The Auntie Ability User

Muse's maintenance and upgrades to the King of the Abyss Battle Armor had produced terrifyingly potent results. Inside the armor, Yu Xian did not feel the slightest shockwave from the golden lion's roar. He even had the leisure to use his Star Ring to hack into Shui Yuetian's Star Ring; seeing no signs of activity in the room where she was held, he withdrew his connection. At that moment, the golden lion ended its roar and lunged forward at blinding speed, swiping a claw directly at Yu Xian. Yu Xian was sent flying, while four deep gouges instantly tore through the metal wall behind him before it shattered completely, ripping into the corridor beyond. Yu Xian paid no heed to the lion's attack, saying to Nora and the others, "I think there's a strong chance Shui Shui isn't on this warship. I'm afraid this really is just bait laid out by Zhi'er." "Are you a hundred percent certain?" Niman asked. Yu Xian sighed helplessly. "No. Better safe than sorry, so we still have to search the whole place. *Sigh*." "Big Brother, the big lion's coming again!" Little Nora, still watching the situation outside, urgently warned as she saw the golden lion charge forward. Yu Xian replied casually, "It's fine. It can't breach my defense. Even if the King of the Abyss Battle Armor doesn't boast the defense of a Mighty One, it likely has the defense of the Emptiness Realm. We're perfectly safe." His reasoning was simple: Muse was a creation born of a Mighty One's power, so the armor's defense should naturally be one tier lower, placing it at the Emptiness Realm. In truth, to say nothing of the Emptiness Realm, even with the defense of the Cosmos Rank, the golden lion would likely be incapable of breaking through. After all, every single rank brought an exponential surge in strength, with the figures growing increasingly absurd the higher one ascended. For instance, if early Star Rank combat power was rated at 100, then early Cosmos Rank combat power would be 100,000,000,000,000. The sheer magnitude of the gap between them was glaringly obvious. From this, it was easy to see just how formidable Niman had been in the past. Although she had currently fallen back to Star Rank, her foundation remained intact, and it was only a matter of time before she returned to Cosmos Rank. Moreover, as a former Creator God, leaving behind backup plans for herself had been all too simple. Her assortment of bizarre mushrooms alone was enough to ensure that anyone who underestimated her would meet a miserable end. Afterward, Yu Xian was batted back and forth like a ball by the golden lion. However, he ignored the beast entirely, suddenly remembering something: he had yet to test using the Power of True Self while merged with Nora. Mainly, he was simply more accustomed to relying on spatial bubbles. That ability was convenient and straightforward, versatile with minimal energy consumption, and handled as naturally as his own limbs. Anyone in his position would instinctively default to using it. To draw an analogy, Yu Xian was left-handed, with spatial bubbles being his left hand and his other abilities his right. Naturally, he would reach out with his left hand out of habit. Now, however, his left hand was locked away, leaving him no choice but to rely on his right. And the most nimble finger on that right hand was the Power of True Self. After all, it was the embodiment of his "self," completely seamless to wield. Whenever spatial bubbles were off the table, he instinctively turned to the Power of True Self. Curious, Yu Xian activated the ability. Instantly, he felt a ring materialize on the ring finger of his left hand, and knowledge of the ability granted by his fusion with Nora flooded his mind. When not merged, his bond power with Nora was called "Love-Flavored Candy," which produced sweets that allowed anyone who ate them to taste the sweetness of love. In their merged state, however, the power of freedom was called "Double Freedom." Its effect allowed him to designate any single ability and double its potency for one hour. "What a great ability!" Yu Xian couldn't help but smile, immediately sharing the details with Nora. He understood why this ability had taken form: Nora had never once wished to become a restraint upon him, but had always supported him quietly from behind. Whatever he chose to do, Nora granted him the utmost freedom—and thus, his freedom became double the freedom. "Then what about my bond with you?" Niman asked with curiosity after hearing Yu Xian's explanation to Nora. Yu Xian's ability was fascinating, taking shape entirely from the bonds between himself and others. Furthermore, these bonds were not restricted to contracted partners like them; even people he merely knew could forge a bond. Yet to attain the greatest freedom, only contracted partners could qualify. "No idea. Let me test it," Yu Xian said, shaking his head. Over this period, he and Niman had gotten along splendidly, having forged mutual trust and a genuine bond. He was quite curious to see what form his bond power with her would take. He activated the ability Freedom and Bonds. A small golden orb drifted out from his chest, transforming into a woman the moment it touched the ground. In appearance, the woman looked like a fusion of Zhenwo Changjing and Niman. Her brows and eyes bore the detachment of Zhenwo Changjing, yet the smile curving her lips closely resembled Niman's. The moment Yu Xian saw her, an awkward expression settled over his face, for he simultaneously learned the name of his bond with Niman. [Auntie Number Two]: Summons an energy entity whose capability is second only to Zhenwo Changjing. Once per day, she can answer three questions regarding information known to life-forms below Star Rank. Deep down, Yu Xian did harbor a subconscious impression of Niman as a surrogate for Zhenwo Changjing, but it was mostly just an intuitive feeling. He was well aware that Zhenwo Changjing was Zhenwo Changjing, and Niman was Niman; neither was a replacement for the other. Yet evidently, that underlying feeling had spawned this exact ability. Before Yu Xian could even speak to Auntie Number Two, the golden lion lunged out and swiped him aside with a paw. The beast then whipped its tail around, but Auntie Number Two did not budge in the slightest; instead, the golden lion's tail fractured with a sharp snap. Clearly, while Auntie Number Two lacked offensive capabilities, Yu Xian's impression of Zhenwo Changjing was so deeply ingrained that Auntie Number Two's defensive resilience was astonishingly formidable. Next, the golden lion let out a furious roar and attacked Auntie Number Two with manic ferocity, yet failed to break even her outer surface. Embedded in the wall several dozen meters away, Yu Xian looked at Auntie Number Two, completely unscathed beneath the golden lion's relentless assault, and could not help but sigh. He could never let anyone discover what this ability was actually called. Otherwise, he would surely be saddled with the moniker "Auntie Ability User" throughout Crescent Bay, and that was a title he definitely didn't want. "Yu Xian, is our bond really just summoning a woman who does nothing but take beatings without hitting back? That's way too bizarre," Niman commented to Yu Xian as she watched Auntie Number Two endure the onslaught. Looking at Auntie Number Two, Yu Xian explained, "This summon takes the form of an inquiry entity. Each day, she can answer three questions regarding knowledge known to life-forms below Star Rank." "Three pieces of knowledge below Star Rank? That sounds pretty useless," Little Nora chimed in with a critique. After all, once they merged, their combined strength came infinitely close to Li Rank; knowledge beneath Star Rank seemed to offer little practical value to them. Niman, however, pondered for a moment, her eyes lighting up. "Little Nora, you're mistaken. This ability of Yu Xian's is terrifyingly powerful." Terrifyingly powerful? How on earth was it terrifyingly powerful? A giant question mark instantly popped up over Little Nora's head.