Xiao Xiao's path was clear: strengthen her physique and keep piling on weight, using Soul Rings to continually increase the weight and suppressive power of the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron.
On top of that, the powerful spiritual strength she gained from practicing the "Concentration Meditation Method" let Xiao Xiao wield her Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron as effortlessly as her own arm, striking wherever she pointed.
In battles between opponents of the same rank, it was like controlling three heavy trucks. Soul Masters of the same rank would be badly injured if they so much as brushed against it, a perfect demonstration of the power of sheer stats.
And if a Soul Master thought Xiao Xiao's body was frail and tried to ambush her at close range, that would be even more interesting.
Xiao Xiao would simply swing the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, using her actions to demonstrate the beauty of overwhelming stats once more.
With its weight constantly piling up, the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron in Xiao Xiao's hands was basically no different from a low-grade Fixed Soul Cannon Shell.
Most importantly, as long as Xiao Xiao kept following this path, her physique would grow stronger and stronger. When she began cultivating her Second Martial Soul in the future, she would be more than capable of withstanding the risk of Martial Soul conflict.
Everything was heading in the right direction.
The group entered the hall and sat down. Servants brought tea and pastries, and Wang Dong'er dug in without the slightest hesitation.
Jiang Ci'an took out a bottle of supplement and drank as he listened to Xiao Xiao recount her experiences hunting Soul Beasts over the past half-month.
Wang Dong'er had no intention of acting like a Soul Guidance Lamp between them. With biscuits stuffed in her mouth, she occasionally chimed in. The two of them took turns talking, and their teamwork was surprisingly good.
Jiang Ci'an listened quietly, smiling at the two young women before him and nodding from time to time.
Over the past six months, Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er had indeed progressed rapidly, but he had progressed even faster.
He was now Level Twenty-Nine.
In half a year, he had gone from Level Twenty-Four to Level Twenty-Nine, gaining a level every little over a month on average.
If word of such speed got out, it would surely be astounding.
His ability to reach this point was naturally the result of several factors working together.
First was the comprehensive iteration of the "Body Tempering Method."
Working with Elder Yi, they had pushed forward with the localization of the Knight System at an almost insane pace, greatly expanding the ceiling of the original "Body Tempering Method."
The current "Body Tempering Method" was far superior to the version from six months ago, both in the efficiency with which it tempered the body and in the speed at which it condensed Soul Power. As long as the body could withstand it, the gains in efficiency were enormous.
Furthermore, the method had helped them successfully uncover Bloodline Power.
Compared to Soul Power, this strength hidden deep within the body was better suited to tempering the physique. It could also work in tandem with Soul Power, tempering both in turn for greater efficiency!
Next was the regular use of "Ring Unlocking."
Under the constant activation of "Ring Unlocking," his Second Soul Ring, which was at the four-thousand-year level, continuously poured the energy within it into his body.
The energy was high in quality and vast in quantity. Most importantly, it flowed without end, effectively adding another twenty percent to his cultivation efficiency.
Combined with the independent twenty-percent cultivation-efficiency multiplier from his regular use of "Time Control," the results were even more astonishing.
But these weren't the greatest boosts.
The most important reason he could cultivate so quickly, far beyond his original expectations, was the Soul Bones covering his body.
That was right: Soul Bones throughout his entire body.
All 206 bones in his body had now undergone the transformation of "Self-Condensing Soul Bone."
By the usual standards for rating Soul Bone quality, every bone in his body could now be considered a Thousand-Year Soul Bone!
It wasn't quite as if he had truly had 206 Soul Bones installed in his body, but the enhancement they gave him was still terrifying.
Strength, speed, physique, Soul Power recovery, spiritual strength, even the efficiency with which he absorbed the energy of heaven and earth...these Soul Bones gave him a nearly all-encompassing boost, with no blind spots!
Most importantly, they also possessed the powerful trait of growing alongside a Soul Master, much like an External Soul Bone.
All of this came from the "Self-Condensing Soul Bone" method that he and Elder Yi had developed together, working night and day over the past six months.
Half a year ago, after obtaining some data on the Angel Divine Set from the Virtual World, he and Elder Yi had begun formally developing the "Self-Condensing Soul Bone" method, following their original approach of condensing Soul Bones to shape Spirit Apertures after birth.
Naturally, they didn't simply copy the Angel Divine Set as a template. After all, it was designed primarily for the Six-Winged Angel.
Their approach was more meticulous.
They divided the body's 206 bones into six major regions, corresponding to the six natural Soul Bone slots of a Soul Master.
In terms of energy structure, the bones in each region drew on the Angel Divine Set's method of linking components and the magic inscription techniques in the Throne of Seal that affected the body. This ensured the Soul Bones could work together and strengthen one another.
At the same time, they also reserved the most important "Spirit Aperture Slots."
Taking advantage of the Virtual World's ability to let him die and reset at will, Jiang Ci'an constantly used himself as an experimental subject.
If one path didn't work, he blew himself up. After the explosion, he rewound time, then tried another path.
One incorrect option after another was eliminated, and the project advanced at a pace that seemed almost insane to outsiders.
In just two months, the "Self-Condensing Soul Bone" method had taken shape.
At that point, he began the first comprehensive tempering of all the bones in his body.
The results were remarkable.
After the first tempering was complete, all 206 of his bones were roughly equivalent to ten-year Soul Bones.
At the time, he was already Level Twenty-Five and had been practicing the "Body Tempering Method" all along. The enhancement from having ten-year Soul Bones throughout his body wasn't great, but it did bring a special sensation.
It felt as though his entire body moved as one, every part responding like his own arm.
It was also after that first successful Soul Bone condensation that he discovered Bloodline Power within his body. The gains had been immense.
After that, progress with "Self-Condensing Soul Bone" accelerated.
Just one more month, and he had tempered all his bones to the hundred-year level.
Two months after that, they reached the thousand-year level.
He had advanced so quickly not only because he could risk death in the Virtual World, making research highly efficient and leaving him thoroughly familiar with the condensation process, but also because his cultivation level was already substantial.
His Soul Power as a Soul Grandmaster, along with the strong physique forged by the "Body Tempering Method," made the early stages of condensing Soul Bones far easier than expected.
But he understood that this period of rapid growth wouldn't last forever.
The further he progressed, the harder it would be to improve the quality of "Self-Condensing Soul Bone." The process would require more energy and time, and his progress would inevitably slow. There was no rushing it.
At the same time, according to Elder Yi, Thousand-Year Soul Bones weren't yet capable of supporting Spirit Apertures.
It was like the Knight System: a knight usually condensed their first Spirit Aperture only after reaching the sixth rank, which required a sufficiently strong physique as a foundation.
In terms of Soul Bone quality, that meant all his Soul Bones would have to reach the ten-thousand-year level.
He still wasn't strong enough. He would have to take it one step at a time.
And that, more or less, was the biggest difference between "Self-Condensing Soul Bone" and Soul Bones dropped by ordinary Soul Beasts.
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