Second Soul Skill, Starfire Sky

He walked past one cage after another.

Most of the soul beasts here possessed the Fire Attribute—Flame Lions, Volcano Camels, Fire-Eating Lizards, and so on.

Standing before Yuwen Tuo was a Flame Lion roughly a Thousand Years old.

Relatively speaking, its offensive power ranked among the better ones of all the soul beasts here.

"What? Taken a liking to that Flame Lion? It's a good choice," Gong Changlong said.

"It's a good choice, but not the best one," Yuwen Tuo said. The Flame Lion was only a choice to make when there were no other choices.

For one thing, its age was too low. It had only just passed a Thousand Years, far below Yuwen Tuo's requirements.

For another, absorbing this soul beast's Soul Ring would likely grant him a fairly powerful fire-based offensive soul skill.

But "fairly powerful" only applied at this stage. In the future, once Yuwen Tuo's Soul Power grew stronger, he would hardly have any use for an offensive soul skill born from a Thousand Year Soul Ring. To damage soul masters above the Soul Saint level, at least a Ten Thousand Years soul skill would be needed.

This Thousand Year soul skill would become little more than tasteless discard by then.

He was very satisfied with his first soul skill. It conjured a great flaming blade, increasing his attack power by fifty percent while also allowing him to perform blade techniques.

This kind of low-level soul skill with amplification effects was what was truly useful.

Even after becoming a Titled Douluo, he could still use his first soul skill to boost his attack power. Fifty percent was no small amount—equivalent to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda at four rings. Moreover, as a beginner soul skill, it consumed very little Soul Power, allowing him to maintain the buff for extended combat.

Therefore, Yuwen Tuo hoped his second Soul Ring would also possess an amplification effect.

"Caw!" Just then, Yuwen Tuo suddenly heard an eagle's cry.

He instinctively walked toward the source of the sound. It was a massive crimson eagle, its feathers as scorching as blazing fire.

"This is... a Spirit Kite among Flame Hawk-type soul beasts!"

Over the past six years, Yuwen Tuo had remained in his room with nothing to do, so he could only ask people to bring him books. Ma Xiaotao naturally did not refuse such a small request, and among those books were illustrated guides to relatively rare soul beasts.

The Spirit Kite was one of them. Ten thousand years ago, a Titled Douluo elder of Spirit Hall possessed precisely this kind of martial soul.

This soul beast had two major characteristics. First, it flew incredibly fast. Though it was an assault-type soul beast, its speed was no less than that of agility-attack soul beasts. Second, its fire was exceptionally powerful, fiercely Tyrannical Path. Legend had it that when a Ten Thousand Years Flame Spirit Kite shed its feathers, each feather would possess the power of Ultimate Fire—unquenchable even by water, capable of burning everything to ashes.

If he absorbed this soul beast's Soul Ring, whether the resulting soul skill enhanced speed or increased the power of his flames, it would be excellent.

"That's the one!" Yuwen Tuo pointed at the Flame Spirit Kite.

Gong Changlong frowned. "Kid, are you sure? This soul beast is probably close to two thousand years old. It's different from that Flame Lion that only just passed a Thousand Years. With your physique, I reckon absorbing the Flame Lion would pose no danger at all. But this Spirit Kite... I can't guarantee complete safety either. To be safe, the Flame Lion would be best."

"Heh. No matter how strong its fire is, can it possibly be stronger than Ma Xiaotao's evil fire? I'm not even afraid of Ma Xiaotao's evil fire tempering after she passed level sixty. Why would I fear the flames of a mere Spirit Kite that hasn't even reached two thousand years?" Yuwen Tuo said confidently.

"If it were anyone else, I'd call him arrogant. But coming from you, it somehow seems believable. I heard that last night, you even knocked down Bei Bei of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. One ring defeating three rings—that's truly rare. Fine, Old Yan's orders were to let you choose as you pleased. Then you shall have your wish." Gong Changlong extended his palm. Just like last time, he released the might of the Beast King once more.

The overwhelming pressure of a Titled Douluo immediately forced the Spirit Kite down from above its cage, leaving it unable to move.

Then he shattered the cage with a single palm strike and said to Yuwen Tuo, "Kid, go on!"

"Thank you, Senior." Yuwen Tuo did not stand on ceremony. Activating his first soul skill, he approached the Spirit Kite with his great blade in hand. "First Soul Skill, Flame Kill Blade—Flame Kill Slash!"

He slashed down fiercely. Firelight accompanied the blade aura, forming a crescent as it shot toward the Spirit Kite.

The Spirit Kite had formidable offensive power and considerable speed. Because it carried a trace of Fire Phoenix bloodline, its recovery ability was also not weak. However, its flaw was obvious—its defenses were poor.

Unable to resist, it was cut by the blade aura from its head to its tail. Its body instantly split into two.

Gong Changlong exclaimed in amazement, "What terrifying attack power! He split the Flame Spirit Kite in half with one slash. It's clearly only a first soul skill, so why does it feel even fiercer in this kid's hands than an ordinary Soul Elder's third soul skill?"

A purple Soul Ring rose from the Spirit Kite's body.

Unfortunately, there was only a Soul Ring. Yuwen Tuo had now killed two soul beasts, yet neither had dropped a soul bone.

External Soul Bones could be absorbed, while ordinary soul bones could at least be sold for money.

His Soul Power drew the Soul Ring into his body. As expected, absorbing this Soul Ring was far more difficult than absorbing the Flame Blade Demon's had been.

Back then, the Noble Carriage Sword in Yuwen Tuo's Sea of Consciousness had swung once and immediately brought him into the second stage of Soul Ring absorption—absorbing Soul Power and forming a soul skill.

But now, he was still locked in the first stage: resisting the impact of the Soul Ring's Soul Power upon his body.

After all, it was a Soul Ring beyond the proper age limit. It was inevitable that it would take more effort.

Fortunately, Yuwen Tuo's body and mind were both exceptionally resilient. Absorbing this Soul Ring was uncomfortable, but only uncomfortable. There were no signs of collapse whatsoever.

"Mm, truly an excellent physique! These six years of misfortune were both a disaster and an opportunity for him." Gong Changlong sighed sincerely.

Yuwen Tuo's Soul Power had been crippled and restored several times. Like someone enduring countless setbacks and rising stronger after each one, the degree of refinement in his level-twenty Soul Power was likely even greater than a Soul Ancestor's at level forty.

His body had also undergone Evil Fire Body Tempering, becoming astonishingly tough.

A powerful physique was forged through training, while an unyielding spirit was forged through torment.

That saying was indeed true. The ancients had not deceived him!

An hour later, all of Yuwen Tuo's Cultivation Power contracted and settled within him, stopping at the late stage of level twenty-two, close to level twenty-three.

Yuwen Tuo rose to his feet, and the purple Soul Ring flashed.

A pair of Flame Wings then grew from his back, carrying him into the sky.

"Flight!" Gong Changlong was startled. Unless one possessed a Flying Beast Martial Soul from birth, other martial souls could only gain the ability to fly in one of two ways. Either one's Soul Power had to be strong enough to reach the realm of Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, or Titled Douluo, allowing one to fly through the air—or one had to obtain a flight-type soul skill, which generally required at least level forty.

Yet Yuwen Tuo, at the mere level of twenty, had obtained such an excellent skill.

This was Yuwen Tuo's second soul skill: Starfire Sky!

It conjured Flame Wings, increasing speed by fifty percent and allowing sustained flight through the skies. He could also strike enemies with the wings, unleashing Shadow Wing Slash. Its power was considerable, but like Flame Kill Slash, the wings would disappear after one strike and could not be formed again for a short time.