197: Chapter 197 The Little Spirit Fox's Self-Evolution

Lu Cheng told them about what happened over the past two days, as well as the cooperation today...

"So..."

Heavenly King Lin stood in the hallway with his arms crossed, his expression very subtle.

"You tricked that shrine maiden yesterday, and today she came to find you, saying she wants to cooperate with you to explore the ruins?"

Lu Cheng nodded.

"I wouldn't put it that way. I've become free labor, acting as her tour guide."

Xu Xinglan leaned against the wall, holding her terminal. Her gaze swept over Lu Cheng's face and then landed in the direction where Jinguji Ayane had left.

"Are you sure she just came to talk about cooperation?"

Tang Zhiwei immediately leaned over with a smile.

"Is that really all there is~"

Her voice trailed off with a light lift, and her eyes curved into crescents.

Tang Zhiwei chuckled.

"Brother Lu, don't be in such a hurry."

"My woman's intuition tells me that things are not just like that~"

Lu Cheng looked at her expressionlessly.

"That's all there is."

"Do you really think of me as a succubus?"

"How long have we even known each other?"

Tang Zhiwei tilted her head.

"Brother Lu, this plot of yours..."

"In some romance novels, this would be enough to write three chapters."

Lu Cheng's mouth twitched.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Lu Cheng waved his hand.

"Alright, enough talking."

"Let's talk about business. The most important thing is that simulated ruin..."

Hearing this, the smile on Xu Xinglan's face completely vanished.

"If what she said is true, then the third item is not a simple simulated trial."

Heavenly King Lin frowned.

"There is a real ruin hidden inside the competition venue?"

Tang Zhiwei rarely refrained from teasing Lu Cheng, only gently flicking the silver bell on her wrist.

"Should we confirm with Academic Director Zhao Mingshan first?"

Lu Cheng nodded.

"That's what I was thinking too."

The group quickly contacted Academic Director Zhao Mingshan.

After hearing them out, Academic Director Zhao Mingshan did not answer immediately, only telling them to wait for news.

About ten minutes later, Academic Director Zhao Mingshan reconnected the communication.

This time, his expression was significantly more serious than before.

"The higher-ups have given an answer."

Everyone fell silent.

Academic Director Zhao Mingshan looked at the students on the other side of the light screen and said in a deep voice:

"What Jinguji Ayane said is true."

"The third item, the simulated ruin, is indeed built on the foundation of an abandoned ruin."

"The main body of the ruin has been repeatedly cleared and evaluated by the Dragon Country, and the danger coefficient is within a controllable range."

"As for some of the things left inside..."

Academic Director Zhao Mingshan paused.

"The higher-ups know."

Xu Xinglan frowned.

"In other words, this is not an accident?"

Academic Director Zhao Mingshan nodded.

"No."

"You can rest assured and participate in the trial."

"At the same time, the higher-ups are very satisfied with your competition results on the first day."

"After the exchange tournament ends, the higher-ups will give each of you corresponding rewards."

"This is what you deserve."

"In addition..."

As he said this, the communication screen suddenly switched.

The original Academic Director Zhao Mingshan disappeared.

Replacing him was a pre-recorded video.

In the video, a man wearing a dark military uniform sat at a desk.

His hair was already somewhat gray, and there was not much expression on his face, but just sitting there, he was like an immovable mountain.

On his epaulets, the highest-level insignia of the Dragon Country military flashed.

The moment everyone saw him, their breathing almost stalled at the same time.

Heavenly King Lin's originally casual standing posture straightened instantly.

Gu Changqing's hand holding the sword tightened slightly.

Ye Beihan's eyes also became unprecedentedly serious.

Even Tang Zhiwei, who was always smiling, had the smile on her face fade away.

Because they had all seen the person in the video.

In the news.

In textbooks.

In countless war documentaries.

The Military God.

A true legend of the Dragon Country.

The man who walked step by step from an ordinary person with F-grade Talent to the Saint Realm.

A true powerhouse in the real sense, a living legend.

The Military God in the video looked at the camera, his voice calm and heavy.

"Students."

"I have already seen your performance on the first day."

"Very good."

Only two words.

But it made their hearts thump violently.

The Military God continued:

"You have displayed the Aura of the younger generation of the Dragon Country; this point is worth praising!"

"In the upcoming simulated ruin trial, there is no need to be timid."

"Within the scope allowed by the rules, strive for as much as possible that belongs to the Dragon Country."

"At the same time, stay safe."

"You are the future of the Dragon Country."

"More important than any resource."

Having said this, his gaze seemed to pass through the screen and land on each person.

"Thank you for your hard work."

The video ended.

The light screen returned to the communication interface.

But the hallway remained quiet for a long time.

Heavenly King Lin's Adam's apple moved, and it took a long time for him to squeeze out a sentence.

"The Military God... spoke to us personally?"

Jiang Xuance also rarely lacked his usual cheeky grin.

"I even watched his battle recordings dozens of times when I was a kid."

Tang Zhiwei's eyes also carried a hint of strange light.

Even as a child of a noble family, it was impossible to be completely calm when facing such a figure...

Lu Cheng looked at the darkened light screen and narrowed his eyes slightly.

The higher-ups knew about this matter.

And they allowed them to enter the remaining area of that ruin.

Then what exactly do the higher-ups want to do?

Lu Cheng couldn't figure it out for the time being.

The only thing that could be certain was that this place should be safe.

Otherwise, if young Geniuses from various countries had large-scale accidents in the trial grounds hosted by the Dragon Country, then the Dragon Country's face would definitely not look good.

What's more, the Military God had spoken personally.

This meant that the higher-ups already had arrangements for this matter.

Lu Cheng rubbed his temples.

"Forget it."

"No need to think so much for now."

"We'll see when we get in."

The next two days were a long-awaited rest.

Of course, the so-called rest, for these people, just meant not having to compete formally.

Lu Cheng spent his days Cultivating the Nine Luminaries Meridians and his nights organizing his own state.

On the afternoon of the second day, he received a message from Xia Xi.

[Xia Xi: I saw you competing.]

Following this was a Q-version emoji she made herself.

Little Xia Xi was holding a pillow, and a few words appeared on top of her head:

[Miss you.jpg]

Lu Cheng looked at the emoji, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.

Not long after, Xia Xi sent another one.

[Xia Xi: You were very handsome yesterday.]

[Xia Xi: But I am still accepting the Legacy, so I can't go out for now.]

[Xia Xi: When I come out, maybe I will be stronger than you by then!]

Lu Cheng thought for a moment and replied:

[Lu Cheng: That might be a bit difficult.]

After sending it, he added another sentence.

[Lu Cheng: Cultivate well, and I will take you to eat something delicious then.]

Xia Xi soon sent a second Q-version emoji.

In the picture, little Xia Xi was sitting at a table, her eyes sparkling, and beside her it was written:

[Waiting to be fed.jpg]

Lu Cheng smiled and put away his terminal.

Time passed very quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day to go to the simulated ruin.

Midnight.

The room was very quiet.

The curtains were drawn, and the night view of the Imperial Capital outside was isolated behind the glass.

Lu Cheng was sleeping soundly.

The Little Spirit Fox was curled up in his arms as usual, with its tail draped over his arm.

Just at some moment in the middle of the night, the little guy suddenly opened its eyes, and a bit of dazed dissatisfaction flashed in its ice-blue eyes.

"Ying..."

Today is the fifth day... still one card short...

Damn it...

After thinking for a moment, the Little Spirit Fox 'Ying!' at the sky...

The next second, a card suddenly appeared in the Void Realm, merging with the five cards Lu Cheng originally had.

That card emitted a faint golden light, hovering above Lu Cheng and the Little Spirit Fox, and then turned into fine light spots, merging into the Little Spirit Fox's body.

The Spirit Fox's body was wrapped in starlight.

The originally snow-white fur floated slightly, and its figure stretched a bit longer than before.

The first silver-blue Spirit Fox tail swayed gently.

Immediately after, a second illusory tail shadow emerged from behind it, and the crimson-gold fox fire lit up bit by bit from the tip of the tail.

Ice-blue and crimson-gold lights intertwined in the room.

One cold and one hot.

One frost and one flame.

The Spirit Fox lowered its head and looked at its tail.

One.

Two.

Then it "Ying"ed with great satisfaction.

The next second, it discovered that because it had grown a bit larger, Lu Cheng's arms were no longer as comfortable.

The little guy moved dissatisfiedly.

As a result, just after moving a little, Lu Cheng reached out in a daze, grabbed it casually, and pulled it back into his arms.

The Spirit Fox's body stiffened.

It looked up at Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng was not yet awake.

He was just instinctively filling the empty space in his arms.

The Spirit Fox blinked.

Then it slowly buried its head into Lu Cheng's chest.

Forget it.

Continue sleeping.

The second crimson-gold tail was gently draped over the edge of the bed, and the fox fire at the tip of the tail burned quietly for a while, and soon dimmed as well.

Early the next morning.

The first feeling Lu Cheng had when he woke up was...

his arms seemed heavier.

The second feeling was...

it was hotter.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the Spirit Fox in his arms.

Then he fell silent.

The Little Spirit Fox was still sleeping.

But...

Did this guy grow a bit bigger?

Not just a bit bigger.

How did it grow an extra tail?

Lu Cheng looked down at the two Spirit Fox tails, one ice and one fire, and didn't speak for a long time.

The first tail was shimmering with silver-blue starlight.

The second tail had a wisp of crimson-gold fox fire burning at the tip.

The little guy was sleeping very comfortably, its head buried in his chest, as if it completely didn't know that it had evolved.

Lu Cheng rubbed his temples and opened the System log.

[Daily Pet Card issued]

[Current number of Pet Cards: 5]

[The Little Spirit Fox worked hard to Cultivate last night, meeting special growth conditions]

[Spirit Pet has completed autonomous evolution]

[Spirit Fox · One Tail → Little Spirit Fox · Two Tails]

Lu Cheng: "..."

What is called autonomous evolution?

This fox secretly worked hard in the middle of the night?

The panel unfolded accordingly.

[Pet Name]: Little Spirit Fox

[Race]: Nine Luminaries Spirit Fox · Juvenile Form

[Growth Stage]: Juvenile Period

[Strength Rating]: Third-tier Peak

[Equivalent Human Realm]: Approximately equal to Meridian Opening Realm Peak

[Attributes]: Ice / Fire

[New Abilities]:

[Star Flame Fox Fire]: It can release crimson-gold fox fire, causing continuous burning damage to enemies. Unlike ordinary flames, Star Flame Fox Fire will attach to the surface of the enemy's Source Power, weakening the enemy's protective Source Power in a short time.

If the target already has residual [Star Frost Chill], Star Flame Fox Fire will trigger "Frost Flame Burst" upon hitting, causing an extra burst of damage.

[Ice-Fire Dual Luminaries]: The Little Spirit Fox can simultaneously mobilize the power of two Spirit Fox tails, causing freezing/burning damage.

[Dual Tail Star Shield]: The Little Spirit Fox's two Spirit Fox tails overlap, which can actively form an ice-fire dual-attribute shield for Lu Cheng, with the ice tail responsible for absorbing impact and the fire tail responsible for rebounding damage.

[Dual Tail Star Step]: The Little Spirit Fox's short-range burst speed is greatly improved, and ice-blue star points and crimson-gold sparks will appear under its feet when running.

It can make three consecutive direction changes in a short distance, and the speed is so fast that it seems to leave several afterimages in the air.

The first movement leaves frost star marks, reducing the enemy's movement speed.

The second movement leaves fox fire star marks, burning the enemy's Source Power.

[Frost Flame Fox Blast]: Throwing both the ice tail and the fire tail out at the same time, the two Luminaries forces intersect in the air, forming an ice-blue and crimson-gold intertwined fox fire star ball, causing massive damage.

After reading the panel, Lu Cheng's expression gradually became subtle.

Third-tier Peak.

Equivalent to Meridian Opening Realm Peak.

Good guy, how long has this little thing been with him?

Others have been Cultivating hard for many years, and the Little Spirit Fox has reached the Meridian Opening Realm Peak in just a few days.

Is there any justice left in this world?

Lu Cheng lowered his head and poked its head.

"Little Spirit Fox."

"Why did you evolve?"

The Little Spirit Fox's ears moved.

It opened its eyes in a daze, with the haziness of just waking up still in its ice-blue eyes.

The next second, a milky voice suddenly sounded in Lu Cheng's mind.

"Umm..."

"I want a name!"