However, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's hide was a little too thick.
Su Chen had misjudged the distance. That swipe had only half-ripped through its skull instead of landing a fatal blow.
"Roar—!!!"
The searing pain instantly drowned what little reason the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear possessed.
It let out an earth-shaking roar of agony.
The air around it trembled violently, forming visible ripples. Several nearby trees as thick as bowls snapped in half, their branches and leaves flying everywhere.
Su Chen had been prepared. He had already Teleported a hundred meters away.
Had he been a second slower, things might have gone badly.
That was the weakness of a glass cannon: outrageously powerful offense, but an equally fragile body. There was no room for mistakes.
Below, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear had fallen completely into madness.
Its gaze locked onto Su Chen once more as it charged at him with all its strength.
"Heh, a beast that's lost its mind is just looking to die." Su Chen grinned.
Clearly, this Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was only a hundred-year Soul Beast and lacked intelligence.
Moreover, as the ruler of this place, it had remained invincible for too long and naturally lost its vigilance toward danger.
Su Chen vanished again.
Seeing this, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear immediately stopped and looked around, trying to find Su Chen so it could tear him apart.
Unfortunately, it saw nothing.
Because Su Chen was directly above it.
"Thud—"
Su Chen landed squarely on the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's neck.
"Roar—"
The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear instantly sensed the lethal intent descending from above.
It did not even have time to look up before its two absurdly thick arms, tipped with terrifying dark-gold claws, smashed upward together.
However, Su Chen would not give it another chance!
"It's over!"
Su Chen's right dragon claw, already brimming with power, viciously clawed toward the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's head.
"Squish—"
This time, the sound of flesh being pierced was dull yet clear.
His dragon-scale-covered arm sank deep into the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's brain without the slightest resistance!
A scorching, viscous sensation instantly enveloped Su Chen's arm.
Without hesitation, he clenched his five dragon claws tightly.
At the same time, the immense Soul Power gathered around his arm erupted with a thunderous burst!
"Bang—"
A dull explosion rang out from inside the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's enormous head.
Su Chen had merely used a Soul Power shockwave. It was not strong enough to blow apart the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's head, but shattering its brain was effortless.
After all, that was the fatal weakness of most creatures.
"Roar... urgh..."
The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's berserk roar abruptly stopped, turning into a brief whimper.
The savage crimson light in its eyes faded at a visible speed.
Its raised claws, poised to clap together, froze weakly in midair and never came down.
"Boom—!!!"
Its mountain-like body shuddered violently before crashing to the ground.
The dust slowly settled, revealing the enormous corpse that had lost all signs of life.
At the back of its head, a massive bloody hole continuously gushed dark-gold blood and white brain matter.
Before long, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's corpse dissolved into specks of light.
A stream of yellow spiritual energy flowed into Su Chen's body.
Though the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear possessed terrifying combat strength, the increase it gave Su Chen's Soul Ring age was actually no different from that of an ordinary hundred-year Soul Beast.
The only difference was...
Su Chen looked toward the spot where the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's corpse had vanished.
There, a golden... Soul Bone had appeared.
"It really is a Soul Bone!"
Su Chen picked up the Soul Bone and examined it carefully.
The guardians of the Spirit Ascension Platform were powerful because they had fused with Soul Bones. Killing them could make those Soul Bones drop, but they could not be taken outside and could only be absorbed within the Spirit Ascension Platform.
Neither Mu Xi nor Ouyang Zixin was suited for it.
Su Chen could only absorb it himself.
As for Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin, once Su Chen became stronger, it would be easy enough for him to help them improve their combat strength later.
With that thought, Su Chen used his Soul Power to draw the palm bone toward him.
Because Su Chen possessed a powerful physique, the palm bone easily merged into his body and fused with his hand, becoming an External Soul Bone.
Su Chen sensed it and discovered that he had not gained an additional skill, though his strength had increased considerably.
"Getting benefits like this in the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform means this trip wasn't wasted." Su Chen let out a breath. Rather than being greedy, he was quite satisfied.
This round had been an absolute windfall.
Su Chen looked ahead. Before him still lay a deep forest.
But Su Chen knew that beyond this forest was perhaps the territory of the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform, where he could encounter even more powerful Soul Beasts.
However, he did not enter. Instead, he pressed the SOS Device and chose to leave.
One could not be too greedy in life. He had already gained a great deal today and had directly cleared the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform. Su Chen was satisfied.
As for further Soul Ring upgrades, those could wait until he obtained his second Soul Ring and a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit.
After all, once he obtained his second Soul Ring, he would still need to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform.
By then, he would enter the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform.
And by then, he would definitely possess a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit. Only by directly clearing the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform could he maximize efficiency.
"Whoosh—"
Su Chen's consciousness blurred. When he opened his eyes again, he was still inside the cold Connection Pod.
"Hiss—"
A faint depressurization sound rang out as the Connection Pod's transparent cover slowly slid open.
Su Chen braced himself and sat up, rolling his somewhat stiff neck.
He subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body and the subtle changes brought by the Soul Bone fused into his palm.
His strength had indeed increased significantly. Although he had not gained a new skill, getting something for free still felt good.
Out of habit, he looked toward the Connection Pods beside Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin.
Both of their pod doors had long since opened, and they were standing some distance away.
However, their condition was somewhat strange.
Both had their heads slightly lowered, their hands awkwardly folded in front of them like students called on by a teacher in class, looking extremely restrained.
Su Chen turned his head and only then realized that someone else stood beside him.
A woman stood quietly at his side, as though she were the true owner of this room.
She was tall and wore a fitted dark-red dress that outlined her mature, voluptuous curves.
Below the hem, her slender calves were wrapped in ultra-thin black stockings, and she wore simple yet refined black high heels.
Her features were elegant. She appeared to be around thirty, with an air of maturity settled between her brows.
Yet what Su Chen felt most deeply was the intangible aura surrounding her.
It was not pressure deliberately released. It was more like a natural sense of presence that radiated from her, as unfathomable as an Abyss.
Su Chen felt as though he stood before some primordial beast, and a sense of his own smallness arose naturally.
When her gaze fell upon him, it did carry a trace of gentleness and appreciation.
Yet Su Chen became even more keenly aware of the gulf between them, as though it were an uncrossable chasm.
The feeling was far too direct, as if she and he were no longer lifeforms from the same dimension.
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