"I understand, Elder Zhuang. I'll go inside first." Jiang Qingtong nodded and took her leave.
When she returned to the dormitory, Jiang Nannan hadn't returned yet. Shutting the door behind her, Jiang Qingtong smiled slyly—her performance at the Sea God Pavilion had gone flawlessly.
Who would guess this girl, barely fourteen, carried such depth and cunning?
---
Meanwhile, far away in the Sun Moon Empire, Jiang Shengyu murmured to himself:
"Soul bones? Soul rings? Hundred-thousand-year specimens—what a grand gesture! But once my research is successful, those prized resources won't be special anymore."
---
Just then, Snow Empress's voice resounded in his spirit sea, startling him:
"Not special… I doubt that."
Jiang Shengyu thumped his chest and stressed, "Snow Empress, could you not speak so unpredictably next time?"
"My voice speaks when I speak. But you—who were you just talking to?" she replied, disdainfully.
He offered a quick excuse.
She ignored his evasion and replied quietly, "Even if soul rings lose allure, what about soul bones? You dislike wearing your flesh to transform into a beast's—others wouldn't think twice."
Soul bones amplify a Soul Master's strength immeasurably—no one would turn them down.
He shrugged, "Step by step—you can't eat the whole duck at once."
He then activated the soul ring that had formed from Snow Empress's earlier forced infusion of soul energy.
Snow Empress asked, "What are you doing?"
"Opening it—let's see what skill I get," he said.
"That's odd. Human soul skills depend on your martial soul—there's no randomness. You sound like you're pulling a gacha!" she replied.
"Right on. I'm gacha-drawing my soul skill. A huge pool, no pity system. Anything—from high fantasy powers to anime flashy moves."
"The chance? That's madness." She shook her head.
He laid the soul ring before him next to his Water-in-Moon soul and shouted, "Come on, Gold!"
Shock rippled as the moonlit water shimmered. The black hundred-thousand-year soul ring flared golden, and a massive gilded hand emerged, its fingertips barely inches from Jiang Shengyu. His mind flashed with the name of the skill:
Heaven's Hand.
Snow Empress gasped—her instincts shook. "What is this skill? It gives me… chills."
He sighed tightly. "No biggie. I've… entangled myself in great causality."
"Great causality?" She was puzzled—but intrigued by the skill.
"A hand-based skill?" she asked.
"Something like that. Name's Heaven's Hand."
He knew the name didn't live up to the actual mythic brilliance—but it was something.
"Heaven's Hand—such a domineering name. Too bad your soul isn't ice-attributed, or I might've taught you my ultimate skill." she noted regretfully.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Why would you offer that now?"
"You're different from other humans. And you hold my embryo—if you're stronger, I'm safer." Her answer was blunt and practical.
Snow Empress could still destroy the embryo with its seventy-thousand-year power burst—but she wouldn't without necessity. Even Soul Beasts value survival above all.
He laughed suddenly. "Ice attribute? I've got it, too."
She blinked. "What?"
She thought it was a joke. "No joking—your soul bears no sign of ice attribute."
He shook his head and grinned: "Ah, looks like you are ignorant—living tens of thousands of years and still blind to it."
Her pride took slight offense—of all beings, she had seen countless interactions. A human calling her ignorant? Audacious.
He pushed Heaven's Hand back into the Water-in-Moon, switched soul rings, and drew forth an ice-blue sword from the silver waves. Its chill was fierce enough to shock her.
Snow Empress stared dumbfounded. "Impossible! Your main martial soul looked like a Light attribute artifact war-soul—how do you suddenly wield an ice sword?"
He laughed and unleashed his two Ultimate Fire skills—Pure Lotus Demon Flame and Void Consuming Blaze. A swirl of distinct flames enveloped him.
Not only ice, but fire too? His soul was defying norms.
"See? I told you you were behind the times," he teased Snow Empress.
---
Why Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong traveled to this world, and why their souls bore such anomalies—it would all become clear after the first Soul Master Tournament...
PS: Access advance chapters at
https://www.patreon.com/c/NanamiTL