Chapter 52: The Flow of Wind and Water - Tian Lin’s Dominant Third Soul Skill - Douluo's spirit bead sword

### Chapter 52: The Flow of Wind and Water - Tian Lin’s Dominant Third Soul Skill "Hmm? The danger has passed this quickly? That little monster absorbed a five-thousand-five-hundred-year-old soul ring too effortlessly," Dugu Bo remarked, noting the ease with which Tian Lin's expression shifted into relaxation. His thoughts echoed Tian Lin's; a mere five thousand years felt overly cautious for Tian Lin. After all, he hadn't even used the Sacred Breath Barrier yet. Judging by this, Tian Lin's true limit should be at least seven thousand years, meaning his fourth soul ring might as well be considered for the ten-thousand-year tier right away. With the possession of a spirit-type external soul bone, the mere soul shock of a ten-thousand-year soul beast likely wouldn't pose a threat to him. Although Tian Lin remained in meditation, his soul ring absorption was actually complete. Now, he contemplated the soul skill. The third soul ring had wind attributes. If he fused it with the fire from his second ring, he could create a wind-fire technique, similar to Ice and Fire Conquerors, a single-target attack soul skill. Due to its repetitive nature, Tian Lin decided to pass. That left him with two other choices: a three-attribute fusion, turning it into a group attack skill combining water, fire, and wind—Phantom Demon Sword—or fusing single water attribute with wind to form a support skill, Flow of Wind and Water. After much deliberation, Tian Lin decided against the three-attribute fusion. Although powerful, it wasn't necessary, considering he'd have even stronger four- or five-attribute attack soul skills in the future. Redundant soul skills weren't needed. Instead, the auxiliary soul skills of his Demon Sword would prove exceptionally useful, often having a more formidable impact than attack skills in battles. With this in mind, Tian Lin gently infused the water attribute into the third soul ring, combining it with the inherent wind. Finally, the third Demon Sword skill was illuminated. Standing up, Tian Lin glanced at his Demon Sword, now entwined with three soul rings. He had finally reached the realm of a Soul Elder, a pivotal milestone for many soul masters. Take Master, for instance; he had been trapped at this bottleneck for much of his life. Were it not for the Ninth Rank Purple Zhi gifted to him by Tang San later on, he might never have broken through. It was a pity that Tian Lin had seized the Ninth Rank Purple Zhi, leaving Master to stay honestly within the Great Soul Master realm for now. For Tian Lin, the bottleneck that stymied others for a lifetime was as easy to overcome as eating or drinking. Yet, despite the ease, he could feel that post-Soul Elder, his cultivation speed would slow. This was a disadvantage of extreme martial souls—training speed from levels 30 to 70 diminishes and cannot be avoided. Moving forward, Tian Lin would need to work harder to break through the 70-level bottleneck as soon as possible. "Little monster, you're awake. It seems your soul ring absorption went very smoothly, without any pressure," Dugu Bo said, approaching. "Yes, this level-jumping ring absorption was far too easy. The celestial herbs and external soul bone have respectively strengthened my body and spirit. I feel that my fourth soul ring could go straight for the ten-thousand-year tier." Tian Lin's ambition swelled. Surprisingly, Dugu Bo had no objections this time, agreeing wholeheartedly. A monster's cultivation method should differ from others. Given Tian Lin’s current physique, it was absolutely worth a try. "By the way, little monster, could you tell me what your third soul skill is?" Dugu Bo was curious about the potential of a third soul skill generated from a five-thousand-year ring. Tian Lin smiled slightly, "Old monster, if you want to know, of course you can. But first, use your first soul skill." "My first soul skill? That's no problem. Giant Python’s Strength!" Dugu Bo immediately summoned his martial soul and activated his first soul skill. In an instant, his power surged, and his body became bulkier. "Alright, my third soul skill is this: Flow of Wind and Water!" Tian Lin plunged his Demon Sword into the ground, forming a barrier that rapidly expanded outward from the sword. When this barrier enveloped Dugu Bo, his body returned to normal, the Giant Python’s Strength completely dissipated. "This, little monster, your third soul skill isn’t an attack skill but rather one that negates enhancement states as a support skill?" Dugu Bo was somewhat disappointed. While not ineffective, it certainly didn't seem overwhelmingly powerful. Tian Lin shook his head. "Old monster, how could my soul skill be so limited? Flow of Wind and Water negates all statuses except for true martial soul manifestations." "Everything? You mean to say that all states, whether positive or negative, are nullified?" Dugu Bo couldn't believe it. If what Tian Lin said was true, this skill was remarkable. "Indeed, within the formation of Flow of Wind and Water, any enhancement states—whether it's the augmentation from auxiliary martial souls like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda or the Radiant Gold Scepter, or self-boosting soul skills—become invalid. Negative states like charm, frenzy, paralysis, hypnosis, and poison can also be completely nullified." "Moreover, even status-type martial soul fusion skills like the Nether White Tiger of the Dai and Zhu clans from the Star Luo Empire would be forcibly dispelled." Hearing this, Dugu Bo was stunned. This was no ordinary soul skill—this was essentially a divine skill. "Little monster, your soul skill is terrifying! It means that any opponent, except for their martial soul true form, receives no auxiliary benefits. Support soul masters would become useless before you." Tian Lin lowered his head, a trace of worry crossing his face. "This move is indeed powerful, but it has clear drawbacks. One is the enormous consumption of my soul power, as maintaining this barrier continuously drains it. Another is its rather overbearing nature, affecting allies just as much as foes. Not only do the opponent's enhancements vanish, but all statuses of my teammates, except for myself, also disappear." "Thus, this move is best suited for single-handedly challenging a group, not for team battles." Hearing this, Dugu Bo erupted in laughter, "Little monster, those aren't much of drawbacks at all, let me tell you. The first is simply because your soul power is currently too low. Once you become a Titled Douluo, such soul power consumption will be trivial. Then you'll understand the true wonder of this skill." "The second was a problem, but you’re forgetting something important about being born into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Aside from the world's best auxiliary martial soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, what’s the other renowned technique of your clan?" "Scatterhearted Control!" Tian Lin was enlightened by Dugu Bo's reminder, realizing what he overlooked. Once he learned this skill, he could precisely control the direction of soul skills. When opponents attempted enhancements, he could direct Flow of Wind and Water toward them, rendering their support useless. If his allies were subjected to adverse conditions, he could shift focus to aid their recovery. At that point, this would truly be a perfect divine skill. Tian Lin’s spirits lifted. "Thank you, old monster! Once back at the clan, I'll ask Uncle Ning for the training method for Scatterhearted Control. But for now, let's head back." Seeing Tian Lin exuberantly skipping back, Dugu Bo smiled calmly, "Haha, a child at heart, no matter how much of a genius—there's always that playful side."