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**
The reason why the method Ling Xiao displayed just now was entirely different from the traditional style of the Soul Master and possessed a distinct Lightness Technique flavor dated back to his first training expedition in a Soul Beast forest with Hu Liena's trio.
Back then, he had failed in his pursuit of a thousand-year Man-Face Demon Spider.
Had Hu Liena not stepped in to intercept it, that Man-Face Demon Spider would have likely escaped. That incident had left a deep impression on him, and it was also what caused him to reflect on the core differences between Lightness Technique and the style of the Soul Master.
Using explosive steps to release a massive amount of soul power and increase speed through raw explosive force was ultimately only suitable for close-quarters combat. It was highly unsuited for long-range pursuits and consumed far too much soul power.
If he had possessed a method similar to Lightness Technique back then, he could have borrowed force to lighten his body. Even if he could not run through empty air inside the forest, he could still have bounced off patches of grass and tree branches to gallop at full speed.
Furthermore, this method consumed far less soul power.
Even if his absolute top speed could not match that Man-Face Demon Spider, he could have completely outlasted it in a contest of endurance. After all, it was heavily injured; the longer time dragged on, the worse its injuries would become.
Moreover, in his view, once this kind of Lightness Technique-like technique was successfully created, it would further enhance his overall strength. Not only would it improve his control over his soul power and physical body, but it would also minimize his shortcomings in terms of speed.
By granting him a certain degree of ability to gallop through the air, it could allow him to battle Soul Masters with flight-type Martial Souls even before he reached the Soul King realm. Of course, that was a reason he could openly state to anyone.
There was another, more personal reason of his own.
In his previous life, he had deeply envied martial arts and similar powers. Since a twist of fate had brought him to this extraordinary world, he naturally could not resist wanting to experience the sensation of Lightness Technique for himself.
After all, condensing soul power wings to fly as a Soul King was a matter for the future, and the two should feel completely different.
Thus, he had made a decision back then to gradually grope his way toward creating some Lightness Techniques by relying on his own knowledge paired with his understanding of soul power circulation.
Of course, this process could not have succeeded without the help of his teacher, Mu Chen. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to reap such significant rewards and officially finalize the Lightness Technique in less than two years.
As for whether doing this was considered neglecting his proper duties and wasting his cultivation time, that was a matter of personal opinion. At the very least, his teacher Mu Chen was highly open-minded.
He did not blame him for it; instead, he lent him a helping hand, allowing him to focus his mind without distractions to delve deeply into the technique and successfully figure it out.
At this moment, after landing in the center of the arena, Ling Xiao turned around, standing with his hands behind his back as he looked toward the high platform, waiting for Huyan Li.
Little did he know, this minor display of his officially finalized Lightness Technique left the high-ranking executives of the Elephant Armored Sect on the platform astonished. Even the people from Spirit Hall and the spectators around the plaza below were incredibly surprised.
"What an exquisite movement technique. Although it doesn't have an exceptionally strong explosive force in terms of raw speed, it clearly consumes very little soul power and can be sustained for a long duration. Moreover, his movements are nimble, elegant, and unrestrained."
"Not only is his speed far from slow, but he can even maintain excellent velocity and agility in midair. Truly remarkable. This young man's control over his soul power is incredibly subtle and astonishing. He is truly worthy of being part of Spirit Hall's most outstanding younger generation."
Huyan Zhen could not help but speak up, and everyone else agreed with his words. Clearly, Ling Xiao's Lightness Technique—which set itself apart from the traditional Soul Master—had received a high level of recognition.
Huyan Li's eyes flashed with shock, making him even more wary of Ling Xiao's strength as the pressure in his heart increased by several notches.
The soul power aura and physical cultivation he had previously sensed from Ling Xiao—which were visibly stronger than his own—were still within the realm of his understanding. But this scene before his eyes left him completely baffled as to how Ling Xiao had managed to pull it off.
However, although Huyan Li was inwardly astonished and felt far more pressure than before, he was ultimately the most outstanding successor of the Elephant Armored Sect. He was not about to be crushed by pressure, lose his confidence, or turn into a coward on the battlefield.
"Ling Xiao, here I come!"
His voice boomed across the arena.
In the next instant, a brownish-yellow radiance of soul power surged from his body. The light was not particularly dazzling or blinding, yet it gave off a thick, heavy, and overbearing sensation.
Standing at the edge of the high platform, Huyan Li let out a loud shout and took a step forward. He leaped with all the strength in his legs while an incredibly dense torrent of soul power erupted from beneath him.
A loud peng echoed as he used both his raw physical power and the explosive blast of soul power to instantly propel himself off the platform and into the air.
Moving as fast as a cannonball, his sheer speed and explosive force were so terrifying that one could not help but look past his exaggeratedly massive physique. After launching himself into the air about seven or eight zhang above the ground, Huyan Li did not restrain his soul power.
In fact, the blazing aura of soul power erupting from him became even more intense than before. The powerful propulsive force continued to push him forward and upward, eventually bringing him to a height of thirty to forty meters above the plaza.
Once he was not far from the center of the arena, Huyan Li let out a low shout.
His brownish-yellow soul power aura contracted before expanding, bursting outward once more. The soul power erupted from behind Huyan Li like a torrential flood, but this time, its direction was completely altered.
Under the fierce propulsion generated by this blast of soul power, Huyan Li's tall and muscular body paused midair for a fraction of a second.
Immediately after, he shot downward toward the arena like a released arrow, resembling a brownish-yellow meteor falling toward the earth with terrifying speed and kinetic force.
BOOM!
The moment he slammed into the ground, an ear-splitting roar erupted within the plaza, loud enough to echo across nearly half of Colossal Elephant City.
The sonic boom vibrated through the air, causing ripples to appear as if space itself were shaking.
A powerful shockwave rippled outward, and the consecutive tremors running through the ground made several weaker, younger disciples of the Elephant Armored Sect around the perimeter lose their balance, nearly falling over.
As the brownish-yellow wave of soul power gradually dispersed and the fierce shockwave faded away, the spectators and Ling Xiao could finally see the sight where Huyan Li had landed. On the plaza ground about ten zhang away from Ling Xiao, a massive crater had actually appeared.
The ground had visibly sunk, and the bluestone beneath Huyan Li's feet had been completely pulverized by the impact of his landing. Countless cracks spider-webbed outward in all directions, proving that he truly held no pity for his own sect's flooring.
However, this also demonstrated the terrifying force behind Huyan Li's descent. As he stood there completely composed without the slightest tremor in his body, the sheer terror of his physical conditioning was plain to see.
The shocking impact just now had caused highly visible damage to the plaza floor, yet that very same impact meant absolutely nothing to his own body.
"Ling Xiao, I know you are strong. But I, Huyan Li, will not admit defeat so easily. Come! Let me see just how strong the most outstanding younger generation of Spirit Hall truly is."
Huyan Li knitted his brows slightly and clenched both fists, speaking as he stood fully prepared for battle.
At the same time, a brownish-yellow glow of soul power violently erupted from his body, perfectly complementing his bronze, formidable physique to make him look all the more terrifying.
**
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