That battle—the one that had shaken the seas like a descending tsunami—was forever etched in Xu Tianxi's memory.
In the second exchange between Xu Xiaoyun and the Sovereign of Heaven's Might, Xu Xiaoyun had employed the divine beast bloodline ability: Soul Ring Combination. His first five soul rings had merged into one, forming the powerful soul skill "Xuanwu's Roar." A vast turtle-shell shield loomed like an eternal golden wall, as the illusory Xuanwu divine beast let out a soul-stirring cry. The divine beast's might shook heaven and earth.
Back then, Xu Tianxi had even wondered if that single strike from Xu Xiaoyun had reached the threshold of Ultimate Douluo. Even Long Xiaoyao would've had to take it seriously.
Unfortunately, his opponent was the unfathomably deep Sovereign of Heaven's Might, and even the roaring of Xuanwu barely left a scratch.
During their third clash, Xu Xiaoyun fused his sixth and seventh soul rings into a single vivid scarlet ten-thousand-year soul ring, leaving Xu Tianxi utterly stunned.
Two black rings fusing into a red one? That kind of talent was simply outrageous.
But then he remembered how, in the original timeline, Xu Sanshi had used his "yellow-yellow-purple" soul ring configuration—which couldn't possibly exceed 4,000 years in total—to unleash Xuanwu's Roar, and face off against a Soul King wielding a real ten-thousand-year angelic soul skill head-on. Compared to that, this wasn't so crazy.
At least Xu Xiaoyun's sixth and seventh rings totaled 70,000–80,000 years. That was far more reasonable than Xu Sanshi's miracle act.
As for fusing all eight rings together later? Xu Tianxi chalked it up to another burst of the Ring Fusion Talent. Either way, it hadn't harmed the Sovereign of Heaven's Might.
Now, hearing Xiao Changfeng bring it up again, a flicker of insight lit up in Xu Tianxi's eyes. He moistened his lips and asked somewhat nervously:
"Master-Uncle, you're not planning to teach me how to use soul ring fusion… are you? I haven't even awakened a second martial soul yet."
Xiao Changfeng gave a mysterious smile and responded in a low, steady voice:
"Who told you that only the Xuanwu Martial Soul can use this technique? The Xuanming Sect has passed this method down for generations. Even those like me—whose martial souls aren't Xuanwu—have reached the Title Douluo realm. Of course we developed some of our own unique techniques. This one can be learned by any soul master with divine beast bloodline."
Xu Tianxi's eyes lit up. "So you're saying…"
"Exactly what you're thinking!" Xiao Changfeng laughed heartily. He pushed off with the tip of his toe, launching into the sky. His nine soul rings rose once again, and the cry of the Icecrystal Phoenix echoed over the sea. As the sovereign of all avians, its pressure spread across the ocean, pacifying the surrounding waters.
"Watch closely, Little Martial Nephew!"
With a resonant cry, Xiao Changfeng's first four soul rings shone simultaneously, then synchronized and merged—becoming a single, pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul ring.
Its aura was bottomless, profound as an abyss. Xu Tianxi had never absorbed a ten-thousand-year ring before, but he could instinctively sense: this one wasn't just any ten-thousand-year soul ring—it was far beyond.
After all, this was the fusion of one yellow and three purple rings. Xiao Changfeng's fourth ring alone was already near the border of purple and black—even deeper than Xu Tianxi's Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale ring.
"Chaaa~chaaa!"
His soul power burst forth like a tide, forming concentric ripples of pure white ice flowers. In the center of it all, a massive Ice Phoenix projection took shape, spreading its wings wide. Its eyes were like blades—piercing and regal, brimming with unshakable majesty.
Battle intent surged in Xiao Changfeng's gaze. He extended his arms, aligning with the Ice Phoenix's wings, and unleashed an endless cascade of blue radiance. His energy, spirit, and soul merged into one, his aura climbing to its peak. His voice rang out with commanding cadence:
"Ice Phoenix—Ten Thousand Miles!"
The soaring phoenix cry reverberated through the heavens, shaking both sea and sky. The space around Xiao Changfeng visibly twisted. Freezing ripples distorted the air, and icy wind sharper than blades forced Xu Tianxi to shield his eyes with soul power.
From all around him, blue and white soul-powered feathers materialized, refracting dazzling light. In the next moment, Xiao Changfeng swept his arm forward.
The phoenix soared, encased in crystalline frost, rising into the sky. It carried with it a devastating blizzard, shrouding the morning sun in a silver-blue glow. The frigid touch of snow and ice lingered in the air as the phoenix vanished into the distant sea.
"Well? What do you think, Little Nephew?" Xiao Changfeng landed lightly, arms crossed and pride brimming in his frosty blue eyes.
For the past two and a half years, he'd constantly been amazed—borderline traumatized—by Xu Tianxi's monstrous talent. Now, with this moment of grand display, he'd finally reclaimed some dignity.
This—this was what a Level 96 Super Douluo was supposed to look like! He might've been slightly inferior to Xu Tianxi at the same age, but back then he'd also been a peerless genius—unrivaled among his peers.
As a senior, he had to set a proper example!
"Incredible. Absolutely incredible."
Xu Tianxi gave a heartfelt thumbs-up.
He didn't know the exact power of that move, but he was pretty sure it could freeze him solid a hundred times over.
He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he used that move on Yan Shaozhe, that turtle bastard…
"Haha! No need to envy me, Little Nephew," Xiao Changfeng chuckled, unable to suppress his grin. "With your talent, you'll master this technique in no time."
Then his expression turned serious.
"But keep this in mind—this technique places a massive burden on the body. The more rings you fuse, and the older their ages, the more strain it causes. The highest tier—Nine-Ring Fusion—is something even your grandmaster would never use lightly."
Xu Tianxi's expression sobered. "Understood. Master-Uncle, what's your current limit?"
"I've achieved Eight-Ring Fusion once—when I broke through to Level 96 and sparred with your grandmaster. But I've never attempted all nine…" Xiao Changfeng admitted solemnly.
"Soon, I'll teach you the chant. Once you've memorized it, reflect deeply. While this method relies on your divine beast bloodline as its foundation, your primary martial soul—Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes—might pose some challenges. Still, in cultivation, all paths converge. With patience and experimentation, you'll master it."
Then his tone grew cold, and a glint of icy light entered his eyes.
"But remember—unless absolutely necessary, never display this technique publicly with your Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes. The consequences would be catastrophic."
"Even Title Douluos—and especially Super Douluos—may turn against you for it. You must reach at least the Soul Sage level before you'll have any real protection."
"And if you do use it in private combat, you must not leave any witnesses. Kill them all—better to be safe than sorry."
Xu Tianxi's expression grew steely. He nodded solemnly. "Understood."
This kind of secret art was a tremendous temptation to any faction or powerful individual. Its value even surpassed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan's dragonization ability, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's split-mind control, and the Clear Sky Sect's Clear Sky Nine Arts. It was on par with Ring Detonation.
Even back then, when Huo Gua had shown traces of Ice Emperor's aura during a competition, the Star Luo Empire's Guardian Douluo had come knocking—bold enough to target even Shrek Academy's participants. Clearly, Title Douluos couldn't be trusted to play fair.
"Good," Xiao Changfeng nodded with satisfaction, seeing the determination in his nephew's eyes.
He leaned in, whispering a cryptic, arcane incantation.
Xu Tianxi listened quietly, his eyes occasionally narrowing in confusion. When he asked questions, Xiao Changfeng patiently explained. Within a few minutes, he had grasped the basics.
Just as Xu Tianxi was about to inquire further, he noticed a strange gleam in Xiao Changfeng's eyes—and a rather odd expression on his face.
"…Master-Uncle? What's wrong?" he asked.
Xiao Changfeng didn't answer immediately. He closed his eyes, sensing the area with his spiritual power.
After a moment, he said hesitantly, "That Ice Phoenix Ten Thousand Miles soul skill I just released… I think it hit some sea soul beasts. Quite a few of them, actually. Some were even ten-thousand-year beasts… strong ones."
"…???" Xu Tianxi blinked.
Did Master-Uncle really just blind-shot a whole group of them??
"…Should we go take a look?" he asked eagerly.
"Well, we already hit them, might as well." Xiao Changfeng shrugged. "Let's check it out."
—
Two minutes later.
The two descended from the sky onto a stretch of frozen sea, where a dumbstruck Xu Tianxi stared at the scene in stunned silence.
Floating midair were rings upon rings of purple and black soul rings.
Heaven have mercy… Xiao Changfeng hadn't meant to massacre any soul beasts.
But somehow, his attack had nailed an entire group.
And not just any sea beasts—every single one of them was over 15 meters long, with sleek, torpedo-like bodies reminiscent of Deep Sea Demon Whales.
They were none other than the infamous Demonic Devil Orcas—one of the three major nearshore overlords of the ocean, rivaling even the Deep Sea Demon Whale in reputation.
Even in death, their brutal aura lingered, eyes frozen in place—each one had been a powerful predator in life. The leader alone was nearly 30 meters long, and its soul beast aura… was easily over 50,000 years.
"…If I'd known I'd hit these guys, I wouldn't have fused so many rings," Xiao Changfeng muttered, visibly pained. "Such rare soul rings… what a waste."