Testing the Third Soul Skill

The gloom on Shao Xin's face completely vanished. Rubbing his hands together, he laughed and said:

"Good! This is great! That boy had talent to begin with. Our academy just had poor conditions, and he suffered here. Now that he can go to the Balak Kingdom, with good resources supporting him and a powerful companion protecting him, he won't have to suffer alongside us anymore. This is a good thing!"

"Exactly."

Zhao Wuji nodded as well, his face filled with relief, though his tone carried a trace of wistfulness as he said:

"That kid Oscar has finally made it. Still, once he leaves, I, Old Zhao, might need some time to get used to it. I'll miss him a little."

As everyone chimed in, Flender suddenly coughed twice. He slowly pulled out the purple-gold card from his robes, weighed it in his hand, and said with a grin:

"Alright, alright, stop missing Oscar. Let's first figure out how to spend these hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins—now that's a happy problem."

"O-One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins?!"

The moment those words came out, the courtyard fell silent. Everyone's gaze snapped to the card, their eyes wide as saucers.

Shao Xin's hand trembled, and what he was holding clattered to the ground. Zhao Wuji shot to his feet so abruptly that he nearly overturned the stone table.

"Say that again, Dean! How much?!"

Flender placed the purple-gold card on the table, his eyes crinkling with delight as he told his old companions:

"The Balak Royal Family sponsored it: one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. It's enough to renovate the academy from top to bottom, buy a few new things for us old men to live more comfortably, and make sure we don't have to eat steamed buns for every meal anymore."

"Holy hell!"

Zhao Wuji snatched up the purple-gold card and inspected it from every angle, the wrinkles on his face blooming with laughter. Then he said:

"This really is pie falling from the sky! With this money, we'll fix that leaking roof first! Then buy some training equipment for the academy!"

For a time, the courtyard was filled with the laughter of old friends and their overlapping plans. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell across every face. Even the shabby little courtyard seemed touched by celebration, bursting with life.

At dawn the next day, Xue Tianxing was still sorting through the Soul Power accumulated from last night's cultivation when a palace attendant hurried in to report that Xue Zhe and Liu Tianfeng were already waiting at the royal palace's training ground.

Xue Tianxing immediately guessed what it was about. Smiling, he answered, grabbed an outer robe and draped it over himself, then hurried toward the training ground.

The moment he stepped into the training ground, he saw Xue Zhe and Liu Tianfeng standing side by side in the center. More than a dozen wooden training dummies stood around them, clearly prepared especially for him.

Seeing him arrive, Xue Zhe smiled and waved.

"Tianxing, come quickly! Uncle Liu and I have both been waiting to see your third Soul Skill."

Liu Tianfeng nodded as well, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

"That Ice Flame Roc was a top-tier Soul Beast. Your third Soul Skill certainly won't be ordinary. Show us."

Xue Tianxing answered and walked to the center of the field.

He took a deep breath. Soul Power surged through his body—an icy-blue glow lit up around him, translucent Ice Phoenix wings unfurled behind his back, and Xue Tianxing instantly completed Martial Soul Possession. One yellow and two purple Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet.

"Third Soul Skill—Ice Flame Phoenix Cry!"

With Xue Tianxing's low shout, he fiercely swung his right hand forward.

Icy-blue flames burst from his palm like a blue tongue of fire, lashing toward a wooden dummy not far away with a whoosh.

Strangely, though the flames appeared to be burning, they gave off bone-piercing cold. The instant they landed on the dummy, the wood froze over with a layer of white frost. Yet the flames did not go out. Instead, they spread upward along the wood, wrapping the entire dummy in icy-blue fire.

Even more astonishingly, as the flames erupted, the Ice Phoenix phantom behind Xue Tianxing suddenly opened its beak and let out a clear, piercing cry—"Screech!" The cry cut through the air, carrying an invisible mental shock. Xue Zhe and Liu Tianfeng both froze, their minds turning faintly sluggish, as though they had been immobilized.

Fortunately, both were Spirit Douluo-level powerhouses. Soul Power circulated through their bodies in an instant, and they recovered in less than a second. Still, the way they looked at Xue Tianxing now held far more shock.

The royal palace guards standing at the edge of the field were not so fortunate.

They only felt a buzz in their ears as their vision darkened in waves. Their bodies stiffened in place, and it took them more than ten seconds to recover. Their faces turned pale as they instinctively retreated a few steps.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Xue Zhe was the first to react. He could not help clapping and laughing before saying to Xue Tianxing:

"Tianxing, this Soul Skill of yours is truly powerful! Especially that phoenix cry—it immobilized even me and your Grandpa Liu for an instant. Against an opponent of the same level, it would be an unexpected killing move!"

Liu Tianfeng stroked his beard and nodded. The satisfaction in his eyes could not be concealed.

"Exactly. When experts clash, the difference often lies in a single instant. The ice flames can freeze an opponent, while the phoenix cry can disrupt their mind. Together, their power doubles. It seems you were not wrong to insist on absorbing that Ice Flame Roc's Soul Ring back then."

Xue Tianxing withdrew his Martial Soul. The wings behind him gradually faded, and the Soul Rings sank back into his body.

Listening to their praise, Xue Tianxing nodded inwardly. His mind had already begun considering how to use this Soul Skill—when facing an enemy of the same level in the future, he could first unleash the ice flames and force them to evade;

Then, the moment they were distracted by dodging, he could unleash the phoenix cry to disrupt their mind;

At that point, he could rush in with the speed of Mysterious Crane Soaring Nine Heavens. His opponent would have no time to react, and the outcome would almost be decided at a glance.

"This Soul Skill really is useful."

Xue Tianxing said with a smile:

"It just consumes more Soul Power than my first two Soul Skills. I need to practice more before I can use it freely."

"No rush. Take it slowly."

Xue Zhe patted him on the shoulder and said:

"With this Soul Skill in hand, we can feel more at ease when you go out to gain experience in the future. Come on, let's go have breakfast. Your mother specifically had the kitchen stew something you like."

Xue Tianxing answered and followed the two of them off the field.

Sunlight fell across him. Xue Tianxing could clearly feel the abundance of Soul Power in his body, as well as the new strength brought by his third Soul Skill—with Ice Flame Phoenix Cry, his strength had risen another step, and he seemed a little closer to the goal in his heart.

And when Xue Tianxing thought of Oscar, that Food System genius Soul Master, now being one of his own, the joy in his heart increased even further—with such a companion by his side, the road ahead would undoubtedly be much easier.

After breakfast, Xue Tianxing greeted Xue Zhe and Liu Tianfeng before leaving the royal palace and heading toward Oscar's new residence.

The residence was in Wutong Alley, east of the royal palace. It was not far away, and he soon reached the entrance.

When the servants at the gate saw Xue Tianxing, they hurriedly bowed with respectful smiles.

"Your Highness, you're here! Please come in! This servant will inform Lord Viscount immediately!"

As he spoke, one servant led Xue Tianxing toward the main hall, while another hurried toward Oscar's bedroom to wake him.