Strange Lion-bodied Snake-dancing Beast!

The Spring Vine Snake, a spirit beast that looked like a vine-covered snake.

It often hung from treetops, waiting for a chance to catch bird-type spirit beasts.

It was venomous and reacted quickly.

"Alright, don't make a sound later."

Zhao Chen gave her a reminder, then headed in that direction.

Ten meters away, he spotted something vine-like hanging from a treetop ahead.

If one did not look carefully, it would be hard to notice. Its body was green like a vine.

Zhao Chen discreetly observed it. Once he located the snake's head, he immediately took out the Asura Bow.

He nocked that firewood stick onto the bowstring.

"Whoosh!"

As the sound of something tearing through the air rang out, the Level 2 Spirit Beast Spring Vine Snake only sensed the danger when it was within half a meter, and immediately reacted.

But it had no chance at all.

A rusty firewood stick smashed directly into its head.

Bang!

Blood splattered across the leaves, staining them green.

A green Spring Vine Snake spirit essence slowly floated up.

Zhao Chen decisively absorbed it with the Crimson Token.

The enhancement brought by a Level 2 Spirit Beast's spirit essence was no longer particularly significant.

It could only be said that it was much better than a Level 1 Spirit Beast's spirit essence.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully used the Asura Bow to kill five Level 2 Spirit Beasts and one Level 3 Spirit Beast. Sign-in mission complete. You have received one sign-in opportunity!"

Zhao Chen finally let out a sigh of relief. He had completed it at last.

The difficulty of this sign-in mission lay in killing a Level 3 Spirit Beast and meeting the required number of spirit beast kills.

The latter had actually been the harder part.

"System, I want to sign in!"

Zhao Chen decisively used the sign-in opportunity. He would be fighting a Level 4 Spirit Beast later, and if he wanted to secure victory, he definitely needed to become stronger.

"Ding! Signing in. Sign-in location—Spirit Road. Sign-in successful."

"Ding! Congratulations, Host! Sign-in successful. You have received the sign-in reward—'Nine Heavens Thunderclap Steps'!"

Zhao Chen frowned. Was this a spirit art or a martial skill?

If it was a spirit art, that would be rather troublesome.

This was the Spirit Road Trial Space, where there was no way to cultivate or use spirit power.

The only thing they could rely on was their own Spirit Bodies.

But if it was a martial skill, it would definitely be extremely useful on the Spirit Road.

In the long run, Zhao Chen hoped it was a spirit art. After leaving the Spirit Road Trial Space, he could continue cultivating it.

But for now, a martial skill was undoubtedly more urgent.

Especially since, judging from its name, it seemed to be a movement technique.

He immersed his consciousness into the Mustard Seed Bracelet and saw a scripture that had appeared inside.

The instant his consciousness touched it and turned a page, it transformed into a streak of violet-blue light that shot toward his glabella and entered his mind.

"Nine Heavens Thunderclap Steps, a movement-type spirit art!"

Zhao Chen frowned. He had initially worried that he would be unable to cultivate this spirit art on the Spirit Road, but after looking it over, he realized he had worried too much.

The foundation of spirit arts was martial skills.

It was just that once spirit power was used, they underwent earth-shaking changes.

Within the Spirit Road Trial Space, he could use the Nine Heavens Thunderclap Steps as a movement martial skill.

And after leaving the Spirit Road, with the foundation gained here, cultivating it later would also be much easier.

There were many types of spirit arts: cultivation spirit arts, defensive spirit arts, offensive spirit arts, movement spirit arts, and so on. There were even some especially dangerous spirit arts that could be considered forbidden techniques, the kind that injured the enemy by a thousand while harming oneself by eight hundred.

The prerequisite for using spirit arts was possessing spirit power.

Every use of a spirit art consumed spirit power.

Without spirit power, it was merely a top-tier martial skill.

Spirit arts were divided into Mortal Grade, Spirit Grade, and Divine Grade, with each grade further divided into low, middle, and high quality.

From Zhao Chen's initial assessment, this movement spirit art, the Nine Heavens Thunderclap Steps, was far from simple.

But to see its exact effects, he would still need to cultivate it and use spirit power.

What surprised Zhao Chen was that he already knew how to use the Nine Heavens Thunderclap Steps.

First this, then that, and he was done.

He fell silent in thought. He could only try it out later when killing that Level 4 Spirit Beast.

"Ding! New sign-in mission triggered: Successfully kill three Level 3 Spirit Beasts and one Level 4 Spirit Beast to receive one sign-in opportunity!"

Hearing this, Zhao Chen felt fortunate.

Luckily, he had played it safe.

Otherwise, after killing that Level 4 Spirit Beast, he would have to search for and kill another Level 4 Spirit Beast. That would be far too troublesome; he would cry himself to death.

When he returned to Wu Yingying's side, he saw her ask eagerly:

"How was it? Did that Spring Vine Snake raise your Spirit Body to the next level?"

This was crucial. She was very much looking forward to the spirit medicine.

"To the next level?"

Zhao Chen's expression became somewhat strange. "Maybe only a Level 4 Spirit Beast could do that."

He was certain that very few people could improve their Spirit Bodies faster than he could.

Going from a First-Level Spirit Body to a Second-Level Spirit Body was not particularly difficult.

But going from a Second-Level Spirit Body to a Third-Level Spirit Body was undoubtedly more than twice as difficult.

To advance from a Third-Level Spirit Body to a Fourth-Grade Spirit Body, Zhao Chen estimated that he would need to kill one Level 4 Spirit Beast, along with several Level 3 Spirit Beasts.

Level 2 Spirit Beasts were practically optional, truly of little use.

"Alright, let's head up. Just watch and adapt later."

Zhao Chen took the lead, the Asura Sword in his hand already itching for battle.

After climbing the mountain for some time, they passed from dense woodland into a forest of withered trees. They continued forward, rounded a steep mountain wall, and climbed higher.

At last, they saw what the mountaintop looked like.

Amid the endless withered yellow atop the mountain, a vivid flash of red gleamed.

Once Zhao Chen saw it clearly, delight appeared on his face.

It really was the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit. The egg-sized red fruit was crystal-clear and plump, supported by a withered yellow stem, while its withered leaves swayed in the wind.

A faint, secluded fragrance drifted toward them.

"This is..."

Wu Yingying furrowed her brows slightly and thought carefully. Then her eyes lit up as she cried out in surprise:

"It's actually a Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit, an exceptional spirit medicine for improving Physical Quality!"

Although she had noticed from the terrain and surroundings that there was precious spirit medicine here,

she had never expected it to be a Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit!

"If I can eat the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit, wouldn't I be able to advance directly to a Third-Level Spirit Body?!"

It could be said that this Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit was even more precious than a Level 4 Spirit Beast's spirit essence, and its effect in enhancing one's Spirit Body was stronger!

At this point, Wu Yingying was also certain that its guardian spirit beast had to be a Level 4 Spirit Beast.

Only a spirit beast of that level could guard the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit.

When it intended to break through to Level 5, the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit would allow it to advance smoothly!

"What are you thinking!"

Zhao Chen rolled his eyes. With him here, she still wanted to keep the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit all to herself? Dream on.

He looked at the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit, the corners of his lips curling upward.

With the addition of a Level 4 Spirit Beast's spirit essence, he would have a chance to reach the bottleneck of a Fourth-Grade Spirit Body.

Once he killed several Level 3 Spirit Beasts and absorbed their spirit essence energy, he would be able to enter the Fourth-Grade Spirit Body stage for certain!

Zhao Chen looked around, picked up a small stone from the ground, and hurled it at the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit.

Since the guardian spirit beast had not taken the initiative to appear, he could only lure the snake from its hole himself.

Bang!

As that small stone neared the Crimson Cloud Scarlet Tempering Fruit, it was unexpectedly shattered by a vine-like tentacle.

Zhao Chen sharply locked onto that location, then rushed to the other side and saw what lay behind the mountain wall.

A half-meter-tall spirit beast with several tentacles stood before him.

The spirit beast resembled a small lion, with a golden mane. Yet four grayish-white venomous snakes resembling tentacles grew from its back!

The bizarre spirit beast formed from a lion and venomous snakes sent chills down one's spine.

"Level 4 Spirit Beast, the Lion-bodied Snake-dancing Beast!"