Feng Xiaotian possessed a mutated spirit and the rare talent of innate full soul power.
By his age, he should have long reached the rank of Soul King. However, he had poured too much time and energy into developing a self-created soul skill, which led to a significant delay in his cultivation progress—a decision that was arguably not worth the trade-off.
While developing personal soul techniques isn't inherently wrong, it's usually something Soul Sages (Soul Saints) focus on when their cultivation slows down. But for Feng Xiaotian to focus on such things in his early twenties, during the most crucial phase of rapid growth, was short-sighted and a missed opportunity.
Take Shui Bing'er from the Tianshui Team of the Five Element Academies, for example—also born with innate full soul power. At sixteen, she was already a Level 44 Soul Ancestor. Feng Xiaotian, despite being five to six years older, was also at Level 44.
Early-stage soul masters should focus on increasing soul power above all.
If Zhu Zhuqing had attempted the same, her teacher Lin Fan would've smacked her twice out of frustration.
"Face me with the trump card you've been hiding for over a month, or you won't get the chance to use it," Lin Fan said coolly, gripping the Sword of Slaughter.
He disliked it when opponents dragged out battles, wasting time on probing attacks like basic first and second skills.
"Against someone in a higher realm, probing is pointless," Lin Fan thought.
"We've reached this stage in the tournament. To fight a Soul King, I'll unleash a technique I've never used since the preliminaries began. I hope you're ready to receive it." Feng Xiaotian's eyes gleamed with determination as his aura erupted with sharp intensity. With the third soul ring glowing—a thousand-year one—his momentum peaked.
"Third Soul Skill: Gale Twin Wings!"
A pair of emerald green wings appeared on his back, flapping to keep him aloft in mid-air.
"Interesting. Come then. I hope your offense is as fierce as your aura." Lin Fan stood calmly with sword in hand.
"I'll now unleash my self-created soul skill: Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slashes. Prepare yourself!" Without delay, his twin wings stirred up a fierce gale as he dashed toward Lin Fan.
Feng Xiaotian's speed rivaled even Zhu Zhuqing's.
In a flash, the twin wings sliced down like razor blades.
"Sword Soul Eternal Halo!" Lin Fan didn't move. He activated his defensive soul skill, allowing Feng Xiaotian to strike freely.
When the first blow failed to penetrate the aura shield, Feng didn't flinch—he simply adjusted and kept slashing.
"One strike… two strikes… three strikes…" he muttered, counting each attack.
From the sidelines, Zhu Zhuqing frowned. "I thought Feng Xiaotian was from the Power Attack system. Why is he so fast—almost like me?"
Teacher Qin Ming explained, "His mutated spirit is primarily Power Attack but infused with Agility-Attack traits. And this soul skill he's using isn't naturally given by his soul rings—it's self-created, refined over time. That makes it more practical and potentially more powerful than normal skills."
Yu Xiaogang nodded. "That's right. Judging by his ability to create such a technique, I'd say Feng Xiaotian is innately full of soul power and extremely intelligent."
Dai Mubai sighed, "No wonder the Five Element Academies are so powerful. Every team captain is formidable. I must admit—Feng Xiaotian and Yu Tianxin are both stronger than I."
Ning Rongrong added, "Good thing we have Lin Xuan on our team. Without him, we wouldn't have even made it through the preliminaries."
Ma Hongjun grinned, "Like I said—who dares call themselves invincible in this tournament? Only our Lin Xuan bro!"
Tang San thought to himself, Facing such a fierce barrage, Lin Xuan remains unmoved. Feng Xiaotian is powerful, but Lin Fan is stronger. So this is the true strength of a Soul King?
He also noticed that Feng Xiaotian's self-created technique is similar to the Tang Sect's Random Cloak Hammer Technique—each strike more powerful than the last.
Tang San had the Xuan Tian Record, but this reminded him that the Douluo Continent was filled with prodigies no less talented than he was.
"Why isn't Lin Xuan countering?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled.
"Maybe he's waiting to counter at the peak of Feng Xiaotian's assault," Tang San replied calmly.
Just then, Flender adjusted his glasses and said gravely, "Not good!"
"What is it, Headmaster?" asked Dai Mubai.
"Look," Flender explained, "Feng Xiaotian's Thirty-Six Slash builds power with each blow, leveraging force to multiply speed and strength. If he completes all 36, Lin Xuan might not be able to hold it."
Oscar was shocked. "The attacks stack?!"
"Don't worry," Yu Xiaogang interrupted. "If Lin Xuan hasn't used another soul skill yet, it means he's confident. And his defensive aura doesn't show a single crack."
Meanwhile, Feng Xiaotian had reached his 20th slash. Although confused that Lin Xuan wasn't retaliating, he didn't dare stop his assault.
What Feng Xiaotian didn't know was that Sword Soul Eternal Halo had a special feature: it could absorb and reflect damage. The more damage it received, the stronger the rebound.
So by completing the Thirty-Six Slashes, Feng Xiaotian was digging his own grave.
Lin Fan, calm and composed, wasn't even using Soul Emperor-level power. Yet as a Titled Douluo in disguise, with enhancements from nine soul rings and ten-thousand-year defenses, his baseline power far exceeded a Soul King's.
Even a Soul Sage would have trouble breaking through that defense, let alone Feng Xiaotian.
Ning Fengzhi frowned. "Strange… can a mere Soul King be this unshakable? Something's off."
He couldn't identify what exactly was wrong, but in his experience, no Soul King should be able to remain unscathed under such relentless attacks.
Especially when this was just a hundred-year-level defense skill.
"Thirty-sixth Slash!" Feng Xiaotian shouted, panting heavily. He brought both wings together in a vertical chop aimed at Lin Fan.
"You're finally done? I was almost asleep," Lin Fan yawned internally.
"Break!" he said quietly.
Suddenly, all of Feng Xiaotian's accumulated damage rebounded back at him.
He was jolted violently, blood at the corner of his lips, and flung backward.
And then—thirty-six wind blades, identical to his own, turned and slashed toward him.
"Damn! No wonder I couldn't break his defense—he was absorbing and reflecting all of it!" Feng Xiaotian's heart sank as the incoming blades looked all too familiar.
He quickly realized: Those are my attacks—reflected!
"Second Soul Skill: Twin Wolf Form! First Soul Skill: Wind Blade Array!" Feng Xiaotian quickly unleashed other soul skills to block the incoming storm of his own making.