NOVEL WEB Chapter 109: Three Types of Soul Skills
A gentle swirl of breeze, as delicate as silk, began to spread outward from the depression where the two stood. A metallic, rusty scent reminiscent of blood gradually intensified.
This smell was something Ling Yi and Zhang Lei had noticed the moment they entered this underground tomb of soldiers. Back then, it was predominantly the scent of rusty metal from the broken weapons scattered across the ground.
But now, in this wind, there was indeed an unmistakable scent of blood.
Ling Yi, who had maintained a state of deep concentration, 'Guarded Stillness', discovered that these bloody winds were converging upon the pit, towards Zhang Lei, and towards the battle-axe. Inside Zhang Lei, the soul energy within his meridians began to boil, and even the blood within his veins started to throb with heat.
An intense and enthusiastic emotion, like a small sun, appeared in the range of Ling Yi's sensory perception.
It was Zhang Lei's spirit power, igniting like fire.
Unfortunately, this state didn't last long. As Zhang Lei exhausted all his soul energy, the patterns on the purple-black shaft of the battle-axe ceased to glow. The surrounding breeze halted, and the omnipresent scent of blood dispersed as if it had never existed.
Another use of the 'First Soul Technique: Thriving Vitality' left Zhang Lei, now empty within, feeling considerably better. Ling Yi divided his focus, organizing everything he had just perceived while saying to Zhang Lei:
"Lei Ge, it seems that your harmony with the battle-axe has exceeded eighty percent. The soldier's killing aura within this "Tomb of Soldiers" can now influence you through the battle-axe—"
"Still lacking a bit~" Zhang Lei shook his head, clenching his right hand tighter around the middle of the battle-axe's shaft, and sighed, "Two years ago, when this battle-axe was freshly forged, because the shaft came from the heart of the 'Iron Birch Tree', it aligned with the origin of my soul ring. At that time, the harmony was just over fifty percent…"
"According to your words, Ah Yi, only when the harmony reaches ninety-nine percent, or even a full one hundred percent, is there hope of merging it with my 'Hoe' martial soul."
"Otherwise, it turns out like this—"
As Zhang Lei spoke, he transferred the martial soul "Hoe" from his left hand to his right. He flipped the "Hoe" martial soul so that the blade faced upwards, pressing it against the war halberd.
In a vision almost like an illusion, or like melting ice into water, the "Hoe" martial soul completely fused into the war halberd!
Unfortunately, as soon as Zhang Lei grasped the war halberd firmly and lifted it, twirling it briefly in mid-air, his "Hoe" martial soul slipped out, as though it had been caught by some hairpin on the recipient’s head, pitifully falling back into Zhang Lei's left hand.
Seeing this, Ling Yi stepped forward and took the war halberd from Zhang Lei, not employing soul power but instead tuning into a mental sensor, perceiving what went on within the war halberd.
The long shaft was satisfactory, but the halberd head, despite its robust hardness rivaling the strongest "Cold Iron Essence" on the Douluo Continent, lacked a certain liveliness, unlike the nimbleness found within the shaft.
It seemed inevitable that, if soul power were to be infused in it, delays would likely occur during its operation.
At present, Ling Yi could not offer Zhang Lei much help, leaving it to him to slowly polish and hone the halberd head until it blended as seamlessly with the shaft, aligning with Ling Yi's initial concept—weapon forging infused with the soul!
Ling Yi had considered sourcing top-tier materials like "Cold Iron Essence" and "Deep Sea Silver Mother," similar to the heart of the "Iron Birch Tree," to forge a better halberd head for Zhang Lei, one more conducive to developing spirit.
However, aside from the scarcity of such exclusive materials, which might not be fortuitously found even on the sprawling Douluo Continent, Ling Yi could not afford enough of it even if someone in the metallic city of 'Gengxin City' possessed some of these rare materials.
Neither Tiexufu nor Lou Gao could afford to accept such rare materials as a gift.
Ling Yi could accept seizing wealth from enemies, but he couldn't do so with a clear conscience if it involved taking things from those close to him.
As for taking items now and repaying them in the future?
Unfortunately, such promises often turn into empty words.
Who knows when Tiexufu might pass away? Or if Lou Gao will encounter some mishap, or if something might happen to him personally?
Some might say Ling Yi's mindset is overly complicated, but it's a value system shaped by the experiences of several decades of life, both past and present, and for now, he has no intention of changing it.
He placed the war spear back into the center of the pit and, with Zhang Lei, exited the underground "Warrior's Tomb," returning to the "Yin-Yang Stone Platform."
“Brother Yi~ Brother Lei~~” *3
Upon seeing Ling Yi and Zhang Lei step onto the stone platform, Zhang Mufeng and his two companions hurriedly approached to greet them.
“Hmm~”
Ling Yi nodded, his gaze sweeping over the three of them as he asked, “So, how are you finding cultivating here?”
“Oh, it's absolutely perfect!” Long Yin exclaimed exuberantly, “Let me tell you, Brother Yi, practicing here feels like my brain suddenly became lively. Things like energy flow techniques and soul power control, which I couldn’t grasp before, suddenly clicked—just like that, I got the hang of them!”
Throughout his study of "Beast Martial Soul: Xingyi Boxing Form," Long Yin's progress has lagged behind that of Zhang Mufeng and Qingqiu Xin.
Except for the seventh form, "Bear Crushes Stone," where his mastery surpasses theirs due to his innate martial soul being the "Snow Spirit Bear," akin to a bear spirit beast.
In the rest of the eight forms, his training is not as proficient compared to them.
Nevertheless, even if his form mastery isn’t as refined, in terms of combat ability, even when Zhang Mufeng and Qingqiu Xin join forces, they can only manage a draw against Long Yin.
This is attributed to Long Yin’s higher level of soul power, superior martial soul quality, and the greater amplifying effects his martial soul grants him.
In the year 2605 of the Douluo Calendar, during March, when Ling Yi first met these three companions, Long Yin was thirteen with a soul power level of nineteen.
Qingqiu Xin was eleven with a soul power level of seventeen, and Zhang Mufeng was twelve with a soul power level of fifteen.
At that time, Ling Yi was fourteen, with a soul power level equal to Qingqiu Xin at seventeen.
Now, nearly two years later, the four have all acquired their second soul rings, becoming grand masters.
Ling Yi and Long Yin both have a soul power level of twenty-four.
Meanwhile, Zhang Mufeng reached twenty-two, and Qingqiu Xin twenty-three.
Ling Yi's rapid advancement in soul power is one of the many factors that subdued Long Yin and Qingqiu Xin.
Conversely, Zhang Mufeng, who from the start almost entirely followed Ling Yi’s guidance, managed swiftly to increase his soul power despite having the lowest innate soul force among the trio. Instead, his pace was unexpectedly fast!
Particularly, that 600-year-old "Iron Birch Tree" soul ring still evokes sighs of astonishment from Qingqiu Xin and Long Yin.
Because the two of them knew that if they were in the same position, they might not have so easily accepted the suggestion from Brother Yi. They might have been more inclined to trust their own fathers' arrangements.
As a result, Long Yin's second soul ring came from the 460-year-old 'Snowfield White Wolf,' while Qingqiu Xin's second soul ring came from the 490-year-old 'Black-backed Albatross.'
The former gave Long Yin the second soul skill, Wolf of Ice Assault, while the latter granted Qingqiu Xin the second soul skill, Thousand Feathers Shot.
In terms of battle, these two soul skills indeed play significant roles, yet somehow, both of them felt something was amiss deep down.
Especially when Zhang Mufeng used his second soul skill, Steel Protector Staff. His dark Iron Staff martial soul transformed into a gleaming silver form, instantly becoming a 'pillar' as thick as a thigh and five meters long. Even with only the strength for one strike, it was enough to make Long Yin, though an assault-type warrior, decide to skillfully avoid the attack.
Seeing the smiles of excitement on the faces of the three that included Long Yin, Ling Yi revealed a curious smile which caused a sudden chill among them and Zhang Lei, who stood nearby.
That smile... seems so familiar!
They only heard,
“That's great. Since it's so effective—” Ling Yi looked around at the four on the stone platform and cheerfully said, “Then let's have a good fight!”
(End of Chapter)
