Douluo Continent: The Sword of Wine Sweeps Across the Sky, One Sword Opens the Heavens

Starry Sky Forest, Spirit Creek Valley.

A thin mist, like gauze, drifted over the shallow, green stone beach, while the gentle sound of flowing water echoed softly through the woods.

There was no stench of ferocious beasts in the air, only the pure fragrance of grass and trees intertwined with the spiritual energy of the earth, so gentle that it made one's pores open slightly.

Sunlight filters through layers of leaves, casting dappled, shimmering spots of light on the ground.

The occasional butterfly or insect flying by only adds to the tranquility of the place, a stark contrast to the bustling scenes of fighting and roaring outside.

Xie Yunliu stood downstream of the stream, his blue robe spotless, his figure upright as a sword.

He didn't rush into the depths of the valley; he simply stood quietly, closing his eyes and concentrating.

After several days of adaptation and honing his skills on the outskirts of the Starry Sky, he had already thoroughly mastered and made good use of the amplification effect of his first spirit ring.

The speed, armor penetration, and sword aura sharpness brought by the Shadow Blade Leopard have been completely integrated into his every move.

The swordsmanship, the sword strikes, and the sword intent were all fluid and natural, without any trace of awkwardness.

He had practiced repeatedly in the forest, and with one sword he could cut down ancient trees that an adult could hug, and his sword energy could penetrate three feet of rock.

His speed was so great that he could cover dozens of feet in an instant, and almost no Soul Master of the same level could keep up with him.

However, he also clearly recognized the shortcomings.

A single, one-sided burst of energy cannot sustain a prolonged battle.

Once he encounters an opponent with abundant soul power, strong defense, and a knack for attrition, his sharp swordplay will gradually fall into a disadvantageous position once it is slowed down.

Previously, when he fought against a level 31 Soul Master in the Soul Arena, he clearly felt that the supply of soul power was slightly strained in the second half of the battle.

If the opponent's offensive hadn't shown a weakness, the outcome would likely have been delayed even longer.

What he needs is not to add another edge, but to become stronger in every aspect.

With his mind focused on his body, Xie Yunliu began to meticulously review every single one of his shortcomings.

In terms of strength, his physical strength is acceptable, but it is still insufficient when facing heavy attack-type Soul Masters.

If you try to directly confront the opponent's soul skill, you are very likely to fall into a disadvantageous position.

In terms of soul power, the total amount is relatively low, and it will drop significantly after using the Drunken Sword technique several times in a row.

It is difficult to sustain a prolonged tug-of-war.

On a spiritual level, the sword intent, though sharp, lacks depth, and is prone to becoming slightly scattered during prolonged confrontations.

The control over sword moves will then deviate.

On the defensive front, it relies almost entirely on speed to dodge, and once it gets into close combat, the margin for error is extremely low.

A slight misstep could result in being struck in a vital spot.

In addition, the speed at which soul power recovers is far from sufficient.

After a fierce battle, a lot of time is needed to recover, making it impossible to quickly engage in the next battle.

These gaps cannot be filled by stronger armor penetration or faster speed.

He needs a "foundation," a base that can support all his sharp edges.

Just like building a skyscraper, a towering spire alone is far from enough.

It must have a broad and sturdy tower body to support it so that it can stand firm and not be afraid of wind and rain.

In his mind, the outline of the Jade Horned Beast reappeared clearly.

It is pure white, with a jade-colored pattern on its back, and a single horn on its head that is as warm and smooth as crystal.

They are gentle in nature, do not crave killing, and prefer to cultivate in places where the earth's spiritual energy is abundant.

These soul beasts rarely attack soul masters on their own initiative, and therefore are seldom hunted.

Most Soul Masters considered it an ordinary Soul Beast that posed little threat, but no one knew that its Soul Ring was actually the most suitable second Soul Ring for Xie Yunliu.

Xie Yunliu slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

What he wanted was never an exaggerated surge in any particular attribute.

Instead, it provides a balanced increase across all attributes, the entire domain, and without any blind spots.

Strength, speed, physical body, soul power recovery, mental stability, sword energy density, sword intent resilience, defensive toughness...

All dimensions are simultaneously elevated to a higher level.

It's not overwhelmingly powerful, but it's solid in every aspect and has a safety net in every way.

It's like giving a sharp sword a second chance, reforging the spine and quenching the blade.

It remains sharp, but is actually less prone to breakage, resulting in a more stable release and longer battery life.

He took a deep breath, and the effects of the alcohol slowly spread from his body, intertwining with the sword intent to form an invisible network of perception that gently spread into the depths of the valley.

This sensory network becomes even more acute with the enhancement of the Shadow Blade Leopard's spirit ring.

The rustling of grass, the aura of spirit beasts, and the ripples of water within a radius of several miles were all clearly reflected in his mind, without missing a single detail.

Soon, that familiar, warm spiritual energy returned.

Just a hundred feet ahead, by the pool of water, a spirit beast, resembling a horse but not quite, with a pure white body, was drinking water.

Its jade-colored horn glowed faintly, and its body was surrounded by a very faint membrane of light.

That is a natural protection formed by the long-term immersion of the earth's spiritual energy.

The pool was crystal clear, reflecting its image, and the surrounding vegetation grew more lushly than elsewhere.

This demonstrates the abundance of spiritual energy in this place.

It was the Lingxi Jade Horned Beast, which had cultivated for five thousand years.

Xie Yunliu lifted his foot lightly and silently stepped across the stream.

The water surface remained calm, and no footprints were left on the bluestone.

The speed advantage brought by the Shadow Blade Leopard's spirit ring was fully utilized in this stealthy approach.

He moved as lightly as a feather, each step landing on the weakest points in the air.

Even when approaching within tens of feet of the Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Horn Beast, it did not make the slightest sound.

The Jade Horned Beast may appear gentle, but its senses are extremely sharp.

Sensing the disturbance, it suddenly raised its head, its jade horn glowing faintly, and looked warily in Xie Yunliu's direction.

It did not immediately launch a violent attack, but instead took a half step back, emitting a low growl from its nostrils, clearly indicating its intention to drive it away.

There was no ferocity in those clear eyes, only the instinct to protect their territory.

Xie Yunliu stopped in his tracks, his tone calm.

"I have no intention of taking your life; I only wish to use your soul ring."

These words were nothing short of a provocation to the spirit beasts.

The Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Horned Beast let out a soft hiss, and its spiritual energy suddenly condensed.

A gentle yet powerful beam of spiritual energy shot out from the jade horn on its head, heading straight for Xie Yunliu's chest.

This attack was not fierce, but extremely stable, with restrained penetrating power. It seemed gentle, but in reality, it could easily penetrate the soul power defense of an ordinary soul master.

Xie Yunliu shifted his feet slightly, his body sweeping to the side, easily dodging the attack.

He did not immediately launch an attack, but instead raised his hand and gestured, causing the Ink Shadow Sword to float in mid-air and tremble gently in front of him.

The sword's black light was contained, its sword intent hidden, as if waiting for the best moment to strike.

"Since you are unwilling to surrender, then let's fight."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly lunged forward.

There was no burst of drunkenness, no surge of sword intent; it was just the most basic advance.

However, due to the speed boost from the first spirit ring, it was so fast that it left only a faint afterimage.

In the blink of an eye, he traversed a distance of dozens of feet and appeared a few feet in front of the Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Horn Beast.

The Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Horned Beast pounded its four hooves, its body surging with spiritual energy, forming a thick spiritual energy barrier.

It is not good at attacking, but it excels at defense and endurance, which is the typical characteristic of an all-around soul beast.

This spiritual energy barrier can not only resist physical attacks, but also weaken the impact of soul power.

The attacks of ordinary Great Soul Masters could not even budge them in the slightest.

Xie Yunliu's gaze remained calm.

With a gentle tremor, the Ink Shadow Sword unleashed an extremely refined jet-black sword aura.

There are no fancy moves, just the simplest straight thrust.

Yet it embodies all of his armor-piercing properties and the sharpness of his sword energy.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the air was torn apart, producing a slight whistling sound.

With an indomitable and sharp momentum.

.....