Chapter 41: 41. Development of Soul Technique and Martial Soul
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Quan Yi discovered that the Seal of Rhinoceros possessed both detection and offensive capabilities.
Once this mark was engraved, he could sense the target's location through it. Depending on the situation, he could choose to detonate the mark or leave it intact.
As the first recorded soul skill of its kind in over 500 years, the ability of the Seal of Rhinoceros far exceeded Quan Yi's expectations.
Judging by the quality of the soul beast and its cultivation years alone, his first soul skill was comparable to the second soul skill of many soul masters.
Both its power and functionality were astonishing.
This was Quan Yi's latest discovery regarding his own abilities.
He picked up another "grenade," his expression growing solemn.
Channeling soul power into his hands, he reinforced his grip, significantly enhancing both strength and defense.
Then, he held the stone in his left hand and tightly sealed his left palm with his right, forming a makeshift barrel.
At that moment, his left hand became the barrel of a gun, while the stone was the bullet. One end of the "gun barrel" was sealed by his right hand, while the "muzzle" at the other end pointed forward.
Quan Yi took a deep breath, focusing all his attention.
"Fire!"
Boom!
He decisively detonated the stone in his hand.
The explosion at such close range produced a deafening roar.
Shattered stone fragments erupted from Quan Yi's "muzzle" like a shotgun blast, instantly covering the space in front of him.
The sheer force of the explosion nearly tore his hands apart. However, having anticipated this, Quan Yi used his formidable grip to maintain form.
Even so, the powerful recoil almost knocked him backward.
Fortunately, with Gang and Sun Gauntlets providing double protection, he avoided severe injury. Otherwise, he felt this technique would be nothing short of a suicidal move—one that harmed the enemy by a hundred but injured himself by ninety.
Yet, the results were promising.
Though the effective range was limited, the impact was undeniable.
He observed the aftermath—fragments of stone embedded deep into the ground before him.
Success!
Joy filled Quan Yi's heart.
This was yet another application of his first soul ability.
"Seal of Rhinoceros, Variant—Shotgun Mode."
A controlled explosion that launched stone fragments as deadly projectiles.
"The attack range is wide, but the distance is short. If I replace the stones with iron balls, the lethality will increase significantly."
He analyzed the pros and cons of Shotgun Mode and devised an improvement strategy.
If he swapped stone for iron, the mode could be further developed.
Iron was denser and harder than stone. With the same volume, iron ball fragments would be much heavier and exponentially more lethal.
"Looks like I need to stock up on iron balls."
Quan Yi flexed his fingers, easing the tension in his hands.
The lingering numbness and slight tremors were caused by the concussive force of the explosion. Though his gauntlets provided protection, they couldn't completely absorb the impact.
"This technique isn't suited for consecutive use. The backlash leaves me momentarily stiff. At my current level, I can only use it as a trump card."
His strength wasn't yet sufficient to wield Shotgun Mode freely.
Even so, he had successfully tested its feasibility, and the realization filled him with excitement.
After a brief rest, his arms and hands had recovered enough. Not one to waste resources, he turned his attention to honing his accuracy.
Placing a stone engraved with the Seal of Rhinoceros 30 meters away, he used it as a target—practicing his throwing technique.
Quan Yi found that his aim was quite accurate. Thanks to the flexibility and stability of his hands, he had a natural advantage when it came to throwing.
After a few practice throws, he closed his eyes and relied entirely on his sense of the Seal of Rhinoceros to guide his aim.
To his surprise, the results were even better than expected.
Since each thrown stone carried a mark, Quan Yi could track their trajectory in his mind. Using this ability, he repeatedly adjusted his throwing angle, refining his aim with every attempt.
Before long, his accuracy had reached nearly ninety percent.
Quan Yi soon became completely immersed in the thrill of hitting his target with pinpoint precision.
Switching between hands, he continued honing his throwing skills. With his innate ability to multitask, he naturally made the most of it.
The traits granted by his Martial Soul, the Sun Gauntlets, also played a significant role in his training.
His Martial Soul enhanced his hands in all aspects—strength, flexibility, and stability—traits highly coveted by archers and expert throwers alike.
As time passed, Quan Yi gradually deepened his understanding of his Martial Soul's characteristics and potential.
He decided to incorporate throwing practice and the development of his soul skills into his daily training regimen.
It just so happened that he had some free time in the afternoon—perfect for practicing these techniques.
At this point, his entire day was almost fully scheduled with training, leaving little room for anything else.
Yet, far from feeling exhausted or bored, Quan Yi relished it.
This was the extraordinary world he had dreamed of in his previous life—the world of powerful soul skills and exhilarating battles.
But in this world, only strength could determine one's fate. If he wanted to truly experience all its wonders, he had to grow stronger.
Having finally been reborn into this world, he had no intention of wasting a single moment.
Quan Yi practiced throwing for an hour—thirty minutes per hand—and his results were exceptional.
However, instead of continuing, he chose to stop.
Quan Yi was rational.
Both Shotgun Mode and his throwing technique relied on external objects. While they enriched his arsenal, they were branches, not the trunk of his strength. He wouldn't dedicate too much time to them.
What he truly needed was to strengthen the foundation.
He had to develop long-range attack methods that did not rely on external aids.
Moreover, after his battle with Teacher Bai Yan, he had gained valuable insights.
Raising his right hand, palm facing upward, he circulated his soul power into his Martial Soul.
The red patterns on his Sun Gauntlets gradually brightened, and moments later, flames ignited in his palm.
Due to his Fire Immunity trait, he still couldn't feel the flame's heat.
Under his control, the flames shifted and morphed at will.
With his increasing soul power and the enhancement from his soul ring, the intensity of his flames had far surpassed their original state.
Quan Yi stared at the flickering fireball and nodded in satisfaction.
His flames were stronger—both in power and control.
To further test his ability, he suddenly increased the output of his soul power.
The palm-sized flame swelled, expanding into a fireball the size of a basketball.
His eyes sharpened as he gradually compressed the fireball, shrinking it back to its original size.
But now, its brightness and temperature had drastically increased.
Moreover, the fireball had become denser—no longer a simple mass of flames but something more solid and cohesive.
Quan Yi had successfully condensed a large fireball into a more compact and potent form.
Slowly raising his right hand, palm facing the sky, he launched it.
"Flame Bullet!"
The blazing fireball shot forward at high speed.
Boom!
Upon impact, it exploded in the sky, scattering flames like a burst of fireworks.