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**
Since things had reached this point, and Chrysanthemum Douluo had already spoken so explicitly, Huyan Zhen truly had no way to refute it.
A hint of helplessness flashed across his eyes, and he could only say, "Very well, since that is the case, let it be as Elder Chrysanthemum says."
"However, there is no need to rush the sparring. You all must be exhausted from traveling a long distance. Why not have dinner here at our Elephant Armored Sect and rest for the night? Tomorrow, I will arrange for them to spar. What do you think?"
"Hehe, thank you for your trouble, Sect Master Huyan."
Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded in agreement with a relaxed expression.
Afterward, under Huyan Zhen's arrangements, Ling Xiao and the others had dinner inside the Elephant Armored Sect. Of course, Ling Xiao and Yan did not sit at the same table as Chrysanthemum Douluo.
The six elders of the Elephant Armored Sect accompanied Huyan Zhen and Chrysanthemum Douluo at their table, while Ling Xiao and his companion sat at the same table as Huyan Li and his brothers.
This single meal once again allowed Ling Xiao to confirm the overall style of the Elephant Armored Sect. They truly lived up to their extremely majestic and robust physiques.
It appeared that this was not solely due to the physical enhancement provided by the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul, but also had a lot to do with their diet. The food consisted entirely of meat from high-level soul beasts, and the portions were immense.
Vegetables, on the other hand, were extremely rare, and the cooking methods were rather rough and rugged rather than refined. It was vastly different from the style of Spirit Hall, but the taste was quite good, allowing Ling Xiao to appreciate the culinary style of the Elephant Armored Sect.
While eating, it was unavoidable to exchange some words with Huyan Li and the others.
Although the conversation was brief, they became a bit more familiar with one another. To Ling Xiao, these few individuals felt quite straightforward in personality. He actually quite liked dealing with such people, as he did not need to spend extra effort overthinking.
He recalled from the details he knew in his past life that after the Elephant Armored Team lost to the Shrek Team, Huyan Li, as the captain, had conducted himself quite magnanimously. He had frankly accepted his defeat and intended to keep working hard.
This point had given Ling Xiao a pretty good impression of him.
After dinner, led by Huyan Li, Ling Xiao and Yan toured around the Elephant Armored Sect for a bit before returning to their assigned rooms to rest.
As the night gradually descended, Ling Xiao did not go to sleep.
Instead, he sat on the bed to practice meditation, though he did not enter a deep state of cultivation. Suddenly, hearing a knock on the door, Ling Xiao opened his eyes and ended his brief session. When he opened the door, he found that it was actually Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Upon entering, Chrysanthemum Douluo spoke in his characteristically effeminate manner, "How is it, Ling Xiao? Having seen it today, what do you think of this Elephant Armored Sect?
"Also, what do you plan to do tomorrow? This is the very first battle of our plan, so it cannot be too lackluster. We must display the prestige and might of our Spirit Hall, and absolutely no mistakes can be made."
"Otherwise, if the plan fails and Her Holiness the Pope lays down the blame, neither you nor I will have a good time. Of course, you will have it the worst, because you were the one who proposed this plan."
"Hehe, is Elder Chrysanthemum lacking confidence in Ling Xiao?"
A confident smile curled up at the corner of Ling Xiao's lips.
Pouring a cup of tea for Chrysanthemum Douluo, he said, "Huyan Li's cultivation is actually quite decent. He is only one year older than Yan, having just turned eighteen, yet he already possesses a high-rank Soul Elder cultivation. His Innate Soul Power is likely extraordinary."
"Judging from his soul power aura, his foundation is solid, and he does not seem to have consumed any pills or heavenly treasures that drastically boost cultivation. Furthermore, he has practiced some sort of body-refining cultivation technique—likely the Elephant Armored Skill inherited by the Elephant Armored Sect."
"It makes his physique robust and his vital energy immense. His strength and physical defensive power should far surpass beast martial soul soul masters of the same cultivation tier. Compounded by the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul, these two aspects will bound to be even more powerful."
"However, he is still no match for me. Even if I hadn't advanced to a Soul Ancestor, back when I was at the Soul Elder a year ago before entering the Mystic Trace Canyon, I would still be absolutely certain of defeating him."
"As for tomorrow, Elder Chrysanthemum can rest assured. Ling Xiao will bound to display the prestige and might of our Spirit Hall. After all, this is also the battle where my Profound Sky Axe Martial Soul will officially make a name for itself in the soul master world."
Speaking up to this point, Ling Xiao furrowed his brows slightly and added, "However, judging from what I saw today, the Elephant Armored Sect is indeed extraordinary. They truly live up to being ranked second among the Lower Four Sects."
"Among the six elders in the sect, I'm afraid the weakest possesses at least a Soul Saint cultivation. The First Elder and Second Elder give me a feeling rather similar to Huyan Zhen; they have likely surpassed the Soul Saint realm and reached the eight-ring Soul Douluo realm."
"Calculating it this way, the Elephant Armored Sect has three experts at the Soul Douluo level, which can absolutely be called a powerful force in the soul master world."
"Combined with the sheer power of the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul in terms of strength and defense, if they were to become enemies with Spirit Hall in the future, it would admittedly be quite a hassle. Elder Chrysanthemum, what do you think?"
"Not bad, your insight is quite thorough." Chrysanthemum Douluo revealed a satisfied smile, nodding in agreement before continuing, "However, a few details are slightly off."
"It is true that the physical bodies of Huyan Li and his brothers far surpass ordinary beast soul masters. Even when Yan was at the Soul Elder realm, if they were at the same cultivation level, Yan could not compare to Huyan Li purely in terms of physical body."
"But that robust body and powerful vital energy of his are not entirely derived from the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul and the Elephant Armored Skill."
"Oh?"
Raising an eyebrow, Ling Xiao pursed his lips slightly.
"Then I must ask Elder Chrysanthemum to shed some light on this."
"Mm. It is true that the Elephant Armored Sect has a body-refining cultivation technique called the Elephant Armored Skill, but you only know its name without knowing the specific details."
"The practice of the Elephant Armored Skill is completely different from the Ox Demon Force Fist that you cultivate. It is not a body-refining technique that directly cultivates physical body vital energy."
"Instead, it uses the soul power that has been nurtured and enhanced by the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul, circulating it along the meridian pathways of the Elephant Armored Skill to temper the physical body, increasing physical defensive power and strength."
"It is paired with a type of body-tempering pill secretly passed down by the Elephant Armored Sect—the Elephant Armored Pill. After consuming, refining, and absorbing it, one's progress in the technique will advance noticeably."
"During cultivation, one also needs to endure all kinds of external physical trials, such as being struck by clubs and staffs, chopped by sabers and slashed by swords, or enduring the impact of waterfalls."
"It is quite painful. At the same time, they must submerge their entire bodies in medicinal baths to remove hidden injuries and strengthen the flesh. It can be said that practicing the Elephant Armored Skill is rather tedious and cumbersome."
"However, once successfully mastered, its power is astonishing. Not only can it increase physical strength, but more importantly, it vastly increases physical defensive power, making the body like a set of precious armor—impenetrable to blades and spears, immune to water and fire."
"Even without using a Martial Soul, one can rely on the physical body and soul power to contend with a soul beast for a while. Yet, because the cultivation of the Elephant Armored Skill primarily relies on the Elephant Armored Pill combined with technique-tempering and external stimulation."
"It places far greater emphasis on physical defense than strength. It also operates on a principle from the outside to the inside, relying on a robust physical body to spontaneously strengthen vital energy."
"Therefore, though practicing the Elephant Armored Skill causes one's body type and stature to deviate from ordinary people and vastly increases strength and defense—"
"Which, combined with the impact of the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul on the physical body, makes the flesh increasingly formidable—in terms of actual physical vital energy, there is no distinct difference when compared to other beast martial soul soul masters of the same tier."
"What truly causes the physical bodies of Huyan Li and the others to contain such incredibly robust vital energy is another inherited technique of the Elephant Armored Sect."
Speaking up to this point, Chrysanthemum Douluo paused slightly before uttering a name.
"The Savage Elephant Force Fist."
"The Savage Elephant Force Fist?" Hearing this, Ling Xiao could not help but daze for a moment. This name was remarkably similar to the Ox Demon Force Fist he practiced.
It seemed it should be the exact same type of body-refining technique.
**
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