Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 384 - 294: Resource Expansion, Skill Perfection

As for himself, he lay dormant within this small Nether Ore Vein, devouring the scarce Nether Ore while conducting inhumane experiments on the single surviving Zombie Wolf.

Fang Zhou crouched down to carefully observe the surviving Zombie Wolf. Its body was larger than that of a normal Zombie Wolf and was covered with strange patterns that emanated a sense of power. Fang Zhou used a slender bone to gently tease the Zombie Wolf, trying to provoke a reaction.

A hint of ferocity flashed in the Zombie Wolf’s eyes, but it seemed utterly exhausted from the previous battle and only managed a slight shift of its body.

Fang Zhou continued his observation, noting that the Zombie Wolf’s healing speed was noticeably faster than that of ordinary Zombies. This indicated it possessed a much more tenacious Life Energy. Furthermore, the Zombie Wolf’s agility and attack patterns in combat revealed a higher level of intelligence. These were all areas Fang Zhou wanted to study in depth.

Looking up, he saw the Blood Moon hanging in the deep night sky like a gemstone soaked in blood. Its light was not dazzling, yet it carried an indescribable, sinister allure. A sinister smile tugged at the corners of Fang Zhou’s mouth. It seemed he would be spending quite some time in this Nether Ore Vein. However, he had one important matter to attend to first.

His reserve of over 200 points of Soul Power was the capital for his growth. This meant he could choose another Black Iron-rank Universal Skill for Combat Professionals, allowing him to further expand his Skill Tree.

Despite the dizzying array of complex skill options, Fang Zhou’s choice was crystal clear. He had already mastered all the skills that could directly benefit his main body and enhance his basic Attributes, incorporating them into his regular combat routine. But now, he craved something sharper, a more practical combat skill—a secret weapon that could turn the tide of battle and secure victory at a critical moment.

Therefore, after careful consideration, he bypassed skills like [Vortex Strike], [Vengeful Stance], and [Trample], locking his focus onto [Battle Qi Slash]. This was not just because of its ranged attack capability, but also because it had a natural affinity with the Undead Attribute Energy within his body.

The Zombie Wolf Leader’s powerful Death Energy Shock had been a startling introduction to the effectiveness of ranged attacks. Although Fang Zhou was confident that his Battle Qi Shield skill could have allowed him to withstand that Death Shock Wave without injury, he had also realized a critical issue.

Apart from the dozen or so Skeleton Archers he had enslaved, his main Skeleton Clone possessed no ranged attack methods of its own. This had become a minor, yet undeniable, weakness.

Now that he was aware of this flaw, Fang Zhou naturally intended to correct it. [Battle Qi Slash] was the key to obtaining that ranged attack capability.

Conveniently, by devouring the Zombie Wolf Pack and absorbing Nether Ore, he had already purified the Death Energy within his body significantly. This meant that the power of a Battle Qi Slash performed using his Death Energy would also be considerably enhanced.

At this thought, an uncontrollable wave of excitement and anticipation surged through Fang Zhou.

He stood in the thoroughly cleansed Nether Ore Vein, surrounded by dead silence. The only sound was the occasional breeze brushing against dry bones, its faint rustle echoing through this desolate Land of Death. Under the moonlight, the Skeleton Clone’s pitch-black exoskeleton shimmered with a faint glow, and it emitted a bone-chilling aura as if it were the ruler of this barren land.

With a brief sense of dislocation, Fang Zhou withdrew his consciousness from the Skeleton Clone and returned to the Concentration Meditation Room at Sea City Military Academy.

Seated on a cushion, he was filled with anticipation for learning the Battle Qi Slash skill.

After all, a Battle Qi Slash skill, refined over centuries by human Combat Professionals, can’t possibly be inferior to that Zombie Wolf Leader’s Death Shock Wave, can it?

He skillfully opened his personal terminal. The screen lit up, and he inserted the special Skill Key. As the Skill Key connected to the terminal, information and data related to Battle Qi Slash began to flow across the screen. The text and data streamed past like flowing water, and Fang Zhou’s eyes followed intently, afraid to miss a single detail.

The transmission was swift. When it was complete, Fang Zhou didn’t hesitate for a moment, immediately clicking the skill projection to begin learning Battle Qi Slash.

As he did so, several notifications instantly popped up on his attribute panel:

"Skill Materials have been detected for your Clone’s use. Consume 100 Soul Power to quickly achieve Beginner proficiency."

"Begin learning?"

"Skill Proficiency enhancement materials have been detected for your Clone. Estimated consumption of 100 Soul Power for perfect absorption."

"Begin absorption?"

Facing these options, Fang Zhou unhesitatingly chose to consume 200 Soul Power, entering the state of Burst of Inspiration.

As the Soul Power was expended, Fang Zhou felt a warm current surge through his body, a fusion of knowledge and power. He could clearly feel every subtle change in energy as the once-abstract knowledge of the skill gradually took concrete form in his mind, manifesting as a series of vivid images.

While in the state of a Burst of Inspiration, Fang Zhou quickly mastered the Battle Qi Slash skill.

With a single thought, the information on his attribute panel became clear. His eyes fixed on [Battle Qi Slash] in his Skills Bar.

[Battle Qi Slash] (Black Iron-rank, Skilled): Gathers Battle Qi from the entire body and condenses it into an extremely sharp Air Blade to attack enemies within a certain range. Depending on the user’s Energy Attribute, the Battle Qi Slash can gain additional Skill Effects. The Air Blade’s strength, Skill Effects, and attack range are determined by Battle Qi strength, the Power Attribute, and Skill Proficiency.

The simple and straightforward skill description allowed Fang Zhou to immediately grasp how to use Battle Qi Slash.

Just as Instructor Lu Hu had recommended, a straightforward mid-to-long-range attack skill like Battle Qi Slash was indispensable for human Combat Professionals. It was on par with skills like Charge, Block, and even Brutal Strike, making it a must-have for any Combat Professional.

Understanding this, Fang Zhou eagerly immersed his consciousness back into the Skeleton Clone on the corpse-strewn hills. He wanted to test the real-world combat effectiveness of Battle Qi Slash using his Clone.

...

「Above the Nether Ore Vein.」

Under Fang Zhou’s control, the Skeleton Clone raised its Corpse Long Spear, its muscles tensing as if about to erupt with astonishing power. Following Fang Zhou’s command, the Skeleton Clone stepped forward. The Battle Qi throughout its body converged into an invisible force, extending forward along the path of the spear.

A sharp Air Blade shot out, slicing through the silent night sky with a whoosh. Wherever the Air Blade passed, the air itself seemed to be cut open, leaving a faint trail in its wake. This strike, while not as visually stunning as the Zombie Wolf Leader’s Death Shock Wave, was precise and powerful, proving the might of Battle Qi Slash.

After the initial test, Fang Zhou nodded in satisfaction and looked down at the dying, oversized Zombie Wolf at his feet. This Mutated Undead creature, far more formidable than the average Skeleton Warriors and Zombies, was the perfect target for testing the Battle Qi Slash skill.

Fang Zhou extended a menacing Bone Claw, cautiously aiming at the Zombie Wolf’s hind leg. He didn’t dare unleash Battle Qi Slash at the Zombie Wolf’s head, fearing its power would be excessive and kill this rare Mutated Zombie Wolf, thereby rendering his experiment meaningless.

He manipulated the highly purified Death Energy within his body and, following the proper casting method, successfully executed Battle Qi Slash once more.

A gray-black, intangible Air Blade pulsed in his hand, simmering with killing intent.

Fang Zhou deliberately put twenty meters between himself and the Zombie Wolf before slashing the intangible Air Blade toward its hind leg.