Xu Tianxi: Those willing to listen to me, follow me. Those unwilling can go with the Level 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shell

"A person's cultivation results depend not only on innate talent and acquired effort, but also on the tremendous influence of resources and state of mind."

"One could put it rather bluntly: among the powerhouses who reach the Super Douluo level, aside from the talent that allowed them to stand out among their peers from the very beginning, the resources they received while growing also had a tremendous impact. For example, the pills they consumed, the soul rings and soul bones they absorbed, or whatever rare treasures of heaven and earth they happened to eat..."

"However, once a Super Douluo reaches Level Ninety-Five, the importance of their state of mind begins to outweigh that of resources. Unless they encounter some peerless opportunity, nothing can compare to a clear and unhindered state of mind. Only with such a state of mind can their understanding and comprehension of their Martial Soul reach its best."

"As for this state of mind, it doesn't necessarily mean adhering to anything righteous and aboveboard. Don't those Evil Soul Masters have top-tier powerhouses too?

"The key lies in firmly holding to your cultivation beliefs and making them compatible with your own Martial Soul. For example, your grand-teacher believes in not making a move unless necessary, and killing with a single strike once he does..."

On the churning sea, a ship equipped with advanced soul tools and featuring a streamlined hull plowed through the waves against the wind. Yue Lao piloted it in the cockpit while Xu Xiaoyun pointed at the stars in the night sky and shared the unique views of an old man with Xu Tianxi.

Xu Xiaoyun paused every few sentences. Xu Tianxi, sitting beside him, nodded repeatedly, clapping with a "slap slap" whenever he heard something fascinating, his eyes shining brightly.

The Far North Land lay on the northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire, while Vast Sea City, where the Black Tortoise Merchant Guild headquarters was located, lay in the empire's west. They were currently sailing along the vast coastline from the northern border to the western border of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the journey was a long one.

There was no moon tonight. Cultivating all by himself was boring, so listening to an old man tell interesting stories was rather nice.

"Let's take your Senior Martial Uncle Xiao Changfeng as an example. He achieved the Titled Douluo realm at the age of thirty-five. After absorbing the soul ring and soul bone of that Hundred-Thousand-Year Jade Sea Gyrfalcon, he broke through to Level Ninety-Three.

"Five years later, he reached Level Ninety-Five. He then joined me in secluded cultivation for twelve years, breaking through to Level Ninety-Six. He went to Vast Sea City to take over as president of the Black Tortoise Merchant Guild. As it happens, that was exactly seven years ago."

Xu Xiaoyun cheerfully introduced his direct disciple to Xu Tianxi, then abruptly changed the subject and found the most suitable negative example.

"Now, take Yan Shaozhe. He's the strongest person in Shrek Academy, the direct eldest disciple of Mu En, the Sea God Pavilion Master. His cultivation resources are all top-notch. Apart from having one fewer Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone than your Senior Martial Uncle, none of his other resources are inferior. Some are even better.

"I won't deny that when it comes to comprehension of cultivation, I'm inferior to Mu En. He's a Limit Douluo, and his comprehension of the power of light is unquestionably the best in the world today. No one is more suited to be Yan Shaozhe's teacher. With Shrek's ten-thousand-year heritage, perhaps they possess things that our Xuanming Sect lacks.

"He has extraordinary talent, and he's been cultivating far longer than your Senior Martial Uncle. Yet he has probably been stuck at the Level Ninety-Five bottleneck for decades. Tian Xi, what do you think of him?"

What do I think? There's something wrong with the Martial Soul he awakened. If he had inherited the Dark Sacred Dragon, wouldn't he have been able to soar all the way to the top?

When Yan Shaozhe was mentioned, Xu Tianxi uncontrollably thought of his identity as "the son of Ye Xishui, the Supreme Sect Master of the Holy Spirit Cult, and Long Xiaoyao, the Supreme Elder." His origins were truly "rooted in evil and bred in darkness."

Judging by his birth, Yan Shaozhe's qualifications to become Cult Master were second only to Zhongli Wu, the "son of the former former Cult Master of the Holy Spirit Cult, Old Ghost Zhongli, and Supreme Sect Master Ye Xishui."

After organizing his thoughts, Xu Tianxi raised his eyes and answered the question. "His breadth of mind is too narrow. He isn't suited to the Bright Phoenix Martial Soul."

"Exactly!"

Xu Xiaoyun wore a satisfied expression, as if pleased that his student was teachable, and said decisively:

"This man is a typical example of slow cultivation progress caused by his temperament being completely incompatible with his Martial Soul! Someone like him is fundamentally unsuited to the Bright Phoenix or the Dark Phoenix. The Evil Phoenix, on the other hand, would suit him perfectly.

"Tian Xi, you must take this as a warning and choose the cultivation beliefs most suitable for yourself in the future."

Listen to yourself. Although Yan Shaozhe doesn't have the Evil Phoenix Martial Soul, he's experienced what the Evil Phoenix feels like. Xu Tianxi silently mocked Yan Shaozhe's romantic exploits in his youth, his heart filled with complicated emotions.

This whole matter was a tangled mess. Feng Ling, the current Vice Sect Master of the Holy Spirit Cult, had once been Yan Shaozhe's girlfriend, but was now Zhongli Wu's wife. How exactly was one supposed to define their relationship?

Feng Ling hadn't become Yan Shaozhe's wife, but she had become his granduncle's wife—or even his great-granduncle's wife? Had Yan Shaozhe and Zhongli Wu, these two relatives, become comrades in the same cause?

As expected of the Tang Family Continent's signature love triangle. The relationship between the Holy Spirit Cult and Shrek was truly impossible to unravel...

After finishing his mockery of those melodramatic people, Xu Tianxi turned to consider his own future. Confusion soon surfaced in his eyes. "Grand-teacher, I understand what you mean, but I have a question..."

"What question?"

Xu Tianxi rubbed his chin and asked doubtfully, "My Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes is a Body Martial Soul. What kind of cultivation beliefs should a Martial Soul like this choose? Should I be like those ostentatious people from the Body Sect?"

"There's no need to think about long-term cultivation goals. I'm perfectly clear-headed right now. In the future, I'll definitely go to Shrek City to avenge my mother's murder by Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi and repay Yan Shaozhe for the humiliation he brought upon my mother."

"And that time shouldn't be too far away."

As he said this, Xu Tianxi's tone remained calm and natural. His gaze was clear and serene, revealing a steadiness far beyond his years.

"Well... that isn't necessary either. Those people from the Body Sect are neither wholly righteous nor wholly evil. They act unpredictably, and sometimes they're quite hateful."

Xu Xiaoyun recalled his experiences dealing with the two generations of Body Sect leaders, a trace of helplessness appearing in his eyes.

Those people weren't bad, and they were very loyal. They were especially protective of their own. But as for their habit of making some huge scene at the drop of a hat... he didn't approve, though he respected it.

He completely understood their slaughter of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts for the sake of their sect's disciples and elders. But those people were too reckless. The fact that they caused beast tides that affected the common people was undeniable.

"However, their neither-righteous-nor-evil, freewheeling state of mind is worth learning from. We soul masters must pay attention to keeping our minds unrestrained during cultivation. As long as we maintain a sense of proportion, that's enough."

Xu Xiaoyun smiled. "I don't want you to be restricted by all those rules either. As long as we do what orthodox soul masters ought to do, that's enough. Helping the weak and upholding justice is fine when it happens naturally, but remember to act within your limits. Don't get yourself killed trying to be a hero."

He said meaningfully, "You should know that there are still many evil people in this world. Some of the more formidable ones among them are even enough to make me wary. You're only a Soul Grandmaster who has just entered the world of soul masters. Great responsibilities aren't yours to bear yet, and you couldn't bear them even if they were."

"Every year, Inner Courtyard disciples from Shrek meet with accidents across the continent. Those Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings, and even the top geniuses of the Inner Courtyard at the Soul Emperor and Soul Sage levels, sometimes die in accidents. What's more, you're only a child. The right to uphold justice often belongs only to Titled Douluo."

Over the past two years, he had discovered that this child possessed considerable kindness. From time to time, Xu Tianxi expressed pity for commoners, and occasionally scattered a few Copper Soul Coins to some ragged commoners struggling between life and death when he went out.

Once, he had jokingly asked why Xu Tianxi didn't give them Gold Soul Coins. Still a child, Xu Tianxi had lowered his mood and said, "Giving them Gold Soul Coins would be sending them to their deaths. They can't protect them..."

Those weren't words a child should have been able to say, but they were indeed the words of an unusually mature child. After Kong Xiyue's death, Xu Tianxi's temperament had changed drastically. Every day, he spent some time in the Library, reading everything from Martial Soul cultivation and continental history to all kinds of miscellaneous books. He had practically become a different person.

As an elder, Xu Xiaoyun was filled with heartache. Yet all he could do was provide more guidance, lest this promising junior take things to an extreme.

He, Long Xiaoyao, Mu En, and the others had all experienced their own glorious youthful years. Back then, they had been young and ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth, facing life with nothing but passion. They would slay any evil they encountered and intervene whenever they saw injustice, believing that nothing under heaven was beyond their power.

But the higher their cultivation became, the more darkness they saw, and the more they realized that the dark side of this world was not simple:

Aside from the powerful Evil Soul Masters, many bandits and criminals who harmed commoners had a noble backing them. Or they were simply claws raised by nobles to do disgraceful things for them, such as forcibly seizing other people's property or helping nobles frame their victims by having the victims accused of crimes.

Killing one of those nobles was easy, but killing them all was difficult. He couldn't fight an entire empire alone, and neither could Mu En or Long Xiaoyao. Moreover, after reaching high cultivation levels, those two had changed as well. All he could do was remain detached from worldly affairs and protect his own family.

Xu Tianxi might be able to accomplish that in the future, but certainly not now.

"You're right, but I don't think someone must have Titled Douluo cultivation to change the world."

"Clang-clang-clang—"

Xu Tianxi pulled a row of Level 2 Fixed Soul Cannon Shells that he had personally made from his Storage Ring. He squatted down and tapped them, producing a crisp, pleasant sound. Sunlight seemed to shine from his eyes as he beamed at Xu Xiaoyun.

"Grand-teacher, these Level 2 Fixed Soul Cannon Shells can threaten the lives of Soul Ancestors. If they all explode at once, even Soul Kings will be thrown into chaos and might suffer injuries.

"My talent for soul tools is pretty good. If I can become a Rank 9 Soul Guidance Master, I'll open with a Level 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shell. I think plenty of people will be willing to listen to me then."

"If one isn't enough, use two or three. Those willing to listen to me will follow me. Those unwilling can go with the Level 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shell. Grand-teacher, don't you think I'm right?"

Xu Tianxi brazenly advertised his theory that "firepower coverage makes people obedient." His little face was utterly serious, as though he had no idea how terrifying his words were.

Upon hearing this, the corner of Xu Xiaoyun's mouth visibly twitched, leaving him speechless for a moment.

"...You child, a Level 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shell is a peerless killing weapon. Dropping one can turn heaven and earth upside down. If you don't get far away beforehand, or if your cultivation isn't high enough, you'll be swept up in the energy wave and reduced to nothing yourself."

"To use a Level 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shell in battle, you need to have at least Eight-Ring Soul Douluo cultivation. That's with the talent of Twin Martial Souls. For other Rank 9 Soul Guidance Masters, even Titled Douluo would never be willing to use one casually, because using it means mutual destruction."

Xu Tianxi smiled and nodded approvingly. "Don't worry, Grand-teacher. Before then, I'll use plenty of Fixed Soul Cannon Shells to build up experience and strive to raise my firing skills by the time I reach the Eight-Ring level."

Xu Xiaoyun was amused by Xu Tianxi's words. He laughed and lightly poked Xu Tianxi on the forehead. "Listen to you. Your Level 2 Fixed Soul Cannon Shells can threaten Soul Ancestors, but where are you going to find Soul Ancestor-level targets to practice on?"

"Don't be fooled by the countless masters in our Xuanming Sect. Outside, even Soul Elders are people of status. Soul Ancestors can even receive noble titles from the Three Great Empires after rendering meritorious service. It isn't easy to meet one."

Xu Tianxi blinked and said, "Aren't there still Evil Soul Masters?"

Xu Xiaoyun threw his head back and laughed, shaking his head.

"Those are even harder to find. Those gutter rats have always acted cautiously and don't dare appear in large numbers. They rarely go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for soul rings either. They often come to secluded places like the sea to hunt for soul rings..."

At that moment, Yue Lao, who was holding the helm, suddenly spoke. His aged voice carried a note of vigilance.

"Xu Zu, the Soul Guidance Scanner shows that several soul masters are battling soul beasts several miles away. They're heading toward us, and they aren't moving slowly."

"Hm?"

Xu Xiaoyun looked up. His vision pierced several miles into the distance, and his expression sank. "Ten Thousand Soul Banner Martial Soul? Vengeful Ghost Martial Soul? Why are there really Evil Soul Masters here?"

Xu Tianxi quietly reminded him from the side, "Didn't you just say that those gutter rats liked coming to secluded places like the sea to hunt for soul rings?"

Xu Xiaoyun: "..."

That makes far too much sense.