After hearing Du Busi's words of comfort, Toji still felt somewhat unwilling to accept it, but he understood that he had indeed improved tremendously.
His First Soul Skill, Conceal Breath, gave him the assassination abilities of a natural-born assassin.
His Second Soul Skill, Unyielding Fortitude, effectively gave him the abilities of a super berserker in direct combat. The more severely he was injured, the stronger his combat power became.
His Third Soul Skill, Immunity to a Hundred Poisons, was the natural bane of poison Soul Masters. In particular, the Tang Sect's future skill with poisons would pose no threat to him whatsoever.
His Fourth Soul Skill, Ignore Defense, gave him tremendous offensive power. Anyone's defenses were as good as nonexistent before him, unless their cultivation overwhelmingly surpassed his.
Then there were Teleportation and Dark Gold Dreadclaw.
Among people of the same level and age across the entire Douluo Continent, none had a setup as perfect as Toji's.
Toji lowered his head and looked at his dark-gold claws.
He waved them gently, and a sharp whistling sound immediately rang out as they cut through the air.
"So sharp."
"How much Qi and blood does it consume?" Du Busi asked.
"In this normal state, it doesn't consume much of my Qi and blood," Toji said, shaking his head. "But it has a special skill that can extend the claws, increasing their attack range and tripling their power. It consumes at least a third of my Qi and blood, though."
"Using it three times in a row would practically drain me dry."
"Then you need to temper your body and strengthen your Qi and blood all the more," Du Busi remarked.
"For a long time to come, you'll need to cultivate your Qi and blood, as well as create a fighting style suited to yourself and combat techniques that are yours alone."
"Combat techniques..." Toji quickly thought of Huo Yuhao's Sovereign's Descent.
That was a combat technique too.
It had been inherited from Dragon God Douluo Mu En.
"I won't pass my combat techniques down to you, because the paths you and I walk are entirely different," Du Busi continued.
"All I can do is offer you a few pointers, set you on the right path of cultivation, and help you complete your own combat techniques."
"Only combat techniques you create yourself are truly suited to you. Other people's techniques can only serve as references. Take in what's good and incorporate it into your own combat techniques..."
Although Toji was exhausted, he still absorbed the knowledge Du Busi imparted to him.
For an entire night, Du Busi not only taught Toji the theory but also demonstrated his own exclusive combat techniques especially for him.
After the lesson, Toji had gained a great deal. It also made him realize how important it was to create exclusive combat techniques that suited him and belonged to him alone.
If he succeeded, his combat power would increase significantly.
Dawn broke, and Du Busi patted Toji on the shoulder. "All right, go back and rest. Absorbing the Soul Bone took a tremendous toll on your body. You need to recuperate properly for a while."
Toji acknowledged him, then turned and left.
As he walked, he pondered, recalling what Du Busi had told him.
Du Busi was clearly very pleased to see him in this state.
Is this kid about to enter Deep Meditation?
And so he followed Toji all the way, secretly standing guard to keep anyone from disturbing him easily.
After returning to his room, Toji did not rest immediately. Instead, he sat on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, his gaze gradually turning vacant.
Combat techniques that belong to me alone...
He recalled the time he had ventured into the Star Dou Great Forest alone. When his presence had erupted in full force, even the Soul Beasts had fled in fear with their tails between their legs.
As he spent more time thinking alone, his entire bearing began to undergo a subtle yet profound change.
The violent, fearsome presence he had exuded gradually withdrew, like a dense fog slowly dispersed by a gentle breeze.
His body seemed to merge with the air around him. With every breath, his presence became harder to detect, until he was almost one with his surroundings.
The change was so natural, so harmonious, that even Du Busi, watching from the shadows, was surprised.
Without looking at him directly, Du Busi could scarcely detect Toji's presence. It was as though Toji had become part of the room, or perhaps a shadow of his surroundings.
"This guy really has remarkable comprehension."
Du Busi understood that this was another breakthrough in Toji's understanding and application of his Martial Soul.
This ability to blend his presence perfectly with his surroundings would not only allow him to catch enemies off guard in battle; it also represented the utmost control over his own power. He was no longer relying on the abilities granted by his Soul Skills, but developing those abilities a step further.
If the circumstances of Du Busi's first meeting with Toji were to occur again, and Toji had grasped this step earlier, perhaps his chances of escaping would have been greater.
That was also why Du Busi was so surprised.
On this day, he had witnessed Toji take a solid first step on the path to creating his own combat techniques.
Though that step was small, it was filled with infinite possibilities.
"As long as he's given enough time, he'll create combat techniques of his own sooner or later."
Du Busi left, satisfied, without watching any longer.
Over at the Soul Fighting Arena, however, trouble had arisen.
Liang Wu stood in the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.
Before him stood a middle-aged man in the uniform of Shrek Academy's Inspection Corps.
The man was tall, with a stern face and eyes as sharp as blades, as though he could see straight into a person's heart.
His presence was like that of a primordial beast. Simply standing there, he gave off a formless pressure. The surrounding air grew heavy, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.
"You're Liang Wu?" The middle-aged man's voice carried an unquestionable authority.
Liang Wu responded with a smile:
"Yes, my lord. May I ask what brings you to me?"
Ever since Toji had overthrown him, he had encountered one big shot more formidable than the last.
He had even met Du Busi, the Body Sect's master. This was merely someone from Shrek Academy; it was no big deal.
At most, the man's cultivation was above his own, making him a genuine Soul Saint expert.
The middle-aged man did not answer. Instead, he coldly swept his gaze around the Soul Fighting Arena, lingering for a moment on the damaged walls and floor before looking back at Liang Wu.
"I'm a member of Shrek Academy's Inspection Corps. I've been ordered to investigate the whereabouts of an inner-court disciple."
His tone was flat.
"A month ago, one of our inner-court disciples, Luo Tian, went to the Heaven Dou Empire alone without reporting it. There has been no word from him for a full month now."
"Don't think you can argue your way out of this. Since we were able to follow the clues here, we naturally know that you have a great deal to do with Luo Tian's disappearance."
"When Luo Tian left the academy, we discovered that one of your men had contacted him and brought him here."
With that, the middle-aged man threw one of Liang Wu's subordinates, covered in injuries, down in front of him.
"The evidence is conclusive, Liang Wu. Tell me the truth: where is Luo Tian?!"