He opened his eyes and exhaled a long, stale breath.
The breath of stale air condensed into a white streak in the cold air, only to be instantly dispersed by the strong winds high above.
"A breakthrough?"
Lin Wan'er's voice came from beside him; she was looking at him with her eyes open.
"A small breakthrough."
Xiao Yan stretched his shoulders, feeling the newly gained power flowing through his meridians.
Although there is only one level difference between level 55 and level 56, it means a significant increase in both the total amount and quality of Soul Power.
His current Soul Power reserves are at least 10% higher than before his breakthrough, enough for him to unleash one more Cold Heart Lotus Explosion.
His strength was thus enhanced, which improved Xiao Yan's mood somewhat.
For the next two weeks, Xiao Yan and Lin Wan'er traveled towards the Wind Lightning Pavilion.
They encountered no unusual situations on the road and traveled safely. Xiao Yan also took advantage of this time to study the Soul Refining Technique.
Two weeks later, as darkness fell, the Iron Winged Eagle began to slowly descend.
Below, instead of a sea of clouds, lies a range of rolling mountains.
A narrow canyon runs between the mountains, and in the center of the canyon is a brightly lit town called Falling Eagle Gorge.
The Iron Winged Eagle slowly landed on a clearing in the canyon.
This open space is the dedicated camp of the Falling Eagle Gorge Flying Transport Company. It is surrounded by a wooden fence and houses about a dozen flying Magical Beast.
Several bonfires were burning in the open space, and a few early travelers were roasting their rations around them.
The accommodations at the camp were very basic, consisting of only a few wooden shacks and a large communal sleeping area.
Xiao Yan asked Lin Wan'er for a separate shed, found a corner to sit down, and took out the scroll of the Soul Refining Technique again.
The scroll's record about Soul Projection isn't long, but every sentence requires careful consideration.
The principle behind this secret technique is not complicated—projecting Spiritual Soul Power outside the body to condense a soul phantom that is exactly the same as the original body around the body.
The phantom has no offensive capabilities, but it can temporarily confuse the opponent's senses.
If used properly in battle, a momentary misjudgment can be enough to decide the outcome.
However, this secret technique has a fatal flaw—the phantom is merely a visual imitation, lacking any Soul Power fluctuations, making it easily detectable by high-level cultivators.
An opponent with keen soul perception can lock onto the enemy's body by sensing their Dou Qi aura, rather than relying on sight.
In this situation, a Soul Projection that can only mimic the appearance will not only fail to deceive but will also waste precious Soul Power.
However, the creators of the Soul Refining Technique also took this into consideration.
The last paragraph of small print on the scroll added:
"The power of the illusory image lies not in its resemblance in form, but in its resemblance in spirit."
If it can be imbued with soul fire, causing it to emit a faint soul fluctuation, it can be mistaken for the real thing.
Soulfire.
Xiao Yan closed the scroll and fell into deep thought by the campfire.
His Martial Soul can now transform into Heavenly Flames.
If one could integrate the flame power of one of the Heavenly Flames into the Soul Projection, allowing the phantom to emit the soul fluctuations of the Heavenly Flames, this projection would be so powerful that even the most perceptive opponent would not be able to easily detect it.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame is of the Yin nature, with its soul fluctuations being cold and lingering; the Green Lotus Core Flame is of the Yang nature, with its soul fluctuations being intense and violent.
The soul fluctuations of both flames were distinct enough to keep the opponent on their toes.
He sat cross-legged on the communal bed, urging a wisp of Bone Spirit Cold Flame to appear in his palm, burning quietly, emitting not heat but coldness.
He focused his attention on the soul fluctuations of the flames, carefully sensing their rhythm. The fluctuations of the Cold Fire were slow and rhythmic, like ripples spreading outwards in concentric circles.
Then he forced a surge of Spiritual Soul Power out of his body from his sea of consciousness and, following the instructions on the scroll, condensed it into a human-shaped outline in front of him.
The outline had barely solidified when it began to crumble.
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and simultaneously separated a wisp of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame from his palm, merging it into the disintegrating soul phantom.
The moment the Cold Fire made contact with the phantom, the phantom actually stabilized.
However, the phantom remained in the air for about three breaths before slowly dissipating.
However, in those three breaths, Xiao Yan clearly sensed that the soul fluctuations emanating from the phantom were almost identical to the Cold Fire fluctuations emanating from his own body.
If there is an enemy in front of them, the other party will definitely hesitate for at least a moment.
That's enough. What he needs isn't a long period of pretense, but that crucial moment.
That night, Xiao Yan barely slept. He practiced repeatedly, extending the fusion process of his Soul Projection and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame from the initial three breaths to five breaths, and then from five breaths to seven breaths.
Although there is still a gap between the time required for actual combat, the rate of progress is already satisfactory enough.
Before dawn the next day, the Iron Winged Eagle took off again and continued flying northwest.
Xiao Yan continued his cultivation while seated on the saddle.
Seven breaths, ten breaths, twelve breaths.
Each practice session lasts two to three breaths longer than the last.
By evening, he could keep his ethereal soul in the air for nearly twenty breaths.
This amount of time is sufficient to make a difference in actual combat.
This reminded him of Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Skill, Netherworld Shadow Clone.
However, unlike the original, Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Skill allows her to switch positions with her clone, and her clone also possesses a certain amount of the original's combat power.
The Soul Projection he currently possesses is only good for bluffing.
After putting away the secret technique, Xiao Yan thought of another crucial matter.
He is currently a level 56 Soul King, and in terms of Soul Power power, he is roughly equivalent to Dou Emperor in this world.
However, the Dou Wang expert of the Dou Qi Continent can condense Dou Qi Wings to fly in the air, but his previous fighting style has always relied on his own speed, and he has never tried to fly.
It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't.
His power system is different from that of cultivators in this world. He does not have Dou Qi Wings, nor can he condense Dou Qi Armor. Instead, he uses Soul Skill.
However, there is no such skill as flight among the Soul Skill.
In his previous encounter with Yin Li, he was able to use the Netherworld Lock to pull his opponent down; however, if his opponent flew high into the sky and wore him down from a distance, he would be completely on the defensive.
This problem, which he has kept hidden, must be addressed.
Xiao Yan opened his eyes and looked down at the palm of his left hand.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame pulsed in his palm, its pale flames burning silently. He then turned his hand over, and the Green Lotus Core Flame emerged from his fingertips, its emerald green flames standing out vividly in the night.
Both types of Heavenly Flames can levitate in the air because flames themselves have no mass. As long as there is enough Soul Power to support them, the Heavenly Flames can remain in any position.
But the flames couldn't support his weight.
Unless, the temperature of the Heavenly Flames is compressed to its extreme, solidifying the flame into a solid.
This idea sounds absurd, but it's not without theoretical support.
Heavenly Flames are essentially extremely compressed energy bodies. If a large amount of Soul Power can be compressed into a very small space in an instant, and the flame can be forcibly solidified into a solid form, it can theoretically bear weight for a short period of time.
However, this requires a massive amount of Soul Power as a price, and the duration of its effect is extremely short.
Xiao Yan closed his eyes and began to deduce the specific operational methods for this possibility.