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"Heehee, Brother Davis, now Sister Zhuyun can't make me sink into her illusions even if she activates her third soul skill after Ring Fusion." Anna was ecstatic, but Dai Davis merely nodded slightly, a wicked smile playing on his lips.
"Congratulations, Nana. You have completed the first stage of your special training!"
"What?!" Anna was shocked to hear this, secretly clicking her tongue as she thought: First stage! You mean there's a second stage?
"That's right. The second stage consists of me personally testing you!" Having said that, Davis looked toward Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing, smiling. "Wives, let us fuse!"
"Alright!"
Though they didn't understand what Davis intended to do, the two cooperated with his actions. The three of them simultaneously activated their Martial Soul Avatars and performed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, merging into the Star-Luo Holy Tiger.
"Next, I will use the Netherworld Springfall skill on you. Since the nightmare woven by Zhuyun can no longer affect you, I'll let you witness the nightmare woven by me!"
As he spoke, twelve pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul rings flew into the air and rapidly merged, becoming a single red soul ring nearing the two-hundred-thousand-year mark. Those twelve rings were the first four soul rings of the three of them; after merging, their cultivation age had already surpassed that of the Sky Azure Bull Python's soul ring.
"Third Soul Skill: Netherworld Springfall."
A strange red and blue light flickered within the eyes of the Star-Luo Holy Tiger. It cast a casual glance at Anna, and in a mere instant, she was pulled into an illusion.
As Anna's Evil Spirit Eye continued to evolve, pulling her spirit and consciousness into an illusion had become extremely difficult. Even Zhu Zhuyun would need to fuse at least seven soul rings and stare directly into her eyes to have a chance of succeeding.
Yet now, under Davis's control, Anna's consciousness was snatched into the illusion in a flash. It was clear that the Star-Luo Holy Tiger's mental power far exceeded Anna's!
"The illusion Brother Davis wove doesn't seem all that—" Before she could finish her thought, Anna suddenly discovered that her body had shrunk, as if she had returned to her childhood.
"What's happening? Why has my body become smaller!"
Anna cried out in alarm, then raised her eyes to look around. She saw a familiar wooden hut and a woman with a sharp, harsh expression standing before her. The woman was filthy, her face covered in grime, with several wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was staring at Anna with deep dissatisfaction.
The woman was dressed in tattered rags, looking like a beggar. Her clothes were covered in patches, and she wore a dust-caked headscarf.
Seeing this ashen-faced woman, Anna's eyes widened. A sense of familiarity washed over her as she whispered a single word.
"Mama..."
Indeed, the person before her was Anna's mother. However, at this moment, her mother irritably slapped her across the face.
Slap!
"Still sleeping! You little brat, get over here right now! The Soul Master from the Auction House is about to arrive! Get over here!"
As she spoke, the mother grabbed her wrist without a word and forcefully dragged her toward the doorway.
"Wait a minute, Mama, wait..."
As Anna spoke, she began to think: Is this the illusion Brother Davis created? How can it be so real? It's much more realistic than Sister Zhuyun's illusions...
While she was lost in thought, her mother had already brought her to the front door. Standing there was a cold-faced man in expensive black robes, and before him stood a middle-aged man with a fawning smile, though he was equally dressed in rags.
Anna knew this middle-aged man well; he was her father. At this moment, her father stood before the black-robed man with a face full of reverence.
The black-robed man glanced at Anna and said in a frigid tone, "Is this your daughter?"
The moment he spoke, the mother couldn't help but smile obsequiously. "That's right, Lord Soul Master! Take a look—how much can this dead girl sell for?"
"That depends on whether what you said is true—if this child is really a Soul Master with level nine innate soul power!"
"Please rest assured, Lord Soul Master! Even if we were given ten times the courage, we wouldn't dare lie to you!"
"Your word doesn't count. I need to see her Martial Soul with my own eyes!" At this point, the man glanced at Anna and spoke coldly, "Hey, little girl, release your Martial Soul for me to see."
"..."
Anna didn't speak. Instead, she tried to concentrate her mental power to break the illusion. However, she soon discovered to her horror that her mental power was gone!
It wasn't exactly gone, but rather it was extremely weak—so weak she could barely perceive it, much like that of an ordinary child.
It wasn't just her mental power; even her soul bones were gone. Her soul power remained, but it was only at level nine.
How can this be? I am a Peerless Douluo. Even Brother Davis shouldn't be able to seal my mental power...
Slap!
While Anna was thinking, a burning pain suddenly flared on her cheek. Seeing that she wasn't responding, her mother had raised her hand and slapped her again, cursing, "Are you deaf? The Lord Soul Master is asking you a question! Hurry up and show him your Martial Soul!"
"..."
Anna remained silent, but she gathered her soul power and released her Martial Soul. As for what she was thinking, no one knew.
Soul power surged, and soon, a tender sprout of grass appeared in her hand. It was her Hundred Herbs Martial Soul.
"Has my Martial Soul regressed too?" Anna couldn't help but feel a wave of disappointment. It was originally the Ink Jade Divine Grass, and seeing it regressed like this made her feel lost.
How could it be like this? Could it be that everything involving Brother Davis and the others was just a dream?
"A plant-type Martial Soul. It looks a lot like Blue Silver Grass. Unfortunately, it's a trash soul. It won't be worth much even if sold."
"But her innate soul power is as high as level nine! She'll definitely fetch a good price. Lord Soul Master, please, you must look at this."
Hearing that Anna was a worthless "money-losing commodity," Anna's mother instantly grew frantic and hurriedly handed over a piece of paper. The black-robed man took a look, and his eyebrows arched.
"Oh? A certificate from Spirit Hall? This child's innate soul power really is level nine. In that case, she does have some value... How about this: I'm willing to buy the child for five hundred gold soul coins. It just depends on whether you're willing to sell?"
"Five hundred gold soul coins?" The couple's eyes lit up. Without a second thought, they said, "No problem, no problem! Lord Soul Master, please take her away!"
"Then it's settled!" With that, the man took out five hundred gold soul coins and handed them to Anna's parents. The moment they saw the gold, the couple's eyes shone, falling into a trance of greed.
As for Anna, at the black-robed man's command, two men behind him tied her up with rope and sent her onto a carriage to be transported to the auction house. As a mere child, Anna had no way to resist.
"Hehehe, five hundred gold soul coins. I didn't expect this little brat to be worth so much. With this much money, it's enough for us to live for several years."
"Haha, old woman, let's work hard tonight and try to have a few more. Who knows, maybe we'll be eating and drinking the best for the rest of our lives, hahaha!"
"Alright, I'll listen to you..."
Hearing her parents' loud laughter, Anna's heart trembled.
"I remember now! After they heard I awakened a Martial Soul and had level nine innate soul power, Mama and Papa wanted to send me to the auction house. This is what happened when I was little..."
"But why is it like this? Was that time spent with Brother Davis and the others really just me dreaming?"
(End of Chapter)