Azure Wood Puppet's arms were already raised high, about to smash down fiercely on the rapidly approaching Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent!
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent naturally saw Azure Wood Puppet's thick arms crashing down upon it.
If this blow landed squarely, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent would likely lose its ability to resist immediately.
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent understood this as well and immediately let out a sharp, hurried hiss.
The fleshy crest atop its head flashed once more as it abruptly twisted its body, narrowly evading Azure Wood Puppet's ambush.
After activating its instantaneous acceleration twice in succession, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's crest looked noticeably wilted. The energy stored within had clearly been depleted considerably.
But it had all been worth it. After evading Azure Wood Puppet's attack, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent immediately let out a cheerful hiss.
It seemed to be celebrating its narrow escape, or perhaps mocking Ning Chen and Azure Wood Puppet.
"Beast, you're celebrating too soon!"
While Ning Chen had been circling with the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent earlier, he had never revealed the Wind-Chasing spell attached to his Wind-Chasing Boots, relying only on ordinary acceleration inscriptions.
Just as the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent believed it had escaped and was hissing in celebration, Ning Chen directly activated the Wind-Chasing spell attached to the Wind-Chasing Boots.
His speed surged instantly, and within three seconds, he rapidly closed the distance between himself and the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
Three seconds later, the bright spell-light on the Wind-Chasing Boots gradually faded, yet Ning Chen was still more than ten meters away from the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
Ning Chen immediately raised the Fierce Slash Blade in his hand. As he poured Soul Power into it, the intricate red patterns across the blade lit up at once.
The Soul Power quickly finished accumulating, and he swung down viciously.
A crimson blade light, visibly more solid and longer than the blade itself, shot from the Fierce Slash Blade.
Its blazing heat made the green leaves of the surrounding trees curl slightly as it passed.
Flame Slash was incredibly fast as it flew straight toward the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
At this moment, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had exhausted the energy gathered in the crest atop its head, while its old strength was spent and new strength had yet to arise. On top of that, its stamina had been nearly exhausted, and its speed was no longer what it had been at the beginning.
Though it dodged with all its might, Flame Slash still struck the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's body.
The searing, razor-sharp slash instantly tore open the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's body, but that was not the end.
The fire-element power within Flame Slash suddenly became active, and then a thunderous boom rang through the dense forest.
Ning Chen had directly detonated the fire-element power within Flame Slash, instantly blasting the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent into a bloody mess.
The blast's aftershock sent it flying, even blowing away half of its left wing and leaving it unable to maintain flight.
This was the explosive ability that accompanied Flame Slash unleashed by the Second-Level Flame-Slashing Blade. Its power had undoubtedly risen to an entirely new level compared to the first-level Fierce Slash Blade.
Ning Chen activated the Wind-Chasing spell of his Wind-Chasing Boots again, his speed surging once more as he arrived where the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had fallen.
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was still struggling desperately, but its body had nearly been blown in two by Flame Slash's explosion. Half the wing on its back was gone as well, and it had completely lost the ability to move.
Seeing Ning Chen approach, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent struggled to raise its head and hiss at him, its gaze cruel and venomous.
Ning Chen did not care in the slightest. He walked up to the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent and ended its life with one slash.
He then had Azure Wood Puppet stand guard nearby while he sat cross-legged on the ground and began absorbing the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's purple Millennium Soul Ring.
Possessing the Nine Yang Divine Skill greatly increased Ning Chen's speed of absorbing Spirit Rings.
In less than half a shichen, Ning Chen had completely absorbed the Millennium Soul Ring produced by the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, and his Soul Power soared directly to level twenty-six!
Ning Chen's Soul Power had already reached level twenty three months ago.
He had only delayed setting out to hunt a spirit beast because he had been forging protective magical artifacts.
But throughout those three months, Ning Chen had continued cultivating without pause.
Now that he had obtained a Spirit Ring, all that accumulated Soul Power finally burst forth.
At Ning Chen's cultivation speed, his Soul Power would likely reach level thirty in another month or two, and he would have to consider obtaining his third Spirit Ring.
Cultivating too quickly was also a happy kind of trouble for Ning Chen.
When he summoned his Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda seemed to have become even more gorgeous and exquisite. One yellow and one purple Spirit Ring appeared behind Ning Chen as well.
The soul skills of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul were almost all fixed. Its first soul skill was Power Amplification, and its second soul skill was naturally Speed Amplification.
"Seven treasures turn forth glazed light, the second treasure is called speed!"
Ning Chen immediately tested his soul skill. This time, he did not activate the Wind-Chasing Boots.
Yet with the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's second soul skill, his speed was actually even faster than it had been when he activated the inscriptions on the Wind-Chasing Boots!
Just like Power Amplification, the speed amplification granted to Ning Chen by the Millennium Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent also far exceeded the thirty-five percent amplification ratio of ordinary Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Masters.
Moreover, because he had gained another Spirit Ring, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's amplification ratio had risen as well. But rather than the customary ten percent, it had increased by fifteen percent!
Adding that fifteen percent, Ning Chen's Power Amplification and Speed Amplification both reached fifty percent!
Such an amplification ratio had long surpassed Ning Rongrong at the same cultivation level.
This was an amplification ratio that Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Masters could only achieve at the Soul Ancestor level, yet Ning Chen had reached it while still a Soul Grandmaster!
It was simply monstrous!
One had to know that when Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Masters amplified themselves, their power would not be reduced as it was with Oscar's soul skills.
Whether amplifying others or themselves, the amplification ratio remained fixed.
Though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was a support-type Martial Soul, if its effects were stacked upon oneself, it was equivalent to possessing at least six amplification-type soul skills.
If one also possessed sufficient offensive means, how would that differ from a power-attack Soul Master with nothing but amplification-type soul skills? Furthermore, the amplification ratio of amplification-type soul skills would not weaken as a Soul Master's cultivation level rose.
Ning Chen stroked his chin, feeling as though he had discovered an entirely new way to use the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was a support-type Martial Soul, Soul Master cultivation realms were the same for everyone.
Though the era of Soul Tools had not yet arrived in this time period.
Self-Created Soul Skills had always existed.
The direct-line Soul Masters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always sought Soul Masters with powerful offensive abilities as partners to protect themselves.
But if they spent more time creating some Self-Created Soul Skills for self-defense, they could likewise greatly improve their ability to protect themselves.
In the end, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had been harmed by the entrenched thinking of the Soul Master World.
Did support-type Martial Souls only have the ability to create support or amplification-support Self-Created Soul Skills?
Even if their offensive abilities were insufficient, could creating several movement-type Self-Created Soul Skills not greatly improve their chances of survival?
Although Ning Chen now primarily cultivated the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, pairing it with a full set of Soul Tools could likewise allow him to display considerable combat power.
Before you continue