Nine-Tails

Duan Fan slowly opened his eyes. A dense wave of Soul Power radiated from his body.

A purple Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath him, then settled above the Hundred-Year Soul Ring he already possessed. The pressure of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring was unmistakable.

A hint of admiration showed in Ghost Leopard Douluo's eyes. "You're quite something, kid. You absorbed a fifteen-hundred-year Soul Ring with ease, and your Soul Power Level jumped straight to twenty-four."

"If I remember correctly, you're only a little over six years old. You're not even seven, yet you have twenty-four levels of Soul Power and a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as your second one. That's truly a rare sight in this world."

As Ghost Leopard Douluo spoke, a trace of reminiscence crossed his face. He sighed inwardly, Besides you, I've only ever met one person with such Soul Power at this age. But even her Soul Rings weren't as outrageous as yours.

Duan Fan rose to his feet and bowed with clasped fists. "Thank you, Grandpa Ghost Leopard, for helping me obtain my Second Soul Ring!"

Ghost Leopard Douluo laughed. "I didn't expect a little tyke like you to be so polite. You're much better behaved than that little ancestor of mine."

"Come on, let your Grandpa Ghost Leopard see what your Thousand-Year Soul Ring's Second Soul Skill can do."

With Ghost Leopard Douluo's strength as a Titled Douluo, he naturally wouldn't be interested in some mere Thousand-Year Soul Skill.

What Ghost Leopard Douluo was really interested in was Duan Fan himself, as well as Duan Fan's Martial Soul.

He had already learned from Wen Xiyue about the unusual nature of Duan Fan's Martial Soul and the peculiarities of his Soul Skills. Today, he had even seen with his own eyes Duan Fan draw something into reality. A Soul Skill like that was indeed rare.

That was precisely why Ghost Leopard Douluo had become a little interested in Duan Fan's Second Soul Skill. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked about it.

"Sure, Grandpa Ghost Leopard."

Duan Fan agreed at once. Even if Ghost Leopard Douluo hadn't asked, he would have wanted to try out his Second Soul Skill.

The moment he successfully absorbed the Thousand-Year Black Flame Demon Fox Soul Ring, Duan Fan had gained a clear understanding of his Second Soul Skill. The realization had filled him with excitement.

Duan Fan shifted his feet and turned to face an open patch of ground ahead.

"Grandpa Ghost Leopard, my Second Soul Skill is called Nine-Tails. Please watch closely!"

Duan Fan introduced it with a smile. The purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring around him suddenly flashed.

The next moment, Duan Fan gripped the Fantasy Pen and swept his hand through the air.

Black lines flowed from the tip of the pen, spreading rapidly like ink. In the blink of an eye, they formed the outline of a fox.

With Duan Fan's continued strokes, the Black Flame Demon Fox took shape in mere moments. Rendered in an ink-wash style, it appeared in midair, full of life.

Most striking of all, the Black Flame Demon Fox Duan Fan had drawn had several tails.

As the drawing was completed, the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox sprang to life. It grew larger with the wind, finally transforming into a gigantic demon fox over five meters long. A fierce, murderous aura radiated from its body, and the nine tails behind it swayed gently, each seeming to brim with immense power.

"Nine-Tails. That's interesting."

Ghost Leopard Douluo watched the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox Duan Fan had drawn, his interest growing.

When Duan Fan had said his Second Soul Skill was called Nine-Tails, Ghost Leopard Douluo had wondered how it would manifest.

But the moment he saw Duan Fan move the Fantasy Pen, he understood.

Knowing that Duan Fan's Second Soul Skill was still about drawing things into reality, Ghost Leopard Douluo's interest had already waned by half.

But then he saw that Duan Fan's drawing technique was completely different from his First Soul Skill's, and that he was drawing at astonishing speed. Ghost Leopard Douluo couldn't help taking a few more looks.

When the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox finally appeared, its unusual appearance didn't particularly surprise the well-traveled Ghost Leopard Douluo.

It was only because it looked so different from an ordinary Black Flame Demon Fox that he examined it a little more closely.

"Judging by the size of this Black Flame Demon Fox, it's over two thousand years old. A two-thousand-year Soul Beast would be enough to take on an ordinary Soul Elder. It might even stand a chance against a Soul Ancestor."

"Especially since your Black Flame Demon Fox has nine tails. I imagine that makes it even stronger in battle."

"How many of these Black Flame Demon Foxes can you draw?"

Ghost Leopard Douluo looked at Duan Fan and asked.

Duan Fan thought for a moment. "I can draw four in a row."

Having crossed the threshold of twenty levels, Duan Fan's Soul Power had multiplied.

Even though drawing a Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox consumed a lot of Soul Power, Duan Fan could still draw four consecutively.

"Oh? You can draw four?"

Ghost Leopard Douluo sounded mildly surprised. "You can draw four Soul Beasts with the strength of a Soul Elder in a row. This Soul Skill of yours really is unusual."

"By rights, a Soul Skill like that should consume a great deal of Soul Power."

"I thought two would be your limit."

As Ghost Leopard Douluo spoke, his gaze fell on the Fantasy Pen in Duan Fan's hand. A look of sudden understanding crossed his face, and he smiled. "That's true. A Martial Soul that gives you Innate Full Soul Power is special to begin with. The Soul Skills it grants you should be special too."

"With your current Soul Power, using your First Soul Skill should be much easier. How many Dream-Weaving Spiders can you draw?"

Duan Fan fell into thought again, then quickly answered. "I should be able to draw ten without a problem. I won't know the exact number until I try."

Ghost Leopard Douluo nodded lightly, then looked at the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox. "Control it and attack me with all its strength. I'll help you test its combat ability."

Duan Fan could hardly have asked for more. He quickly nodded. "All right!"

At Duan Fan's command, the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox opened its jaws and spewed a swath of black flames toward Ghost Leopard Douluo.

The black flames naturally couldn't harm Ghost Leopard Douluo in the slightest, but the waves of heat and scorching aura they gave off were enough to prove the terrifying temperature within them.

Ghost Leopard Douluo stood calmly in place. The black flames stopped dead a meter in front of him, as though they had struck an invisible barrier.

The Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox had more ways to attack than that. Its burst of black flames was merely preparation for what came next.

The Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox charged straight into the black flames. Its body wasn't burned in the slightest. Instead, it absorbed the flames' strange power, and its body suddenly swelled.

It went from five meters long to seven in an instant. Including its tails, it was now over ten meters long, and its shoulder height exceeded four meters. It had become a true giant beast.

After growing larger, the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox opened its mouth again. This time, it didn't spew flames. Instead, it condensed a gigantic black fireball and launched it toward Ghost Leopard Douluo.

Just like the black flames, the black fireball stopped dead a meter in front of Ghost Leopard Douluo, despite being hotter and more powerful.

"Explode!"

Duan Fan willed it to detonate.

The black fireball exploded at once, unleashing a blast of flames with considerable force.

Yet even this attack was nothing in front of Ghost Leopard Douluo's Titled Douluo strength.

Ghost Leopard Douluo remained standing with his hands behind his back. The fiery blast surged over him, but he wasn't harmed in the slightest.

Duan Fan had expected this outcome. His expression barely changed, showing only focus.

After releasing the fireball attack, he immediately controlled the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox to charge at Ghost Leopard Douluo with its physical strength.

Just like before, no matter how fiercely the Nine-Tailed Black Flame Demon Fox charged, it couldn't break through the invisible barrier in front of Ghost Leopard Douluo.

"That's about enough."

Ghost Leopard Douluo spoke calmly. At last, he moved from his long-held stance with his hands behind his back.