Chapter 216: The Nine-Tailed Flame Fox
"I'll do whatever you say!" Hu Liena replied without hesitation. She trusted Luo Ling completely—he would never harm her.
Satisfied with her answer, Luo Ling immediately flew deeper into the darkness, Hu Liena close behind.
His vast spiritual perception enveloped everything around them. Nothing in the Hell Road could escape his sight.
After about ten minutes, he halted.
Before him, countless Spirit Threads converged, radiating a faint heat.
The Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent was just ahead.
Sensing their intrusion, the crimson-scaled creature stirred, its massive body shifting slowly as a pair of blood-red, vertical pupils opened in the dark.
Luo Ling's eyes glowed strangely, his Spirit Threads surging forward like rivers.
The serpent hissed sharply, reacting instinctively to danger—but within seconds, its pupils grew vacant.
Though it was an ancient beast, its strength was only that of a thirty-thousand-year spirit beast—nowhere near enough to resist Luo Ling's control.
As the light faded from its eyes, the colossal serpent bowed its heads.
Luo Ling summoned his Shadow Scythe and swung without mercy.
A sharp burst of light split the serpent cleanly in two.
Hu Liena, watching from behind, couldn't hide her awe.
The oppressive might of the serpent made it clear—it was no ordinary beast. Yet before Luo Ling, it had fallen like a defenseless chicken.
As the great body collapsed, Luo Ling stepped closer.
From the fragmented skulls emerged ten faint crimson streaks of light, which swirled together, condensing into a small orb of golden-red energy.
He glanced at it casually, then picked it up.
"What's that?" Hu Liena asked as she walked to his side, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"This is the core I mentioned—the serpent's inner dan. It'll give you your sixth spirit ring and might let your martial spirit evolve."
He held the orb out to her. "Whether you take it or not, the choice is yours."
Hu Liena looked at the glowing sphere for a moment, then, without hesitation, took it in her hand.
To gain a spirit ring simply by eating an inner core—it sounded absurd. She had never heard of such a thing.
But if it was Luo Ling, she believed him entirely.
Under his gaze, she swallowed the dan.
Instantly, a violent surge of power erupted from her body. Red flames burst to life, surrounding her in a blazing aura.
Her Demonic Fox spirit manifested on its own, its form flickering within the inferno.
Pain twisted her features—the energy contained within the dan was far stronger than any ordinary spirit ring.
The serpent's fire essence was devastatingly potent.
Luo Ling watched anxiously. Everything depended on her now. If she could refine it, she would inherit the serpent's immense power.
Minute by minute, Hu Liena battled the raging flame within her. Gradually, above her head, a deep black spirit ring began to form.
As it stabilized, her expression eased slightly, though the fire continued to roar around her.
Three hours passed. Luo Ling never left her side.
Finally, the flickering blaze calmed—and in his astonished eyes, nine fiery tails spread outward behind her.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!
Her martial spirit had truly evolved under the serpent's power. But it wasn't over yet.
The flames condensed around the nine tails, dyeing them crimson until they burned like living fire.
They were no longer of flesh and blood—they had become pure elemental flame.
Then the black spirit ring descended slowly, encircling her form.
The rampant energy subsided, merging fully with her body.
Her power soared—Level 51, Level 52… Level 55—before finally settling.
Hu Liena opened her eyes, a smile blooming across her face.
"It seems it worked," Luo Ling said, stepping forward.
Hu Liena leapt with joy, turning to show him her nine blazing tails. "Xiao Ling! My martial spirit really evolved—and it has a fire attribute now!"
"Hmm. You're no longer just a Demon Fox. You're a Nine-Tailed Flame Fox." Luo Ling's eyes softened as he reached out to gently touch one of her burning tails.
Hu Liena's face flushed instantly. She tried to retract them, flustered.
"We've been together this long, and you're still shy?" Luo Ling teased.
She glared at him, though a small, helpless smile tugged at her lips.
For the past two years, Luo Ling had often teased her like this—playing with her tails until she surrendered completely.
"Alright, no more teasing. Tell me, what's your sixth ability?" Luo Ling asked.
Hu Liena composed herself, her sixth spirit ring glowing brightly.
The nine tails ignited once more, transforming into dazzling flames. Her eyes and hands burned the same scarlet-red, an intense heat radiating outward.
Luo Ling's pupils lit up with interest.
This fire's intensity surpassed even Ma Hongjun's in the tournament—it was easily on par with the highest-ranked flame spirits.
"This ability is called Demonic Fire Evil Flame," Hu Liena explained. "It amplifies my fire attribute significantly—boosting all attributes by sixty percent. Each additional spirit ring adds another ten percent. All my attacks now carry this demonic fire effect."
To demonstrate, she raised a hand and released a Foxfire Command.
The crimson flame struck a nearby wall, erupting in a violent explosion—several times stronger than before.
"In this state," she continued, "there's also a secondary skill."
Behind her, the nine blazing tails rose and intertwined, gathering into a massive sphere of fire.
She swept her hand forward.
Boom!
The explosion thundered through the Hell Road, shaking the ground itself.
Before them, a section of the rock wall had been completely vaporized—leaving a gaping crater.
That single strike carried the might of a Spirit Emperor.
"This skill is called Nine-Tailed Flame. It's powerful, but… draining," Hu Liena said breathlessly, her face turning pale as the nine tails drooped, their flames dying down.
Luo Ling stepped forward and caught her in his arms.
"An excellent ability," he said approvingly, smiling faintly. "Use it wisely—it's the perfect finishing move."
(END CHAPTER)
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