78: Chapter 78 The Nine-Tailed Fox's Deal? A Chance to Evolve Your Beast Tamer?

At the same time.

The battlefield where Jiang Yun was located.

The Earth Demon Ape's giant fist, covered in thick Rock Armor and carrying a deathly aura capable of crushing everything, had already closed in on the Fire Dragon Fish.

The wind from the punch compressed the air until it let out explosive booms.

Even the scorching dragon flames were forced aside by this pure power!

At this critical juncture.

“Screech!”

A bolt of silver lightning, moving at a speed beyond visual tracking, arrived first despite starting later! It was the Wind Thunder Cloud Sparrow.

It pushed its speed to the limit, its claws entwined with blinding lightning. It didn't attack the Earth Demon Ape's sturdy body, but instead struck with pinpoint accuracy at its crimson, relatively fragile eyes!

Thunder Claw!

“Puchi!”

Although the Earth Demon Ape instinctively closed its eyes and its tough eyelids blocked most of the damage, the violent power of thunder still surged through the gaps, bringing a wave of intense paralysis!

“Roar!!”

The Earth Demon Ape let out a roar of pain and fury, and its sure-kill punch inevitably suffered a moment of stiffness and deviation.

“Little Fire, Fire Domain Cage!”

Jiang Yun's thoughts raced.

He shouted out loud.

The Fire Dragon Fish seized this precious breathing room. With a dragon roar echoing through the sky, the crimson runes all over its body glowed, and blazing fire power surged out frantically, transforming into several thick fire chains. Like Spirit Snakes, they entwined around the Earth Demon Ape's arms and torso, attempting to bind it in place.

Boom!

The fire chains successfully wrapped around it, the high temperature scorching the Rock Armor with a sizzling sound.

However, the Earth Demon Ape's strength was simply too great.

It exerted sudden force, its muscles bulging. Those fire chains, which were enough to trap an ordinary Bronze Rank Nine, were actually snapped inch by inch by its struggle, sending sparks flying everywhere.

“As expected, it can't hold it!”

Jiang Yun's pupils contracted. This was within his expectations, but he was still shocked by the absolute suppression of the opponent's strength.

“Little Cloud Sparrow! Thunder Strike! Aim for the joint that was just scorched!”

Jiang Yun's voice was terrifyingly calm.

The rhythm of the battle was not disrupted in the slightest.

The Wind Thunder Cloud Sparrow, having received the command, did not hesitate for a moment.

It gave a clear cry, compressing all its wind and thunder power into a single point, its body transforming into a true bolt of lightning that pierced through heaven and earth! This time, the target was no longer the eyes, but a spot on the Earth Demon Ape's right elbow that had turned dark red after being continuously scorched by the dragon flames, where the Rock Armor showed fine cracks!

Thunder Strike!

Crackle!

Boom!!

The brilliant lightning hit with precision!

The extreme penetration and explosive paralyzing effect were demonstrated to the fullest at this moment!

“Awoo—!”

Although the Earth Demon Ape couldn't feel pain, its body still stalled for an instant. The Rock Armor at its right elbow joint shattered upon impact, and dark purple lightning frantically surged into its arm bone.

The entire right arm lost control instantly.

It hung down powerlessly.

And at this very moment, when its movements were completely stiffened due to the intense shock and paralysis.

“Little Fire! Dragon Flame Burst Kill! Blast it to pieces for me!”

A fierce glint flashed in Jiang Yun's eyes.

He issued the final kill order.

The Fire Dragon Fish was already poised and ready!

It opened its dragon mouth, and the vast dragon-type spiritual energy and fire Origin within its body compressed and condensed at an unprecedented speed.

A terrifying fireball, dark red on the inside and looking as if it contained a miniature sun, formed instantly. The surrounding space distorted under the high temperature!

“Roar!!!”

Accompanied by a heaven-shaking dragon roar, that dark red fireball of destruction, trailing a long tail of flame, struck the center of the Earth Demon Ape's chest at supersonic speed, where it was wide open due to its paralyzed right arm.

That area of Rock Armor had just been scorched by the fire chains and was similarly fragile!

Rumble rumble rumble!!!

The earth-shattering sound of the explosion echoed through the clouds.

The dark red destructive energy completely swallowed the Earth Demon Ape's massive body.

Blazing light and heat swept in all directions, instantly carbonizing and vaporizing the surrounding trees.

When the light and dust slowly dissipated... in its place, only a huge charred crater remained, along with scattered fragments of rock that had been melted into a glass-like state by the high temperature.

That overbearing Earth Demon Ape at the Peak of Bronze Rank Nine was gone without a trace!

An instant kill!

A true instant-kill counterattack achieved through tactics and coordination in a desperate situation!

In the distance, the sneer on the Cult Protector's face completely froze, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets!

“No... Impossible!!”

He screamed, his voice sharp and piercing: “Rock Armor... that's a defense that can withstand Silver Rank attacks! How could it be... by a Bronze Rank Seven skill... in one hit... one hit...”

He couldn't understand it, couldn't accept it!

Had the power of that fish's fire-type skill already reached a terrifying level sufficient to instant-kill a Silver Rank?!

This completely overturned his understanding!

The destructive energy that erupted in that instant made even him, a bystander, feel a wave of palpitations!

However.

Jiang Yun didn't give him any chance to think or escape.

“Little Fire, send him on his way.”

The cold command was issued.

A concentrated breath of dragon flame, like a death god's invitation, instantly swallowed the Cult Protector who was still in shock and fear, leaving only a pile of ashes on the spot.

The powerful enemies were all dead.

Jiang Yun's tense nerves finally relaxed.

A strong sense of exhaustion flooded his entire body. He stumbled, nearly unable to stand, gasping for breath.

The Wind Thunder Cloud Sparrow landed wearily on his shoulder, and Little Fire also restrained its aura, a hint of fatigue in its dragon eyes.

He immediately had the Wind Thunder Cloud Sparrow pull itself together to circle and guard high above. Only after confirming there were no more anomalies did he truly relax, plopping down on the ground and wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

“That was close... If I hadn't raised Little Fire to the seventh rank before the competition, increasing the control and power of Dragon Flame Burst Kill, today would have probably...”

He felt a wave of lingering fear in his heart.

However, just as his mind had slightly settled.

And he was preparing to take a short rest.

A familiar female voice—cold, lazy, yet carrying supreme majesty and a hint of playfulness.

Rang out behind him without any warning:

“Hehe! No wonder that day, I sensed a faint, obscure suppressive aura within your body that even I had to take note of... So, the root of it was this seemingly unremarkable Fire Dragon Fish?”

Hearing the voice, the hair on Jiang Yun's body stood on end!

Without thinking, he lunged up and turned around, the Beast Taming Power within him instinctively circulating.

The Fire Dragon Fish and Wind Thunder Cloud Sparrow also instantly entered a combat state.

But it was too late.

A terrifying pressure, as vast as a sea of stars and as heavy as an ancient mountain, crashed down like the entire firmament collapsing.

“Plop!”

Before Jiang Yun could even see the person's shadow, he was slammed face-first into the ground by this irresistible force, his cheek pressed tightly against the cold earth, unable to move even a finger!

“Wuu...”

The Wind Thunder Cloud Sparrow on his shoulder let out a mournful cry and was slapped directly into the dirt.

The Fire Dragon Fish beside him let out an unwilling roar, its dragon body trembling violently. The flames around it were forcibly suppressed back into its body, its scales creaking as it was also pinned firmly to the ground, unable to even lift its head.

This power... was too strong!

So strong it was despair-inducing, leaving no room for the slightest thought of resistance!

Compared to any enemy he had faced before, including that Bronze Rank Nine Earth Demon Ape, this was in a completely different dimension!

Jiang Yun struggled to lift his head.

He finally saw the face of the newcomer.

Icy skin and jade bones, a peerless grace—who else could it be but Su Qingxue?

Or rather, it was the one occupying Su Qingxue's body.

The Spirit Demon Imperial Clan, the Spirit Demon Nine-Tailed Fox!

Seeing Little Fire and Little Cloud Sparrow similarly suppressed, Jiang Yun didn't hesitate. With a thought, he forcibly recalled the unable-to-resist Fire Dragon Fish and Wind Thunder Cloud Sparrow into his Beast Taming Space, bearing the terrifying pressure alone as his bones creaked under the unbearable weight.

“Oh?”

The Nine-Tailed Fox's lips curled slightly into a soul-stirring smile, but that smile carried the playfulness of someone looking down at an ant.

“You're quite loyal.”

She took light steps, slowly approaching, her gaze falling on Jiang Yun as if she could see through all disguises: “I heard that when you had your Awakening, you tested as having no talent? And this Fire Dragon Fish, it's been less than a month since the contract, right? In just one month, it went from nothing to Bronze Rank Seven...”

She leaned down slightly, those eyes deep as a starry abyss staring at Jiang Yun, her tone carrying a hint of heart-palpitating inquiry: “Is it really this little fish's Heaven-Defying Aptitude? Or is it... that you are hiding a secret that even I couldn't see through at a glance?”

Jiang Yun gritted his teeth, enduring the immense pressure, and did not answer the question about his talent.

Instead, he squeezed out a question through the gaps in his teeth: “Are you... appearing now because you plan to... kill me here?”

“Kill you?”

The Nine-Tailed Fox straightened up, as if she had heard a funny joke, and laughed softly.

With her laughter, the terrifying pressure enveloping Jiang Yun receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Her tone carried a hint of lazy disdain: “If I wanted your life, why would I go to such trouble? A single thought would suffice.”

With the pressure gone, Jiang Yun coughed violently a few times, breathing in the fresh air deeply. He slowly climbed up from the ground, circulating the spiritual energy in his body to relieve the stiffness.

He looked at her warily: “Then just now... what was the meaning of that?”

The Nine-Tailed Fox didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she lightly raised her hand and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Her movements were extremely elegant, forming a sharp contrast with the terrifying strength she had just displayed.

She changed the subject, her tone flat but carrying an unquestionable authority: “Jiang Yun, how about making a deal with me?”

“A deal?”

Jiang Yun's brow furrowed tightly upon hearing this.

His heart was filled with doubts.

A Vicious Beast with the strength of an Amethyst Peak looking to make a deal with him, a Bronze Rank Beast Tamer?

No matter how you looked at it, this was extremely bizarre.

But he knew well that in the face of such an absolute strength gap, he didn't have much room for choice.

Forcing himself to remain calm.

He asked in a deep voice: “What kind of deal?”

Su Qingxue smiled enchantingly. That smile was beautiful enough to topple cities, but it also made Jiang Yun's heart leap into his throat.

Her red lips parted slightly.

She spoke words that shook Jiang Yun's soul: “I will give you an opportunity... that can allow both of your beast tamings to complete an evolution. Do you want it?”

An opportunity to complete the First Evolution?

And for both beast tamings?

Jiang Yun's pupils contracted sharply...