Powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill!

With the group's coordination, the Three-Eyed Demon Fox let out a desperate, mournful cry, its body convulsing violently a few times before it finally lost all signs of life.

A deep, near-black purple spirit ring slowly emerged from its corpse.

We won!

All four of them let out a simultaneous sigh of relief, collapsing to the ground and gasping for air. The high-intensity combat of the last few minutes had nearly exhausted every ounce of their strength and spirit power.

Ning Xiaochun was hit the hardest; using his spirit fusion skill twice in a row had been a massive overdraft on his spirit and energy. His small face was pale as paper and his vision was swimming with black spots, yet he still forced a smile.

"Whew... finally... finished it..."

He looked at the near-ten-thousand-year spirit ring belonging to the Three-Eyed Demon Fox, then at the two rings nearby from the Ice Demon Bird and the Lightning Demon Snake, his heart filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the joy of a bountiful harvest.

Although the process had been thrilling and dangerous, exceeding his expectations of "playing it safe," the result... seemed pretty good, didn't it?

However, the consecutive use of his spirit fusion skill, especially "Ring Elevation," had drained him so severely that he felt his vision darkening and his limbs turning to jelly, as if his body had been completely hollowed out.

"Xiaochun!" Shui Bing'er was the first to crouch by his side, her ice-blue eyes filled with worry. She carefully supported his shoulders, her voice tinged with urgency, "Are you alright? Where do you feel unwell?"

"I'm... I'm fine..." Ning Xiaochun managed to squeeze out a smile, "Just a bit of exhaustion... I'll be fine after a rest."

Dugu Yan walked over as well, her green eyes reflecting both amazement and lingering fear:

"You brat, you scared the life out of me just now! To think you'd dare use a skill like that! But... it was truly incredible! In that moment, I felt like I had actually become a three-ring Spirit Elder! That feeling of being filled with power... it was amazing!"

As she spoke, her face showed an expression of wanting more. The experience of being buffed by "Ring Elevation" had been simply wonderful.

It was as if a powerful force had appeared out of thin air within her body, making her feel omnipotent.

Although that power had now receded like a tide, the sensation remained deeply branded in the depths of her memory.

"Indeed..." a slightly hoarse voice, still carrying a natural allure, rang out.

Hu Liena had returned at some point. She didn't leave immediately, instead standing not far away, her charming peach-blossom eyes fixed on Ning Xiaochun with an incredibly complex gaze.

A faint flush still lingered on her face, the excitement and afterglow of the sudden surge in power.

"Directly adding a spirit ring... this kind of support ability is simply unheard of, unseen."

Hu Liena's voice carried a hint of incredulous awe, and perhaps even a trace of... something she hadn't realized herself: infatuation.

"That feeling... it was as if... my entire being had been sublimated. My spirit power flowed so smoothly, as if that spirit ring were naturally a part of me... it's just too incredible."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but run the tip of her tongue over her slightly dry red lips, her gaze toward Ning Xiaochun becoming even more intense and... meaningful.

"After trying it once, I'm afraid... it will be very hard to forget," she said softly, her voice laced with a subtle temptation.

Ning Xiaochun felt a chill at her gaze and instinctively shrank closer to Shui Bing'er. Why did this woman feel even more dangerous than that Three-Eyed Demon Fox?

Shui Bing'er frowned deeply, shot a cold glare at Hu Liena, and stepped aside to block most of her view, her tone unfriendly:

"Are you done looking? If you are, please be on your way. We still need to absorb our spirit rings."

Hu Liena wasn't offended; she merely smiled slightly, her gaze passing over Shui Bing'er to land on Ning Xiaochun:

"Little brother, thank you for today. I, Hu Liena, will remember this favor. If you ever have the chance to visit Spirit City, remember to mention my name, and this big sister will show you around properly."

Without waiting for Ning Xiaochun's reply, she turned around, her eyes landing on the deep purple, near-ten-thousand-year spirit ring of the Three-Eyed Demon Fox with a flash of heat.

"I won't stand on ceremony for this spirit ring." With a light laugh, she moved gracefully to the side of the Three-Eyed Demon Fox's corpse, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate her spirit power to guide the ring into herself.

Seeing this, Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan did not delay any further.

They each walked to their respective rings—Shui Bing'er to the four-thousand-year Ice Demon Bird ring, and Dugu Yan to the three-thousand-year Lightning Demon Snake ring—and sat cross-legged, calming their minds to begin absorption.

Ning Xiaochun, meanwhile, forced his weary body to stand guard for the three women.

Although he was in a poor state, this was the Sunset Forest, a place fraught with danger, and no one knew if another "oriole" might appear. He had to keep his guard up with every ounce of his remaining focus.

Time ticked by, second by second.

The first to finish was Dugu Yan.

Her dark green spirit power light retracted sharply, and a more solid, ferocious aura erupted from her body!

She snapped her eyes open, her eerie green pupils flashing with brilliance, filled with excitement and joy!

"I succeeded! Level thirty-three! And... I feel like my spirit has undergone some changes! It seems... there's a hint of wind-attribute agility!"

Dugu Yan jumped up in excitement, feeling the surging spirit power within her and the jubilation from her spirit.

The Lightning Demon Snake's ring not only caused her spirit power to skyrocket but also granted her the speed boost she had dreamed of! This would be a massive supplement to her future combat style!

Immediately following, a more biting, purer chill spread out like a tide!

It was Shui Bing'er!

The ice-blue light around her grew thick to the extreme, and the phantom of the Ice Phoenix soared behind her, letting out a cry filled with nobility, majesty, and an aura... as if from the ancient, primordial wilderness!

The chill radiating from her was more piercing than before, as if the very air were about to freeze!

She slowly opened her eyes; those ice-blue orbs now seemed to contain a vast, eternal ice field, deep, cold, yet carrying an indescribable elegance and beauty.

"Level thirty-six."

Shui Bing'er uttered the four words softly, her voice cold yet carrying a trace of imperceptible satisfaction.

The efficacy of the two immortal herbs, combined with the perfect compatibility of this four-thousand-year Ice Demon Bird ring, had pushed her spirit power to level thirty-six in one fell swoop!

Moreover, after absorbing this ring, her Ice Phoenix spirit seemed to have become more solid, and her ice attribute purer, faintly touching upon a higher realm!

Finally, it was Hu Liena's turn.

The pink-gold light on her body pulsed like a heartbeat, and the nine tails of the demon fox phantom behind her seemed to become even more agile and ethereal.