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Even though high-level Soul Masters only indirectly manipulate spatial energy, if their comprehension of spatial power is deep enough, they can still apply it in battles against opponents of the same level.
They can unleash an attack with their own Martial Soul while simultaneously triggering a spatial strangulation against the enemy. Going even a step further, they could directly tear through the void, channeling the chaotic spatial undercurrents within the void to surge toward their foe.
Therefore, it could be said that for high-level powerhouse Soul Masters, even with the exact same soul power cultivation, their combat strength could differ drastically depending on their comprehension of their own Martial Soul and spatial power.
A high-level powerhouse Soul Master was far from being defined solely by a few soul rings or dozens of ranks of soul power cultivation. Those who have not reached that realm will never understand its true meaning.
To wildly claim that one has mastered everything about a Soul Master's cultivation with only a mere Rank 20-something cultivation is nothing more than being a frog at the bottom of a well, looking at the sky from a narrow view, and indulging in pipe dreams.
It is utterly laughable.
The reason Ling Xiao considered it a waste of heaven's gifts for Huyan Li to hunt a space-attribute Soul Beast for his third soul ring was precisely because of the sheer rarity of space-attribute Soul Beasts, along with the various benefits and significance they brought.
One obvious fact was that for a space-attribute Soul Beast capable of becoming one's own soul ring, the more powerful it was, the better.
Killing it to serve as Huyan Li's third soul ring just as its cultivation had barely approached two thousand years—how could that not be considered a waste?
If Spirit Hall were to capture a space-attribute Soul Beast, they would undoubtedly imprison it, place it under strict guard, and feed it a vast amount of natural treasures or medicinal pills that provide spiritual Qi to boost its cultivation.
They would raise it until its cultivation reached at least the ten-thousand-year level before choosing the right moment to bestow it as a soul ring to someone within the organization.
Of course, speaking of this, Ling Xiao's own third soul ring was actually somewhat of a waste of heaven's gifts, much like Huyan Li's.
Although the Shala Iron Tree was not a space-attribute Soul Beast, as an existence possessing one of the most powerful defensive strengths in the Soul Beast world—and a plant-type Soul Beast at that—its value was by no means inferior to a space-attribute Soul Beast.
Before it had grown to a ten-thousand-year cultivation, and given that it was unrelated to Ling Xiao's Martial Soul, making it difficult to trigger a Martial Soul evolution or transformation, granting it to Ling Xiao as a soul ring merely provided him with an additional power outside of his Martial Soul.
Furthermore, it was a power destined to be phased out once he became a Soul King. It truly was somewhat of a waste. However, looking at it from another perspective, this also reflected how highly Bibi Dong regarded Ling Xiao.
If she hadn't rejected all dissenting opinions back then to bestow this Soul Beast upon him, Ling Xiao probably wouldn't have been able to obtain a defensive soul skill.
Given the absolute might of the Profound Sky Axe, it would likely have been impossible for him to acquire a defensive soul ring and soul skill for the rest of his life. Of course, Ling Xiao's thoughts back then were drastically different from what they were today.
Back then, the reason he wanted to obtain a defensive soul ring and soul skill—and specifically hoped to get it before his fifth ring, preferably as his third ring—was actually just to better defend himself in the future against Tang San's endless stream of hidden weapons.
After all, an all-around defensive soul skill was far more suited for dealing with things like hidden weapons compared to pure offense.
Especially since Tang San liked to coat his hidden weapons in poison.
The piercing power of his hidden weapons wasn't a major threat, but the lethal poison was highly troublesome. If one was struck by a hidden weapon, the physical wound didn't matter—what mattered was the deadly poison.
However, as he continued to cultivate and his understanding of a Soul Master's Martial Soul deepened, by today, he completely looked down on Tang San's hidden weapons, and even Tang San himself.
The only thing about that man worthy of his attention was the possibility of Tang San receiving the Sea God's assistance in the future, using the God Trials and soul rings to forcefully skyrocket his level like a rocket through sheer, illogical power-infusion.
Even the bottleneck after Rank 95, which normally could not be broken through via soul rings, was bypassed by Tang San using an unreasonable method provided by the Sea God, allowing him to break through simply by absorbing soul rings.
Thinking back on it now, absorbing the Shala Iron Tree as a soul ring back then just to fulfill that notion in his mind was indeed too wasteful.
How wonderful would it have been if he had saved it? If a suitable person with a plant Martial Soul appeared in the future, they would have a significant chance of carving out a powerful path of their own through it.
Yet, the past could not be changed.
He could only keep the Pope's high regard and sacrifice deeply engraved in his heart, never to be forgotten.
In Ling Xiao's heart, Pope Bibi Dong was second only to his teacher, Mu Chen. Mu Chen had taught him all his skills, granting him a new lease on life, while Bibi Dong had uplifted and valued him. She, too, was fully worthy of his lifelong loyalty and service.
At this moment, as the surprise brought by his first glimpse of Huyan Li's space-attribute third soul ring faded, a sudden realization dawned upon Ling Xiao.
Back then, the Elephant Armored Sect must have captured this space-attribute Soul Beast, which had barely reached a two-thousand-year cultivation, through a stroke of sheer luck. Yet, instead of keeping it in captivity, they chose to bestow it upon Huyan Li.
On one hand, this was likely because the Elephant Armored Sect, unlike Spirit Hall, lacked a suitable containment facility capable of imprisoning a space-attribute Soul Beast; it could easily escape.
While having a Soul Saint expert guard it would certainly work, doing so would effectively bind that Soul Saint to a single location.
Even if they took turns watching it, it would be an immense drain on the Elephant Armored Sect's resources and negatively impact the sect's overall strength. It was far more practical to simply kill it for a soul ring—clean, efficient, and ending all potential troubles.
On the other hand, much like how Bibi Dong highly regarded Ling Xiao, the Elephant Armored Sect was also willing to part with this precious space-attribute Soul Beast, directly granting it to Huyan Li as his third soul ring.
This allowed him to come into contact with spatial power ahead of time, ensuring he could better comprehend it when he eventually cultivated to the Soul Saint realm. If he could grasp even a mere fraction of its basics before reaching the Soul Saint level, it would be entirely worth the investment.
From this, one can really see how much the Elephant Armored Sect values Huyan Li. After all, the treatment Huyan Li received in this regard has already surpassed that of past Elephant Armored Sect Masters.
Several generations of sect masters, including Heavenly Elephant Hu Yanzhen himself, never had the luxury of using a space-attribute Soul Beast as a soul ring, Ling Xiao thought to himself.
Right then, Huyan Li's exceptionally precious third soul ring finally unleashed its might.
As Huyan Li activated his third soul skill, "Suppressive Slaughter," a dense, silver-white glow manifested before his chest. However, in the very next instant, this radiance vanished completely, as if fusing directly into the fabric of space, making it incredibly difficult to detect.
Even with Ling Xiao's current spiritual cultivation at the Soul Ancestor realm, he surprisingly failed to perceive this force, causing his brow to furrow slightly. Spatial power was indeed extraordinary.
Among the four of them—including Xie Yue and Yan—perhaps only Nana would be able to sense this space-fused energy at their current cultivation level. Yet, in the eyes of Chrysanthemum Douluo and the others, that spatial power merging into the void could be clearly perceived.
They watched as the spatial energy erupted from the soul ring, slipped into the void, and rapidly expanded toward Ling Xiao. Its speed was blisteringly fast, arriving right beside Ling Xiao almost instantaneously.
**
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Thanks for reading!
I have 100+ advanced chapter now on Patreon. I will post 5 advanced chapter on Patreon everyday except Sunday