The Duchess Grows Suspicious? The Devouring Domain-A Soul Spirit Can Also Release Soul Skills?
Listening nearby, Huo Yuhao nearly dropped his jaw and blurted out, "Rank forty-four? You went up four ranks at once?"
He whipped his head around to look at the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's round soul body beside his head, his voice full of grievance.
"Brother Sky Dream, how come I only went up one rank when you sacrificed yourself?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm grumpily reached out a short claw and rapped Huo Yuhao on the head.
"Wasn't it because your foundation was too poor, kid? Your Innate Soul Power was only rank one, and your meridians were as fragile as paper! If I'd given you any more power, you'd have fallen apart on the spot! I held back again and again, afraid I'd make you burst!"
Huo Yuhao held his head and scratched it sheepishly.
Seeing this, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm continued, "Don't worry. I'll get you something else good, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. "Brother Sky Dream, what is it?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm chuckled. Thinking of the bright future ahead, he couldn't help looking like a fool as he said, "You'll find out when you get your Second Soul Ring!"
Qian Renxue stood nearby, the expression on her face beyond anything mere shock could describe.
She looked at Tang Ya and couldn't help exclaiming, "What? Two Soul Skills? Don't only Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings have two Soul Skills? Are Wisdom Soul Rings really that terrifying?"
The people of the Douluo I world and the animated Douluo II world were shocked as well.
"Four ranks at once? Four ranks from one Soul Ring? I only went up one rank after absorbing a Soul Ring. Comparisons really do drive you mad!"
"Two Soul Skills! A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring gives two Soul Skills! This Wisdom Soul Ring is outrageous!"
"The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm still has something good he hasn't brought out? Huo Yuhao's luck is too good! There's a hidden bonus too?"
In the main hall of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
The Duchess sat in the seat of honor, holding a teacup as the voices from the sky screen reached her, one sentence after another.
She had only been watching for the spectacle, but when she heard the name "Huo Yuhao," the hand holding her tea suddenly froze.
Huo Yuhao, Innate Soul Power of rank one...
It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it?
His name was Yuhao too, and his Innate Soul Power was also rank one. Could it really be that little bastard?
At the thought, the Duchess crushed the teacup in her hand and couldn't help cursing aloud.
"No... no! How could that little bastard possibly have such heaven-defying luck? A Hundred Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast sacrificed itself? A Wisdom Soul Ring? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Despite her words, the Duchess abruptly turned toward the door and shouted, "Someone!"
The steward hurried in. "What are your orders, Your Grace?"
The Duchess hurriedly ordered in an angry voice:
"Find out where that little bastard Huo Yuhao is. Go and look for him right now. Find out where he is and what he's doing! As quickly as possible, and don't let word get out."
The steward was stunned. He had never seen the Duchess so flustered before. He immediately bowed his head and answered, "Yes."
He turned and hurried away.
In the sky screen's image, Mu Sheng caught Tang Ya as she threw herself at him and lifted her with a smile.
"Rank forty-four. It looks like the Shadow Vine Snake really was quite compatible with your Martial Soul."
Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he looked down at Tang Ya. "Has your devouring power grown too?"
Tang Ya looked up from Mu Sheng's arms, her eyes wide and round.
"Wow, Brother Sheng, you knew that too! Blue Silver Grass's devouring power really is much stronger than before. And Little Vine's intelligence seems to have grown a little too. He's much more clearheaded than when we first fused."
As Tang Ya spoke, she circulated her Soul Power, and her Fourth Soul Ring lit up. Amid its dark purple light patterns, a small, illusory snake wriggled out of the Soul Ring.
Compared to his earlier soul state, Little Vine now looked much more substantial. Dark purple patterns showed through the black of his body, his scales had clear outlines, his slit pupils were bright, and the tip of his tail even curled slightly.
He looked exactly like a real little snake, only several sizes smaller than his original body, making him look round and cute.
The first thing Little Vine did after emerging was turn to Mu Sheng. He lowered his little head in something like a bow and spoke in a babyish voice:
"Thank you, Lord Shendu, for giving me a chance to be reborn."
Mu Sheng looked at the round-headed Little Vine and smiled faintly.
"Don't thank me. You chose the right path yourself. Cultivate well with Xiao Ya, and you may yet be able to cultivate a physical body again."
Mu Sheng paused, then added, "Your mind is much clearer than before. Can you feel it?"
Little Vine tilted his head and curled the tip of his tail. "Mm! When I was first pulled out, my head was full of mush. It's much clearer now, and I can think."
As he spoke, he shook his head, looking as if to say, "I'm very smart now," making Tang Ya giggle.
Watching from the side, Qian Renxue was itching to see more and couldn't help coming over.
"Tang Ya, hurry and show me those two Soul Skills of yours!"
Tang Ya perked up at once and patted Little Vine, who was coiled on her shoulder. "All right, I'll show you and open your eyes!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Ya jumped back two steps and waved her hand. Dark light surged from her Fourth Soul Ring, and the Dark Blue Silver Grass at her feet shot up, but this was not the simple Entanglement she had used before.
The blades spread rapidly along the ground, covering an area five or six zhang across in the blink of an eye and forming a dark purple circle.
Within the area, all the grass, trees, and scattered stones were covered in a dim sheen. Fallen leaves and dead branches on the ground shriveled at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Blue Silver Devouring Domain!"
Tang Ya gave a low shout. Dark Blue Silver Grass grew wildly inside the domain, every blade carrying a powerful devouring attribute. As long as a target stepped into its range, its Soul Power and life force would be continuously drained, and the longer it stayed, the weaker it would become.
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow. "A continuous area devour? If you trapped someone in there, you could wear them to death without even fighting."
Tang Ya withdrew the domain and grinned. "There's something even stronger. Watch closely!"
Little Vine suddenly shot off Tang Ya's shoulder and grew enormously in midair, the dark purple patterns on his body shining brilliantly.
At the same time, Dark Blue Silver Grass surged wildly from beneath Tang Ya's feet. Thick grass vines converged on Little Vine, coiling, weaving, and merging.
Dark purple blades of grass twisted together with Little Vine's pitch-black snake body, forming a snake lance over a zhang long in the blink of an eye.
The shaft was made of Dark Blue Silver vines twisted into a spiral, while the tip was Little Vine's snake head, its slit pupils like two cold stars. A dark purple and black glow shimmered along its entire length, and it gave off the dual presence of corrosion and devouring.
"Dark Blue Silver Spear!"
Tang Ya raised a hand to direct it, and the Snake Lance shot through the air so fast that its trajectory was almost impossible to see, heading straight for a half-person-high bluestone ahead.
The instant the lance tip struck, dark purple light exploded. The bluestone burst apart from the middle, its fractured surfaces scorched black, while corrosive green smoke still sizzled from the edges.
Without losing momentum, the Snake Lance pierced two more dead trees thick enough to take two people to encircle before turning in midair and flying back to Tang Ya. It transformed back into Little Vine and coiled around her shoulder.
Qian Renxue stared in a daze. "That... Little Vine released that?"
Tang Ya nodded as if it were only natural.
"Of course. A Soul Spirit and a Soul Master have a symbiotic relationship. He can use all my Soul Skills, and he can judge the timing and release them independently, so I don't have to divide my attention to control him."
Qian Renxue sucked in a breath. "If someone fought you, wouldn't that mean one person would be fighting both of you?"
Tang Ya raised her eyebrows proudly. "You bet!"
Seeing this, people in the Douluo I world and the animated Douluo II world also cried out in surprise.
"A Devouring Domain and a Snake Lance, one to trap and one to kill. That combination is brutal!"
"This Soul Spirit can fight independently too? Isn't that two against one?"
"An ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring only has one Soul Skill, and you have to release it yourself. Hers comes with a Soul Spirit, and the Soul Spirit can even release Soul Skills himself. How do you fight that?"
"No wonder Mu Sheng said Wisdom Soul Rings can grow. The stronger the Soul Spirit gets, the stronger Tang Ya gets. That's double the growth!"
Under the tree at the Sea God Pavilion, Tang Ya stared at the two Soul Skills on the sky screen, jealousy growing wildly in her heart like weeds.
Why was the other Tang Ya one rank higher than me?
Why did she get to have a Wisdom Soul Ring?
Why did her Martial Soul turn into Dark Blue Silver Grass without a backlash, and why could she use her devouring power so smoothly?
Tang Ya knew clearly in her heart that it was all because of Mu Sheng.
If Bei Bei were Mu Sheng, I would have all of this too!
But Bei Bei wasn't. Bei Bei was only Bei Bei, leaving her to grieve in vain!!!
Tang Ya turned to glance at Bei Bei, who was staring blankly at the sky screen beside her. The resentment and dissatisfaction in her heart grew even stronger!
In the sky screen's image, after recovering from her surprise, Qian Renxue suddenly remembered something and turned to Huo Yuhao, who was standing obediently nearby.
"Little Yuhao, your Sky Dream Ice Silkworm is a Wisdom Soul Ring too, right? A million-year-level Wisdom Soul Ring-how many Soul Skills did it give you?"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and answered honestly, "Four."
"Four? How come there are only four?!"
Qian Renxue and Tang Ya cried out in puzzlement at the same time.