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**
"Bang!"
The sound of shattering stone suddenly exploded.
After You Lang evaded, Zhang Tie's punch slammed into the spot where he had just been standing.
Instantly, the bluestone burst apart and the ground collapsed. Not only did the central flagstone shatter into pieces, but several massive cracks extended outward in all directions.
Dai Weisi's eyes flickered, thinking to himself: Such formidable strength. The Soul Warrior lineage is truly extraordinary.
To possess such power without even undergoing Martial Soul Possession... this level of strength can generally only be achieved by Power-type Beast Soul Masters after they undergo Martial Soul Possession.
Of course, he was referring to Mid-tier Martial Souls; High-tier or Peak-tier Martial Souls were not included in this comparison.
However, he understood that this was because the Soul Warrior path had only recently been created and was far from reaching its limit.
On the field, You Lang seized the opportunity.
Taking advantage of the moment Zhang Tie threw the punch—when his old strength was spent and new strength had yet to rise—he suddenly erupted with startling speed.
Like a dark shadow, he charged at Zhang Tie.
As he reached his opponent, a wolf claw as black as ink lunged toward Zhang Tie.
As expected, Zhang Tie had no time to block or dodge; he could only manage to cross his arms to protect his face. Although he hadn't used a soul skill, as an Agility Attack System Soul Master, speed and attack were his strengths.
Currently, with the boost from his extreme speed, even a standard claw strike carried no weak power; it could easily snap a tree trunk as thick as a bowl. Furthermore, his Nether Wolf Martial Soul endowed him with dark-attribute Soul Power.
As a branch of the darkness attribute, it inherently possessed the characteristic of corroding energy. In his view, while this opponent possessed a special kind of energy and a strength likely comparable to a Soul Elder.
Without a Martial Soul for protection, his defense was probably similar to that of a Tool Soul Master—perhaps even inferior. After all, a Tool Soul Master could use their own Tool Martial Soul to parry, whereas this man was bare-handed and had nothing.
However...
"Screech—"
You Lang's claw raked across Zhang Tie's chest.
The fabric of his clothes shredded apart, but upon making contact with the body, the sensation was entirely different from before. It didn't feel like striking a human body, but rather a sheet of iron.
It merely left a few white marks on Zhang Tie's chest.
Zhang Tie let out a violent shout.
The Soul Qi within his body circulated along the meridians in his palms, and he threw a palm strike. The Soul Qi on his palm was extremely condensed, with a faint grey light covering his hand; it was clearly no casual blow.
It was precisely the Mid-Level Yellow Grade Soul Martial Technique: Shattering Rock Palm.
"Bang!"
Caught off guard, You Lang was struck directly in the chest by Zhang Tie's Shattering Rock Palm.
Even with the protection of his Martial Soul, he was injured by the fierce palm force and sent flying backwards. Upon landing, You Lang's claws dug into the ground, carving out two long gouges before he finally stabilized his form.
He looked up at Zhang Tie, a trace of shock appearing in his eyes.
Without the protection of a Martial Soul, this man's physical defense was actually this formidable. His physical toughness was practically comparable to the defense of certain Defense-type Martial Souls.
Looking down at his own chest, a very distinct palm print was visible on his Martial Soul body, showing that the previous strike was quite powerful and had nearly breached his Martial Soul's defense.
Although the internal energy attached to the palm hadn't completely broken through, the sheer force was enough to knock him back.
"Sir, is the defense of all Soul Warriors this remarkable?"
Seeing that You Lang's strike failed to achieve anything and hadn't even broken the opponent's defense—instead being forced into a slight disadvantage by a palm strike that nearly cracked his own Martial Soul defense—
Zhu Zhuyun asked with some curiosity.
"No, the characteristics of a Soul Warrior's strength depend on the Soul Martial Techniques they cultivate. Different cultivation methods result in different traits."
"The Soul Martial Techniques I have established, strictly from the perspective of Soul Qi cultivation methods, are divided into the Soul Qi Lineage and the External Hardening Lineage."
"The former focuses entirely on Soul Qi; all offense and defense are built upon the circulation of one's internal Soul Qi. Although Soul Qi itself can strengthen the physical body—"
"A Soul Warrior's body is certainly not weak, generally stronger than a Soul Master's—for the Soul Qi Lineage, the physical body is not considered their primary advantage."
"The External Hardening Lineage, however, focuses on the combination of Soul Qi and the physical body. They cultivate both Soul Qi and the physique, resulting in either superior physical strength or superior physical defense."
"The Soul Qi cultivation method A-Tie practices is called the Iron Cloth Skill. I categorize it as a High-Level Yellow Grade Soul Martial Technique. The Soul Qi cultivated through it leans toward being fierce and powerful."
"Once practiced to Great Completion, the physical defense is extraordinary. When coordinated with the circulation of Soul Qi throughout the body, it is like being draped in iron clothing."
"Furthermore, this technique provides a certain bonus to physical strength."
"Oh? Hearing your description, Sir, this Iron Cloth Skill seems very suitable for the soldiers in the army to learn."
"If every soldier in our Star Luo army practiced this Iron Cloth Skill and reached the 'Iron Cloth' stage, combined with their heavy armor, they would be absolutely invincible."
Dai Weisi said thoughtfully, appearing quite interested in this technique.
"This Iron Cloth Skill was originally designed specifically for the military. Not only can it cultivate Soul Qi, but it can also significantly enhance strength while greatly increasing defense."
"It is extremely suitable for slaughter on the battlefield. However, what Your Highness suggests—having every single person in the army practice this Soul Martial Technique—is not quite realistic."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"While this technique is effective for battlefield combat, its cultivation speed is not considered fast compared to other Soul Qi techniques of the same level."
"Beyond that, practicing the Iron Cloth Skill requires a certain innate constitution. The practitioner must be robust and stronger than the average person."
"More importantly, in addition to cultivating Soul Qi, one must spend time subjecting the body to various forms of striking and tempering while simultaneously circulating the technique to strengthen the body's defensive power."
"This process is quite arduous and painful; it is by no means something everyone can endure. Therefore, it's unrealistic for the entire army to practice the Iron Cloth Skill. It is better suited for selecting elite soldiers to forge a specialized Heavy Armored Legion."
"So that's how it is. But Sir, by simply using various striking methods while circulating the technique to improve physical defense... in terms of defense, I'm afraid it cannot be made perfect and seamless across the whole body, right?"
After some slight consideration, Dai Weisi offered his view on this Soul Martial Technique.
Qin Yi nodded, not finding the remark misplaced, and replied naturally: "Your Highness has a keen eye."
"Indeed, even if the current Iron Cloth Skill is cultivated to the Great Completion stage, it still cannot make the entire body like a single block of iron. Aside from the seven orifices on the face, the groin, armpits, throat, and dantian are all 'Gate Points.'"
"After all, this Soul Martial Technique is only ranked at High-Level Yellow Grade; it isn't considered a profoundly advanced technique. Its method of tempering the body is also relatively simple."
"Its good results are mainly due to the powerful effects of Soul Qi. Over the years, my research into Soul Martial Techniques has primarily focused on the Soul Qi Lineage."
"This is the only technique I have for the External Hardening Lineage. This Iron Cloth Skill can be considered a creation specifically for the military."
"In that case, I must thank you, Sir."
Having said that, Dai Weisi spoke no more, turning his attention back to the two people sparring in the field. Just as they were speaking, in less than a few moments, the situation on the field had changed once again.
**
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Thanks for reading!
I have 100+ advanced chapter now on Patreon. I will post 5 advanced chapter on Patreon everyday except Sunday