With a chuckle, Xiao Changfeng rose from his seat. His figure flickered, appearing a hundred meters away from Xu Tianxi, his hands naturally clasped behind his back, his cloud robe rippling, graceful and ethereal.
"Alright, Senior Martial Uncle, please be careful then." Xu Tianxi leaped down from the pavilion, and two Soul Rings, one yellow and one purple, rose into the air.
As his Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes activated, layers of ripple-like silver light condensed in Xu Tianxi's eyes. The mark between his brows shone brightly, and a Clear Moon formed behind his head, casting down a cool, clear radiance.
Without a word, he stomped his foot on the ground and shot out like an arrow from a bowstring. His right hand clenched into a fist at his waist, and as he closed within a few yards of Xiao Changfeng, he suddenly unleashed it.
At the same time, the Clear Moon underwent a change. A black speck suddenly appeared and rapidly spread across the entire moon, as if an eclipse were occurring, emitting a dangerous light. Xu Tianxi's fist also erupted with a deathly black aura, like a vortex.
A Martial Soul undergoes change, an attack unleashed by initially combining Spiritual Power and Soul Power? What extraordinary talent!
A hint of surprise flickered in Xiao Changfeng's eyes. His right hand, clasped behind his back, lightning-fast, flipped and clenched into a fist, meeting Xu Tianxi's attack.
With his strength, even standing still and taking Xu Tianxi's blow would leave him unharmed. Meeting the punch was to best feel its power, and also his greatest respect for Xu Tianxi.
"Bang—"
As the two fists collided, Xu Tianxi felt as if his fist had struck an indestructible divine iron. Xiao Changfeng's punch was unadorned, yet it possessed an unstoppable force that numbed his right arm, sending him staggering back over ten meters before he could steady himself.
Xiao Changfeng glanced at the ground, now uneven with depressions, and a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes. "The power of your punch just now was impressive. Even a regular Soul Elder using a thousand-year Soul Skill would struggle to receive it safely. You're still so young, has Grandmaster already taught you the 'Divine Beast Celestial Phenomenon'?"
"Divine Beast Celestial Phenomenon? What are you talking about?" Xu Tianxi asked, confused. When did Grandmaster teach him something like that? And I didn't even use the Profound Tortoise Shell Shield.
"You haven't learned it? Then where did that attack of yours come from?"
Seeing that Xu Tianxi's expression didn't seem feigned, Xiao Changfeng's handsome face changed. A blue mist flickered, and he appeared in front of Xu Tianxi, asking with a somewhat strange expression.
Xu Tianxi, with an earnest and honest look, said, "When I watched Grandmaster and Heavenly Tyrant Ancestor fight, I thought Grandmaster's Black Tortoise phantom was incredibly powerful. Since my Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes can reflect the Moon Shadow, I wondered if I could imitate his technique. As I thought about it, I fell into Deep Meditation, and then I comprehended the punch you just saw."
Before his words had even finished, Xu Tianxi noticed a barely perceptible twitch at the corner of Xiao Changfeng's mouth. He thought to himself, Could it be that something I comprehended through a single meditation could astound a Super Douluo?
I was just following a pattern; it shouldn't be that profound, right?
"You fell into Deep Meditation just by thinking about it, and you actually figured out a method for the preliminary fusion of Soul Power and Spiritual Power? When did Deep Meditation become so easy? Is the Body Martial Soul truly so uniquely blessed? Or did Heavenly Tyrant Ancestor use some extraordinary technique when fighting Grandmaster?"
Xiao Changfeng sighed, caught between laughter and tears. Deep Meditation was a massive opportunity for any Soul Master. Even he, after cultivating for so long, had only entered that state a handful of times, with his first time occurring during his Soul Elder phase.
Not to mention, Grandmaster had gained insights from just three exchanges with Heavenly Tyrant Ancestor, glimpsing the threshold of ultimate power. If he could also witness even a fraction of it, how much arduous cultivation could he save?
He had to admit, he was a little envious of Xu Tianxi, this junior. His talent and luck were top-tier. He could encounter battles between the world's strongest experts just by stepping out, and after witnessing them, he even had Deep Meditation.
Xu Tianxi awkwardly scratched his hair and mumbled, "I just thought I might be able to use this punch, but I didn't expect it to actually work. You're an elder, could you give me some advice?"
"Advice? The advice I can give you is to observe and practice more, to deeply understand the moon's capabilities and changes, and to fight more. Seek and grasp the optimal balance point for the fusion of Spiritual Power and Soul Power, and use this as an opportunity to develop your Martial Soul's potential and continue down this path."
"Grandmaster has a renowned battle technique called 'Divine Beast Celestial Phenomenon,' which is the Black Tortoise phantom you saw. Since you possess this talent, I can teach it to you on his behalf. It should be helpful to you."
Xiao Changfeng responded without hesitation.
Xu Tianxi said, "I think what you're saying is too abstract. Can you be more specific?"
"As for specifics... when you unleashed that punch just now, I observed that the Moon Shadow projected by your Martial Soul contained both Soul Power and Spiritual Power, and the moon phase also changed. Was this a result of your imitation of the moon?"
Xiao Changfeng closed his eyes for a moment in thought, recalling the moment of Xu Tianxi's strongest burst of power.
During the total lunar eclipse, the deathly black aura on Xu Tianxi's fist formed a vortex-like state, concentrating pure Spiritual Power and Soul Power, delivering both a spiritual and physical blow to him. Its power was comparable to that of a Soul Ancestor.
Even excluding Xu Tianxi's powerful Spiritual Power, the physical impact of that punch was no less than a Soul Elder's thousand-year Soul Skill. Its explosive power was extremely formidable; no one would argue if he were called an Assault Type Soul Master.
Yet, he was a Control Type, and a generally recognized physically weak Spiritual Type Control Type Soul Master, practically the opposite of an Assault Type.
To possess such explosive power, besides good nutrition, Xiao Changfeng could only think of one explanation—Xu Tianxi had developed his Body Martial Soul to a level far exceeding his current rank, already touching upon the most fundamental mysteries of the Martial Soul, though currently only scratching the surface.
His mother had walked this path during her lifetime, but Kong Xiyue's cultivation at that time had reached the Soul Ancestorlevel, and she was much older than Xu Tianxi, and had a teacher's guidance. The difference was like heaven and earth.
Xu Tianxi, of course, was unaware of the many thoughts that had surged through Xiao Changfeng's mind in that flash. He simply nodded earnestly:
"Yes, I read in books that many powerful Soul Skills of the Moon Martial Soul involve changes in moon phases, such as waxing and waning crescents, illusory moons, eclipses, blood moons, and so on. And star-type Martial Souls have the ability to draw on the power of stars in battle, which gave me inspiration."
"That's right then. So, besides the lunar eclipse, have you thought of other methods?" Xiao Changfeng asked.
"Yes, for example, splitting into waxing and waning crescents. In that state, my Palm Blade should have considerable cutting power. Take a look."
"Whoosh—"
With a thought, Xu Tianxi's full moon instantly divided into three, transforming into three crescent moons circling around him. He raised his palm like a blade and chopped the air three times. A large tree responded by splitting into four sections, falling to the ground.
Xiao Changfeng's eyelids twitched. He thought, This kid actually has it, but thankfully, it's within acceptable limits.
Clearing his throat twice, Xiao Changfeng commented with a normal expression, "The cutting power is good, no less than the attack of a Blade Martial Soul Battle Soul Grandmaster. Anything else?"
"This one is Illusory Moon. It can enhance the illusionary nature of my Second Soul Skill. Take a look." Xu Tianxi activated Mirror Flower, Water Moon, and the moon phase instantly became part of an empty image, and he disappeared with it.
"Not bad... Anything else?" Xiao Changfeng's mouth twitched again. This junior nephew had developed his skills so fiercely; his Martial Soul could almost be called dual-form.
"This is Flashing Moon. It can enhance the power of my First Soul Skill."
As his words fell, Xu Tianxi lit up his First Soul Ring. The moon phase actually transformed into a stream of light and leaped into Xu Tianxi's eyes, then condensed into two beams of lightning-fast cold light, piercing through a several-meter-tall boulder, leaving two astonishing holes from which a cool, chilling light emanated.
"Bang!"
The cold light spread outwards from the holes, cracks appearing, and the entire boulder quickly disintegrated.
Xiao Changfeng clearly perceived that the internal structure of the boulder had undergone two destructions. Xu Tianxi's attack, besides spiritual power, also carried a bone-chilling coldness.
"I have a premonition that this Flashing Moon phase can automatically activate Cold Moon Gaze, but my control isn't strong enough yet. I still need more training..."
Xu Tianxi stepped forward and picked up a cold, broken piece of stone, speaking with a lingering sense of unfulfillment.
Turning around, Xu Tianxi saw Xiao Changfeng, who had apparently taken out his Communication Soul Guided Device at some point and was now giving instructions to someone on the other end.
"Senior Martial Uncle, what are you talking about?"
"I'm having someone build a tall Moon Gazing Platform for you. I'm also going to the Sun Moon Empire to acquire Star Observation Soul Tools and Light Gathering Soul Tools of rank seven or higher. If I'd known your Martial Soul was so special, I would have gotten them for you sooner."
Xiao Changfeng put down his Communication Soul Guided Device and patted his forehead as he spoke.
"Soul Guided Devices above rank seven? Aren't those hard to get?" Xu Tianxi frowned.
"I know someone at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. They just acquired a batch of Soul Guided Devices recently. These two aren't for combat, so getting them shouldn't be difficult. If he doesn't cooperate, I'll put a bounty out on the Black Market," Xiao Changfeng said with an unconcerned expression.
Xu Tianxi's lips twitched. He wanted to ask who this person was that his Senior Martial Uncle was so friendly with, daring to sell Soul Guided Devices of rank seven or higher right under Jing Hongchen's nose. After a moment's thought, he decided not to rush. He cupped his hands and thanked him, saying, "...Then I thank you, Senior Martial Uncle."
There was no need to ask too many questions about the elders' affairs. He would find out when he went to the Sun Moon Empire later. Such a traitorous fellow clearly wasn't a good person. He could definitely try to establish a connection with him later; maybe he could even get some high-level Fixed Soul Cannon Shells to play with.
He hoped that bad guy's security measures were tight enough, and that Jing Hongchen wouldn't find out.
"It's nothing to worry about, a small matter."
Xiao Changfeng waved his hand dismissively, his expression then turning serious. "The uniqueness of your Martial Soul is something I've never seen in my life. You must not squander this extraordinary talent."
"Your current cultivation speed is very good, but for an Ultimate Martial Soul, the cultivation speed after rank thirty will be very slow. Strive to break through rank thirty within three years. When you do, I'll take you to hunt for a Soul Ring."
"During this time, I will do my best to impart to you some of the knowledge, combat methods, and experience I possess. Study hard. Once you advance to the three rings, that's when you'll go to the Sun Moon Empire."
"I understand," Xu Tianxi nodded solemnly, then asked, "Then, Senior Martial Uncle, what reason should I use to go to the Sun Moon Empire? Should I just tell them I want to avenge my mother?"
"Of course not just that," Xiao Changfeng said with a mysterious smile.
"As early as when you awakened your Martial Soul, your Grandmaster made some arrangements for you. According to the Sect's external propaganda, your Innate Soul Power is only rank seven, and your Martial Soul is merely Moon Shadow."
"And by my calculations... rumors should already be circulating in the Xuanming Sect about you, the Third Young Master, running away from home with an old servant..."
"Running away from home?" Xu Tianxi was dumbfounded.
"That's right. I think when this news gets out, someone will be very happy," Xiao Changfeng nodded gently, then his expression turned cold, his gaze fixed in the direction of Shrek City. He spoke in a low voice:
"There's something your Grandmaster didn't tell you. Two years ago, not long after you awakened your Martial Soul, he and your father discovered that Yan Shaozhe had secretly sent someone to send messages to Xue Lingxun, instructing her, as the Head Matriarch, to make things difficult for you within the bounds of the rules."
"Xue Lingxun is quite a smart person. She sent you some trinkets to play with and just brushed it off. Your Grandmaster suppressed this matter and, for the past two years, has been spreading rumors both inside and outside the Sect that you, the Third Young Master, are not favored within the Sect. All of this was for today!"
Hearing this, Xu Tianxi lowered his head slightly and was silent for a moment. Then, his brows suddenly rose, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He said in a deep voice,
"Yan Shaozhe, I will definitely kill him someday! I am not yet strong, but when I am, things will change!"