"Indeed, it's somewhat useless, but better than nothing, right?!"
Xu Yang wasn't disappointed, but the fact that his third soul ring had evolved into a ten-thousand-year soul ring made it all worth it. Moreover, this was an external soul bone, something others would ask for but could never obtain. Furthermore, external soul bones could evolve along with cultivation. No one knew to what extent it could evolve, and it might even become an integral part of him in the future.
"True enough!" Madam Ning nodded in agreement. Then, she looked at the Sun Sacred Blade in Xu Yang's left hand and asked, "But Yang'er, your third soul skill should be more than just this, right? After all, it's a ten-thousand-year soul skill!"
Starting from a ten-thousand-year soul skill is still significant.
"I've just sensed it, and my third soul skill has four different uses. The one I showed you just now is the first—basically a standard technique. Another standard technique is to condense soul power in my hand and form a blade using my hand, which produces the same result."
"The remaining two are much more impressive. First..."
As Xu Yang spoke, the Sun Sacred Blade in his left hand dispersed. Then, his second and third soul rings lit up, and a small sun split from his Sun Martial Soul behind his head, forming a Sun Sacred Sword burning with golden flames in his left hand.
He swung it at a nearby tree, which had already been damaged. In an instant, it was cut into four sections.
Madam Ning's pupils contracted as she watched. What she had just seen was Xu Yang's Sun Sacred Sword combining both fire and light into a single strike. The speed and power of the slash were many times greater than the one from the external soul bone's blade. Even a Soul Soul Douluo couldn't evade it without proper foresight.
"This is the third use of my third soul skill—turning my Martial Soul into the Sun Sacred Sword. Its power is incomparable to the condensed soul power blade!"
Xu Yang smiled faintly. This was something he had thought of a long time ago. Since he could shape the external soul bone using his soul skill, he could also use the skill to shape his Martial Soul, transforming it into the Sun Sacred Blade.
"As for the fourth use, it involves using my Martial Soul to unleash a massive Sun Sacred Blade that slashes at the enemy. The soul power consumption is immense. Even in my current state, one strike would probably drain a third of my soul power."
Xu Yang didn't demonstrate the fourth use, as it wasn't necessary. He had already described the power, and with Madam Ning's cultivation, she could easily visualize the effect. After all, she had seen all kinds of soul skills in her long life.
"Not bad. You didn't waste all the time you spent coveting the Sun Sacred Beetle!" Madam Ning's eyes flashed with admiration. Just this one soul skill was already stronger than many Soul Masters' sixth soul skills, and it had so many uses. It was truly an extraordinary soul skill.
"Of course. The soul beast I chose is the one most suited for me!"
Xu Yang replied proudly, then recalled his Martial Soul and focused on the external soul bone in his right hand. He tried to use his willpower to control it and absorb it, but this was much more difficult than he had expected. The external soul bone had only been absorbed recently, and it hadn't fully merged yet, so it was nearly impossible to control it freely.
The golden light in his palm flickered as the soul bone contracted, but each time it reached the final step, it wouldn't merge into his hand bone.
"Stay calm and relaxed, let the soul power flow smoothly like when you recall your Martial Soul. Don't force it."
Just then, Madam Ning's voice sounded in his ears. The soul bone that had been forcefully contracting now seemed to pulse rhythmically. As it gently inhaled and exhaled, it slowly shrank, eventually merging into his hand bone.
However, Xu Yang could still feel something foreign inside his palm, as if it could pop out at any moment.
"This external soul bone is so hard to control!" Xu Yang frowned. If he couldn't control it properly, it might pop out when he slept, which could be a huge problem.
Seeing Xu Yang's expression, Madam Ning couldn't help but smile inwardly, thinking, He's complaining after taking advantage of it. Then, she reassured him, "It's fine, don't worry. This is only because the soul bone hasn't fully merged yet. Once it's completely integrated, it'll become a part of you, and you'll be able to control it freely."
"I know! It's just the strange feeling in my palm that makes it uncomfortable!"
"Alright! Let's go!"
With the soul ring obtained, Xu Yang no longer needed to stay in the Sunset Forest. It was time to return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and consolidate his cultivation, as well as study his third soul skill.
The Sun Sacred Sword wasn't exactly what he had originally sought. What he was after was the ability to shape things during the soul skill's formation process. This would allow him to shape not just the Sun Sacred Sword but also any weapon—swords, spears, poles, and even anything else he could imagine.
This shaping ability would become a core part of his nine soul skills, second only to the second soul skill's ability to split.
...
At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, in the simulated training environment.
Xu Yang repeatedly used his third soul skill, trying to change the shape of the Sun Sacred Blade during its formation. He wanted to transform it from the original Tang Dao into a sword. If he succeeded, it would prove that his hypothesis was correct.
For several days, Xu Yang practiced in the simulated environment, constantly using his third soul skill, restoring his soul power, and repeating the cycle of practice. The goal was to change the shape of the Sun Sacred Sword.
Fortunately, his efforts paid off. On the seventh day, he finally succeeded in transforming the Sun Sacred Blade into the Sun Sacred Sword. Eventually, he even shaped it into a Wolf Tooth Club.
After swinging the Wolf Tooth Club several times, Xu Yang nodded in satisfaction. He slowly dispersed the club, completing the first step. The rest could be done once his soul power control improved. He would be able to shape not only weapons but any object.
He had even thought about using this ability to directly shape soul tools.
However, to reach that level, Xu Yang estimated that he would need to achieve a refined level of control.
The training was now complete, and Xu Yang was ready to return to the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy. He had been absent for a long time, and it was getting inconvenient.
During this period, Xu Yang realized that without using his Martial Soul and the simulated environment, his training speed had decreased by 30%. This was still with the remaining medicinal effects of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. If he were an ordinary limit soul master, the decline would have been even more significant.
However, with the help of his Martial Soul and the simulated environment, his training speed was not slow. In fact, it was even faster than before, and there was no problem with the training methods he had used in the past.
His teachers, Ning Fengzhi and Ning Haiyan, were still away. It was incredibly difficult for a Soul Douluo to find a suitable soul ring, which could take six months or even a year.
During this time, Madam Ning was in charge of all the matters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
So, before returning to the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, Xu Yang needed to check in with his teacher.