Chapter 41: Everyone Is Showing Off, Both the Living and the Dead

Chapter 41: Everyone Is Showing Off

"Bang!" A large, dark shadow was smashed into the forest. One after another, towering trees were snapped in half as the figure collided with them. Even after hitting the ground, the body continued to skid, carving a long, deep trench into the earth. If one were to look down from the sky, they would see many such scars, all radiating outward from a single central point.

Zhong Yan pushed aside the trunk that had fallen on top of him and climbed to his feet, grumbling, "Uncle Ghost, this isn't fair. Why am I the only one getting beaten up?"

For the past few days, Zhong Yan had been diligently honing his skills. He hadn't consumed any celestial herbs because his strength had been increasing too rapidly lately; Bibi Dong had forbidden him from training his spirit power, opting instead to have Ghost Douluo, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Poison Douluo take turns pummeling him daily.

Ever since his senior sister had emerged from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, she had also joined in the daily beating sessions. The only difference was that she barely ever got hit, while he was the one being sent flying from left to right by three Title Douluos every single day.

Zhong Yan had discovered a major issue: his ultimate trump card, "Heavenly Star," was useless against Ghost Douluo. Ghost Douluo’s speed was simply too immense; he could easily escape the range of the attack before the star ever landed.

However, he had already found a solution. He was currently contemplating the nature of the Heavenly Star; if he could comprehend and master the power of petrification, he would no longer have to worry about missing his targets.

His progress, however, was visible to the naked eye. Not only had he stabilized his once-volatile power, but he had also mastered all the derivative spirit abilities he had developed.

Bibi Dong glanced at the moon, which was just beginning to reveal its silhouette in the sky, and said, "Alright, that’s enough for today. Rest up. Tomorrow, after we secure Na'er's fifth spirit ring, we shall return to the Spirit Hall."

"Understood, Your Holiness."

"Finally over. Phew." Zhong Yan let out a long sigh. Even though the feeling of improvement was great, being beaten up all day was still a miserable experience.

Hu Liena was already running over to Bibi Dong to act spoiled. Zhong Yan watched her spirit avatar, which she hadn't yet retracted—her four fluffy tails swaying back and forth behind her—and a thought immediately crossed his mind.

Zhong Yan ran up, grabbed one of her tails, and gave it a vigorous rub with his other hand.

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, Hu Liena nearly jumped out of her skin. The fur on her tail stood on end, but as he continued to stroke it, her entire body softened. A blush crept from her cheeks to her earlobes, and her small mouth parted slightly to let out a soft, delicate, "Mm-ah."

Zhong Yan hadn't expected such an intense reaction; she hadn't been this sensitive before. Could the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well have had this effect? Furthermore, her ears and tails felt increasingly real, nothing like the typical manifestation of a spirit avatar.

*Could those two celestial herbs and the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well not only have evolved her spirit but also triggered something akin to a bloodline awakening?*

Before he could ponder further, a massive force slammed into him, sending him flying deep into the forest once again.

"That's not fair, Teacher!"

Bibi Dong retracted her spirit power, flicked her sleeves, and then reached out to stroke Hu Liena's tail herself.

*Na'er's tail is truly comfortable. Are the celestial herbs really that miraculous? It seems after we return to the Spirit Hall, I must consume that Purple Mushroom as soon as possible. If it truly works this well, that plan can finally be put on the schedule.*

...The Divider of the Next Day...

"Layered Rocks!" Layers of stone erupted from the ground, surrounding a fox with a dark green hue.

The Ghost Fox let out a shrill cry, its entire body turning translucent as it transformed into a green shadow and burst through the rock formations.

Watching the Ghost Fox escape yet again, Zhong Yan couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! This cursed fox! Non-physical spirit beasts are such a headache."

"Maybe we should let Uncle Ghost handle it," Hu Liena suggested, looking at Ghost Douluo, who was standing nearby.

If it weren't for Ghost Douluo constantly restricting the beast's movements, the Ghost Fox would have long since escaped from Zhong Yan's grasp.

"Give me one more chance." Zhong Yan's eyes lit up as he remembered an ability he hadn't used in a long time.

His third spirit ring flared, and Zhong Yan closed his eyes, communing with the Heart of God.

"Press." As he uttered the single word, everyone in the vicinity suddenly felt a crushing weight descend upon them.

This was the gravity he had used for physical training long ago. With the help of his third spirit ring, he had expanded the range of the gravity field to about the size of a football field—the limit of what he could control for now.

The effect, however, was significant. The Ghost Fox was pinned to the ground, unable to even muster its spirit power, let alone enter its translucent state.

Hu Liena quickly summoned her spirit avatar to avoid the miserable fate of being flattened by the gravity.

"Junior brother, did you do that on purpose? You wanted to watch me make a fool of myself, didn't you?"

"Hehehe, just an accident, an accident."

"I can barely move now. How am I supposed to go over and kill that spirit beast?"

No sooner had Hu Liena finished speaking than Ghost Douluo walked over, carrying the Ghost Fox.

The Ghost Fox was only just entering its twelve-thousand-year level; it posed no real threat to the current Hu Liena.

Zhong Yan watched as a fifth tail sprouted between the four swaying behind Hu Liena, knowing she was nearly finished with the absorption.

"So fast. It’s only been an hour."

After Hu Liena came out of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and reported the changes in her spirit to Bibi Dong, the latter had spent several days analyzing them and concluded the following:

1. For every additional tail Hu Liena gained, both the quality and total amount of her spirit power would increase by ten percent based on the previous tail's baseline. (It wasn't a simple addition of ninety percent; rather, it was a compounding increase).

2. Her body and spirit seemed to have undergone a fusion; even without summoning her spirit avatar, she could display about half of her full strength.

3. Her ears and tails were becoming increasingly comfortable to touch. Hehe.

*(Zhong Yan added this point himself.)*

Hu Liena slowly opened her eyes, sensing the new tail. *It seems Teacher's hypothesis was correct. Every time I obtain a new spirit ring, I gain another tail.*

"Senior sister, what is your new spirit ability?"

"Hmm, I call it 'Nether Foxfire.' I can summon three wisps of foxfire. Without my direct control, they automatically lock onto enemies. This fire is a 'conceptual' type and cannot be blocked by any physical spirit abilities. Even elemental-type defenses require extremely high-quality fire or light to stop it. Furthermore, it causes continuous burning damage that affects both the body and the soul simultaneously."

"Impressive, Senior Sister! You finally have an offensive ability other than 'Charm'."

"Of course! Look who I am—I'm your senior sister!" Hu Liena's ears perked up in delight.

"Yes, yes, Senior Sister is the best. Let's head back. Once we're back at the Spirit Hall, I'll make fish for you."