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Looking at his martial soul, which finally resembled an actual brush, Xu Yuan couldn't help but smile.
Finally, it looks like a proper brush.
Xu Yuan could sense that using the Heaven Origin Brush to perform spear techniques now resulted in at least half the power being lost.
In fact, it might not even reach one-third of its original strength.
The essence of its spear form was completely gone.
Utterly gone.
Even though its appearance could be mimicked and shaped into a spear-like form for thrusting attacks, without the inherent properties of a spear, no matter how much imitation was done, it would never truly be a spear.
Take the Seven-Treasure Glazed Pagoda martial soul, for example. While it might appear capable of functioning as a defensive martial soul, a power-type martial soul, or even a control-type martial soul, in reality, due to limitations in its soul skills, it only possessed the base strength of its original form.
Power-type?
Using the Seven-Treasure Glazed Pagoda as a blunt weapon would deal no additional damage—far less effective than pre-storing a large boulder in a storage-type soul tool and throwing it during battle.
Defense?
Using the Seven-Treasure Glazed Pagoda for defense offered no mechanisms to negate incoming attacks, leaving the soul master vulnerable to recoil. It was far better to hide inside a mecha.
As for control, such abilities were built upon the foundation of attack and defense. Without those attributes, it couldn't function as a control-type martial soul.
Of course, if by some stroke of luck it underwent a mutation and gained the appropriate characteristics, the mutated Seven-Treasure Glazed Pagoda might have a chance to fulfill those roles.
Holding the Heaven Origin Brush, Xu Yuan unexpectedly exuded a scholarly aura.
Perhaps it was the influence of the life force, or perhaps it was the inherent temperament of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo. Either way, he no longer looked like a power-type soul master wielding a spear martial soul. Instead, he appeared more like a refined gentleman—elegant and unmatched.
With a sweep of the Heaven Origin Brush, space itself became his canvas, and ambient energy gathered at its tip.
"Without even needing to channel my own soul power, I can manipulate the ambient energy of heaven and earth." Xu Yuan was quite pleased with this development.
This meant that aside from the soul power required to activate it, the true energy-based attacks unleashed by the Heaven Origin Brush were formed entirely from the ambient energy of heaven and earth.
It allowed for greater endurance.
Of course, this was only the effect of manipulating elemental forces.
"Third soul skill, Manifestation!"
Xu Yuan sketched a figure in midair, bringing it to life with vivid detail. A surge of concentrated life energy infused it, making it even more vibrant.
Space rippled as a scroll revealed itself—the paper spirit soul naturally integrated into the surrounding space when Xu Yuan began drawing.
The scroll unfolded, revealing the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear within. It exuded an indescribable pressure, followed by a realistic roar that echoed through the air.
The Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear within the scroll became three-dimensional. The ambient energy of heaven and earth merged with Xu Yuan's soul power, shaping its form.
Xu Yuan stepped forward and pinched various parts of the bear's body, assessing it.
"There's still a gap compared to the real Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear. It must be due to my imperfect sketching and insufficient infusion of soul power and ambient energy. Still, there's room for improvement."
However, even with the gap, it wasn't particularly large.
At the very least, Xu Yuan could confidently say that the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear he had drawn surpassed the capabilities of Yang Nianxia's Dark Golden Bear in class.
Moreover, thanks to the infusion of life energy, this Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear could sustain itself without Xu Yuan remaining in the Heaven Origin Brush martial soul state.
This meant that at the start of a battle, Xu Yuan could use the Heaven Origin Brush to draw several assistants, then switch to the Heaven Origin Five Elements Spear martial soul and fight alongside the creations.
"Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I drew myself?"
Xu Yuan thought about it and realized it would overlap with the Phantom Beast's Phantom Clone ability.
However, the overlap was only superficial. Xu Yuan himself hadn't actually acquired that soul skill.
The fourth soul skill granted by the Phantom Beast to his brain martial soul was a super-enhanced auxiliary ability that stimulated brain potential and comprehensively boosted brain functions.
If the third soul skill of the Heaven Origin Brush, Manifestation, could create a physical clone of himself and he used his multitasking ability to control it, it would essentially replicate the Phantom Beast's Phantom Clone soul skill for free.
"But it's still too troublesome. My strongest burst technique is still spear techniques, where my essence, energy, and spirit are perfectly fused. Wasting energy controlling a clone wouldn't be conducive to battle."
"So, I can draw bodies for Huan Xing and create multiple clones for him to control."
"Huan Xing, you're in luck."
Xu Yuan entered his dream space and addressed Huan Xing, who was practicing the Five Elements Divine Light Shield: "Huan Xing, stop practicing. The Five Elements Divine Light Shield isn't suitable for you to practice right now."
Huan Xing's previously numb gaze instantly brightened.
"You won't need to practice in the dream space anymore."
Not only did his eyes light up, but Huan Xing's entire spirit soul perked up, brimming with vitality.
"From now on, in the real world, you'll assist me with the Manifestation soul skill of the Heaven Origin Brush. We'll experiment with controlling powerful soul beasts."
Xu Yuan didn't intend to manifest the Phantom Beast itself for Huan Xing to control.
Instead, he planned to draw powerful soul beasts like the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear and other similar entities, then have Huan Xing control them in battle.
Even with the infusion of life energy, making the manifested drawings more dynamic, they would still be better controlled by Huan Xing.
"I'll try to gather five types of soul beasts with the five elements attributes for you. Once you've adapted to controlling these five soul beasts, we'll use them to practice the Five Elements Divine Light Shield and other self-created soul skills I've envisioned."
Huan Xing's gaze went blank.
He stared at the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear in the direction Xu Yuan pointed to, and his entire spirit soul deflated.
You want me to cross-species and control other soul beasts?
I'm doomed. I'll never be the same again.
"What you master, I master, and what I master, you master. With our spiritual link, experience sharing will be convenient. The main reason you haven't mastered the Divine Light Shield before is that I hadn't fully developed it yet, and you lack the ability to manipulate the five elements." Xu Yuan patted Huan Xing on the shoulder.
In his spirit soul form, Huan Xing wasn't particularly tall, shrinking to only half of Xu Yuan's height.
"The torment isn't from the sheer volume of tasks and training—it's from seeing no progress."
Xu Yuan earnestly instructed Huan Xing.
"In truth, mastering something new that you haven't before isn't inherently fascinating?"
"Yao Yao, do you want to try out the abilities of other soul beasts?"
Yao Yao emerged from Xu Yuan's forehead, its fist-sized body brimming with vitality.
Its energy far exceeded that of Huan Xing. Even after being pushed to its limits in the dream space, it remained optimistic and lively, making it the easiest spirit soul under Xu Yuan's control to motivate.
Yao Yao followed Xu Yuan's direction to the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear, circling it with a hesitant yet eager demeanor.
"Hmm~ Hmm~" (I don't have this ability.)
Unfortunately, it lacked the ability to possess and control clones.
Remote control was possible, but direct integration into the body of the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear for control was out of the question.
"Huan Xing, give it a try. The difference from your original abilities is significant, so consider it a new experience."
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