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**
Simultaneously, Ling Xiao swung his right arm, bringing the Profound Sky Axe to his side. As he drove his Martial Soul and activated his first soul ring, a yellow ring emerged from his body.
The Profound Sky Axe suddenly radiated an intense aura of sharpness; the black-red soul power glow flared up, and a brilliant golden light manifested along the axe's edge.
In an instant, the golden light surged, condensing into a massive golden blade-edge radiance atop the axe. However, Ling Xiao was not simply performing his first soul skill.
After the golden blade-radiance condensed, it did not merge with the power of the Profound Sky Axe to complete the standard form of his first soul skill, Metal Revolution.
Instead, it dissolved directly into the blade of the axe.
Immediately, the originally silver-white edge of the Profound Sky Axe erupted with a dazzling, eye-searing golden light, its sharpness increasing many times over. This was Ling Xiao's specialized application of his first soul ring's power.
Instead of triggering the soul ring power to automatically combine with his Martial Soul Origin to generate a projectile attack, he fused the soul ring power directly into the axe.
He utilized the bloodline power of the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear contained within the ring to enhance the sharpness of the blade. Rather than using it as a direct attack skill, it became a form of "Sharp Gold Power."
The reason he didn't use the soul skill directly was that he knew Yan's current attack was backed by the powerful flame amplification of his third soul skill, Hellfire, combined with his self-created soul skill, Hell Lava Blast.
Even though the Vajra Barrier had worn down most of its power, his first soul skill, Metal Revolution, alone would be unable to stop it.
Though Metal Revolution originated from a creature as formidable as the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, it was ultimately just a first soul skill.
As a soul ring skill, it possessed an inherent flaw: it was limited by the soul ring's power capacity. The stronger the soul ring, the higher the limit of Martial Soul Origin it could integrate; conversely, the weaker the ring, the lower the ceiling.
Having already ascended to the rank of a three-ring Soul Elder, Ling Xiao's first soul ring could no longer fully utilize the Martial Soul Origin power he now commanded.
For him, it was starting to fall behind.
This was precisely why, for high-level soul master, soul skills from rings below the ten-thousand-year level often became unnecessary.
Through the understanding and mastery of their own Martial Soul Origin—gained from studying soul ring skills—they could execute self-created soul skills.
These self-created skills, even without the augmentation of a soul ring, could exceed the power of sub-ten-thousand-year ring skills. This once again demonstrated the role of soul rings as a learning reference for soul masters.
Yan's attack grew increasingly violent, and the Vajra Barrier teetered on the brink of collapse. Seeing it about to be breached, Ling Xiao pulled back his left palm and thrust it forward again.
With a final surge of strength, the Vajra Barrier expanded momentarily, grinding away a portion of Yan's attack before shattering with a thunderous bang.
As the golden light dissipated and the barrier broke, the giant tree phantom vanished as well.
Seeing the Hell Lava Blast falling toward him, Ling Xiao let out a great roar, ignited his Martial Soul Origin, and swung the Profound Sky Axe, which was radiating an intense soul power light.
"Profound Sky Slash!"
As the words fell, the Profound Sky Axe erupted in brilliance.
A massive black-red axe-radiance, interlaced with intense golden light, bloomed from the blade. It was similar in shape to the half-moon crescents he had swung before, but it was several times larger.
This gargantuan axe-radiance spanned over twenty meters across the sky.
Not only was it incredibly condensed, but it was also incomparably domineering, as if it intended to tear through the void itself. It was filled with a fierce, destructive aura. In terms of power, momentum, and concentrated sharpness, it far surpassed anything he had shown before.
This Profound Sky Slash was the first soul skill Ling Xiao had created under Mu Chen's tutelage, based on his own control over the Profound Sky Axe's origin and referenced from his first soul skill, Metal Revolution.
It did not borrow a single shred of soul ring power; it was executed entirely through his own mastery of his Martial Soul. It was the first landmark achievement of Ling Xiao's mastery over the Profound Sky Axe.
As a self-created soul skill, it differed from soul ring skills in that it could unleash the true power of the Profound Sky Axe.
Furthermore, as Ling Xiao's cultivation increased and his comprehension of his Martial Soul deepened, the method of circulating the skill would continue to be refined, and its power would grow even more profound and mysterious.
Moreover, when Profound Sky Slash was first conceived, it wasn't designed purely for destructive power like Yan's Hell Lava Blast. While pursuing great might, it also aimed for flexibility.0
It was perfectly adapted to the Profound Sky Axe, allowing Ling Xiao to expand his offensive methods based on different levels of usage without being restricted by a set number of soul ring skills.
The axe-radiances Ling Xiao had fired previously were merely simplified applications of the Profound Sky Slash. Now that Ling Xiao was using it with his full power, its might was on an entirely different level.
In a flash, that staggering, massive axe-radiance sliced toward the descending lava pillar. The two powerful attacks collided with a deafening "Boom," sounding like a high-yield bomb exploding in mid-air, echoing throughout the entire competitive zone.
Had it not been for a powerful force acting upon the void—locking the vast space of the competitive zone into an independent region that allowed entry but prevented sound from escaping—this massive noise would have likely woken half the people in the Spirit Hall Academy.
The Profound Sky Slash was fierce and overbearing.
Clashing with the equally explosive and rigid Hell Lava Blast, the two forces refused to yield. Finally, the giant pillar of fire was sliced open by the Profound Sky Slash.
The torrent of lava was split in two, and the lava body resembling the Flame Lord was also cut through, eventually erupting into a massive ball of fire in the sky.
It was as if a rain of fire had begun to fall.
A dark-red figure plummeted from the sky like a meteorite, wreathed in scorching flames. He hit the ground with a booming thud, shattering a large area of the floor and sending cracks spider-webbing outward.
It was Yan, still in his Martial Soul Possession state.
However, Yan's possessed body was now severely injured.
A long, narrow, and deep axe mark was clearly visible across his chest—the result of being struck by the residual power of the Profound Sky Slash in the air.
Not only was the rocky defense from his second soul skill, Rock Body, completely shattered, but the Flame Lord Martial Soul itself had suffered significant damage.
Although the Martial Soul body wasn't entirely cleaved through, there is an extremely close connection between a soul master and their Martial Soul.
During Martial Soul Possession, the Martial Soul is not merely a piece of external armor; it is fused with the soul master, and the master's physical strength is one with the Martial Soul.
Therefore, if the Martial Soul is only lightly damaged, the soul master feels no pain and suffers no injury.
But once the Martial Soul is significantly harmed, even if the soul master's physical body shows no obvious wounds, they will feel the agonizing pain of the Martial Soul being struck and may even suffer internal injuries.
Yan was in exactly this state.
If a Martial Soul were to be heavily traumatized, it would be considered a total breach of the Martial Soul's defense.
At that point, the soul master would manifest clear physical wounds, and if the Martial Soul were repeatedly struck with heavy blows, they could even be forcibly knocked out of the Martial Soul Possession state.
Suddenly, a figure shot forward amidst the scattering sparks: it was Ling Xiao. Having broken the Hell Lava Blast, Ling Xiao seized the initiative. Using Explosive Steps, he charged directly toward the spot where Yan had landed.
His entire body's soul power surged violently, and the edge of the Profound Sky Axe emitted a faint golden glow. Having activated his Sharp Gold Power once again, Ling Xiao closed the distance and unleashed a flurry of axe strikes.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Seeing Ling Xiao's sudden assault, Yan's heart jolted. He drove his Martial Soul and, relying on the defensive power of his second soul skill, Rock Body, used his fists to intercept the axe, meeting the onslaught head-on.
As the two clashed, there was no dodging—only pure, frontal aggression. Violent collision sounds erupted continuously. Consequently, Yan's chest, fists, and arms were soon covered in axe marks.
After a dozen exchanges, Yan gradually fell into a disadvantage, finding it increasingly difficult to parry Ling Xiao's attacks. In the midst of the continuous strikes, Ling Xiao suddenly slammed his axe into Yan's chest.
The Profound Sky Axe already possessed immense attack power, and with the addition of the Sharp Gold Power, its lethality was unmatched.
Yan's Martial Soul was already heavily damaged at the chest, and that long, terrifying axe mark had severely compromised his defense.
As Ling Xiao's axe struck home, a violent explosion rang out.
The lava cracked, fire sparked everywhere, and a large amount of energy-materialized debris glowing with dark-red light scattered across the field.
Yan's Martial Soul took another heavy blow; this time, the defense was nearly completely breached, leaving a significant wound on Yan's actual body.
**
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I have 100+ advanced chapter now on Patreon. I will post 5 advanced chapter on Patreon everyday except Sunday