On a vast, empty stone platform in the Xuanming Sect, an extremely unusual scene was unfolding:
Xu Tianxi, who didn't even have a single Soul Ring, was swinging his fists, his body as agile as a leopard, chasing down Xu Sanshi, who was already a Level 24 Great Soul Master. He was beating Xu Sanshi so badly that the latter was howling.
Xu Xiaoyun had lived for over two hundred years, yet he had never witnessed such a sight. Fortunately, his eyesight was extraordinary, and a quick glance revealed the crux of the matter—
Xu Tianxi had consumed a powerful tonic and had outside support, while Xu Sanshi's strength was restricted. He never used his Soul Skills, instead relying on his Profound Tortoise Shell Shield, which lacked water elements, to withstand the blows.
Below the platform, Yue Lao's feet pulsed with six Soul Rings—one white, two yellow, two purple, and one black. He was manipulating an extremely rare healing Soul Guided Device. Whenever Xu Tianxi's fists, striking the Profound Tortoise Shell Shield, started to bleed, the healing Soul Guided Device would emit green light to heal him.
With a Soul Emperor providing support from outside, Xu Tianxi naturally fought however he pleased, without worrying about his Soul Power depleting.
Xu Sanshi's Martial Soul was countered, allowing him to unleash only about fifty to sixty percent of his power. This disparity created the peculiar scene before them.
From the looks of it, the two had been fighting for a long time. Xu Sanshi's Soul Power was almost exhausted, while Xu Tianxi was still full of vigor, which was why he was begging for mercy.
But…
"Even so, Sanshi has absorbed two Soul Rings after all, and his body has been nourished by Soul Power. His physical conditioning is definitely not something Tianxi can match. What powerful tonic did Tianxi eat to be able to fight him? And to be so energetic?"
Xu Xiaoyun muttered to himself, his steps light as he ghosted behind Xu Fu and Yue Lao. He spoke quietly, "What have you all been doing while I was away?"
Xu Fu, sweat beading on his forehead, flinched. He turned around, smiling apologetically, and waved his hand. "Nothing, nothing, we just gave Tianxi some highly nourishing marine treasures."
Yue Lao bowed his head respectfully and reported truthfully:
"To answer Ancestor Xu, your servant followed the son-in-law's request and had someone stew a pot of soup with several tonics, including Millennium Whale Glue. Not long after the young master drank it, he felt his whole body become hot and his strength surge. The son-in-law felt the young master needed to release his energy, so he called for the second young master to engage in close combat with the young master."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoyun's gaze towards Xu Fu immediately turned unfriendly:
"Millennium Whale Glue? Isn't that powerful tonic forbidden for disciples of our sect under the age of fifteen? Young Xu Fu~ what is the meaning of this?"
A high-quality piece of Millennium Whale Glue could significantly improve a Soul Master's physical conditioning and extend their Soul Ring absorption limit by about five hundred years. However, its aphrodisiac effects were extremely potent. Disciples of the Xuanming Sect had to maintain a pure yang body before their Martial Soul's Second Awakening.
Leaving aside whether Xu Tianxi could even handle such a potent substance, his primary cultivation was a Spiritual Soul Master's Body Martial Soul. The first priority for absorbing a Soul Ring was whether his Sea of Spirit could withstand the spiritual impact, not whether his physical strength met the requirements.
This was simply preposterous!
Xu Fu's face twitched as he meekly replied under Xu Xiaoyun's stern gaze, "Great-Ancestor, wasn't I just thinking of giving the child something good to eat?
So I boiled the piece of Millennium Whale Glue I got from the seaside a few days ago for Tianxi to eat. You see, nothing bad happened, right?"
"He's been fighting Sanshi for almost two hours, and his spirit is still vibrant. He's even getting stronger as he fights, it's like he's been reborn!
I even sensed that his Spiritual Power increased somewhat during the fight, which means the effects of those tonics are also spreading…"
Xu Xiaoyun's gaze turned scrutinizing again. He saw Xu Tianxi on the stone platform transform into a berserker, throwing left hooks and right hooks one after another at the Profound Tortoise Shell Shield, forcing Xu Sanshi to retreat repeatedly, his tiger's mouth cracking.
At this moment, Yue Lao's role came into play again. A beam of green healing light shot out, and Xu Sanshi's tiger's mouth injury immediately recovered.
Then he was ready to face new blows in better condition!
"Clang! Clang!"
After knocking Xu Sanshi back three steps with two punches, Xu Tianxi shouted loudly with a serious expression, "Second Brother, for us Defense Type Soul Masters, the most important things are strong endurance and willpower!"
"Only by enduring your opponent's attacks again and again can you find an opportunity to counterattack. You have to hold on!"
"Tianxi, I find you're even more of a smart-mouth than that scoundrel Beibei. It's easy for you to talk when you can't use Soul Skills right now and are only taking hits! Oh, my goodness, here comes another punch…"
Xu Sanshi, who had been pulled out of bed early in the morning to act as a human shield for nearly two hours, was already aching all over. Hearing this, he became even more infuriated and grumbled his displeasure.
If he hadn't been forbidden from using his Soul Skills, he would have stunned the other party with a Profound Tortoise Tremor long ago. Why would he be suffering like this?
Unable to use his Soul Skills, his combat effectiveness as a Great Soul Master was not much different from that of an ordinary adult soldier. Facing Xu Tianxi, who was like a tiger, he was merely a living target.
Xu Tianxi didn't care about anything else. He only knew that he could barely feel any pain now. Every punch he threw felt incredibly satisfying, making his blood boil. His opponent was Xu Sanshi, so there was no need to worry about safety.
Since that was the case, what was there to hesitate about? Just punch away!
Amidst flickering shadows, Xu Tianxi's eyes were sharp as knives, his gaze like lightning, exuding a captivating aggressiveness. His fists struck out mercilessly, occasionally finding an opportunity for a few penetrating kicks.
Anyone who didn't know him would never think he was a Spiritual Soul Master; they would assume he was a pure Assault Type Soul Master!
"Looking at it this way, there seems to be no problem. No matter how powerful the medicine, it just needs to be used up."
After observing the scene of Xu Sanshi and Xu Tianxi, brothers friendly and respectful, enthusiastically exchanging blows for a while, this thought quietly arose in Xu Xiaoyun's mind. He couldn't help but nod, his eyes gleaming, a smile playing on his lips.
Xu Fu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this. He leaned closer, presenting his discovery as if it were a treasure:
"Great-Ancestor, you wouldn't believe it, but last night, while Tianxi was resting, the crescent moon mark on his forehead actually absorbed moonlight on its own. It projected a moon shadow in mid-air, a fusion of Spiritual Power and Soul Power.
I observed it carefully for a long time and confirmed that these are signs of cultivation for a Star-type Martial Soul. After that night, Tianxi's Spiritual Power showed a noticeable increase."
"What did you say? Absorbing moonlight to cultivate Spiritual Power?" Xu Xiaoyun abruptly turned his head, his gaze intensely fixed on Xu Fu.
"Indeed, I observed it all night. There's no mistake," Xu Fu responded confidently.
"That's truly wonderful…"
Xu Xiaoyun's gaze refocused on Xu Tianxi, his eyes almost smiling.
Surprises were rare, but this year there were especially many.
He had thought that Xu Sanshi, with his strong Black Tortoise Bloodline, was already the most outstanding genius of the Xuanming Sect in this generation. He never expected his younger brother to be even more formidable!
"Hmm… Looking at Tianxi now, he might even be able to try absorbing a Millennium Soul Ring. The Evil Eye I caught is a bit younger, but its quality is high enough. It might be hard to find a more suitable one."
"Heh~ Ha!"
On the stone platform, Xu Tianxi recalled a video he'd seen in his previous life on a certain website. A powerful 'Progressive Collapsing Fist' landed squarely on the corner of Xu Sanshi's shield, sending the latter flying backward like a kite with a snapped string. Unable to absorb the force, he tumbled to the ground.
Xu Tianxi immediately seized the advantage, rushing forward to grapple with Xu Sanshi. After roughly fifteen minutes of intense struggle, he finally achieved a small victory over a larger opponent, forcing Xu Sanshi's Martial Soul to retract and rendering him incapacitated.
The battle ended with Level 10 Soul Scholar Xu Tianxi successfully defeating Level 24 Great Soul Master Xu Sanshi, who had no Soul Skills!
"Oh~ Tianxi, your comprehension is quite remarkable! You've been fighting for two hours, and you've come up with a suitable technique for exerting force?"
Xu Tianxi's every move was observed by the three people watching from below. Xu Xiaoyun's eyes lit up again. This little great-grandson of mine truly is a genius, he thought.
"Heh heh, the Body Sect always says their Body Martial Souls possess various profound mysteries, extraordinary comprehension, and unparalleled combat techniques. Tianxi has been fighting for so long; it's not surprising he came up with a small technique."
Xu Fu said with a chuckle. Compared to Xu Tianxi absorbing moonlight to cultivate Spiritual Power last night, this was hardly worth mentioning.
"Indeed. And with Tianxi's current momentum, it's the perfect time to absorb his first Soul Ring."
Xu Xiaoyun knew that the Body Sect's combat techniques were considered the best on the continent, all inherited from past Body Martial Soul powerhouses. He didn't dwell on it, instead waving his hand and sending out two streams of Soul Power that gently caught the two sweating brothers.
"Phew~ Ancestor, you finally came to rescue me! If you hadn't come any sooner, your grandson would have died of exhaustion..."
Upon seeing Xu Xiaoyun, Xu Sanshi felt like the clouds had parted to reveal the sun. He excitedly rushed forward and clung to Xu Xiaoyun's leg.
It had been two hours. Who could possibly know what he'd gone through in those two hours? Xu Tianxi was practically an animal!
That guy clearly awakened the Profound... Wait, no, what Martial Soul did he awaken again? Why couldn't he remember clearly? It should have been the Profound Tortoise.
Xu Sanshi was about to complain to Xu Xiaoyun, asking why Xu Tianxi, also a Defense Type Soul Master, could consume such powerful tonics and become so strong. But then he saw Xu Xiaoyun wave a hand, and a massive spherical creature plopped down out of thin air onto the ground.
Xu Sanshi stared intently, startled by its unique appearance. It was a large, silvery-white eyeball with two tentacles!
"Is this an Evil Eye Soul Beast from the Sun Moon Empire? Ancestor, what did you get this thing for?"
"Naturally, it's for your third brother's Soul Ring."
Xu Xiaoyun replied casually, then beckoned to Xu Tianxi, pointing at the unconscious large eyeball. He said with a benevolent expression:
"Tianxi, this is a pure spiritual Evil Eye that Grandmaster found in the Evil Forest. It possesses the pure bloodline of the Evil Emperor and is a top-grade Evil Eye, over six hundred years old."
"Your Spiritual Power is inherently stronger than some Great Soul Masters. From my estimation, you should have no problem withstanding the resentment impact after its death. The only concern was your physical strength, but now I don't need to worry. Just kill it directly."
"The Evil Eye lineage has many innate abilities, each a top-grade Spiritual Soul Skill. There's nothing more suitable for you."
"Alright, Tianxi thanks Grandmaster."
Xu Tianxi's eyes lit up as he bowed, then pulled out a high-quality Level 6 melee Soul Guided Device, a large saber, and sliced the Evil Eye in half.
A Level 6 Soul Guided Device truly lived up to its name; its destructive power was astonishing, instantly extinguishing the Evil Eye's life force.
The large eyeball, now in two halves, struggled for a few moments before going still. Silver-white Spiritual Power light points ascended from the eyeball, and a rich, bright yellow aura condensed around the corpse, forming a brilliant deep yellow Soul Ring.
The inner circle of the Soul Ring shimmered with silver-white light points, exuding an air of nobility, signifying the Evil Eye's exalted status within its clan during its lifetime.
"Sit down, calm your mind, then try to sense it with your Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes. Circulate your Soul Power to draw this Soul Ring onto yourself. Persevere and withstand the pressure."
Xu Xiaoyun repeatedly admonished, his gaze incredibly serious. Black light swirled in his palm, ready to act at any moment.
"Understood."
Xu Tianxi responded with his head held high, then sat cross-legged. He waved his hand, summoning the truly excellent spiritual Soul Ring, and slowly closed his eyes.
My first Soul Ring? Let me experience what it feels like to absorb a Soul Ring, Xu Tianxi thought with some anticipation.
CRASH—
The Evil Eye Soul Ring descended, and a surge of insane and resentful spiritual energy immediately rushed into Xu Tianxi through his Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes. Like floodgates opening, it uncontrollably began to rage and assault him.
The immense spiritual fluctuation made Xu Tianxi let out a low groan, his brows furrowing, and his body tensing up.
The Evil Eye's Soul Power impact couldn't significantly affect his body, but the Spiritual Power impact was truly difficult to bear.
Xu Xiaoyun, standing nearby, subtly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could withstand this most violent initial impact, the rest would be much easier. Tianxi wasn't disappointing him.
At this moment, Xu Xiaoyun's peripheral vision caught Xu Sanshi. He saw the latter's eyes unfocused, his mouth wide open, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
"How can a Spiritual Soul Master have such combat power? This defies all reason..."
Xu Sanshi's eyes went dark, believing he must be dreaming.
"Little Fu?"
"Here."
"Sanshi is tired. Let him sleep a bit longer. Wake him up after Tianxi finishes absorbing the Soul Ring."
"Alright."