After hearing Yan's account, both Xie Yue and Hu Liena were left speechless with disbelief—especially Hu Liena.
The confidence that had always shone in her eyes now flickered with a hint of unwillingness.
The three of them had grown up together—training side by side in the Spirit Hall, battling shoulder to shoulder across the vastness of the Death Canyon. They had shared victories and setbacks, always advancing together.
But now, Hu Liena suddenly realized that the gap between herself and Yan seemed to have widened overnight.
When they last parted, she had been full of confidence, certain that she would be the first among them to obtain a fourth soul ring.
Yet now, Yan had already reached level 42, while she was still lingering below level 40. A quiet sense of frustration welled up in her chest.
Xie Yue, on the other hand, looked exhilarated.
He regarded Yan not only as his best friend but also as his greatest rival. Even as the recognized leader of Spirit Hall's "Golden Generation," Xie Yue had never once let down his guard around him.
Among all the young soul masters in Spirit Hall, Yan was the one most likely to catch up—and even surpass him.
Now that both of them had obtained their fourth soul rings, Yan's soul power had already exceeded his own. It was the first time Yan had ever overtaken him since they'd known each other.
But rather than jealousy, the realization stirred excitement within Xie Yue—he thrived on competition and the thrill of challenge.
With a faint smile, Xie Yue said,
"I thought absorbing that five-thousand-year-old soul ring was already my limit. I didn't expect you to challenge a six-thousand-year ring—and succeed. Your soul power is now half a rank higher than mine. Looks like I'll have to work harder to catch up—and surpass you again."
Yan merely shook his head modestly.
"I told you—it was just luck."
He then recounted, in detail, his encounter with the Skyfire Fox and the Two-Headed Demonic Serpent, and how he'd ultimately slain the wounded fox to obtain its soul ring.
When Yan finished, the siblings fell silent for a moment.
Though Hu Liena was reluctant to admit it, she couldn't deny that Yan's strength—and luck—were both exceptional.
"You really were lucky," she pouted, feigning annoyance.
"If that Skyfire Fox hadn't already been injured, there's no way you could've killed it."
Xie Yue glanced at his sister, easily reading her feelings. She was clearly having a hard time accepting being surpassed by Yan.
He gently patted her shoulder and said reassuringly,
"Nana, luck is also a part of strength. Besides, I believe that even without luck, Yan still had the ability to defeat that Skyfire Fox."
He knew his sister's temper well—she had always taken Yan lightly.
In the past, Yan never minded.
But now, Xie Yue could feel something different in him. Yan's attitude toward everything had become more focused, more serious than before.
Yan didn't bother to respond to Hu Liena's dismissive tone—he simply smiled faintly.
Hu Liena's curiosity suddenly resurfaced.
"Then what about that rain of fire earlier? Was that your fourth soul skill?"
Yan shook his head, replying casually,
"That was just a new attack method I've been experimenting with. My fourth soul skill is called Blazing Flame Slash—a single-target offensive ability."
He decided, for now, not to tell them about the External Spirit Bone he possessed.
External Spirit Bones were priceless treasures—rare beyond measure, capable of growing alongside their host's cultivation. They were objects of desire for countless soul masters.
Yan understood clearly that once such a treasure was revealed, it could bring endless trouble. Until he was strong enough to protect himself, he needed to keep it hidden.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would never expose his Flame Wings in front of others.
Xie Yue chuckled.
"Yan, when you get serious, you really are something. Looks like I'll have to push myself harder if I want to surpass you again."
Then he turned toward his sister.
"Nana, look at him. Yan's gotten so strong—you'd better step up too."
Hu Liena, having regained her fighting spirit, lifted her chin proudly.
"Don't underestimate me. I'm close to breaking through to level 40. Once I obtain my fourth soul ring, we'll see who's stronger!"
With that, she turned and strode away.
Training alone wouldn't be enough—she needed to hunt fierce beasts and face real danger to awaken her potential and break through as soon as possible.
Watching her retreating figure, Xie Yue felt both concern and pride.
He turned back to Yan.
"Nana's always been like that—headstrong. I hope you won't take it to heart."
"It's fine," Yan replied with a light smile. "We grew up together—I'm used to it."
The two exchanged a knowing glance, and Yan truly didn't seem to mind Hu Liena's attitude.
Xie Yue then asked,
"So, will you be traveling with us?"
"No," Yan said quietly. "Let her face her challenges alone."
Xie Yue nodded.
"Then we'll part ways for now. Once Nana breaks through level 40, we'll regroup."
"Alright."
With that, the two went their separate ways.
After parting with Xie Yue, Yan sought out a quiet place deep within the vast canyon to train alone.
He knew that to become a true powerhouse, he had to keep exploring—keep breaking his own limits.
Though he was a fire-attribute soul master, his spirit power carried both fire and earth attributes—an extremely rare and unique combination.
In the world of Douluo, soul masters could not only acquire soul skills from their rings—they could also, through enlightenment and effort, create their own.
Of course, self-created soul skills were anything but easy. They couldn't be achieved overnight.
But Yan believed that by combining his fire and earth attributes, he could uncover new possibilities.
Even if he couldn't perfect a new soul skill right away, he could still refine his techniques—developing his own offensive methods beyond what his soul rings granted him.
For the next several days, Yan devoted himself fully to his experiments.
He attempted to merge the elements of fire and earth in perfect harmony, seeking to amplify their combined power.
Through endless trials and refinement, he finally made a breakthrough.
That day, focusing his spirit power, Yan tried once more to manipulate both fire and earth simultaneously.
As his soul power surged, the air around him grew scorching hot, and the ground beneath began to tremble slightly.
Moments later, a surge of flame erupted from his palm.
At the same time, sand and gravel from the ground rose up, drawn into the swirling fire.
In the blink of an eye, a vortex of blazing flames and sand materialized around him—forming a dome that sealed off the entire area.
This was his newly created killing technique—
Blazing Sand Prison!
If it were pure flame alone, it wouldn't be enough to restrain an opponent.
But by merging in the power of earth, the prison gained both offensive and defensive capabilities—an embodiment of attack and defense in one.
The technique could not only trap an enemy but also inflict continuous burning damage.
Even more impressively, the Blazing Sand Prison could expand or contract in size according to Yan's will and the output of his soul power.
When compressed, the searing flames would devour the surrounding oxygen—leaving those trapped within to suffocate if they couldn't break free in time.
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