Second Soul Skill: Dark Gold Sword Array

A moment later, Xius snapped back to his senses.

He looked at Qi Dao again, his gaze now far more grave and serious.

"Qi Dao, is everything you said true?"

If Qi Dao was telling the truth, this was extraordinary.

The known limit for a first Soul Ring on the continent was just over four hundred years.

No one had ever heard of anyone obtaining a six-hundred-year first Soul Ring.

A millennium second ring was just as unheard of.

Qi Dao nodded calmly.

He intended to absorb a millennium second ring, so there was no hiding any of this.

"That's right. My first Soul Ring came from a six-hundred-year Ironclad Turtle."

Xius swallowed, staring at Qi Dao as though he were a monster.

"How on earth did you manage that?"

Qi Dao smiled faintly. "Natural talent and training. If you strengthen your body while you're still a Soul Scholar until it's tougher than an ordinary Soul Master's, you can do what I did."

The corner of Xius's mouth twitched.

That sounded reasonable enough, but how was a Soul Scholar supposed to make his body tougher than an ordinary Soul Master's?

Surely he couldn't expect people to hold back their advancement, refuse to absorb a Soul Ring, and just keep training their bodies?

Wouldn't that waste time?

They could still accumulate Soul Power, but the rate could hardly compare to absorbing it after advancing.

Still, the fact that Qi Dao could offer an explanation showed that what he was about to do wasn't a moment of recklessness. He was genuinely confident.

In that case...

Xius asked no more questions. He planned to report this to Xue Qinghe when he returned.

He went on, "Since you've made up your mind, leave the rest to me!"

"Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Xius."

Xius nodded. In an instant, he activated Martial Soul Possession. Scarlet markings appeared across his skin, and his body swelled.

Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet—the optimal Soul Ring Configuration.

The next second, Xius stepped forward, stirring a wave of heat. Moments later, he stood before the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo.

Sensing an enemy, the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo fired its leaves at Xius like blades.

But when they struck him in his Martial Soul Possession state, they rang out like metal striking metal.

A Soul Emperor with a Beast Martial Soul had a body harder than metal. For a millennium Soul Beast like the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo to pierce his defenses, it would have to strike a vulnerable spot, such as his eyes or groin—and even then, it would have only a slim chance.

Xius, on the other hand, struck it with his palm. The Dark Gold Sword Bamboo shuddered violently with a sharp crack.

A section of its dark-gold stalk caved in, and cracks spread across it.

Surprise flashed across Xius's face.

"I didn't expect this millennium Dark Gold Sword Bamboo to be so tough!"

Then he struck it several more times, seized the bamboo with both hands, and planted a foot against its stalk. Power surged through his body as he snapped the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo by brute force.

Of course, the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo wasn't so easy to kill.

Animal-type Soul Beasts were more agile and struck harder, but Plant-type Soul Beasts were hard to kill and possessed formidable vitality.

The best way to kill a Plant-type Soul Beast was to destroy its roots.

But after Xius had snapped its stalk, the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo could no longer fight back, stubbornly alive though it was.

He called toward Qi Dao, "Qi Dao, your turn!"

"Right!"

Qi Dao walked over from nearby and slowly drew the Peerless Sword.

A while later, a large pit marked the spot where the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo had stood. Its roots had been hacked into several pieces.

A Millennium Soul Ring hovered quietly above it.

Qi Dao smiled. "Mr. Xius, it's time for me to absorb the Soul Ring."

With that, he sat down cross-legged on the spot.

Xius asked, "Shouldn't you bring yourself to peak condition first? You're absorbing a Millennium Soul Ring."

Qi Dao gave a light laugh. "No need. I'm completely confident!"

His first Soul Ring had come from a six-hundred-year Ironclad Turtle, but that didn't mean six hundred years had been his limit back then.

Now he had reached Level Twenty, and he had taken plenty of Whale Rubber. He saw no reason why absorbing a fourteen-hundred-year Soul Ring would cause any problems.

Sure enough, when he began absorbing the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo's Soul Ring, he felt only slight pressure.

Watching nearby, Xius saw no great strain on Qi Dao's face and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had feared Qi Dao might have overestimated what he could endure and be burst apart by the Soul Ring's energy.

If that happened, the young master would certainly punish him when he returned.

On the surface, Xius was an independent Soul Master recruited by Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. In truth, he was also one of Spirit Hall's people.

Several hours passed. Qi Dao's body trembled faintly, sending out a subtle ripple of Soul Power. Then his eyes snapped open.

Xius's eyes lit up.

Excellent. He did it!

He had never expected to witness such a miracle today.

Qi Dao rose and opened his hand.

The Peerless Sword appeared in his grasp.

Its blade now bore a dark-gold sheen, and the markings that had once looked like cracks had spread across its entire length.

Qi Dao swung the sword a few times, a satisfied smile on his face.

Absorbing the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo hadn't poured everything into sharpness the way absorbing the Golden Thread Mantis and Silver Edge Grass had. Instead, the improvement was more comprehensive, granting the sword sturdiness, sharpness, and armor-piercing power.

Qi Dao could now confidently say that, at the same level, his Peerless Sword was no worse than those high-quality Tool Martial Souls.

Beside him, Xius said excitedly, "Qi Dao, it's incredible! You really absorbed a millennium second ring. Hurry and show me your Soul Skill."

"A Soul Skill from a millennium second Soul Ring must be terrifyingly powerful."

Clearly, Xius's first concern wasn't how Qi Dao's Martial Soul had changed after absorbing the ring. It was his Soul Skill.

After all, many people considered Soul Skills the most important thing.

As for Martial Soul quality?

Wasn't that set the moment your Martial Soul awakened?

Qi Dao smiled faintly. "It's not bad."

With that, two Soul Rings rose beneath his feet, one yellow and one purple.

At a thought, eighteen dark-gold Flying Swords, each seemingly solid, formed behind him.

"This..."

Xius froze. Then Qi Dao pressed the index and middle fingers of his left hand together like a sword and pointed forward.

In an instant, all eighteen Flying Swords surged forward. Like a harvester, they sliced several large trees into sections, then continued circling in midair instead of dispersing.

Xius stared at the trees severed through the middle, his pupils contracting.

"So this is a Soul Skill from a millennium second Soul Ring?"

"Terrifying indeed!"

"It looks a little like the way that Dark Gold Sword Bamboo attacked just now, but yours is far more forceful."

Qi Dao smiled. "This is my Second Soul Skill."

"Dark Gold Sword Array!"