Netherflame Ghost Claw

Apart from the Myriad Ghost Banner, the second Upper Grade Magic Item Lei Dong chose was a brand-new close-fitting inner armor. Worn on the body, it was only a thin layer, yet it possessed exceptionally strong defensive power; ordinary blades and swords simply could not reach the body. Of course, compared to a similar Upper Grade defensive shield, purely in terms of defensive strength, the inner armor was far inferior. The defensive effect of this inner armor was at most comparable to that of a Lower Grade Law Shield.

However, the inner armor also had other advantages that a defensive shield lacked. For example, when Lei Dong ambushed the Ugly Youth, because he hadn't had time to use his Spiritual Sense to command a shield for targeted defense, he was severely injured by the Shadow Ghost Soldier. If he had been wearing such an Upper Grade close-fitting inner armor, even if the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier could barely penetrate it, it wouldn't have caused such massive damage to the Ugly Youth, ultimately leading to his death. Thus, the existence of inner armor wasn't truly meant to resist attacks. Instead, it served as a chance to save one's life when other defensive methods completely failed or caught one off guard. What it enhanced was the defensive strength nearly equivalent to one's physical body.

Lei Dong, accustomed to ambushing others, naturally thought of ways to prevent being ambushed himself. Perhaps this inner armor would never be used in a lifetime, but it might just save his life at some critical moment. Of course, Lei Dong also prayed that he would never need to use it.

After selecting the two treasures, he took his leave of the Ghost Slave and went straight to Tang Qian, the old man, to exchange for some techniques, preparing to enter Closed Door Cultivation before the Small Competition. After all, he had just broken through a bottleneck, and it would be unwise to recklessly stir up trouble.

Now, Lei Dong had been in the sect for nearly six years and was no longer the newcomer facing Tang Qian back then. Tang Qian, in turn, treated Lei Dong with great respect, adopting a submissive demeanor. The reason was simple: Tang Qian was already old and had been stuck at Qi Refining Stage Eighth Layer for a very long time. But Lei Dong, in just six years, had reached Qi Refining Level Six, and most importantly, he was a personal disciple.

After casually chatting with him for a bit, Lei Dong asked Tang Qian to bring out some Jade Slip catalogs for him to choose from based on his needs. Ordinary disciples who wanted to learn spells had to complete sect tasks or donate materials and magic items. However, Lei Dong had nine hundred contribution points from placing fifth in the last Small Competition. After exchanging for some small odds and ends, he still had over seven hundred points left unused.

Lei Dong naturally wouldn't choose any common, run-of-the-mill spells. Comparing the power of various spells he had seen over the years and considering his own needs, he finally selected three signature spells of the Yin Sha Sect. These spells were quite famous throughout the entire Cultivation World and were absolutely not to be passed on to outsiders. If anyone outside the sect was found using them, they were to be killed if possible; if not, the matter had to be reported to the sect for handling.

Profound Yin Shield was a defensive technique that many seemed to cultivate, but its effect was obviously powerful. Once activated, it could condense Profound Yin True Qi into a semi-transparent shield enveloping the entire body. Its defensive power was astonishing, and as cultivation improved and control became more skilled, the defense would grow even stronger. Simple, practical, and indispensable. Who wouldn't like a life-saving spell?

At the start, everyone only chose spells they liked to cultivate first due to limited energy and time. But as one progressed further, development would become more balanced—that was the rule.

The second was a movement technique called Ghost Shadow Escape. As the name suggested, Ghost Shadow Escape was a movement technique based on mystery, elusiveness, and speed. Lei Dong believed that Ghost Shadow Escape, Profound Yin Shield, the inner armor, Cloud Ascending Boots, and the oddly shaped Upper Grade Law Shield he hadn't yet dealt with—these items combined were enough to keep him alive for now.

For the last item, Lei Dong didn't choose an attack spell. Instead, he picked a spell called Netherflame Ghost Claw. Netherflame Ghost Claw was a control-type capture spell. This was the result of careful consideration on Lei Dong's part. For attack output, he not only had the Three Ghost Soldiers but would also have the Myriad Ghost Banner, Ghost Fire Sword, and the like in the future. Why bother painstakingly cultivating attack spells?

Instead, control-type spells

appealed to Lei Dong. He could see from the recent killing of the Ugly Youth how much credit the timely "Ghost Howl" from the Fierce Howl Ghost Soldier had for controlling the field. The combined attack power of the Three Ghost Soldiers was extraordinary; all he needed to do was control the situation to achieve maximum results.

The three spells, plus a Jade Slip on the basics of artifact refining, cost a total of one hundred and twenty contribution points. This showed that using contribution points to learn spells was far more cost-effective than using them to exchange for magic items. The only pity was that the spell Jade Slips obtained through exchange had restrictions placed on them and could only be used by himself.

He returned to his residence.

Lei Dong began cultivating these three spells. Another major advantage of being a personal disciple was that their living quarters were several times larger than those of ordinary disciples. Each residence had a private training ground, not small in size, that belonged entirely to them.

After more than ten days of contemplation, Lei Dong started testing the spells.

Instead of using wooden dummies, he summoned the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier to try out Netherflame Ghost Claw.

A ghost soldier like the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, obtained through Blood Sacrifice, could be considered a Natal Ghost Servant. In a sense, it was far superior to ghost soldiers refined through the Myriad Ghost Banner. Besides being completely loyal to its master and obeying his Spiritual Sense commands, it also possessed its own independent intelligence. The higher the quality and level of the ghost servant, the stronger its intelligence.

Thus, Lei Dong simply gave it an order: do its best to avoid his Netherflame Ghost Claw.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, already at level six, had combat power no less than that of an average Qi Refining Level Six cultivator. Especially in its ghost soul form, it was very fast and elusive, almost as if it were using Ghost Shadow Escape. Under its master's command, the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier began darting randomly around the training ground.

Lei Dong stood there quietly, as if deep in thought. Suddenly, as the ghost soldier swiftly passed right in front of him, Lei Dong formed his five fingers into a claw, instantly wrapped in a green glow, and shot forward rapidly. The green light broke free from his claw, transforming into a sinister, ghostly green claw that grew larger and larger, heading straight for the ghost soldier's flight path.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier's order was not to be caught by Netherflame Ghost Claw. Its elusive form abruptly halted, and the sinister claw brushed past it.

Lei Dong snorted coldly, pulling and twisting his palm to the left and back. The claw that had missed made a sharp turn and grabbed at the ghost soldier again. However, the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier had good intelligence and strong strength. It immediately used the ghost soldier's unique elusive movement to dodge continuously, squeaking excitedly as if playing hide-and-seek with Netherflame Ghost Claw.

Lei Dong's face flushed. He grabbed several times, but each time the ghost soldier easily dodged. Finally, the energy of Netherflame Ghost Claw dissipated completely.

Closing his eyes, he pondered for a while. Then Lei Dong unleashed another ghost claw. This time, it was a bit faster and slightly more agile in its flight. But the ghost soldier dodged happily again. Lei Dong wasn't discouraged. He knew that any spell in its early stages would have various shortcomings. Only through extensive practice and study over time would it gradually become effortless.

This was also one of the most important reasons Lei Dong carefully chose his spells: bite off more than one can chew. Mastering the essentials of this Netherflame Ghost Claw in a few months, becoming proficient in a few years, and playing it to perfection in over a decade would already be quite an achievement. Every spell had evolved over countless generations of predecessors.

The strength of a spell depended not only on the spell itself but, most importantly, on the caster. Only through repeated tempering of a spell could its power be fully unleashed, making it invincible in combat. For example, Netherflame Ghost Claw seemed simple—just cast it and grab an enemy in midair. But for Lei Dong to truly master this spell and apply it freely, extensive, repeated hard practice was absolutely essential.

Thus, Lei Dong cast Netherflame Ghost Claw over and over. In every interval, he pondered various issues and variations. It wasn't until a month later, during an unintentional flicker and turn, that he finally caught the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Watching the ghost soldier firmly held by that sinister, green, massive hand, struggling desperately and squeaking wildly, Lei Dong couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. See if you still dare to be cocky now.

(Thank you, everyone. I'm truly moved. It's only been a day since I got on the newcomer list, and you've pushed me from twelfth to seventh place with your votes. May every Brother and Sister who reads The Great Devil be happy and joyful every day.)

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