Su Xun did not care about the assessment.
What occupied his thoughts at that moment was something else.
Now that he had absorbed his second soul spirit and advanced to a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster...
His soul power level had reached thirty.
As before, he would need to absorb a third soul spirit to advance to a Three-Ring Soul Elder.
With his Spirit Sea Realm spiritual power exceeding a thousand points, he could naturally support a black ten-thousand-year soul spirit.
With his Body Root activated, he could now withstand the pressure of three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings without the slightest problem.
Nearly two years earlier, when his soul power reached level twenty, Leng Yaozhu had taken him through the Spirit Pagoda's entire collection.
Among them, two soul spirits had elicited a reaction from the Six Desires Immortal, but both were at the ten-thousand-year level.
The younger one was a Mutant Four-Eared Macaque around fifteen thousand years old.
He had not dared attempt it before.
Now, however, things were different.
Not only did his spiritual power meet the requirements, but his physical condition did as well.
Naturally, he could give it a try.
The only question was whether, after absorbing it, he could raise both Night Owl and "Little Abao" to the ten-thousand-year level in the Spirit Ascension Platform at his current stage.
After all, by conventional wisdom, Spirit Sea Realm spiritual power should only be able to support one ten-thousand-year soul spirit.
Once I get back, I'll have Elder Han assess me first.
If it's possible, I'll give it a try.
Although Su Xun hesitated, he was actually quite confident.
The torment Elder Han had put him through over the past three years had not been for nothing.
He should not be confined by conventional wisdom.
While Su Xun was still thinking this over, his Soul Communicator suddenly rang.
He picked it up and looked.
Think of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrived.
The caller was none other than Han Tianyi.
Leng Yaozhu, beside him, saw it too. A smile immediately appeared on her face, and she said lightly:
"Answer it."
Just as she had predicted back then, faced with Su Xun's exceptional body martial soul, Han Tianyi had finally "fallen."
Although Han Tianyi remained firmly in the neutral faction and had given no indication of siding with the Leng Family...
Su Xun's twice-weekly training with Elder Han might have been kept under wraps for a short while.
But after three years, everyone else had naturally noticed.
Besides, although Han Tianyi had never declared his position...
He cared no less about Su Xun than she did.
That was why Leng Yaozhu had quietly hinted to Su Xun long ago that she did not mind him having more than one teacher.
Su Xun was naturally not closed-minded.
In his heart, he had long since regarded Han Tianyi as his teacher as well.
He was simply used to calling him Elder Han.
It also helped distinguish between them.
After all, because of him, Leng Yaozhu and Han Tianyi had quite a few opportunities to meet.
When the two were together, calling out "Teacher" could easily lead to some amusing misunderstandings.
Calling them Teacher Leng and Teacher Han, however, would lose a little of that warmth.
Thus, he simply continued to call him Elder Han. But a Spirit Domain Realm expert could hardly fail to sense the emotion carried in his words.
The call connected.
Elder Han's voice sounded, warm as a gentle breeze.
"Little Xun, how did it go? Was the trip smooth?"
Both Su Xun and Leng Yaozhu had informed Han Tianyi of the purpose of this trip by message.
Su Xun smiled faintly.
"Elder Han, I've successfully contracted my second soul spirit, and my soul power has shot straight to level thirty."
"I was just thinking of asking you to assess whether I could try absorbing that Four-Eared Macaque once I got back."
At that, Han Tianyi immediately laughed with gratification.
Then he said:
"Go ahead and absorb it without fear."
"With the resilience of your spiritual power, not only can you absorb that Four-Eared Macaque, but you can also raise your other two soul spirits to the ten-thousand-year level without any trouble."
"Don't underestimate my 'Mirror Flowers and Moon on Water.'"
"Where do you think those soul beasts I manifest in my combat system came from?"
"To manifest them faithfully, you must experience them firsthand."
Su Xun was momentarily taken aback.
He had studied under Han Tianyi for three years, yet this was the first he had heard of it.
He could not help asking:
"Elder Han, have you absorbed a lot of soul spirits?"
Han Tianyi, however, became evasive.
"Yes and no."
"Even a Spirit Pagoda elder can't squander soul spirits like that."
Su Xun's brows furrowed slightly before he hit upon the key.
"The defective ones in the Spirit Ascension Platform?"
The Spirit Ascension Platform had originally been born from research into artificial soul spirits.
That process inevitably produced large numbers of defective specimens.
These defective specimens were unsuitable for soul masters to absorb directly.
After being cultivated and sent into the Spirit Ascension Platform, these defective specimens manifested as the soul beasts within it.
If Han Tianyi wanted to understand them firsthand, study them, and absorb them without wasting soul spirits, defective specimens were clearly the best choice.
Could this be the real reason he had joined the Spirit Pagoda in search of a breakthrough?
Han Tianyi praised him:
"As expected of a disciple I trained. Your mind works fast."
Leng Yaozhu's phoenix eyes widened in a glare.
"Elder Han, I'm still right here."
Han Tianyi ignored her and continued:
"In today's so-called lessons on soul spirits, don't they all tell you that the Spirit Sea Realm can support at most one ten-thousand-year soul spirit, three purple soul spirits, or five yellow soul spirits?"
Su Xun nodded.
Although they were speaking through a communicator, Han Tianyi continued as though he had seen him:
"That's not wrong. In fact, it's quite correct."
"But that's merely a 'standard' established for general applicability, and because ordinary soul masters find it very difficult to improve their spiritual power."
"For the general public, that standard applies."
"But did you know that the founder of our Spirit Pagoda, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, possessed a full seven soul spirits?"
"Seven soul spirits, every single one over a hundred thousand years old."
"Added together, their total cultivation age was estimated to exceed a terrifying three million years."
"By today's universal standard, do you think anyone could bear that?"
"To support multiple soul spirits, you need sufficiently powerful spiritual power and mental resilience."
"You and I both fall into that category."
"With your talent for spiritual power and the strength of your mental resilience, as long as you don't slack off in practicing 'Mirror Flowers and Moon on Water'..."
"Supporting multiple soul spirits will be no problem at all."
Hearing this, the little worry remaining in Su Xun's heart vanished completely.
"Thank you, Elder Han. I understand."
Han Tianyi said with a smile:
"No need to stand on ceremony with me."
"Once you return, come see me first. I'll teach you a few little methods that can further reduce the strain soul spirits place on your spiritual power."
Su Xun was delighted.
"Sure thing! I'll come see you as soon as I get back."
Han Tianyi hummed in acknowledgment, then ended the call.
Su Xun turned toward Leng Yaozhu, who was feigning anger, and asked in confusion:
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
Leng Yaozhu grabbed her beloved disciple by the ear.
"Still playing dumb?"
"I was wrong, I was wrong..."
Only then did Leng Yaozhu let go. Seeing his bright red ear, she could not bear it and reached out to rub it gently.
Su Xun took the opportunity to ask about his earlier guess concerning Han Tianyi's decision to join.
Leng Yaozhu confirmed it.
"Elder Han has absorbed an astonishing number of defective specimens."
"However, once he finished studying them, through soul spirit recycling technology and by personally wielding the scalpel with his powerful spiritual power, he separated the vast majority back out and returned them to the Spirit Ascension Platform."
"Of course, some were wasted in the process."
Su Xun blinked.
"So that's also why you weren't too worried when you first learned I wanted to absorb multiple soul spirits?"
Leng Yaozhu's red lips curved slightly.
"Clever."
Before you continue