Thunder Slayer Three-Stage Kill

With the Tribulation Blood Eagle dead, its corpse floated on the water, and a Purple Soul Ring emerged around it.

"Little Ji, this thunderstorm weather isn't suitable for absorbing a Soul Ring. Hurry and put the Tribulation Blood Eagle's body into your Soul Tool. Find a safe place before absorbing it!"

"Now that the Tribulation Blood Eagle is dead, the scent from the surrounding Soul Beast corpses will probably draw a large pack of Ten Thousand Year Soul Beasts before long. We have to leave at once."

"Alright."

Ji Wuming had no objection to Dean Shui's reminder. A Soul Ring would not vanish within an hour, so he only needed to absorb it within that time.

He immediately stored the Soul Beast corpse and the Soul Ring it had produced. Under Dean Shui's flying Soul Skill, they swiftly left the area. Just after they departed, hundreds of Water Centipedes, Water Snakes, and several sharks arrived to fight over the food, including quite a few Ten Thousand Year Sea Soul Beasts.

After leaving the thunderstorm weather, the two found a nearby Small Island.

"Little Ji, go ahead and absorb it without worry!"

"Alright."

Once the Tribulation Blood Eagle's corpse was taken out, Ji Wuming sat cross-legged and guided the Purple Soul Ring to hover above his head. Vast Soul Power surged into his body. Compared to the Blood Flood Dragon's Soul Ring, the Tribulation Blood Eagle's Soul Ring contained an additional fierce, violent quality.

Fortunately, two hours later, the Thousand-Year Soul Ring shrank and fully condensed beneath Ji Wuming's feet. Only then was the absorption truly complete.

"Hahaha!"

Dean Shui stroked his beard and laughed toward the sky.

"It seems your theory was right, Little Ji. Soul Beast meat and your body-tempering training really can allow a Soul Master to achieve a Second Thousand-Year Ring!"

Of course, that was another matter entirely. After all, what other child could remain disciplined enough to withstand the impact of water pressure and persist through high-intensity body-tempering exercises like running training for five or six years straight?

"Little Ji, how many levels did your Soul Power rise? And what is your Second Soul Skill?"

Dean Shui looked at Ji Wuming curiously. A Soul Beast like the Tribulation Fierce Eagle already counted as a high-level Soul Beast, only a hair below a top-tier Soul Beast like the Evil Orca King.

The Soul Skill it granted was bound to be extremely overpowered.

As soon as he finished speaking, an exceptionally strange Blood Spear appeared in Ji Wuming's hand. Aside from the blood mist surrounding its shaft, Blood-red arcs of lightning coiled around it, violent enough to make one feel as though it could electrocute someone to death at any moment.

"My Soul Power rose by three levels. I call my Second Soul Skill Thunder Slayer Three-Stage Kill. It allows the Blood Thunder Battle Spear to launch three consecutive attacks. The first stage increases attack power by 50%. The second stage adds 100% attack power and speed on top of the first stage's effect. The third stage adds 150% attack power and speed on top of the second stage's effect, along with a raging lightning paralysis effect."

Dean Shui stood frozen where he was, never expecting the Soul Skill's effects to be so absurd.

"That's outrageous. Your Second Soul Skill not only possesses the Tribulation Blood Eagle's speed and lightning attribute, it has even perfectly inherited its three-stage lightning-breath eruption."

After pondering for a moment, Dean Shui's expression grew even more alarmed. If Ji Wuming combined his Second Soul Skill with his First Soul Skill, he could produce nearly double the attack power at most. Even a peak assault-type battle Soul Elder would likely be no match for him!

"Little Ji, how many times can you use such a powerful Second Soul Skill? Does each stage need charging?"

At Dean Su's question, Ji Wuming scratched his head and answered with a smile.

"With my current Soul Power, I can use my Second Soul Skill at most five times! The three strikes are a combo, so they don't need charging."

"Five times, and the Soul Ring skill doesn't even have the Tribulation Blood Eagle's greatest drawback of needing to charge."

At that moment, Dean Shui's emotions rose and fell like a roller coaster. If he had been able to hunt a Tribulation Blood Eagle back then, how could he have ended up as a mere low-level Soul King, coming to Vast Sea City of his own accord to run a business?

"Good, good, good."

Dean Shui looked at Ji Wuming, then patted him on the shoulder and said with great satisfaction.

"Little Ji, you are now a Soul Grandmaster, and your Second Soul Ring is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Until you possess sufficient strength, you must not reveal it lightly before others. Though your physique theory has been proven, not everyone can train their body as you do."

"The many powers in this world need geniuses, but they do not lack geniuses either. Rather than believe in the goodwill of others, believe that if they cannot obtain something, they will destroy it."

"Dean Shui, I'll remember that!"

Ji Wuming bowed deeply to Dean Shui. Without his help and that of several teachers at the academy, he might not have achieved such great success during this period.

A tall tree in the forest would be felled by the wind. Without sufficient backing, no matter how high one's Innate Soul Power or how great one's acquired efforts, if one did not join a faction, one would be killed by that faction. Spirit Hall was like this, and so were the Top Three Sects.

If Tang San had not had the Clear Sky Sect behind him, as well as Tang Hao, the Widower Douluo, secretly protecting him, he would have been disposed of after the Soul Master Tournament the moment he revealed his Ten-Thousand Year Fourth Ring and External Soul Bone.

Yet joining a sect meant being severely constrained by it as well. Even with abundant resources, Martial Souls were ultimately inherited through bloodlines. He might be forced into political marriages like a breeding stallion, made to bear children, then have every last bit of value squeezed out of him as he became completely bound to the sect.

Half a day later, at dusk, the two returned to the academy. Dean Shui also prepared an early graduation certificate for Ji Wuming.

"Little Ji, you are the child I have ever seen with the poorest talent yet the greatest diligence. Now your strength is sufficient, and in certain aspects, even I, a Soul King, am ashamed of my understanding of Martial Souls compared to yours. You have graduated."

After accepting the graduation certificate, Ji Wuming respectfully bent at the waist toward Dean Shui and Director Lu.

"Thank you, Dean and Director, for your guidance. I, Ji Wuming, will remember it in my heart."

Yet in the next instant, Dean Shui revealed a meaningful smile and said.

"If you have nowhere to go after graduation, you can come help out at the Wodefake Grand Hotel. It is a business of the Shui Family."

"Huh? The Wodefake Grand Hotel is four-star. You're actually the owner behind it, Dean?"

Ji Wuming was stunned. He had no idea the dean possessed such another identity, but these words showed that the dean truly wanted to keep him.

"Thank you for your kindness. Take care, teachers."

Ji Wuming left the academy reluctantly, while Dean Shui and Director Lu exchanged a smile. A letter was swiftly sent toward Skywater City.

A month later, in a bamboo forest outside Fish Village, Ji Wuming held the Blood Thunder Battle Spear and exerted himself to use his First and Second Soul Skills.

Boom—

The green bamboo within a hundred-meter radius collapsed in unison. The battle spear's destructive power was no weaker than that of a three-thousand-year power-type Soul Beast.

"I did it! Instant-casting Soul Skills!"

Ji Wuming withdrew his stance and planted the battle spear into the ground. He was extremely excited. After gaining his Second Soul Skill, he had entertained the idea of instant-casting Soul Skills.

Instant-casting Soul Skills was merely a technique that could be achieved once one became proficient in using them. His First and Second Soul Skills shared one trait: both increased the spear's attack power. Moreover, the First Soul Skill's 40% attack boost was a pure enhancement effect that could last for three minutes.

In other words, within those three minutes, as long as he continuously followed up with his Second Soul Skill, he could achieve an attack frequency of twelve to fifteen consecutive strikes. Whether facing a Control System Soul Master or a defense-type Soul Master,

before such absolute attack speed and power, they would be helpless. They could only passively fall into disadvantage, or even be driven from the field in defeat.