Chapter 48

Xiao Yan knew he couldn't wait—he had to strike first, regardless of whether Hun Yu Cun's Dou Di Bloodline secret technique could only be activated once.

Boom—one blast from Xiao Yan's right foot sent him hurtling toward Hun Yu Cun like an arrow, his high-temperature Xuan Heavy Ruler dragging a charred path across the ground, burning every blade of green grass into a trail of fire.

Even the Heaven and Earth Power gathered relentlessly onto Xiao Yan's Xuan Heavy Ruler, as if only when unleashing Flame Splitting, Wave Devouring Ruler would the weapon fully awaken, revealing the true form of its mysterious engravings.

A strange, violent energy fluctuation suddenly surged across the entire grassland plain—the first to sense it was naturally Hun Yu Cun, whose face instantly changed as his gaze locked onto the boy sprinting straight at him with the heavy ruler, the source of that violent energy clearly here.

"A Dou Technique that stirs Heaven and Earth Power—Earth Rank!! How is this possible! How could a mere Eight Star Dou Zhe possess an Earth Rank Dou Technique!!!"

If it could already harness Heaven and Earth Power, it meant Xiao Yan had definitely mastered his Earth Rank Dou Technique—this wasn't some fake show!

Hun Yu Cun was going insane! How could an outsider, a mere local, master a high-level Xuan Rank Dou Technique and even cultivate an Earth Rank Dou Technique?!

What kind of monster could possibly cultivate two such techniques at such a young age?!

Earth Rank Dou Technique! Even he didn't have one!

It wasn't that the Soul Sovereign lacked Earth Rank Dou Techniques—but their own system required one to demonstrate corresponding strength to obtain them.

If everyone could get them, who would bother to strive? Motivation and punishment must go hand in hand to drive improvement.

"Die! Soul Shocking Knife!"

Faster and faster he ran, leaving a fiery trail behind him; suddenly leaping high into the air, Xiao Yan gripped his Xuan Heavy Ruler tightly and swung it in a full, crescent arc.

"Today, if one of us must fall into endless Space, it will be you!" Xiao Yan didn't flinch—he wouldn't sit idle and wait to die!

This time, Xiao Yan didn't unleash a Flame Wave—he smashed the Xuan Heavy Ruler straight forward, only this way could he guarantee a hundred percent hit, a hundred percent kill.

Xiao Yan had no more Dou Qi left for a second strike—if this one failed to kill him or withstand the Soul Slash, Xiao Yan lost.

"Flame Splitting, Wave Devouring Ruler!!!"

The clash of knife and ruler exploded with a thunderous boom—both attacks shattered the ground, and a crack nearly half a meter wide rapidly spread across the earth, utterly destroying the grassland.

Undeniably, even with his cultivation rising to Nine Star Dou Shi, Hun Yu Cun's Dou Technique still couldn't match the Earth Rank Flame Splitting, Wave Devouring Ruler.

There were many Xuan Rank High-Level Dou Techniques, but Earth Rank Dou Techniques—Xiao Yan had barely heard of anyone using them—precisely because Earth Rank Dou Techniques could harness Heaven and Earth Power, making their power terrifyingly immense!

No Xuan Rank Dou Technique could compare—nor even the famed Eight Extreme Shatter, said to rival Earth Rank power, came close to Flame Splitting, Wave Devouring Ruler when it summoned Heaven and Earth Power.

Shh—a Soul Slash pierced through the Flame Wave, straight toward Xiao Yan.

"Hahahaha, die!"

Faced with this unavoidable Soul Slash, Xiao Yan had no other choice—he would stand his ground!

Boom—a searing pain tore through his soul, slamming into his skull; blood gushed from all seven orifices, his eyes bloodshot. His mind flooded with a whirl of memories—his past life flashed before him.

"Ahh!!" Xiao Yan roared—he couldn't fall here! A girl was still waiting for him to return!

Veins bulging in his hands, Xiao Yan clamped his grip on the ruler's handle, and with a final roar, a massive explosion tore through the grassland—finally, the ground gave way, pierced clean through by his Flame Splitting, Wave Devouring Ruler.

Hun Yu Cun, engulfed in flames, was blasted into Space.

【Trial of Arcane-Rank Low-Level completed. Awarded Arcane-Rank Low-Level Soul Envoy title. You may choose to exit the Trial Grounds and enter the Treasure Hall to exchange Soul Points for resources, or proceed to the Arcane-Rank Mid-Rank Trial.】

Hearing this Soul Sound, Xiao Yan's eyelids drooped instantly; he swallowed a Two-Rank Soul-Nourishing Elixir and a Qi-Replenishing Elixir, and his consciousness gradually sank into darkness.

He didn't know how long he slept before slowly awakening.

"If not for the slight boost in my Soul Force from that battle, and if I weren't naturally strong in soul and an Alchemist, I'd be dead right now."

Xiao Yan picked up his Soul Token—it now read Arcane-Rank Low-Level, and his Soul Points had risen to two hundred after defeating Hun Yu Cun.

Even Xiao Yan himself felt lucky—and it only strengthened his resolve to obtain the Xuan Rank High-Level Soul Cultivation Technique and learn a Soul Technique; soul attacks were terrifyingly sudden and powerful.

Add to that his status as an Alchemist—he absolutely had to get his hands on the Spiritual Heart Soul Gathering Decree!

Without hesitation, he declined the Arcane-Rank Mid-Rank Trial and used his Soul Token to enter the Treasure Hall for exchanges.

Again? He wasn't stupid. If another opponent with stronger Soul Force than Hun Yu Cun showed up, he'd be dead hundreds of times over—his first Soul Shocking Knife should've killed him outright.

"Exchange for a Four-Rank Elixir: Soul Strengthening Pill." Without a word, Xiao Yan used his Soul Token to exchange for the pill.

Xiao Yan finally understood why the Soul Hall hunted Soul Bodies everywhere—Soul Points were simply too valuable.

A Four-Rank Elixir, which would spark a frenzy in Wutan City, cost only fifty Soul Points here—and with his Soul Token, he got a discount, paying only forty.

The instant Xiao Yan completed the exchange, his Soul Token emitted a Soul fluctuation; space tore open, and a purple-red Elixir flew from the rift into his hand.

"Can this Soul Realm portal go anywhere? Like a wormhole!"

Xiao Yan didn't know that Dou Zong could briefly manipulate Space, Dou Zun could seal it, and Dou Sage could tear it open, traversing a thousand li in an instant, turning distant horizons into mere steps away.

Xiao Yan swallowed the Soul Strengthening Pill whole. As its name suggested, it repaired soul injuries and enhanced Soul Force—but only worked on those whose soul realm was at Common Realm Mid-Level.

The pill instantly melted into heat upon entering his throat, mending the soul wounds from his battle; a foul gas exhaled from his mouth.

Slowly, he activated his Cultivation Method—he needed time to absorb the lessons of this fight.

This battle gave Xiao Yan immense gains—he realized the world contained cruel, soul-targeting techniques!

So despicable!

Unfair! How could he not have such a treacherous technique?!

"Did I break through to Nine Star Dou Zhe?"

Xiao Yan was speechless—he'd labored hard in cultivation, painstakingly refined Pills—and yet, getting beaten up raised his power faster.

Probably because his Soul Force had been refined, and the Soul Strengthening Pill helped him gain one star in cultivation.

Xiao Yan shook his head, brushed the dirt off his backside, and suddenly said, holding his Soul Token: "I want an extra trial!"

"Challenge the Soul Test!"