Chapter 44: First Encounter with Liu Erlong, Conflict Erupts Upon Meeting.
Sunlight filters through the dense foliage, dappling the ground in the forest, while a gentle breeze carries the fresh scent of grass and trees.
Yu Xiaolie walked briskly, following the route he remembered, towards the direction of the Heavenly Dou Empire's military camp.
As dusk fell and the afterglow of the setting sun painted half the sky red, the familiar outline of the military camp finally came into view.
The taxi guard at the camp gate saw Yu Xiaolie and his eyes lit up immediately. He greeted him warmly.
"Xiao Lie! Where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you in ages."
"I went out to take care of some things."
Yu Xiaolie smiled slightly, exchanged pleasantries with the man, and then walked straight into the depths of the camp, his destination being his second uncle Yu Luomian's office.
Everything in the camp was as usual. The soldiers were busy training, and occasionally some Soul Masters would spar and compete on the field. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and dirt, creating a unique military camp atmosphere.
When Yu Xiaolie arrived at Yu Luomian's office, he gently knocked on the door, but received no response.
Out of politeness, he knocked a few more times, but there was still no response.
"Could he have gone out on business?"
Yu Xiaolie muttered to himself, then pushed open the door and entered.
The office was dimly lit, with the windows half-closed and the files on the desk neatly stacked.
Yu Xiaolie took out a carefully prepared jade box from his pocket and placed it in the center of the table, ensuring that Yu Luomian would see it as soon as she returned.
After he put his things down, he turned and walked towards the door.
Just then, a familiar shout came from outside the door.
"You little rascal, Yu Xiaolie, after all this time, you've finally decided to come back!"
Yu Xiaolie saw a familiar face appear at the door. The person was none other than his best brother in the army camp, Zhu Si.
Zhu Si's short hair was neatly combed back, and he always had a sunny smile on his face. At this moment, he was standing with his hands on his hips, looking at him with a smile.
"Brother Zhu Si!"
Yu Xiaolie's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward.
The two smiled at each other at the door, then reached out their arms in unison, shook hands, and bumped shoulders.
"You little rascal, I've been away for so long, I thought you'd been poisoned to death by the Snake King's venom!"
"I'm joking," Zhu Si said, but his eyes were filled with genuine concern.
Yu Xiaolie understood that Dugu Xin must have told Zhu Si that he was going out to carry out a mission for him, but he did not mention the existence of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and Dugu Bo.
"Haha, I didn't die, but I learned a lot."
Yu Xiaolie smiled and patted Zhu Si's arm.
Zhu Si looked Yu Xiaolie up and down and was surprised to find that his temperament seemed to have undergone a subtle change, becoming more calm and reserved.
"Let's go to the martial arts arena and have a spar. I've been practicing a lot lately, let's see how much you've improved since you went out to train!"
Zhu Si raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a challenging undertone.
Yu Xiaolie readily agreed, and the two walked side by side toward the military camp's training ground.
The training ground was a large flat area surrounded by wooden fences, with yellow earth in the center. Countless people had trained on it, making the ground very hard.
It was evening, and most of the soldiers had finished their training. The training ground was deserted and appeared exceptionally spacious.
The two walked to the center of the field, stood ten steps apart, looked at each other, and their eyes blazed with fighting spirit.
"Don't disappoint me too much, Retsu!"
Zhu Si said with a smile, and then his martial spirit manifested, a sacred lotus bloomed at his feet, and a dazzling light enveloped his entire body.
Two yellow, two purple, and one black spirit rings rose from beneath his feet, shining brightly in the setting sun.
Yu Xiaolie also summoned his own martial spirit, and Luo Sanpao's figure appeared beside him.
Two soul rings, one yellow and one purple, swirled around him, moving rhythmically up and down.
"Brother Zhu Si, please enlighten me!"
Yu Xiaolie said with a smile, while assuming a fighting stance.
Zhu Si was clearly eager to test Yu Xiaolie's progress. He flashed forward and launched the first attack:
"First Soul Skill - Holy Lotus Radiant Strike!"
A blinding beam of light shot out from Zhu Si's palm, heading straight for Yu Xiaolie.
The light contained powerful soul energy, and the air seemed to distort wherever it passed.
Faced with this fierce attack, Yu Xiaolie remained calm and composed, and his first spirit ring shone with a dazzling yellow-purple light.
"First Soul Skill: Devouring Breath!"
With Yu Xiaolie's soft shout, Luo Sanpao charged forward, and an invisible suction force burst forth from its body. As soon as Zhu Si's Holy Lotus Radiant Strike came into contact with this force, it instantly dissolved and was completely absorbed.
The air in the arena rippled slightly from the collision, but quickly returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
A look of shock flashed in Zhu Si's eyes. In the past, even if his first soul skill was devoured, there would still be some residual soul power hitting Xiao Lie, making Xiao Lie suffer. But now it was completely devoured.
Without time to think, he quickly adjusted his state, his body erupted once again, and his second spirit ring lit up.
"Second Soul Skill: Lotus Vine Thrust!"
In an instant, dozens of emerald green vines sprouted from the ground, coiling around Yu Xiaolie like serpents.
These vines are covered with sharp thorns and look very aggressive.
Yu Xiaolie's eyes narrowed, and he nimbly dodged, while simultaneously unleashing his Devouring Breath once more, absorbing all the soul power from the vines.
Without the support of soul power, the lotus vines immediately became weak and powerless, drooping helplessly to the ground.
"This...how is this possible?"
Juss opened his mouth wide in surprise, his eyes widening in astonishment.
"Your devouring power is much stronger than before, and..."
He paused, an incredulous expression on his face: "How many levels has your soul power level increased?"
Yu Xiaolie smiled slightly, but did not answer. He simply gestured for Yu Xiaolie to continue.
Zhu Si raised an eyebrow, and then his third spirit ring suddenly lit up with a purple light.
"Third Soul Skill - Purifying Light!"
An even more dazzling beam of light erupted from Zhu Si's chest, shooting straight into the sky, and then swooped down like a rainbow piercing the sun, its target Yu Xiaolie.
Faced with this powerful attack, Yu Xiaolie no longer chose to devour it. Instead, his second soul ring lit up, and a faint halo appeared around his body.
"Second Soul Skill: Light-Piercing Strike".
He thrust his palms forward, unleashing the light-attribute soul power within his body.
Luo Sanpao charged forward, a phantom image shooting out, roaring in the air as dazzling light burst forth, forming a massive pillar of light.
It collided head-on with Jus's purifying light.
In an instant, two beams of light intertwined in mid-air, their powerful and dazzling light illuminating the entire martial arts arena.
Even taxi drivers in the distance were drawn to the unusual light and stopped to watch.
After a long while, and a fierce struggle, the two beams of light dissipated at the same time, leaving the air filled with the aftershocks of the surging soul power.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhu Si's forehead, but his eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Why... is your soul skill of the Light attribute?"
"And this level of perfection is even greater than mine!"
"I can't believe it," Jules asked incredulously.
"How exactly have you been cultivating all this time?"
Yu Xiaolie put away his martial spirit and smiled mysteriously.
"Just lucky."
"I don't believe you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Si immediately launched into a tirade of curses.
The two found a spot on the ground at the edge of the martial arts arena and sat down to rest.
The sunset was fiery red, dyeing the entire sky and forest a magnificent crimson.
"By the way, do you know where my second uncle went? I didn't see him when I went to his office just now."
Yu Xiaolie asked, his gaze fixed on the distance.
Zhu Si shook his head.
"I don't know exactly where they went, but the military camp has been quite busy lately. Many people have gone out on missions, probably to handle some matters."
Yu Xiaolie nodded, then suddenly remembered the pills he had left on the table, and his heart tightened.
After all, these were pills that I had carefully refined myself. If my second uncle was away, leaving them on his table for a long time, with people coming and going in the camp, would be unsettling. I had to hurry back and check on them.
He stood up and greeted Zhu Si.
"Come on, let's go to the office again."
Zhu Si nodded and followed Yu Xiaolie back to the office.
When they arrived at the office door, they found it was already ajar, and they could faintly hear the sounds of things being rummaged through inside.
Yu Xiaolie and Zhu Si exchanged a glance, then quietly pushed open the door. Inside the office stood a little girl who looked to be about ten years old.
The little girl has long, shiny black hair and wears a blue dress; her back view looks petite and adorable.
At this moment, she was standing in front of the desk, holding the pills left by Yu Xiaolie in her hand, rubbing them curiously.
Yu Xiaolie's heart sank. The pill was carefully refined by him using precious immortal herbs and could not be carelessly rubbed, otherwise its efficacy would be greatly reduced.
Seeing that the little girl had crumpled the pill into a deformed shape, Yu Xiaolie could no longer control his anger and rushed forward.
"Who are you to dare touch my things!"
He shouted sternly and reached out to snatch the pill back.
The little girl was startled by the sudden scolding, but quickly turned to anger, a hint of stubbornness flashing in her eyes.
She quickly put her hands behind her back to prevent Yu Xiaolie from taking the pill.
"Pah! Where did this savage come from!"
The little girl retorted without backing down, her voice sharp and shrill.
Yu Xiaolie's anger intensified, and he reached out to grab the little girl's wrist, but the little girl was agile and skillfully dodged.
A chase ensued inside the office.
Zhu Si anxiously tried to dissuade him from the side.
"Don't hit me! Let's talk this out!"
However, the situation was already out of control. Yu Xiaolie grabbed the little girl's wrist and twisted it hard, causing the pill to fall from her hand.
Yu Xiaolie quickly reached out and caught it.
The little girl winced in pain, her anger intensifying. Suddenly, a powerful surge of soul energy erupted from her body.
"Who are you to treat me like this? Do you know this is my father's office!"
The little girl roared, her voice filled with pride and anger.
dad?
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaolie was stunned, and an unbelievable thought flashed through his mind.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and then a familiar figure rushed in.
Read 70+Advance Chapters at PatReon,
[email protected]/FicNova
[Replace@ with a.]
(End of this Chapter)