only a weakling with half a level of Soul Power!

This large-scale control did not require precision; he only needed to drag everything toward the center. But with the way he was expending his strength, even he could not tell how long he could hold out.

After an unknown amount of time, a clear birdcall suddenly came from the distance.

Lin You abruptly opened his eyes. He wiped the sweat from his pale skin and inhaled slightly. Instantly, his expression became refreshed, and even his previously dull eyes lit up.

"As smooth as skating. It really is pure."

In a low-concentration environment, hydrogen gas usually had no obvious direct effect on the human body.

Hydrogen gas was colorless, tasteless, and odorless, so ordinary people could hardly detect its presence through their senses. People in a hydrogen-filled environment would not feel anything unusual.

But when the hydrogen concentration became high, things were different.

Outside the courtyard.

Three heavily built servants with vicious expressions—professional thugs at a glance—arrived at the end of the secluded path carrying clubs. Looking at the tightly shut courtyard gate, the lead servant casually spat out a mouthful of phlegm. His movements were crude and overbearing as he asked the medium-built man beside him, "Brother Xu, this is the place?"

"I heard there are only two women, right? Heh heh, I wonder if they can give the brothers some fun."

Xu Kai, the household servant guiding them, immediately revealed a mocking expression and said softly, "We dog slaves have to be careful about waving our dog paws around. Otherwise, we'll be beheaded. After all, she was used by the Duke. She isn't like those women before. You'd better know your place."

"Tch. What a bore."

The lead servant immediately reined in some of the bestiality in his eyes, raised one foot, and kicked the gate open. The servants began smashing everything in the courtyard.

However, they had not destroyed much before they suddenly sensed something wrong.

It was quiet. Far too quiet.

Had they fled in advance?

"The people may have run, but the house can't. Smash everything here!"

After venting for a while, they had naturally wasted some energy, so they took several deep breaths.

"Cough, cough~"

One of the servants seemed to have choked and began coughing violently.

Another seemed to feel something as well. His chest felt tight, and his stomach seemed uncomfortable. He involuntarily retched twice, feeling nauseated.

"What's wrong? You've only been working for three or five minutes, and you're already this feeble?"

The lead servant was now feeling it too: a strange dizziness in his head and weakness in his hands and feet. He spun around and looked over the surroundings, a layer of terror gradually appearing on his face.

He hurriedly grabbed Zhu Kai beside him and asked urgently, "Brother Xu, you said before that Huo Yun'er was suffering from a contagious disease. Was that true or not?"

"Cough, cough. Of—of course it was fake! I made it up myself. How could it be real?"

Xu Kai was also finding the scene before him increasingly unsteady. Unable to help himself, he said, "A Long, stop moving around. You're making my eyes dizzy."

A Long, the servant who had been standing still the entire time, suddenly froze. Then a chill climbed from his tailbone all the way to his teeth. His jaw trembled lightly, and the chill shot straight out through the crown of his head.

He looked to the side again, only to see that his two companions had already turned blue and collapsed on the ground. They clutched their chests, their faces twisted, as if breathing required every ounce of their strength!

"N-no, something's wrong. You bastard, you lied to me."

A Long realized what was happening belatedly and sprang toward the courtyard gate. Strong and sturdy, he had explosive power. With one burst, he was almost at the entrance. But in the next instant, a petite girl who barely reached his waist blocked the small gate, cutting off his escape route.

"I have to protect my mother. I have to fight!"

She could not hand everything over to You-ge with a clear conscience. Otherwise, what difference would she have from a parasite?

Her voice was soft, but Huo Yuhao's gaze was unyielding. She took a fighting stance and stared fixedly at the approaching Strong man. A clear glint flashed through her blood-red eyes. For a moment, his movements seemed to slow, allowing her to observe them in minute detail.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

A Long could not be bothered to figure out who she was. He shoved forward without hesitation, trying to force open a path. Yet the red-eyed girl somehow saw through his movement in advance. She dipped her body slightly, avoiding his rough, outstretched arm.

Then she slipped beneath his armpit and delivered a clean elbow strike straight to his abdomen.

The servant, who had looked like a charging bull, immediately paled. He coughed once and swung his palm at her like a madman.

But she had already seen every movement coming. The girl leaned her upper body backward to evade the slap while keeping her lower body firmly planted. Then, borrowing the momentum of her movement, she shot forward like a spring and slammed into him with a powerful Iron Mountain Lean.

She followed it with five lightning-fast elbow strikes, all landing on the same spot. Her movements were fierce and sharp, as if she had practiced them hundreds or thousands of times.

At once, the servant violently exhaled. His entire body folded like a snake stripped of its bones as the elbow strikes knocked him over. His knees buckled, and he collapsed where he stood.

He was not much stronger than the other two. Just now, he had relied on nothing more than the final breath in his lungs. Once that breath dispersed, so did he.

A Long stared wide-eyed at the girl before him. Blood vessels spread across his eyes, and his face flushed the color of pig liver. The more he breathed, the heavier his body felt.

He had still been able to speak moments ago, but now he could not even make a stammering sound.

At that moment, his mind held nothing but endless terror.

Although he could not speak, the plea for mercy in his eyes was almost overflowing.