Quest Maker of Soul Land

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"Did you use two separate skills on different blades?" Qian Daoliu inquired rhetorically. He, of course, had seen through the trick but it wasn't something he could achieve himself. Like Ja Sun's feat of killing a martial soul permanently, what Xie Xan achieved was only available to individuals with martial souls that have divided forms. For instance, the Moon Blade is divided into two crescent blades.

"Yes, Grandmaster," Xie Xan nodded exhaling and enduring the exhaustion brought by such an intense and continuous use of his martial soul.

"Hmm," Daoliu closed his eyes for a moment while Xie Xan waited with expectations. Until now, Ja Sun and Liu Erlong hadn't received much of a pointer from Daoliu because their path was relatively simple and since the obtained spirit skills are relatively unpredictable, the current pointers may not even be applied to the future situation.

But hearing one's review from a Titled Douluo, the kind who seemed to have prestige even amongst other Titled Douluos made Xie Xan's heart swell with expectations.

"To state rationally, your skills are divided into mid and close-range tactics. Since I cannot predict your fifth spirit skill, all I can advise you to do is clear your heart and choose a path regardless. You can use your other spirit skills to support your core combat method. If you choose to be a close-ranged fighter, which already seems more likely since your momentum with your blades and without is simply too different, then instead of relying on your spirit skills more, first, refine your combat techniques. Of course, you can choose something different but the point is to choose one path and let the other skills be the bridge that allows you to achieve your goals."

Xie Xan felt stunned...

'That's it?' He thought internally, something everyone felt, and seeing his reaction, Qian Daoliu gave a soft hum with an amused twist of his lips, saying: "Child, you aren't my disciple. I have given a pointer and your teacher is naturally talented. Discuss your options with her and if she fails to stand to your expectations, find your own fortune. Compared to others, if I had to point out, you only lack the necessary fortune. Of course, snatching fortune forcefully requires a price to pay, something that Ka-ul had already revealed."

Xie Xan heaved and nodded. A mysterious emotion bubbled in his heart and he returned to the excited Hu Lana who had already revealed to the group that it was none other than her who helped Xie Xan achieve this much in the past month.

Since Xie Xan was simply unaccustomed to the feeling of controlling two blades achieving two different tasks, his attacks still lacked a bit of punch but his versatility had simply shot through the roof.

Under Qian Daoliu's stare, Hu Lana stepped out and bowed after giving a charming smile.

"Age: 25, Rank 53 Spirit King," her spirit enhancement accompanied her introduction as a fluffy orange tail tore out of the back of her robes and her ears elongated with orange fur encasing them. Her dark pupils turned bright pink and her entire being exuded boundless charm.

"For you," Qian Daoliu smiled, "I advise not to use any charm on me. At your own level, you might really be a matchless charming opponent but against opponents with vast mental superiority, your very benefit turns into your greatest weakness. Against me, at this moment, only use skills that are unrelated to your mental energy and your martial arts."

Nodding, Hu Lana only revealed her purple ring before light red mist began to escape the pores of her body and passed through her clothes. instead of spreading out too much, the mist covered the area of 3 meters around her and stopped. Quite a bit of space was left between the domain of mist and Qian Daoliu, making him chuckle as he slowly disappeared within.

This mist wasn't any form of illusion allowing the user to attack the opponent's mind since even Ja Sun could only observe the frantic shadow being dealt by an immovable entity.

Everyone had a focused expression as they tried to peer into the fog only for Hu Lana to fly out after a minute.

Twisting her body, she landed on the ground but the force still pushed her one good meter, dragging her boots along the ground with a grating sound as the mist started to dissipate.

"As I said, your illusion and charm capabilities are good, and with this skill, they become better. But build your muscles and practice combat techniques often. Nobody knows when you will have to face someone resistant to your skills and with dangerous attack patterns that can take you out swiftly."

Once Qian Daoliu said so, he looked towards Ah Yin while Hu Lana returned to Xie Xan with a slightly upset expression. While everyone before her got to show their all, she felt quite heavily suppressed. But it was true. When Bibi Dong easily broke her illusion during their first spar, Hu Lana's mind was instantly overcome by a senseless killing intent that knocked her out with blood gushing out of her ears and nose. Qian Daoliu is expected to be far stronger than Bibi Dong herself.

Seeing Hu Lana return, Ah Yin stepped out.

"Age: 20, Rank 60 Spirit King?"

Ah Yin's words made others purse their lips. They already knew that Ah Yin was the youngest among them. Though nobody really acted their own age due to their experiences, but knowing that there was someone at such a young age already this close to the final stage still made their eyes twitch violently. Especially Bibi Dong.

Ja Sun, for the most part, was at peace with this already.

With the first ring, numerous blue silver kings in the form of thick vines sprouted from the ground. With the splendor of the fifth ring, the blue-silver kings gave an ethereal glow while a strange pulse of energy discreetly undulated from Ah Yin's body.

She was going all out. Others didn't feel it and Qian Daoliu barely could realize that the last act was Ah Yin releasing her domain. After the evolution of her martial soul, the concealment of her domain had risen to an almost divine-like state. Others may not even know that they are already within the domain.

But Daoliu had confidence in his ability to weather all of it without releasing his own spirit skills. The greatest danger when facing this disciple of his wasn't the attack power or the ability to restrict. Since her skills were extremely simple, all Ah Yin needed to do was find various ways and ingenious tactics to corner her opponent and with the quality of control she already had, this would be simple enough.

Surrounded by the thick dark-blue vines, Ah Yin had her own waist tied by one of the vines while the other vines swayed softly. Instead of attacking Ah Yin waited silently. Since Daoliu was the one to propose only a single minute, he sighed and suddenly disappeared from his location. He appeared three meters away from Ah Yin right above her but meeting him, surprisingly, was a thick lashed out whip of vine that would definitely leave a mark if successfully struck.

Scoffing internally, Qian Daoliu let himself be struck but instead of the expected harsh sound of the peeling skin, the grey-haired man was strangely propelled higher until he spread his limbs out and released small pulses of spirit energy to stop himself.

Instead of a slow and peaceful freefall, with a dangerous glint in his eyes, Qian Daoliu's figure blurred and he shot down like a piercing arrow as a sharp whistle accompanied his shadowy form.

*Creak*

With a harsh sound, the vines instantly wove together right above Ah Yin before taking the form of a blooming flower and Ah Yin's fourth ring flared into life, making the vines solid by the second.

Ah Yin's fourth skill: Solid Strike, displayed its ability and the entire structure instantly stopped moving and looked like a spread-out fortress.

Under this fortress and hidden from Daoliu's eyes, Ah Yin instantly raised vines with their tips pointing right above her head and their bodies turning solid once again. A trap that if successful would truly leave Qian Daoliu with a few more holes to display his abilities from and yet, the straight trajectory instantly shifted as what smashed into the fortress was nothing else than a grey mirage but Ah Yin's bright eyes didn't seem to hold any shock. Instead, her second spirit ring: Flexible Tenacity, not only reverted the state of the vines but made them equally tough and easier to control.

A sea of vines instantly spread out with their snaking bodies whipping out violently while the vine coiling around her waist instantly tightened and shot high in the air as idle vines instantly turned into a woven platform on which she stood calmly while looking down from the platform connected to the ground.

Her ability to control plants had surpassed her teammates' expectations aside from Liu Erlong. After all, in the Canyon, not only her control was tested but her ability to form and plan using the vines to keep herself protected was tested countless times.

Suddenly, the vines stopped and the platform lowered itself.

"A minute has passed," Qian Daoliu appeared finally. Only his shadow could be seen chased by vines all this time and even if he looked calm, the qualities of Ah Yin's domain he could understand from the clues made him amazed since her ability didn't seem to suppress the opponent extremely but instead support her usual deficiencies.

"Please advise me, Master," Ah Yin gave a graceful bow. But how could Ja Sun not feel the smugness roll off her perfect back? What Ah Yin achieved was equivalent to a perfect score. After all, Qian Daoliu was being whipped around despite him showing a strange sense of buoyancy.

"Hahaha," Qian Daoliu laughed, "Nothing, nothing. Just lay off of the cockiness. Your next assignment will be much harsher."

With a smile, Ah Yin returned and as she looked at Ja Sun, her lips moved without any voice leaking out.

"We should have made a bet this time, too," she raised her left brow slightly provocatively before sitting next to him.

"We still can," Ja Sun whispered, "How about betting if Teacher will get a better result than us?"

Ah Yin thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Of course, the odds are that she will do better," Ah Yin shrugged as Bibi Dong stepped out.

Giving a soft bow, she spoke calmly. Her pink locks pulled back tightly her entire vibe focused and even ferocious.

"Age: 25, Rank 66 Spirit Emperor."

Six rings appeared around her simultaneously as a strange odor leaked out of her body. Before she even moved, a white glow instantly erupted from her body, and this time, it actually looked like a dome. But seeing the translucent white dome, a sense of dread passed in the hearts of her student. For a moment, Bibi Dong glanced towards Ja Sun, and seeing his perfectly still expression, the translucent white domain instantly grew a notch darker, turning into a deeper shade as Ja Sun finally looked a little confused.

It was odd.

Aside from the physical manifestation of the killing intent that Bibi Dong termed as a domain ability, someone, something was added to the pure, ferocious killing intent that made the already negative energy a bit murkier. As if...

"It feels stifling," Liu Erlong whispered. She had faced Ja Sun's and Bibi Dong's killing intent. It could be said that what Liu Erlong now possessed wasn't the taste of killing, but a taste of ferocious battle. A taste of massacre and bloodbath. She was much more sensitive to such intent.

Looking at Qian Daoliu, she chose to strike first. Her sixth spirit ring glowed while the murky nature of the domain grew. Those on the outside didn't feel anything more but Qian Daoliu was whining internally. The fabric on the edges of his clothes finally began dissipating with a soft sizzling sound as the internal region of the domain started to be filled with faint purple mist.

Meanwhile, numerous magenta-colored thorns made of energy rose from the ground and moved around Bibi Dong as she gently looked at the glimmering pinky-finger-sized thorn made of light and spirit energy reflecting the magenta sheen. Her pink pupils basked by the glow and her smooth white skin gaining a similar glimmer due to the collected light around her due to numerous such thorns.

"It's a good thing that we never seriously pissed teacher off," Ja Sun suddenly cackled shamelessly as glares stabbed towards his direction. If anyone had the chance to even achieve this, it would undoubtedly be the person continuously poking against her teaching and even looting her possessions while making fun of her delicates.

Silently, Bibi Dong stepped forward but the thorns continued to wait in their location. Only one amongst the many shot out and Qian Daoliu sidestepped before the single thorn followed and stabbed towards Daoliu's back with a sharp turn only to catch his blur. It was then all the thorns shot forward, making complicated movements as they followed multiple shadows while leaving a magenta trail of light that instantly illuminated the toxic and corrosive interior of the domain.

But this situation only lasted for a few breaths before the thorns disappeared. Instead, her fourth ring flared and a red phantom surrounded her. This phantom was shaped in the form of many thick and sharp thorns that stretched out and encompassed Bibi Dong like armor.

Until now, for some reason, she still hadn't revealed her beast enhancement. Once she used her fourth ring, she once again used her sixth skill to control Daoliu's movements. Since the spar would last only for a minute, Bibi Dong didn't conserve her spirit energy and used her strongest skill and since her sixth skill, despite the short period, was the epitome of a control-type skill, Qian Daoliu simply didn't have any chance to attack as he continuously dodged the thorns.

The minute soon passed and Bibi Dong stopped without the announcement. Qian Daoliu once again appeared but his situation seemed a little disheveled, mainly his clothes but by now, the corrosion of Bibi Dong's attire was quite apparent, too.

"You want to hear my advise privately or in front of your students?" Daoliu inquired with a smile despite his appearance.

As the domain was removed, Bibi Dong silently made her choice clear.

"Dong'er, you have to move past appearances. Your true strength will not be revealed if you cannot even feel secure on such a foundational level."

Frowning, Bibi Dong couldn't help but speak up, "But master said—"

"Even if Xunji became your master, his interest lies with Spirit Hall first, then you, and then himself. It is certainly ironic," Daoliu sighed with his gaze flickering for a moment, "But he isn't here. He can raise you to face off the toughest ambassador in speech but a loner cannot teach you how to reciprocate one's trust and camaraderie. If you feel your own students worthy enough, then next time, show your true skills. Without that, all your skills are half-baked, and be it in personal life or battle, a half-baked opponent or friend is simply worthless."

Bibi Dong looked hesitant for a moment but ultimately remained silent.

It was true, however.

For some reason, nobody had ever seen Bibi Dong's spirit beast enhancement.

Qian Daoliu also understood that this was Bibi Dong's own way of gaining courage. She didn't only need but also wanted to hear someone compel her to take a step forward in trusting someone else. After all, even if Qian Xunji's teachings aren't wrong on many levels, it is just as Daoliu stated, the Supreme Pontiff will raise his successor in a manner to create the perfect superior but who really wanted to be such a cold and calculative figure: Unable to enjoy the colors of the world including trust and betrayal?

Once Qian Daoliu disappeared from the clearing to change his clothes and Bibi Dong settled without caring about the slightly dissolved edges of her clothes, she gazed at others before inquiring calmly.

"What is it?"

"Teacher..." Hu Lana smiled before quickly leaving Xie Xan's side and crawling up to Bibi Dong's side, nudging her shoulder against her young teacher's, "Come on, you can't expect nothing happened, right? Why don't you tell us what the perfect student of Grandmaster is ashamed of telling her own students? We promise we won't laugh!"

"Tell her about the candies if she stays honest," Ja Sun narrowed her eyes and Hu Lana's expression brightened. Nodding with a grin, she giggled, "Lots of them, of course—"

A 'puh' sound escaped Hu Lana's lips as her cheeks were smushed in. Holding Hu Lana's face from her two supple cheeks, Bibi Dong smiled and narrowed her eyes, "I don't like eating candies, but if you like to talk about them so much, why don't I give Xie Xan a blue candy myself? Both of you will enjoy its effects."

An odd chill passed Xie Xan's spin and his thighs pressed against themselves.

"Teacher... you can't play with the goods," Hu Lana whined while rubbing her freed-up cheeks before scoffing, "Maybe that's why you still haven't found a good partner. You're threatening their very roots!"

Ja Sun closed his eyes and looked away. If he laughed now, the situation would really be bad.

*Pfft*

He ended up not caring after all.

The snort of his chuckle finally caused a chain reaction as Liu Erlong and Ah Yin followed next.

"Oh, I got it. Teacher, Knock-knock," Ja Sun suddenly looked towards Bibi Dong.

"Not interested," The pinkish-blonde-haired woman rejected flatly.

Ja Sun shrugged. He really came up with a good one this time.

"Alright, calm down, you lot. As I said before, I didn't come here to pick you up but to present an assignment to everyone because of your teacher's status," Qian Daoliu appeared in a fresh set of robes and attracted everybody's attention.

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