It was already Xiao Yan's third day in Nuoding City. His injuries had mostly healed, and he was practicing with his Martial Soul every day.
Xiao Yan sat in the carriage and closed his eyes. A ball of multicolored flame suddenly appeared out of thin air in his left hand and burned fiercely. This was his Martial Soul-it had no name yet.
"Master Su Yuntao said my Martial Soul is a very rare Elemental Martial Soul, and I can sense its powerful presence too. But I keep feeling like it's missing something..." Xiao Yan pondered as he studied it closely. Though his Martial Soul was brilliantly colored, with countless hues flowing through the surging flames, each color seemed somewhat dim. Just like Xiao Yan himself, it seemed to be missing something very important, leaving a sense of emptiness.
"Xiao Yan, we're here." The carriage suddenly stopped, and Su Yuntao's voice rang out. Xiao Yan knew they had finally arrived.
The Soul Hunting Forest was the best place to obtain Soul Rings, and only those with a Spirit Hall token could enter. Xiao Yan had been stuck at level ten Soul Power for a long time. It was time for him to obtain his first Soul Ring.
"There are countless kinds of Soul Beasts, distinguished by age and attribute." As they walked, Su Yuntao explained these basics to Xiao Yan. "As Soul Masters of Spirit Hall, we have the most advanced Martial Soul Theory, so naturally we'll choose the best and most suitable Soul Ring combination for you. Take that one, for example..." Su Yuntao pointed at a Soul Beast hidden among the trees. "That's a hundred-year Crimson Cloud Tiger. It's well suited to your fire attribute, but its age hasn't reached the limit of what you can absorb, so there's no hurry to choose it."
"We came here today because we received word that a Flame Light Bird nearly four hundred and thirty years old had appeared. Although it's a little beyond the limit of what a first ring can absorb, you possess an Ultimate Martial Soul, so perhaps you can surpass that limit," Su Yuntao said earnestly. "More importantly, if you really withstand that Soul Ring and become a One-Ring Soul Master, our Nuoding City Spirit Hall can report you to the Martial Soul Temple. You might even catch the Pope's eye directly. Do your best, Xiao Yan."
The two talked as they walked. Suddenly, a deafening bird cry rang out, followed by a wave of heat, and alarm bells immediately rang in Xiao Yan's senses. "Watch out!" he shouted, shoving Su Yuntao aside before leaping sharply to the left. But he was still too late. A crimson light wave shot from the Flame Light Bird's mouth and struck Su Yuntao's left arm, sending blood pouring out.
"The information was wrong. This Flame Light Bird has already reached the thousand-year level! Xiao Yan, run!" Su Yuntao immediately used Martial Soul Possession, but having been caught off guard, he was clearly no match for this thousand-year Soul Beast. All he could think of now was covering Xiao Yan's escape.
"Master Su Yuntao, I may be young, but I'm not someone who clings to life and fears death." Flames took shape in Xiao Yan's hand as he smiled. "You came here for me today. How could I possibly abandon you and live on in disgrace?"
"You little rascal." Su Yuntao smiled. "Then protect yourself and keep that beast occupied. Leave the rest to me!"
With that, Su Yuntao's speed abruptly increased. His right hand formed a wolf's claw and struck at the Flame Light Bird's left leg. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan shaped fire into several balls of flame that circled him, continually harassing the Flame Light Bird and even striking its eyes.
Drawing the Flame Light Bird's attention while dodging its attacks should have been extremely difficult for a six-year-old boy, but Xiao Yan found it effortless. His body seemed to grow lighter and lighter. His footwork began to follow a pattern, and a burst of force gradually gathered beneath his feet, allowing him to cover several steps' distance in one stride. He also unwittingly gathered air pressure in his hands to fight the enemy at a distance. These little moves seemed to be woven into his very bones and blood. He knew neither where they came from nor how they worked, but like his fire control, they seemed innate, as easy to command as his own arm.
This kid-could that be a Self-Created Soul Skill?! Su Yuntao was shaken. I never imagined he was such a genius. I have to keep him safe. With that, his Soul Ring lit up, and he shouted, "Beast, you injured my arm, so I'll take your wing!" He deftly slipped past the Flame Light Bird's attack and drove a claw into its wing. Then his Soul Power suddenly erupted, exploding inside the Flame Light Bird's body. Su Yuntao breathed a sigh of relief, only to see the beast swing its other wing toward Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, watch out!"
At that moment, Xiao Yan was probably closer to death than he had ever been in his life. But at this critical moment between life and death, his thoughts grew clearer, and a nameless power flowed through his limbs and bones. His fist suddenly flew forward, cyan flames bursting into a blaze with it, and Xiao Yan shouted:
"Eight Extremes Collapse! Hah!"
The enormous wing and the frail fist collided, and a tremendous force exploded, throwing Su Yuntao to the ground. When he opened his eyes again, the Flame Light Bird's enormous body looked as though it had suffered eight explosions and was no longer recognizable. A purple Soul Ring spun above its corpse.
Xiao Yan gasped for breath. "Master Su Yuntao, it was a pleasure working with you." He smiled, then sank to the ground.
"The power of a single blow could contend with a thousand-year Soul Beast. This boy's future is bound to be limitless," Su Yuntao exclaimed. He believed that Xiao Yan would one day stand at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent.