"Ow! That hurts! And why won't it stop bleeding?!"
Tian Yue grimaced at the small cut on her palm.
Her martial soul was the Golden Crocodile King—a legacy of the Tian family for millennia. It embodied the Extreme Attribute of Metal, granting immense strength and defense. More importantly, it carried traces of spatial manipulation and potent self-healing.
Because the martial soul was so powerful, the Tian bloodline had remained nearly single-threaded for generations.
With her Golden Crocodile King's regenerative ability and her own cultivation, a wound like this should've sealed instantly—or at least stopped bleeding without effort.
Yet not only did it bleed—it worsened. Within seconds, the edges of the cut darkened, the surrounding tissue already necrotizing.
Seeing this, Qian Ningshuang immediately channeled energy into the lance's shaft—now detached from its hilt.
A surge of life energy flooded Tian Yue's wound. Instantly, the blackened flesh reversed, the cut sealing completely in a heartbeat—leaving no trace it had ever existed.
"Yue-jie, that's Black Abyss White Bloom's power," Qian Ningshuang explained proudly. "It can split into two: the sword is Black Abyss; the lance is White Bloom."
"Black Abyss carries terrifying death energy. Yesterday, during testing with Sister, even the Angel martial soul's healing required massive soul power to mend its wounds—only White Bloom can neutralize it instantly."
"And White Bloom doesn't just counter Black Abyss—it functions as a standalone healing martial soul. Its recovery speed dwarfs all known healing martial souls. As far as Sister and I know, nothing on the continent heals faster."
"When combined, Black Abyss White Bloom can pierce the defenses of even a beast-martial-soul Spirit Master with ease."
Outside, Tian E sensed everything inside the carriage. Hearing Qian Ningshuang's explanation, he opened his eyes and drew a deep breath.
Yesterday, he'd been so awed by the sheer volume of life energy that he'd overlooked the details—especially after Qian Renxue's arrival distracted him.
He'd assumed that overwhelming life force was just an Awakening phenomenon. But no—it was *constant*.
Unlike the three youngsters inside—whose knowledge came mostly from books—Tian E's 98th-level cultivation came with centuries of hard-won insight.
"No healing martial soul rivals White Bloom?" he thought grimly. "Not just now—*never*, in all of history! And likely never will!"
Spirit Hall's records divided healing martial souls into two types.
The first—like the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda—merely accelerated the target's natural healing by stimulating their own life energy.
The second—like Nine-Heart Begonia—infused the healer's own life energy into the target, often combining both methods due to limited reserves.
But both approaches *consumed* the target's life energy during healing.
That wasn't trivial. Excessive loss could cripple a Soul Master's foundation—stalling advancement or even causing regression.
White Bloom? It poured *pure, external* life energy directly into the target—requiring *nothing* from them. True, complete healing. No risk to one's core essence.
Comparing other healing martial souls to White Bloom was like comparing fireflies to the sun—laughable. They weren't even in the same realm.
And life energy's value extended far beyond healing. soul power itself was a blend of ambient energy, life energy, and soul strength. Ambient energy was infinite—but life energy was the bottleneck.
With White Bloom's near-limitless, ultra-pure life energy, Tian E was certain: if he absorbed even a fraction of it regularly, he could break through to 99th level within a year.
If it benefited an outsider like him so profoundly… what about Qian Ningshuang herself? As long as her soul strength kept pace, her cultivation speed could surpass even Qian Renxue's god-gifted 20-level先天 soul power!
As for Black Abyss—death energy was rare but not unprecedented. Likely, Qian Ningshuang's current level masked its true potential. A martial soul paired with something as absurd as White Bloom couldn't be simple.
Tian E sighed heavily. Full先天 soul power didn't even begin to describe Qian Ningshuang's talent. And Elder Brother Qian Daoliu had clearly known all along.
Back in Spirit Hall City, he'd need a long talk with him. And he'd insist Tian Yue stay close to Qian Ningshuang—the benefits were too immense to ignore.
"What are you sighing about, Golden Crocodile Your Eminence?" Walter asked, glancing over.
"You didn't sense it? Wait—yesterday you were at Elder Brother's estate tending to Xue'er and Shuang'er. You helped with Shuang'er's martial soul test, didn't you? You knew all along—and waited to laugh at me!"
Tian E slapped his forehead, exasperated.
Walter had served the Qian family for nearly a century—a 94th-level Title Douluo and Tian E's old friend. Their rapport needed no formalities.
"Grandfather Walter knew," Qian Renxue's voice floated from inside, amused. "He even told Xiao Shuang and me not to tell you. He's been waiting for your reaction."
"Then your wine stash is mine when we get back!" Tian E threatened. "I'll drink every drop!"
"Go ahead," Walter chuckled. "I've hidden bottles in more places than you can find. And if you pass out again, don't expect me to carry you home. Sleep in the streets for all I care."
The three girls inside exchanged glances, sharing the same thought: *Here they go again. Let them be.*
"Xiao Shuang, your martial soul is seriously strong," Tian Yue declared, arms crossed, nodding solemnly. "I admit it—stronger than my Golden Crocodile King!"
Clearly, she lacked Tian E's depth of understanding. She saw power—but not its world-shattering implications.
"Keep pretending," Qian Ningshuang scoffed, shaking a tiny fist. "You were the one screaming 'ow' just now! Once I get my soul ring, we'll fight again—and this time, I'll make you cry for Uncle Tian Chen!"
"I was holding back last time—didn't even use my soul skills! Don't forget, I'm getting my second ring too. We'll see who's crying then. And even now—I can make you cry!"
"Bring it! Right here! Loser has to shout 'I'm a puppy!' three times!"
As the two golden-haired girls lunged at each other, a larger golden hand descended—thwacking both on the head.
"Enough," Qian Renxue said firmly. "Fight after we get out. This carriage can't handle two super-tier martial souls going at it."
Qian Ningshuang immediately cradled her head, pouting dramatically. Tian Yue stuck out her tongue—then, eyes gleaming with mischief, added:
"Honestly, Xiao Shuang—your martial soul's this strong? I can't wait to see that vixen's face when you enroll in the academy!"