44. Combination Soul Skills

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Bai Yan looked at Quan Yi with a smile. "Quan Yi, please explain. Let's hear your thoughts."

Quan Yi collected his thoughts before speaking. "Xiao Huo, don't forget one crucial detail—the level difference between you and Teacher Bai Yan."

"Even though Teacher Bai Yan has suppressed her soul power, she is still seven levels higher than you."

"Yet despite this, the battle ended in a draw. No—if your soul power were to reach level 20, your first soul skill would completely overwhelm Teacher Bai Yan's first soul skill."

Huo Wu's eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. Yes, that was it. Quan Yi's words had struck a chord within her.

Bai Yan nodded approvingly. "Very good. You observed closely. Anything else?"

She was quite satisfied with Quan Yi's sharp analysis. Seeing such intelligence filled him with joy, and she wanted to continue testing his students.

"Yes," Quan Yi continued. "The teacher's first soul skill actually limits her speed advantage as an agility-type soul master."

"Because the attack requires flapping his wings, the teacher inevitably slows down while airborne. Additionally, Flame Feather Strike's attack itself isn't particularly fast, meaning it poses little threat to soul masters of the same level."

"To summarize, Flame Feather Strike's attack lacks both speed and power, and it even restricts the user's movements."

Huo Wu was astonished by how much Quan Yi could deduce from a single battle.

Even Bai Yan was genuinely surprised by his analysis. Is this boy really only six years old?

Bai Yan scrutinized Quan Yi carefully. The child was nearly catching up to her in height, and for the first time, she felt a trace of doubt in her heart.

"Yes, your analysis is accurate," Bai Yan admitted. "Flame Feather Strike's attack is practically useless to me. To put it bluntly, it's more of a burden than an asset."

Quan Yi and Huo Wu could clearly sense Bai Yan's dissatisfaction with his own soul skill.

"To conclude," Bai Yan continued, "this soul skill leans more toward an attack-type ability rather than an agility-type one. However, my Martial Soul isn't particularly strong in terms of physical strength or flame intensity, so I can't fully utilize it."

Bai Yan's gaze lingered on Quan Yi as he spoke. "That's why I emphasized focusing on our strengths earlier. When choosing soul rings, trying to compensate for weaknesses is often an inefficient approach."

"I hope you both avoid making the same mistake I did."

Her words carried a heartfelt sincerity—an earnest warning to his students.

"Understood, teacher."

Both Quan Yi and Huo Wu felt Bai Yan's good intentions, deepening their respect and connection with him.

What Bai Yan referred to as "promotion" wasn't about diversifying techniques but about the strategic selection of soul rings. Quan Yi fully agreed with this philosophy.

However, he had an advantage that others did not—his Martial Soul inherently granted him exceptional fire control.

With this ability, he could manipulate flames freely without needing a supplementary soul ring, allowing him to refine his techniques while staying true to his strengths.

As his understanding of his Martial Soul deepened, he also gained greater insight into the power of his Sun Gauntlets.

"Alright, that concludes our pre-battle discussion. Just like yesterday, I'll give you fifteen minutes to strategize."

With that, Bai Yan lit a stick of incense and closed her eyes to rest.

This time, Huo Wu reacted immediately. She grabbed Quan Yi's hand and sprinted away.

Her eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. Yesterday's battle had clearly boosted her confidence.

However, a trace of concern flickered across her face.

"What should we do? After yesterday's fight, the teacher will definitely be on guard against our long-range attacks. If we rely on the same strategy, we'll be at a disadvantage."

Their previous tactic had worked due to the element of surprise. Now that Teacher Bai Yan was aware of their strengths, it would be much harder to gain the upper hand.

Huo Wu knew very well that she was the weak link. If their teacher kited her and drained her soul power, she would inevitably be defeated.

However, Quan Yi suddenly revealed a mysterious smile.

"No, the teacher will only focus on guarding against your long-range attacks." He pointed at Huo Wu with a sly grin, his tone carrying a hint of mischief.

"Me?" Huo Wu looked at his fingertip, puzzled.

Quan Yi leaned in close, whispering his plan into her ear.

Time passed swiftly.

As the incense burned out, Bai Yan slowly opened his eyes.

Quan Yi and Huo Wu remained in formation—one positioned behind the other. However, this time, both of them had stones wrapped around their hands and waists.

"Hmm… Bringing your own weapons. A smart choice." Bai Yan observed them with an expressionless face, but inwardly, she appreciated their ingenuity.

This was Quan Yi's strategy—since their previous hidden tricks had already been exposed, they would now use them openly, turning secrecy into intimidation.

Not only would this make their projectile attacks easier to execute, but it would also serve as a psychological deterrent.

Bai Yan lit another stick of incense.

"I declare the battle officially begun."

Without hesitation, Bai Yan activated her Martial Soul. Her figure instantly grew several centimeters taller as she was enveloped in white flames.

This time, she didn't waste time testing the waters—she soared straight into the sky, heading directly for Huo Wu.

At the same time, Huo Wu and Quan Yi summoned their Martial Souls, bursts of dazzling light radiating from them.

Quan Yi remained on high alert, guarding against ground attacks and positioning himself in front of Huo Wu.

Meanwhile, Huo Wu appeared calm, as if she had anticipated Bai Yan's approach.

She raised her right hand, gripping a stone, and aimed it at Bai Yan, who was blazing through the sky.

However, Bai Yan merely observed her without concern.

She had already seen Huo Wu's "egg within an egg" technique—an explosive attack that extended its range through a second detonation.

But forewarned was forearmed. With Bai Yan's speed, she could easily evade the explosion radius before it triggered.

Moreover, she had also noticed a flaw in this technique.

"Flame Feather Strike!"

Bai Yan struck first, launching six crimson arrows that rained down toward Huo Wu.

"Flame Bullet!"

A burst of fire shot forth, the stone-wrapped projectile hurtling toward the falling arrows.

The moment the two collided, a deafening explosion echoed through the air.

The six flaming arrows were instantly consumed by the blast.

Even from above, Bai Yan could feel the violent tremors rippling through the air against her skin. The sheer force of the explosion was shocking.

The power of this blast is far beyond that of Flame Bullet.

At the perfect moment, Quan Yi detonated the Seal of Rhinoceros. The combination of the Flame Bullet and the Seal of Rhinoceros's explosion amplified the power several times over.

The intense heat of the Flame Bullet fused with the explosive force of the Seal of Rhinoceros, creating a rudimentary yet effective combination soul skill.

Yet instead of feeling threatened, Bai Yan felt an odd sense of relief.

"So… this is your limit." Her voice carried through the air.

She had already seen the fatal flaw in their strategy—instability.

Executing a two-stage soul skill required exceptional control. However, flames were inherently unstable. If the Flame Bullet was interfered with mid-air, it would fail to reach its intended target.

With this in mind, Bai Yan knew she only needed to continue attacking with Flame Feather Strike, gradually wearing down both Quan Yi and Huo Wu's soul power.

Despite its impressive power, their combined soul skill posed no real threat to her.