Chapter 251 Level 70 Quasi-Soul Saint
Time flew by, and in a blink of an eye, four months had passed.
Early this morning, Ye Chen was cultivating in his courtyard.
After the mansion on Heaven Dou Street was renovated, Ye Chen moved out of Shrek Academy, bringing Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong with him.
Initially, Ning Fengzhi, as a father, was a bit hesitant, as his precious daughter Ning Rongrong hadn't even married yet! It wasn't appropriate for her to live with Ye Chen.
But Ning Rongrong was a little devil, and she had already started to seriously 'leak secrets' a long time ago. She cried, made a fuss, and threatened to hang herself. After only the crying and fussing, Ning Fengzhi conceded, held his nose, and didn't take Ning Rongrong back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Since moving to the new mansion, Ye Chen had basically stayed indoors, focusing entirely on his cultivation.
Suddenly, accompanied by a wave of spirit power fluctuations, Ye Chen, who was cultivating, successfully broke through his spirit power level, advancing to level 70, a quasi-Spirit Saint.
"Tsk~, I didn't expect it to take four months to break through~!"
Ye Chen found that in the Spirit Master system, without special circumstances, the later the stage, the slower the spirit power level increased.
Even with his current cultivation speed, it took him four months to break through from an initial level 69 Spirit Emperor to a level 70 quasi-Spirit Saint.
However, there was still no news from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School regarding the target for his seventh spirit ring, which made Ye Chen a little frustrated.
'Should I change the target?'
Ye Chen wondered if he should use another Spirit Beast as a substitute. Although the seventh spirit ring was special, it didn't mean that attaching a spirit ring from another Spirit Beast would be bad.
If he were to change his target, the Demon Eye Magic Tree that Xiao Wu knew about would be a good choice.
'Forget it, I'll wait another month. If there's still no news by then, I'll go look for that Demon Eye Magic Tree.'
After some thought, Ye Chen decided not to wait indefinitely and set a time limit.
After all, it was possible that even if they searched the entire Star Dou Great Forest, they might not find a high-grade bamboo Spirit Beast.
The Spirit Beast most compatible with Ye Chen's Qingjing Bamboo Staff Spirit was a bamboo Spirit Beast, but bamboo Spirit Beasts were generally not very powerful, mostly belonging to the support system, which didn't align with Ye Chen's path. Therefore, he had never attached a spirit ring from a bamboo Spirit Beast before.
However, the seventh Spirit Ability was always the Martial Soul True Body, with a fixed Spirit Ability template. The quality of its specific effects depended only on its compatibility with one's own Spirit and the age of the spirit ring. That's why Ye Chen hoped to find a 100,000-year-old bamboo Spirit Beast.
But if he really couldn't find one, then attaching another 100,000-year-old plant-type spirit ring would also be good. As long as the age was sufficient, it wouldn't be too bad.
If it were any other Spirit Master, having a 100,000-year-old spirit ring would make them wake up laughing, so why would they be picky?
...
Half a month later, in the main hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
"Uncle Ning, is there news?"
Ye Chen excitedly asked Ning Fengzhi.
Earlier, Ning Fengzhi had sent someone to tell him that there was a lead and to come to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
As it concerned his advancement, Ye Chen naturally wouldn't delay. After informing Xiao Wu and the others, he immediately rushed over.
Seeing Ye Chen's eager expression, Ning Fengzhi smiled, took a sip of tea, and slowly said, "I can't guarantee that the information is 100% accurate.
A few days ago, a Spirit Saint from my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School discovered a Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest in the Star Dou Great Forest.
He wanted to investigate further, but unfortunately, before he reached the center of the bamboo forest, he encountered a Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo with considerable strength.
This Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo was stronger than him, so he wasn't able to fully investigate the specific situation."
"What is the age of this Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo?"
Ye Chen was a bit surprised. A Spirit Saint (7 Rings), as long as they weren't too weak, should be able to handle a Spirit Beast of three or four thousand years.
And the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo was a Spirit Beast biased towards support, so for it to be able to defeat a Spirit Saint (7 Rings), its age must definitely be more than three or four thousand years.
The situation with Spirit Beasts and human Spirit Masters is different. If a Spirit Master takes the path of a support system, they basically cannot possess combat-type Spirit abilities, mostly being pure support.
However, among Spirit Beasts, pure support system Spirit Beasts are very rare. To say that the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo is a support-type Spirit Beast is not as accurate as saying it is a combat-type support. Its innate abilities include rapid recovery, releasing spirit power shields, and it can also shoot sharp bamboo leaves for large-scale group attacks.
"Around 50,000 years."
"50,000 years?"
Ye Chen's eyes lit up. If they encountered a 50,000-year-old one before even reaching the center of the bamboo forest, then the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King at the center must be either a 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast or very close to it.
"That's right. I estimate that within this Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest, there should be what you need. If you still can't find it, then it's likely there are no bamboo you need in the Star Dou Great Forest."
"Mm."
Ye Chen nodded, making up his mind. The target for his seventh spirit ring would be the Bamboo King of this Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest.
"By the way, are you level 70 yet, you Little freak?"
"I was half a month ago."
"Tsk tsk~, you really are a Little freak."
Ning Fengzhi said with a sigh of admiration.
In his impression, Spirit Masters who became a Spirit Saint (7 Rings), even with innate full spirit power, were at least over thirty years old.
Even a genius like Tang Hao back then was thirty years old when he became a Spirit Saint (7 Rings), unlike Ye Chen, who was still a teenager.
"When do you plan to depart, you Little freak? I'll have Uncle Chen take you on a trip then."
Ye Chen was, after all, his future son-in-law. Ning Fengzhi would naturally help him with obtaining spirit rings if he could.
"Thank you, Uncle Ning. I can leave anytime!"
Hearing that Chen Xin would lead the team, Ye Chen immediately thanked Ning Fengzhi.
Chen Xin was now a level 97 Titled Douluo master. A mere Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, with Chen Xin's help, would be a piece of cake! Even a 100,000-year-old one wouldn't stand a chance!
"Alright then. Uncle Chen happens to be free recently, so I'll have him take you there."
Ning Fengzhi nodded and immediately began to make arrangements.
...
On the way from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to the Star Dou Great Forest, a group of three was traveling through the air.
Besides Ye Chen and Chen Xin, there was also Lu Yang, a Spirit Saint (7 Rings) who knew the location of that Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest.
Originally, neither Lu Yang nor Ye Chen could fly, but Chen Xin could enlarge his Seven Kill Sword Spirit to carry people and fly with the sword in the air, which made traveling convenient.
Because they flew in a straight line in the air, and with the 'Chen Xin brand' flying sword having a powerful level 97 Titled Douluo serving as a human engine, their speed was not slow. By the time night fell, the three had already arrived at a Hunting Soul Town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
As the largest Spirit Beast gathering place on the continent, the Star Dou Great Forest was rich in species and vast in area. There were at least eighty similar Hunting Soul Towns around the Star Dou Great Forest, if not a hundred.Chapter 252 Purple Gold Demonic Bamboo Forest
The next morning, after resting for a night in Hunting Soul Town, the three continued their journey.
After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, Chen Xin no longer flew with his sword.
In the Star Dou Great Forest, accidents could happen at any time. Although it was unlikely for powerful flying Spirit Beasts to appear, they still needed to remain vigilant, so Chen Xin naturally wouldn't continue flying with the two in the air.
Fortunately, even Ye Chen, the one with the lowest spirit power level among the three, had reached level 70. Even without flying, their speed through the forest was not slow.
In the evening, they arrived at the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Grandpa Sword, Young Master Ye, after crossing this mountain range, we'll be able to see the Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest."
Before a continuous mountain range, where each peak was no less than five or six hundred meters above sea level, Lu Yang said to Chen Xin and Ye Chen.
Sure enough, when they crossed the mountain in front of them and stood on the summit, Ye Chen saw dense Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo growing at the foot of the mountain.
Looking around, Ye Chen noticed that the mountain range they were on formed a circle, creating a small basin that wasn't very large, and this Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest was located right in the center of the basin.
The surrounding mountains of the basin had no exits; the only way in or out of the basin was to cross the mountain range, or simply fly in from above.
The unique terrain caused this Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest to have very few other Spirit Beasts living there, which allowed the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo, a not-so-strong Spirit Beast species, to thrive and grow in the basin.
'Tsk~, it almost blinded my titanium alloy eyes!'
Looking at the dazzling light reflecting from the bamboo forest below, Ye Chen secretly complained.
His powerful mental force spread out, and Ye Chen sensed for a while, but didn't find any Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo of 100,000 years or close to 100,000 years. However, he did find several that were over 50,000 years old.
'Is it well hidden, or not within my sensing range, or does it simply not exist?'
Looking at this Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest, Ye Chen pondered.
"Grandpa Sword, have you found anything?"
Ye Chen turned to look at Chen Xin.
Although Ye Chen's mental force level was good, comparable to an ordinary 9-ring Titled Douluo, it was clearly still far inferior to the level 97 Chen Xin, as their spirit power levels were too far apart.
"The strength of this Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest is not weak. There are quite a few Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo of 10,000 years. There are nine that are over 50,000 years, and the oldest one is estimated to be over 95,000 years old. Unfortunately, it's still quite a distance from 100,000 years."
After sensing for a bit, Chen Xin said with a hint of regret.
The difference between a 100,000-year spirit ring and a 90,000-year spirit ring was not just one-tenth; to say it was a world of difference might be an exaggeration, but it was several times more powerful.
If his ninth spirit ring had been 100,000 years old when he became a Titled Douluo, he might have been a level 98 Titled Douluo by now.
"Over 95,000 years?"
Ye Chen frowned.
If this Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, which was over 95,000 years old, could devour an Immortal Spirit Grass, Ye Chen could guarantee that it definitely had the potential to become a 100,000-year Spirit Beast.
However, Ye Chen couldn't determine when it would advance to 100,000 years; it might be very soon, or it might take several years, or even decades or a century.
After all, for the long lifespan of a Spirit Beast, decades or a century was nothing.
But for Ye Chen, let alone decades or a century, he couldn't even wait for a year, or even half a year.
After advancing to Soul Sage, the gold coins his cheat-system 'son' contributed were even more. Over a year, the difference would be several small goals, so he couldn't afford to delay!
Gritting his teeth, Ye Chen still decided to go for it.
This Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King itself had a foundation of over 95,000 years. He thought that with an Immortal Spirit Grass, even if it couldn't directly advance to 100,000 years, it would definitely be on the verge of it.
If one didn't work, then two. Even if it meant a loss, Ye Chen wanted to obtain an original 100,000-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone.
"Kid, are we going straight for it?"
Chen Xin glanced at the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King in the center of the bamboo forest from afar and asked Ye Chen.
"No hurry, Grandpa Sword. My true goal isn't a 90,000-year spirit ring, but a 100,000-year spirit ring!"
"Hmm? Could it be that you, kid, can turn that Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo into a 100,000-year Spirit Beast?"
Chen Xin's eyes widened, a look of disbelief on his face.
Even though this Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's age was not far from 100,000 years, if there were no accidents, it would take at least two or three thousand more years to have a slight chance of becoming a 100,000-year Spirit Beast.
A greater possibility was that it would get stuck at the bottleneck and never break through in its lifetime.
Compared to human Spirit Masters, Spirit Beasts have higher demands for talent. Since records began, Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo, as a Spirit Beast, had never appeared at 100,000 years old.
"Grandpa Sword, I have an Immortal Herb here. If that Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King devours it, there's an 80-90% chance it can advance to a 100,000-year Spirit Beast."
Ye Chen still trusted Chen Xin's character.
Moreover, Chen Xin, as the top enforcer of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and Ning Fengzhi, who was not short on money, had already gathered all six Spirit Bone slots for Chen Xin. Even if a 100,000-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone were placed before him now, Chen Xin would not be able to refine them.
Otherwise, if it were someone else, Ye Chen would definitely go at it alone.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xin was in Silence for a moment, then quietly sighed, "Humans are inferior to bamboo!"
"Grandpa Sword, please throw this Immortal Herb to that Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King!"
Saying that, Ye Chen spent a small fortune in the System Shop, bought an Immortal Spirit Grass, and handed it to Chen Xin.
"What a pity, such a good Immortal Herb, just wasted like that?"
Although the Immortal Herb wasn't his, Chen Xin still felt a bit reluctant. In Chen Xin's eyes, this wasn't just a plant, but a treasure that could transform an ordinary Spirit Master into a genius.
"..., Grandpa Sword, a 90,000-year spirit ring and a 100,000-year spirit ring are vastly different. Plus, a 100,000-year Spirit Beast will definitely drop a 100,000-year Spirit Bone. I won't lose money."
"Hmm, you're right. An Immortal Herb for a 100,000-year spirit ring and a 100,000-year Spirit Bone, you, kid, won't lose out."
After thinking about it, Chen Xin felt that Ye Chen's deal wasn't a loss.
Then, Chen Xin rose into the air and flew towards the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King.
Suddenly, several purple-gold bamboo leaves, like sharp flying knives, shot out towards Chen Xin in the air.
"Heh~, quite a temper!"
Facing the incoming bamboo leaves, he casually flicked out a few sword qi from his fingertips, annihilating the sharp flying leaves. Chen Xin then threw the Immortal Spirit Grass in his hand towards the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King below.
After delivering the Immortal Spirit Grass, Chen Xin immediately turned around and returned to the mountaintop to observe from a distance with Ye Chen.Chapter 253 A single spark can start a prairie fire
Looking at the Immortal Spirit Grass falling from the sky, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's not-so-smart head was a bit confused, unable to understand what that strange 'two-legged Spirit Beast' meant.
With the same age, different races, different individuals, and different experiences, the level of intelligence also varies.
Generally speaking, as long as the age reaches ten thousand years, even plant-type Spirit Beasts without brains can possess some intelligence, and the intelligence of a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast is no less than that of a normal human.
Logically, the intelligence of this Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, which is over ninety-five thousand years old, should be able to reach the level of a human teenager, but this Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King was an exception.
Due to the peculiar surrounding terrain, for countless years, few other Spirit Beasts have entered the basin, and human Spirit Masters have never set foot there. Lacking communication between intelligent beings, the Purple-Gold Demon King could be said to have failed in terms of intelligence.
Even so, the moment it discovered the Immortal Spirit Grass, the craving from deep within its bloodline made the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King clearly realize that this was definitely a rare treasure.
If it devoured it, it might even become a legendary hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast?
The Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King was not the only one with the same reaction; all the other Purple-Gold Demon Bamboos growing nearby were also stirring.
However, the class system among Spirit Beast races is even more rigid than among humans. A king is a king, and under the suppression of its bloodline, the stirring Purple-Gold Demon Bamboos dared not act.
The moment the Immortal Spirit Grass landed, countless bamboo whips broke through the ground, and the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King immediately claimed the Immortal Spirit Grass for itself.
The craving from deep within its bloodline made the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's not-so-smart head completely forget to wonder why a pie would fall from the sky.
...
The basin's area was not small. From this peak, Ye Chen's mental force could not clearly perceive the aura of the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King. After a quick look around, Ye Chen and Chen Xin changed positions, moving to the other side of the ridge.
This side was closer to the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King. After changing positions, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King entered Ye Chen's mental force perception range.
As for Lu Yang, the tool-man who acted as a guide? He had already been sent back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School by Chen Xin.
A hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone were of great importance, and it was better for Lu Yang, a 'small fry,' not to know, lest he accidentally let slip something.
Immortal Spirit Grass was an Immortal Herb, containing an enormous amount of medicinal power. As the Immortal Spirit Grass was devoured, Ye Chen clearly perceived that the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's original age of over ninety-five thousand years was rapidly increasing.
Seeing that things were proceeding according to the original script, Ye Chen nodded in satisfaction.
It was estimated that it would take about half a day for the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King to digest the immense medicinal power of the Immortal Herb.
If only considering rank and not actual combat power, a ninety-five-thousand-year-old Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo, if converted to a human Spirit Master, would be an 89th-level Spirit Douluo.
Although this was just an initial entry, far from reaching the limit of a Spirit Douluo, refining a mature Immortal Herb could definitely allow a Spirit Master who had just entered the 89th-level Spirit Douluo stage to break through directly to the 90th-level.
However, since the energy required for a Spirit Beast to advance far exceeded that of a human Spirit Master, Ye Chen couldn't be sure if this several-thousand-year increase could be compensated for by one Immortal Herb.
...
Time gradually passed, the sun set and the moon rose, and the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's age was rapidly increasing.
Ninety-six thousand years... ninety-seven thousand years... ninety-eight thousand years...
By the early morning, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's age had already reached over ninety-nine thousand years.
The exciting moment was approaching. Ye Chen and Chen Xin had no intention of sleeping, focusing intently on the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's situation.
In a blink of an eye, another half an hour passed. At this point, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King was only half a step away from a hundred-thousand-year age.
Just as Ye Chen and Chen Xin thought that the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King would soon advance to a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast, something awkward happened.
The medicinal power of the Immortal Herb had been completely refined! The Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's age was stuck in an awkward position, neither moving up nor down.
"Alas~, what a pity, just a few decades short!"
Under the faint moonlight, looking at the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, which was only half a step away from breaking through, Chen Xin sighed with regret.
Although the spirit ring wasn't Chen Xin's, he still felt a pang of heartache. After all, an age of over ninety-nine thousand nine hundred years, compared to the previous ninety-five thousand years, did not show a qualitative difference in the spirit ring's effect.
"..."
Ye Chen's face darkened. If it were still a thousand years short, he might have felt a bit better, but now being only a few decades short was extremely frustrating.
After devouring an Immortal Spirit Grass, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's innate potential soared. Perhaps in a few years, it would officially advance to a hundred-thousand-year age.
For the long life of a Spirit Beast, a few years was nothing; it could completely afford to wait. But Ye Chen, who urgently needed a spirit ring, could not wait!
Let alone a few years, even a year, or even half a year, Ye Chen would not wait.
'This time, I've really gone all out!'
Looking at the distant Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, Ye Chen thought with frustration.
Originally, his little plan was well-calculated: he would spend a small sum to buy an Immortal Herb, which would not only turn a ninety-thousand-year spirit ring into a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring but also guarantee a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone.
Leaving aside the hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, just the hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone alone would be enough for Ye Chen to recover his costs.
But if it became a ninety-nine-thousand-year Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo, it might not necessarily drop a Spirit Bone, and such a Spirit Bone, not being original, would still only yield one Soul Bone Skill even if it later advanced to a hundred thousand years.
To obtain an original hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone, Ye Chen would have to continue to invest more money.
However, spending two small sums to get a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone, this deal might not be a loss?
If Ning Fengzhi had Ye Chen's connections, he would definitely pat his chest and say: "Please give me a dozen!"
Just as Ye Chen was about to buy another Immortal Spirit Grass from the System Shop, a sudden change occurred.
A faint purplish-gold light suddenly appeared on the closest ten-thousand-year Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo to the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King.
This purplish-gold light was not very conspicuous in the dark night, appearing insignificant, but it was like a ray of hope, breaking through the endless darkness.
A single spark can start a prairie fire.
When the first purplish-gold light rose, all the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboos growing in the entire bamboo forest began to emit purplish-gold light.
Thousands of blooming lights converged, dyeing the Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest in the dark night a purplish-gold color.
The Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, located at the center, was like a black hole, wantonly devouring the ocean formed by the convergence of endless purplish-gold light.Chapter 254 Soul Ring Storage
With the dedication of the clan, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's cultivation age, which had stagnated due to the exhaustion of the Immortal Herb's medicinal power, began to steadily increase.
"This... this is a sacrifice?"
Chen Xin's eyes widened as he stared at the purple-gold ocean that had appeared in the basin, speaking with an expression of disbelief.
"No, this isn't a sacrifice; it's the subjects' dedication to their king!"
Ye Chen could sense that the purple-gold radiance emanating from countless Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo in the basin was not merely ordinary spirit power supply, but rather a partial offering of their own essence.
This was the essence offered by tens of thousands of Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo to elevate the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's cultivation age.
Although the efficiency of this conversion was extremely low, and the essence offered by a single Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo seemed negligible, such an immense quantity was enough to gather trickling streams into a great river.
Ye Chen hadn't expected things to take such a turn; it seemed he wouldn't need to make a substantial investment after all, which made him happy!
However, there was one thing Ye Chen couldn't figure out: since this Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King could increase its cultivation age through the dedication of its clan, why wasn't it a 100,000-year Spirit Beast?
With the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's ability, reaching 100,000 years should have been easy, right?
In fact, Ye Chen was mistaken; this grand dedication was less about selfless giving and more about the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King devouring the essence of other Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo to achieve its own advancement.
Moreover, this devouring required the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King to possess talent and potential corresponding to its cultivation age.
If it were the previous Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, it would not have possessed the potential to become a 100,000-year Spirit Beast.
Without sufficient potential, devouring the essence of its clan members would be useless; it would eventually get stuck at a bottleneck, unable to advance, and while there was a difference between 95,000 years and 99,000 years, it wasn't significant.
But after devouring the Immortal Spirit Grass, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's talent and potential greatly increased, and the 100,000-year bottleneck disappeared, which led to this grand dedication.
Otherwise, if there were no restrictions at all, with this ability alone, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King would have long become a 100,000-year Spirit Beast or even a fierce beast.
...
Time gradually passed, and on the eastern horizon, the morning sun began to rise.
Under the dedication of tens of thousands of Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, as their ruler, truly reached the limit of a 10,000-year Spirit Beast's aura.
Suddenly, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's body, over a hundred meters tall, burst forth with dazzling purple-gold radiance, and its aura surged significantly.
At this moment, having devoured the Immortal Spirit Grass and accepted the clan's dedication, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King officially advanced to become a 100,000-year Spirit Beast.
"It's finally done!"
Watching the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King break through to become a 100,000-year Spirit Beast, Ye Chen couldn't help but feel excited.
He had a 100,000-year Spirit Bone, but he truly didn't have a 100,000-year spirit ring.
Moreover, one 100,000-year spirit ring, plus one 100,000-year Spirit Bone, after refining, would absolutely cause his spirit power level to skyrocket, as he was currently only a level 70 quasi-Spirit Saint.
In the original work, Tang San absorbed the spirit rings and Spirit Bones of the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python, and his spirit power level directly broke through from level 85 Spirit Douluo to level 91 Titled Douluo.
On average, one 100,000-year spirit ring plus one 100,000-year Spirit Bone increased spirit power by 3 levels, and this was even with the major hurdle of an 89th-level Spirit Douluo advancing to a 90th-level quasi-Titled Douluo.
The lower the spirit power level, the less total spirit power is needed for advancement; since an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo could increase spirit power by 3 levels, a Soul Sage would definitely gain more.
At this moment, the seeds sown earlier had bloomed and borne fruit; it was time to harvest the rewards.
However, there was still a problem facing Ye Chen.
With Chen Xin by his side, Ye Chen didn't need to worry about being unable to defeat it.
Although the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King was a 100,000-year Spirit Beast, it had only recently advanced, and Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo are primarily support-type Spirit Beasts, not strong in individual combat. Chen Xin, with his spirit power level of 97, would certainly have no difficulty dealing with it.
The difficulty lay in how to absorb the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's spirit ring, or rather, how to safely absorb the spirit ring without eliminating the other Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo.
After all, if you kill the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, the only one in the Purple Gold Demon Bamboo Forest to advance to a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in countless years, how could the other Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo in the forest allow you to peacefully absorb the spirit ring of their clan's king?
It would be like if Old Man Xue Ye were killed by Dai Yutian, the Star Luo Emperor, in front of everyone; the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire would absolutely erupt into an endless war.
However, there was a way to solve the problem: a large-scale slaughter. Cutting down all the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo growing near the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King to clear a safe area, combined with Chen Xin guarding him, Ye Chen would have no problem absorbing the spirit ring.
But in doing so, a considerable number of Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo would die by Chen Xin's hand, and the area around the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King was precisely where high-year Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo were concentrated.
Although Spirit Beasts are a renewable resource, their growth takes an extremely long time, especially for Spirit Beasts over 10,000 years old. Wanton waste is a very shameful act.
So Ye Chen was contemplating whether there was a way for him to safely absorb the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's spirit ring without slaughtering these Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo.
Suddenly, Ye Chen thought of an invention from later generations of the Douluo Continent: the Soul Ring Storage Device. He remembered that this item seemed to be able to solve the dilemma Ye Chen was currently facing.
The Soul Ring Storage Device that would appear in later generations of the Douluo Continent, should also be available in the System Shop now, right?
Immediately, Ye Chen opened the System Shop.
As expected, Ye Chen quickly found his target.
[Soul Ring Storage Device] Price: 10 million gold coins. PS: Can store spirit rings below one million years. The spirit ring will not dissipate within one week, and the maximum storage capacity for spirit rings is nine.
The Soul Ring Storage Device was an eighth-tier spirit tool. At a unit price of 10 million gold coins, the System Shop wasn't treating Ye Chen like a big fat sheep.
Moreover, this item wasn't a one-time consumable; Ye Chen could use it, and it could also be given to others to use.
However, while the Soul Ring Storage Device was good, Ye Chen couldn't sell high-year spirit rings.
Whoever killed the Spirit Beast, the resulting spirit ring could not be absorbed by other Spirit Masters except the killer. This was a rule of the Douluo Continent that could not be changed.
Well, at least Ye Chen couldn't change it now.
However, Ye Chen seemed to recall that if a Spirit Beast was killed using an external object that did not require a Spirit Master to activate with their own spirit power, such as a fixed spirit tool, the resulting spirit ring, being unblemished by a Spirit Master's aura, was an ownerless spirit ring, and other Spirit Masters could absorb it?
Shaking his head, Ye Chen cast these thoughts, which didn't need immediate consideration, out of his mind. He spent 10 million gold coins and bought the Soul Ring Storage Device.Chapter 255 What kind of soul beast are you?
Subsequently, a palm-sized Soul Ring Storage Device appeared in his hand.
The Soul Ring Storage Device looked as if it was carved from a special crystal, with countless complex patterns etched onto it, entirely blood-red, and two plus and minus buttons on its surface.
'Uh, why does it feel like a flashlight?'
Looking at the Soul Ring Storage Device in his hand, Ye Chen thought to himself.
Although Ye Chen had never used a Soul Ring Storage Device before, all kinds of goods sold in the System Shop came with detailed information and usage instructions.
Ye Chen had not seen the Soul Ring Storage Device developed in the later Douluo Continent, and did not understand the specifics, unclear whether the one bought from the System Shop was better or the one developed later, but this was not important, as long as it had the function of storing spirit rings, it was enough.
This thing was also simple to use; just touch a spirit ring and press the plus button on it, and the Soul Ring Storage Device would handle the rest.
When a spirit ring needed to be absorbed, pressing the minus button would release the spirit ring stored within the Soul Ring Storage Device.
"Grandpa Sword, we can start."
With everything ready, Ye Chen turned to Chen Xin and said.
"Hmm."
Chen Xin nodded, the Seven Kill Sword materialized in his hand, and nine spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—bloomed around him, then he soared into the air, flying above the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King.
"You... what... kind of... Spirit Beast... are you? I... have never... seen... you before?"
Facing the arrival of Chen Xin, the uninvited guest, the not-so-smart Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King immediately asked.
"Spirit Beast?"
Hearing himself being identified as an unknown type of Spirit Beast by this Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King, Chen Xin's face immediately darkened.
You are a Spirit Beast, your whole family are Spirit Beasts!
Uh, people (bamboo) are Spirit Beasts in the first place, so naturally their whole family are Spirit Beasts.
"Hmph~, Seventh Spirit Ability, Seven Kill True Body!"
Chen Xin wasted no more words and directly activated his Seventh Spirit Ability, a gigantic Seven Kill True Body soaring into the sky.
The Tool Spirit True Body of Tool Spirit Masters all condense into a giant human-shaped phantom, with a likeness to the Spirit Master and holding a similarly enlarged Spirit.
While the Beast Spirit True Body of Beast Spirit Masters transforms them into their own Spirit, of course, their size is also very large.
Even if the Spirit is a small earthworm, after activating the Martial Soul True Body, it can transform into a super giant python.
If the Beast Spirit True Body is similar to a monster, then the Tool Spirit True Body is Ultraman.
Given that the opponent was a 100,000-year Spirit Beast, Chen Xin did not show the slightest contempt.
Even if the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King had just advanced, and even if the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo, as a Spirit Beast, was not particularly strong, the 100,000-year age was there; without showing some real skill, trying to take down the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King would be wishful thinking.
Feeling the powerful aura emanating from the Seven Kill True Body, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's originally beautiful mood, due to advancing to 100,000 years, immediately became heavy.
Although its brain was not very clever, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King knew that this uninvited guest in front of it would be hard to deal with; perhaps today, its happy occasion would turn into a funeral!
"Man and Sword as One, Sixth Spirit Ability, Myriad Swords Returning to the Sect!"
Accompanied by a wave of spirit power, the sixth spirit ring flickered slightly, and countless dense sword shadows condensed in the air.
There were tens of thousands of these sword shadows, and each one was filled with a sharp aura.
"Break for me!"
With his left hand, two fingers joined, Chen Xin pointed at the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King below, and in an instant, the sword shadows around the Seven Kill True Body formed an unstoppable torrent of sword qi, sweeping towards the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King.
The moment Chen Xin made his move, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King also did not flinch and began to counterattack.
Facing the sweeping torrent of sword qi, countless purple-gold leaves condensed from spirit power soared into the sky, meeting the Myriad Swords Returning to the Sect.
The Leaf Blade Storm released by the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King was no less impactful than Chen Xin's Myriad Swords Returning to the Sect.
However, fighting is not just about who makes the biggest commotion. The moment Myriad Swords Returning to the Sect collided with the Leaf Blade Storm, the dense, sharp sword shadows charged forward, breaking through countless purple-gold leaf blades like a hot knife through butter.
A 100,000-year Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo was still quite a bit weaker than a Level 97 Chen Xin.
However, with countless purple-gold leaf blades blocking, the torrent of sword qi formed by Chen Xin's Myriad Swords Returning to the Sect was also partially worn down.
Seeing the torrent of sword qi about to descend, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's body was covered by a transparent shield emanating a purple-gold luster.
This spirit power shield was precisely the defensive innate Spirit Ability of the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo Spirit Beast: Purple-Gold Guardian.
"Ding~ Ding~ Ding~ Ding~ Ding~ ..."
The torrent of sword qi descended, striking the purple-gold shield, and with a dense series of collision sounds, the shield on the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's body trembled violently.
However, Chen Xin's Sixth Spirit Ability, Myriad Swords Returning to the Sect, was ultimately a group attack Spirit Ability, and its age was not too high. Although the number of attacks was very large, the single attack power of each sword shadow was not very strong, and it did not directly shatter the Purple-Gold Guardian on the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's body.
"Seven Kill Domain!"
With the blooming of the Seven Kill Domain, Chen Xin's already powerful aura surged by more than thirty percent again, and Ye Chen, watching from afar, clearly felt that within Chen Xin's Seven Kill Domain, there was a strong sword intent.
If a Spirit Master of insufficient strength were to enter the range of the Seven Kill Domain, there would be no need for Chen Xin to act; their consciousness would be annihilated by the strong sword intent within the Domain.
"Eighth Spirit Ability, Moving Mountains and Filling Seas."
Instantly, as the eighth spirit ring lit up, a full twelve gigantic sword shadows condensed in the air, slashing down towards the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King below.
"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~ Bang~ Bang~"
These twelve sword shadows were different from the tens of thousands of sword shadows of Myriad Swords Returning to the Sect before.
Chen Xin's eighth spirit ring was already much older than his sixth spirit ring, and with the boost from the Seven Kill Domain, the attack power was relatively concentrated. Before all twelve sword shadows had even completely struck, after just ten sword shadows, the Purple-Gold Shield on the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's body was shattered on the spot.
With the Purple-Gold Guardian shattered, the remaining two giant sword shadows struck the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's bamboo stalk, which was as thick as a water vat.
The two sharp giant sword shadows, striking the hard purple-gold bamboo stalk, almost cut the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King in half at the waist.
Even so, the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King was severely injured, but the recovery ability of most plant-type Spirit Beasts is very strong, not to mention that the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo itself is a Spirit Beast biased towards support.
The innate Spirit Ability: Limitless Regeneration activated, purple-gold light surged, and the huge wound on the Purple-Gold Demon Bamboo King's stalk, cut by Chen Xin's sword shadow, was rapidly healing.
"Ninth Spirit Ability, Divine Demonic Dual Slash!"
Seeing that his Eighth Spirit Ability was about to be rendered useless, Chen Xin immediately activated his ultimate move.