Sunset Forest!
Chen Yuan walked alone into the shadows, and the Ghost Leopard hidden within them stepped out without fear.
As a predator, this type of fierce spirit beast never easily exposed its back to an enemy. Generally, when facing an opponent of unknown strength, it would first intimidate, trying to subdue without fighting. If that failed, it would engage in a life-or-death struggle. Fleeing was always the last resort.
At this moment, facing Chen Yuan, whose strength was unknown, the Ghost Leopard let out a roar that shook the surroundings, its terrifying, ghost-like face enough to intimidate most people.
Chen Yuan wasn't intimidated, but he didn't let his guard down either. He immediately summoned his martial soul. A flash of white light later, the Seven Kill Sword appeared in his hand, and four spirit rings rose beneath his feet—one yellow, two purple, and one black.
As soon as his martial soul appeared, his aura surged, sharp and imposing like an unsheathed sword.
As a spirit beast, the Ghost Leopard was highly sensitive to danger. At this moment, it felt a tremor in its heart and the urge to flee. However, not wanting to expose its back so easily, it decided to launch an attack to create a diversion for its escape.
"Roar!"
The Ghost Leopard let out a fierce roar, its claws digging into the ground as it charged forward. Its aura grew increasingly intense, and soon, a dark energy enveloped its body, forming a black blade that slashed toward Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan remained calm. He raised the Seven Kill Sword, exhaled sharply, and swung it with force, sending out a sharp sword aura that tore through the air with a piercing whistle, colliding with the black blade.
With a loud bang, the clash of energy sent shockwaves in all directions. The tremendous force sent the Ghost Leopard flying backward.
Chen Yuan stepped forward, his body darting out at incredible speed, catching up to the Ghost Leopard before it could even react.
"First Spirit Skill, Sharp Sword Strike!"
Chen Yuan activated his first spirit skill. The Seven Kill Sword was enveloped in swirling air currents, its sharpness and attack power increasing by 40%. The chilling aura made the Ghost Leopard's fur stand on end.
Then, with a sliding kick, Chen Yuan didn't aim to kill the Ghost Leopard but to capture it. Sliding beneath the beast, he targeted its exposed, soft underbelly. The Seven Kill Sword flashed repeatedly.
Cold light flickered as Chen Yuan severed the Ghost Leopard's limbs and slashed open a long wound across its belly. Blood and internal organs spilled out.
With a thud, the Ghost Leopard crashed to the ground, now on the brink of death, barely breathing.
The Ghost Leopard regretted its decision. In this forest, food was abundant. Why had it chosen to provoke this monster?
"Whimper…"
It let out a pitiful whimper, begging for a quick end. Without its limbs, it was now a crippled beast. The pain from its belly wound was unbearable, making death seem like a mercy.
Chen Yuan grabbed the Ghost Leopard by the scruff of its neck and quickly returned to where the others were. He tossed the beast to the ground and said to Zhu Zhuqing:
"Zhuqing, this Ghost Leopard should be perfect for you. Its ability to condense dark energy into a blade is an excellent single-target attack spirit skill."
Seeing how effortlessly Chen Yuan had dealt with a nearly 5000-year spirit beast as strong as the Moon Howler Wolf, Zhu Zhuqing realized just how far she still had to go.
Then, she activated her martial soul again, stepped forward, and slashed the Ghost Leopard's throat. Soon, the beast breathed its last, and a surge of energy burst forth, condensing into a purple spirit ring.
Zhu Zhuqing sat down, summoned the purple spirit ring, and let it merge into her body, beginning the absorption process.
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With Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's spirit rings secured almost back-to-back, Chen Yuan was pleased. He turned to Dugu Yan and said:
"Yan Yan, now it's just us left. You need a ten-thousand-year spirit beast, and I need a forty-thousand-year one. The options in the Sunset Forest are limited."
Dugu Yan nodded. In the Sunset Forest, the number of ten-thousand-year spirit beasts could be counted on one hand. The choices were indeed scarce. She said:
"Once Rongrong and Zhuqing wake up, we'll rest here tonight. Tomorrow, we'll head to my grandfather's seclusion spot. I'll ask him to come out. With his presence, hunting a ten-thousand-year spirit beast will be much safer."
Chen Yuan's voice grew serious:
"The spirit beast I want should be powerful and rare, capable of giving me a significant boost and a strong spirit skill. Perhaps we should send Rongrong and Zhuqing back to the academy temporarily and head straight to the Star Dou Forest."
Dugu Yan walked over, linking her arm with Chen Yuan's, and smiled:
"Alright, I'll go with you."
In just a few words, they had settled on their next plan. They waited until late into the night, and a few hours passed quickly.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing woke up one after the other, just as they had absorbed their spirit rings.
Ning Rongrong stood up and stretched, feeling great after successfully absorbing the spirit ring. Not only had she broken through to become a four-ring Spirit Ancestor, but her physical abilities had also improved significantly.
Before Chen Yuan and Dugu Yan could ask, Ning Rongrong smiled and said:
"Just as Brother Chen Yuan said, my fourth spirit skill amplifies attack power by 50%. And my first three spirit skills—strength, speed, and spirit power—now also amplify by 50%. My spirit power is at level 41, but the power of the spirit ring I absorbed is so strong that I feel I'll break through to the next level soon."
Chen Yuan had expected this and said:
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda's power becomes more terrifying the further you go, but it also consumes more spirit power. Rongrong, you must practice the Divided Mind Control Technique that the sect master taught you. You need to improve your mastery of it."
Ning Rongrong nodded obediently. A 50% amplification was no small feat. If she used it at full power, she'd run out of spirit power quickly. Even if Chen Yuan hadn't mentioned it, she would have practiced the technique.
At this point, Zhu Zhuqing also stood up. Chen Yuan looked at her and asked:
"Zhuqing, how do you feel? Are you satisfied with the spirit skill you gained?"
Zhu Zhuqing smiled and nodded firmly:
"I feel great. My spirit power is at level 41, and I shouldn't need much time to break through again. My fourth spirit skill is Netherworld Slash, a powerful single-target attack skill. With my third spirit skill for control and my fourth for attack, I'm confident I can instantly defeat a Spirit Ancestor of the same level. If I catch a Spirit King off guard, I might even severely injure them."
This was already impressive. Chen Yuan's strength came from stacking advantages—consuming whale gelatin from a young age, absorbing spirit rings beyond his limits, the external spirit bone Golden Feather Wings, the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, the Dragon Pearl Spirit Core that could grow like an external spirit bone, and the Chen family's secret techniques. All of this had made him as strong as he was.
For a normal spirit master, being able to severely injure a Spirit King as a newly advanced Spirit Ancestor was truly remarkable.
Chen Yuan took a deep breath and said:
"Rongrong, Zhuqing, since you've both obtained your spirit rings, I'll send you back to the academy tomorrow. As for Yan Yan and me, we'll need to head to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for our ten-thousand-year spirit rings."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, though reluctant, nodded in agreement. They weren't strong enough to face ten-thousand-year spirit beasts and would only become a burden.
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,336
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