’With my current cultivation at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation and my powerful Spiritual Power, defeating cultivators of the same realm is a piece of cake. Even fighting someone at the Eighth Realm of Qi Condensation wouldn’t be an issue! But just in case, I still need some trump cards.’
Speaking of trump cards, Yi Xiaoyao certainly had some—the two Divine Techniques related to Soul Techniques that the Sword God had given him.
The Soul Burning Forbidden Technique! The Soul-Devouring Forbidden Technique!
These two Forbidden Techniques came from the Sword God himself; their power was surely immense!
But there was a reason they were called Forbidden Techniques.
This was especially true for the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique, which required one to burn their own soul in exchange for a short burst of explosive potential.
To master this Forbidden Technique, one first had to overcome the agony of their soul burning!
But the pain of a burning soul far, far surpassed any physical agony.
’All these years, I’ve infused my soul into Tang Ruoxue every single day to improve her aptitude. Although that treacherous, heartless woman repaid kindness with cruelty, it did get me accustomed to the pain in my soul.’
Yi Xiaoyao murmured to himself, "What I lost in one place, I’ve gained in another. There’s no loss without some gain. At this rate, cultivating the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique shouldn’t be too difficult for me."
With that thought, he closed his eyes and began to study the cultivation method in his mind.
By the time evening arrived, a look of understanding finally appeared on Yi Xiaoyao’s face; he had located the Magic Gate.
’I should try it once.’
He took a deep breath and began to attempt the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique according to the method he had just grasped.
The instructions for the technique repeatedly emphasized the immense harm it caused the user, so he proceeded with extreme caution.
"Soul Burning Forbidden Technique!"
In an instant, a layer of ethereal black flame enveloped Yi Xiaoyao’s entire body.
This was Soul Fire. When used in battle, it could burn an opponent’s very soul!
At the same time, he felt his potential being unleashed. His thoughts, senses, agility, and strength all began to increase rapidly.
Most importantly, Yi Xiaoyao’s cultivation began to skyrocket!
In a single breath, his cultivation shot up to the peak of the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. Then, he easily broke through to the Eighth Realm and was still climbing rapidly toward the Ninth Realm!
Just then, Yi Xiaoyao instantly terminated the technique.
The surge in his cultivation immediately ceased, returning him to his original seventh layer of Qi Condensation. His mind, senses, and everything else reverted to normal as well.
Yi Xiaoyao’s lips were trembling slightly, and large beads of sweat rolled down his pale face.
The agony of his soul burning was far beyond what he had imagined.
If not for the years he’d spent getting used to this kind of spiritual pain, he would have likely fainted.
’I finally understand why the Sword God gave me these two Forbidden Techniques only after discovering the strength of my soul.’
Yi Xiaoyao said this because he realized the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique had already consumed a portion of his soul.
’If my soul wasn’t strong enough, I’d probably have burned myself to death in less than a single breath...’
After all, Yi Xiaoyao was considered a peerless genius when it came to his soul’s aptitude. And yet, the amount of his soul that had just been burned away was greater than all the soul he had infused into Tang Ruoxue over the years.
If Tang Ruoxue were to use this technique, with her level of soul aptitude, she would surely die in less than a breath.
Yi Xiaoyao estimated that he could sustain the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique for ten breaths at most.
Spiritual Power could be restored after being used, but recovering one’s soul was another matter entirely—it was incredibly difficult.
However, this particular difficulty could be easily solved by his other Forbidden Technique.
The Soul-Devouring Forbidden Technique!
This technique could not only devour the souls of others to replenish his own but could also be used to strengthen his soul without end!
The stronger his soul became, the longer he could sustain the Soul Burning Forbidden Technique.
The two Forbidden Techniques were complementary, which was why Yi Xiaoyao absolutely had to master this one as well.
As darkness fell, Yi Xiaoyao showed no signs of wanting to rest. Instead, he began to quietly meditate on the Soul-Devouring Forbidden Technique.
The night passed in a flash. Soon, the pale light of dawn appeared on the horizon.
Yi Xiaoyao opened his eyes and glanced out the window, a flicker of anticipation in his gaze.
’The tenth day. It’s finally here!’
...
In a tavern just outside the Tang Family Castle, a strikingly beautiful woman sat at a table by the window.
This woman was Mei Han, an elder from the Cloud Transformation Sect.
Behind Mei Han stood three young women in their late teens, each a beauty of the highest caliber.
"Oh? Mei Han?"
A surprised voice came from beside Mei Han. The speaker was a rather refined-looking middle-aged man.
Mei Han turned to the middle-aged man, equally surprised.
She recognized him. He was an elder from the Jinhan Sect.
"Xu Jin?"
"Haha, it seems Elder Mei still remembers me!"
Xu Jin chuckled, his gaze falling upon the young women behind Mei Han with a flicker of envy.
"It looks like Elder Mei has recruited quite a few disciples with excellent aptitude this year, eh?" Xu Jin remarked.
Mei Han smiled and nodded. "That’s right. These three disciples all possess a seventh-grade Immortal Soul inheritance. Every one of them is a genius."
Xu Jin sighed. Every three years, when the Immortal Gang descended, sect elders like them would travel to the various families to recruit disciples. But ten days had already passed, and he hadn’t found a single disciple he was satisfied with. Looking at Mei Han’s three geniuses, he was truly envious.
Just as Xu Jin was lamenting to himself, Mei Han’s eyes flickered. "Why are you here today, Elder Xu? Could it be that you’re also after that genius of the Tang Family Castle, Tang Ruoxue?"
"That’s right. But with you here, Elder Mei, I’m afraid this trip will be for nothing," Xu Jin replied with a wry smile.
Mei Han smiled faintly, not denying it.
It was just as Xu Jin had said. The Cloud Transformation Sect was the number one sect in the Great Shang Dynasty, a place all geniuses yearned to join. When it came to recruiting disciples, no other sect could compete with Mei Han, who represented the Cloud Transformation Sect.
Unexpectedly, another voice cut in.
"Who says it’s for nothing? Even if we can’t get our hands on Tang Ruoxue, I’ve heard there’s another youth in the Tang Family Castle this year who obtained a sixth-grade Immortal Soul inheritance."
The speaker, a burly man, walked over.
The burly man looked at Xu Jin and continued, "And Elder Mei has always only taken female disciples, so doesn’t that mean we won’t have any competition for that boy?"
Xu Jin’s spirits immediately lifted. Seventh-grade and up was genius level, but a sixth-grade Immortal Soul was still considered promising talent.
He said hurriedly, "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s head to the Tang Family Castle! I’m not giving up on a genius like Tang Ruoxue until the very last moment!"
「Two hours later.」
Within the Tang Family Castle, all the clan members were gathered on the grand training grounds. Many people from other families had even come to offer their congratulations.
For today was the day the new Fortress Master of the Tang Family Castle would be appointed.
The training grounds were a veritable sea of people, and amidst the roaring clamor, one name could be heard over and over—Tang Ruoxue!
Clearly, a seventh-grade Immortal Soul inheritance was an incredibly dazzling thing, not just in Hunting City but in the entire Great Shang Dynasty.
And whenever anyone mentioned Tang Ruoxue’s name, they would always add the word "genius."
At the head of the training grounds stood a high platform. On it, several elders of the Tang Family Castle were seated, nodding and conversing with three unfamiliar figures seated beside them.
While the crowd below was busy discussing Tang Ruoxue, they also pointed with curiosity at the three strangers sitting beside the elders.
"Who are those three? Why are they sitting with the elders?"
"You don’t even know that? Those three are all major figures with huge backgrounds! They are Elder Mei of the Cloud Transformation Sect, Elder Xu of the Jinhan Sect, and Elder Ge of the Wind Mist Sect!"
"I heard these three elders are here to fight over recruiting Tang Ruoxue as their disciple!"
"Heavens, Tang Ruoxue has brought such glory to the Tang Family Castle! Even the number one sect, the Cloud Transformation Sect, couldn’t help but come to snatch her up!"
After a short while, the Tang Family Castle elders on the high platform raised a hand, signaling for silence.
"Today was to be the day our Tang Family Castle selects its new Fortress Master. We did not expect three such honored guests to grace us with their presence. This is truly an honor for our Tang Family Castle!"
Next, the presiding elder began to introduce the three visitors from the major sects to the crowd.
An uproar went through the crowd with each introduction.
The crowd’s reaction was especially thunderous when Mei Han of the Cloud Transformation Sect was introduced.
The Cloud Transformation Sect! The number one sect in the Great Shang Dynasty! Who hadn’t heard of it? Who didn’t dream of joining it?
The three sect elders nodded to the crowd on the training grounds below, and Han Mei spoke as their representative.
"We three have come here to recruit a disciple. We’d like to take advantage of this joyous occasion for the Tang Family Castle to extend an invitation to Tang Ruoxue."
After Han Mei finished speaking, Tang Long, also on the high platform, beamed and beckoned to Tang Ruoxue.
Under countless gazes of envy and jealousy, Tang Ruoxue, clad in a long white dress, slowly emerged, looking like a celestial maiden.