Word Count: 3,011
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A capybara that simply couldn't refuse if someone forced the issue!
As long as you pushed hard enough, Capy-capy would do anything!
Holding to its philosophy of 'it's nice to be alive, but dying is fine too,' the Auspicious Spirit Capybara slowly shuffled over to Zhao Xuanzhen's side. Brilliant light bloomed from its body, radiating a yin-yang aura.
Zhao Xuanzhen seemed to sense something. He raised his right hand and gently placed it on the yin-yang mark at the capybara's brow. Yin-yang currents surged up at once, like a pair of giant black-and-white dragons whirling madly around man and beast.
Leng Yaozhu and the Bai sisters could not help showing delighted smiles. They had fused with several Spirit Souls themselves, so they naturally understood exactly what this meant.
The Spirit Pagoda's one and only Auspicious Beast, Unyielding Spirit Soul number ninety-nine, was forming a contract with a human!
After a long moment, the Auspicious Spirit Capybara let out a soft whimper. Its adorably clumsy body seemed to turn to water as it merged into Zhao Xuanzhen bit by bit. Throughout the process, the black-and-white currents grew violently turbulent.
The instant the Auspicious Spirit Capybara fully merged, every stream of energy rushed into Zhao Xuanzhen like rivers returning to the sea. A bright yellow ring of light surged boldly into existence, several times more radiant than an ordinary 100-year spirit ring. Pale golden patterns unique to auspicious beasts were etched across its surface.
His spirit power advanced to Rank 13!
The contract had completed smoothly, and Zhao Xuanzhen let out a long breath. No one liked being suppressed by the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King into some roadside nobody for no reason. Neither True Self nor the Auspicious Spirit Capybara feared bloodline pressure, so at last half the boulder hanging over his heart had dropped away.
At a moment like this, any smart person would ask: what about the other half?
Trident warning!
"Xuanzhen, congratulations on obtaining your first Spirit Soul. Your future is limitless!" the Bai sisters said with beaming smiles.
"Without Teacher, I wouldn't even have had the right to meet the Auspicious Spirit Capybara."
Zhao Xuanzhen waved a hand with a smile. Only the Pagoda Master and Vice Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda had the authority to dispatch an Auspicious Beast. The real prerequisite for fusing with the Auspicious Spirit Capybara had actually been Leng Yaozhu herself.
"Alright, no need to gild my name. Fusing with a Spirit Soul still depends on you in the end."
The corners of Leng Yaozhu's lips lifted slightly. "Since we're already here, how about trying the Spirit Ascension Platform once?"
"Sure. I can test out my spirit skill and help Capy-capy advance while I'm at it."
Zhao Xuanzhen stretched his body and felt utterly refreshed. After his Martial Spirit awakened, the Yin-Yang Qi hidden inside him had shifted from dormant to lively. He very much wanted to witness the power of his previous life's skills paired with the Martial Spirit of this one!
The Spirit Ascension Platform was a half-real, half-virtual world created by the Spirit Pagoda. Countless spirit beasts lived within it, providing the Federation's Spirit Masters with a place for combat training.
Aside from improving battle experience, Spirit Masters who killed spirit beasts in the Spirit Ascension Platform could absorb ten percent of their energy.
If Zhao Xuanzhen killed a 100-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, his first spirit ring would directly gain ten years of cultivation. If Leng Yaozhu killed it instead, the energy would be divided among all nine of her spirit rings, averaging only about one year each.
So long as a Spirit Master's body could bear a higher-level spirit ring, the earlier a Spirit Soul advanced, the easier the process became.
True Self provided a powerful body and exceptional spiritual strength. Zhao Xuanzhen had no trouble at all bearing a 1,000-year Spirit Soul. He intended to push the Auspicious Spirit Capybara forward by four hundred years in one stroke and raise his first spirit ring to the thousand-year level!
Leng Yaozhu pressed a button, and the wall slowly split open. A metal chamber gradually slid out. Its design was not especially auspicious. For some reason, it looked a bit like a coffin, just wide enough for one person to lie inside.
Zhao Xuanzhen lay down in the metal chamber. Sensor pads and instruments quickly emerged from all around him and attached themselves snugly to his body. Leng Yaozhu's gentle voice followed:
"Xuanzhen, you're a one-ringed Spirit Master. You're about to enter the Elementary Spirit Ascension Platform, which is open to Spirit Masters below the four-ringed Spirit Ancestor rank. Most of the spirit beasts there are 10-year and 100-year beasts, though 1,000-year spirit beasts appear from time to time.
The Spirit Ascension Platform uses brainwave access. In theory, once your spiritual power reaches the Spirit Connection Realm, there is no longer any danger to your life. However, if you suffer too great a shock, your Spiritual Sea can still be impacted and severely damaged. If you encounter a spirit beast you cannot defeat, remember to press the distress signal and withdraw immediately."
"Understood."
The metal chamber slid back into the wall and Zhao Xuanzhen's Spirit Ascension Platform journey began. The last thing he saw was the Bai sisters raising their fists in encouragement. Then the world turned completely black.
…
Elementary Spirit Ascension Platform.
Ancient trees rose straight into the clouds. Vast thickets of shrubs spread in every direction, with no real path to be found anywhere. The sky was clear, thin clouds drifted overhead, and the endless forest rolled on like a green sea. It was the pure, boundless verdure of a primordial woodland.
Zhao Xuanzhen drew a deep breath. Nature's fresh air was invigorating, and the abundant life energy soothed both body and mind. The Elementary Spirit Ascension Platform was equivalent to the Outer Region of the Star Dou Forest in ages past, a primeval scene that no longer existed in the present era.
Trusting his instincts, he picked a direction and began searching for the spirit beasts living within the platform. The Auspicious Spirit Capybara was a 600-year spirit beast. To raise his first spirit ring by four hundred years, he needed to kill spirit beasts totaling four thousand years of cultivation.
Time was short and the task was heavy. Better to go all out and finish early!
In the room outside, Leng Yaozhu and the Bai sisters watched Zhao Xuanzhen's every move on a Spirit Screen.
Leng Yaozhu stood with her arms crossed, carrying the full imposing presence of a Titled Douluo. The Bai sisters instinctively edged a few steps farther away.
In Leng Yaozhu's view, a teacher needed to gain a deep understanding of a disciple's abilities, traits, strengths, and weaknesses, then formulate a detailed cultivation plan to help that talent be fully realized.
She had taken the initiative to suggest this Spirit Ascension Platform training precisely because she wanted to put Zhao Xuanzhen under a microscope. After all, nothing revealed a person's abilities more clearly than actual combat.
On the screen, Zhao Xuanzhen cut a slender, agile figure. A red signal device sat on the back of his left hand. His white clothes fluttered lightly as he moved through the forest like a white wolf, nimble and full of the unique vitality of youth.
His steps halted abruptly. Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze sharpened as he snapped his head toward one direction. The three women followed his line of sight and soon caught the flickering shapes of spirit beasts among the trees. Their brows immediately drew together.
"Wind Baboons... a whole troop!"
More than twenty pairs of crimson eyes lit up one after another. The creatures were hideously ugly baboons covered head to toe in brownish-yellow fur, with sharp claws, protruding fangs, and savage, ferocious eyes!
'Godslayers, hm? Interesting.'
Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze was calm. His mind drifted back to God of Emotions Huo Yuhao's very first battle in the Star Dou Forest. His opponent today was also a Wind Baboon. The difference was that this time, he faced an entire troop.
Wind Baboons hardly deserved to be called high-level spirit beasts. Their combat power sat in the lower-middle tier of the spirit beast hierarchy. In the eyes of beasts like the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, they were little more than food. But a troop of more than twenty Wind Baboons was undoubtedly a fatal threat to any ordinary novice one-ringed Spirit Master!
"ROAR—"
The Wind Baboon King had eight hundred years of cultivation. The instant it discovered a human intruding upon its territory, violent and cruel killing intent burst from its eyes. It pounded its chest heavily with both fists and sent out the signal to attack. The Wind Baboons charged forward on all fours at once, shrieking and howling as they came.
A 300-year Wind Baboon moved the fastest. Baring its fangs, it lunged straight at Zhao Xuanzhen. Its long arms joined above its head and smashed down like a hammer!
The descending fists tore through the air with a harsh sonic boom. Zhao Xuanzhen's left foot traced an arc as he stepped half a pace back. Spirit power surged, True Self manifested, and his black hair took on a pale white sheen!
His first spirit ring flared brilliantly. As his right hand turned and clamped onto the Wind Baboon's wrist, black-and-white cyclones spiraled up his entire right arm!
First Spirit Skill, Qi Follows the Heart's Will.
The Wind Baboon's sturdy body suddenly lost all weight. Zhao Xuanzhen's fingertips glided along the rough beast arm to its left chest, light and fluid, like a calligrapher lifting his brush to lay down a flying-white stroke!
"SCREECH!!!"
The Wind Baboon's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. It released a shriek sharp enough to pierce the clouds, terror shooting to its peak under the agony. But none of that could change its doomed end. The yin-yang cyclone pierced through its heart, and blood mist scattered through the air, refracting strangely beautiful light.
The vanguard, second only to the king in combat strength, had been killed in a single blow. The shock of that sight was immense. The Wind Baboons' eyes went perfectly round, and their feet quite honestly slowed beneath them, their charging momentum faltering hard.
Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze turned cold. He bent both arms and shifted sideways, tracing a perfect circle. Yin-yang cyclones bloomed beneath his feet as his whole body burst forward at nearly teleportation speed. Afterimages stretched into a continuous line, and his fluttering clothes briefly revealed the taut muscles of his abdomen.
An uninvited guest had plunged straight into the heart of the Wind Baboon troop.
He spun and shifted his footing. Single Whip. Double Push Palm. Deflect, Parry, and Punch. Every move was a kill. The techniques were exquisite, yet not one motion was wasted. Whenever he raised a hand, death was certain. Whenever he struck, a life ended!
Qi followed the heart's will and transformed in endless ways. Through True Self, he drew on the Yin-Yang Qi within his body and altered its form as he pleased, making it suitable for both long and close range, for offense, defense, and amplification alike!
"Those moves look exactly like the ancient martial arts Xuanzhen practices so slowly every day! Th-this isn't right!"
In front of the Spirit Screen, Bai Haoze and Bai Zhicen craned their necks like giraffes. The sisters practically wanted to rush into the Spirit Ascension Platform, grab Zhao Xuanzhen by the collar, and shake him until his teeth rattled!
Wasn't it supposed to be splitting a watermelon in half? Since when did it turn into splitting skulls in half?!
Slow practice, fast killing. The little rascal wasn't even bothering to pretend anymore!
"His strength and speed far surpass those of Spirit Masters at the same level. Combined with his first spirit skill, that power is enough to instantly kill ordinary 100-year spirit beasts."
Leng Yaozhu's crimson eyes curved with pleasure, and a smile touched her lips. "The real surprise is his combat technique. No wonder he's loved studying ancient martial arts since childhood. He truly is a born Assault Spirit Master."
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...
How powerful was a Body Martial Spirit's innate strength? Added to that was the second layer of enhancement Qi Follows the Heart's Will provided to both arms. Before Zhao Xuanzhen, the Wind Baboons, those famed 'Godslayers' who had once only narrowly lost to the God of Emotions, looked no different from lambs awaiting slaughter. One after another, they fell.
Blood stained the ground red. The surviving Wind Baboons were completely terrified. Their enemy was like mist they could not seize, yet more than half their kin were already dead. The wild punches they smashed out in their final moments could only brush past his flying hair!
Mournful cries welled up from its subordinates' throats, and the Wind Baboon King roared at the sky. In a fury, it pounded its chest to forcibly rouse its troop's fighting spirit and ordered them to gather and attack!
On one side was the king's command, impossible to defy. On the other was a human Spirit Master like a demon descended. Reason and fear exploded together, and the surviving Wind Baboons nearly lost what little judgment they had.
Conflicting impulses finished off their already underdeveloped brains. Their companions fell like wheat beneath the sickle, and the heavy smell of blood pushed the Wind Baboons into a frenzy. The wildness buried deep in their bloodline gradually took over. They opened their mouths wide, activated their Innate Spirit Skill, and shot clusters of light at Zhao Xuanzhen!
Qi Engulfing Mountains and Rivers!
The light clusters were effortlessly ground to powder by the yin-yang cyclones. High above, a vast Taiji Diagram spread across the sky, magnificent and imposing. Black and white revolved and intertwined without end, carrying Yin-Yang Qi as it came crashing down like a falling sun!
The Wind Baboons' faces turned ashen at the sight of that disaster-like Taiji Diagram. Despair filled their eyes as they spat out more light clusters in a futile struggle.
"Suppress!"
The instant Zhao Xuanzhen brought his palms together, the Taiji Diagram plummeted to earth trailing a ring of blazing light. The exploding Yin-Yang Qi swept through this stretch of forest inch by inch. Rock, soil, ancient trees, everything was reduced to ash beneath the baptism of yin and yang!
Power smashed through the enemy ranks like heavenly light breaking through the clouds!
The Wind Baboons suffered disastrous casualties, and a great wave of spirit power poured into Zhao Xuanzhen's lone first spirit ring.
Absorbing the might of these 'Godslayers,' improvement was inevitable. Within the clear yellow ring, a thread of noble, pristine purple was already beginning to form.
"Your turn now, Super Godslayer..."
Zhao Xuanzhen locked his aura onto the staggering Wind Baboon King. This fellow had spent the entire fight ordering its underlings to wear down the enemy while secretly waiting to snatch the kill for itself.
Who could have guessed its opponent's mechanics and raw stats would be so absurdly overtuned? The battle had begun only minutes ago, and in the blink of an eye, every last underling had been wiped out. The Wind Baboon King was profoundly grateful it had stayed slightly farther back at the start and had immediately used its Innate Spirit Skill to dodge away. Even then, it had nearly been swallowed by the aftermath of Qi Engulfing Mountains and Rivers!
The Wind Baboon King shook its head. Hatred thickened in its bloodshot eyes, and the muscles of its arms bulged like small hills. It harbored no thought of fleeing. The blood debt of clan extermination was irreconcilable, and it had already witnessed Zhao Xuanzhen's terrifying speed. Running would only mean dying sooner!
Its powerful beast body charged straight at Zhao Xuanzhen. A layer of pale cyan light rose from its form. After breaking through eight hundred years of cultivation, the Wind Baboon King could manipulate a trace of wind element from the air. As it rushed forward, phantom images flickered in its wake.
Zhao Xuanzhen met the Wind Baboon King's charge head-on. Every inch of his body was part of the True Self Martial Spirit. With Qi Follows the Heart's Will amplifying his legs, his speed surpassed the Wind Baboon King's by more than just one tier!
The moment man and beast collided, Zhao Xuanzhen's palm cut diagonally along the path of the Wind Baboon King's swing. Tai Chi's signature Wild Horse Parts Mane sent its full-force blow sliding off course and into empty air. In the same instant, the Wind Baboon King felt like an insect trapped in amber, forced to watch helplessly as invisible force twisted its four limbs into knots.
Final strike. Forward Elbow Strike!
BOOM—
The Wind Baboon King was blasted into the air like a torn sack, its face frozen in disbelief. The flesh of its chest was ripped apart by hidden force, and every organ centered around its heart was shaken into pulp!
"Done."
Zhao Xuanzhen stepped over the Wind Baboon King's corpse, its eyes still wide in death. He was very satisfied with both the strength of his Martial Spirit and the effect of his first spirit skill, Qi Follows the Heart's Will. The Body Martial Spirit True Self provided heaven-defying base attributes, while Qi Follows the Heart's Will added an endlessly versatile kit. The outlines of a truly outrageous all-round combatant were already starting to show!
Everything was in place. All that remained was persistence and hard work!
The troop of Wind Baboons had numbered twenty-two in total: the 800-year king, the 300-year vanguard, seven 100-year Wind Baboons, and the rest 10-year spirit beasts.
At a ten percent conversion rate, they had provided the Auspicious Spirit Capybara with nearly two hundred years of cultivation. His Spirit Ascension Platform mission was already halfway complete, and Zhao Xuanzhen could almost hear victory calling!
He continued deeper into the forest and muttered to himself:
"Come to think of it, Body Martial Spirits really are simple and absurdly strong..."