This time, Xu Zhengyang had first absorbed a piece of thousand-year whale glue, then an Ironclad Explosive Flame Tiger Soul Ring over six hundred years old. His Soul Power had now reached an astonishing rank fourteen.
Especially after absorbing the Soul Ring, Xu Zhengyang felt as though his physique had grown considerably stronger. His entire body had been baptized by Soul Power, his muscles had become firmer, and he had even grown a little taller. Even his meditation had become slightly faster.
Moreover, when he held the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear, Xu Zhengyang distinctly felt a scorching sensation coming from its shaft. This was no ordinary heat, but an intensely masculine force, like the wild arrogance and dominance of the king of beasts.
The head of the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear had already begun faintly exuding the presence of a spear. Xu Zhengyang even wondered whether a tiger's soul was truly sealed within it.
At this moment, Xu Zhengyang became even more certain that as long as he continued absorbing tiger-type Soul Rings and breaking through his limits step by step, the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear would fully awaken one day. Then it would be a truly top-tier tool Martial Soul.
Xu Haoyang was still a little worried. "Zhengyang, what exactly is the Soul Skill you risked your life to obtain this time?"
"Dad, my first Soul Skill is called Explosive Flame Shattering Spear. After I activate it, my attack power increases by one hundred percent, with a flame explosion effect. My strength instantly doubles, and it inflicts burning damage on enemies. Its duration depends on my Soul Power."
Xu Haoyang was delighted to hear this. "An amplification Soul Skill from a tool Martial Soul's first Soul Ring? That's quite rare. Although it's only a hundred-year Soul Skill, its amplification is already no weaker than a thousand-year Soul Skill's. It can be called top-tier."
Xu Zhengyang hurriedly said, "That's not the most important part. What matters most is that this is a spear-type Soul Skill, and an assault spear-type Soul Skill at that. This proves that I've chosen the right direction for absorbing Soul Rings, and that my previous conjectures about the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear were completely correct."
"Only when I use this Soul Skill does my Martial Soul, the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear, possess the characteristics of a spear and fight like a real spear, rather than crushing opponents through pure strength."
Xu Haoyang immediately understood what Xu Zhengyang meant. "That makes sense. A Soul Master's early Soul Skills essentially lay the foundation and determine the direction of their cultivation. Now we've fully confirmed that your Martial Soul is a spear. From now on, you'll follow the path of the spear. Perhaps this is the right way."
Only after discussing things for a while did the two prepare to leave the Jingyang Mountain Range. To Xu Zhengyang's disappointment, the Ironclad Explosive Flame Tiger had not yielded a Soul Bone. However, tiger flesh was highly nourishing, so the two took its corpse with them.
After returning home and resting for just one day, Xu Haoyang brought Xu Zhengyang to the Great Soul Arena.
Normally, a Soul Master who had just broken through would have no way of participating in this sort of battle. Xu Haoyang, however, paid no heed to that. He had Xu Zhengyang register as a member and immediately sign up for a match, leaving Xu Zhengyang speechless.
He was only eight years old. Although he had just broken through to the Soul Master realm, it was still a little too early for him to participate in soul fighting matches. He had no combat experience whatsoever.
After signing up, Xu Haoyang brought Xu Zhengyang straight to the spectator stands to watch some matches first.
On the Sun Moon Continent, Soul Tools were permitted in Soul Master matches. The entire arena also covered an extremely large area; the combat stage alone exceeded a hundred meters in both length and width. There were even dedicated personnel guarding the perimeter to prevent any mishaps.
The two watched a Soul Elder-level battle. Judging by the cheers at that moment, these two contestants likely possessed extremely abundant combat experience and could even be called the arena's star competitors.
When the contestants entered, Xu Zhengyang's expression tightened. Both were actually Soul Engineers, and both were Class Three Soul Engineers with Soul Power at an astonishing rank thirty-seven. Judging by their ages, however, both were at least over thirty.
Both had beast Martial Souls. One had a Vajra Demon Ape Martial Soul, while the other had a Herculean Divine Ox Martial Soul. Both Martial Souls were of fairly good quality.
Only when the two began fighting did Xu Zhengyang receive a sudden shock and realize that this battle was completely different from what he had imagined.
The battle had only just begun when all sorts of Soul Tools appeared on their bodies. These Soul Tools not only had countless gun barrels, but also came equipped with various shields and suits of armor, making the two look like different steel fortresses.
Moreover, judging by their Soul Ring skills, neither had skills that amplified combat power or assault-type amplification skills. Instead, their skills seemed more like amplification skills that enhanced their Martial Souls' attributes.
After using their Soul Skills, not only did their strength increase greatly, but even their Soul Power rose substantially. It was precisely because of these types of Soul Skills that the two could use the Class Three Soul Tools in their hands for longer.
Judging by their reactions, Xu Zhengyang distinctly felt that neither seemed to have undergone training in a Soul Beast forest. Their movements were rather sluggish instead, and even he could keep up with the rhythm of their battle.
Yet once the Soul Tools appeared in their hands, these two close-combat Soul Masters actually did not pit their bodies against each other at all. Instead, they seemed to be competing in a battle of attrition.
Only after a full ten minutes of countless cannon blasts was the outcome decided. With greater speed and more agile reactions, the Vajra Demon Ape contestant seized an opening to evade his opponent's defenses and land a cannon blast squarely on his shoulder, leaving him unable to fight.
"Soul Engineers... is this what a real battle between Soul Engineers looks like?"
Beside him, Xu Haoyang spoke calmly. "Zhengyang, I've never interfered with your choices. I know you have your own plans, but think about it. At the same cultivation realm, could you easily defeat a Soul Engineer? Could you stand head and shoulders above other Soul Masters?"
"Although these two contestants are only average in strength, and even I find their reactions a little sluggish, with neither bringing out the characteristics of their Martial Souls, the advantage of their Soul Tools is already enough to let them fight an ordinary Soul Ancestor."
"Before the Soul Sage realm, Soul Engineers can hold an absolute advantage over Soul Masters and even make up for their Martial Souls' lack of offensive power. Of course, judging by how they handled their Soul Tools, most of the ones they were wearing just now were probably purchased rather than made by themselves. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so unpracticed."
Xu Zhengyang carefully reviewed the details of their battle. It was indeed just as his father had said. Neither the Vajra Demon Ape nor the Herculean Divine Ox had displayed any of their Martial Souls' advantages. Instead, their Soul Power had seemed exceptionally abundant, allowing them to keep fighting for a very long time.
The two watched another match next. This time, it was actually a food-type Soul Elder against a tool Martial Soul Soul Elder. The two exchanged blows back and forth, and the food-type Soul Master even seemed to hold a slight advantage. This completely overturned Xu Zhengyang's understanding.