Chapter 18: After Several Years, the Star Dou Encounter: Ink Jade Divine Bamboo
Several months ago, Chu Chen's Soul Power had already reached level forty. However, considering he was about to graduate and intended to continue refining his Great Desolation Scripture and Physical Body cultivation, he postponed the time for obtaining his Soul Ring.
Therefore, several months later, Chu Chen arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest!
To head to Heaven Dou City, one inevitably has to pass through the Star Dou Great Forest, which is why he had coincidentally delayed the timing.
"Soul Beasts with the life attribute are truly too rare... After searching this entire trip, all I've found are those with low age limits..."
Chu Chen walked alone within the Star Dou Great Forest.
He had long since completed his transformation; the passage of several years had allowed him to be reborn, and the life aura of the Blue Silver Emperor was influencing him at every moment.
Therefore, even just in terms of height, he could rival some adults. His seemingly lean and tall frame was actually packed with muscle, possessing a great sense of power.
"The dean of Notting Academy is really something, insisting on having some 'Outstanding Graduate' thing and even hanging me on the honor roll..."
Chu Chen was still ruminating on the smiling appearance of the Notting Academy dean from several months ago, unable to help but feel amused yet exasperated.
However, ever since he first met the dean upon enrollment, the dean had taken incredibly good care of Chu Chen over these past six years. Not only did he exempt Chu Chen from his Work-study student duties, but he also often took Chu Chen out to eat personally...
Over time, their relationship became so good that even Yu Xiaogang was moved to tears of envy.
Chu Chen had noticed more than once the subtle relationship between the dean and Yu Xiaogang, so he curiously asked whether Yu Xiaogang was truly the dean's friend...
The answer he received was...
"Friends for the sake of Face..."
At the time, Chu Chen was speechless for an entire day...
"..."
Regaining his focus, Chu Chen had now penetrated into a relatively inner region of the Star Dou Great Forest. While searching along the way, he had indeed seen some Soul Beasts with the life attribute.
However, those Soul Beasts had cultivation levels that were too low, so they were directly ignored by Chu Chen.
Therefore, Chu Chen chose the same method: searching for places with a dense life aura. It was usually only there that one would find Soul Beasts with higher cultivation levels, which were most suitable for the Blue Silver Emperor!
After searching for a long time, he finally made a discovery.
Chu Chen arrived at a swamp containing surging life force, where many Soul Beasts lived, including quite a few ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
Chu Chen looked around, wanting to find an existence suitable for himself.
"This... is this an Ink Jade Divine Bamboo?! I happen to know of an Ink Jade Divine Bamboo growing at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; I didn't expect... to be able to see one here in the Star Dou Great Forest as well."
Chu Chen was incredibly pleasantly surprised. This Ink Jade Divine Bamboo could obviously be considered one of the most suitable Soul Beasts for the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul!
"Why is this Ink Jade Divine Bamboo..."
Chu Chen landed not far away. He quietly observed the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo in front of him; it was not difficult to identify the cultivation level of this Ink Jade Divine Bamboo.
This type of special Soul Beast, although its surface was pitch black like ink and emitted a luster like jade, would undergo a Nirvana every time its stem grew to nine sections, after which the color of the leaf tips would undergo a special change!
And in Chu Chen's view, this Ink Jade Divine Bamboo perhaps had a cultivation level approaching eighteen thousand years!
"An eighteen-thousand-year cultivation Ink Jade Divine Bamboo is a bit short of the twenty-thousand-year Soul Ring I envisioned, but it is acceptable..."
Just as he approached the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, Chu Chen sensed a burst of surging life force blooming.
"Boom!"
Streaks of afterimages erupted; the sky was filled with bamboo blades slicing through the air, blasting toward Chu Chen with immense piercing power, covering the sky and earth like a rain of pear blossoms.
Chu Chen's expression changed. The moment he retreated, the Blue Silver Emperor broke through the ground, transforming into a wall to intercept the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo's attack. These sky-filling bamboo blades lasted for a long time and were extremely powerful.
"What a fine Ink Jade Divine Bamboo; just its bamboo blade attack is so fierce, and it even carries the life attribute."
Chu Chen was extremely sensitive to the life attribute!
The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo itself was not considered a Soul Beast of the life attribute; it was better known for its indestructible defense.
Such powerful defensive capability could even perform special counter-shock attacks, fully enhancing its own attack power and defense. Moreover, the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo itself could unleash both group and single-target attacks.
"Boom!"
The bamboo blades dissipated. The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo stood proudly in front, appearing extremely aloof, as if its previous attack was merely a warning to Chu Chen.
At this moment, Chu Chen's heart was filled with excitement.
The location of this swamp was extremely special; it seemed to naturally contain a life aura, which also benefited numerous Soul Beasts. Clearly, this Ink Jade Divine Bamboo was one of them!
While retaining the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo's ultimate defensive power, it had also deeply rooted itself underground, mutating to possess a powerful life attribute.
No matter how one looked at it, this was the most suitable fourth Soul Ring for Chu Chen.
"Today I shall take you as my fourth Soul Ring!"
Chu Chen laughed loudly. With a thought, stalks of Blue Silver Emperor thrust forward. Blue-gold light rippled out like water waves, encroaching toward the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo.
"Swish!"
The Blue Silver Emperor broke through the air, and then the Blue Silver Emperor in Chu Chen's hand quickly condensed into a large blade. He charged out wielding the blade, with the Blue Silver Emperor circling his body, constantly providing him with cover.
The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo erupted with attacks once more. Its flexible stem bent slightly, and unique air currents condensed into individual bamboo leaves. The bamboo leaves appeared in the air, and as the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo's stem rebounded, the power stacked.
The bamboo leaves poured down, covering the area with an all-encompassing attack!
Such violent attacks poured down toward Chu Chen like rain hitting flowers. Chu Chen took the opportunity to unleash his first Soul Skill.
"First Soul Skill, Life Streamer!"
The light of life protected Chu Chen. Facing the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo's attack, he slashed down with his Blue Silver Emperor blade.
With a 'thud', not only did the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo not suffer any significant damage, but it instead rebounded Chu Chen's power. A massive force struck him, almost causing Chu Chen to be unable to hold onto the large blade in his hand.
This strike only caused a tiny mark!
"Damn... as expected of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, what terrifying defensive power..."
Chu Chen cursed inwardly, and an invisible life magnetic field spread out. This was his second Soul Skill: Life Deprivation!
The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo was affected by Life Deprivation, and its movements became sluggish. Therefore, stalks of Blue Silver Emperor quickly Binding the entire bamboo body, and the life-draining ability was unleashed.
Taking this opportunity, Chu Chen attacked again. The Blue Silver Emperor blade struck horizontally, while he simultaneously gathered life energy in his hand. Relying on his currently powerful Physical Body, he charged at the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo!
In this battle, Chu Chen finally fully revealed the manifestation of the Blue Silver Emperor's undying and indestructible life force.
The endless Blue Silver Emperor, containing surging life force, possessed neither ultimate attack nor ultimate defense; what it relied on was merely pure life force.
Endless, never-ending!
"Third Soul Skill, Life Hunyuan Matrix!" Chu Chen gave a low shout, revealing for the first time his currently strongest, and also his first ten-thousand-year Soul Skill!
Blue-gold light descended from high above, forming a matrix that flowed with the light of stellar life, enveloping the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo within it.