Secret Skill

"I never expected the Splitting Soul Skill to enhance the passive effect of the First Soul Skill, increasing both the quantity and speed at which I could Guide Sun Power. This was quite an unexpected surprise!"

After the Sun Martial Soul split from one into two, the speed and amount of Sun Power it could guide increased by eighty percent. After two became four, it reached 1.3 times the original amount, and after four became eight, the boost could reach twice the original.

It could have split even further for an even greater boost, but when Xu Yang tried, the explosive Sun Power nearly burned through his Meridians. Frightened, he hurriedly turned his Martial Soul into eight spheres and used those eight spheres to cultivate.

With such terrifying cultivation speed, Xu Yang could devote more Soul Power to tempering his body and nurturing his Spiritual Power while maintaining his own cultivation speed. He could cultivate his Essence, Qi, and Spirit together and attempt to merge all three into one, rather than being like other Spirit Masters, who could only prioritize cultivating Soul Power and passively improve their bodies and Spiritual Power.

As the days accumulated, Xu Yang would be able to open a vast gap between himself and Spirit Masters of the same realm. This gap would exist in every aspect—not only in physical strength and Spiritual Power, but also in Soul Power. The benefit of cultivating Essence, Qi, and Spirit together was that, as the three complemented one another, his Soul Power would become purer and easier to control.

Most importantly, this method of cultivation would give Xu Yang far more Soul Power than Spirit Masters of the same level. For example, if a level-twenty-two Soul Grandmaster had one unit of Soul Power at each level, Xu Yang would have 1.3 units at each level. This difference in quantity would continue to grow as his cultivation continued.

Once he possessed Soul Power and Spiritual Power far beyond those of his peers, he could condense a Soul Core as a Soul Douluo or even a Soul Saint, laying a solid foundation for himself in advance.

Xu Yang had learned this after practicing body-tempering techniques, relying on the extraordinary perception he possessed from having lived two lives. This was also why he was willing to spend vast amounts of Soul Power tempering his physique and Spiritual Power.

Through the knowledge he had learned at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect over the past two years, he knew that others on the continent had considered using Soul Power to increase physical strength and make Spirit Masters invincible within the same realm. However, doing so would slow the cultivation of Soul Power, causing them to miss the best period for advancement as Spirit Masters. Their final achievements would instead fall short of their peers; some might even have possessed the talent to become Titled Douluos, yet failed to attain that realm.

Thus, no one studied it anymore.

Ning Fengzhi valued this technique because it could work together with Whale Rubber, maximizing its effects and allowing Spirit Masters within the sect to absorb Soul Rings beyond their limits. In addition, the innate Martial Soul flaw of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Masters prevented them from advancing to Soul Douluo. This technique could also improve a Spirit Master's strength and survivability, which was why he had Bone Douluo develop it.

Xu Yang only learned this later. He had originally thought that this technique could be widely used, but unexpectedly, only a small number of people could use it.

Near noon, the Sun Power became too dense and violent, so Xu Yang stopped cultivating and began studying his Second Soul Skill instead. He wanted to see where the limits of this Soul Skill lay and how far it could split.

If he could split his Martial Soul down to the level of molecules and atoms in the future, the potential of this Soul Skill would be virtually Infinity.

"Can it only split into pieces the size of Broad Beans for now? Even using Heart Separation Control, I still can't control all of them. It seems this is my current limit!"

Xu Yang sat cross-legged on the balcony, with over a hundred Broad Bean-sized Sun Martial Souls floating around him. He tried controlling them and discovered that he could only manipulate a small half of them, while most remained beyond his control. This was the result of insufficient Spiritual Power and inadequate intensity.

"Ah."

With a soft sigh, Xu Yang fused the Martial Souls back into one and put it away. After making some preparations, he headed toward the Training Field. In Xu Yang's view, every Soul Skill had the potential for further development, and one could even learn techniques from them.

After nearly two years of cultivation, he had successfully developed a healing Secret Skill from his First Soul Skill. Although it was not yet complete and its effects were inferior to the First Soul Skill, Morning Light, it was still quite effective. In his view, it held tremendous potential.

Now, he intended to study the Second Soul Skill and hoped to develop a corresponding Secret Skill from it, turning it into a conventional method.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a deep foundation. Over the past two years, Xu Yang had found many combat techniques in the sect's Library Pavilion that resembled martial arts from wuxia novels in his previous life. Among them were methods for unleashing Hidden Strength, which he had also studied briefly.

The Splitting Soul Skill was extremely practical. If this ability could be applied to attacks, it would be equally terrifying. For instance, if a burst of Hidden Strength unleashed through a punch split into two or even several bursts, its attacking power might weaken considerably, but it would become far more difficult to guard against.

Likewise, if the Blade Qi Xu Yang swung out could split, it would also become an excellent method.

Xu Yang decided to begin with the simplest Hidden Strength.

Standing before a Fine Iron Stake, Xu Yang repeatedly recalled the tearing sensation of Soul Power when his Martial Soul split. Soul Power gathered in his hand, and relying on that feeling, he threw a punch at the Fine Iron Stake before him.

Bang!

The Fine Iron Stake let out a dull sound, and a fist mark appeared on it.

"No. The Hidden Strength didn't split; it's still only one burst. Otherwise, there wouldn't be one fist mark, but two!"

Xu Yang frowned, sensing that something was wrong. He continued simulating that feeling of Soul Power tearing apart in his mind. Then Soul Power gathered around his fist once more, and he threw another punch. With another bang, the Fine Iron Stake shook, and two smaller fist marks appeared beside the original mark.

"Still not right. After the Hidden Strength splits, it isn't as condensed as before. It becomes much looser, and its attacking power simply cannot achieve the effect I want."

"Again!"

Bang!

"Again!"

Bang!

Like this, Xu Yang struck the Fine Iron Stake before him punch after punch. After every punch, he would review it in his mind, find his shortcomings, make the splitting ability more practical, and turn it into a habit and instinct until he could wield it as he pleased.

After practicing his punches, Xu Yang continued practicing with the blade, making the Blade Qi he unleashed split and merge freely. With his experience in training Hidden Strength, Blade Qi proved relatively easier.

This life continued for two months, only stopping when Heaven Dou Royal Academy was about to begin classes.

Transforming the Second Soul Skill, Splitting, was much simpler than transforming the First Soul Skill, Morning Light, into a Secret Skill. After all, Morning Light also involved a change in the nature of Soul Power, turning it into Soul Power with healing effects. That was the most difficult part.

Splitting, on the other hand, merely made Soul Power split from one into two, then two into four, without involving such aspects at all.

Thus, the healing Secret Skill had not yet been completed, while the Splitting Secret Skill was completed first.