A razor-sharp ice-blue blade of light, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of cleaving through the void, slashed down from above! It plunged straight into the Ice Demon Bird's head!
The Ice Demon Bird couldn't even let out a cry before its body froze solid, then shattered into a storm of ice crystals. Only a deep purple Soul Ring slowly rose into the air.
At the same time, Dugu Yan struck on the other side! She clasped her hands in a seal, and the phantom of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor behind her suddenly swelled. It opened its enormous jaws and sprayed a thick, dark-green poison flame straight onto the Lightning Demon Snake's wound, clinging like a maggot to bone!
"Third Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorus Poison Flame!"
Under the poison flame's scorching, the Lightning Demon Snake's body rapidly corroded and rotted, sizzling as it did. It twisted in agony a few times, then finally lost all signs of life. An equally deep purple Soul Ring appeared beside it.
"We did it!" Ning Xiaochun rejoiced inwardly. They'd perfectly killed two top-tier mutated Soul Beasts, and had secured their Soul Rings! Now Bing'er and Yanzi would both have their third Soul Rings!
Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan were also delighted. They were just about to step forward and absorb their respective Soul Rings.
But at that very instant!
A sudden change struck!
A shadowy attack, swift as lightning and soundless as a ghost, shot from a dark corner behind them, like a venomous snake lunging from its lair. It streaked straight toward Shui Bing'er, who was about to approach the Ice Demon Bird's Soul Ring! The attack's chilling sharpness made even the air seem to freeze!
"Look out!" Ning Xiaochun's pupils shrank. He was closest to Shui Bing'er, but the attack had come so suddenly that he couldn't react in time! He could only watch as it closed in on her!
Shui Bing'er sensed the danger, too, but she had just used all her strength to kill the Ice Demon Bird. Her old strength was spent, and her new strength had yet to rise. On top of that, the attack was too cunning and concealed for her to dodge it completely!
At this critical moment!
"Clang!"
A clear clash of metal rang out!
A streak of pink-gold light arrived just in time, intercepting the shadowy attack and shattering it instantly!
Hu Liena had appeared beside Shui Bing'er at some point. Her Demon Fox Martial Soul was possessed, and the charming smile on her face had vanished, replaced by a grave, wary expression.
Her sharp gaze fixed on the direction from which the shadow had come.
"Who's there? No... it's a Soul Beast!"
Everyone followed her gaze. From the shadowy thicket, a figure slowly emerged.
It was a fox, pitch-black from head to toe, its coat as smooth as the finest silk.
It wasn't particularly large, only about the size of an ordinary leopard, but what drew the eye most was its forehead—there, it had a third eye!
That third eye was slowly opening. Its pupil was a bizarre vertical slit, gleaming with a cold, cunning, greedy light.
It looked at the two Thousand-Year Soul Rings floating in the clearing, then at Ning Xiaochun and the others. Its lips seemed to curl into an eerily human smile, mocking and greedy.
The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!
Everyone understood.
This Three-Eyed Demon Fox had probably been lurking nearby for a long time, patiently waiting for them and the two Thousand-Year Soul Beasts to wear each other down. Only then had it shown itself, hoping to seize everything—the Soul Rings, and even the human Soul Masters.
"A Three-Eyed Demon Fox... judging by its aura, it must be eight or nine thousand years old, just one step away from becoming a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!"
Hu Liena's voice held unprecedented gravity. The pink-gold Demon Fox Martial Soul swayed behind her, its nine tails fanning out and radiating powerful Soul Power, but her expression remained grim.
"A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast can rival a human Five-Ring Soul King! This Three-Eyed Demon Fox hasn't reached ten thousand years yet, but it's so cunning and troublesome that it may be even worse than some newly ascended Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts!"
Her words fell over everyone like a splash of cold water. The joy of having just defeated two Thousand-Year Soul Beasts instantly faded.
Ning Xiaochun's heart sank, too. He'd calculated everything: the two Soul Beasts wearing each other down, and their own chance to reap the rewards. But he'd missed one thing.
In the perilous Sunset Forest, humans weren't the only ones lying in wait to be the "oriole"!
This cunning Three-Eyed Demon Fox was clearly the hidden "oriole" waiting at the end!
It had waited for them to expend a great deal of Soul Power, waited for them to lower their guard, and waited for the perfect moment to claim its prize!
If Hu Liena hadn't reacted in time and blocked that sneak attack, Shui Bing'er might have been gravely injured—or, even if not, she would have lost her chance to dodge. The consequences would have been unthinkable!
That was close! A sheen of cold sweat instantly broke out across Ning Xiaochun's back. Once again, he'd learned just how important it was to stay alert at all times in a Soul Beast forest! Caution, always caution!
Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan's expressions darkened as well. They could both feel the Three-Eyed Demon Fox's oppressive aura, as tangible as a physical force.
It was the pressure of a high-level predator, making their Martial Souls stir uneasily.
They had just been through a fierce battle and had used up a great deal of Soul Power. They hadn't even had the chance to absorb those two precious Soul Rings yet. They were far from their peak.
Ning Xiaochun's heart tightened. What he feared most was an unexpected situation beyond his control.
An eight- or nine-thousand-year-old Three-Eyed Demon Fox, a mutated Soul Beast renowned for its cunning and mental attacks... This was getting a little out of hand!
"Wooo—"
The Three-Eyed Demon Fox seemed to lose patience. It let out a low whine laden with a mental shock.
The third eye on its forehead opened fully. A vortex seemed to spin within its cold, vertical pupil, and an invisible mental ripple surged toward the four of them like a tide!
"Beware of the mental attack!" Hu Liena cried. Pink-gold Soul Power flared around her, and the phantom fox grew more solid as she tried to resist the mental assault.
Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan also urged their Soul Power to steady their minds.
But the mental attack was extremely strange, as if it could seep through every crack. They felt dizzy, and their reactions slowed by half a beat.
"Soft Muscle Evil!" "Foot-Stalling Bane!"
Ning Xiaochun reacted the fastest. Almost as soon as the Three-Eyed Demon Fox launched its mental attack, his Nine Killings Glazed Pagoda lit up. Two grayish beams shot out and landed squarely on the fox!
The Three-Eyed Demon Fox's movements faltered. Its strength and speed were both diminished, if only slightly.
But only slightly! Its cultivation was too high. Though Ning Xiaochun's Soul Skills were extraordinary, their effects were greatly weakened. They were nowhere near as immediately effective as they had been against Yan!
"Wooo—!"
The Three-Eyed Demon Fox seemed enraged by Ning Xiaochun's weakening skills. It growled, then abruptly turned into a black bolt of lightning. Bypassing Hu Liena's frontal defense, it lunged straight at Ning Xiaochun, its claws gleaming with a chill sharp enough to tear through space!
It had clearly realized that the weakest human was also the greatest threat among them: their support!
"Protect Xiaochun!"
Shui Bing'er shouted. Instead of retreating, she rushed forward and instantly shielded Ning Xiaochun. The Ice Phoenix phantom folded its wings together, forming a huge ice shield!
"Boom—!"
The Three-Eyed Demon Fox's claws struck the ice shield with tremendous force! Its terrifying strength and sinister Soul Power erupted, and cracks instantly spread across the shield!
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