Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

"What terrifying Martial Soul fluctuations."

"The Undying Firebird truly lives up to its name. One swipe of that claw is enough to slice through metal and shatter stone. There’s no way the Black Shining Vine Martial Soul is strong enough to withstand it."

"That Xuan Ye actually proposed this wager? Isn’t he just asking for death?"

An uproar erupted from the crowd. Countless gazes were fixed on the Undying Firebird Martial Soul as it spread its wings to attack, and gasps of amazement rang out one after another.

As the Undying Firebird lunged forward, an intense fiery presence permeated the air, instantly raising the temperature in the immediate vicinity by several hundred degrees. It unleashed a terrifying Martial Soul aura, an energy so potent that even many powerful experts felt a sense of suppression.

Everyone could already perfectly picture the outcome of the Undying Firebird Martial Soul’s attack. The Black Shining Vine Martial Soul would surely be snapped and shattered, reduced to dust.

On the street, Ye Xuan remained expressionless. The moment Rongyang activated the Undying Firebird Martial Soul, he also infused a trace of Soul Power into the Black Shining Vine Martial Soul. In an instant, the originally two-meter-long Martial Soul rapidly expanded, transforming into a seven or eight-meter-long vine, like a giant python, that whipped viciously toward the Undying Firebird’s body.

"Hmph, a mere Black Shining Vine Martial Soul, and you think you can hit my Undying Firebird Martial Soul?"

Rongyang let out a cold laugh. With a slight flicker of his Soul Sense, the Undying Firebird immediately did a nimble turn in the air, dodging the Black Shining Vine’s attack, and viciously thrust its sharp right claw into the thick Black Shining Vine Martial Soul.

THWACK!

A dull sound like bursting leather rang out. The Undying Firebird’s claws immediately dug into the Black Shining Vine’s thick stem. But shockingly, its claws only penetrated a few inches before meeting immense resistance, unable to advance further.

"Oh?" Rongyang exclaimed in surprise. "To think your Black Shining Vine can withstand the claws of my Undying Firebird. It seems you’ve at least doubled its strength through your refining process. How interesting."

The Undying Firebird was a peak Tier Eight Profound Beast. A normal Black Shining Vine could never withstand its claws. But the Martial Soul refined from it was now doing just that. This was clear proof that Ye Xuan had enhanced the Black Shining Vine Martial Soul’s strength through his refining.

But Rongyang remained disdainful. Using his Soul Sense, he quickly issued a command to the Undying Firebird Martial Soul.

WHOOSH!

The Undying Firebird’s entire body erupted in scorching flames. It opened its sharp beak, and a crimson flame, tinged with a faint, ethereal milky-white, shot out toward the Black Shining Vine Martial Soul.

"The Undying True Flame."

The crowd cried out in alarm.

The Undying Firebird possessed a portion of the Fire God Phoenix’s bloodline. The legendary phoenix possessed the supreme Phoenix True Flame, and similarly, the Undying Firebird could also spit out a unique flame. This flame’s temperature was extremely high, capable of melting metal and stone, and could even be used to kill enemies of a higher tier. It was called the Undying True Flame.

In other words, the Undying Firebird’s Undying True Flame could even harm a Tier Nine Emperor Level Profound Beast. The Black Shining Vine was merely a Tier Eight plant-type Profound Beast; it had no way of withstanding such a terrifying flame.

CRACKLE!

Sure enough, when the Undying Firebird’s Undying True Flame landed on the Black Shining Vine, it was like fire hitting gasoline. It rapidly began to burn on the Black Shining Vine’s trunk and instantly spread to all its vines.

The originally dark and glossy Black Shining Vine instantly became a vine of fire, burning fiercely.

"Haha, it’s just a paltry Black Shining Vine. No matter how strong the vine is, it’s nothing but trash before the Undying Firebird’s Undying True Flame."

Rongyang laughed heartily. While controlling the Undying Firebird to spew the Undying True Flame, he also had its Martial Soul claws stab viciously into the Black Shining Vine’s stem, riddling it with countless small cuts.

"Kid, you thought you could compete with me using a Martial Soul like this? That’s hilarious." Rongyang’s face was a mask of ridicule.

"What a terrifying Undying Firebird Martial Soul! That Xuan Ye’s Black Shining Vine Martial Soul is a bit plain, but it was still refined from a Tier Eight Soul Crystal. Its Martial Soul aura is extremely dense and high-quality, yet under the Undying Firebird Martial Soul’s assault, it doesn’t even have the power to resist."

The crowd exclaimed, their eyes shining.

Yu Chi Bugong and Xiao Wuji’s eyes narrowed, their desire for the Undying Firebird Martial Soul growing even more intense.

A Martial Soul’s effect on a Martial Artist was immense. If a powerful expert could possess a Martial Soul like the Undying Firebird, and also cultivate a powerful Fire Element Cultivation Technique, the combined strength would absolutely not be as simple as one plus one equals two.

In that moment, the hearts of many in the crowd were stirred with desire.

In front of the Profound Light Pavilion, Su Xiuyi and the others clenched their fists, a bitter look on their faces.

’It looks like Young Master Ye is about to lose.’ The thought that the Profound Light Pavilion, which they had built with so much hard work, effort, and expense, would be handed over to someone else in the blink of an eye, made their hearts ache with sorrow.

Moreover, once Ye Xuan failed, the conspiracy that the Profound Light Pavilion had killed Zhen Li of the Ancient Pill Tower would be proven true. Not only would they lose the Profound Light Pavilion, but their very lives would be in grave danger.

Amidst everyone’s pessimistic gazes, Ye Xuan remained expressionless, but a cold smile played on his lips. "Aren’t you celebrating a little too early?"

No sooner had he spoken.

WHOOSH!

The Black Shining Vine, now a flaming tendril, suddenly twisted. Like a viper striking, it moved too fast for anyone to react, binding the Undying Firebird Martial Soul in a flash.

The thick Black Shining Vine Martial Soul, like a giant python, twisted and tightened frantically, constricting the rampaging, arrogant Undying Firebird.

"What?"

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone.

"How can this be?"

Rongyang was even more shocked. His eyes focused on the Black Shining Vine, and he was horrified to discover that although the Undying True Flame had been burning it for some time, apart from a carbonized outer layer of skin, its core stem was completely undamaged.

"This is impossible..."

He immediately cried out in disbelief. The Black Shining Vine Martial Soul was a plant-type, belonging to the wood attribute. In the five elements, wood feeds fire. While Soul Refiners could indeed use various methods to increase the strength and hardness of plant-type Martial Souls, their fundamental attributes could not be changed.

Moreover, the Undying Firebird’s tier was higher than the Black Shining Vine’s to begin with. Logically, under the blaze of the Undying True Flame, Ye Xuan’s Black Shining Vine Martial Soul should have been reduced to ashes in moments. But now...

Sensing the immense Martial Soul aura pulsing from the Black Shining Vine, Rongyang felt his mind reel.

In the center of the street, the Black Shining Vine Martial Soul displayed its might. Like a writhing viper, it wrapped itself tightly around the Undying Firebird, continuously constricting it, causing it to let out painful cries.

"’Not good.’ Rongyang sensed a powerful wave of fear from his Undying Firebird Martial Soul. He hurriedly infused a stream of Soul Power into it. At the same time, his hands formed a Hand Skill, and his formidable Seventh Grade Soul Power transformed into one Soul Talisman after another, surging into the Undying Firebird’s body like a storm. ’Break free!’"

KREEE!

The Undying Firebird let out a sonorous, metallic cry, its body surging with fiery light. The searing power of its flames burned a large hole in the stone-paved street and even forced some of the lower-level Martial Artists nearby to retreat in disarray, unable to bear the heat.

Twisting violently, the Undying Firebird began to slowly pry open the Black Shining Vine’s restraints.

"Soul Skills? You think you’re the only one who knows them?"

Ye Xuan scoffed. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as his hands blurred into a series of Hand Skills, channeling streams of Soul Power into the Black Shining Vine Martial Soul.

"Stop struggling. Black Shining Vine, absorb!"

Ye Xuan spoke lightly. The vine, twisting like a water snake, wrapped even tighter around the Undying Firebird. At the same time, sharp black thorns suddenly shot out from the Black Shining Vine’s stem, stabbing madly into the Undying Firebird’s body.

A series of shrill cries rang out. The Undying Firebird struggled in agony, its body pierced by countless tiny holes. The Martial Soul power within it began to flow out like a stream, absorbed by the Black Shining Vine.

This was the Black Shining Vine’s most troublesome attribute: devouring.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Undying Firebird Martial Soul, which had just been radiating an astonishing aura and wreathed in flames, began to dim rapidly. Its cries turned sorrowful, a clear sign that its Martial Soul power was being drained away.

The entire audience was stunned by this scene.

"The Black Shining Vine is actually absorbing the Fire Attribute power from the Undying Firebird... Am I seeing things?"

"Are you kidding me? The Black Shining Vine is a Wood Attribute Martial Soul, and the Undying Firebird is a Fire Attribute Martial Soul. How can the Black Shining Vine withstand such a scorching Flame Attribute Martial Soul aura from within the Undying Firebird?"

"What in the world is happening?"

After a long moment, everyone erupted into shocked discussion. The clamor, like a pot boiling over, echoed wildly through the streets.

Rongyang’s face was frozen in a dumbstruck expression. He muttered, "That’s not a Black Shining Vine. How can a Black Shining Vine absorb Fire Attribute Soul Power? Flame Attribute Soul Power should have incinerated its very structure!"

The Black Shining Vine did indeed have the ability to absorb Profound Essence from a Martial Artist’s body, a trait that was retained after it was refined into a Martial Soul. But it depended on the target.

The Undying Firebird’s Flame Attribute Soul Power was so terrifying; Rongyang couldn’t believe that a mere Black Shining Vine could absorb it unscathed.

"Heh." Ye Xuan gave a cold smile. "Fire Attribute, Wood Attribute... are they really that important? The foundation of a Martial Soul’s power isn’t its attribute, but the most primordial Soul Power. This is something every Soul Refiner should understand from their very first lesson. Since the ultimate source is Soul Power, why can’t my Black Shining Vine absorb the Undying Firebird’s Martial Soul power?"

At this point, the smile on Ye Xuan’s face faded, replaced by a chilling aura. He said coldly, "Master Rongyang, you call yourself a Seventh Grade Soul Refiner, yet you don’t even understand such a basic principle. And you still dare to run around swindling people and framing my Profound Light Pavilion? Master Rongyang, now that I’ve exposed you as a fraud, you just wait to be sanctioned."

"You’re spouting fucking bullshit!"

Rongyang was so angry he just spat out a curse.

The principle Ye Xuan spoke of was so basic, how could he not understand it? But there’s a difference between theory and reality—everything has its limits.