The rising sun cast its morning light, bringing warmth to Xu Tianxi's body, which had grown taller and more mature, soothing the fatigue after a night of perseverance.
A cluster of sparkling electric arcs flowed brightly between his eyes, and a rich Water Element enveloped his body. Above his two Soul Rings, one yellow and one purple, a deep, slightly black third Soul Ring pulsed quietly, having fully become part of Xu Tianxi's power.
Perhaps due to light refraction, Xu Tianxi noticed faint flashes of blue and black within the purple, seemingly corresponding to the two major elements, lightning and water, that the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale controlled in life.
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With the absorption of this Soul Ring, his Water Element origin greatly enhanced, and he also gained a Lightning Element, which was certainly an unexpected bonus.
"It seems you've adapted quite well. Truly worthy of being a prodigy."
Xiao Changfeng's appreciative and slightly wistful sigh reached his ears. Xu Tianxi glanced over with a smile, then sprang up from the ice. He performed three free rolls in the air, landing back on the ground lightly like a swallow, his arms moving to stretch out his somewhat stiff body.
Feeling the powerful sense of strength coursing through his body and the physical resilience that was significantly greater than before absorbing the Soul Ring, Xu Tianxi couldn't help but smile, cupping his hands in thanks:
"I owe it all to you, Senior Martial Uncle. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have been able to get this excellent Soul Ring."
Xiao Changfeng chuckled nonchalantly, waving his hand. "Your ability to absorb it is your own skill; there's no need to thank me. Helping you was just a small effort. We're family; no need for such formalities."
Xu Tianxi nodded in agreement. This Senior Martial Uncle was naturally uninhibited and decisive in his actions, and he truly enjoyed being around him.
Xiao Changfeng scrutinized Xu Tianxi for a moment longer, his long brows furrowed slightly, and then he spoke:
"However, your current Soul Power level has truly surprised me. A quasi-Soul Ancestorat level 40 absorbing this Soul Ring would easily gain more than two levels, yet your Soul Power is only level 33. An Ultimate Martial Soul indeed proves difficult to cultivate."
Before hunting for the Soul Ring, Xu Tianxi had been in deep meditation for three months. Although deep meditation focused on comprehension, it also involved automatic cultivation. The energy contained within the 8,000-year Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale Soul Ring even surpassed many 10,000-year Soul Rings.
With these two great opportunities, any other quasi-Soul Elder would have probably seen their Soul Power soar past level 35 in one go.
"There's nothing strange about it. Isn't this something we anticipated long ago? I was mentally prepared."
Xu Tianxi shook his head, his thoughts sinking. The rich Water Element around him and the flickering lightning in his eyes immediately began to recede, quickly withdrawing back into his body.
While the new power was good, if he couldn't perfectly control it, it would be more harmful than beneficial. Absorbing the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale Soul Ring not only gave him an unexpectedly powerful top-tier Soul Skill but also the power of two elemental attributes.
The cultivation speed of an Ultimate Martial Soul significantly decreases after level 30, while simultaneously solidifying the body's acceptance of the ultimate attribute. Furthermore, due to the presence of that ultimate attribute, his cultivation process at level 40 would have no bottlenecks; as long as his Soul Power was sufficient, he could break through.
"By the way, Senior Martial Uncle, after absorbing the Soul Ring, I noticed an additional Lightning Element power within me, and it doesn't seem to deplete after use. My Water Element origin has also strengthened considerably. What do you make of it?"
A bluish-purple lightning glow reappeared, this time not in his eyes, but in his palm. Xu Tianxi raised a wrist wreathed in lightning, asking Xiao Changfeng for guidance.
"An extra Lightning Element? Are you saying your physique has undergone a fundamental change?"
Xiao Changfeng grabbed Xu Tianxi's wrist, his fingers feeling a slight numbness, and an astonished expression immediately appeared in his eyes.
While the purity of Xu Tianxi's Lightning Element wasn't as potent as what the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale displayed last night, it had reached a top-tier level, no less than the lightning unleashed by some top-tier lightning-attribute Martial Souls he had seen before.
Xu Tianxi had never cultivated lightning power before; this must have come from absorbing the Soul Ring, and... it truly seemed to have become a part of his Soul Power.
Xiao Changfeng closed his eyes and extended his perception. With his Super Douluo mental power, he scanned Xu Tianxi's meridians inch by inch, discovering that a glimmering lightning spark was indeed present within his pure and dense Soul Power.
"For Soul Power origin to be enhanced and even gain an additional attribute due to absorbing a Soul Ring, this usually only happens when the Martial Soul and Soul Ring are extremely compatible. For example, a plant-type Martial Soul absorbing a Soul Ring from a plant emperor of the same species and evolving, or a ground dragon-type Martial Soul absorbing a Soul Ring from a Soul Beast with rich true dragon bloodline, transforming into a true dragon...
In Tianxi's case, it seems the compatibility between his Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes Martial Soul and the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale is unusually high. Silver Soul Beasts are indeed incredibly suitable for him..."
Recalling some lucky individuals mentioned in ancient texts, Xiao Changfeng quickly drew a conclusion, but to be safe, he asked with concern:
"Tianxi, when you absorbed the Soul Ring last night, you used the Moonlight Power you'd accumulated over the past two years. How much do you have left now?"
Xu Tianxi replied, "Just a moment," and his consciousness sank. A clear moon rose behind his head, only its size made both Xiao Changfeng and Xu Tianxi twitch their lips simultaneously—
The full moon, which had been over two feet in diameter last night, was now only the size of an egg.
Xu Tianxi rolled his eyes, covering his face as he said, "As you can see... the Moonlight Radiance I accumulated over the past two and a half years is almost completely depleted. That fellow's soul shock was too difficult to deal with last night; I dared not hold back a single bit."
"That explains it..."
Xiao Changfeng pondered for a moment, stroking his chin, and slowly said:
"The Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale is a silver Soul Beast. The reason its elemental control is so powerful is its ability to absorb Moonlight Radiance to enhance its attributes. It seems that during your struggle with it, you used Moonlight Radiance, which deeply merged with its ability, thereby maximizing your inheritance of its powers, including this Lightning Element."
"From now on, this Lightning Element will be part of your Soul Power. You can use it in combat or for anything you wish, as long as you're willing. The only difference between you and a pure Lightning Element Soul Master is that they have Soul Skills, and you don't."
"Furthermore, when you cultivate by absorbing moonlight in the future, you might even be able to subtly enhance this lightning attribute power. What a tremendous opportunity..."
By the end, even Xiao Changfeng couldn't help but sigh with emotion. This junior's opportunities were one after another, as if heaven itself was spoon-feeding him.
Gaining an additional attribute for Soul Power, especially the fierce and domineering lightning attribute, was a frightening boost to overall strength. Imagine Xu Tianxi in the heat of battle, suddenly delivering a palm strike infused with lightning—it would surely catch his opponent off guard.
So what if he didn't have a Soul Skill? With Xu Tianxi's current physical condition, a top-tier assault-type Soul Ancestorwithout Soul Skills would mostly lose a one-on-one fight against him, unless that Soul Ancestorwas a top talent from the Body Sect or had integrated a Soul Bone; otherwise, there would be no chance of winning.
As for using Soul Skills in battle?
Xu Tianxi's Soul Ring configuration—one yellow, two purple, with a combined age of over 10,000 years—didn't allow ordinary Soul Ancestors whose four rings combined didn't exceed 8,000 years to speak loudly to him. A Soul King might be a different story.
And this was just considering a one-on-one fight using Soul Master powers. Given that Xu Tianxi was an avid fan of Fixed Soul Cannon Shells and liked to conquer opponents with overwhelming firepower, a Soul Emperor could unknowingly be sent to the afterlife if he was controlled for just a second or two.
"Oh right, three rings adding up to over 10,000 years!"
Xiao Changfeng suddenly remembered something, his eyes gleaming, staring intently at Xu Tianxi as if looking at a peerless uncut jade.
Xu Tianxi felt a bit uncomfortable under Xiao Changfeng's gaze, wiping his forehead with a hand. "Senior Martial Uncle, if you've remembered something, you can just say it directly. Staring like that is quite unsettling."
"Haha, my apologies, I got too excited thinking about that ability."
Xiao Changfeng gave an awkward laugh, then continued:
"Since you, my junior nephew, witnessed the battle between the Heavenly Tyrant Ancestor and your master, did you ever notice that your master used a Soul Ring Combination during the fight to enhance his combat power?"
"You mean our Xuanming Sect's inherited Divine Beast Bloodline Talent Ability, the Soul Ring Combination?"
Xu Tianxi's brows lifted, and a not-so-distant memory flashed through his mind.