Is this Nous?
Looking at the gigantic mechanical head before him, Muchen found it somewhat hard to believe. On the surface, this Martial Soul seemed completely unremarkable, resembling nothing more than a piece of abandoned machinery.
Yet a Martial Soul like this possessed an innate Spirit Power of rank twenty. In the end, Muchen could only attribute it to a mutated Martial Soul; only a mutation could possibly explain such a phenomenon.
"Heita, you must remember this!"
"You must never mention this innate rank twenty to anyone. If anyone asks, just tell them you consumed some heavenly treasures in your childhood that caused a beneficial mutation in your Martial Soul. Otherwise, you might attract malicious individuals."
Muchen's expression was exceptionally grave. Having attained a high position, he had witnessed plenty of internal struggles over the years and had even been personally involved in some.
Thus, he fully understood just how deep people's jealousy toward geniuses could run, to the extent that they might resort to extreme measures.
Moreover, if the major factions were to learn of Heita's situation, things would become increasingly difficult to handle. Although he was a Saint Craftsman, there remained a considerable gap between him and those Semi-God level powerhouses.
"I know." Heita now understood that if she wished to avoid being dragged into those conflicts, she had to appropriately conceal herself.
Once the time was ripe, she would astound everyone with a single brilliant feat!
Muchen nodded as well, but when his gaze shifted back to Nous, he immediately noticed that it lacked any Soul Rings.
"I happen to have some free time in a couple of days. I'll accompany you to the Spirit Pagoda to buy a couple of Spirit Spirits! After all, you're Muchen's daughter; I certainly can't have you buying cheap goods!"
"Then... thank you, uncle?"
"I'd be much happier if you called me dad, just like Xiao Xi does."
"Aren't you pushing your luck just a bit, uncle?"
Observing Heita's current demeanor, Muchen knew that his wife's approach had indeed been the right one—she had managed to win over this little girl in just a few short moves!
Meeting Muchen's gaze, Heita let out a disdainful "Hmph!"
Although her attitude was still somewhat prickly, at least their relationship had improved. That in itself was a harvest of sorts.
Yet that alone was far from enough!
"System, how can I increase the number of my avatars and enhance the power I can utilize?"
Deep within Heita's body, Yao Lan was communicating with her system. Her grasp of the abilities was still in its preliminary stages, and if she wished to increase her strength, she had to acquire greater power.
"Host, the system is currently adjusting the release of corresponding power based on the world's strength, and cannot temporarily increase the number of avatars. However, the host can transform others into their own avatars by infusing them with the power of an Aeon."
"Turn other people into avatars? Can it really do something like that?"
"It is possible, but the host must note that not everyone is suited to serve as an avatar. To transform someone into an avatar, one must use the power of an Aeon, yet the power of an Aeon is far too overwhelming for the people of this world."
"In other words, in this world, only beings who have touched upon the divine realm can barely withstand the power of an Aeon and become the host's avatar. Furthermore, they cannot offer any resistance during the transformation process."
"Then is this ability even useful?"
Yao Lan couldn't help feeling utterly speechless. What the system just said was completely indistinguishable from saying nothing at all!
Only those who had reached the divine realm could become avatars, and they couldn't resist—meaning it had to be completely voluntary? How could that possibly happen!
Almost everyone who came into contact with the divine realm was a Level 99 Limit Douluo equipped with Battle Armor Masters. Trying to turn them into avatars while ensuring they offered zero resistance was an infinite approach to the impossible.
"My current power is incomplete. Even though I've accepted the power of an Aeon, my rank is only twenty-five, the same as Heita's. How could I possibly defeat a Titled Douluo? Let alone someone tied to the divine realm? This is simply..."
"Wait!"
Her previously irritated tone abruptly halted as Yao Lan seemed to think of something. She asked, "System, let me ask you something. What if someone was once at the divine realm, but their strength subsequently dropped due to certain reasons, leaving them even injured and with incomplete power?"
"Could an existence like that serve as my avatar?" A certain silvery-white figure flashed through Yao Lan's mind. Among all the conditions the system had just stated, only she fit the criteria during the early period of The Legend of the Dragon King. If this condition could be met, Yao Lan would gain an unrivaled trump card.
"Of course."
The system's voice remained utterly devoid of emotion, yet upon hearing it, Yao Lan was filled with incomparable joy. If that was the case, her target was set!
"What about the power of the Aeon?"
While the avatar ability was certainly fascinating, the power of the Aeon was the fundamental core; Yao Lan had to acquire more of the Aeons' power.
"Host, the powers currently available to you are three: the Hunt and the Abundance on your main body, along with the Erudition Aeon Nous on the avatar Heita."
"Nous has already formed Heita's Martial Soul and cannot be adjusted. However, the Hunt and the Abundance on your main body can be swapped. After all, you were granted the power of three Aeons without being explicitly restricted to any specific three."
"As long as they haven't been used to form an avatar, the host's main body can change the power of the Aeon."
"Hiss—! Why didn't you mention something so important earlier?"
Since the Aeon's power could be adjusted, Yao Lan's operational flexibility instantly expanded dramatically!
Because of the traits of the Abundance, Yao Lan had practically no intention of replacing it—the reason was simple: it guaranteed self-preservation. As for the Hunt, Yao Lan initially thought its offensive might was formidable and could be used to counterattack while ensuring survival.
Yet several days had already passed, and Yao Lan hadn't encountered a single battle. After all, soul beasts were exceedingly rare in the current timeline, and now that she had become the daughter of the Saint Craftsman Muchen, those life-or-death struggles would likely become even scarcer.
"In that case, when the time comes, I'll swap the Hunt for the Permanence and turn her into an avatar!"
The Permanence, Long.
One of the oldest Aeons, hailed as the ancestor of all dragon-kind!
Regardless of the world, dragons were immensely powerful creatures, and the Douluo World was no exception. The current era was even titled "The Legend of the Dragon King," which clearly demonstrated the special status of dragons.
And the Permanence Long was undoubtedly an existence of a higher order than this world—a conceptual-grade dragon. Infusing this being's power into a descendant of dragons would undoubtedly forge an incomparably powerful avatar!
"Heh-heh... Hahahaha!"
At the mere thought of this, Yao Lan could no longer hold back. The Heita avatar outside even let out a laugh, though it abruptly cut off before long.
"System, I just accidentally switched to the power of Elation, right?"
"Host, you did not. You were simply having a sudden episode of mental wandering."
"Why don't you understand how to interact with people, System?"
"First of all, the System is not a human and does not need to learn how to interact with people. Second, the System does not lie; you were simply having a sudden episode of mental wandering."
"You really are honest..."