Time flew by quickly, and Yang Xiong soon reached the age of eleven. Although he had made some progress in developing the Spiral Pill technique, he remained unable to burst the leather ball because his soul power and mental strength as a Soul Master were still too limited for such advanced manipulation.
However, through his practice of Distraction Control over these years of cultivation, Yang Xiong had reached the realm of Four Aperture Constant Heart. He could already burst a water-filled balloon using soul power from one hand, but there remained a considerable distance before he could burst a leather ball with soul power alone.
Nevertheless, Yang Xiong believed that with continued dedicated cultivation, if he could reach the realm of Great Soul Master, he would definitely be able to complete the next stage in developing the Spiral Pill. There might even be additional surprises awaiting him at that level.
After several years of intensive training, Yang Xiong's soul power had finally reached level twenty. He was not considered particularly outstanding within their entire class, but he could be ranked among the middle and upper levels, at least managing to keep pace with the cultivation progress of other Soul Masters.
Through years of body refinement training, Yang Xiong's physique had become extremely robust. He no longer appeared as thin as he had been as a six-year-old child, and his height had reached 1.6 meters. The strength of his body was no weaker than some Beast Martial Soul practitioners.
Yang Xiong's physical strength and speed had also increased dramatically. Under the effects of long-term weighted running and intensive conditioning, his basic speed and strength had far surpassed his peers. Even when compared with Beast Martial Soul Masters of equivalent levels, his physical capabilities would not prove inferior.
On this particular day, Yang Xiong once again approached his homeroom teacher, Lin Gong, announcing that he had reached level twenty and wanted to obtain his second soul ring.
Lin Gong appeared somewhat surprised to see Yang Xiong's progress. "Yang Xiong, your soul power improvement rate is quite impressive. I did not expect you to advance to level twenty so quickly. You are the sixth student in our entire class to reach level twenty. What are your thoughts regarding your second soul ring? Would you still prefer to choose a defensive soul beast?"
Lin Gong once again produced the soul beast catalog from the sect, which contained many five- to six-hundred-year-old soul beasts, including numerous powerful defensive creatures.
Yang Xiong did not even glance at the offered book. "Teacher Lin, I do not want any of the soul beasts listed in that catalog. I want the Golden Spirit Cypress in our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's soul beast forest."
Yang Xiong had actually been considering the choice for his second soul ring for an extended period, especially since he had already used the special token given by Ning Fengzhi to personally examine the soul beasts within the sect's forest preserve.
The book maintained by Lin Gong was designed for students to absorb appropriate soul rings, with age limits kept below seven hundred years for safety reasons. Yang Xiong simply was not interested in these relatively common soul beasts.
Lin Gong's expression suddenly changed dramatically. "Are you completely insane? Do you understand what kind of soul beast that Golden Spirit Cypress represents? Do you comprehend the specific age of that creature?"
"That Golden Spirit Cypress has been raised in our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School for many years. Its current age has reached nine hundred and eighty years. For Soul Masters seeking second soul rings, this age represents far too high a level, but since it has not yet reached a full thousand years, it cannot be selected for third soul rings either, so it has remained in our forest."
"Many people within the sect are waiting for that Golden Spirit Cypress to reach a thousand years of age. At that time, it will definitely represent a top-quality third soul ring."
Yang Xiong thought privately that it would take at least twenty years for that Golden Spirit Cypress to reach a thousand years. Who could predict who would benefit from it at that distant time?
In truth, Yang Xiong had been considering this Golden Spirit Cypress for quite some time. Since he wanted to pursue collecting all elemental attributes, a wood-attribute strength-type soul beast was among the most difficult to locate, and even the Star Dou Great Forest might not contain many such specimens.
The golden coloration represented ultimate power and energy concentration. The Golden Spirit Cypress was golden throughout its entire structure, with lush branches and leaves that gleamed with metallic brilliance. It represented a top-quality plant-type soul beast. If not for its awkward age classification, it probably would not be available for his consideration.
Moreover, compared to animal-type soul beasts, plant-type creatures possessed obvious identifying characteristics. Whether examining the trunk, branches, leaves, height, or even bark texture, all these features could accurately reflect their specific age. This was also one of the reasons why the sect knew the precise age of the Golden Spirit Cypress.
To be completely honest, this Golden Spirit Cypress simply stood in its location, and Yang Xiong might not even be capable of killing it through conventional means. Its vitality and recovery capabilities were extraordinarily tenacious, and the power contained within its branches was tremendously formidable. Its actual strength even far exceeded that of ordinary thousand-year soul beasts. This represented another reason why it had been able to thrive undisturbed in the soul beast forest.
Yang Xiong had even discovered records suggesting that the Golden Spirit Cypress possessed bloodline heritage from the legendary Golden Tree. He wondered how such a magnificent specimen had come to grow within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's soul beast forest.
Lin Gong observed Yang Xiong's determined expression and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "Setting aside the age concerns, have you ever considered what kind of Soul Master path you intend to pursue in the future? The Golden Spirit Cypress is indeed an exceptional soul beast, and it could rightfully be called the finest example among plant-type creatures."
"However, your Martial Soul is your own physical body, and the first soul ring you absorbed came from an animal-type soul beast. Although I do not know what specific soul skill you obtained, it should be related to defensive capabilities. Now that you have apparently decided to follow the defensive route, why do you suddenly want to absorb a plant-type soul ring? Moreover, Soul Masters typically absorb soul rings corresponding to their own Martial Soul classification. Although your Martial Soul is unique, it should be considered a Beast Martial Soul variant. Since you have already absorbed an animal-type soul ring, are you not concerned that absorbing a plant-type soul beast might cause compatibility problems?"
Yang Xiong replied confidently, "Teacher Lin, my Body Martial Soul is neither a Beast Martial Soul nor a Tool Martial Soul, nor a Plant Martial Soul in any traditional sense. Its greatest advantage is that it can absorb soul rings from any category without restriction, and I believe the Golden Spirit Cypress is perfectly suitable for my needs. This represents the result of extensive thought and analysis on my part."
Lin Gong sighed with resignation. "Very well. You have mastered considerable Soul Master knowledge, and your understanding is no weaker than some of our teachers. Since you have developed your own cultivation plan, I cannot stop you from pursuing it. We will travel to the soul beast forest in three days. Remember that your parents must also accompany you for this attempt."
Only then did Yang Xiong depart with satisfaction.
Lin Gong could not help but shake his head as he watched Yang Xiong leave. From a teaching perspective, he genuinely appreciated this child who consistently ranked first in academic performance, and he understood how diligently this student worked in his cultivation efforts.
Unfortunately, this child was consistently worrying in his choices. Every time he selected a soul ring, his decisions confused everyone, yet his vision consistently proved excellent upon reflection.
During his first soul ring selection, he had recognized the top-quality Dark Underworld Tortoise at first glance, and although this time's Golden Spirit Cypress possessed an awkward age classification, it was definitely the soul beast with the highest bloodline level in the entire soul beast forest. Its quality even far exceeded some advanced thousand-year soul beasts.
However, Lin Gong chose not to voice additional concerns. It appeared that the Sect Master attached tremendous importance to this Yang Xiong, not only allowing him unrestricted access to the library but also providing him with a Sect Master token. One must understand that none of the other students in the entire sect received such exceptional treatment.
After Lin Gong reported this matter to the appropriate authorities, he did not consider anything else, but he still planned to personally accompany Yang Xiong during the soul ring acquisition process.
Three days later, Yang Xiong, Yang Lin, Sun Yu, and Lin Gong formed a group and headed toward the soul beast forest within the sect's territory.
As they approached the forest preserve, Yang Xiong felt increasingly confident about his choice. The Golden Spirit Cypress would provide him with the wood-attribute strength enhancement he needed for his comprehensive elemental collection strategy. While the risks were considerable, his unique Body Martial Soul and years of preparation had built the foundation necessary to attempt absorbing such a powerful soul ring.
The upcoming challenge would test not only his physical capabilities but also his determination to pursue a cultivation path that no other Soul Master had ever attempted. Yang Xiong understood that success would bring him significantly closer to his goal of mastering all fundamental attributes and achieving unprecedented power levels.
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