Chapter 76: Ambush

In the shimmering Baidi, a violet gleam burst forth, looking especially dazzling.

The anomaly surrounding Tie Li's body slowly faded, and the aura gradually steadied.

At the instant his martial soul transformed, Tie Li suddenly sensed a chilling aura within Baidi.

The special soul power returned by the Thunder Python Inner Core was extremely similar to the aura just sensed.

Tie Li wondered for the first time whether this inner elixir was truly the Thousand-Year Lei Mang Inner Pill.

Multiple thoughts appeared in Tie Li's mind;

Could the Thunder Python Inner Core have the ability to devour thunder and lightning? It sensed that Baidi contained an extremely potent thunder force, absorbed a portion and fed it back to itself, thereby allowing his martial soul to undergo a minor transformation?

Or perhaps this inner elixir is not a simple Thousand-Year Thunder Python Inner Pill; it shares a common origin of power with Baidi's super Soul Beast, yet it fell into a dormant state. Sensing the same-origin aura outside Baidi, a fleeting revival occurred, and because he had long absorbed the elixir's energy for cultivation, his body formed a sort of symbiosis with the elixir;

Thus, at the moment of revival, the inner elixir released that special soul power to help him complete a minor transformation?

One speculation after another flashed through Tie Li's mind.

Overall, it was a good thing for him.

This minor transformation lasted a full day and night; his body felt not a hint of weakness but unusually vigorous, as if he had taken a great tonic.

Tie Li wasn't in a hurry to leave; he also didn't know when Ning Ning would return, so he stayed to cultivate longer here to solidify himself.

For a Soul Master with a Thunder Attribute martial soul, meditative cultivation here is extremely effective.

But on the fifth day, Tie Li couldn't help but leave.

The more he cultivated in Baidi, the more he could sense the super Soul Beast at Baidi's central circle.

That terrifying aura made Tie Li subtly uneasy; meditating under such pressure was a heavy burden on his spirit.

The only benefit was that the Lei Long Meditation Method made his soul power unusually active, greatly accelerating cultivation speed.

After resting two days and recovering his spirit, he would still return here to meditate and cultivate.

Meditating here is like having a flock of Thunder Attribute plant-type Soul Beasts training with you; not only does it boost cultivation speed, it also improves the quality of your soul power.

Much better than meditating alone.

Tie Li returned to his residence; the mental burden required proper rest, and after it eased a bit, he began normal meditative cultivation to gradually restore his spirit power.

He thought two days would suffice, but it actually took three full days before Tie Li shed the mental fatigue.

"After so many days, has Ning Ning returned?" Tie Li wondered inwardly.

Unfortunately, he didn't know Ning Ning's dwelling; she had never told him.

When he relaxed, Ning Ning's figure involuntarily floated in his mind.

But she knows her own residence; if she returns, she should leave a mark.

Tie Li and Ning Ning hadn't appeared in the Great Soul Battle Arena during this period, which surprised Manager Ji.

To counter the Heavy Tower combo, he had specially recruited a pair from other Soul Battle arenas.

"Manager Ji, you haven't seen anyone for so many days; have you been secretly threatening them?"

The pair were brothers, tall and burly, like two small hills blocking Manager Ji's path.

The elder brother speaking now had doubt in his eyes.

Manager Ji's face darkened instantly upon hearing him; if the Great Soul Battle Arena's manager secretly threatened Soul Masters and the rumor spread, his tenure there would be over.

Seeing Manager Ji's icy stare, he realized he had misspoken and let out a nervous laugh.

"Stay here for a while, and also help me recover all the revenue the Great Soul Battle Arena lost," a strange glint flashed in Manager Ji's eyes.

Tie Li returned to the Thunder Attribute plant-type Soul Beast gathering place on Bai Ni Mountain, still at the spot from last time.

Meditating here allows one to experience a prodigy Soul Master's cultivation speed.

Purple lightning arcs flickered over Tie Li's body, gradually syncing with the thunder frequency emitted by the plant-type Soul Beasts.

But when the frequencies aligned, Tie Li once again sensed the terrifying aura at the gathering's central circle.

Bearing the mental pressure, he continued meditative cultivation.

Yet Tie Li never relaxed his guard; after all, this was wilderness, and Soul Beasts could appear at any moment.

"Sss"

A fiery red silhouette darted out from within Baidi, targeting the meditating Tie Li.

Just as it thought to bite through Tie Li's chest, a massive hand wrapped in purple thunder suddenly seized it.

Sensing danger, the fire spirit beast instantly rolled aside.

"You're not dead yet?"

Tie Li awoke from meditation, seeing the fire spirit beast that had emerged from Baidi, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.

Its abdominal wound had healed, and the soul power aura it just released was stronger than before.

It's not only because it devoured the fire spirit fruit; other factors must also be at play.

"Humans..."

The fire spirit beast's eyes were filled with ferocity; throughout its life it had seen too many of its kin die at the hands of human Soul Masters, and its feeling toward humans was pure hatred.

Thus, it struck without hesitation, deeming the moment ideal, but didn't expect Tie Li to be already prepared.

Tie Li summoned his martial soul; outwardly it still appeared as the Forge Hammer Martial Soul, yet thunder now gestated within it, and its core possessed the Thunder and Lightning Attribute.

Strands of purple lightning coiled around the hammer, brimming with a purer destructive power.

If he wanted his martial soul to make a qualitative leap, perhaps... Tie Li's subconscious gaze drifted toward the deepest part of the gathering place.

However, his current strength wasn't enough to attempt that; forcing his way through Baidi, the thunder released by the outermost plant-type Soul Beasts would vaporize him.

"Buzz"

Sensing Tie Li's murderous intent, the fire spirit beast struck first, launching a mental attack on Tie Li, forming a scorching fireball in its mouth.

The fire spirit beast's front-line combat power was lacking; its real challenge lay in its ability to coordinate with the Wolf King to command a pack of wolves.

Its spiritual skills are mainly used to amplify the wolf pack, with very few attack skills.

Tie Li, who suffers a spiritual attack, falls into a brief daze, and a fireball happens to strike his body.

Unfortunately, the Fire Spirit Beast's attack is too weak, only dealing slight damage to Tie Li, and most of the damage is blocked by his metal inner armor.

The Fire Spirit Beast's spiritual attack resembles a control skill, but it is easy to break free from, far worse than the mental pressure one endures while meditating.

Boom—

When Tie Li bursts upward, the next second he appears in front of the Fire Spirit Beast.

(End of chapter)