It wasn't that Feng Xiaotian had never thought about prioritizing his soul power cultivation before refining his self-created soul skill. However, he was a young man; the fame of being able to create his own soul skill at such a young age was a title he had enjoyed for years.
Furthermore, he feared that if he abandoned the practice now, he might lose that specific spark and creative drive in the future.
Yet, being so easily defeated by Gu Xuan and then hearing those words caused Feng Xiaotian's previous convictions to waver.
If it had been anyone else, it might not have mattered, but Gu Xuan was only Rank 33. He, a Rank 40 pseudo-Soul Ancestor, had been defeated by a mere Rank 33 Soul Elder—and he had been beaten head-on while using his self-created soul skill.
At this moment, Feng Xiaotian had to seriously reconsider: should he continue perfecting his self-created skill, or focus on soul power first?
As Gu Xuan had said, his self-created skill still had many flaws. But what if his soul power rank was high enough? At that point, he could break all techniques with sheer force, and the issues Gu Xuan pointed out would become negligible.
Seeing Feng Xiaotian still struggling internally, Gu Xuan added another remark. "Let me remind you: for a soul master, soul power is always the most important thing. Creating your own skill at this age is indeed a sign of exceptional talent, but if your soul power rank doesn't keep up, it's all for naught. No matter how powerful your self-created skill is, can you use Rank 41 soul power to fight a Soul King?"
"Besides, if you had focused on soul power from the start, you wouldn't be sitting at only Rank 40 right now."
Hearing this, Feng Xiaotian felt as if he had suddenly woken from a dream. It was true. If he hadn't wasted time perfecting his self-created skill, with his natural cultivation speed, he might not be a Soul King yet, but he would at least be a high-level Soul Ancestor.
His self-created skill was good, but he didn't have the confidence to defeat a high-level Soul Ancestor at Rank 41 using it.
That was the gap. Before reaching the later stages of cultivation, some genius soul masters could indeed fight above their level—just like the monster Gu Xuan, who defeated him with only Rank 33 soul power.
But the further a soul master progresses, the more vital the soul power rank becomes. Many soul masters are talented in their youth and can fight stronger opponents, but doesn't everyone end up on equal footing in the end?
Thinking this way, Feng Xiaotian looked at Gu Xuan again. This guy could defeat him with Rank 33 soul power; he wasn't just good with words—he had the true talent to back it up.
Gu Xuan was right: all techniques are illusions in the face of absolute power. Only when your strength is high enough do you have the right to talk about anything else.
Feng Xiaotian finally understood. He stood up and bowed deeply to Gu Xuan. "Gu Xuan, I will carefully consider what you said. I will give you my answer after the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament ends."
Gu Xuan helped him up and said seriously, "Your future is promising. Rather than letting you walk a dark path to the end, I'd rather give you a hint. Keep at it, young man!"
Feng Xiaotian smiled. If anyone else had said that, he would have thought they were a fool, but Gu Xuan was different. The guy was a monster.
"I understand. I won't give up on the self-created soul skill, and I will keep the two flaws you mentioned in mind. Of course, the most important thing now is to improve my soul power. I'll give you a surprise at the tournament three years from now," Feng Xiaotian replied with total sincerity.
"Thank you. If you ever need anything in the future, Feng Xiaotian will not hesitate to help." After saying this, Feng Xiaotian turned and left.
Gu Xuan watched his retreating back with a slight smile and called out, "I'll be waiting for the day you challenge me again."
Feng Xiaotian's body stumbled for a second. He resisted the urge to talk back, knowing that currently, he truly wasn't Gu Xuan's match.
After Feng Xiaotian left, Gu Xuan sat back down. He wasn't afraid of Feng Xiaotian training hard, because he had the confidence to stay ahead of him.
On the contrary, Gu Xuan needed geniuses who could compete with him to accompany his growth. This was one of the reasons he chose to guide Feng Xiaotian.
Moreover, Gu Xuan was only twelve. His future was destined to be even more brilliant.
Not long after Feng Xiaotian's departure, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling returned together. Dugu Yan had just finished her solo match, and her soul power was significantly depleted.
Even though Dugu Yan was Rank 38, her opponent hadn't been weak—a Rank 39 Agility Attack Type Soul Elder with a Black-Patterned Serpent Martial Soul. The opponent possessed extreme speed and a decent resistance to poison.
Because the opponent's soul power was one rank higher and they had poison resistance, Dugu Yan's victory had been anything but easy.
This was only because Gu Xuan had spent the past month specifically training her in melee combat; otherwise, the outcome of that match would have been uncertain.
"Sister Yan, congrats. A nine-match winning streak," Gu Xuan said softly, naturally taking Dugu Yan's weight from Ye Lingling's shoulder.
Dugu Yan leaned into Gu Xuan and gave him a playful roll of her eyes. "Congrats for what? If you hadn't trained me this month, I would've tripped up this time."
Gu Xuan helped her over to the sofa and straightened the messy hair on her forehead. "Then how are you going to thank me?"
Dugu Yan swatted his hand away. Ye Lingling was still there, after all. While she and Gu Xuan had moved beyond being ordinary friends and shared occasional moments of intimacy, it didn't mean she was immune to shyness.
"Thanks? Is a kick enough?" Dugu Yan teased, raising a delicate foot and giving Gu Xuan a nudge.
When Dugu Yan's Martial Soul was possessed, her feet would turn into a serpent's tail, so she generally didn't wear shoes during combat. Her crystal-clear little foot pressed against the root of Gu Xuan's thigh, giving him a small jolt of excitement.
If Ye Lingling hadn't been there, he would have definitely grabbed it to play with. This leg, this foot—they were truly legendary.
Dugu Yan withdrew her fair, tender foot, and Gu Xuan poured her a glass of water. "Get some rest. I still have a duel."
Gu Xuan then stood up and looked at Ye Lingling. "Lingling, let's go. Our duo match is about to start."
On the way back earlier, Gu Xuan had already signed up for the duo combat. He and Ye Lingling were in the next group.
Ye Lingling nodded, stole a glance at Dugu Yan, and followed Gu Xuan out of the lounge after seeing that Dugu Yan didn't mind.
Undoubtedly, Gu Xuan won this duo match as well. He had reached twenty-seven consecutive victories in duo combat. If they won the team match tonight, he would have a perfect twenty-seven-win streak across all categories.
If he kept this up, he would become a Gold Spirit Fighter Badge holder in less than half a month.
(End of Chapter)
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