Elemental Card King.

Chapter 144 Divine Efficacy, Azure Phoenix Inheritance, Encounter.

"This is delicious!"

The little spirit floating in the air held a dark chocolate bar in its right hand.

It closed its eyes, looking completely absorbed, a sweet smile radiating from its delicate face.

"This is not bad either."

Xiaoling was still holding an energy bar in her left hand. She took another bite with devout concentration, chewing the calorie-rich hazelnuts directly in her mouth.

Since her sense of taste was awakened at a young age, she has become a little glutton, full of enthusiasm and interest in all kinds of food.

Long after setting off from the abandoned ruins, Xiao Ling had already tasted three kinds of military rations.

High-calorie foods that are generally unacceptable to most athletes are undoubtedly delicacies to young children who have just developed taste buds.

at this time.

As he continued his journey deeper into the inner circle, Su Chen did not forget to collect some herbs, including the fragrant and refreshing Light Breeze Flower, which is rich in essential oils, and the Fragrant Vine, which emits a faint lemon scent and can act as a flavor enhancer.

"Just a temporary seasoning," Su Chen said.

To cook fresh meat to a delicious taste, seasonings are essential.

He glanced at the food guide section of the guidebook, which even explained how to extract high-quality vegetable oil by pressing camellia seeds.

"Dragon Cliff Cave".

"There's natural salt here, and it's edible after a little processing. We've decided to stay here for our second night. What do you think?"

After looking at the map and roughly calculating the distance, Su Chen felt it was a good campsite choice.

"You've made up your mind." Xia He said, implying that she would leave it to the other party to decide.

"Then it's decided." Su Chen made the decision decisively.

now.

After setting off again, they continued to move deeper into the inner circle.

This journey also marks the time when the completely different Little Spirit will put on a show.

With the activation of the new secret technique 'Five Elements Evolution', Xiao Ling, together with her five elemental clones, became unstoppable, crushing and flattening everything in her path.

A few hours later.

They arrived at a wetland environment called Misty Mud Pool.

click!
The ground was covered with a thick layer of humus, and each step made a crisp sound.

The surrounding environment was as if it were covered by a dark filter, and even the trees were filled with strange and malevolent energy, with branches extending outwards like twisted and eerie ghost claws.

A gust of cold wind blew by, stirring up swirling mist and amplifying the wailing cries that had been shrouded below.

"Well!!"

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the venomous dragon's mouth. Its head was raised high, revealing unbearable pain. As it poured green venom from its gaping maw, it let out a mournful cry.

Around it, a total of six demon spirits were still attacking it.

boom!
With long, crimson hair, a pair of perky wolf ears, and a fluffy long tail, the Blazing Flame Spirit immediately spewed out a 'Great Flame Burst,' and the surging sea of ​​fire instantly scorched half of the dragon beast's body.

Like a beautiful serpent amidst endless waves, this Azure Wave Water Master continuously activates the 'Water Wave' skill, causing layers of waves to crash and pound against the Poisonous Dragon.

Aside from the Fire Wolf Girl and the Water Snake Girl.

On the other side.

A forest deer woman with emerald green hair and a pair of exquisite antlers; a golden tiger woman with cascading golden hair, looking magnificent and precious; and an earth bear woman who constantly stirs up seismic waves and manipulates the effect of invisible gravity suppression.

For a while.

Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—the five elemental clones unleashed their respective attack skills with frenzied abandon.

This chaotic smashing had no rhyme or reason, and there was no deliberate coordination or collaboration whatsoever.

But
When these five elemental spirits are present, they will also trigger a bond effect.

'Five Elements Formation'!
The five elements are inherently mutually generating and restraining. However, under the bombardment of these five elements, they are both diminishing and merging, weaving a harmonious and ever-flowing magical array effect.

When the Holy Radiance Spirit Envoy of the original body joined, the situation became completely one-sided.

Swish!
A holy, blazing white sword beam tore through all the poisonous barriers. Its terrifyingly sharp cutting force even left scratches in the air before slamming down on the venomous dragon's neck with a soft thud.

"Uh!"

After another mournful cry, the dragon-like creature, resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex, crashed to the ground.

The Poisonous Dragon is the next evolution of the Poisonous Lizard Beast.

Such a true dragon, reaching the five-star blue quality, is virtually invincible among its peers due to the racial suppression effect.

Now, however, it was perfectly killed by Xiao Ling, a four-star red-quality creature.

of course.

This is also based on the 'Five Elements Evolution' and the trinity of the fundamental nature.
"The Darkin Dragon is a five-star orange quality, three major qualities higher than the Poisonous Dragon. Its dragon might effect is stronger, and it also has the ability to fly. In terms of strength, it's worlds apart," Su Chen assessed.

Within this misty, muddy pool, the carcasses of two Spinosaurus floated in the dark green stagnant water.

Scattered among the dense reeds were unidentified, broken wings and blood-stained, mottled scales.

A cluster of fluorescent mushrooms emitting deadly toxins was wiped out by a sword light as sharp as autumn water.

Swish!
As Xia He sheathed her sword, from the water's surface to the shore, from the depths of the wetlands to the edge, this gloomy and desolate territory became completely peaceful.

Two five-star rare and precious herbs, 'Poison Heart Fruit' and 'Poison Ivy', were obtained together.

Inside the arena, there were even as many as four five-star monsters, all encased within.

This trip was very rewarding.

The resources in the core area are indeed extraordinary.

This was Su Chen and Xia He's fourth territorial sweep. After purifying the lurking toxins, the duo set off again.
At nine o'clock in the evening, they finally arrived at their designated lodging place, 'Dragon Cliff Cave'.

"A five-star sword and shield dragon."

"There are also several giant rock-steel pythons under its rule and enslavement, lurking in the underground dark river, as well as vampire bats and other monsters in many caves. Deep in the lair is a 'Shadow Demon Flower' and several 'Dragon Breath Crystals'."

hum!
An invisible ripple of mental energy, like a radar scan, revealed all the information inside the cave to Su Chen's mind.

All the fog of information has completely lost its concealment effect.

Hundreds upon hundreds of soul fluctuations illuminated every hidden corner.

Of course, Su Chen's actions also alerted the keen-sensed Sword and Shield Dragon and the Rock Steel Python.

A roar like the rumble of the earth echoed continuously within Dragon Cliff Cave. With the lord's outburst, the enslaved people of the territory below immediately began to take action.

Wow! !
A swarm of vampire bats, like a blood-red tide, burst out of the cave, but blocking the entrance was a large wave of light elemental summons radiating a holy white glow.

'Divine Judgment!'

'Holy Shock!'

'discipline!'

Like a raging inferno descending from the heavens, a barrage of light-based attacks rained down, and the summoned Saint-ranked Griffins, Light Unicorns, and Light Elves immediately launched a fierce and annihilating offensive.

Not only that.

As Su Chen's deep eyes gleamed with two distinct lights, one bright and one dark, dozens more summoning arrays appeared in the void.

Ghost knights riding ghostly warhorses with eyes burning with eerie blue light, and shadowy assassins like phantoms of the night, along with other dark-elemental summoned beasts, also descended.

soon.

This army of light and darkness stormed into Dragon Cliff Cave and began its march to conquer this territory.

"Xiao Ling, come and help."

Holding the Golden Scale Sword high, Xiao Ling took the lead, transforming into a vanguard general who crushed and pushed his way through.

When faced with the menacing sword and shield dragon, it unleashed the Five Elements Evolution Technique in one go, and various elemental clones emerged, including the Golden Tiger Woman, the Forest Deer Woman, the Water Snake Woman, the Flame Wolf Woman, and the Bear Woman.

An elemental feast immediately erupted and filled the cave.

Taking advantage of its terrain, the Sword and Shield Dragon rampaged through the area, unleashing seismic waves with impunity.

Its metallic scales give its agile dragon body a mechanical beauty, while its tail ends in a flat, hammer-like shape, resembling a battering ram that sweeps and explodes outwards continuously.

"Roar!!"

With a dragon's roar, the Sword and Shield Dragon's powerful forelimbs, which resembled mechanical dragon claws, continuously unleashed terrifyingly sharp sword light.

hum!
A surge of dragon's aura erupted, not only disrupting the surrounding elemental fluctuations but also causing damage to the terrain.

The surrounding earth could not withstand the immense power it released; rocks flew everywhere and dust billowed.

As the land collapsed, an underground river was exposed, and a giant rock python finally got its best hunting opportunity, bursting out of the water in an instant.

But at this very moment...

Clang!
Between the electric light and flint.

The serpent's body, which was about to wreak havoc, froze briefly in mid-air, only to be precisely severed by a cold and sharp sword light. The moonlight was like a ribbon, and the armored girl who silently emerged from the darkness suppressed the attack momentum of the rock steel python in one fell swoop.

Before it had fully plunged into the underground river, the girl moved freely through the moonlit night as if she were nothing.

The sword light reappeared, this time even brighter and colder.

The sword slashed diagonally, creating a graceful arc, and struck the previous cut again. With a soft thud, the rock python's body, as thick as a bucket, was completely severed in two by this sword strike.

"The Eclipse Technique is almost at the mastery level." Su Chen, observing from behind, had a certain understanding in his heart.

These two instant-kill moves were achieved through the combined effect of multiple attack cards. Moreover, and most importantly, with the activation of the Judgment talent, the freely flying split sword beams were condensed and gathered into one place.

This made the tearing momentum even more terrifying and astonishing, practically transforming it into an indestructible blade of judgment.

That's amazing.

Although the Rock Steel Python was only a four-star purple-level creature, its scales were as hard as iron, making it renowned for its defense. The fact that it could be instantly killed was enough to demonstrate Xia He's extraordinary nature.

As for that five-star sword and shield dragon, it was extraordinary. Its purple quality made its overall strength superior to the previous poison dragon in every aspect.

but.

Faced with the five elemental clones of the Demon Spirit Master, the siege of the Light and Dark Legion, the continuous protection of the Forest Deer Girl's 'Life Barrier', and Xia He's overwhelming attacks, this arrogant sword and shield dragon finally couldn't hold on for less than a minute and a half.

"Quickly mark the 'Magic Seal'!" Little Spirit was anxious, commanding her sister clones.

Before the sword-and-shield dragon could completely burrow underground and escape, at least four magic marks were successfully attached to the dragon's body.

The Flame Wolf Girl, with her long, crimson hair and body wreathed in demonic flames, hesitated and tilted her head, because she didn't have that skill.

The Forest Deer Girl, who mechanically obeyed commands, was also teleported away after the mark was successfully made, only to have her elemental body violently blasted apart by a flat, hammer-shaped dragon tail.

"You silly goose." Little Spirit was furious. Why did you, a little healer, have to teleport along too?

The scene was chaotic for a while.

Obviously.

The Five Elements Derivation clones, which can only inherit 8% of the original body's panel attributes, do not necessarily all possess the secret magic seal technique.

Furthermore, his consciousness was dulled, like a puppet on a string.

Without hesitation, Xia He, her graceful figure swaying in the moonlight, leaped down and chased after him through the pit.

The chase didn't last long.

Soon after, the Sword and Shield Dragon lay dying in a pool of blood. Xiao Ling, having released her True Spirit, gradually calmed her violently surging aura, and the aloof girl beside her gracefully sheathed her sword. Everything was over.

What remains is a pointless battlefield cleanup phase.

Su Chen also discovered the natural salt mine he had been longing for at the bottom of the cliff.

more than.

There are also unexpected gains.

Deep within the mine, shallow layers reveal abundant meteorite veins.

Meteorite iron, that's one of the magical metals.

The value is not low.

After switching Xiao Ling to the Metal-attribute Radiant Gold Messenger, Su Chen immediately used the 'Gold Source Absorption' skill to frantically absorb the magical energy from the mine.

This permanently growing skill can amplify one's offensive and defensive attributes and metal manipulation abilities to a certain extent when absorbing and refining external magical metals.

"It's a pity that the effect of enhancing one's own spirituality has not yet been deciphered. If this characteristic were available, it would be a blessing for all ten attributes," Su Chen sighed inwardly.

Skills that can grow infinitely and permanently increase attributes are extremely rare; they are not secret techniques, but they are even better than secret techniques.

The fact that the Golden Messenger possesses this skill certainly leaves much to the imagination.

Didn't think much about it.

Su Chen built a campfire in an open-air cave, and released the demonic boar and fiery chick he had picked up along the way from the sealed card.

After extracting and simply processing some pure salt from the salt mine, Su Chen still had other herbs that emitted a natural fragrance.

Earlier, he had even collected clean, clear drinking water.

"The ingredients are ready."

"The seasonings are ready too."

Everything is complete.

now.

Xiao Ling and Xia He sat on the long wooden planks by the campfire, one big and one small, calmly and leisurely watching the chef in front of them.

In the firelight, Xiaoling's eyes sparkled with the curiosity and longing unique to children, while Xiahe wore a gentle smile.

The atmosphere at this moment undoubtedly felt warm and relaxing.

soon.

The air was filled with the enticing aroma of roasted meat. Xiaoling finally got to eat a perfectly cooked pork neck. The skin was golden and crispy, while the inside was tender and juicy. With one bite, a happy and satisfied smile immediately appeared on her pretty face.

Its eyes widened in disbelief; it could hardly believe that this was the same tasteless food it had eaten that morning.

"It's okay."

Sitting opposite him, Su Chen rolled up his sleeves and patiently turned the wooden stick, letting the young chicken slowly rotate over the campfire. Herbs mixed with salt had already been applied to the chicken inside and out, and as it roasted, a fragrant aroma wafted out.

"It's great, so delicious!" Xiaoling exclaimed.

Xia He, standing to the side, was elegant, chewing each bite slowly and carefully. When she saw Su Chen looking at her, a gentle smile, almost imperceptible, appeared on her cool face.

The second night in the Ancient Dragon's Nest Secret Realm ended peacefully and quietly.

only.

At three o'clock in the morning, a sudden thunderstorm woke the two from their sleep.

To prevent the rising water level of the underground river from affecting their accommodation, the two people inside the cave moved their sleeping bags and luggage to a higher place.

At five o'clock in the morning, the rain was still unstoppable and the water level was rising higher and higher. At Xiaoling's suggestion, Su Chen and Xia He had no choice but to move their accommodation to a cave on a steep mountain wall.

The cave was so cramped that the two sleeping bags were very close together.

At this distance, they could even hear each other's breathing.

Su Chen pondered for a moment and said, "You go to sleep first, I'll go outside and see what's going on."

hum!
When activated by the Wind Guardian card 'Wind's Protection', a large wisp of dense, surging wind appeared, like a cloak draped over the body.

His back seemed to unfurl like a pair of wind wings, and the next second, this tall and slender figure broke through the curtain of water. Under his meticulous mental control, the storm carried his figure straight to the top of the cliff.

It was this very control that prevented the raindrops from seeping in.

Outside, torrential rain poured down, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

The barrier between heaven and earth seemed to be connected by the endless curtain of rain.

The rain is really heavy.

The towering mountains stretching ahead were completely shrouded in a hazy mist.

"Is it a dragon?"

Just then, two kilometers away in the airspace, Su Chen vaguely saw a huge black shadow appearing and disappearing in the rain. With a more violent rumble of thunder, the black shadow gradually revealed its true form—it was the Darkblood dragon.

Its scales gleamed with a dark sheen in the lightning, and as its powerful wings sliced ​​through the rain, the resulting air currents sent the surrounding raindrops flying backward.

"So the nest was actually in the Dragon Ridge Mountains."

Su Chen could see it clearly: the giant dragon's soaring figure slowly descended towards the distant mountains.

The Dragon Ridge Mountains in the distance were their next destination during the day, and a terrain environment they could not avoid.

Everything was going smoothly, and the time to slay the dragon was fast approaching.

It's worth mentioning that the difference between a dragon beast and a giant dragon is quite obvious.

The difference is quite obvious just from the comparison of body size.

The former's body structure may be closer to that of mammals, with scales not covering the entire body as extensively as those of dragons, and it may even retain some hair.

The latter is the ruler of the sky and the earth, with a majestic and robust appearance, like a moving giant fortress, and a length of at least hundreds of meters.

As for the dragons, they are excluded and can only be called hybrids, as the purity of their bloodline is far from meeting the recognition threshold of the dragon race.

"We'll see when the rain stops."

The gloomy, rainy environment is definitely not conducive to combat.

After patrolling the surrounding area for a while, Su Chen returned to the cave.

The rain lasted longer than expected.

The two people trapped in the small space did not see the rain gradually subside until nine o'clock in the morning.

"There's no need to worry about resource acquisition."

Su Chen said, "Now it all comes down to the competition for the inheritance."

After yesterday's in-depth investigation, the two of them naturally used up quite a few packaging cards.

Current progress
Su Chen: 22/30.

Summer Lotus: 16/30.

To be honest, it's not something you can ignore.

With the tournament format limiting the exchange to 30 sealed cards, Su Chen will likely have to throw away some rare materials in the end to free up some sealing space.

With the resources they currently have, they are firmly in the top 32, so there's no need to worry about that.

However, it would be truly unacceptable to obtain only one of the six great dragon and phoenix inheritances.

At ten o'clock.

After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, Su Chen and Xia He, having finished breakfast, did not linger and immediately began their third day's itinerary.

In the distance, the Dragon Ridge Mountains, illuminated by the light, exuded a magnificent and imposing aura. The mountains stretched endlessly, resembling a sleeping giant beast, with the raised part of its spine outlining a golden silhouette.

At the foot of the mountain, the clear stream is full of water thanks to the rain.

Around noon, they flew to the top of a nearby mountain.

Xia He wore the 'Silver Frost Warrior' drive armor, which was fitted and flattering to her figure. Among her three selectable cards was [Dance of Wings], which, once activated, would slowly unfold a pair of transparent wings made of energy on both sides of her back.

This is undoubtedly the answer she gave to solving the problem of low-altitude flight.

Su Chen then rode the Wind Eagle Spirit Body, spreading out a pair of thick wings to accompany him on his journey.

After crossing more than twenty mountains, the two people and their pet stopped there.

Ahead, black mist swirled, as if night had fallen, tightly enveloping the area, undoubtedly the territory of the Darkborn Dragon.

But even under the heavy black fog, a dazzling light pierced through from the central mountain peak, like a brilliant pillar of light shooting straight into the sky.

Within the radiance, a phoenix's cry could be heard softly singing.

"I've got it," Xia He sighed.

"The inheritance of the Phoenix, or the blessing and gift of the Azure Phoenix and Divine Phoenix," Su Chen said decisively, his heart filled with excitement.

Although the guidebook does not give a specific location for the Land of Heritage, it does describe its form—a light that can penetrate all darkness and guide seekers to the holy land.

The Azure Phoenix inheritance was something he valued from the very beginning.

"It seems this Darkin dragon must be eliminated."

With the land of inheritance so arrogantly occupied and monopolized by the other party, dealing with this giant dragon has become the only necessary priority.

They injured the Fire Phoenix before, and now they've forcibly seized the Phoenix Clan's heirloom treasure. What grudge could they possibly have?

but
As he officially entered this territory, Su Chen's eyes turned to the mountain peak on his right. His gaze turned cold as a figure appeared on the distant mountaintop.

"Let the other one come out too."

Su Chen was more cautious. After using the Soul Echo Secret Technique, he sensed another figure hidden beneath the surface of reality.

A familiar face, and an old adversary: ​​the assassin Ning Yuanzheng.

As for the person who revealed himself, it was Mo Chenyi, the number one talent sequencer in the Great Xia Province and the number one cultivator in this national competition, the 'Meditator'.

These two unexpectedly teamed up together.

"This is unfortunate."

Mo Chenyi shrugged helplessly: "I never expected to run into you here. There are only two spots for the blessing gift of the Azure Phoenix inheritance, and there aren't enough for the four of us."

The time limit for the secret realm has already passed by halfway, and the top players in the core area will meet sooner or later.

Ning Yuanzheng, whose identity had been exposed, looked at Su Chen in the distance with a gloomy expression. After seeing that this elemental master was not controlling his spirit body, the assassin seemed eager to try his luck, as if he wanted to take revenge.

Mo Chenyi reached out and stopped the other person.

He moved calmly and spoke in a composed tone: "There's no need. The Darkin dragon's lair is also here. How about we join forces to take down this dragon, and then discuss and divide the spoils?"

just.

The other side didn't buy it.

"No, you have no share in the Azure Phoenix inheritance." Su Chen's expression was calm, his tone steady and firm, but his words left no room for bargaining.

Everything has been laid bare.

Without any pretense, hesitation, or indecisiveness, the number one player in the rankings defense simply and directly informed the other group.

At this moment, Mo Chenyi's expression turned somber.

(End of this chapter)