Martial Soul Quality and Development

Chen Jieqi watched the earth elements circulating around Dugu Yan and explained softly:

"Yanyan, the reason you can master this so quickly now isn't just due to your cultivation;

it's because the quality and completeness of your Single-Horned Golden Flood Dragon martial soul are both far superior to your old Jade Phosphor Snake."

Dugu Yan stopped her movements, tilted her head, and asked:

"Martial soul quality and awakening completeness?"

"Correct."

Chen Jieqi nodded, "Do you know why Innate Soul Power is so important to a soul master?"

He looked up, his eyes clear and insightful, "When a martial soul awakens, the bloodline sets the foundation. The higher the quality of the martial soul, the higher the floor for Innate Soul Power.

Take the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, for example; it is said that there has never been an awakened user with less than level five soul power.

Therefore, the general consensus among soul masters is that the higher the martial soul quality, the higher the Innate Soul Power, and the higher the potential—and vice versa. Over time, this has become common knowledge."

Dugu Yan crossed her arms and replied softly:

"I've heard my grandfather say that the better the martial soul quality, the greater the potential.

But why is it that even among top-tier martial souls, Innate Soul Power still varies?"

"That is where the completeness of the martial soul awakening comes in."

Chen Jieqi smiled, "The more thorough the martial soul awakening, the higher the Innate Soul Power can be, and the stronger the martial soul's utilization rate and growth potential become.

However, this isn't set in stone. Some soul masters experience mutations after awakening, or encounter changes due to absorbing soul rings and soul bones, or consume heavenly treasures like the Earth Dragon Golden Melon you took, which grant the martial soul additional traits or changes.

All of these can push the utilization rate of one's martial soul upward and raise the ceiling, which is especially evident in beast martial souls."

Chen Jieqi paused, his gaze landing on Dugu Yan, "This is also why your current application of the earth attribute is stronger than the poison attribute of your former Jade Phosphor Snake."

"Take the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon as an example: the higher the Innate Soul Power, the greater the martial soul's completeness, and the higher the self-buffs and the utilization rate of the lightning attribute.

This is why, when absorbing soul rings of the same age, soul masters with higher Innate Soul Power receive greater bonuses and multipliers for their soul skills."

"Are you saying that if two Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul masters obtain their first soul skill, the one with level 7 Innate Soul Power will have a stronger skill than the one with level 5?"

Dugu Yan interrupted at the right moment to ask, "Yes, that is the manifestation of martial soul completeness and utilization rate.

Furthermore, their clan has spent hundreds, if not thousands, of years exploring and developing, establishing a standard where their first three soul skills are almost identical—all choosing soul beasts with lightning attributes and sub-dragon bloodlines as soul rings.

Such choices not only significantly strengthen the traits of their beast martial soul but also lay the foundation for their body's future 'dragonization,'

while simultaneously further reinforcing the 'lightning' attribute to ensure offensive power."

"But their application of the lightning attribute is too shallow,"

Chen Jieqi said with a hint of regret, "It's nothing more than using the attribute to simply coat themselves to increase power, or throwing out a few long-range attacks. They are completely unable to use the attribute to shift the tide of battle.

Yet, even so, they still earned the title of 'Number One Beast Martial Soul under Heaven'."

Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, "Then what about my Single-Horned Golden Flood Dragon?

Compared to them..."

"Yanyan, yours is different."

Chen Jieqi straightened his posture, his tone becoming serious, "As a sub-dragon species, the physical strength of the Single-Horned Golden Flood Dragon is indeed slightly inferior to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, but it is still enough to crush the vast majority of beast martial souls.

The key point lies in the application of the attribute.

Your first two soul skills don't just strengthen yourself; they directly amplify the attribute and simulate elements. That is what is truly rare."

Chen Jieqi looked at Dugu Yan with a touch of envy, "The attribute amplification effect goes without saying, but the element simulation is the real key.

Your soul power is still shallow, and your mental power isn't condensed enough, so you can only simulate simple earth spikes, earth walls, and rock armor to attack, restrict, or protect yourself.

But once your soul power level rises and your mental power becomes more refined, you will be able to perform mass earthquakes, rock cages, and so on.

You could even cloak an entire battlefield in rock armor. All of these will grow stronger step by step as your attribute improves, thereby changing the course of a battle."

Chen Jieqi's eyes were filled with expectation.

"Fighting alone might not compare to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, but when it comes to battlefield control or support, they are left looking at our backs!"

Dugu Yan listened with eyes full of longing.

"Little brother Chen Jieqi, then how should I grasp this?"

"Sister Yanyan, what you need to do now is continue to polish your soul power utilization and improve your spiritual power.

In the future, you can follow the same path as me: the path of the Ultimate Elemental Attribute.

That way, in the later stages, even if you face the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, you will have the qualifications to contend with them!"

"Ultimate Elemental Attribute..."

She repeated in a low voice, a confident smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

"It sounds much more interesting than simply turning into a dragon."

Chen Jieqi looked at the sharpness in her eyes and nodded gently.

"It is a pity that there is no mimicry cultivation environment like the Heaven Dou Royal Academy here.

It allows soul masters to immerse themselves in pure earth, fire, or light elements, making their perception several times sharper.

If we had such an environment, your control over the earth element would surely be several times faster."

"Then how should I practice now?"

Dugu Yan pressed, "I always feel like there is a barrier between my soul power and the earth and stones."

Chen Jieqi smiled and reached out to press his hand against the tree trunk beside him.

"Start with Rooting.

Try to sink your soul power through your body into the soil, to feel the moisture of the dirt and the texture of the stones.

Listen to the vibrations deep within the earth, just as I merge my soul power into the sunlight to perceive the flow of light."

"Once you can clearly 'see' the veins of every grain of soil beneath your feet, try to use your soul power to guide them.

First, gather them into small pebbles, then pile them into stone spikes, and finally condense them into armor."

Chen Jieqi's voice was gentle yet powerful.

"Spiritual power is the bridge, soul power is the strength, and resonance is the key.

Once you can form a true resonance with the earth element, let alone a group earthquake, even overturning a mountain is not impossible."

Dugu Yan closed her eyes and followed his instructions, slowly sinking her soul power into the ground.

At first, it was just a chaotic sensation, but as she calmed her mind, she gradually touched the warmth of the soil and the hardness of the stones.

She could even feel the trajectory of tree roots extending through the earth in the distance.

"I... I felt it!"

She opened her eyes abruptly, her earth-yellow pupils filled with surprise.

"The pulse of the earth!"

Chen Jieqi looked at the brightness in her eyes and smiled slightly.

"This is the first step.

From now on, spend half an hour every day 'listening' to the earth.

Polish the delicacy of your soul power, and then slowly try to simulate more complex forms."

Under the day-after-day deep exchanges between the two, time passed like a white horse galloping past a crack, fleeing by in a flash...

In the morning light, Chen Jieqi would accompany Dugu Yan as she sat on the mountain rocks, watching her sink her soul power into the earth to perceive the pulse of the earth element.

In the twilight, Dugu Yan would also listen to him explain the method of condensing the Holy Light, and the earth-yellow and pale golden halos would often intertwine into gentle ribbons of light beside the campfire.