The first light of dawn spilled across the horizon, casting its golden glow over Xu Tianxi's tall, more mature figure. The warmth of morning sunlight eased the exhaustion left by a night-long battle.
A flicker of lightning danced between his brows, while dense water elemental energy surged around him. A yellow and a purple soul ring floated rhythmically at his feet, joined now by a third ring—deep purple tinged faintly with black—pulsing steadily as it fused into his power.
Whether it was a trick of the light or a product of careful observation, Xu Tianxi noticed that the soul ring shimmered faintly with both blue and black hues, echoes of the two elements the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale had mastered in life: lightning and water.
With the soul ring fully absorbed, not only had his water affinity greatly intensified, but a completely new lightning attribute had been added to his arsenal. It was a welcome and powerful surprise.
"Seems like you've adapted quite well," came a warm, slightly awed voice from beside him.
Xu Tianxi turned his head and smiled as Xiao Changfeng approached. He leapt from the ice with an effortless spring, flipping through the air three times before landing lightly on his feet. Stretching his arms, he flexed his body and let the newfound power settle.
Feeling the strength surging through his limbs—alongside a flexibility and resilience far surpassing what he'd had the night before—Xu Tianxi couldn't help but grin. He cupped his hands in thanks.
"Still, I have you to thank for it, Master-Uncle. Without your help, I never could've secured such a high-quality soul ring."
Xiao Changfeng chuckled and waved him off. "You absorbed it on your own merit. I merely provided a bit of support. There's no need for thanks between family."
Xu Tianxi nodded. He enjoyed being around Xiao Changfeng—forthright, powerful, and easygoing. Their dynamic was comfortable and direct.
After observing Xu Tianxi for a few moments longer, Xiao Changfeng furrowed his brows slightly.
"Your soul power level surprised me, though. Most soul masters nearing Rank 40—quasi-Soul Elders—would've gained two full ranks or more from absorbing a soul ring like that. But you're only at Rank 33. So… it's true what they say about Extreme Elemental Martial Souls—incredibly difficult to cultivate."
Xu Tianxi had just come out of a three-month-long deep meditation. Though the benefits were more about insight than raw cultivation, the intense training still had an effect. On top of that, the energy contained within the 8,000-year soul ring was enough to surpass many 10,000-year rings.
With both opportunities stacked together, a typical soul master would've shot straight to Rank 35 or beyond.
"It's not unexpected," Xu Tianxi replied, shrugging. "We anticipated this from the beginning. I was mentally prepared."
He focused inward for a moment. The surging elemental forces around him began to retreat—water and lightning both flowing back into his body.
More power was always welcome, but uncontrolled strength could be dangerous. Besides gaining a powerful soul skill from the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale, he'd also acquired two elemental attributes, and those needed mastering.
After Rank 30, extreme-attribute martial souls slowed drastically in cultivation, but each rank also solidified the soul master's compatibility with their element. Because of that affinity, progressing to Rank 40 wouldn't require breaking through any bottlenecks—he just needed enough soul power.
"Oh, right. Master-Uncle, I discovered something else. After I finished absorbing the ring, I found that my body now contains a source of lightning elemental energy—it's not something that depletes with use. My water element's origin also seems to have strengthened. What do you make of it?"
Blue-purple lightning arced across his palm. This time, it wasn't in his eyes, but crackling in the center of his hand. He raised his lightning-wreathed arm, seeking Xiao Changfeng's insight.
"You're saying… your constitution has fundamentally changed? You've permanently gained a lightning element?"
Xiao Changfeng took his wrist, his fingers tingling slightly as a jolt of electricity passed through them. His brows shot up.
Though not as fierce as the lightning unleashed by the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale the night before, Xu Tianxi's lightning was exceptionally pure—comparable to top-tier lightning-attribute martial souls he had encountered over his lifetime.
And Xu Tianxi had never trained in lightning before. This had to be a direct consequence of absorbing the soul ring. More than that, the lightning… felt inherent, integrated.
Closing his eyes, Xiao Changfeng released his spiritual perception. With the mental power of a Super Douluo, he swept through Xu Tianxi's body, scanning every meridian and soul power channel.
What he found stunned him—within Xu Tianxi's refined, concentrated soul power was a distinct tracer of lightning. It wasn't a separate force. It had become part of his foundation.
"Gaining an elemental affinity from a soul ring—especially one that fuses into the very essence of your soul power—only happens when the compatibility between martial soul and soul ring is extraordinary," Xiao Changfeng explained slowly. "Like when a plant-type martial soul absorbs a soul ring from a king-level plant beast and evolves. Or when an earth dragon martial soul fuses with a ring carrying true dragon blood and ascends into a genuine dragon…"
He looked at Xu Tianxi with undisguised appreciation.
"This confirms it. Your Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes are exceptionally compatible with silver-elemental soul beasts. That whale was the perfect match."
Still, he asked with a trace of concern, "Tianxi, you used up a lot of Moonlight Radiance during your soul ring fusion last night, didn't you? How much is left now?"
"One moment." Xu Tianxi closed his eyes and summoned the moon behind him.
A small disk of pale light appeared—but its size made both of them wince.
Once over two feet in diameter, the full moon behind Xu Tianxi's head was now no larger than a chicken egg.
"…As you can see," Xu Tianxi said, awkwardly rubbing his face. "Nearly all the moonlight I've gathered over the past two and a half years is gone. That whale's soul was no joke. I didn't dare hold anything back."
"That explains it," Xiao Changfeng murmured.
After a moment of thought, he stroked his chin and said, "Deep Sea Silver Demon Whales are silver-element soul beasts. What makes their elemental power so overwhelming is their innate ability to absorb and store Moonlight Radiance, amplifying their water and lightning traits."
"Looks like when you drew on your own moonlight power to resist its spiritual assault, you unwittingly merged with its innate talent—and fully inherited it. That includes its lightning affinity."
"From now on, lightning is a permanent part of your soul power. You'll be able to use it freely in battle or for other applications. The only real difference between you and a pure lightning-type soul master is that they have soul skills for it—you don't. Yet."
"Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if your lightning grows stronger the more moonlight you absorb. This is a truly incredible opportunity."
Even Xiao Changfeng, usually calm and composed, couldn't help but marvel. His junior was practically being spoon-fed by fate.
Gaining a second element—and one as forceful as lightning—would exponentially boost his combat capabilities. In the heat of battle, throwing out a surprise lightning attack could flip the tide instantly.
So what if he didn't have lightning-based soul skills yet?
With his physical attributes alone, Xu Tianxi could overpower most attack-type Soul Elders in a head-on duel—even if they used soul skills. Unless they were elite geniuses from the Body Sect or carried powerful soul bones, they wouldn't stand a chance.
And that was without factoring in his love for fixed soul-guided artillery.
A single second of distraction, and even a Soul Emperor might get blasted to pieces before realizing what happened.
"…Three rings totaling over ten thousand years," Xiao Changfeng suddenly muttered, eyes gleaming. "Wait, that's it!"
His gaze locked onto Xu Tianxi, blazing with excitement like he'd found a rare gem.
Xu Tianxi shifted awkwardly under the stare. "Master-Uncle, if you've thought of something, could you just say it? You're kinda freaking me out."
"Haha, sorry. Got a bit carried away."
Xiao Changfeng composed himself, then said with a grin, "Tianxi, you saw the battle between Grandmaster and Ancestor Bàzǔ, right? Did you notice Grandmaster using a special soul ring fusion method during combat?"
"You mean our Xuanming Sect's divine beast bloodline talent—Soul Ring Combination?"
Xu Tianxi's eyes lit up as the memory resurfaced.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin