Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

It opened its mouth, and a piercing death shriek erupted from its throat. The sound waves were like blades, instantly shattering the shields of more than thirty defenders nearby. Some collapsed, blood streaming from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

The sheer power of the sonic attack created intense spatial ripples, distorting the fluctuations of the incoming Magic.

However, the figure it intended to annihilate disintegrated like shattered light, leaving only an afterimage to be torn into nothingness by the deathly shriek.

Su Chen pulled the same trick again. After a quick feint, four layers of fluctuating energy once again coiled around his Holy Sword.

Wielding his Third Elemental Authority, he transformed the ineffective Destruction Rune into the Gold-Element Damage Rune: ’Sharpness’.

The next instant, he vanished again, reappearing just two meters from the Death Knight’s face.

SWOOSH!

A vicious slash tore through the night!

The Death Knight’s pupils constricted. It reacted with lightning speed, its armored right hand shooting up to block, clamping down hard on the blade’s energy.

It only managed to stall him for half a breath...

”Break!”

Su Chen let out a low roar as his Steel Bones and Iron Flesh trait roared to life. His muscles twisted like steel cables and his bone density doubled as his Power surged to its absolute limit in that instant.

His Sword Momentum flared once more.

CLANG!

The Death Knight’s right hand was blasted away, but the Holy Sword continued its unabated sweep.

SHLICK!

The blade sliced into one side of its neck and out the other, severing its head in a single blow. The pale Soul Fire within its skull flickered violently amidst the flash of the blade as the head went flying.

The headless giant’s corpse stood rigid for a moment before crashing to its knees. Even severed, its hand still tightly gripped a wisp of lingering Holy Flame. At last, the body toppled over against the rubble of a broken wall.

Su Chen hovered in the air, looking down. Backlit by his Holy Sword, his body shone like a solar corona above the broken ramparts.

”Holy shit, who is that guy?”

At that moment, the newly arrived legionnaires and independent experts all shuddered.

The mysterious and devastating AoE damage on the front lines had been so horrifying that anyone who dared come to the city walls was bound to be skilled. Yet even they were utterly stunned by what they saw.

’He solo-killed that giant Death Knight!’

’During their own brief clashes, their legion had encountered these Death Knights before, but they had always relied on overwhelming numbers to bring one down. They’d never seen someone do it so effortlessly, felling one in just a few strikes.’

’What corner did this monster crawl out of?’

’Dongfu City actually has an expert of this caliber?’

A Ghost Agent sighed.

”Is that the Soul Core?” But what truly made their eyes burn with envy was the sight of a Soul Core radiating black light and several Dark-Element Runes bursting from the giant’s severed head.

Some of them had already heard about the opportunities presented by this Dark Undead Calamity: the invading Death Knights could actually drop Dark-Element Soul Cores.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Chen instantly collected his spoils of war.

Interestingly, besides the Soul Core, he had also obtained a Lv. 8 Shadow Assault Rune. ’Honestly,’ Su Chen thought, ’only a Rune of such a high level could grant that giant such terrifying, teleport-like mobility.’

’But it’s not enough. Compared to my triple-woven Technique, Aurora Flash, it still falls short.’

It was worth mentioning that movement Runes were divided into two main categories.

One was point-to-point Spatial Teleportation.

The other was a continuous, rapid dash forward through physical space.

Shadow Leap was an example of the former, while Shadow Assault was an example of the latter.

The Lightning Warp and Torrential Flow Skill that Su Chen had previously mastered also belonged to this second category.

’It’s very useful, but I have too many Dark-Element Runes. I don’t have enough Dark-Element Soul Cores to go around.’

Su Chen sighed to himself. ’Considering the effects of Elemental Transmutation, it’s still better to focus on absorbing the Water-Element Torrential Flow Skill.’

As for this Lv. 8 Shadow Assault Rune, he decided to let his Binder’s Belt absorb it completely.

As for the Dark-Element Soul Core, he decided to use it on his Shadow Summon first.

BUZZ!

Instantly, a tremor ran through his Sea of Consciousness.

[Shadow Summon] has successfully advanced from Lv. 7 → Lv. 8!

The Soul-devouring Dog has successfully evolved to its next stage: the Nightmare Soul Dog.

Pet Skill Upgraded: Instant Shadow Pounce → Phantom Rend Assault

(Phantom Rend Assault: The Nightmare can split into seven phantoms for a short duration. Together, they tunnel through the fissures of reality to launch several rapid combo attacks against a target from different angles. Each attack applies a Dark Corrosion effect.)

Pet Skill Unlocked: Dark Matter Assimilation

(Dark Matter Assimilation: The Nightmare Soul Dog can actively transform itself completely into a state of high-density Dark Element, ignoring all physical attacks and damage from the same element.)

Traits Strengthened: Damage Amplification, Phantom Clone, Shadow Binding Skill, Corrosion Skill, Soul-Splitting Claw

...

[Shadow Summon] (Lv. 8): The Spellcaster summons one Nightmare Soul Dog from the Netherworld. Its maximum time on the field is determined by the Rune Energy Bar.

Contract Slots: 1/1

Advancement Requirements: 0/3 Dark-Element Soul Cores, 0/1 Dark-Element Great Soul Crystal.

’Xiaoye has evolved.’

Su Chen summoned it immediately.

A single glance revealed that its body length had surged to over 3.5 meters, its height at the shoulder nearly matching his own.

The Nightmare Soul Dog had completely shed the form of an ordinary canine. It was now shrouded in a dense fog of Shadow, with no trace of flesh and blood. Even its Nether Armor was completely concealed within the dark fluctuations.

Its pupils were like twin vortexes of ethereal light, with what looked like Soul Fire dancing within.

’Very good.’

Su Chen was very satisfied. As he reached out to touch its forehead, it nuzzled his hand affectionately, and the fluctuations of dark matter gradually took on the feeling of flesh and blood.

’Unreal. Its default state is the Dark Elementalization of its flesh and blood. This new form of the Nightmare Soul Dog is just insane.’

Although it couldn’t completely negate damage from other Elements, it still provided a significant damage reduction, making it far more durable than a creature of mere flesh and blood.

Its concealed Nether Armor had also expanded significantly, its coverage extending from head and spine down to its coccyx and the tips of its limbs. The spear-like Shadow Spike at the end of its tail could now extend and retract for piercing attacks.

’Nice.’

Su Chen collected the pile of loot. As he dodged the Nether Fire that suddenly rained down from outside the city, he also prepared to change the binding sequence for his First Authority and officially swap Shadow Summon back in.