Chapter 509 - 447: Fire Cloud Spirit Whip

Chapter 509: Chapter 447: Fire Cloud Spirit Whip

"Ice Blade Skill!"

Shi Zhenyue’s eyebrows rose. Judging by how solid the ice blade was, it had to be at the Major Achievement level. He was secretly surprised and thought even more highly of Zhao Lin.

If he knew that Zhao Lin wasn’t even using his full strength and that his true mastery of the Ice Blade Skill was at the Perfection level, his jaw would probably drop.

When a senior sparred to provide guidance, it was customary for the junior to attack first.

"My apologies for my offense!"

Zhao Lin gave a soft cry, and the ice blade slashed down through the air.

Shi Zhenyue didn’t dare to be careless. He flourished his Fire Cloud Whip, which coiled upward to meet the ice blade.

With a SIZZLE, the ice blade made contact with the Fire Cloud Whip, releasing a puff of steam. It instantly shrank, but the flames on the Fire Cloud Whip didn’t diminish in the slightest.

Zhao Lin immediately changed his angle of attack. The ice blade abruptly veered left, attempting to bypass the Fire Cloud Whip’s interception.

Shi Zhenyue naturally wouldn’t let Zhao Lin succeed. He formed another spell with his hands, and the whip’s head and tail connected, forming a circle that blocked the ice blade’s path...

Tier Two Skills were more powerful and versatile than Tier One Skills. After seven or eight exchanges, the ice blade was gradually losing ground.

Zhao Lin looked at his Inner Vision Spirit Cultivation Map and saw the four words "Fire Cloud Spirit Whip" appear in the third grid.

However, the plum blossom next to the words was faint and indistinct, which meant the Mana fluctuations weren’t strong enough. The Spirit Cultivation Map hadn’t fully captured the skill yet.

’I’ll just have to get a little closer then.’

As the thought crossed Zhao Lin’s mind, he subtly slowed the ice blade’s speed.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Shi Zhenyue’s ability to seize an opportunity in battle was second to none. The Fire Cloud Whip suddenly unfurled, transforming into a sea of fire that engulfed the ice blade.

Then, the body of the whip straightened, becoming a crimson spear that shot forward like an arrow.

Zhao Lin knew Shi Zhenyue wouldn’t harm him, but he wasn’t about to entrust his life to someone else. He pointed a finger in front of himself and cast the Rock Armor Skill for protection.

WHOOSH!

The Fire Cloud Whip stopped ten feet from Zhao Lin and instantly vanished without a trace.

"Excellent in both offense and defense. No wonder Senior Brother Wu said you are the most outstanding disciple the Spirit Dao Institute has seen in decades!"

Shi Zhenyue retracted his magic, a broad smile on his face as he spoke.

"Elder Shi’s magic is profound. This junior has learned a great deal!"

There was not a hint of pride on Zhao Lin’s face as he responded calmly.

Shi Zhenyue waved his hand. "That’s all for today. Go back and reflect on it carefully. Come again tomorrow."

"Yes."

Zhao Lin bowed and left the training room.

After leaving the Fire Hall, he checked his Spirit Cultivation Map again. Beside the four words "Fire Cloud Spirit Whip," there was a five-petaled plum blossom.

Seeing it was still early, Zhao Lin decided to strike while the iron was hot and cultivate the skill directly to the Mastery stage.

He inquired with the gate-keeping disciple, found the Spirit Cave in Yanmen County, and exchanged merit points for four hours of cultivation time.

He walked into the Spirit Cave and sat down cross-legged.

Activating his Spirit Cultivation Map, he began to analyze the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip skill.

Before long, four of the plum blossom’s five petals had turned a vibrant red.

The last petal remained unchanged, not because of insufficient Spiritual Qi, but because only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could execute a Tier Two Skill at the Major Achievement level or higher.

Once the skill analysis was complete, every bit of Shi Zhenyue’s comprehension and experience with the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip flowed into Zhao Lin’s mind.

"Fire Cloud Spirit Whip!"

Zhao Lin opened his eyes, formed a spell with his hand, and let out a soft cry. A tongue of fire shot from his fingertip.

At first, the tongue of fire was only a little over a foot long. But as his technique grew more practiced and his perception of Fire Spiritual Power deepened, it transformed into a fiery dragon.

Zhao Lin practiced for two hours and gradually grasped the essence of the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip. His mastery of the skill progressed from Entry to Skilled, and then to Minor Achievement...

He believed it wouldn’t take more than a few days to reach Mastery.

’Excellent. Now to see how it feels to control a magic treasure.’

Eager to try, Zhao Lin took the Silver Flood Dragon Whip from his storage bag.

He formed a spell, and with a CRACK, the Silver Flood Dragon Whip flew into the air.

At first, Zhao Lin was still clumsy. The Silver Flood Dragon Whip twisted and wobbled in the air like a drunken worm.

But after controlling it for a while, he quickly grasped the knack and it became an extension of his will.

The tip of the whip flicked out repeatedly, like a white snake flicking its tongue, demonstrating exceptional agility.

Although the Silver Flood Dragon Whip was an inanimate object, it was crafted from the great tendon of a Tier Three Demon Beast, the Silver-Scaled Flood Dragon. It was highly compatible with Divine Sense, allowing it to move with one’s thoughts. This amplified its power, making it at least thirty percent stronger than using the skill alone.

Next, Zhao Lin took out the Black Robe Pouch.

The Black Robe Pouch was much more difficult to control. He practiced for just under an hour before he could barely command it.

Under Zhao Lin’s command, the Black Robe Pouch flapped its "wings" and flew through the air like a giant bat, its opening widening and tightening intermittently.

’The Black Robe Pouch isn’t fast. Capturing a magic treasure with it won’t be easy.’

Zhao Lin stroked his chin, pondering.

He glanced at the Silver Flood Dragon Whip in his hand, and inspiration suddenly struck.

’That’s it! The Silver Flood Dragon Whip is agile and fast enough. Could I use it to entangle the opponent’s magic treasure and then toss it into the Black Robe Pouch?’

Zhao Lin had once been a Martial Grandmaster, so his understanding of weapons far surpassed that of an ordinary cultivator.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. With his current cultivation level, casting two skills at once was no problem at all.

If he didn’t need to worry about defense, he could even briefly maintain three skills simultaneously.

At this thought, Zhao Lin drew his Moon-Cutting Saber and threw it into the air along with the Silver Flood Dragon Whip.

He used the Ice Blade Skill to control the Moon-Cutting Saber, sending it weaving back and forth in the air of the Spirit Cave.

Then he used the Silver Flood Dragon Whip to wrap around the Moon-Cutting Saber and pull it into the Black Robe Pouch.

SWOOSH!

The Black Robe Pouch sealed its opening, taking in the Moon-Cutting Saber, while the Silver Flood Dragon Whip nimbly withdrew.

"It really works!"

A flash of delight crossed Zhao Lin’s eyes. ’Ji Zhang and Chunying probably never imagined, even in death, that their two magic treasures could be used together to such complementary effect.’

’It seems I made the right choice in learning the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip skill!’

Besides capturing an enemy’s magic treasures, the Black Robe Pouch could also be used for defense.

By infusing it with Spiritual Power, the pouch became as hard as iron and could be used like a shield to block enemy attacks.

Most pouch-type magic treasures had this ability, and Zhao Lin grasped it after a bit of experimenting.

CLICK...

The hourglass on the wall made a sound. The four hours were up.

Zhao Lin opened the stone door and stood at the entrance for a moment, waiting for the residual aura of his practice to dissipate before striding away.

Over the next few days, Zhao Lin went to the Fire Hall every day to learn the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip from Shi Zhenyue.

Even though he had already mastered the skill, he had to see the act through. He couldn’t just learn for one day and then leave; that would be a loss of face and disrespectful.

Shi Zhenyue had initially started teaching Zhao Lin the skill only to fulfill Elder Wu’s request and grant a favor.

But after spending some time with him, he discovered that Zhao Lin truly had a talent for it. Not only did he progress rapidly, but his understanding of the skill was also quite profound, not at all like a beginner’s.

After a few days, Zhao Lin had cultivated the Fire Cloud Spirit Whip to a state of proficiency, reaching the Mastery level.

He could also effortlessly wield both the Silver Flood Dragon Whip and the Black Robe Pouch at the same time.

Zhao Lin felt it was time to leave, so he went to the Fire Hall to bid farewell to Shi Zhenyue.

"Thank you, Elder Shi, for your meticulous guidance these past few days. This junior has benefited immensely and is deeply grateful. I should continue to listen to your teachings, but I am unfortunately tied up with trivial matters and have come especially to bid you farewell."