Black Flame Demon Fox

The outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.

Towering trees stood in rows, vines hung down, and sunlight was sliced into fragments by the branches and leaves, scattering across the ground.

In the distance, a few low roars of beasts occasionally drifted over, only to be scattered by the wind.

The air was permeated with the damp scent of soil and vegetation.

Two figures dressed in deep blue robes with silver patterns walked one after the other, shielding a six-year-old boy in their midst.

The man walking in front was about thirty-five or thirty-six, with a slender build and sharp, well-defined features; a black mole between his eyebrows was particularly striking.

A long sword was slung diagonally across his back, its blade faintly shimmering with dark, flowing patterns.

His footsteps were steady, and his gaze swept across his surroundings from time to time.

Five soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—pulsed slowly around his body.

The woman walking behind was in her early thirties; her features were somewhat similar to the man's but appeared softer, and a pale pink mole between her eyebrows looked like a dot of cinnabar.

She also carried a long sword on her back, but that sword was plain and unadorned, nothing more than a common Iron Sword.

She possessed four soul rings: two yellow and two purple.

The boy positioned between them wore gray robes and was exceptionally handsome.

Most eye-catching were his eyes, with slightly upturned corners and deep black pupils; his gaze was spirited, and he appeared both clean and energetic.

In his hand, the boy held a writing brush about thirty centimeters long, its black shaft covered in many white patterns.

He had only a single yellow soul ring on his body.

The clothes of all three bore the emblem of Spirit Hall and the words "Spirit Hall Academy."

They were Li Yi, Li Ruolan, and Duan Fan.

On the very day Duan Fan's soul power reached level twenty, Li Ruolan had called upon Li Yi to take Duan Fan on the journey to the Star Dou Forest.

The three of them had been inside the Star Dou Forest for some time now.

They had already located two types of soul beasts suitable for Duan Fan, but unfortunately, neither met the age requirements, so they had to temporarily give up on them.

At this moment, the three were heading toward a location where their next target soul beast might appear.

As he walked, Li Yi looked back at Duan Fan and said in a casual tone, "Our next target is the Black Flame Demon Fox."

"I introduced this soul beast to you on the way to the Star Dou Forest. Do you still remember it?"

Duan Fan replied, "I remember."

"The Black Flame Demon Fox is a fox-type soul beast capable of releasing black flames. When it enters the black flames it releases, its size increases, and its combat power grows stronger."

Li Yi's face showed appreciation. "That's right."

"The reason I listed the Black Flame Demon Fox as a choice for your second soul ring is that it also possesses creative abilities, though it creates a stronger version of itself."

"Many soul masters have chosen the Black Flame Demon Fox as a soul ring in the past, and the soul skills they obtained were basically black flames."

"But your martial soul is special. If nothing goes wrong, the soul skill you obtain will likely be the ability to draw a Black Flame Demon Fox. Even if you end up with a black flame soul skill, that wouldn't be bad either."

When Li Yi first sought to understand Duan Fan's situation, he had already pointed out that Duan Fan's Full Innate Soul Power martial soul was by no means an ordinary writing brush.

The creative power of his first soul skill, Life from the Brush, came not only from the Dream-Weaving Spider soul beast but also from the powerful creative talent of the martial soul itself.

Fang Qingshan had said similar things to Duan Fan.

Duan Fan naturally agreed with these views, as what they said was the truth.

A Soul King and a Soul Sect, bringing a level twenty soul master to search for a suitable second soul ring in the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.

Such a configuration could only be described as extremely safe.

Li Yi and his sister Li Ruolan kept their martial souls activated at all times, and the soul power pressure they radiated was enough to scare off the vast majority of soul beasts in the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest. If anything truly blind dared to approach, it would be a matter of a single sword strike.

The three walked for about an hour, and the terrain beneath their feet began to undulate, shifting from gentle, forested slopes to inclines covered in gravel.

The trees became sparse, replaced by large areas of exposed gray-black rock, and a faint smell of sulfur hung in the air.

"We're almost there."

Li Yi stopped and looked at the environment ahead. "Those low hills in front are our destination. There are many caves there, which are among the favorite dens of the Black Flame Demon Fox."

Duan Fan followed Li Yi's gaze. In the distance, several conical low hills stood on the ground, almost devoid of trees, with only dark green moss and sparse shrubs.

At the foot of the hills, one could faintly see some pitch-black caves, and the temperature there seemed to be very high, with heat waves constantly rising.

"The Black Flame Demon Fox is naturally cautious. Once it senses danger, it will hide deep within the caves. The caves are intricate and complex; searching inside directly would be too inefficient."

"We can find some bait to lure the Black Flame Demon Fox out. If we find a suitable one, we will immediately move to take it down."

"Ruolan, stay here and protect Duan Fan. I'll go find some low-age soul beasts nearby."

After saying this, Li Yi prepared to head toward the nearby forest.

Li Ruolan nodded and stood guard in front of Duan Fan.

Duan Fan then said, "Teacher Li Yi, the Black Flame Demon Fox shouldn't be a picky eater, right? I wonder if it likes to eat Dream-Weaving Spiders?"

Li Yi was startled upon hearing this, then laughed. "The Dream-Weaving Spider would actually work; it is one of the Black Flame Demon Fox's prey."

"Are you planning to use your Soul Skill to draw out a Dream-Weaving Spider as bait?"

"It's possible, but that Dream-Weaving Spider of yours has a rather high cultivation age. A Dream-Weaving Spider over six hundred years old would likely attract a Black Flame Demon Fox exceeding eight hundred years, and the absorption limit for an average Soul Master's second Soul Ring is only around seven hundred and sixty years."

Duan Fan said, "I remember you saying, Teacher, that this data is only for reference and isn't absolutely correct. There is no fixed standard for the age of a Soul Ring a Soul Master can absorb; it mainly depends on the quality of the Martial Soul, physical constitution, and mental strength."

"I have Full Innate Soul Power, so my Martial Soul quality shouldn't be poor. That is also something you told me in the past, Teacher."

"As for physical constitution, I believe mine is far beyond that of an ordinary person."

"I haven't had the chance to tell you and the others about this until now."

As Duan Fan spoke, he glanced at Li Ruolan and offered an embarrassed smile.

Immediately after, Duan Fan drew the dagger from his waist and forcefully slashed it across the back of his hand.

"Duan Fan, what are you doing?"

Li Yi's eyes widened, and Li Ruolan let out a cry of alarm; both siblings instinctively reached out to stop him.

However, Duan Fan was too fast, and the dagger had already landed on his hand.

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded. Even though Duan Fan had clearly slashed with great force, the blade failed to leave a single wound on his skin, not even a white mark.

In contrast, the dagger, which had been incredibly sharp, now had a curled edge, as if it had struck solid steel.

Li Yi and Li Ruolan, who had been trying to stop him, froze in mid-motion, their eyes filled with shock and suspicion.

"This... how is this possible?"