Upon hearing this, the Soul Skill's Spiritual Wisdom clapped in delight. "Wow, Rou'er sounds so pretty! I'll be Rou'er from now on. You're so good to me, Big Brother! It would be even better if you could play with me. Rou'er has forgotten how many ages she's spent here. I'm so lonely!"
Ye Tian understood. 'No wonder this Spiritual Wisdom was so happy to see me. It's because she's been lonely for so long, with no one to play with her.'
'My luck is truly Heaven-defying. An ordinary person entering this place would be devoured by the Li Flood Dragon, to say nothing of what comes after. Even if they somehow managed to defeat the dragon and obtain the Water Spirit Ghost Fruit, they'd never be able to withstand the soul pressure from this Spiritual Wisdom.'
'But I, on the other hand, can actually converse with this Spiritual Wisdom. After talking for a bit, I've realized she has no malicious intent. As long as I treat her well, she's actually very sensible.'
"Rou'er, can you tell Big Brother why you're here? You love to play so much, why don't you go outside?"
As he spoke, Ye Tian rested a hand on Rou'er's shoulder. This made him feel much more comfortable, helping him avoid the immense pressure caused by the powerful Soul Energy.
"Sigh! Rou'er doesn't know how long she's been here. Rou'er just remembers being here ever since she became self-aware. This is Rou'er's home, and Rou'er can't leave it. This is as far as I can possibly go. There are always these strange Runes and ancient characters at home that bind Rou'er, and it's awful. Good Big Brother, can you please help Rou'er?"
Rou'er spoke with an aggrieved look on her face, shedding two very human-like tears.
Of course, they weren't real tears but rather liquefied Soul Energy floating beside Rou'er's cheeks. With the pressure relieved, Ye Tian was able to get a clear look at her face.
Rou'er was about a meter and a half tall and looked like a porcelain doll. If she were human, she would be about thirteen or fourteen years old, a budding young maiden. *Cough, cough.* It was just that the current Rou'er wore no clothes. Though she was a Soul Body, the features of certain developing areas were still quite distinct.
Rou'er's intelligence was no different from that of a seven or eight-year-old human child; she was guileless, and there were no barriers to communicating with her.
"Kid, hurry up and have her take you to that place with the Runes and ancient characters," the War Dragon Remnant Soul quickly advised. "Those are the Soul Skill! As long as you can comprehend and integrate it into your soul, the confinement binding this Spiritual Wisdom will be broken. Not only will you completely possess the Soul Skill, but we'll also be able to leave this place!"
The War Dragon Remnant Soul's quick reminder made Ye Tian understand the crucial point.
'So, the crushing pressure of the soul might and the confinement binding this space... it's all because of that powerful Soul Skill. It has nothing to do with Rou'er at all.'
'Rou'er only exists because the Soul Skill has been here for eons, causing its powerful Soul Energy to dissipate and eventually form an independent Soul Body that gave rise to her Spiritual Wisdom.'
Thinking of this, Ye Tian couldn't help but speculate boldly. 'If Rou'er were given a physical body, could she live a normal human life?'
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Even if it's possible, that's a matter for the future. Before you cultivate Immortal Power, don't even think about it! Now, get back to what's important. The girl in your arms can't hold on for much longer."
Hearing the War Dragon Remnant Soul's reminder, Ye Tian didn't dare waste any more time. If anything were to actually happen to Zhang Xinlan, he would never forgive himself.
"Rou'er, you're such a good girl, of course Big Brother will help you. Here, take Big Brother to that place with the Runes and ancient characters. Big Brother has a way to help you! After you get out of here, you can go play wherever you want, and no one will be able to stop you!"
"Ah? Really? You're the best, Big Brother! Rou'er absolutely adores you!"
As she spoke, Rou'er's Soul Body lunged forward, puckering her lips as if to kiss Ye Tian's cheek.
Of course, a Soul Body was just a Soul Body and couldn't make any contact with Ye Tian's physical form. But Rou'er's kiss sent a tremor through Ye Tian's soul, and a strand of potent Energy instantly strengthened his Soul Power!
This made Ye Tian ecstatic. 'If Rou'er gets happy and gives me a few kisses from time to time, does that mean I can practice Soul Skills without having to wait until I reach the Six Vein Realm?'
With time being a concern, Ye Tian temporarily pushed these thoughts aside. For him, the most important thing at the moment was to integrate the Soul Skill's Cultivation Technique into his soul.
It should be noted here that integrating a Soul Skill into one's soul is like grabbing hold of a book—you possess it temporarily, but that doesn't mean you have completely mastered it!
Following Rou'er's lead, Ye Tian entered an isolated space deep within the pool. The area was sectioned off by an invisible Soul Barrier, preventing the pool water from flooding in. And yet, he could still see the aquatic plants and stones in the water outside. It was a peculiar sight.
"Here, this is the place!"
Rou'er came to a stop before a stone platform, pointing at its empty surface as she spoke.
Just as Ye Tian was feeling puzzled by the lack of anything there, he had a sudden thought. 'Since it's a Soul Skill, of course it's invisible to the naked eye. Should I try to sense it with my Soul Power?'
Sure enough, the moment Ye Tian began to probe with his Soul Power, faint, glowing blue characters appeared in his mind. He didn't recognize a single one of these strange characters, but he knew with absolute certainty that this was, without a doubt, the Soul Skill!
"Try to communicate with it using your Soul Power. Once it's integrated into your mind, you'll be able to understand it!"
The War Dragon Remnant Soul instructed.
Ye Tian held his breath and focused, blanketing the area with his Divine Sense. Temporarily forgetting about Rou'er, he concentrated all his attention on trying to communicate with the Soul Skill.
This was Ye Tian's first time attempting to communicate with a Soul Skill, but with the War Dragon Remnant Soul's guidance, he quickly found the right method.
BUZZZZ!
A rumbling tremor shook him, and the first strange Rune appeared in Ye Tian's mind. He immediately understood the character's meaning.
'The character for "Seven"? Let me keep trying to communicate!'
Ye Tian gritted his teeth and continued to communicate with the glowing blue Runes. But this process consumed a great deal of Soul Power; even for Ye Tian, with his Five Veins Cultivation, the strain was difficult to bear for long.
After successfully communicating with just four large characters, Ye Tian was exhausted. He panted heavily while rubbing his forehead. The depths of his mind were now trembling without cease, and when the four successfully communicated characters gathered together, he felt as if his head would explode!
Suddenly, a brilliant blue light erupted in his mind, and the four large characters he had successfully communicated with transformed into words familiar to him.
"Seven Extremes Soul Slash?!"
For some unknown reason, just by looking at those four words, Ye Tian felt an overwhelming, kingly aura wash over him. In the next moment, the discomfort in his soul vanished.
After that, Ye Tian no longer needed to painstakingly communicate with the characters. The strange text began imprinting itself upon his mind, one piece after another.
"Seven Extremes Soul Slash, so that's the name of the Soul Skill! The First Extreme is the Soul-Slaying Slash. The Second Extreme... huh? Does this mean I can only learn about and comprehend the Second Extreme after mastering the first?"
Ye Tian was a little speechless. Still, the good news was that the entire Soul Skill was now imprinted in his mind, which was a considerable gain. 'When my Cultivation reaches the Six Veins, I'll begin training!'
"Wow, you're so amazing, Big Brother! You shattered the Barrier so fast! Woohoo, this is awesome! Rou'er is free!"
Hearing Rou'er's happy shouts, Ye Tian opened his eyes to see that the barrier formed from Soul Power had completely vanished along with his integration of the Soul Skill into his mind.
Not only was Rou'er completely free from her bonds, but Ye Tian himself no longer felt the oppressive pressure. Zhang Xinlan also awoke from her deep sleep, though she was not nearly as comfortable as Ye Tian. Her delicate brows were tightly furrowed, and her head still throbbed with intense pain.
"Rou'er, the outside world is wonderful, but it is also fraught with danger. Big Brother wouldn't feel right letting you go out there alone. From now on, you can be my little sister. How about Big Brother takes you with him, okay? My name is Ye Tian, so from now on, let's call you Ye Rou."
Ye Tian said this completely out of kindness. Although Ye Rou was now free, she no longer had the protection of the Soul Skill Energy. With no means of attack whatsoever, she was extremely vulnerable. The world was a treacherous place; who knew what a simple, innocent girl like her might encounter.
"Mhm! Rou'er has a big brother now! Rou'er wants to follow Big Brother and leave this place!"
Since Ye Tian had helped Ye Rou escape her predicament, her affection for him had increased immensely. Now, she would believe whatever he said.
PS: The updates have started again! Book-loving friends, where are your votes? If you don't want to vote for Dragon Emperor, you can vote for Chaos God King! My deepest thanks!