At the same time, a warm current instantly coursed through Chen Yang's entire body, leaving him indescribably comfortable. The stagnant barrier holding back his Soul Power broke straight through.
A standard yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet and circled around him.
Chen Yang froze, carefully checked his Soul Power, and couldn't help exclaiming under his breath, "Did I just... shoot straight up to level fourteen?!"
Holy crap, could capturing Soul Beasts give me Soul Rings? Wouldn't that mean I never had to endure the pain of absorbing one myself?
He also faintly sensed that the Master Ball had filled up. Apparently, he could only capture one Soul Beast every ten levels.
But once he examined the effects of his first Soul Skill, he was utterly dumbfounded.
First Soul Skill: Rapid Healing Effect: When a captured Soul Beast is injured, returning it to the Master Ball rapidly heals its wounds and fully replenishes its expended Soul Power.
Fuck.
Chen Yang was speechless.
So this skill only worked on the beasts he captured? If he got hurt, he wouldn't benefit at all. It was the same route as Gangzi, who fought using a Martial Soul outside his body.
He had hoped he could share Xiao Wu's skills, but that plan had fallen flat.
Just as he was silently grumbling, a cold system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Successfully established a bond link with Xiao Wu and plundered a small amount of the child of destiny's fortune.] [Reward: Fenghou Qimen—Earth Character: Earth River Cart.]
Understanding of the technique poured directly into his mind, its entire method etched clearly into his memory. Chen Yang's heart leaped with joy.
This was a technique from Fenghou Qimen!
With himself stationed in the central palace, his body defined the directions. Activating Earth River Cart this way made it far more powerful than ordinary earth-type Soul Skills, and it wouldn't be countered!
Chen Yang couldn't help laughing wildly inside. With the system in hand, he had no need to worry about the future.
System, what functions do you have?
[Ding! The host may continuously perform actions that plunder the child of destiny's fortune. Generous corresponding rewards will be issued based on the amount of fortune plundered.]
Chen Yang understood immediately. The approach was straightforward and simple.
Put plainly, he just had to suppress Tang San, snatch his opportunities, and stifle his growth. He was thoroughly familiar with that routine.
Just then, Xiao Wu's thoughts came through the Master Ball.
(Let Sister Xiao Wu out already! It's pitch-black in here, and there's nothing at all! You lied to me!)
...I got a little too excited and forgot about Xiao Wu.
Given her personality, she would definitely fight him once she came out. That was fine, though. He could see whether fighting him would fill her experience bar.
Chen Yang aimed the Master Ball at the ground and activated it. A flash of white light passed, and Xiao Wu appeared before him, puffing with anger.
For some reason, she suddenly found the human before her very pleasing to look at, just like her mother.
Before she could speak, Chen Yang beat her to it.
"Let's have a fight. If I win, you call me big brother. How about it?"
At his words, Xiao Wu's almond-shaped eyes widened. She planted her hands on her slender waist defiantly, and the drooping rabbit ears on her head shot upright.
"Then let's fight!! If I beat you, you have to call me Sister Xiao Wu from now on! And give me lots and lots of carrots!"
As her words fell, Soul Power stirred beneath Xiao Wu's feet, and a faint aura of it shone around her. Holding nothing back, she darted forward and closed in on Chen Yang.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Chen Yang hurriedly raised a hand and called for her to halt.
Unable to stop her momentum, Xiao Wu lost her footing. Her left foot caught her right, and she pitched forward, smacking her head hard against the ground.
"Ow... that hurt! Why did you suddenly tell me to stop?!"
She sucked in a breath from the pain, pressing both little hands tightly over the large bump swelling on her forehead. Her eyes reddened as she glared at Chen Yang and demanded an answer.
Chen Yang helplessly raised a hand and pointed at the shabby wooden house around them.
"Let's fight on the Back Hill instead. If we fight indoors and smash the house, we'll both be sleeping out in the cold wind tonight."
At the thought of the icy night wind, Xiao Wu shivered all over. She hurriedly nodded and followed Chen Yang toward the Back Hill.
They walked to a secluded, deserted clearing in the woods and stood facing each other on opposite sides.
Xiao Wu clenched her little fists, Soul Power gently surging through her.
"No more problems now, right? Sister Xiao Wu's coming at you!"
With that, she stepped back to gather strength, then abruptly became a pink blur. She accelerated straight toward Chen Yang, lifting her leg and driving a fierce straight kick at him.
Chen Yang remained calm and lightly tapped the ground with his foot.
A huge, intricate, shifting Qimen formation instantly spread out, enveloping the entire clearing.
"Kun Character, Earth River Cart!"
A massive boulder thundered up from the ground, blocking the space before him.
Bang!
Xiao Wu's kick landed squarely on the stone. A tremendous recoil traveled up her calf and through her entire body, numbing her leg and foot and sending her staggering several steps backward.
"Hiss... hah..."
Xiao Wu sucked in a sharp breath, her little face scrunching up. She kept rising onto her toes and shaking her lower leg to ease its numb, aching soreness, then looked at Chen Yang in bewilderment.
"Your Martial Soul is clearly just a ball. How can you make big rocks appear?"
"That's right, my Martial Soul is the Master Ball. This is just an extra ability of mine."
Chen Yang spoke casually.
As his words fell, the massive boulder before him suddenly writhed and broke apart. Earth and stone churned together, rapidly reforming into an enormous, three-meter Rock Snake with distinct armored scales.
Tsk... I'm still a little too weak. If I want to keep fighting, I can only maintain three meters.
Chen Yang lightly stepped up, planting himself firmly on the Rock Snake's huge head and looking down from above.
Xiao Wu's almond-shaped eyes instantly widened. Tilting her head up slightly, she stared at the giant Rock Snake in utter astonishment.
Unwilling to give up, she kicked the Rock Snake a few more times. When she discovered that she couldn't inflict the slightest damage and only hurt her own legs, she immediately deflated.
"I'm done, I'm done. I can't budge this pile of rocks with my kicks.
"A bet's a bet. From now on, Sister Xiao Wu will call you Brother Yang."
Her little face fell as Xiao Wu repeatedly waved her hands in surrender, the rabbit ears atop her head drooping listlessly.
Chen Yang glanced at the experience bar, which hadn't moved at all, and felt a little disappointed. Apparently, he couldn't exploit a bug. He counted as the trainer and Xiao Wu as the Pokémon, so fighting him wouldn't earn her experience.
With a thought, the Rock Snake beneath his feet slowly lowered its head, bringing its enormous head smoothly down before Xiao Wu.
He extended a hand to her and invited her with a smile. "Want to come up and ride around a couple of times?"
Xiao Wu, who had been hanging her head in dejection a moment before, instantly lit up. She nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes!"
Without hesitation, Xiao Wu reached out her little hand and gently placed it in Chen Yang's palm. Using his support, she leaped nimbly up and landed firmly atop the Rock Snake's broad head.
The Rock Snake slowly raised its enormous head higher and higher. The mountain greenery and distant village came into view, and their surroundings suddenly opened up before their eyes.
With a thought, Chen Yang effortlessly guided the Rock Snake through the mountain woods.
Sometimes the Rock Snake soared upward, sometimes it dipped into a dive, sometimes it raced at full speed, and sometimes it moved at a leisurely crawl. Its rises, falls, and changes of speed followed no pattern, making the ride thrilling and fun.
At first, Xiao Wu clung tightly to Chen Yang's sleeve, but before long she relaxed and let go. Facing the cool mountain breeze, she smiled until her eyes curved, her clear laughter spilling through the woods on the Back Hill.
"Faster! Even faster!!"
Only when his Soul Power was nearly depleted did Chen Yang disperse the Rock Snake.
Still wanting more, Xiao Wu pursed her lips and looked up at Chen Yang beside her, her voice full of anticipation. "Brother Yang, can we play like this again tomorrow?"
"Yes, of course."
"Yay!!"
Xiao Wu cheered happily.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for deepening his connection with Xiao Wu and plundering a trace of fortune. Reward: Pokéblock ×20 (Berry food that no Pokémon can resist)
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