The first thing He Xi tested was Spell Amplification.
He wasn't trying to maximize its power. He only channeled a little mana and cast the most ordinary Earth Spike.
His goal wasn't to destroy the target, but to feel how the staff amplified the spell itself.
"Whoosh!"
A sharp Earth Spike burst out of the soil beneath the target, striking the bottom of the iron plate with a dull thud.
The heavy iron target bounced upward under the force, but the spike didn't pierce through it.
The effect was obvious.
An ordinary Earth Spike Technique had its limits. Piercing a thick iron target used for training was unrealistic.
If He Xi had cast it barehanded, the spike would likely have shattered on impact.
But cast through the staff, the Earth Spike had become significantly harder, enough to withstand the collision.
What surprised He Xi even more, though, was how it felt to cast the spell.
Although the target was stationary, he could clearly sense that the spell's aim had become remarkably stable and precise.
He believed that if he faced those charging Spined Boars now, his Earth Spikes wouldn't miss so easily again.
"Let's try this next."
He Xi raised the staff again, this time channeling more mana.
[Earth Spike Technique Lv. 3]!
Unlike before, five thick Earth Spikes burst out at an angle from five different directions, like the claws of a giant beast, and clamped the iron target firmly in place.
"Groan—Clang!"
A piercing metallic screech rang out.
The five spikes held the iron target fast in the center, and the immense pressure deformed it in an instant.
The increased hardness of the Earth Spikes had indirectly boosted the spell's destructive power.
He Xi nodded in satisfaction.
Next, he would test the effect of "biting."
He had to