First Soul Skill

As Jing Hongchen's expression grew increasingly unfriendly, Bao Liang changed the subject and began explaining his Soul Skill.

"Grandpa Jing, my First Soul Skill is called Killer Queen."

"Killer Queen?" Jing Hongchen raised an eyebrow. "That name... does sound rather imposing."

"Naturally." Bao Liang puffed out his little chest and said proudly, "Not only that, my First Soul Skill, Killer Queen, also has two abilities for releasing bombs."

Bao Liang walked to the center of the training ground and looked around. His gaze fell on a millstone-sized bluestone in a corner.

"Watch closely."

Bao Liang extended his right hand, lightly touched the bluestone with his fingertip, and immediately pulled it away.

"That's it?" Xiao Hongchen scoffed. "I thought you were going to blow it sky-high."

"Don't rush." Bao Liang smiled and slowly raised his right hand, placing his thumb against the joint of his index finger-

He pressed it lightly.

Bang!

An extremely faint, muffled sound rang out.

The millstone-sized bluestone exploded into powder on the spot.

There was no flash of fire, no deafening boom, only a wisp of black smoke curling upward.

The ground was perfectly clean, without so much as a fragment left behind.

"..." Xiao Hongchen's scoff froze on his face.

Meng Hongchen's eyes widened too. "I-it's just gone?"

"Killer Queen First Bomb: Destruction Bomb." Bao Liang brushed the dust from his hands and explained unhurriedly, "My Martial Soul gains the destruction attribute, turning objects it touches, including living beings, into bombs that can be remotely detonated or set to explode on contact.

"There are two ways to detonate them: pressing the button on my index-finger joint with my thumb, or detonation on contact."

"As for its properties... the explosion is silent and produces only a little black smoke; I can also selectively erase part or all of a target; it doesn't need air for combustion, so it can explode in a vacuum too."

"What do you mean?" Xiao Hongchen frowned. "What does 'selectively erase' mean?"

"When it explodes, I can choose which part to blow up." Bao Liang gave an example. "Take a chicken. If I want to blow it up and leave just one feather, then only that feather won't disappear. The rest will be blown to ashes."

"Hiss-!" Xiao Hongchen sucked in a breath of cold air.

This was no longer a simple explosion.

This was destruction of the utmost precision.

"What about the second bomb?" Meng Hongchen asked impatiently.

"Killer Queen's second bomb: Withering Heart Attack."

As Bao Liang spoke, he raised his right hand, and the Explosion Martial Soul appeared.

Then Bao Liang separated a small ball of orange-red light from it and placed it on the ground-

The instant the ball of light touched the ground, it transformed into a palm-sized little Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, identical in form to Bao Liang's Second Martial Soul but orange-red in color.

It let out a roar and turned its head from side to side, as though it had caught a scent. Then it abruptly turned and charged toward an iron stake in the corner of the training ground, which had been heated scorching hot by the sun.

Boom-!

The explosion rang through the training ground.

The arm-thick iron stake was blown to pieces, iron fragments flew in all directions, and a crater several meters across was blasted into the ground.

"Hiss-!" Xiao Hongchen sucked in a breath of cold air and instinctively took a step back.

"Withering Heart Attack," Bao Liang explained. "I separate a portion from my Explosion Martial Soul and turn it into an automatic tracking bomb. It searches for the nearest heat source on its own and explodes on contact-its power is proportional to my Martial Soul, the strength of my Soul Power, and the target's heat.

"After blowing up a nonliving target, it continues looking for targets."

"Its properties: extremely destructive power and nearly invincible defense; if the explosion fails to kill the target, it will continue tracking; I can actively recall and dismiss it; while it's separated, I remain completely unaffected."

"Of course, there are limitations too: when the main body... that is, I myself, am absent, it can't intelligently prioritize and lock onto a specific target; it's prone to making mistakes in high-temperature environments; and I have to get close to dismiss it manually."

"Of course, all these properties will grow as my Soul Power Level rises.

"Its current power is just an appetizer."

After listening, Jing Hongchen fell silent for a long time.

He looked at the crater in the ground, then at the ball of orange-red Martial Soul in Bao Liang's hand. Finally, his gaze settled on Bao Liang's right eye.

Only after a long while did he slowly speak. "...Little Bao Liang, are you sure this is only your First Soul Skill?"

"As genuine as they come, Grandpa Jing."

Jing Hongchen took a deep breath, suppressing the stormy waves in his heart. His First Soul Ring was a purple Soul Ring that was 2,500 years old, and his Soul Skill had such bizarre, unheard-of abilities-heaven itself was chasing this child down to feed him.

"Then... what about that eye of yours?" Jing Hongchen asked again. "An External Soul Bone should have abilities too, right?"

"Well..." Bao Liang pointed at his right eye, a flash of purple passing through its depths. "The Evil Eye External Soul Bone. I named it the True Eye of the Evil King. It's purely spiritual."

"First ability: I can mix Soul Power and spiritual power, then remotely set bombs-that is, from now on, I won't need to touch things myself to turn them into bombs from a distance, or turn other people into bombs."

"Second ability: all bombs gain a third method of detonation and control-commands given through spiritual power.

"Even if my hands are tied, even if I'm unconscious, as long as I've given a command beforehand, the bombs will act and detonate according to my will."

Bao Liang paused. "Also, by combining it with my ultimate talent, Hot Core, I can use it to train my spiritual power.

"The only cost is-while I'm training my spiritual power, my body heats up and smoke rises from my head. And while I'm focused on training, I temporarily turn into..."

"Turn into what?" Meng Hongchen asked curiously.

"...I turn into a drooling idiot who goes 'abla abla' afterward." Bao Liang's face was expressionless.

"Pfft-" Meng Hongchen couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing on the spot.

"Hahahahaha!" Xiao Hongchen burst into even louder laughter, slapping his thigh. "Bao Liang, your day has finally come! Come on, come on, let Young Master Xiao see what you look like as an idiot!"

Jing Hongchen couldn't help smiling either, but as their grandfather, he still had to maintain his composure. "Hmm... the cost of this External Soul Bone really is... a little unique."

"Xiao, that's where you're wrong." Bao Liang narrowed his eyes and walked toward Xiao Hongchen step by step. "What does our Hongchen Clan believe in? Sharing blessings and hardships alike! How could I enjoy the benefits of spiritual power training all by myself?"

"W-what are you doing?" Xiao Hongchen's smile froze on his face, and he instinctively stepped back twice.

"Why, I want to let you, Old Xiao, experience turning into an idiot first... ahem, the benefits of spiritual power training!"

As Bao Liang spoke, he suddenly lunged at Xiao Hongchen, reaching straight for his head with his right hand.

"Get away! I don't want to turn into an idiot! Grandpa, save me-!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Xiao, don't run! Let Little Baozi give you a touch! Go, Little Baozi!"

"Get lost! Meng, whose side are you on?! I'm your real older brother!"

"Come on, Xiao, don't be scared. It'll be over soon."

"You're not saying whether it'll be my life or my dignity that's over!"

The training ground was suddenly filled with cheerful laughter.

Jing Hongchen stood where he was, watching the three children make a commotion together, unable to suppress the upward curve of his lips.

It was wonderful to have a little life in the house.