Chapter 196 Let me go, you human, you have no moral principles!
According to the optimal spirit ring allocation, Ning Rongrong, as a Level 50 support system Spirit Master, would at most be able to absorb a spirit ring that was just over ten thousand years old.
However, with the enhancements from her 100,000-year Illusion Wisdom Skull and Creation Body Tempering Art, absorbing a fifth spirit ring of over twenty thousand years should still be manageable, especially after already having four black ten-thousand-year spirit rings.
But the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's spirit ring is no ordinary item; the spirit power it contains is absolutely ferocious and full of sharp energy, making it much harder to absorb compared to the spirit rings of common Spirit Beasts.
Therefore, for Ning Rongrong, this ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was quite suitable.
Moreover, although a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear spirit ring, in terms of age alone, might seem a bit 'under-equipped' for Ning Rongrong, it is definitely 'over-equipped' compared to other Spirit Masters.
After all, many Spirit Masters still have purple thousand-year spirit rings as their fifth spirit ring!
The most typical example is Snake Spear Douluo She Long, a formidable Titled Douluo, whose fifth spirit ring was surprisingly not a black ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
Of course, this also indirectly shows that Sha Long's talent is not bad; he just didn't receive optimal training when he was young. Otherwise, Sha Long's current strength would surely be much greater.
Regarding the age of spirit rings, Ye Chen, who is not short on money now, actually doesn't place much importance on it. Anyway, any spirit ring under 100,000 years can only produce one Spirit Ability. The difference between a hundred-year spirit ring and a ninety-thousand-year spirit ring is just a matter of how many gold coins it costs, which is not a big deal.
It's also a good thing that this Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is not too old. If it had reached forty or fifty thousand years, Ye Chen, who deeply understands the 'cautious path,' would definitely have taken his three girls and run for safety.
But a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, that's not quite so extreme.
A Spirit Beast just over ten thousand years old, excluding the advantages brought by its species, would be equivalent to a Five-Ring Soul King among human Spirit Masters in terms of spirit power level.
Although the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is a talented Spirit Beast, Ye Chen and Xiao Wu are even more talented than it. Taking down this ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear in front of them would definitely be a breeze.
....
'Hello everyone, my name is Xiong Da. I welcome all Spirit Masters who are not strong to come to Grandpa Xiong's Bear Ridge for snacks... bah~, for a visit!'
After a full meal, Grandpa Xiong was patrolling his territory when he unexpectedly found four human snacks within it. Although Grandpa Xiong was full, his belly was large enough to hold a boat, and he wouldn't mind 'after-dinner dessert'!
— A self-narration from a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
"Roar—"
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a bear's roar towards the sky, then looked fiercely at Ye Chen and Xiao Wu among the four.
Once a Spirit Beast reaches ten thousand years, its intelligence is already considerable. In its long bear life, this Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear had eaten quite a few human Spirit Masters.
It also knew that the more spirit rings a human Spirit Master had, the stronger they were. Coupled with the sense of threat the two brought, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear aimed its primary target at Ye Chen and Xiao Wu.
As for Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong? They only had four spirit rings each, and in the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's opinion, they posed no threat and could be easily dispatched with a single claw later.
"Roar—" 'Defend the dignity of Bear Ridge, protect the glory of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear clan to the death!'
Immediately, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, having identified its target, quickly moved its thick bear legs and charged towards Ye Chen.
Although it is said that the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is not good at speed, this is not entirely true. At the same age, only agility-attack system Spirit Beasts can surpass the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear in speed.
Saying its speed is not fast is only relative to its terrifying attack power, where the gap is too large.
"Rongrong, Xiao Wu and I will restrain it, and you deliver the finishing blow!"
Watching the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear rush over from a distance, Ye Chen began to strategize.
"Yes!"
"Qingjing Domain!"
Instantly, a Domain radiating a white jade luster and filled with a Pure Nether, calming aura, blossomed with Ye Chen at its center.
"Sixth Spirit Ability, Weakness."
"Fifth Spirit Ability, Silence."
The fifth spirit ring and sixth spirit ring flickered slightly, and two bamboo staff phantoms rapidly flew from Ye Chen's body, descending above the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's head in an instant, then striking down hard.
"Thump—" "Thump—"
Accompanied by two muffled thuds, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear fell into a Weakness state and was unable to use its innate Spirit Abilities.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear looks like a melee Spirit Beast, but it is actually a super Spirit Beast capable of both melee and ranged attacks, able to launch spirit power claw blades from a distance with terrifying attack power.
If it wasn't completely restrained, and if it managed to land a surprise attack, even with Ye Chen's Soul Bone Skills: 'Emerging from Mud, Yet Untainted' and 'Thorn Guardian,' he wouldn't be entirely confident in blocking it.
"Taiyin Domain."
"Fifth Spirit Ability, Grand Yin Divine Chains."
Ye Chen made his move, and Xiao Wu didn't idle either, immediately releasing her Taiyin Domain and Fifth Spirit Ability.
The moment the Taiyin Domain appeared, Xiao Wu's strength surged by more than thirty percent, and the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, enveloped by the Domain, instantly became covered in frost.
Following closely, six chains radiating intense cold directly bound the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
"Roar—" 'Let me go, human, you have no martial ethics!'
With an angry roar, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear tried to break free from the chains.
Unfortunately, the seemingly fragile Grand Yin Divine Chains were far stronger than the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear imagined.
Although the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's strength was considerable, it was clearly not enough to break free from Xiao Wu's Grand Yin Divine Chains. Moreover, Ye Chen had already applied a Weakness debuff to it, making escape even more impossible.
This wasn't over. After Xiao Wu's Fifth Spirit Ability, Grand Yin Divine Chains, successfully bound the target, Ye Chen made another move for good measure.
"Soul Bone Skill: Endless Blood Vines."
Instantly, six thick crimson vines, like giant blood-colored pythons, rapidly wrapped around the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, Binding it tightly.
Endless Blood Vines is a 100,000-year Soul Bone Skill. With the strength of this ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, it would definitely be unable to break free, ensuring that Ning Rongrong, the 'weak chicken' support, could safely deliver the finishing blow.
"Rongrong."
Ye Chen signaled to Ning Rongrong that she could go forward and deliver the finishing blow.
Nodding, Ning Rongrong pulled out a Gatling machine gun from her spirit tool and, aiming at the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's head, pulled the trigger.
"Puff puff puff puff puff~"
The rotating barrels spun wildly, and the bullets that burst out formed a metallic torrent, instantly descending upon the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's head, with dense blood flowers blooming.
"Roar—"
The sound of bullets firing and the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's roars were continuous, forming a unique symphony.
Chapter 197 You can't kill me even if I just lie there and don't move!
Soon, a full magazine of bullets was expended.
However, to Ning Rongrong's astonishment, although the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear looked incredibly miserable with its face covered in blood, bullet holes all over its head, and both eyes shot blind, it had not sustained any fatal injuries.
Indeed, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's dark gold fur was undoubtedly as tough as the scales of a ten-thousand-year defensive Spirit Beast.
Furthermore, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's head was not small; even if the bullets could penetrate the dark gold fur, they would be blocked by muscle and bone.
The Gatling machine gun's caliber was not large, and the bullets' power was not very strong, so it naturally failed to take down the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear with a single magazine.
This was still the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear in front of them, which was only a little over ten thousand years old. If it were the Bear Lord, over four hundred thousand years old, it probably wouldn't even lose a single hair after being hit by a magazine of bullets.
'Is this the legendary 'I'll lie here motionless, and you still can't kill me'?'
Ye Chen thought to himself as he watched this scene.
"Rongrong, use the sniper rifle and aim for its weak points."
Seeing the frustrated Ning Rongrong, Ye Chen reminded her.
Since Ning Rongrong herself was merely a support with little combat ability, Ye Chen had stored quite a few hot weapons in her spirit tool.
Not only were there machine guns, but also sniper rifles, specifically the famous Barrett sniper rifle from Ye Chen's previous life.
The Barrett possessed immense power; when loaded with armor-piercing rounds, it could penetrate 20mm thick homogeneous steel plates within a hundred meters. It would be absolutely effortless to use it to finish off the defenseless ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear in front of them.
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong immediately pulled out the Barrett. Standing less than five meters from the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's large head, she aimed at its eye socket and pulled the trigger.
The Barrett's immense power naturally came with a strong recoil. Although Ning Rongrong was a seemingly delicate girl, her physical constitution far surpassed that of an ordinary burly man.
A Spirit Master was, after all, a Spirit Master, incomparable to ordinary people. Therefore, even when standing and sniping, Ning Rongrong's shoulder could withstand the powerful recoil.
"Bang—"
An armor-piercing bullet spun out, instantly blowing out the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's already blind right eyeball. Blood splattered, and the 12.7mm bullet, with an unstoppable force, drilled into the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's brain.
With its brain destroyed and suffering a fatal injury, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear kicked its legs, spread its arms, and ascended to the heavens on the spot.
Subsequently, countless golden specks of light diffused, gradually forming a black ten-thousand-year spirit ring on the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's body.
"It truly is a good treasure!"
Looking at the Barrett in her hand, Ning Rongrong felt very satisfied.
One must know that Spirit Beasts' defense was far superior to Spirit Masters'. Although the Barrett managed to kill a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear with one shot, it was due to hitting the eye's weak point. But if used to snipe human Spirit Masters, it might be one shot, one Soul Sage (7 Rings)?
Of course, things were not that simple. The higher a Spirit Master's spirit power level, the stronger their mental force, and the more sensitive their perception of danger.
Coupled with the Spirit Master's incredibly fast speed, if the opponent was prepared, let alone a Soul Sage (7 Rings), even a Spirit Emperor (6 Rings) would be difficult. Because speed doesn't need to be faster than the bullet, it just needs to be faster than your firing speed.
"Rongrong, go absorb the spirit ring!"
"Mm-hmm."
Nodding, Ning Rongrong released her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit and stepped forward to guide the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's spirit ring.
Upon being guided, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's spirit ring immediately landed on Ning Rongrong's body, then quickly shrank and enveloped her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit.
Instantly, through the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit, the immense spirit power contained within the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's spirit ring began to surge into Ning Rongrong's body.
This spirit power was exceptionally violent, filled with a sharp aura.
At the same time, along with the absorption of the spirit ring, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's soul remnant also appeared in Ning Rongrong's sea of consciousness.
Any spirit ring that has reached ten thousand years or above will contain the soul remnant left by the Spirit Beast after its death. For a Spirit Master to successfully absorb a spirit ring, their mental force must be strong enough to withstand the soul shock brought by the soul remnant.
Of course, this applies to spirit rings obtained by hunting Spirit Beasts.
god-bestowed spirit rings, on the other hand, do not have Spirit Beast soul remnants because god-bestowed spirit rings are creations of a Divinity, not from Spirit Beasts. They do not require a mental test; as long as the body can endure, it is fine.
Facing the dual test of physical endurance and mental force, Ning Rongrong dared not be negligent.
She immediately divided her attention, on one hand, operating the Creation Meditation Method to quickly refine the spirit power surging into her body.
On the other hand, she released the Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space of the Illusion Wisdom Skull, which amplified her mental force by 50%, then began to operate the Creation Soul Forging Art to resist the soul shock brought by the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's soul remnant in her sea of consciousness.
Ning Rongrong's mental force was already far superior to Spirit Masters of the same rank after cultivating the Creation Soul Forging Art. Coupled with the hundred-thousand-year Illusion Wisdom Skull and its Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space, the mere soul remnant of a ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear naturally couldn't cause any significant trouble.
"Xiao Wu, Zhuqing, I'll watch over things here. You two go set up a tent."
It was already noon. Ning Rongrong's absorption of her fifth spirit ring would take quite some time, likely until evening. So, the four of them decided to camp here for the night.
"Mm."
...
Time gradually passed. Nearly half a day went by, and the sun overhead had unknowingly set in the west.
"Ah—"
Just as Ye Chen estimated Ning Rongrong was about to wake up, Ning Rongrong, who was absorbing the spirit ring, suddenly let out a scream.
"What's going on?"
Hearing the scream, Ye Chen immediately flashed and appeared before Ning Rongrong.
At this moment, Ning Rongrong's face showed pain, large beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her originally fair right hand and right forearm were covered by a layer of dark gold colored metacarpals.
At the front end of the metacarpals, there were five sharp dark gold claws, each about three feet long. Each sharp claw resembled a narrow, dark gold blade, full of a sharp aura.
'Dark Gold Terrorclaw external Spirit Bone? It seems Rongrong is very lucky~!'
Looking at the dark gold metacarpals that appeared on Ning Rongrong's right hand, Ye Chen immediately understood that she had encountered a very rare external Spirit Bone.
So far, this was his third encounter with an external Spirit Bone: Creation Green Lotus, Netherworld Cat Tail, and Dark Gold Terrorclaw. Ye Chen believed this was definitely due to the luck card; otherwise, even with incredibly good luck, it would be impossible to continuously get external Spirit Bones.
"Rongrong, hold on. You've encountered an external Spirit Bone."
After understanding the situation, Ye Chen began to cheer Ning Rongrong on.
Chapter 198 The specific function of the soul bone attached to the cat's tail
Although Ning Rongrong was still refining her external Spirit Bone and spirit ring, it didn't mean she was completely unaware of the outside world.
'An external Spirit Bone? No wonder it hurts so much~'
Listening to Ye Chen's explanation, Ning Rongrong, who was refining her spirit ring and external Spirit Bone, immediately understood.
She used to be so envious of Zhu Zhuqing's cat tail external Spirit Bone, and she never expected to have one herself.
Compared to the effects of an external Spirit Bone, what was a temporary pain? Ning Rongrong firmed her resolve, endured the pain, and fully dedicated herself to refining this palm bone.
Of course, as far as Ning Rongrong knew, Zhu Zhuqing's cat tail didn't seem to be solely for combat?
Hmm, or rather, it might be suitable for some special 'battles'?
"Brother Chen, what's going on? Why is Rongrong screaming?"
Xiao Wu, who was in a tent not far away, also heard the sound and immediately brought Zhu Zhuqing over.
"Don't worry, it's a good thing. Rongrong got an external Spirit Bone."
"An external Spirit Bone? Huh? Isn't this the claw of a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?"
Xiao Wu curiously looked at the dark gold sharp claw on Ning Rongrong's right hand, feeling very intrigued.
'With the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's claw, will Rongrong's path go astray in the future?'
Xiao Wu couldn't help but think to herself, that as a support system Spirit Master, Rongrong taking out an opponent with one claw would be quite exhilarating, right?
....
Sunrise and moonrise, then sunrise and moonset again, until the next morning, Ning Rongrong finally completely refined the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's spirit ring and external palm bone.
Originally, Ning Rongrong's spirit power was already above level 50, but it hadn't manifested because she lacked a fifth spirit ring. After attaching the fifth spirit ring, her spirit power level actually reached Spirit King at level 54. Of course, it was just barely level 54.
But even so, Ning Rongrong's spirit power increase speed was enough to be alarming.
After all, just a few days ago, she was only a Spirit Ancestor at 46. In just a few days, her spirit power level had skyrocketed by 8 levels, something no one would believe if told.
After the Illusion Wisdom Skull evolved from a ten-thousand-year-old to a hundred-thousand-year-old, it brought Ning Rongrong nearly four levels of spirit power.
After the first, second, and third spirit rings evolved into ten-thousand-year spirit rings, her spirit power increased by at least two levels.
And the ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear spirit ring and the external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw, combined, could at least increase her spirit power by another two levels.
This way, a jump of eight spirit power levels seems to be within reason?
"Brother Chen, Brother Chen, I've reached Spirit King at level 54! And I also have an external Spirit Bone!"
As soon as she woke up, Ning Rongrong excitedly told Ye Chen, even flaunting the dark gold sharp claw at the end of her right arm.
"Mhm, congratulations, Rongrong."
Ning Rongrong's luck could be said to be extremely good.
Other Spirit Bones produced by the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, while their Soul Bone Skills were also good, most tended towards defense. Only the left arm bone and right arm bone would produce the terrifying offensive ability of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw.
But compared to the palm bone, the left and right arm bones were clearly a step lower in quality. And among the palm bones, the right palm bone was more powerful than the left palm bone, and what Ning Rongrong obtained was precisely the right palm bone.
Up until now, excluding the newly acquired external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw, Ning Rongrong herself had no offensive Spirit Abilities.
But now with the external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw, Ning Rongrong's role as a support would have to change slightly.
Although she would still primarily be a support, in Ye Chen's plan, Ning Rongrong was to become a combat-type support in the future.
What is a combat-type support? Simply put, it means being able to both support and fight.
After all, Ye Chen remembered that in many popular games in his previous life, if a support played well, they could also shine brilliantly?
The Spirit Abilities produced by the nine spirit rings were all support-type Spirit Abilities, which wasn't a problem. Any lack of offensive or defensive means could be compensated for by Soul Bone Skills.
Additionally, Ning Rongrong's fifth Spirit Ability, as expected, was an attack amplification Spirit Ability.
After advancing to five rings, Ning Rongrong's spirit power had increased by a major rank, and the effects of her previous four amplification Spirit Abilities also increased by another 15%, reaching a 90% single-attribute amplification.
It should be known that a 90% attribute amplification ratio was already on par with Ning Fengzhi, who was currently an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo.
It was just that Ning Rongrong's current spirit power level was a bit low. When amplifying high-level Spirit Masters, due to the large level gap, the spirit power consumption was too great, leading to insufficient endurance. Otherwise, with just this amplification ratio, she could become the second-best support system Spirit Master on the continent.
"Zhuqing~, what do you mean by big claw? This is an external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw!"
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes at Zhu Zhuqing, with a hint of smugness.
"The Soul Bone Skill is called Dark Gold Terrorclaw. Its attack methods are divided into two types: a normal attack mode and a Spirit Ability attack mode, which can perform long-range attacks."
Saying that, Ning Rongrong aimed a Spirit Ability attack mode at a large tree not far away.
Instantly, a terrifying claw blade filled with a sharp aura shot out. The thick trunk of the large tree was completely unable to withstand the terrifying sharpness and was cut in half at the waist on the spot.
Because the dark gold claw blade was cut from low to high, the large tree that was cut in half directly fell towards Ning Rongrong, the culprit.
"Ah~, it's falling, everyone run!"
...
Good luck didn't continue. After Ning Rongrong attached her fifth Spirit Ability and obtained the rare external Spirit Bone, Zhu Zhuqing, who had used a lucky card, had no gains for two consecutive days, which made Zhu Zhuqing a little depressed.
However, this was within Ye Chen's expectations. After all, the number of high-year Spirit Beasts was definitely far less than low-year Spirit Beasts.
Even in the vast Star Dou Great Forest, the number of two-thousand-year dark-attribute agility-attack system Spirit Beasts suitable for Zhu Zhuqing would definitely not be too many. It was normal not to find one in just a few days.
In an open space within the inner area of the Star Dou Great Forest, Ye Chen was barbecuing.
Nearing noon, a black-backed mountain pig, not knowing its place, perhaps had its head kicked by a donkey, actually tried to provoke Ye Chen and his group of four.
It was almost mealtime, and he was hungry, so Ye Chen directly let it 'try and die'.
Then, it goes without saying: skinning, deboning, slicing, skewering, sprinkling cumin—a complete one-stop service.
...
After the barbecue feast, not long after setting off, the four entered a slightly dim forest.
Compared to other places, the vegetation in this forest grew even denser. Walking through the forest, under the cover of dense leaves, no sunlight could be seen.
Suddenly, Ye Chen, who was walking in front, realized something was wrong.
Chapter 199 The Terrifying Assassin of the Soul Beast Realm
The slightly dim forest was simply too quiet.
Within Ye Chen's mental force perception range, besides some unknown small insects, he couldn't find any other animals.
If this were in the wilderness outside the Star Dou Great Forest, then encountering such a situation would be considered normal.
But this was the largest Spirit Beast gathering place on the continent: the Star Dou Great Forest, and this area was precisely where Spirit Beasts frequently appeared, which made it seem a bit abnormal.
Since entering the Star Dou Great Forest, this was the first time Ye Chen had encountered such a situation.
With a slight thought, Ye Chen figured out the reason.
One reason was that the plant-type Spirit Beasts in this forest were too overbearing, expelling other animal-type Spirit Beasts, or there was a plant-type Spirit Beast group growing here, causing other Spirit Beasts to not dare to approach.
Another reason was that a powerful predator had appeared in this forest, and the Spirit Beasts that originally lived here had all fled.
Ye Chen estimated that it should be the second situation, as he hadn't found any powerful plant-type Spirit Beasts or plant-type Spirit Beast groups within his mental force perception range.
"Be careful, there should be a powerful Spirit Beast in this forest. For safety's sake, we should leave."
Before determining the age of the target, Ye Chen didn't dare to be careless. This was only the inner area of the Star Dou Great Forest. Generally speaking, Spirit Beasts of too high an age would not appear. As long as this unknown predator was below fifty thousand years old, Ye Chen wouldn't have to worry about safety.
However, although he said so, for safety's sake, Ye Chen planned to leave directly.
Facing unknown dangers and charging straight ahead, such a spirit was indeed worthy of Ye Chen's admiration, but it didn't align with his cautious approach.
When it was time to be timid, Ye Chen felt that there was nothing wrong with being a bit timid. Who could laugh last, that was the true way.
Moreover, he wasn't alone at this time; Ning Rongrong, whose strength could be called weak, was also beside him!
Don't look at Ning Rongrong having the external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw, theoretically possessing the strength of a five-ring Spirit King, but she had no prior combat experience, so she couldn't fully unleash the power of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw in a short time.
Any ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast could probably just snatch Ning Rongrong away.
However, just as Ye Chen was signaling his three girls to temporarily make a strategic retreat, he sensed the approach of uninvited guests and stopped in his tracks.
"Uh, brother, didn't you say we were running away? Why did you stop?"
Xiao Wu, who was following behind Ye Chen, looked at him with some confusion.
"What do you mean running away? We're making a tactical advance! Do you understand tactical advance?"
Ye Chen glared at Xiao Wu. Why was she speaking such blunt truths?
"Yes, yes, yes, we're making a tactical advance~"
Xiao Wu was a bit speechless. Wasn't it all the same thing?
"I sensed a Spirit Beast of about twenty thousand years approaching this way. This Spirit Beast is most likely the predator of this forest. With an age of merely twenty thousand years, we can just confront it directly!"
The reason Ye Chen stopped was that he had already figured out the situation of this forest. They didn't need to run away... bah, make a tactical advance.
A twenty-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast was enough to dominate an area within the inner region of the Star Dou Great Forest. Naturally, the many Spirit Beasts nearby wouldn't dare to approach the overlord's lair, otherwise wouldn't they just be offering themselves as snacks? It was for this reason that the forest lacked vitality.
Just as the four of them were waiting for the prey, no, waiting for the Spirit Beast, suddenly, in Ye Chen's mental force perception, the target's trace was lost.
"!!!"
Instantly, Ye Chen's eyes widened. He hadn't expected this Spirit Beast's stealth abilities to be so strong?
A Spirit Beast suddenly disappearing meant either it used a spatial Spirit Ability to Teleport away, or the Spirit Beast itself belonged to the agility-attack system and possessed excellent stealth abilities.
And Ye Chen's mental perception range was not small, and he didn't sense the Spirit Beast's aura again, which ruled out the possibility of a spatial Spirit Ability.
Currently, Zhuqing still lacked her fifth spirit ring. If its attributes didn't conflict with this Spirit Beast's, a twenty-thousand-year-old agility-attack system Spirit Beast would obviously be very suitable to become her fifth spirit ring.
"Be careful, it has a stealth Spirit Ability. Rongrong, use Illusion Space."
To break through a stealth Spirit Ability, the only current method was to strengthen one's own mental force. As long as the mental force was strong enough, any stealth, disguise, or illusion would have nowhere to hide.
"Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space!"
Instantly, an invisible mental network, with Ning Rongrong herself as the link, connected the four of them, and also increased their mental force by 50%.
After the 50% increase in mental force, the hidden Spirit Beast was once again sensed by Ye Chen, and this time, because the distance was much closer, only a little over a hundred meters, Ye Chen sensed it even more clearly.
"A Shadow Leopard a little over twenty thousand years old?"
Ye Chen raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected it to be this kind of Spirit Beast.
The Shadow Leopard was a top-tier dark attribute agility-attack system Spirit Beast, possessing a considerable number of innate Spirit Abilities. Besides some offensive Spirit Abilities, two abilities required special attention.
The innate Spirit Ability: Stealth, which was the Spirit Ability the Shadow Leopard had just used. After using it, it could not only conceal its figure and eliminate its aura, but also reduce the sound of walking and running. It was precisely this stealth Spirit Ability that made the Shadow Leopard a terrifying assassin in the Spirit Beast world.
Often, prey that fell into the Shadow Leopard's hands didn't even know how they died; their heads were taken off silently.
Besides Stealth, the Shadow Leopard's other Spirit Ability: Clone, also had a very powerful effect.
The clones formed by the Shadow Leopard's Clone Spirit Ability were not illusory clones, but solid clones similar to Zhu Zhuqing's fourth Spirit Ability, Dark Shadow Clone, possessing considerable combat power. Not only could the Shadow Leopard turn a one-on-one fight into a group brawl when facing an enemy, but it was also a specialty for escaping.
Whenever it encountered a certain death situation, it would directly let the clones attract the enemy's attention, and then the main body would quietly conceal itself and slip away—it was simply perfect!
Of course, this tactic could only be used against opponents with weak mental force, otherwise, the problem would easily be discovered.
"Zhuqing, this is a Shadow Leopard a little over twenty thousand years old, perfectly suited for you."
This Shadow Leopard, both in age and attribute, was very suitable for Zhu Zhuqing. Having made up his mind, Ye Chen would not give it a chance to escape.
"A Shadow Leopard?"
Zhuqing was a little surprised. She hadn't expected to encounter a suitable target and immediately became delighted.
"I'll control it later, Zhuqing, you finish it off in time!"
"Mm-hmm."
Zhuqing nodded.
Chapter 200 Zhu Zhuqing's Attack Doubler 'Cheat'
Watching this Shadow Leopard, which thought it was well hidden, approach within a few tens of meters, Ye Chen suddenly erupted.
"First Spirit Ability, Imprisonment!"
The Pure Nether Bamboo Staff appeared in his hand, six spirit rings shone, and Ye Chen immediately activated his first Spirit Ability against the lurking Shadow Leopard.
The phantom of the Bamboo Staff quickly flew dozens of meters, descending on top of the Shadow Leopard's head.
The Shadow Leopard, as expected of a terrifying assassin in the Spirit Beast world, was extremely vigilant and reacted quickly after Ye Chen made his move.
Facing the rapidly flying Bamboo Staff, the agile Shadow Leopard immediately dodged to the side.
Unfortunately, Ye Chen's first Spirit Ability, Imprisonment, was ten thousand years old. Not only was its activation speed fast, but it also had a mental lock effect. As long as it was within Ye Chen's mental force perception range, it could not escape.
To deal with Ye Chen's rogue Spirit Ability, one either had to move faster than the Bamboo Staff phantom, use a Spirit Ability to obliterate the Bamboo Staff phantom in advance, or simply find someone to take the hit. Otherwise, it couldn't be avoided.
Unfortunately, this Shadow Leopard was only a twenty-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast, and its strength was still a bit lacking. It was caught by the Bamboo Staff phantom and hit hard on the head.
"Dong—"
After a muffled thud, the Spirit Ability's effect took hold, and the Shadow Leopard was Imprisoned in place, unable to move its body.
Meanwhile, as Ye Chen made his move, Zhu Zhuqing also immediately activated her Spirit and took action.
"Soul Bone Skill: Netherworld Assault, Soul Bone Skill: Netherworld Piercing."
Instantly, the extremely fast Zhu Zhuqing left an afterimage in place. In just a moment, she arrived beside the Shadow Leopard, which was Imprisoned in place.
"Third Spirit Ability, Nether Slash!"
Under the Shadow Leopard's desperate gaze, Zhu Zhuqing clasped her hands above her head, the claw blades on her ten fingers quickly merging into a Nether Claw Blade about a foot long, which she brought down towards the Shadow Leopard's neck.
"Puff—"
The sound of a sharp blade entering flesh rang out, and blood splattered.
The Shadow Leopard was not very old, and it was an agility-attack system Spirit Beast, so its defensive capabilities were not outstanding. Coupled with its body being Imprisoned, it took Zhu Zhuqing's third Spirit Ability, Nether Slash, without any resistance, and its neck was directly severed in half.
A majestic twenty-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast was instantly killed by the Level 50 Zhu Zhuqing under Ye Chen's shameless sneak attack.
Soon, countless golden light spots emanated from the Shadow Leopard's body, and a black ten-thousand-year spirit ring appeared.
...
Sunset and moonrise, night descended.
Suddenly, Zhu Zhuqing, who was absorbing the Shadow Leopard's spirit ring, opened her eyes.
The moment Zhu Zhuqing woke up, Ye Chen, who was guarding her, immediately noticed.
After attaching her fifth spirit ring, Zhu Zhuqing's spirit power level was even higher than Ning Rongrong's, directly reaching Level 55 Spirit King.
The reason she was one spirit power level higher than Ning Rongrong was because the original Zhu Zhuqing was a Level 48 Spirit Ancestor, two levels higher in spirit power than Ning Rongrong.
Moreover, the Shadow Leopard's spirit ring was over twenty thousand years old, about ten thousand years older than the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's spirit ring.
These two factors combined led to Zhu Zhuqing's spirit power level still being one level higher than Ning Rongrong's, even after Ning Rongrong unexpectedly obtained an external Spirit Bone.
Glancing at the Shadow Leopard's body on the ground, Ye Chen did not find any Spirit Bone drops.
There was no movement when absorbing the spirit ring, and nothing dropped on the ground, so it was clear that a Spirit Bone was out of the question.
The two luck cards used on Ning Rongrong resulted in a rare external Spirit Bone, while the four luck cards used on Zhu Zhuqing could basically be considered wasted.
Why 'basically'? That's because Ye Chen wasn't sure if the luck cards played a role in their encounter with this Shadow Leopard.
"Zhuqing, what is your fifth Spirit Ability?"
Although no Spirit Bone dropped, Ye Chen wasn't too disappointed. It would have been nice to have one, but it wasn't worth getting too upset over not having one.
"It's a Spirit Ability called Nether Shadow Connection, and it needs to be used in conjunction with the fourth Spirit Ability, Nether Shadow Clone. It can turn all my clones into shadows and create a linkage. As long as the main body hits, the subsequent attacks from the shadows cannot be dodged."
Listening to Zhu Zhuqing's explanation, Ye Chen was silent for a moment, realizing that his Da Mao Mi's Spirit Ability was quite extraordinary! It seemed to have the rhythm of a cheat.
Zhu Zhuqing's fourth Spirit Ability, Nether Shadow Clone, allowed her to conjure clones equal to the number of her spirit rings. Now that she was a Five-Ring Soul King, she had five clones.
Furthermore, these five clones had the same Spirit and spirit ring configuration as the main body, except they couldn't continue to use the fourth Spirit Ability, Nether Shadow Clone, for infinite nesting.
And these clones did not have Spirit Bones, so they couldn't use Soul Bone Skills. Most importantly, the thoughts of these clones were not synchronized with Zhu Zhuqing's main body.
Although the clones had a certain level of combat ability, they were no different from rigid robots. They could basically only be given commands like attack or retreat, and the effectiveness depended on luck.
But now with the fifth Spirit Ability, Nether Shadow Connection, the situation was different.
Originally, the clones could only be considered scattered soldiers with not-so-bright minds, but with the linkage effect of Nether Shadow Connection, they could work together. For example, if an opponent took one hit from Zhu Zhuqing's third Spirit Ability, Nether Slash, they would then have to take five more hits.
Excluding the impact of the opponent's defensive capabilities, this was equivalent to multiplying Zhu Zhuqing's current attack power by six times. Furthermore, when she becomes a Titled Douluo in the future, her attack power could reach up to ten times.
Of course, due to the lack of Soul Bone Skill bonuses, the clones' attack power was clearly somewhat inferior to Zhu Zhuqing's main body, so it couldn't be simply calculated as six times the damage.
Ye Chen remembered that in the original work, Zhu Zhuqing's fifth Spirit Ability seemed to have a similar effect to Nether Shadow Connection, but the attack power of the shadows seemed to decrease layer by layer, and the effect was not as good as the current one.
As for the specifics, because a number of years had passed, Ye Chen had forgotten this detail.
"Zhuqing, your Spirit Ability is excellent."
Ye Chen gave Zhu Zhuqing a thumbs up.
It could be said that the combination of Zhu Zhuqing's fourth and fifth Spirit Abilities became more effective the higher her level.
Six uses of the third Spirit Ability, Nether Slash, might not have been very obvious, but ten uses of a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ability would be extremely obvious. At that time, it would definitely be one hit per Titled Douluo!
However, Ye Chen also knew that although Zhu Zhuqing's fifth spirit ring was only twenty thousand years old now, its effect would likely be similar when it transforms into a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring in the future.
This type of Spirit Ability belonged to functional Spirit Abilities, and the age of the spirit ring actually didn't have much impact.