Azure Wood Spirit Bear

"Roar..."

Yu Feng: !!!

Yu Feng was startled. His Martial Soul instantly possessed him, and he flapped his wings and flew up.

"Wait, wasn't there a tree behind me? Where did that thing come from?"

The others naturally noticed the commotion on Yu Feng's side and hurriedly turned to look, just in time to see a burly figure emerge from the tree.

It was a bear, tall and powerfully built, its entire body covered in thick, dark greenish-brown hide. Tiny patches of moss and tender twigs grew among its fur.

Its shoulders and back bulged, and its limbs were thick and powerful. Its eyes were a calm, inky green, its presence weighty and steady, and vines were coiled around its body.

"It's an Azure Wood Spirit Bear! And judging by its presence, it's not even five thousand years old."

Qin Ming's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "Qingchen, this is a wood-attribute Soul Beast. We really found it without the slightest effort."

The Azure Wood Spirit Bear was a powerful wood-attribute Soul Beast. Although it was called a bear, it was a vegetarian through and through.

They often formed symbiotic relationships with Plant-type Soul Beasts that had strong vitality. They used the plant Soul Beasts' life force to cultivate, and in return used their strength to keep them safe.

Clearly, the plant this Azure Wood Spirit Bear guarded was the Tranquil Spirit Heart-Concentrating Orchid.

Azure Wood Spirit Bears usually rested while merged into trees. Now, sensing the approach of outside Soul Masters, this one immediately went on guard.

Its eyes locked onto the people before it, and the inky-green Soul Power swirling around it spread out in layer upon layer. Hard wooden armor appeared on its body in an instant, its surface covered in a fine layer of forest moss. This ability was called Azure Wood Spirit Armor, and it could greatly enhance the bear's defense and recovery. Even if shattered, the armor could quickly regenerate. It was quite a cheat of an ability.

However, Azure Wood Spirit Bears had steady temperaments and generally did not attack passing creatures unprovoked. As long as the other party did not approach the plant they guarded, they would not attack.

For now, it was merely releasing its own pressure, hoping to make the group retreat.

Ordinary people might have turned around and left at the sight of the Azure Wood Spirit Bear, but unfortunately for it, they were no ordinary people. Besides, weren't the Azure Wood Spirit Bear and the Tranquil Spirit Heart-Concentrating Orchid just what Lin Qingchen and Ye Lingling needed for their Soul Rings?

Qin Ming thought it over. It was only a five-thousand-year Soul Beast anyway, so it would be perfect for the children to practice on.

"Tian Heng, I'll leave this Azure Wood Spirit Bear to you. I'll stand by and back you up."

"All right!"

Yu Tianheng knocked his fists together. His hands were itching for a fight anyway.

"Let's start with our usual formation. Qingchen, just adapt as you see fit," Yu Tianheng said.

He didn't know Lin Qingchen particularly well yet. Rather than forcing his command and causing them to hold each other back or even making Lin Qingchen unwilling to submit, he might as well let him fight as he saw fit.

Seeing Yu Tianheng prepare to lead the team forward, the Azure Wood Spirit Bear immediately attacked.

Its heavy paws stomped hard on the ground, and thick roots burst from the earth in great numbers. They spread toward every member of the Imperial Fighting Team, twisting around them and sealing off the entire area ahead, cutting off their path to the spirit herb first.

"Heh, even now, you're still thinking about keeping us away from the spirit herb?"

Yu Tianheng sneered and immediately issued tactical orders. Everyone quickly moved into position.

The brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo released their Martial Souls and formed Black Tortoise Shields at the very front of the team. Yu Feng and Osler used their speed advantage to dart around the formation's flanks, dodging the onslaught of roots while looking for openings in the Soul Beast's defenses. One high and one low, they attacked it from both sides.

Dugu Yan, on the other hand, was not well suited to fighting this kind of Soul Beast with her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul. Her third Soul Skill, Jade Phosphor Purple Poison, was also extremely likely to hurt her teammates by mistake, so she focused on supporting them instead.

Her first two Soul Rings flashed, and she opened her mouth and breathed out two clouds of poisonous mist, one blue and one purple. They then drifted onto her teammates as she willed.

The eyes of Yu Feng and Osler, who were constantly darting around, turned slightly red, and their speed increased at once. They pestered the Azure Wood Spirit Bear endlessly, and the lumbering beast couldn't hit either of the two Agility Attack System Soul Masters.

But their attacks also had trouble breaking through the Azure Wood Spirit Bear's wooden armor, so it stopped paying them any more attention. Instead, it raised its thick bear paws and smashed down with tremendous force on the two large shields in front of it.

Elsewhere, Lin Qingchen clenched his fists. After coming into contact with the Jade Phosphor Red Poison, he felt as though he had taken a stimulant. Even his mind was much clearer.

An ability that uses poison for support really is peculiar, but this method seems more like it's unlocking more of a Soul Master's own combat potential.

With that thought, Lin Qingchen used his First Soul Skill, Five Elements Divine Body, then charged straight at the Azure Wood Spirit Bear.

Wherever he passed, the roots wreathed in wood-attribute Soul Power melted away under the Great Five Elements Divine Light. As for the solid roots that couldn't be melted away, they naturally posed no obstacle to Lin Qingchen either.

"Fire of the Five Elements!"

He opened his mouth and exhaled. The Power of the Five Elements circulated, and blazing flames instantly sprang up around him, setting the roots alight wherever he passed.

Lin Qingchen moved as though through an empty field, ignoring every obstacle and swiftly reaching the Azure Wood Spirit Bear's side.

"Aow-"

The Azure Wood Spirit Bear, which had still been locked in a contest of strength with the Shi Brothers, immediately felt the heat behind it. It spun around and swiped at Lin Qingchen.

"Bring it on!"

Lin Qingchen was naturally unafraid. He met it with a punch.

Boom!

The flaming fist collided with the enormous bear paw. The difference in size was immense, yet it was the paw that flew high after the collision.

"Aow?"

Taking advantage of its surprise, Lin Qingchen followed up with another punch to its face, knocking it back several steps and leaving it howling with a paw over its eye.

Back when Lin Qingchen absorbed his second ring, his physical strength had already been comparable to that of an ordinary Soul Elder, let alone now. He was undoubtedly a humanoid Soul Beast.

Meanwhile, Ye Lingling remained at the very rear of the team. Seeing Lin Qingchen attack, she immediately activated her Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, and two petal-like rays of white light precisely enveloped the two defensive Soul Masters.

The Shi Brothers, who had been going head-to-head with the Azure Wood Spirit Bear, had been panting for breath, but now they immediately recovered completely.

Yu Tianheng also seized the opportunity while the Azure Wood Spirit Bear was dealing with Lin Qingchen. Using his First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw, he lunged for the back of its neck.

The dragon claw struck the wooden armor but did not pierce it easily. Yu Tianheng had been prepared for that, and his second Soul Skill, Thunderous Might, erupted instantly, empowered by his third Soul Skill, Thunderous Fury.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of bolts of lightning erupted, striking the wooden armor again and again with booming explosions.

The Azure Wood Spirit Bear roared in pain and turned around, trying to attack Yu Tianheng.

But Yu Tianheng gave it no chance, retreating at once. The Shi Brothers, now fully recovered, immediately rushed forward and firmly blocked its attack.

At the same time, Yu Feng, who had been circling overhead, flapped his wings. Several wind blades slashed in succession at a charred patch of wooden armor.

Crack-

The wooden armor finally split, and the wind blades struck the back of the Azure Wood Spirit Bear's neck, tearing away a chunk of flesh.

Compared to the wooden armor, its body's defenses were far weaker.

As for Osler, he was even more underhanded. Once he discovered how difficult it was to break through its defenses, he simply changed tactics and launched a fierce assault on the Azure Wood Spirit Bear's lower body.

That move was indeed very effective, though.

It could be said that even without Lin Qingchen, the Azure Wood Spirit Bear could never have been a match for the Imperial Fighting Team against this revolving tactic of two drawing it away while one attacked.