Explanation

On the way back, the four of them didn't say much.

The carriage sped along the official road on its return journey, the shadows of the trees outside the window rushing past. Yan leaned against the carriage wall, his eyes half-open, but Ning Buhui tell he wasn't asleep. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the still-present poison mark on his fist, his brow furrowed. Xie Yue sat in the corner, quieter than usual, his gaze fixed on some unknown direction outside the carriage curtain. Hu Liena, wrapped in a cloak, buried her face in her collar, her eyes closed, her breathing light.

Ning Buhui didn't speak. He knew what the three of them were thinking.

If it weren't for his final all-out Jasper Flood Dragon, at least several of the four would have perished today. When Yan's right arm was splattered with venom, his Soul Power stagnated for a full two breaths; Xie Yue relied on his auxiliary Soul Skill to withstand the female dragon, but without the 100% amplification of all attributes and speed boost, he would have been forced to retreat by the female dragon's first Poison Flood Dragon Bullet; Hu Liena's mental power was exhausted when the two dragons surrounded her, and she relied entirely on willpower to hold on. Each of them knew in their hearts that the victory in this battle depended on Ning Buhui's trump card, which he had never revealed before.

But ultimately, these are not their own strength.

The carriage journey took three days. During those three days, the four didn't talk much; most of the time, they were silent and pondered their own plans. Yan occasionally spoke, saying things like, "I need to train harder when we get back," and "I always felt like my strength was already sufficient." Xie Yue, on the other hand, repeatedly pondered the application of his Moon Shadow Clone in actual combat. On two occasions, Ning Buhui saw him closing his eyes and gesturing with his fingers on his knees, clearly dissecting the battle process in his mind. Hu Liena was the most silent. She hadn't recovered from the aftereffects of her mental exhaustion, and her complexion was consistently poor, but her eyes were deeper than usual, as if she were re-examining herself.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, the white walls of Spirit City came into view.

The four of them went to the mission hall to hand in their mission. The Jasper Flood Dragon's pearl and skin were carefully examined and taken away by the steward, the bronze token was replaced with a wooden one, and the points were credited to their account. The steward glanced at them a few more times, probably thinking that the fact that four Soul Ancestor could take on such a dangerous Class A mission and return unscathed was truly worthy of being the most outstanding generation of the Spirit Hall. He didn't ask any more questions and simply finished registering.

As they left the mission hall, dusk was approaching. Yan stretched at the doorway, his joints cracking, then turned to look at Ning Buhui: "Junior Brother, don't you still owe us a meal?"

Ning Buhui smiled and said, "Let's go, it's my treat."

Instead of returning to their respective residences, the four turned into a small restaurant on East Street in Spirit City. Ning Buhui ordered a private room, dishes, and drinks. While waiting for the food, none of the three spoke, and the atmosphere was even more somber than on the road. Ning Buhui knew that he couldn't avoid the question about his Martial Soul. He filled his glass, took a sip, and then put it down.

"Ask whatever you want to ask."

Yan couldn't hold back any longer and slammed his chopsticks on the table. "Junior brother, what's going on with you? Aren't you Auxiliary System Soul Master? Where did you get so many control Soul Skill, like those chains, that cage, that curse, and the one you used to interrupt the Jasper Flood Dragon's ultimate move?"

Xie Yue didn't slam his hand on the table, but his gaze remained fixed on him. Hu Liena also took off her cloak, leaned back in her chair, and tilted her head slightly to look at him.

Ning Buhui remained silent for a moment, then considered her words.

"My Martial Soul is called the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda, a mutation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda," he said slowly. "But the direction of the mutation is a bit different from ordinary mutations. Although I don't have Twin Martial Souls, my Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda naturally contains both Yin and Yang attributes, which gives me an extra set of Soul Skill. The Yang side is for support, and the Yin side is for control."

Yan opened his mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time. "So, you're both Auxiliary System and Control System?"

"I suppose so," Ning Buhui said. "Each Soul Ring gives me two Soul Skill, one yang and one yin, one support and one control. My First Soul Ring is to support Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance and control Butterfly Suppresses the Nether Spring; my Second Soul Ring is to support Vine Armor Spring Life and control Vine Locks the Nine Nether Regions; my Third Soul Ring is to support Wind Thunder Wing Shadow and control Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind; my Fourth Soul Ring is to support Bear Iron Wall and control Bear Spirit Curse."

After the three of them finished listening, the private room was silent for a while. Yan counted on his fingers and cursed, "You have one Soul Ring and two skills, so four rings would be eight. Add to that your Soul Bone, how many people are you worth?"

Xie Yue didn't reply, but his gaze darkened. He was probably thinking that although they were both Soul Ancestor, Ning Buhui's level was lower than his, but if they went all out, he might not be Ning Buhui's match.

Hu Liena spoke, her voice softer than usual. "You've been hiding this all along, is it the teacher's idea?"

"It was my decision," Ning Buhui said. "My teacher knows, but she respects my choice. My Martial Soul is too special. I've checked all the records in the Spirit Hall, and there's no precedent. A Martial Soul that can both support and control, with Soul Ring Configuration of two purple and two black, at the age of a nine-year-old Soul Ancestor —if word gets out, there will be plenty of people who want to control me or take my life. I don't want to take that risk."

"So you've only shown support abilities all along," Xie Yue finally spoke, her tone calm, "Including when you were on missions with us."

"Yes." Ning Buhui didn't evade the question. "I originally planned to hide for a while longer, but this time in the Jade Pool Hidden Valley, if I don't go all out, I can escape with my Wind Thunder Wings, but I can't guarantee you won't be in trouble. I can't bear to watch you get hurt."

Yan was silent for a few moments, then picked up his soda, took a swig, and slammed it down. "Fine, you saved my life this time, I'll remember that. Don't hesitate to ask if you ever need anything."

Xie Yue also picked up his cup and took a sip, without saying anything, but nodded.

Hu Liena looked at him and suddenly smiled, "A nine-year-old Soul Ancestor, two purple and two black Soul Ring, capable of both support and control, and you even have Soul Bone. Junior Brother, do you know how many people across the entire continent would be green with envy if they knew about you now?"

"So I plan to keep it hidden," Ning Buhui said, "Until I'm able to protect myself. Until then, I need the three of you to keep this a secret."

"Nonsense." Yan slammed his hand on the table.

Xie Yue said, "Keep this to yourself."

Hu Liena nodded, without saying anything more.