Nourished by the life element, Xiao Xuan's fatigue from traveling through the night vanished entirely.
Then Xiao Xuan swung the bamboo spear in his hand, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Besides the added life attribute, this synthesis and upgrade had also granted it a water attribute.
That reminded Xiao Xuan of a technique from an anime he had watched in his previous life: Water Breathing.
The spear was the king of all weapons. Though it was neither a saber nor a sword, the myriad paths of martial arts led to the same destination, and the application of force and their artistic conception were inherently connected.
Ordinary Soul Masters often relied too heavily on the fixed Soul Skills granted by their Soul Rings. Once their Soul Power ran dry or their skills were unavailable, their combat strength would be severely diminished.
But if he could draw on his mastered intermediate spear techniques and turn this water-attribute essence into ever-changing flowing-water killing moves, wouldn't that be the same as creating a set of Self-Created Soul Skills of his own?!
With the idea in mind, an eager gleam flashed through Xiao Xuan's eyes.
With that thought, Xiao Xuan's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he immediately put the force techniques of his mastered intermediate spear techniques into motion!
Opening move-the Collapse Character Art!
Xiao Xuan's spine snapped like a dragon's backbone, and his full strength surged from the soles of his feet through to his arms. The bamboo spear in his grasp jolted forward and sideways!
Splash!
Soul Power surged madly down the shaft, and the delicate pale blue sheen on the spear tip suddenly blazed!
The water vapor filling the air was forcibly drawn together, forming a deep blue torrent several zhang long before Xiao Xuan, its furious waves churning!
The collapsing force burst from the spear. Like a massive, weighty liquid hammer, the torrent crashed into a millstone-sized granite boulder directly ahead amid the rumbling roar of waves!
Bang!
The hard granite failed to hold out for even half a breath. Crushed and shattered head-on by the overwhelming wave, its fragments burst outward amid white spray, filling the air with mist!
"What overwhelming hidden force in that water!"
Xiao Xuan's eyes shone brightly. His footwork never faltered as he pressed forward with the momentum, smoothly shifting his spear technique!
Thrust Character Art-Air-Breaking Thrust!
Xiao Xuan sank his waist into a horse stance, the muscles in his right forearm tensing. The long spear in his hand became a blue-green afterimage of rushing wind as he drove it straight into the empty air ahead more than ten times in succession!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Every straight thrust carried an armor-piercing edge at its tip. And the instant each thrust pierced the air, the tip also spat out a high-pressure arrow of water, condensed into the shape of a short spear!
More than ten streams of deep blue water shot through the air like a relentless downpour, trailing sharp, piercing sonic booms!
They whistled through the waterfall's curtain dozens of meters away, tearing several clean, clear holes through the thick sheet of plunging water. The holes did not close for a long time!
Fast!
Fierce!
Unparalleled in sharpness!
Immediately afterward, Xiao Xuan half turned, his wrist twisting rapidly and nimbly like a butterfly flitting through flowers!
Spear spin-Water Wheel Circular Guard!
The long spear spun rapidly around Xiao Xuan, moving so tightly that not even the wind could pass through, leaving only overlapping, interwoven rings of afterimages.
As the spear spun fiercely, droplets from the cold spring beneath the waterfall were pulled by an invisible attraction. They gathered madly around Xiao Xuan of their own accord, forming a rapidly rotating, translucent ring of deep blue water!
Waves rolled over the water ring's surface. Not only could it block attacks from outside, but its rotation also continuously sprayed fine, razor-sharp water arrows in every direction!
Puff, puff, puff, puff!
The hard, tangled shrubs and rock faces within a radius of more than ten meters were sliced flat by the spray of rotating water, their cut surfaces smooth as mirrors!
It combined offense and defense, without a drop getting through!
Xiao Xuan's fighting spirit was at its peak. He drove his toes hard against the gravel bank and leaped several zhang into the air!
Still airborne, he raised the long spear high above his head!
Lift Character Art followed by Chop Character Art-Waterfall Slash!
The long spear chopped straight down, and the water vapor wrapped around its shaft became a blade of pure water shaped like a massive axe. With the overwhelming force to split mountains and sunder peaks, it slashed straight down onto the shallows of the deep pool below!
Rumble!
The chop tore a trench two meters deep through the water's surface. The surging pool water rolled backward and churned, raising white waves several zhang high before scattering across the ground with a patter like torrential rain!
The spear routine was complete, executed as smoothly as flowing clouds and running water, each move released and withdrawn at will.
Xiao Xuan drew back his wrist gently, and the water vapor filling the air dissipated without a trace.
Xiao Xuan examined the bamboo spear in his hand, thoroughly satisfied with this spear technique that incorporated the water element.
Although the spear technique was still only in its infancy and had yet to reach the resonance with laws that came with mastery of a Self-Created Soul Skill,
its versatility and destructive power had already far exceeded what ordinary Soul Masters could handle.
Combined with the life element's restorative properties, as long as the battle dragged on, he could wear an opponent to death through sheer attrition.
His overall strength had risen, and his trump cards were plentiful, naturally giving him a little more confidence.
Xiao Xuan put away the bamboo spear and looked into the distance.
"Next, it's time to snatch the Eight Spider Lances first!"
As an External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances possessed growth potential and functionality that Xiao Xuan could not afford to miss.
But Xiao Xuan did not know exactly which Man Faced Demon Spider would drop the Eight Spider Lances, so he could only try his luck.
Fortunately, there was still time. As long as he killed that Man Faced Demon Spider before Tang San and the others arrived, he could obtain the Eight Spider Lances ahead of them.
Xiao Xuan then took out the information on Soul Beast distribution he had prepared in advance and headed for the Man Faced Demon Spider territory indicated in it.
Two days passed.
Over those two days, Xiao Xuan traveled through the forest. Even he could no longer remember how many Man Faced Demon Spiders he had killed, including individuals ranging from several hundred years old to ferocious specimens over a thousand years old.
Yet he had not seen even the slightest trace of a Soul Bone.
Xiao Xuan exhaled a stale breath, his brows furrowing slightly as he could not help muttering inwardly.
Could it really be that I arrived early and threw the timeline out of alignment?
Just as he hesitated over whether to slow down for the time being, a sudden change occurred!
From the dense canopy overhead came a rapid, rustling scuttle without the slightest warning.
The next instant, four deathly pale webs shot down from branches on all four sides, overlapping as they dropped over his head!
The surrounding bushes burst apart as four millstone-sized Soul Beasts, with white markings forming human faces on their abdomens, lunged out at once, surrounding Xiao Xuan!
Their size made it clear that all four Man Faced Demon Spiders were over a thousand years old.
The formation before him was clearly an ambush deliberately set here to hunt and kill.
Yet Xiao Xuan remained perfectly calm in the face of their encirclement.
Soul Power surged from his body into the bamboo spear, drawing on the water vapor in the surrounding air!
"Spear spin-Water Wheel Circular Guard!"
The long spear spun rapidly before him like a windmill, its afterimages spreading into an impenetrable screen and drawing the water vapor in the air into a thick, rapidly revolving ring of water.
The waves surged and churned. The falling poisonous webs touched the edge and were instantly shredded by the swirling water into foam and scraps that filled the air.
The spinning water wheel also sprayed a broad volley of high-pressure water arrows in all directions!
The four demon spiders closing in were caught off guard. Their hard faceplates were battered and pitted, cracks spreading as mucus streamed down them.
Xiao Xuan's fighting spirit surged, and his spear technique abruptly changed!
His body followed the spear, waist and stance moving as one, as he smashed fiercely forward and across!
"Collapse Character Art!"
A torrent burst from the spear along with the collapsing force, becoming a howling hammer of water that struck the demon spider ahead squarely in the faceplate.
With a sharp crack, the Man Faced Demon Spider's faceplate shattered. Hidden force drove straight through to its brain, and it fell, twitched twice, and lay still.
Xiao Xuan used the recoil to turn sideways and change direction, dodging the venomous leg stabbing at him as he thrust forward with both hands!
He turned and charged at another Man Faced Demon Spider!
In just a few breaths, three Man Faced Demon Spiders had died horribly on the spot!
Such swift and ruthless killing completely intimidated the remaining demon spider leader.
Its instinctive fear of death overcame its hatred. The savagery faded from its scarlet compound eyes, and it turned and fled madly into the depths of the forest, too panicked to choose a path.