Chapter 21 : Unique ability Extravaganza

As the sword of judgment was about to fall on Li Liang’s head, there was a blur, and a big figure appeared beside Li Liang, grabbing the sword with his bare hands shining with Qi. The scene was almost surreal—like one of those dramatic moments in the cultivation novels I used to read. Ning Jian’s hand was covered in a radiant aura of Qi, stopping Ning Rong’s sword inches from Li Liang’s unconscious body.

“Father!” Ning Rong gasped, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of frustration. “Why are you stopping me? He caused this mess!”

Ning Jian’s expression was calm but stern as he held the blade effortlessly, his Qi glowing brighter than ever. “Rong, calm down. This wasn’t deliberate.”

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Rong, let’s hear him out. There might be more to this than we realize.”

Ning Rong looked at me, her eyes flashing with irritation, but she reluctantly pulled her sword back. “Fine. Explain.”

Ning Jian carefully released the sword and turned his attention to Li Liang’s unconscious form. “Li Liang didn’t cause the explosion on purpose. It was an unconscious reaction of his body due to his intense emotions at that moment. It’s his unique ability.”

“What do you mean, unique ability?” Ning Rong asked, still fuming.

Ning Jian sighed, brushing off his hands. “Li Liang has a rare ability that activates when he’s extremely angry or feels like his life is threatened. Normally, only people with mid-level concepts in their physiques have unique abilities. But sometimes, people like Li Liang, who have low-level concepts in their physiques, can develop these abilities too. They’re just…weird or hard to control.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. “So, you’re saying Li Liang has a ability that goes off like a firecracker when he’s upset?”

Ning Jian nodded. “Exactly. His ability is unpredictable and dangerous, but it’s not his fault. He can’t control it.”

Ning Rong’s anger seemed to deflate, replaced by confusion and concern. “But why didn’t anyone tell us about this before?”

“Well,” I said, trying to lighten the mood, “maybe he didn’t want to advertise his explosive temper. Can you imagine how awkward that conversation would be? ‘Hey, by the way, I might blow up if I get too mad.’”

Ning Rong’s lips twitched, and I saw a hint of a smile. “You’re right. That would be pretty awkward.”

Wang Mei, who had been standing nearby, finally spoke up. “ They are very rare. Li Liang have gone through a lot, dealing with something like this, I had no idea it will turn out like this.”

Lu Jing nodded in agreement. “It is terrifying for him, knowing he could hurt others without meaning to.”

As we all stood there, the tension began to dissipate. Ning Jian’s calm explanation and our shared understanding seemed to bring some clarity to the situation.

“Well, since we’re all here, maybe we should focus on helping Li Liang rather than attacking him,” I suggested. “He needs our support, not our judgment.”

Ning Rong sighed, sheathing her sword. “You’re right, Feng. I was just so angry and scared. I didn’t think.”

“It’s understandable,” Ning Jian said gently. “We all need to be more aware of each other’s abilities. This is a learning moment for all of you.”

As the adrenaline faded, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief wash over me. Despite the chaos and confusion, we had managed to find a solution.

“So, what now?” I asked, looking around at the others. “How do we help Li Liang?”

Ning Jian looked thoughtful. “First, we need to get him to a healer and make sure he’s okay. Then, we can work on finding a way to help him control his ability.”

“I’ll take him to the healer,” Wang Mei offered, stepping forward.

Lu Jing nodded. “I’ll assist you. We can’t let him go through this alone.”

“Thanks, you two,” Ning Jian said with a grateful nod. “Little girl you sure have your mother's temper.”

"Oh , What do you mean by that?" Ning Lian gave him a look and her seems to back away.

"Don't woory about Li Liang I will heal him , i am one of the best on Seven great islands" Ning Lian said as she carried

Li Liang away .

"she will take care of it " Ning Jian reassured the two other kids.

As we moved to secure the area, I couldn’t help but think about how bizarrely eventful this day had been. From nearly getting roasted by an unexpected explosion to uncovering a hidden ability in Li Liang, it felt like I was living in one of those wild cultivation novels I used to read. I glanced at Ning Rong, who seemed lost in thought.

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“You okay, Rong?” I asked, nudging her lightly.

She sighed. “Yeah, just processing everything. .”

“I know, right? Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, life throws you a curveball. Or, in this case, a fireball,” I said, trying to inject some humor into the situation.

Ning Rong managed a small smile. “You always find a way to make light of things, don’t you?”

“It’s a gift,” I replied with a wink.

All of us started to clean up the mess they caused in the training ground , well mainly by the explosion that was a very powerful ability , according to what I sensed he basically completely drained all of his Qi instantly and released it in form of a explosion, another wild MC candidate appears , Damn these MC keeps on popping up like Pokemon.

I need to make some preparations , just in case and that once in a decade competetion between 15 clans is also approaching.

As we finished up, Ning Jian approached us. “Everything’s under control here. Let’s check on Li Liang and see how he’s doing.”

We made our way to the healer’s quarters, where Ning Lian were tending to Li Liang. He was still unconscious, but his breathing was steady, and his color was returning to normal.

“How is he?” I asked, peering at Li Liang’s peaceful face.

Wang Mei looked up and smiled. “He’ll be fine. Just needs some rest. The healer says he’s lucky he didn’t suffer any serious injuries.”

“That’s a relief,” Ning Rong said, visibly relaxing.

We all stood there for a moment, taking in the scene.

“Let’s make sure he is prepared for situations like these in future,” Ning Jian said, his voice firm and resolute. “He has got a lot to learn and a lot to do, but I have faith in him.”

“Alright, everyone,” I said with a mischievous grin. “Let’s get back to training.”

“What did you to him when you both were fighting , why did he suddenly stop and looked as if he had seen a ghost or something.” Lu Jing said to Ning Rong.

“That’s a secret “ she said as me and her started to go to our regular spot on the beach .

“Rong your ability to put people in soul related illusion have transformed into something truly terrifying “ I praised.

"Yeah, you have no idea how much it has improved, but it does have some drawbacks," Ning Rong said, trying to sound humble, though her smugness shone through like a beacon.

"Is that so?" I replied, my face the picture of innocence. "Does your ability have a range of 12 to 15 meters? Do you have to keep the target within your line of sight? For how long, I can't really estimate."

Her mouth fell agape. "What? H-How did you know? I never mentioned this ability to you for a reason; it was supposed to be my trump card against you. How can you infer so many things from a single fight, you damn weirdo?" She gave me a not-so-light backhanded punch on the chest.

"Why do you have to hit me every single time? You're a body-tempering cultivator now. Even a glancing blow like that is heavy, you know." I coughed, trying to catch my breath.

"As for that ability, if you had used it in our previous battle, there’s more than a fifty percent chance you would have won. But there was only a single time you would have been able to use it against me with all those restrictions—or let's say, use conditions—at the last moment. When I had caught you in the Grade 2 binding formation while using my Qi swords as nodes, you were only a meter away from me and I was directly in your line of sight." I explained, feeling a bit proud of my deduction skills.

Ning Rong pouted, crossing her arms. "You're impossible, Feng. Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself."

"Hey, it’s all part of being a genius," I said, flashing a cheeky grin.

"Oh please, spare me the self-praise," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "But seriously, it’s creepy how accurate you are."

"What can I say? It's a gift." I winked at her, enjoying our banter.

After a moment, Ning Rong's expression turned serious. "Feng, I've been thinking about Li Liang's ability. Why wasn’t he able to control it? Is it really that unpredictable?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it’s complicated. People with low-level concepts in their physiques rarely have abilities. For those that do, their control over their abilities is usually unstable because even though they were somehow lucky enough to be born with it, their bodies don't have the right physique to hold them. There’s a reason only people with mid-level concepts are born with these unique abilities."

Ning Rong furrowed her brow. "So, what happens to people like Li Liang?"

"Well, normally, people like him are considered lucky because once they completely comprehend the concept to the highest degree—that’s the same condition for someone to enter the Core Formation realm—they can control the ability. It’s like their bodies finally catch up to their potential." I shrugged. "But until then, it’s like trying to ride a wild horse without a saddle."

"And the reason why unique abilities are so highly regarded," I continued, warming to the subject. "They grow along with the cultivator. The stronger you get, the stronger and more refined your ability becomes. It’s like having a personal cheat code for life.

instead being bound to a level such as human, earth , heaven or immortal grade like a normal technique , it will evolve as your cultivation level goes up. "

Ning Rong laughed. "A cheat code, huh? Leave it to you to put it in terms no would would understand."

"Hey, you know me. I'm just translating cultivation speak into something relatable." I grinned. "But seriously, it’s a tough break for Li Liang. He’s got this incredible power but can’t control it. It’s like winning the lottery but losing the ticket."

Ning Rong nodded thoughtfully. "I guess I never thought about it that way. It must be a headache for him ."

"Exactly," I agreed. "He’s got to work twice as hard to get to the point where he can control it. But once he does, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with."

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of our earlier banter and serious discussion settling into a mutual understanding.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "are you going to use that trump card against me next time, or have I ruined your plans?"

Ning Rong grinned mischievously. "Oh, I’ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Don’t think you’ve seen the last of my surprises."

"I wouldn’t expect anything less," I said, chuckling. "Just try not to blow me up, okay?"

"No promises," she replied with a laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“But the soul ability of yours is better kept for sneak attacks as elusive concepts like the soul concept give abilities which are almost impossible to counter if you don’t know about their specifics.”

……..

Ning Jian and Ning Lian were sitting together in healing quarters where Li Liang lay sprawled on the bed.

“ There is something weird going on in the world, every powerful clan , empire and sects are producing geniuses akin to the golden age of cultivation, people with mid level concepts which were rare enough that not even a single one entered the top sects in a three or four decades are now appearing every decade .

Then there is someone like my own daughter born with two mid level concepts one of them being the elusive soul concept.” Ning Jian said worry evident on his face.

“Reports from the clan suggest that a meeting is going to happen between the top sects and empires regarding something important , we should keep our guard up but I don’t think it will have anything to do with us , we are too far away from such things in our islands” . Ning Lian said trying to calm his mind.

“Let’s hope you are right .” Ning Jian said .