Netherflame Ghost Claw

Apart from the Myriad Ghost Banner, the second Upper Grade Magic Item Lei Dong chose was a brand-new suit of close-fitting inner armor. It was only a thin layer when worn, yet had extraordinarily powerful defensive properties; ordinary blades and swords could not even reach his body. Of course, compared with an Upper Grade Law Shield, the inner armor was nowhere near as strong in pure defense. At best, its defensive effect was about the same as a Lower Grade Law Shield.

However, the inner armor also had advantages that defensive shields lacked. For example, when Lei Dong ambushed the ugly young man, he hadn't had time to use his divine sense to guide a shield into position, and so the Shadow Ghost Soldier had struck him and left him gravely wounded. If he'd been wearing a suit of Upper Grade close-fitting inner armor, then even if the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier's strength had been enough to pierce it, it still couldn't have inflicted such grievous injuries on the ugly young man and caused his death. The inner armor wasn't really meant to withstand attacks. Instead, when every other defensive method failed or he was caught unprepared, it might just save his life. It improved his defense as if it were part of his own body.

Lei Dong had thought of a way to guard against ambushes because he was so used to ambushing others. Perhaps he'd never need this inner armor in his entire life, but it might save him one day. Of course, Lei Dong prayed he'd never have to use it.

After selecting two treasures, he took his leave of the Ghost Slave and went straight to Old Man Tang Qian to exchange for some spell techniques. He planned to go into seclusion before the Small Competition. After all, he'd already broken through his bottleneck; rushing out to stir up trouble would be foolish.

Lei Dong had been in the sect for nearly six years now, and he was no longer the little novice who'd once stood before Tang Qian. Tang Qian, meanwhile, treated him with extraordinary respect, keeping his head bowed and his manner deferential. The reason was simple: Tang Qian was no longer young, and he'd been stuck at the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Stage for a long, long time. But Lei Dong had reached Qi Refining Level Six in a mere six years—and, most importantly, he was a Personal Disciple.

After chatting idly with him for a few moments, Lei Dong made his request, and Tang Qian brought out some Jade Slip catalogs for him to browse. Ordinary disciples who wanted to learn spells had to complete sect missions or donate supplies and Magic Tools. Lei Dong, however, had nine hundred contribution points from placing fifth in the previous Small Competition. After exchanging for a few odds and ends, he still had more than seven hundred points left.

Lei Dong naturally wasn't interested in common, run-of-the-mill techniques. He thought over the power of the spells he'd seen over the years and weighed them against his own needs. In the end, he chose three signature spells of the Yin Sha Sect, all renowned throughout the Cultivation World and strictly forbidden from being passed on. If an outsider was ever found using one, they were to be killed if possible; if not, the sect had to be notified so it could deal with them.

Profound Yin Shield was a defensive technique that seemed to have many practitioners, and its effectiveness was plain to see. Once cast, it condensed Profound Yin True Qi into a translucent shield that covered the entire body. Its defensive power was astonishing, and it grew stronger as one's cultivation and control improved. Simple, practical, indispensable. Who wouldn't want a spell that could save their life?

At first, people only chose the spells they liked best to practice because they had limited time and energy. As they advanced, their abilities gradually became more balanced. That was simply the way things went.

The second was an escape technique called Ghost Shadow Escape. Its name alone made it clear that the technique was built around the uncanny, the elusive, and the swift. With Ghost Shadow Escape, Profound Yin Shield, the inner armor, the Cloud Ascending Boots, and that oddly shaped Upper Grade Magic Tool shield he hadn't yet dealt with, he had enough to keep himself alive for now.

For the last technique, Lei Dong didn't choose an offensive spell. Instead, he picked one called Netherflame Ghost Claw, a spell for restraint and capture. He'd considered the matter carefully. He already had the Three Ghost Soldiers for offensive power, and in the future he'd have the Myriad Ghost Banner, the Ghost Fire Sword, and the like. Why waste time and effort practicing offensive spells?

By contrast, restraint spells had caught Lei Dong's interest. He'd seen how much good the Fierce Howl Ghost Soldier's timely Ghost Howl had done to control the battlefield when he killed that ugly young man. The Three Ghost Soldiers were fearsome when they attacked together; all he needed to do was control the situation, and he could reap the greatest rewards.

The three spells, plus an introductory Jade Slip on artifact crafting, cost him a total of one hundred and twenty contribution points. This showed that spending contribution points to learn spells was far more worthwhile than exchanging them for Magic Tools. The only pity was that the spell Jade Slips he'd received were sealed; only he could use them.

He returned to his residence.

Lei Dong began practicing the three spells. Another great advantage of being a Personal Disciple was that their quarters were several times larger than those of ordinary disciples. Each residence had a private training ground of a decent size, entirely their own.

After studying the techniques for more than ten days, Lei Dong began testing them. He didn't use the wooden dummies; instead, he summoned the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier to test the Netherflame Ghost Claw.

A Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, created through Blood Sacrifice, counted as a Natal Ghost Servant. In some ways, it was far beyond a Ghost Soldier refined by the Myriad Ghost Banner. Besides being completely loyal to its master and obeying his commands through his divine sense, it also possessed its own independent intelligence. The higher a Ghost Servant's quality and rank, the greater its intelligence.

So Lei Dong simply gave it an order: do its best to dodge his Netherflame Ghost Claw.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier was already at level six, and its fighting strength was no less than that of an ordinary cultivator at Qi Refining Level Six. As a Ghost Soul, it was especially fast and elusive, rather like someone using Ghost Shadow Escape. At its master's command, it began darting wildly around the training ground in no discernible pattern.

Lei Dong stood still, as though deep in thought. Suddenly, as the Ghost Soldier swept past him from straight ahead, Lei Dong curled his five fingers into a claw. A ball of green light wrapped around his hand, and he thrust it forward at once. The green light tore free from his claw, transforming into a sinister, ghostly green hand. It grew larger and larger as it shot straight toward the Ghost Soldier's path.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier had been ordered not to get caught by the Netherflame Ghost Claw. Its drifting form came to an abrupt halt, and the sinister claw swept past it.

Lei Dong gave a cold snort, then drew his palm back to the left and clenched it. The claw that had missed its target abruptly wheeled around and lunged at the Ghost Soldier again. But the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier was intelligent and powerful. It immediately began using the Ghost Soldiers' distinctive, elusive footwork to dodge again and again. It squealed with excitement, as if playing a game of tag with the Netherflame Ghost Claw.

Lei Dong's face flushed. He made several grabs in quick succession, but the Ghost Soldier dodged them all with ease. At last, the Netherflame Ghost Claw's energy dissipated without a trace.

He closed his eyes and pondered for a while, then cast another claw. This time it was a little faster, and it moved a little more nimbly through the air, but the Ghost Soldier still dodged with glee. Lei Dong wasn't discouraged. He knew perfectly well that every spell had all kinds of flaws when first learned. Only after spending a great deal of time practicing and studying it would it gradually become second nature.

That was also one of the most important reasons Lei Dong chose his spells so carefully: too much greed would leave him with nothing. If he could grasp the essentials of Netherflame Ghost Claw in a few months, master it in a few years, and wield it with consummate skill after a dozen years, that would already be an impressive achievement. Every spell had been slowly refined over countless generations.

A spell's strength depended not only on the spell itself, but even more on the person casting it. Only by tempering a spell through relentless practice could one gradually unleash its full power and prevail in every battle. Netherflame Ghost Claw seemed simple enough: cast it, and it could seize an enemy from a distance. But for Lei Dong to truly master the technique and use it at will, there was no chance without countless repetitions.

And so Lei Dong cast Netherflame Ghost Claw again and again. Between each attempt, he thought over its problems and possible variations. A month later, during a sudden change of direction, he finally caught the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Watching the Ghost Soldier struggle and squeal in the grip of the huge, sinister green hand, Lei Dong couldn't help feeling a surge of satisfaction. Let's see you act cocky now, you little brat.

(Thank you all. I'm truly moved. After just one day on the Newcomer Rankings, you pushed me from twelfth place all the way to seventh, vote by vote. I hope every brother and sister who reads The Great Devil has joy in their hearts and happiness every day.)

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