Growth

Chapter 71

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''Huu, Huu...'' Zhu Zhuqing is heavily breathing.

We can see that her body is full of injuries, but her eyes kept radiating with a fighting spirit as she's calmly avoiding the attack from a spirit beast.

A mantis spirit beast with blade-like hands is dashes toward her and swinging its hand.

(I can't dodge) She thought while raised the dagger in her hand at the height of her head.

*Clank!*

She is successfully deflecting an attack from a mantis spirit beast.

''I can't lose...''

''I want to become strong.''

(My spirit power is exhausted, my legs are weak, and almost runs out of stamina) She thought while releasing a heavy breath.

''Should I...''

''No, I want to survive!'' She shouted while sliding below the mantis and cuts one of its legs with her dagger.

*Slash*

*Graaa!*

The mantis falls to the ground while staring at Zhuqing with a hateful glare.

''Huu...''

''Huu...''

''Huu...'' Zhu Zhuqing heavily breathed as she stabbed the mantis's head with her dagger.

''Twenty-one...'' She stated before falls to the ground and fainted while twenty-one spirit rings are floating around the area.

Three per fourth of these spirit rings are around 200 years old, and the rests are about 400-500 years old.

(Hmm, she has a spirit) Aria commented while arrived at Zhuqing's side.

''But, She's weak...''

''She needs a lot of training,'' Aria muttered while picking up Zhuqing's body on her shoulder and walked away from the area.

In the ice and fire yin yang well, we can see Lin Feng floating above the hot springs as he sees Aria bringing fainted Zhuqing on her shoulder.

''So, how is she?'' Lin Feng asked while staring at the skies.

''Weak.'' Aria simply replied. ''But, she has a potential.''

(Potential, huh) Lin Feng closed his eyes while nodded.

''Maybe I should make her my maid too.''

''Master!'' Aria suddenly shouted.

''Hmm?" Lin Feng opened his eyes and seeing Aria pouted while staring at him.

''Hahaha...'' He laughed, ''You don't have to worry about your position.''

''Aria's always the number one.'' Lin Feng stated while smiling at Aria.

''Mm,'' Aria nodded in satisfaction.

(Hmm, maybe she could be my bodyguard or catgirl?) Lin Feng thought as Zhuqing's martial soul seems to be a cat.

=== Time Skip ===

Three years have passed after Lin Feng brings Zhu Zhuqing with him.

Lin Feng has made tremendous progress in his fighting prowess and cultivation.

Not only that, his summons strength and bonds also have increased a lot.

Now, In the ice and fire yin yang well, we can see Lin Feng floating with closed eyes and a calm expression on his face.

Lin Feng's body has grown a lot in these three years as he reached 172cm, and his face has become more refined.

(An: 172cm is around 5.6ft)

Lin Feng maybe seems to sleep on the hot springs, but he's actually meditating as nature energy entering his body.

Every plant around the area seems moving according to his breath as a smile appears on his face.

''This is another success, I guess.'' Lin Feng smiled while golden lotus symbols appear on his forehead.

''Grey, Status.''

[Affirmative]

[Opening status...]

[...]

[Status]

[Name: Lin Feng/Steven Goldsmith(Former)]

[Age: 12(23)]

[Spirit power: Level 60/60]

[Martial Soul: 1. Spectral Dark-Void Dragon, 2. Golden Lotus, 3. Sword Birth]

[Active Skills: Synchronization, Flickering Steps, Wind-Thunder Sword Art, Ghost Sword Art, Ittou Shura, Soul Art, Green-Eyed Poison Art, Dance of the Red Night, Divine Sun & Moon Archery]

[Passive Skill: Sword Mastery, Archery, Close Combat, Alchemy, Blacksmith, Inscriptions, Thousand Poisons Immunity, Fire and Ice Resistance, Child Of Nature]

[Self-Created Skills: Perfect Vision, Raijin(Thunder God), Fujin(Wind God), Ghost Soul, Asura, Trinity Slash, Sage Mode, Absolute-Assault Domain, Judgment Cut]

[Sync skills: Intimidation, Energy Burst, White Tiger Soul, Silver Lightning, Golden Wind]

[SDVD. Spirit Skills: Ghost State, Abyss Bind, and Shadow Dragon Transformation, Tyrant Onyx Body, Abyss Domain]

[GL. Spirit Skills: Full Recovery, Status Recovery, Golden Regeneration, Boiling Blood, Unshakeable Golden Petal]

[SB. Spirit Skills: Aura Manipulation, Full Counter, Space Manipulation, Supreme Sword]

[Spirit Bone Skills: Annihilating Claws, Water Shell Shield] [Conditions: Normal]

[Summons: Kro(Awakened Inugami), Aria(Enhanced Homunculus], Noel(White Tiger), Silvy(Silver Liger), Aurel(Golden-Winged Garuda)]

[Bonded: Dungeon(Lvl.60), Incursio]

[Spirit Soul: Tyrant Onyx Dragon]

[Subordinate Contract: Dugu Bo, Zhu Zhuqing]

[Summoning scrolls: 25x Common SS 18x Uncommon SS, Rare SSP(74/50), Epic SSP(99/100)]

''That's a long three years...'' Lin Feng smiled while staring at his progress in these three years.

''I almost reach spirit emperor when I'm only twelve years old.''

''If someone except my trusted people, maybe they'll shouting that there is no way and I'm a monster.'' Lin Feng laughed.

''Divine Sun & Moon Archery.''

This art of archery is name is a little bit grand. But this art able to make Lin Feng learns a way of bowmanship to high mastery.

He's able to shot an arrow that's strong enough to split a vast river. Not only that, his shot was capable of destroying cliffs, and if he missed, the projectile itself would turn around and strike the enemy.

''I have an enjoyable time using this art...'' Lin Feng commented because he doesn't have to chase his prey as he plainly has to shot it with his arrow.

''Child of Nature.''

''This skill suddenly appears when I achieve my fifth spirit ring on the golden lotus martial soul, but it doesn't really give me a direct effect.'' Lin Feng commented.

It's only stating that he receives this passive skill because he's beloved by nature.

Lin Feng guessed this maybe is connected with the world purifying rainbow lotus, but this skill appeared two years ago when he breakthrough to the spirit king realm.

''But, apparently, it does give me an effect,'' Lin Feng stated with a smile on his face.

''Sage mode.''

A state where he fused nature's energy with his spirit energy, producing potent nature spirit energy, which increases his fighting prowess by several folds.

As long there is a natural energy, and he can gather and fused it, he can enter the sage mode for three minutes, and he can make it longer with his golden lotus, which becomes the container of the natural energy.

''Absolute-Assault Domain.''

''This is rather a broken technique, which I rarely used.''

This domain got constructed from aura manipulation, spatial manipulation, perfect vision, supreme sword, and full counter.

Lin Fen will enter a tranquil state while fifteen-meter around his body will become a one-sided full combat place, where he could attack all his enemies or deflect any enemy's attacks.

As long they moved or touch the fifteen-meter domain around his body, Lin Feng confident that he could kill spirit sage or spirit douluo with his attacks.

Even though he can't activate it for a long time, he can maintain the domain for three minutes.

''Well, Judgement Cut is my favorite so far.'' Lin Feng smiled as he only has to use spatial manipulation to use this technique.

Judgment Cut creates a vortex of slash that will completely obliterate his enemy.

''As for spirit rings, I only absorb two spirit rings as I can't find the suitable one for my sword birth.''

''The first one is the fifth spirit ring of the spectral dark void dragon, which give me domain skill.''

''Abyss Domain.''

This domain will create a vast sphere of darkness around his body while he automatically enters the ghost state, and he's perfectly able to control the abyss in this domain.

If his enemy enters this domain, their strength, defense, and speed weakened by 50%, while their movement got lowered by 75% or stunned as the abyss swallow them little by little.

''Unshakeable Golden Petal.''

''When I absorb my fifth spirit ring on the golden lotus, I'll never think that the spirit skill will be a defensive skill.''

Unshakeable Golden Petal, this spirit skill will manifest a humongous golden lotus, which will open its petals and protect him from any attacks.

The golden lotus will have nine layers of petal, which need to get destroyed if the attack wants to touch him, and well, that only happens if the attacker is a titled douluo, maybe.

Lin Feng also create a soul contract for his subordinate as he's not totally sure with their loyalty.

He asked Grey about can he perform a summoned contract with a human.

Grey is giving a positive response as he can perform a contract with humans as long they're close to him.

But, after these three years, he can't make a contract with Dugu Bo and Zhu Zhuqing.

So, he comes up with the idea of a soul contract where he could perform a subordinate contract and using the power of Oath Sword, where Dugu Bo and Zhu Zhuqing pledge their loyalty.

In these three years, Zhu Zhuqing somehow wants to become closer with him, yet she rarely using words to displays them but rather doing it in action.

After one year, he comes with her to train her. She'll come to massage him every time done with her training while sometimes acting like a cat around him.

She's purring if he's patting her head and blushing if he touches her face.

Her progress also marvelous as she already at level 38 with her second and third spirit ring is purple spirit rings.

But, It's not because of the help of his essence crystal. She purely does it because of her hellish training, which breaking her body and spiritual limit.

His summons also made a lot of progress in these three years.

Noel has reached 45.000 years old, while her strength is enough to overwhelm a bunch of spirit sage.

Her daughter, Silvy, also has reached 17.000 years old, and with her silver lightning, she could easily defeat older spirit beasts.

Aurel also made excellent progress and reached 30.000 years old, but her strength is higher than Noel, even though her cultivation age is lower.

Meanwhile, Kro has reached 69.000 years old, and maybe in a few weeks, he is able to breakthrough to seventy thousand.

As for Aria, She's become more cuddly while sometimes provoking Lingxue and Zhuqing by kissing him in front of them.

Well, She's marking her territory.

Ah, yeah, when Lingxue meets Zhuqing for the first time, weirdly, they don't have any problem and calmly staring at each other.

When they stared at each other, they seem to agree with something.

''Spirit Ring, huh.''

''I don't find any suitable spirit ring on the dungeon and the sunset forest.''

''Hmm, It's been a while...''

''Maybe I should go to the star dou forest.''