Chapter 322 - 222: Successive Spirit Stealing, Explosive Effects
Chapter 322: Chapter 222: Successive Spirit Stealing, Explosive Effects
A moment later, Lin Changheng retracted his senses, having received his confirmation.
The rate and efficiency of nourishing his powers had indeed increased.
Furthermore, the number of marvels he could nourish had increased as well.
[Utility: Simultaneously nourish two marvels, continuously enhancing their corresponding powers]
"Not bad."
Lin Changheng nodded.
Soon, he would be able to obtain five Genuine Treasure Talismans. Combined with the Half-finished Treasure Talisman he was currently nourishing, that made a total of six.
’I can only nourish two at the moment. I might have to ask the Deep Lake Spirit Clam to handle the rest.’
’After all, Xiaobai is just sitting idle anyway.’
At the same time, the Spiritual Charm of Lin Changheng’s Water Spirit Root also increased to twelve wisps.
...
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Changheng turned his attention to the Essence Blood of the Black Armored Earth Turtle, which he had just finished collecting for the first time.
He immediately reached out to perform Spirit Stealing.
[Black-Armored Earth Turtle Treasure Species - Spirit Stealing Metamorphosis]
[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]
[Utility: A Profound Spirit Demon Beast Bloodline that naturally possesses the Earth Attribute and the Lifebound Talents: Heavy Armor, Load, and Earth Control. Upon Spirit Stealing Success, one may be chosen to be Refined into.]
...
[Essence Blood Full, Spirit Stealing Success!]
Then, as Lin Changheng watched, a cyan radiance flickered at the Tripod Mouth. A solid, earth-yellow Treasure Seed slowly emerged. It looked as if a Turtle Beast with a black shell was perched atop it before it instantly split into three phantom Treasure Seeds.
[Black Armored Earth Turtle Treasure Seed - First Layer]
[One Lifebound Talent from the Demon Race can be chosen to Refine into: Heavy Armor, Load, Earth Control]
...
Lin Changheng immediately sank into deep thought.
’These three Lifebound Talents... which one should I choose?’
Lin Changheng was of course familiar with the Heavy Armor talent. It was the Black Armored Earth Turtle’s passive talent and granted an exceptionally strong defense.
He had tested it before. With this talent, the turtle’s shell—even when it had just reached the Tier Two Early Stage—was as tough as a Tier Two Middle Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact.
’Truly impressive!’
’But I wonder if Heavy Armor relies on the presence of a turtle shell to receive its full enhancement.’
’In other words, would the talent’s power be diminished without a turtle shell...?’
Having performed Spirit Stealing on so many Treasure Seeds, Lin Changheng had a faint realization. It seemed he might be able to use the Talent—or rather, the Abnormal Technique adapted by the Primordial Cauldron—even without the corresponding organs or body parts.
It was just like with the Nourishing Spirit Anomaly Technique he had just acquired. He didn’t have the innate requirements, like Xiaobai’s clam flesh and shell, yet he could still use the technique. It was just manifested in a more fundamental way, not through its physical form.
As for the level of power, however, he had no way of knowing if it was diminished, since he couldn’t make an effective comparison.
After all, a turtle shell possessed its own inherent defensive properties.
...
With this question still in his mind, Lin Changheng looked at the next option: Load.
’This must be a talent related to carrying capacity.’
’After all, the earth carries all of creation. It’s only natural for an Earth Element Spirit Turtle like the Black Armored Earth Turtle to possess a similar Load ability.’
’Does this mean that if Xiaohai keeps developing, it could one day perform the legendary feat from the stories, carrying an entire land or a city on its back?’
’But this talent is useless to me.’
’My spine is straight; I won’t be bending over.’
...
The final talent, Earth Control, however, made Lin Changheng’s eyes light up.
’Fire Control, Water Control, Earth Control...’
’This is the third one I’ve encountered.’
’The first was Fire Control from the Fire Crow Treasure Seed, which later evolved into the Fire Manipulation Divine Power True Intent.’
’The second was Water Control from the Deep Lake Spirit Clam Treasure Seed, which I didn’t choose. After all, the Song Territory is mountainous and lacks water; large rivers are a rare sight, so it wouldn’t have much use.’
’And the third is this Earth Control.’
’Compared to the previous two talents, Heavy Armor and Load, the applicability of Earth Control is clearly far greater.’
’Besides, the ground beneath my feet is earth, and everything as far as the eye can see is made of earth and rock.’
’The potential applications are simply incomparable.’
"I choose to Refine into the Earth Control talent!"
After a moment of deliberation, Lin Changheng made his decision.
He focused his mind, turning his senses inward. He slowly guided the earth-yellow Treasure Seed representing Earth Control, and finally, using his Divine Soul, he completely refined and integrated it into his physical body.
In an instant, an unprecedented sense of profundity, endurance, solidity, and steadfastness flooded his mind.
He felt as if his feet had formed a deep and inseparable bond with the earth beneath them. Without even needing to consciously circulate his power, the pores all over his body seemed to breathe gently, granting him a profound strength to command earth and rock.
With a flicker of his thoughts, he combined his new talent with the Earth Magic he knew. He raised his right hand, fingers spread, and aimed at an empty patch of ground before him.
"Rise."
Following his soft command, a unique frequency began to vibrate. The solid ground before him seemed to come alive, rippling like water for a moment. Then, a wall of earth half a foot thick and about ten feet wide erupted from the ground without warning, rising with a RUMBLE to stand before him!
The wall’s surface was smooth and its edges were sharp. It was remarkably well-formed and didn’t look as if it had been condensed by Magic.
"Solidify."
He curled his fingers slightly. A yellow light flashed across the surface of the earthen wall, its texture visibly growing denser and harder. Its color deepened, as if it had undergone a thousand years of compression, and its defensive power surged.
"Disperse."
He relaxed his hand.
The solid earthen wall instantly crumbled, returning to raw dirt. It fell with a soft RUSTLE and merged back into the ground as if it had never been there, leaving almost no trace behind.
A look of delight flashed in Lin Changheng’s eyes. The Earth Control talent was truly profound. Commanding earth and rock felt as natural as moving his own limbs, consumed far less Magical Power than he had expected, and could be activated with swift, almost instinctual, speed.
He continued his tests.
He lifted his foot and gave the ground a light stomp.
"Sink."
The ground in a several-foot radius around him instantly softened, turning into a patch of churning quicksand that pulled inward. Any enemy standing there would have been caught completely by surprise.
He stomped his foot again.
"Solidify."
The quicksand instantly solidified, becoming harder than steel and transforming the trap into a prison.
Next, Lin Changheng attempted a more delicate manipulation. He extended a finger and gestured toward a loose rock in the distance.
The rock seemed to be seized by an invisible, skillful hand. It wobbled into the air, and as he traced a finger through the air, the rock was rapidly stripped of its impurities and reshaped, finally forming a crude yet sharp Stone Spear!
"Go!"
The Stone Spear let out a piercing shriek as it shot forward, embedding itself deep into a distant, ancient tree. The shaft of the spear quivered from the impact.
Lin Changheng nodded in satisfaction.
This Earth Control Technique was highly practical, whether for defense, control, offense, or altering the terrain.
Just as he’d thought, the power consumption for this Abnormal Technique was even lower when he was standing on the earth.
[Utility: Grants basic control over sand, soil, and Mountain Stone, and provides a minor boost to Earth Magic.]
"Wait..."
Lin Changheng suddenly remembered something and immediately cast the Earth Escape Demon Technique.
’I can go a hundred feet deep and remain hidden silently for dozens of breaths!’
’And if I move, I can escape over two miles in a single burst!’
After a round of testing, he reached this conclusion.
This was a significant improvement from the previous seventy feet and roughly one and a half miles.
Lin Changheng was quite satisfied with this.
When fueled by his Foundation Establishment Stage Magical Power, the effect was even more miraculous, turning the mundane into the marvelous.
At this point, the Spiritual Charm of Lin Changheng’s Earth Element Spirit Root had also increased to eighteen wisps.
...
It was also worth mentioning that over the past few years, Bai Hengwan had indeed kept her promise.
Thanks to Bai Zhenchuan’s continuous supply of the required Essence Blood, he had performed Spirit Stealing on the Cyan Rain Mist Toad Treasure Seed twice more.
It had now reached the Third Layer.
From it, he had also refined the Hallucinatory Technique: Tongming!
Lin Changheng had carefully assessed it. At this stage, the Hallucination Technique—derived from a Profound Spirit Bloodline Demon Beast—could already affect veteran Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
It became another major asset for Lin Changheng in Magical Combat and for self-preservation, though its effectiveness was still dependent on and limited by the environment.
Overall, Lin Changheng’s Spirit Roots had once again seen great progress.
Fire Spirit Root: forty-four wisps of Spiritual Charm!
Wood Spirit Root: twenty-seven wisps of Spiritual Charm.
Metal Spirit Root: ten wisps of Spiritual Charm.
...