Chapter 254: Chapter 226: Ten-Tailed Celestial Fox

Kian Sterling stared at Mael Valerius’ golden eyes, suddenly laughing: “If I asked you to dig out your Dragon Heart, would you give it?”

Mael Valerius’ eyes narrowed slightly, completely unprepared for such words.

An anger began to simmer within him, feeling the other was being unreasonable.

Luna Sutton’s heart skipped a beat, frowning at Kian Sterling, “Don’t be like this…”

Mael Valerius rarely pulled a long face to apologize, making remarks about digging out a Dragon Heart definitely spoiled the mood.

Yet the pain of losing his tail wasn’t something he could easily let go.

Nor could it be compensated by anything.

Kian Sterling’s words instantly turned the atmosphere tense, as if an invisible explosion was brewing in the air.

A trace of coldness flashed in Mael Valerius’ eyes, but unexpectedly, he did not get angry.

“Kian Sterling, I did have some fault regarding the tail incident, but it was our first meeting, and life-and-death situation inevitably leads to misunderstandings.”

Mael Valerius’ voice was deep; in fact, he didn’t feel he was in the wrong. In that situation, if he hadn’t acted that way, it would have been him who died.

Possibly even having his skin peeled off.

The reason he was willing to lower his pride and apologize to Kian Sterling was ultimately for Luna.

Otherwise, who did Kian Sterling think he was?

“Just kidding.”

Kian Sterling suddenly dropped the coldness, his fox tail lazily wrapping around Luna Sutton’s wrist, “What would I do with his Dragon Heart? It’s too fishy and hard.”

He genuinely wanted to dig it out, but knew it was unlikely, and Luna wouldn’t allow it.

Nor did he have the strength to do so.

As for the so-called apology…

It was merely to win Luna’s favor.

Luna Sutton breathed a sigh of relief, about to speak.

White Sterling laughed softly again, with a meaning that seemed profound: “I accept the Dragon Clan Young Master’s apology, but—”

He suddenly clutched the Beast Pill, “No need for compensation, I fear it will dirty my hands.”

With that, he instantly reverted to his original form, his snow-white nine tails fanning out, raising his head to swallow the Beast Pill.

At the moment the Beast Pill was ingested, a violent energy instantly flooded throughout his body.

The pain made him groan, his forelimbs immediately kneeling on the ground, sharp claws digging deep into the soil.

“Ugh—”

Veins bulged beneath his snow-white skin as his bones emitted a cracking sound.

Luna Sutton instinctively rushed forward but was pulled back by Rhys Blackwood: “Don’t go over, touching him now will cause energy to run amuck.”

Zeke Veridian couldn’t help but twitch at Kian Sterling’s pained sounds.

Thinking no wonder he was called a flirtatious fox by Malachi Arcanus, the sound seemed full of pain, yet twisted artfully, luring one’s spirit.

One could say, regardless of gender, The Fox Clan was inherently skilled at enchanting others, intentionally or not.

No wonder Luna favored Kian Sterling the most.

While Zeke Veridian was secretly grumbling, Kian Sterling’s fox tail suddenly swelled several times, purple-gold patterns crawling over the snow-white fur.

“Is this… Celestial Nine-Tailed Fox?”

Corbin Crowley’s eyes slightly narrowed, the most superior bloodline in ancient tales of The Fox Clan.

Malachi Arcanus was about to make a snide remark when the ground suddenly cracked like spider webs.

As Kian Sterling painfully rolled, all nine tails abruptly broke off.

“Kian Sterling!”

Luna Sutton broke free of Rhys Blackwood’s grip, about to rush over, but was stopped by Mael Valerius at the waist.

“Don’t rush.”

Mael Valerius squinted at the blood-soaked White Fox, “He’s shedding his bones.”

As soon as the words fell, blinding white light burst from the root of Kian Sterling’s severed tails, nine new golden patterned fox tails emerged.

Even another grew, turning nine tails into ten.

Each tail tip burned with golden Fox Fire.

Kian Sterling’s former fox fire was purple-gold, now fully transformed into golden.

Golden is a more noble form of Lifebound Fox Fire compared to purple-gold.

“Ten-Tailed Celestial Fox? Eighth Tier?”

Malachi Arcanus stared at Kian Sterling’s ten tails spiraled with golden Fox Fire, feeling a mix of emotions, surprised yet envious, sourly saying: “You flirtatious fox really got lucky. In the future, the Clan Leader position in Mount Veridia will be yours…”

The Fox Clan of Veridia ranks tails with dignity, representing prowess simultaneously.

Kian Sterling slowly stood from the pool of blood, his ten tails stretching behind him, each golden Fox Fire twisting the air with heat.

He lowered his head, licking the wound on his forepaw, glancing at Malachi Arcanus: “Just admit you’re jealous.”

His voice was still hoarse with pain, yet couldn’t hide his innate allure.

Malachi Arcanus’ secret was hit, his face instantly flushed red: “Bullshit! You think I’d be jealous of you, flirtatious fox?”

Kian Sterling’s ten tails swayed lightly, the golden Fox Fire gradually retracting.

He transformed into human shape, exposing new skin where clothing was torn, even his eye corner tinged with a demonic crimson: “Then why are you blushing?”

Malachi Arcanus was choked by Kian Sterling’s words, his ears turning redder, like a cat with its tail stepped on, angrily claiming: “This is from the sun, isn’t it okay?”

Zeke Veridian snorted beside him: “It’s cloudy now.”

Corbin Crowley’s silver eyes swept over Kian Sterling’s newly-grown ten tails, slightly nodding, “Not bad.”

Kian Sterling leisurely tidied up his broken collar, his fingertips brushing past the enchanting red at the corner of his eyes, and chuckled lightly, “You rarely praise anyone.”

His voice was gentle, yet there was a faint chill in his eyes.

Rhys Blackwood keenly sensed that something was amiss in the atmosphere, furrowing his brows as he looked at Kian Sterling.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that this old fox harbored deep hostility towards Corbin Crowley. Although he hid it well, the subtle tension was hard to overlook.

His mind turned quickly, and he understood the reason behind it.

Corbin Crowley seemed to have sensed something too, his silver eyes narrowing slightly, yet he said nothing more.

Luna Sutton stood aside, watching the undercurrents among these men, silently sighing to herself.

Kian Sterling’s animosity towards Corbin Crowley might not just be due to him being a romantic rival.

Much of it likely stemmed from the incident triggered by Luna’s departure.

Kian Sterling was evidently resentful of Corbin Crowley for it.

This was a matter they had to resolve themselves; she couldn’t intervene, so she said nothing.

Luna Sutton touched her stomach, thinking about breakfast that hadn’t been eaten, and said to them, “Would any of you go hunt some game? I’ll look around for fresh wild vegetables and fruits nearby.”

Rhys Blackwood had been about to go hunting when he encountered Beastmen from the Aethel Serpent Clan.

Immediately after, he was recognized by the Beastman named Jace Blackwood, which led to the events that followed.

As a result, breakfast hadn’t been eaten, and now everyone’s stomachs were empty.

Luna Sutton’s words had barely fallen.

Malachi Arcanus had already transformed into his True Form, the Nether-dark Wolf, leaping into the forest with agile grace, drawing a beautiful arc in the morning light.

His voice rang out boldly on the wind, “Wait, I’ll go hunt mountain sheep on the rock ledges.”

Zeke Veridian, with his emerald eyes sweeping over Malachi Arcanus’s receding figure, scoffed lightly, “Make sure to clean it properly, unlike last time when you brought it back all bloody, with guts spilling all over, disgusting for everyone.”

With that, his fingertips coalesced a Wind Blade as he turned towards the stream, “I’m going to catch fish.”

Luna Sutton turned to fetch a basket she had woven the previous night from the cave, preparing to gather some wild vegetables and fruits nearby, along with some mushrooms.

She hadn’t walked more than two steps.

“Luna, I’ll go with you.”

Corbin Crowley, Rhys Blackwood, Kian Sterling, and Mael Valerius almost simultaneously voiced, their gazes clashing in the air, instantly filling it with explosive tension.

She rubbed her forehead in exasperation, “…I’m going to pick wild vegetables, not to start a fight.”

Kian Sterling gently swayed his Ten-Tails, smiling warmly like jade, “There are venomous snakes in the canyon, my Fox Fire can repel insects.”

Rhys Blackwood expressionless, yet his voice unusually gentle, “Snakes are clearer on which wild fruits are non-toxic.”

Corbin Crowley’s silver eyes narrowed, his third eye faintly visible, “My third eye can see through all illusions, able to protect Luna better.”

Mael Valerius simply curled his Dragon Tail around her, pulling her close, with a challenge in his dark golden eyes, “I can fly.”

Corbin Crowley and Rhys Blackwood simultaneously looked at him, sneering in unison, “As if we can’t fly too.”

Luna Sutton surrounded by the four men, felt her forehead throb.

She freed herself from Mael Valerius’s embrace, “Stop arguing, I’ll go by myself. Those who collect firewood collect firewood, those who boil water boil water, those who scrub pots scrub pots, if you’re really that idle, go carve two stools. Anyway, not one of you is allowed to follow me.”

Without waiting for the men’s reactions, she grabbed her basket and ran.

Corbin Crowley, Rhys Blackwood, Kian Sterling, Mael Valerius four of them exchanged bewildered looks, unsure whether to follow or not.

However, they were worried Luna Sutton might encounter danger, and chose to follow quietly.

Meanwhile, Luna Sutton had already reached deep into the forest.

She reopened the sound system, though a bit noisy, it allowed her to hear a lot of useful information.

Once the sound opened.

Suddenly, countless noisy sounds flooded into her eardrums:

“Oh my goodness! Quick, look! That’s the female! Last night she kicked five males out to sleep outside the cave in the middle of the night.”

A chipmunk clutching a pine cone chattered away.

“Tsk tsk, that Aethel Serpent doesn’t sleep well, stealthily changed legs to tail, slipped under the little female’s Beast Skin Skirt wanting to sneak a kiss at midnight, only to be swatted onto the stone wall by the green-eyed male sleeping next door!”

A gray mouse hiding in the tree hollow chattered gossip.

Luna Sutton stumbled a bit, nearly tripping over a tree root.

“System! What the heck is all this?”

She screamed inside her head.

“Host, it’s the side effect of the Universal Communing skill~”

The system gloated, “Want to turn it off?”

“Wait…”

She suddenly captured a key piece of information.

“I heard the Phoenix Clan Chief’s daughter Celestia Fawkes curses a female named Luna Sutton at home every day. Seems like she also asked the Phoenix Clan’s Great Witch to lay some vicious curse to make her uglier. That curse not only makes one hideously ugly, but also incredibly fat, like a huge sow, and would result in her skin ulcerating and itching all over until she scratches till it bleeds, gouging out her own flesh, so vicious…”

A lark fluttered its wings, chirping and spreading the news.

Luna Sutton’s steps froze instantly, her basket slipping from her hand, her face growing very unpleasant.

Celestia Fawkes?

Isn’t she Mael Valerius’s betrothed from childhood?

“That Lark!”

She urgently called out to the little creature about to fly away, “What’s the name of the Phoenix Clan’s Great Witch? Did she agree?”

“Oh? You can hear me?”

The lark flew back, chirping away, “That Great Witch is named Ignatius Phoenix, he’s pretty fierce, I heard he agreed already, preparing for some ritual, not only has he gathered many venomous insects but also needs the blood of ninety-nine Blazewings, oh, and seems like he prepared an ugly doll, just waiting for the full moon to cast the curse.”

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