Chapter 168: Totem

Although different from the mage's three advanced paths—Legend, Domain, and Arcana—the essence of a Spiritual Warrior is to become stronger and tougher.

But in practice, each Spiritual Warrior still develops distinct differences based on their individual insights.

Take the orc Amy, for example.

She is close to seventh rank; orcs follow the Rage Path, centered on 【Rage】.

At that stage, spirituality transforms into tangible, raging flames whose power is strongly tied to the user's emotions.

A furious Rage Path orc is an opponent no one wants to face.

This path also emphasizes willpower training at seventh rank to enhance mental resistance.

After all, mages have numerous psychic spells like 【Loss of Will】 and 【Hypnotic Glyphs】 that can calm enraged orcs.

Of course, this path isn't exclusive to orcs.

Other races can also follow it by learning the lower-tier Spiritual Art 【Berserker】.

Besides the Rage Path, there are several others.

Luo De knows of three.

The first is the Totem Path, which establishes a connection with ancient natural totems through rituals, gaining their protection and power.

The second is the Iron Body Path, a warrior stream focused on resistance skills, pursuing total elemental immunity through intense training and potion consumption.

The third is the Steel-Cutting Path, a stream that fully bonds with weapons, abandoning defense, spells, and spiritual power, instead finding the path of blade strikes within the mind.

But ultimately,

These are all minor variations—not like the mage's three mutually exclusive paths.

It's said many Spiritual Warriors train in two or more paths simultaneously.

The elf CaroLin before him, radiating brilliant white light,

is a magic swordsman of the Totem Path—this is also the most common path chosen by those who cultivate both spiritual and magical power.

Based on her fighting style, she also seems to have trained partially in the Steel-Cutting Path.

She spread her wings; the blinding white light resembled the sun.

In the night sky, a colossal orb of light appeared, replacing the moon.

It established a totemic power too intense to look upon.

"My totem is named Light—Radiant Flash!"

With those words,

the white light became a beam, engulfing Luo De.

The next instant, the semi-transparent dragon scales on his skin retracted like a receding tide.

【Dragon Scale Art】 was dispelled?!

No time to think—CaroLin, cloaked in white light, dove from midair like a sledgehammer striking down.

A pink-purple wrathfire surged upward.

On the ground, the forest warden now wore terrifying, dominant armor, and the grotesque longsword wrapped in pink-purple wrathfire suddenly opened thirty-six demonic eyes.

【Fear Domain】!

CaroLin's body stiffened slightly; her will wavered.

"Domain?"

The dispelled Radiant Flash immediately found its opening.

Her opponent's 【Dragon Scale Art】 climbed back onto his body.

The kingdom's technique, 【Aiselon's Flash】, erupted again!

But this time—it was eight flashes!

CaroLin focused entirely, and sudden brilliance exploded, instantly staggering all eight blades apart.

She charged at Luo De at divine speed, landing a second wave of 【Eight Flash】—each strike hitting without missing, right against his face.

Yet with every clash against the wrathfire, the brightness of her longsword dimmed slightly.

CLANG!

The trembling soul-blade, covered in tiny hands, clashed with the longsword like a glowing tube.

Two immense forces erupted and collided instantly.

The floor beneath their feet shattered into pits; fragments and pebbles exploded outward.

But sixth-rank power could not oppose seventh-rank—even in 【Lamenting Earthshaker】 state.

Luo De's right hand was knocked aside, his trembling soul-blade deflected off-course, nearly ripped from his grip.

CRACK!

The 【Lamenting Earthshaker】 mask split open under the light, revealing Luo De's stunned half-face.

He retreated quickly.

Yet CaroLin closed the distance in an instant, drawing her sword to her side, poised to strike.

"Radiant Flash."

The light beam engulfed him again—【Dragon Scale Art】 and 【Lamenting Earthshaker】 both dispelled.

"Phantom Sword·Dragon Fang."

In an instant, faced with surging blade-light, Luo De—without any defensive spiritual art—his throat glowed red-hot as iron.

A fierce, blinding orange-red light erupted violently.

The red light burned scorching hot, carrying the power of a spore bomb compressed to its limit, then exploded into a furious energy column thicker than a human body.

ROAR!!!

【Dragon Breath】!

Amplified by 【Blessing of the Skyborne Ancient Tree】!

The enlarged Dragon Breath engulfed the entire body of elf CaroLin; the immense destruction and impact blasted her backward, shattered through floors, and slammed her into the ground on Rank Street, melting bricks and soil into a half-moon-shaped crater.

In midair, the massive white orb dimmed and went dark.

CaroLin lay on her back, vomiting a large mouthful of blood.

Her wings were mostly burned away; her cloth garments turned to ash; even her breastplate and hip armor were pierced by countless holes from the dragon breath's extreme heat.

Her flesh was worse—countless uneven, melted, bleeding wounds covered her body.

Though faint white light still slowly, steadily repaired her, she was now extremely weak.

"What… is this?!!"

CaroLin was stunned; she couldn't comprehend what spiritual art this was. Dragon Breath? But he's human!

Was he magically modified? Impossible—there's no trace of magic here!

As a seventh-rank, she couldn't mistake the difference between spirituality and magic.

Besides! How could human body modification using Dragon Breath produce such power?!

The walls of the Fuxin Inn had collapsed.

On the second floor, Luo De knelt half-dead.

Beads of sweat dripped steadily onto the ground.

"So weak… haven't felt this drained in ages…"

With trembling hands, he pulled a healing and stamina-restoring magic potion from his spell satchel and drank them all.

He felt the gentle potion slide down his throat into his stomach.

The dragon stomach's powerful digestion immediately improved his condition considerably.

Last time he used Amplify in the Open Maze, he rested for over ten minutes.

Though he's grown stronger, this time won't be any easier.

His body's agony assaulted him without cease.

"Not yet time to rest."

Perhaps the elf has lost her fighting ability, but there's still another seventh-rank demon.

Luo De rested for ten seconds, then forced himself to stand.

He walked to elf CaroLin's side.

Her aura was gone; dirt and ash coated her, making her filthy and disheveled.

She struggled to lift herself—failed.

"What… was that?" She stared fixedly at Luo De.

Luo De raised his sword to stab her.

Only then did he realize 【Trembling Soul-Blade】 had reverted to a fragile, ceramic-like blade shape.

【Trembling Soul-Blade lacks blood regeneration and circulation; the ancient Pygmy bloodline is extinct, vanished entirely】

【'Steel Bones', 'Pygmy Multi-Armed Syndrome' lost effect】

"."

Luo De wanted to curse—but he had no strength left.

He pulled out 【Sacrificial Sword】, and with effort, jammed its broken edge into her abdomen.

The elf let out a muffled groan of defiance.

"I didn't pierce your heart. Don't worry."

Luo De looked down. "State your name, elf."

But she ignored the death threat, staring at him in silence.

Luo De could only mutter his own lines to himself.

"Good. My name is Luo De, but you're not allowed to say it—because from now on, you'll call me—Master."

【Enslavement Failed】.

His smile froze.

(End of Chapter)