The Third Soul Skill and the Prototype of Five Attributes

As that deep, near-black soul ring, edged with a faint golden shimmer, finally merged completely with his body and the surging soul power within him settled into a calm flow, Lin Ciyan couldn't wait to look inward.

Level thirty-three!

He blinked, finding it hard to believe.

It wasn't surprise, but rather... is that it?

Come on, seriously? This is a soul ring nearing thirty thousand years! Where are the perks for absorbing beyond my rank? Where are the rewards for challenging the limits? Lin Ciyan ranted wildly in his mind.

According to the standard script, when Bei Bei absorbed a twelve-thousand-year ring, he jumped three levels.

I'm pushing thirty thousand years here; I should have at least been guaranteed four levels, maybe even pushing for five!

Why am I stuck at three?

He looked at Bei Bei, whose aura was clearly much stronger and who had already reached the rank of a level thirty-three Soul Elder; the two of them were now tied in Soul Power Level.

Damn it, I've been nerfed by the game balance!

In an instant, he realized the truth.

It wasn't that the soul ring was lacking; it was that his martial soul was of too high a grade—it possessed Ultimate Light!

The scenes from the original work where Huo Gua leveled up as easily as drinking water were, after all, an exception.

For the vast majority of those who possess ultimate attributes, the speed of soul power accumulation begins to crawl like a tortoise after the early stages.

The total volume and quality of soul power required for each level far exceed that of ordinary soul masters.

It's like everyone else is using a standard water pipe, while he is using a high-pressure hose; his soul power is highly concentrated.

What appears to be a single level of soul power improvement actually contains a world of difference in energy.

The energy from this nearly thirty-thousand-year soul ring had mostly gone into "purifying" and "compressing" his own Ultimate Light soul power.

Naturally, the increase in total volume appeared minimal.

Tsk, as expected, even cheating has to follow the basic laws of physics...

Lin Ciyan helplessly accepted this "cruel" reality.

But soon, he sensed another strange change in his body.

Beyond the more majestic and refined Holy Radiance Qilin soul power, he could feel his five core organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—seemingly resonating with five faint, fundamental elemental energies in the world: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth!

Subconsciously, his mind stirred, and he attempted to channel them.

At his fingertip, a wisp of metal elemental energy thinner than a hair flashed by, carrying a faint, sharp edge.

In his palm, a nearly invisible green speck of light emerged, containing a trace of weak vitality.

Water vapor in the air condensed into a tiny, almost imperceptible patch of white mist.

A small cluster of sparks popped into existence and then extinguished.

A tiny pinch of dust-like earth swirled at his fingertips.

He could actually trigger all five basic attributes!

Although they were pitifully weak—barely enough to light a cigarette, sprout a bud, gather a drop of dew, or kick up a bit of dust—they had truly transcended the scope of pure light attributes!

"Ciyan, how do you feel?" Mu En's gentle voice came through, filled with concern.

Lin Ciyan withdrew from his internal observation, looked at Mu En and the curious Bei Bei leaning in, and sighed.

Lin Ciyan answered the question about his rank first: "Level thirty-three soul power."

"Teacher, is the improvement for ultimate attributes really this difficult?"

"A soul ring of nearly thirty thousand years only added three levels of cultivation!"

At this rate, he feared it would take five or six months just to rise one level.

On average, that's five levels every two years, and a major stage every four years.

He was at level thirty-three now, which meant... he wouldn't break through to Soul Saint until he was around twenty-one?

And that was assuming resources were plentiful; if resources were scarce, wouldn't he have to wait until the end of time?

He wore an expression of "life is hopeless."

Sigh, it seems my Way of Relaxed Cultivation has a long and arduous road ahead; if I want to lie flat until I reach Title Douluo, I still have many years to endure.

Bei Bei listened from the side, dumbfounded. He thought twenty-one was too slow for a Soul Saint?

He felt that if he could break through to Soul Emperor before twenty-five, his ancestors would be smoking from their graves!

Indeed, the joys and sorrows of ordinary people and cheaters are not connected.

Mu En nodded knowingly, comforting him: "Ultimate attributes possess unparalleled power, so naturally, they come with a price."

"Slow soul power growth is the norm, but precisely because of this, your foundation will far surpass your peers, granting you greater potential for the future."

"The academy does indeed possess methods to assist in the cultivation of ultimate attributes; once your realm stabilizes further, I shall impart them to you."

Mu En then shifted his tone, his gaze sharp: "Beyond your soul power, were there any other gains?"

"What is your third soul skill?"

Speaking of his soul skill, Lin Ciyan felt a surge of spirit, a strange yet satisfied smile appearing on his face.

With a slight surge of soul power, his third soul ring—that deep, near-black ring—suddenly flared to life.

"My third soul skill is named—Mystic Yellow Exquisite Armor!"

In an instant, a suit of ancient-looking energy armor, glowing with a warm, mysterious yellow luster, enveloped his entire body.

The armor was not bulky; rather, it felt light and form-fitting, with fluid lines and faint tortoise-shell patterns, exuding an aura of invulnerability and eternal stability.

"Once activated, this skill condenses an ultimate defensive energy armor, with its defensive power increasing alongside my soul power."

"The most crucial part is..." Lin Ciyan chuckled.

"It possesses an extremely potent energy absorption and conversion property."

"As long as an enemy's attack fails to break through in one strike, a portion of that energy is absorbed by the 'Mystic Yellow Exquisite Armor,' which in turn replenishes my soul power consumption, or even..."

"Well, theoretically, it can be stored up to deliver a 'surprise' when necessary."

Isn't this just a mobile "power bank" combined with "thorns armor"? And one that can charge up for a burst, at that!

The more Lin Ciyan thought about it, the more he felt this soul skill was tailor-made for him: "In future fights, I'll just keep the armor up, hide behind the Holy Radiance Sky Curtain, and if the enemy can't break my defense, I'll just heal (Grace of Bathing Light) and recover mana."

"If they hit me too hard, I can just hit them back with a charged Radiant Impact or Dawn Break Fist..."

"It's a perfect closed loop! This is the true meaning of 'defense as offense, effortless output'!"

[Ding! Successfully developed a "slacking-style" counter-attack and sustain tactic using a defensive soul skill, deeply aligned with the core of "relaxed cultivation," Slacking Value +188!]

Mu En's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he couldn't help but clap in admiration: "Good! What a magnificent 'Mystic Yellow Exquisite Armor'!"

"It combines absolute defense, energy absorption, and sustained feedback into one!"

"This skill, paired with your previous soul skills and soul bone skills, has already begun to form a complete system!"

Bei Bei looked at the armor on Lin Ciyan, which not only looked exceptional but had even more monstrous effects.

Then, thinking of his own purely additive [Thunder Fury], he suddenly felt his dragon life was full of hardship.

After demonstrating his soul skill, Lin Ciyan recalled his earlier discovery.

He dissipated the Mystic Yellow Exquisite Armor and, feeling somewhat uncertain, reached out his hand to attempt to channel that faint power of the five elements once more.

Watching the five-colored light, barely visible, flicker at his fingertips, Lin Ciyan scratched his head: "Teacher, there is one more strange thing."

"After absorbing the soul ring, I seem to be... able to slightly trigger the five basic attributes of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth."

"Although it's very weak, the sensation is quite clear."

"What's the use of this? It's not even enough to light a cigarette..."

He had said it casually, with a hint of self-deprecation.

However, Mu En's reaction far exceeded his expectations.

The well-informed Limit Douluo's pupils suddenly constricted, and for the first time, a look of near-uncomposed shock appeared on his face!

He stared fixedly at the faint five-colored light at Lin Ciyan's fingertips, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible tremor:

"Five... five basic attributes?! Ciyan, are you certain?!"

Mu En took a deep breath, suppressing the surging waves in his heart, his tone incredibly grave: "Child, do you know what this implies?"

"Ordinary soul masters have single attributes; mastering even one mutated attribute is already rare."

"Yet your Holy Radiance Qilin martial soul, inherently possessing the Ultimate Light, is divine and domineering; logically, it should repel other attributes!"

"But you, currently at the three-ring realm, are already able to trigger the most primordial power of the five elements!"

"Although weak, this signifies that your martial soul, your very origin, possesses the supreme potential to encompass all things and evolve all life!"

Mu En grew more excited as he spoke: "This means your path will no longer be limited to light!"

"If you can persevere, by the time you reach the seven-ring martial soul avatar, or even the nine-ring Title Douluo realm, your control over the five elements will surely sublimate!"

"At that time, the Five Elements Rotation, generating and overcoming one another, creating all things, and perhaps... even self-generating a domain is not impossible!"

"This will be one of your greatest foundations for surpassing your peers and even challenging higher levels in the future!"

Lin Ciyan was stunned by this series of "heavy bombs" dropped by Mu En.

Self-generating a domain? Surpassing his peers? Challenging higher levels?

He had originally thought it was just a useless add-on, but in Mu En's words, it had become the cornerstone of his future path to godhood?

Oh no, it seems I've gotten myself into something big...

So, this isn't called slacking; it's called laying the groundwork for the Great Dao in advance?

Watching Lin Ciyan's eyes transition from bewilderment to a gradual spark of clarity.

Mu En stroked his beard with satisfaction, finally concluding in a grave and earnest tone: "Ciyan, although cultivation of an ultimate attribute is slow, the potential and heights it brings you are beyond what ordinary soul masters could imagine in their entire lives."

"Do not be discouraged by the slow rise in your level for the time being; your future lies in the sea of stars."

Lin Ciyan took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

Although it was a fact that cultivation was slow, the moment he thought about the scene where he might one day wield Sacred Light in his left hand and Five Elements Rotation in his right, evolving an entire world while lying down...

It seemed... being slow wasn't entirely unacceptable, right?

Anyway, he was following the "relaxed cultivation" path, so he would just take it slow; who knew, maybe if he kept at it, he would become a god?

"I understand, Teacher."

Lin Ciyan's face was once again adorned with his signature lazy smile, though deep within his eyes, there was now a genuine sense of anticipation for the future.

"The road is still long, so we shall walk it slowly; no need to rush."

The workaholics pursued speed, but he pursued the comfort of the journey and the beauty of the scenery along the way!

This round, he wasn't losing out!