25: Chapter 25 The Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Vajra Earth-Splitting Bear, Xuanzi's Strength

The next day, as the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Xuan Zi's figure appeared at the entrance of Su Chen's dormitory, carrying a massive wine gourd in his hand.

"Kid, are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Su Chen had already finished packing and nodded upon hearing this.

Xuan Zi didn't waste any words; thick Soul Power surged out, directly enveloping Su Chen. The two transformed into a streak of light, silently flying out of Shrek City.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, they didn't fly high, almost skimming the treetops as they flew toward the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The morning mist in the forest was pushed aside by the airflow generated by the two, like fabric being sliced open by scissors.

During the flight, Su Chen took the initiative to speak.

"Elder Xuan, the goal this time is very clear."

"I'm looking for a metal-attribute Spirit Beast, attack system, and the older the better."

Xuan Zi took a swig of wine and gave a muffled "mm" to signal him to continue.

"My Chaos Thunder Dragon Martial Soul possesses violent enough lightning power, but to put it bluntly, it just has high damage and a large range. If I truly encounter a Defense System Spirit Master like a turtle shell, breaking through their defense is a bit difficult."

"Metal governs slaughter; it can perfectly compensate for this shortcoming."

Listening to Su Chen's organized analysis, a glint flashed through Xuan Zi's cloudy eyes.

This kid doesn't just have ridiculous talent; his mind also works incredibly fast.

At this moment, Su Chen raised his hand.

A miniature phantom of the Chaos Thunder Dragon emerged in his palm.

On its purple dragon body, halos of water, fire, wood, and earth colors flowed, with only the light representing gold appearing somewhat dim.

"As long as I can absorb a powerful enough metal-system spirit ring, the power of the five elements can be completely balanced."

"At that time, the potential of 'Ultimate Metal Sharpness' within the Spirit will also be activated."

"When lightning is infused with the aura of metal sharpness, I don't care what kind of turtle shell it is—one swipe of my claws will tear it right open!"

After hearing these words, a flash of uncontainable surprise crossed Xuan Zi's cloudy old eyes.

This kid has only just reached Spirit King, yet he sees his future path so clearly?

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Metal attribute, attack system..."

"You're in luck, kid. In the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, there really is a thick-headed fellow suitable for you."

"The Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear."

Xuan Zi rubbed his hands together, as if remembering something interesting.

"That fellow is a tough character; it was born eating metal ores, and its bear hide is harder than damn profound iron."

"A single slap carries metal-system armor-piercing energy; it's definitely sharp enough and fierce enough."

"Last time I was strolling through here, I happened to see a thirty-thousand-year Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear pinning a Titan Giant Ape to the ground and rubbing it in. That scene, tsk tsk..."

Hearing the name 'Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear,' related records immediately surfaced in Su Chen's mind.

Violent temperament, explosive attack power—it was a notoriously tough nut to crack in the Star Dou Great Forest.

He frowned slightly and voiced his concerns.

"Elder Xuan, this kind of Spirit Beast is extremely alert and is best at hiding within metal ore veins. Its aura is hard to lock onto; finding it won't be easy."

Before he could finish, Xuan Zi chuckled.

A terrifying pressure, like mountains and seas, instantly erupted from Xuan Zi's body, making the surrounding air feel as if it had solidified.

"Kid, with me here, you're worrying about this?"

"Never mind it hiding in an ore vein; even if it drills into the planet's core, I can still drag it out for you."

"Just put your heart in your stomach and wait peacefully to absorb the spirit ring; that's all you need to do."

Seeing Xuan Zi like this, Su Chen's heart immediately felt steady.

With such a thick thigh to cling to, what was there to fear?

He bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Elder Xuan."

...

The two sped along. The deeper they went into the Star Dou Great Forest, the more viscous the Soul Power in the air became.

After flying for an unknown amount of time, Xuan Zi suddenly stopped and sniffed hard.

"There's a smell of rust, mixed with a bit of blood."

He led Su Chen, following the scent to find it.

Before long, an abandoned open-pit iron ore vein appeared before their eyes.

*Crunch... crunch...*

The crisp sound of chewing came from deep within the ore vein.

The two lightened their steps and crept over quietly.

They saw a giant black bear, its size comparable to a small mountain, lying on a pile of pitch-black iron ore, munching away.

With every bite it took, it was as if it were chewing on a crispy cracker.

Faint golden Soul Power, like a thin mist, lingered around its body.

Xuan Zi narrowed his eyes, sensing carefully for a moment.

He lowered his voice and said to Su Chen beside him, "Around thirty thousand years. Its Soul Power is very solid, with no signs of instability."

"It's right at the edge of your endurance limit; absorbing it will bring many benefits."

"This is the one."

Just as he finished speaking, the Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear seemed to sense something, and its chewing abruptly stopped.

It suddenly looked up, a pair of bear eyes as large as copper bells flashing with bloodthirsty red light, staring fixedly in the direction of the two.

The giant bear slowly stood up.

Its height exceeded twelve meters, and its black fur was as hard as if cast from dark iron. In the gaps between its fur, one could see tiny particles of golden ore glinting.

Its two forearms were as thick as stone pillars, and when its claws extended, they glinted with a chilling light.

*Thud!*

It stomped one foot on the ground, and the entire ore vein shook three times.

A circle of golden airwaves spread along the ground, carrying a sharp aura that could tear everything apart.

"Ha, perfect timing!"

Facing this terrifying momentum, Xuan Zi was not surprised but delighted, an excited light flashing in his eyes.

His figure flickered, disappearing from the spot instantly.

The next second, he appeared like a ghost at the side of the Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear.

A low growl escaped from Xuan Zi's throat.

Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, Red!

Nine spirit rings rose in sequence from beneath his feet, circling upward.

When that final, dazzling hundred-thousand-year red spirit ring appeared, the previously ferocious Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear instantly widened its eyes, its gaze filled with wariness.

"Taotie Divine Ox, Possession!"

Xuan Zi's body began to swell, thick black bull fur emerging around him. Two solid curved horns grew from his head, and his hands transformed into hideous beast claws covered in black scales.

Without the slightest hesitation, his palm, as large as a cattail leaf fan, slapped directly toward the Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear's head.

The golden armor-piercing energy surging from the bear's paw collided violently with the Taotie Soul Power attached to Xuan Zi's claws.

*BOOM—!*

A massive explosion.

Mineral dust filled the sky as the battle was triggered instantly.

Su Chen only felt his vision blur; amidst the sky-high dust, the man and the bear were already locked in combat.

Elder Xuan didn't play around with anything fancy at all.

It was just a claw, a punch—simple and brutal.

The golden armor-piercing energy that the Diamond Earth-Splitting Bear was so proud of was sucked completely dry by the invisible devouring force on Elder Xuan's body the moment it left the bear's form.