[Barkskin - Explosive Impact: Any attack that makes contact with the Barkskin defense will be met with a repulsive force of explosive impact...]
"Repelling attacks with explosive force?"
"Isn't this just a Thorns-Armor?"
"Let's see how it works!"
With a thought, a brownish, bark-like skin instantly covered Qi Ping's body.
He then condensed a small Explosive Fireball and slammed it toward his own palm.
Just before the fireball touched the bark, a burst of explosive impact surged outward.
In the moment of contact, the two explosive forces intertwined. Under the destructive power of the Barkskin's trait, the core lethality of the fireball was significantly weakened and blocked. By the time the remaining energy and shockwaves reached Qi Ping's body, the force had been greatly reduced, making it impossible to breach the defense.
Sensing the effect of the spell, a look of joyful surprise appeared in Qi Ping's eyes.
"This Explosive Impact trait is excellent!"
"It can block and reflect damage back to the enemy while weakening their attacks..."
Qi Ping never imagined that the "Explosion" trait and Barkskin could synergize in this way.
However, as a result, Qi Ping no longer had any purely defensive spells. The Explosive Flame Net used extreme offense to replace defense, and now even Barkskin was the same.
"Is this trying to tell me that the best defense is a good offense?"
Qi Ping found the situation quite ironic.
Nonetheless, he had to admit that any attack, after being weakened by the net and the Barkskin's trait, would have its power severely diminished.
"Excellent. My survival capability has increased again!"
After testing the power of the trait, Qi Ping was thoroughly satisfied. Though his offensive methods were singular, his defense was truly formidable! In a way, the defensive effect of Explosive Impact was not inferior to "Tenacity" or "Hardening," and in some cases, it might even be stronger.
This was an unexpected boon for Qi Ping.
'Now that the Wood-Flame Manual and Explosive Flame are perfected, I can slow down on Barkskin for a while.'
'The next step is to devote more energy to nurturing the little Flower Demon and high-potency spiritual herbs to prepare the resources Ya Ya needs for her breakthrough.'
Over the past four months, Qi Ping had used Plant Growth to raise the Flower Demon to the late stage of Rank One.
This skill was truly a god-tier ability for a plant-type spirit beast. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken many years for the demon to reach this stage naturally. But under Qi Ping's skill, it took less than six months to reach the late stage and was now moving toward the peak of Rank One.
Compared to its muddled state four months ago, the Flower Demon had matured significantly. Although its physical appearance remained similar, the eerie purple light in its eyes grew stronger, and the purple markings within its pupils seemed to have multiplied.
Furthermore, the Flower Demon's mastery of the [Hundred-Eyed Demon Realm] was far superior to Qi Ping's. It wasn't something a half-baked practitioner like Qi Ping could compare to. While his own use of the realm wasn't bad, the Flower Demon could add all its innate characteristics and passives to the skill.
In the current level of Qi Refinement battles, this talent was an exceptionally powerful existence. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators with weak wills could be affected by it.
"Gulu gulu... (Boss, you're back?)"
When Qi Ping returned from testing his skills, a purple, sprite-like figure flew over and circled his arm.
"Mmh. How is your practice with the Hundred-Eyed Demon Realm going?"
"Gulu gulu... (I've met the requirements you set, boss! I can control the intensity of the power freely now!)"
"Gulu gulu... (Isn't Tong Tong amazing? Tee-hee...)"
"Very amazing," Qi Ping praised.
He had demanded that the Flower Demon practice diligently. He didn't want it to be a creature that merely relied on bloodline instinct. For the demon to have true combat power, it had to reach a level of supernatural mastery with its realm. Only then could it seize the best opportunities and victories in battle!
The Qingtian Domain was far from peaceful. Knowing the Flower Demon possessed strong combat capability gave Qi Ping a lot of peace of mind. Moreover, only by deepening its understanding of its bloodline power would the possibility of future evolution remain high.
Otherwise, relying solely on Qi Ping's Plant Growth, the demon wouldn't be able to go very far.
"What about the speed of activation?" Qi Ping continued to ask.
"Gulu gulu... (Instant activation is still out of reach, but I've shortened it to just over one breath of time.)"
"That's already excellent!"
Qi Ping rubbed the Flower Demon's purple hair in praise.
"Gulu gulu... (Don't worry, boss. I'll work hard! If anyone dares to bully you, Tong Tong will drag them into the Demon Realm and finish them!)"
"Mmh. You're tired, go back to the soil and rest well."
"Gulu gulu... (Then I'm going to sleep. I've used up a lot of soul energy and need to recover.)"
The Flower Demon already spent most of its day sleeping. Since following Qi Ping's instructions to practice its realm and soul, its waking hours had become even shorter. Sometimes, the little fox couldn't even find it to play.
For Qi Ping, raising the Flower Demon was very low-maintenance. Once he told it to work hard, it would follow his orders faithfully. Although it didn't possess a strong will to become powerful like Ya Ya, it was meticulous in its soul training.
Combined with its innate talent, it was undoubtedly much stronger than other Flower Demons of the same level.
However, in terms of willpower, Qi Ping hadn't yet figured out how to train his companions' resolve. The path of immortality was difficult; talent and resources alone weren't enough, even for spirit beasts that relied heavily on bloodline.
Thus, willpower training had to be put on the agenda, though Qi Ping currently lacked the corresponding knowledge and manuals.
As he worked hard to cultivate and nurture herbs, Qi Ping had no intention of actively participating in external conflicts. Staying safe and maximizing the strength of his companions was the real priority. Had he not been in desperate need of manuals, knowledge, and resources, he wouldn't have even bothered seeking out external trade channels.
However, despite his intentions, a message on his transmission talisman forced him to prepare for action.
'Brother Qi, I have received news. Three genius disciples from rival sects have arrived in Qingshi County. I suspect they are specifically searching for me to kill me, or perhaps they are targeting Lin Qingzhu.'
'Under these circumstances, I cannot sit and wait for death. I plan to find an opportunity to secretly reveal my location and set up an ambush to kill them!'
'I need your help in this battle, Brother Qi!'