Chapter 852: Terrifying Soul Reading

Soul Read?

These four words, especially the first two, "Soul Read," made Xu Xiaoshou gasp for air after his breath hitched.

"Young Master Xu?"

Xin Gugu and Liu Changqing, who were nearby, noticed his unusual state. Thinking Young Master Xu had encountered another problem with his cultivation, they quickly looked back at him.

"Don't interrupt me!"

Xu Xiaoshou's face was flushed. After shouting, he closed his eyes again, focusing on the newly awakened skill in his mind.

Xin Gugu: "..."Liu Changqing: "..."

"Is he always like this?" Liu Changqing asked hesitantly.

Xin Gugu thought for a moment, then nodded and shook his head. "It wasn't this severe before, but now, it's getting worse."

Liu Changqing paused, then closed his eyes again to comprehend the Heavenly Secret Art.

Xin Gugu sighed, glanced back at Xu Xiaoshou, and thought that even if the sky fell, Xu Xiaoshou's cunning would ensure he wouldn't be the first to die. His worry was useless, so he went back to studying his trial map.

Within his spiritual world.

Xu Xiaoshou was truly startled by this awakened skill called "Soul Read."

Awakened passive skills don't come with explanations. He could only sense it for a moment and then make direct inferences based on the most intuitive feeling the skill gave him.

"Soul Read, a control skill?"

"Fixing someone in place and reading their soul?"

"But what's there to read in a soul?"

Xu Xiaoshou frowned for only a second before his eyes lit up. He suddenly remembered that "Perception" was an auxiliary passive skill for information acquisition.

Memory Read?

Could it be that this awakened skill can directly read things at the soul level of others?

Just as "Perception" can obtain information at the physical level, awakened skills generally offer an exaggerated level of enhancement in such situations.

So, it could read non-physical information, like memories?

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes instantly brightened, and he exhaled hot air through his nostrils, immediately fixing his gaze on Xin Gugu beside him.

Xin Gugu was terrified. "Young Master Xu?"

Xu Xiaoshou calmed down after being called out.

If "Soul Read" only read others' memories, it should be called "Memory Read."

But looking at the name...

Soul Read!

Soul!

This definitely isn't just about reading memories, is it?

What if, with one use, someone's soul is completely torn apart?

After all, Xu Xiaoshou had heard of, even if he hadn't witnessed, evil divine skills like "Soul Searching Art," which cause immense harm to the human body.

Usually, after a soul search, the person dies.

After all, Spirit Refiners typically cannot cultivate or attack at the soul level.

How could something that has never been trained in a lifetime, as fragile as paper, accommodate the rough entry of another's consciousness?

Looking back at the members of the Little Xu Gang who were cultivating cross-legged below, Xu Xiaoshou felt a stir of intention.

Find a stranger to test the ability?

No, that won't do either!

The Little Xu Gang members are also his people!

Perhaps from its very emergence, "Soul Read" was destined not to be used frequently, only against the most heinous individuals who seek to take his life.

For example: Chief Yi of the Anomaly Department, Yi!

"I wonder if this skill can control Taixu, if it has a control aspect..."

Xu Xiaoshou speculated based on his first intuition.

He felt that this most intuitive sensation must be correct.

Soul Read should be able to be directly cast during combat, beginning to read the opponent's soul.

Whether or not information can be read is secondary.

The ability to interrupt an opponent's casting at a crucial moment, and the sustained control during soul reading...

Perhaps that is what truly determines the quality and effectiveness of this awakened skill.

It's not just an auxiliary skill, but also a mental control skill!

If that's the case...

"That would be too powerful, wouldn't it?"

Xu Xiaoshou recalled his battle with the masked man Nine Nether Ghost Infant from the King Yama Organization in Eastern Heavenly Imperial City that day.

The opponent was also a genius, mastering the Essence of Iron.

But because of his excessive arrogance, he probably couldn't even unleash a tenth of his full abilities before he was instantly cut down into a "Demonized Being" by him, A-Jie, and the Four Swords.

Had it not been for the appearance of King Yama's leader, Huang Quan, Nine Nether Ghost Infant would likely have perished.

That time, Xu Xiaoshou actually exploited an information asymmetry.

Because he had fought Yu Lingdi, who wielded the Essence of Water, he knew how terrifying a Throne-level expert with an Essence was.

Thus, from the start, he used all his trump cards.

His opponent did not.

And so, he failed.

However, throughout the entire battle, what surprised Xu Xiaoshou the most was not the masked man Nine Nether Ghost Infant's Essence of Iron, but his Tear Family Eyes.

Soul-Stabilizing Eyes!

Xu Xiaoshou still vividly remembered those Soul-Stabilizing Eyes, which glowed with a faint green light.

If the Soul-Stabilizing Eyes hadn't failed to restrain the soulless A-Jie in that battle, Xu Xiaoshou would have been long gone.

And now, the "Soul Read" he had awakened seemed to have a soul control effect similar to the "Soul-Stabilizing Eyes," provided it developed in the direction he envisioned.

"Very powerful!"

Xu Xiaoshou was certain that this most expensive awakened skill, valued at nearly four hundred thousand passive points, was undoubtedly very powerful.

He suddenly thought that using "Soul Read" on a living person was indeed somewhat sinful, but what about a dead person?

"If used on a dead person, could it read their soul information, memories, and such?"

"If it can, that would be incredibly powerful. The strongest investigator?"

"Hmm, why does that name sound a bit off..."

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his chin, ignoring Xin Gugu's strange look beside him, lost in his own wild thoughts.

After death, a soul doesn't immediately dissipate; it can even linger for a period.

Half-Saints are capable of grasping remnant souls and bringing people back from the dead.

Yu Lingdi might have been resurrected this way, but he didn't know how difficult such an operation would be...

Xu Xiaoshou mused.

He felt that someone like Yu Lingdi, whose body and soul had been obliterated by Old Sang, thoroughly dead on both physical and non-physical levels, yet could still be resurrected...

The implications were too vast.

But he wasn't thinking about those things; only whether a soul could be read after death.

This question...

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly glanced at Xin Gugu again.

The hairs on Xin Gugu's back stood on end. He felt Xu Xiaoshou's gaze was ill-intentioned. He hugged his arms tightly and stammered, "You! What are you doing?"

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. He wouldn't go as far as killing the guy just to verify his theory.

Just then.

Outside the spirit array, members of the Little Xu Gang entered, carrying the carcass of a spiritual beast.

"Brothers, stop cultivating! We just took down a Grandmaster-level Giant Bear. Those of you with fire attributes, roast it. I only need a bit of the bear paw; you can have the rest."

The one carrying the bear shouted.

After speaking, he glanced at the mountain where Young Master Xu was, muttering, "It would be great if Young Master Xu could roast it. His roasted bear paw is a delicacy from heaven, and eating it can even improve one's cultivation."

Soon, another Spirit Refiner finished cultivating, stood up, took the bear paw, and began preparing it, saying as he worked:

"Don't even think about it. Young Master Xu has started cultivating."

"You didn't see it earlier, but when Young Master Xu had a breakthrough, he completely drained the spiritual energy within several miles."

"Damn it, can you believe that's the anomaly of a Grandmaster-level Spirit Refiner's cultivation? Even a Throne wouldn't be so exaggerated! Truly worthy of being a Half-Saint's disciple, an Unrivaled Sacred Body!"

When this was mentioned, everyone got excited.

"Heh heh."

"If you're talking about Young Master Xu's breakthrough, then you have to mention that little leg clamp... Ergh!"

The man who had voiced his thoughts earlier was about to elaborate but saw Young Master Xu, who had appeared in front of the giant bear at some unknown point, staring menacingly at him from the mountaintop. The man flinched, gave an awkward laugh, and ducked his head, turning back. "Heh heh, come, I'll roast the bear paw for Young Master Xu and let him taste my cooking."

"Young Master Xu.""Young Master Xu!""Young Master Xu..."

Not many people around were originally awake, but upon seeing Young Master Xu approach, they opened their eyes and greeted him.

After all, Young Master Xu wouldn't disturb their cultivation on normal days. His arrival today surely meant he had something important to announce.

Xu Xiaoshou had simply seen the spiritual beast carcass and realized he had been overthinking things.

Using "Soul Read" on a living person was indeed somewhat sinful, but examining the soul of a dead spiritual beast could also verify his theories!

With a wave of his hand, Xu Xiaoshou ordered, "Members of the Little Xu Gang, all of you, depart! Gather all the dispersed members. Before the Nine Dragon Veins open, I need all of you assembled here to directly claim all resources from the second round of trials."

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone responded, standing up and shouting in unison.

Afterward, Xiao Jing gave detailed instructions, and various small factions dispatched people to retrieve their gang members.

Within the Cloud Realm World, communication beads were useless, so they could only rely on the most primitive methods, such as running to assembly points and firing signal flares into the sky.

The crowd dispersed completely.

Xu Xiaoshou turned to Xiao Jing and said, "Don't eat this bear yet; I have another use for it."

Xiao Jing was stunned; he had planned to distribute the giant bear among the brothers!

But since Young Master Xu had said so, he didn't ask why, only nodded in agreement.

Xu Xiaoshou grabbed the giant bear's forepaw, intending to carry it away for testing.

With a "shhh" sound.

His five fingers, like daggers, pierced directly into the bear's body, tearing out a large chunk of meat.

At this, Xu Xiaoshou was stunned.

And he wasn't the only one.

Xiao Jing was also stunned.

Some of the Little Xu Gang members nearby, who hadn't yet left, were also stunned.

"Young Master Xu, why go to such lengths?"

The man who had voiced his thoughts swallowed, saying with a somewhat pitying look, "It's just a dead bear..."

Xu Xiaoshou glared at him. "You talk too much. Shut up!"

"Oh." The man shrank back again.

Xu Xiaoshou covered his hand with spiritual energy and carried the giant bear away.

A Throne's body, a Throne's sharpness...

This meant his body was now like a sword, making him a super sword-person, as sharp as a third or fourth-grade spiritual sword.

Although the giant bear's physique was formidable, it was now dead, and its flesh had lost its spiritual energy defense. How could it withstand a single grab from Xu Xiaoshou?

This result was not surprising.

But the process left Xu Xiaoshou sighing.

"Damn this sword physique! How am I supposed to find a girlfriend now..."

On the mountaintop.

The experiment began.

Xin Gugu and Liu Changqing watched curiously as Young Master Xu, with a solemn expression as if about to undertake something momentous, stared intently at the giant bear's carcass in front of him.

"Soul Read!"

He uttered a low cry in his mind.

A subtle light flickered in the depths of Xu Xiaoshou's eyes.

Xin Gugu and Liu Changqing both caught this small detail.

They had initially thought Young Master Xu was having another "episode" and was about to do something absurd.

However, after the light in Young Master Xu's eyes flashed, the already dead giant bear's carcass in front of him trembled slightly, without any external force acting upon it.

The giant bear was enormous.

With that tremble, even the mountaintop seemed to shake.

Xin Gugu and Liu Changqing exchanged glances, both seeing astonishment in the other's eyes.

Young Master Xu, was he really doing something?

But what exactly was he doing?

Aside from this subtle movement, outsiders couldn't discern anything else.

But Xu Xiaoshou was different.

As he used Soul Read, through his eyes, he truly saw a wisp of remnant soul hovering above the giant bear's carcass.

And as this awakened skill began to work...

The bewildered remnant soul seemed to suffer immense pain, twitching violently.

Then.

In Xu Xiaoshou's mind, the giant bear's entire life flashed by like movie scenes.

He felt as if he had become the giant bear.

Born from darkness, opening its eyes to see the first ray of light.

Then the careful nurturing and feeding by its bear mother, growing bigger little by little.

Until a territory battle, where the bear mother was killed by a Throne-level Black-Winged Dragon Lion, forcing the young giant bear to leave its home and live alone.

Searching for spiritual ants, raiding bird nests, licking honey...

Fighting wild beasts.

Being beaten by spiritual beasts.

Then, diligently striving, cultivating by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon according to inherited memories.

Post-natal, Pre-natal, Grandmaster...

Comprehending special Dao principles, awakening bloodline talents...

Scene after scene of vivid images flashed by, including even a complete mating process.

In a flash, Xu Xiaoshou read the tragic life of the giant bear, which was ended by the members of the Little Xu Gang.

The memories were fragmented.

Because the spiritual beast's soul was too fragmented, he estimated that only by using "Soul Read" at the very moment of death, or at the exact location of death, could one see the most complete memories and its bear life.

But even so, the massive influx of information into his mind still gave Xu Xiaoshou a splitting headache.

His soul had long become stronger than ordinary people's due to repeated use of "Perception" and "Finger of Illusionary Extinction."

Yet even so, after just a moment of using "Soul Read," he was drenched in sweat and felt he couldn't hold on much longer.

Furthermore, his Qi Sea Spiritual Energy, which should not have been drained by a single awakened skill, was now almost depleted.

"This is insane!"

"Mental and soul-type skills are indeed incredibly powerful, but their consumption is also immense!"

Xu Xiaoshou immediately stopped the Soul Read, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and with a shake of his head, flung his damp hair, splashing sweat directly onto Xin Gugu's face.

The two beside him were now utterly dumbfounded.

They had just watched Young Master Xu stare blankly at a giant bear carcass.

But after a moment, Young Master Xu seemed to have gone berserk, his aura weakening, his body sweating and trembling.

They even thought Young Master Xu's body had been possessed by the giant bear's soul!

However...

A few breaths later, the weakened Young Master Xu had already revitalized his aura and returned to his normal state.

"Well?"

Xin Gugu stepped forward and asked.

He didn't know what Xu Xiaoshou was doing, but with such a commotion, Xu Xiaoshou was definitely up to something big again!

"Remarkable results."

In just a few breaths, as his various regeneration abilities kicked in, Xu Xiaoshou's Qi Sea recovered several tenths of its spiritual energy, barely returning him to a normal state.

There was a hint of delight in his eyes.

Soul Read.

It could truly see the opponent's memories, their entire life.

Not only that, it indeed caused damage to a person's soul, meaning that when used on enemies, it had both control and damage effects.

Of course, the most crucial part was...

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the shock in his heart and tried to calm his emotions.

The previously mentioned effects were not truly significant.

The most terrifying aspect of "Soul Read" was its ability to readily allow one to experience another's comprehension of Dao principles.

And after experiencing it firsthand, one could basically learn one or two tenths of it themselves.

This was too terrifying!

If he wanted, Xu Xiaoshou could completely compensate for quality with quantity, achieving the effect of rapidly comprehending Heavenly Dao rules.

Soul Read...

Damn it, this is another divine skill!

It's not just a divine skill for mental control and post-battle investigation; it's also a divine cultivation skill!