Thorn Counter-Spike, Life Force

As he pondered, the eyes of Wang Xian grew increasingly bright.

He had fully grasped the function of this skill.

When the blade edge strikes an enemy, it acts directly upon the mental plane, plunging the enemy into a brief state of fear that renders them unable to move.

If the enemy is already bound by the Evergreen Blue Silver Grass, the duration of the fear is doubled; the combination of binding and fear creates a perfect crowd-control chain.

Once an opponent is bound, they are already unable to break free, and being struck by fear on top of that leaves them without even the thought of struggling, forcing them to stand in place and take the beating.

A strike on the mental plane. This Weapon Form is derived from the Evergreen Blue Silver Grass, so the traits written on the Evergreen Blue Silver Grass are also manifested here, subsequently influencing the generation of the soul skill.

Wang Xian nodded slowly, quickly deducing the reason for the appearance of this skill.

"Next is the Armor Form."

With a thought from Wang Xian, emerald light spread from his chest, covering his entire body like flowing water.

After the light dissipated, a suit of deep, verdant armor was fitted snugly against his body.

The armor was not bulky; every plate clung to his body contours, and the joints featured a fish-scale layered design, allowing for movement without the slightest obstruction.

The surface of the plates was covered in fine golden patterns, like the veins of the earth, extending from his chest to his limbs; they flickered intermittently, as if the armor itself were breathing.

The shoulder guards were shaped like the heads of fierce tigers, with two golden crystals embedded in the tiger eyes, emitting a faint pressure as if a real tiger were crouching on his shoulders.

In the center of the breastplate was a vertical golden light pattern, extending from his collarbone to his abdomen like a flowing spring.

Three slender, grass-leaf capes extended from his back, the silver-white cold light at their tips flickering in and out of view, hanging behind him and swaying gently with his breathing.

Wang Xian looked down at himself and clenched his fists.

The fingers beneath the armor remained flexible, and the plates at the knuckles automatically retracted, not hindering any fine motor movements.

He stood up and took two steps; his gait was steady and powerful, and the weight of the armor was distributed so evenly that he felt no sense of being crushed or breathless.

"Let's test the passive skill first."

Wang Xian raised his right arm and tapped the surface of the armor lightly with the index finger of his left hand.

The moment his fingertip touched the armor, a row of fine barbs suddenly emerged from the point of impact, their sharp tips nearly piercing his finger.

Wang Xian quickly withdrew his hand, and the barbs slowly retracted.

Not only that, but as the barbs emerged, he felt a faint mental shock rebound from the armor, as if someone had lightly tapped his forehead, causing his vision to blur slightly.

Although it was very light, in the midst of battle, those few tenths of a second of disorientation could be the difference between life and death.

"Thorn Body." Wang Xian nodded with satisfaction.

Any melee attack that hits the armor triggers a retaliatory strike from the barbs, accompanied by a mental backlash.

This is equivalent to making the opponent pay a price for every punch they throw; the more they hit, the heavier their injuries.

Next was the active skill.

Wang Xian took a deep breath and channeled his Life Force.

The two tiger heads on the shoulder guards lit up simultaneously, and the golden crystals in the tiger eyes erupted with a dazzling emerald-gold radiance.

Immediately following, the golden patterns on the surface of the armor seemed to be injected with energy, instantly becoming bright and piercing. The entire suit of armor swelled slightly, emitting a low, humming sound.

A surge of heat poured out from the armor, flooding into his limbs and bones.

Wang Xian felt as if his body had been set ablaze.

His muscles tightened, his blood accelerated, and an unprecedented power surged within him.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles emitting a crisp "crack" sound, and the blade-like protrusions on the armor of his arms opened slightly with his movements, like a beast baring its fangs.

He threw a punch at the air in front of him.

The fist carried a sharp whistling sound, and a faint silver vortex swirled at the tip of the punch.

Halfway through the strike, a blurry phantom of a fierce tiger emerged from the fist, opening its maw to pounce forward.

The phantom lingered in the air for a moment before dissipating, but that brief pressure caused the air in the room to stagnate for an instant.

Wang Xian lifted his leg again and stomped on the ground.

The moment his armored foot hit the ground, a shockwave spread from beneath his sole, causing the floor to emit a dull "thud" and the bed to tremble along with it.

The barbs on the fingertips of the armor scraped several shallow white marks into the floor, so sharp they made one's scalp tingle.

"Double the strength, plus a shockwave and fear-induced paralysis..." Wang Xian moved his body, feeling the surging energy within him, and couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.

He tried jumping as well.

The explosive power of the leg armor far exceeded his expectations; he vaulted high into the air, his head nearly hitting the ceiling.

He managed to adjust his posture in mid-air, and when he landed, his knees were slightly bent, keeping him steady without making much noise.

"Speed is at least fifty percent faster." Wang Xian estimated, feeling even more satisfied.

He moved around the room in short bursts, his steps light and powerful, each landing carrying a sense of elasticity, as if he had springs installed in his feet.

The blade-like protrusions and fingertip barbs opened and closed with his movements, like a beast hunting for food.

Soon, thirty minutes passed, and the state vanished instantly.

A thirty-minute duration was enough to fight a tough battle.

Wang Xian moved his mind, and the golden patterns on the armor gradually dimmed, the expanded armor plates returned to their original state, and the light from the tiger head on the shoulder guards slowly extinguished.

The emerald green light converged from his limbs toward his chest, finally turning into a single point of light that sank into his body.

The room returned to silence.

Wang Xian sat back down on the bed and let out a long breath.

The Weapon Form had gained a Mental Control skill, while the Armor Form provided all-around attribute boosts and a damage reflection ability.

"Once the training for the Snake-Eating Frog is complete, I'll see if there are any other traits worth fusing."

Wang Xian calculated in his heart, closed the System Panel, and lay back on the bed with a satisfied smile on his lips.

"But since I already have thirty thousand Cultivation Points, I might as well cultivate the Armor Form one more time; it only costs one thousand Cultivation Points anyway."

"Armor Form, Life Armor, cultivating, progress 1%, estimated completion in thirty days."

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye. Today was a day off for Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy, and for the sake of Wang Xian's health, the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena had not scheduled any matches.

Upon learning of this, Dugu Yan suggested that they all go out to have some fun.

Neither Wang Xian nor Ye Lingling had any objections.

The next morning, Wang Xian put on a clean, sharp robe, left his dormitory, and arrived at the gate of Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy.