Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Ring Elevation!

A blade of ice-blue light, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of severing the void, slashed down ferociously from above! It plunged with pinpoint accuracy into the Ice Demon Bird's skull!

The Ice Demon Bird didn't even have time to let out a shriek before its body was completely frozen, subsequently shattering into a sky full of ice crystal fragments. Only a single, deep purple spirit ring rose slowly into the air.

On the other side, Dugu Yan made her move simultaneously! She formed seals with her hands, and the phantom of the Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor behind her swelled violently. Opening its blood-red maw, it spat out a thick, ink-green poison flame that clung to the Lightning Demon Snake's wounds like maggots on bone!

"Third Spirit Ability, Jade Phosphorus Poison Flame!"

Under the scorching of the poison flame, the Lightning Demon Snake's body rapidly corroded and festered, emitting a sizzling sound. It twisted in agony a few times before finally losing all signs of life. A similarly deep purple spirit ring emerged as well.

"Success!" Ning Xiaochun felt a surge of joy. Two top-tier mutated spirit beasts, perfectly executed! The spirit rings were successfully secured! Now, both Sister Bing'er and Sister Yan's third spirit rings were accounted for!

Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan also wore expressions of delight, preparing to step forward to absorb their respective spirit rings.

However, at that very instant!

A sudden change occurred!

A swift, silent shadow attack, like a viper striking from its hole, shot straight from a dark corner to the side toward Shui Bing'er, who was just about to approach the Ice Demon Bird's spirit ring! The cold, sharp edge contained within that attack made the very air congeal!

"Watch out!" Ning Xiaochun's pupils constricted! He was closest to Shui Bing'er, but the event was so sudden that he couldn't react in time! He could only watch helplessly as the attack closed in on her!

Shui Bing'er sensed the crisis, but having just exhausted her strength to kill the Ice Demon Bird, her old power was spent and the new had yet to arise. Coupled with the treacherous and hidden nature of the attack, she found it difficult to dodge completely!

At this critical juncture!

Clang!

A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out!

A pink-gold light arrived after the fact but struck first, intercepting the shadow attack with precision and shattering it instantly!

Hu Liena had appeared not far from Shui Bing'er's side. Her Demon Fox spirit was possessed, and the charming smile on her face had vanished, replaced by a look of gravity and vigilance.

Her gaze was cast sharply toward the direction from which the shadow had struck.

"Who is it? No... it's a spirit beast!"

Following her gaze, the group saw a figure slowly emerge from the dark thicket.

It was a fox, pitch-black all over, with fur as smooth as the finest silk.

Its size was not particularly large, only about that of an ordinary leopard, but the most striking feature was its forehead—there, a third eye had actually grown!

That third eye was slowly opening, its pupil a strange vertical slit, flickering with cold, cunning, and greedy light.

It looked at the two thousand-year spirit rings hovering in the clearing, then at Ning Xiaochun and the others, its mouth curling into a remarkably human-like, mocking, and greedy grin.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!

Everyone understood.

This Three-Eyed Demon Fox had likely been lurking nearby for a long time, patiently waiting for them and the two thousand-year spirit beasts to exhaust each other, only to appear now to sweep up all the spoils—including the spirit rings and even the human spirit masters themselves!

"Three-Eyed Demon Fox... judging by this aura, it likely has eight or nine thousand years of cultivation. It's only a step away from becoming a ten-thousand-year spirit beast!"

Hu Liena's voice carried unprecedented gravity. The pink-gold Demon Fox spirit swayed behind her, its nine tails fanning out and emitting powerful spirit power fluctuations, yet her expression remained grim.

"A ten-thousand-year spirit beast is a powerful existence capable of rivaling a human five-ring Spirit King! Although this Three-Eyed Demon Fox hasn't reached ten thousand years yet, its cunning and difficulty are likely even greater than some beasts that have just entered that threshold!"

Her words were like cold water splashed onto everyone's hearts. The joy of having just defeated the two thousand-year spirit beasts was instantly diluted.

Ning Xiaochun's heart sank as well. He had calculated everything—the two spirit beasts weakening each other, the chance to reap the rewards—but he had missed one point.

In this perilous Sunset Forest, they weren't the only ones who wanted to play the "oriole"!

This cunning Three-Eyed Demon Fox was clearly the "oriole" hiding at the very end!

It had been waiting, waiting for them to exhaust their spirit power, waiting for them to lower their guard, waiting for the perfect moment to harvest!

If not for Hu Liena's quick reaction to block that sneak attack, even if Shui Bing'er hadn't been severely wounded, she would have missed the best window to dodge, and the consequences would have been unthinkable!

That was close! A layer of cold sweat broke out on Ning Xiaochun's back. He realized once again that in this spirit beast forest, one could never lower their guard! Stability, one must always be stable!

Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan's expressions also darkened. They could both feel the tangible pressure radiating from the Three-Eyed Demon Fox.

It was the aura of a high-level predator, causing their own spirits to feel a faint tremor.

Especially since they had just gone through a major battle, their spirit power was significantly depleted, and they hadn't yet absorbed the two precious spirit rings; their current state was far from peak.

Ning Xiaochun felt even more anxious. This kind of unexpected situation beyond his control was exactly what he feared most.

An eight-to-nine-thousand-year Three-Eyed Demon Fox, and a mutated beast known for its cunning and mental attacks at that... this difficulty level was a bit excessive!

"Woo—"

The Three-Eyed Demon Fox seemed to lose patience, emitting a low whine that carried a mental shockwave.

The third eye on its forehead opened completely. Within the cold vertical pupil, a vortex seemed to spin, and an invisible mental fluctuation surged toward the four of them like a tidal wave!

"Watch out for the mental attack!" Hu Liena shouted sharply. Her pink-gold spirit power flared, and the Demon Fox phantom became more solid, attempting to resist the mental impact.

Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan also mobilized their spirit power simultaneously to steady their minds.

But the mental impact was extremely bizarre, seeming to seep into everything, causing them to feel waves of dizziness and slowing their reactions by half a beat.

"Soft Muscle Evil!" "Foot-Stalling Bane!"

Ning Xiaochun reacted the fastest. Almost at the same moment the Three-Eyed Demon Fox launched its mental attack, the Nine Killings Glazed Pagoda in his hand lit up, and two gray rays of light shot out instantly, landing with precision upon the Three-Eyed Demon Fox!

The Three-Eyed Demon Fox's movements faltered noticeably, its strength and speed both dampened by a fraction.

But it was only a fraction! Its cultivation was too high; although Ning Xiaochun's soul skill was heaven-defying, its effects were greatly diminished, failing to produce the immediate results he had achieved against Yan!

"Wooo-!"

The Three-Eyed Demon Fox seemed enraged by Ning Xiaochun's interference. It let out a low growl, its figure suddenly transforming into a bolt of black lightning. It bypassed Hu Liena, who was defending the front, and lunged straight for Ning Xiaochun, its sharp claws gleaming with a cold light that seemed to tear through space!

It had clearly realized that this weakest-looking human was actually the greatest threat among the group as a support!

"Protect Xiaochun!"

Shui Bing'er shouted sharply. Instead of retreating, she surged forward, instantly positioning herself in front of Ning Xiaochun. The phantom of the Ice Phoenix folded its wings, transforming into a massive ice shield!

"BOOM--!"

The Three-Eyed Demon Fox's claws slammed viciously into the ice shield! A terrifying force and a chilling soul power erupted, causing the ice shield to instantly fracture with cracks!