Chapter 66: My Superpower Is… Way Too Much Water!

Ling Xiaoyou felt like her face was full of ‘cute dumb’, as if a big question mark was floating above her little head.

Wait, what do you mean all the water here was drunk by me?!

Ling Xiaoyou instinctively lowered her little head, looking at her flat little belly.

I don’t think my stomach got any bigger—doesn’t look like someone who drank that much water.

“This ‘drank’ isn’t the same as that ‘drank’.”

Seeing Ling Xiaoyou’s confused and adorable look, Hong Lingyan cleared her throat and explained,

“I mean, all the Essence of the Nether Spring I refined has been completely absorbed by you.”

“That’s why it’s all disappeared now.”

“Oh, I see.”

Hearing this, Ling Xiaoyou clapped her small hands, her face full of sudden understanding.

I knew it, I don’t look like someone who’d dream about drinking so much water.

If it was absorbed by myself, that makes much more sense.

Then, Hong Lingyan repeated the explanation she’d given earlier while Ling Xiaoyou was unconscious, and Ling Xiaoyou became even more enlightened, fully understanding everything.

“Then after absorbing so much Essence of the Nether Spring, I should be at the Soul Gathering Stage now, right, Sister Ling?”

Ling Xiaoyou tilted her little head and asked.

“That’s right.”

Hong Lingyan nodded.

“Xiaoyou, if you calm your mind and sense carefully, you’ll understand.”

Ling Xiaoyou did as she was told.

Immediately, she felt all her attributes—strength, speed, constitution, spirit—had been greatly enhanced.

She quickly opened the System Panel and looked at her Attribute Bar:

Strength: 11

Speed: 21

Constitution: 9

Spirit: 13

Hiss! They increased so much.

Except for constitution, everything else has broken through single digits and reached double digits.

Ling Xiaoyou’s most outstanding speed had even reached 21!

What does that even mean?

When she fought a Devil before, her speed was 9 points, and even then, she could make the Devil spin in circles.

Now her speed is 21, 12 points more than before—2 points from completing tasks, and another 10 added after promotion.

This attribute isn’t just a simple doubling.

In actual use, Ling Xiaoyou’s speed is several times faster than before!

To give an example, with 9 points, the Devil could barely catch a glimpse of Ling Xiaoyou.

But now, Ling Xiaoyou could stab the Devil a dozen times before it even realized she’d vanished!

Ling Xiaoyou is that outrageous now!

And it’s not just speed—other aspects have also improved greatly!

It’s just that Ling Xiaoyou doesn’t often use those attributes, so she doesn’t feel the improvements as clearly as she does with speed.

Now, I’m strong!

At least if I run into Devils like before, even without any outside help, I could easily defeat several of them!

“Xiaoyou, if you were in another small place, you’d already be considered a powerful figure!”

Seeing Ling Xiaoyou’s delighted expression, Hong Lingyan chuckled.

“Eh, really?!”

Hearing this, Ling Xiaoyou became even more excited.

Hmm hmm hmm, I’m so strong now.

It won’t be long before I can defeat Bai Shuanglian!

Ling Xiaoyou’s fighting spirit burned.

“After advancing to the Soul Gathering Stage, it’s not just your combat abilities that improve, Xiaoyou.”

Hong Lingyan reminded her, pointing at Ling Xiaoyou’s forehead.

“Have you noticed anything different about yourself?”

“Different?”

Ling Xiaoyou blinked, instinctively touching her forehead.

Then, she suddenly realized something.

I’m a Ghost!

How could I possibly sweat?!

But when I woke up, there was cold sweat all over my forehead!

Seeing Ling Xiaoyou’s stunned expression, Hong Lingyan smiled.

“That’s right. At the Soul Gathering Stage, you’re more ‘alive’ than in the Condensation Stage.”

Just as Hong Lingyan said, after being reminded, Ling Xiaoyou carefully observed the details of her body and noticed even more differences.

Her soul body felt much more solid.

If it had been vague and illusory before, now she was no different from an ordinary person.

Not only that, Ling Xiaoyou could clearly feel her heartbeat, pulse, the flow of blood, and more.

Of course, having these signs of ‘vitality’ didn’t mean she gained those weaknesses.

If she wanted, she could easily return to her old ‘Ghost’ state.

In fact, these signs of ‘vitality’ seemed more like subconscious simulations—making herself seem more like a living person rather than a departed soul.

Ling Xiaoyou looked at her small hand, feeling even her skin had become much more ‘alive’—whiter and more delicate, no longer deathly pale.

“This is the Soul Gathering Stage.”

As Ling Xiaoyou examined her changes, Hong Lingyan explained:

“In the Ghost Cultivation Nine Realms, the first realm, Wandering Shade Stage, is just a drifting, intelligent, illusory form.

It has a form, but can’t feel anything.

Hunger, fatigue, desire, joy, sorrow, anger—all of it means nothing.”

“This is the most painful time for a soul, because they were once human and once had all those joys, but have lost them.”

“They can’t even remember what pain feels like.”

Ling Xiaoyou nodded in understanding.

She’d experienced this realm herself.

When she first came to this world and became a Ghost, for a long time she was in that state—only able to think, but feeling nothing.

She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but looking back now, it was a very difficult period.

“The second realm, Condensation Stage, is the realm you were in not long ago, Xiaoyou.”

Hong Lingyan continued.

“At this point, the soul regains emotion and most senses, and the illusory soul begins to transform toward physical form.”

She looked at Ling Xiaoyou and smiled.

“I don’t need to explain much about this realm, do I? You’ve probably felt a lot in it.”

Ling Xiaoyou nodded.

The Condensation Stage was very much like being human, but she could clearly feel that she was no longer the same creature as a living person.

“And the third realm, Soul Gathering Stage,”

Hong Lingyan pointed at Ling Xiaoyou’s chest.

“is when vitality starts to return, lost senses are regained, and the soul body begins its journey toward wholeness.”

“Oh oh oh!! That sounds amazing!”

Ling Xiaoyou was excited.

Hong Lingyan smiled.

“I won’t say more—some things you have to experience yourself to truly understand.”

“In short, your soul body is gradually regaining vitality, all your abilities have greatly improved, your spirit power is several times stronger, and even sunlight can’t harm you now.”

She paused, looking at Ling Xiaoyou.

“And because you absorbed the Nether Spring Ghost Crystal, Xiaoyou, you’ve gained a new innate ability!”

“A new innate ability! What is it!”

Ling Xiaoyou was thrilled.

Her Ghost abilities like Intangibility and Floating were already super useful!

What ability would she get from absorbing a Ghost Crystal?!

“It’s…”

Hong Lingyan stretched out the sound, and under Ling Xiaoyou’s expectant gaze, said slowly:

“There’s especially a lot of water!”

Ling Xiaoyou: ???