Chapitre 60: Flame Spirit Arts

While Xuefeng absorbed the lightning from the wolves' attacks, Wuying strolled over to the fallen Fire-Born Lizard. The beast's lifeless bulk loomed before her, its thick tail still twitching reflexively. Hovering above the smoldering skull was a faint glow—a newly formed Spirit Artifact. She snatched it up, heart thumping with the thrill of unexpected fortune.

This particular Artifact turned out to be a Rank 4 Aura-type crystal. By pouring Spirit Qi into it, Wuying could create a sphere of flames around her, turning close-quarters combat into a fiery nightmare for any opponent. Examining its crimson gleam, she allowed herself a little smile. I could give this to Xuefeng, she thought. The notion warmed her more than the flames themselves.

She tucked the new prize into her dantian, then turned her attention to the massive lizard carcass. The Fire-Born Lizard's hide, claws, and flesh could fetch a hefty sum back in the city. She considered salvaging it, but her flimsy Spirit Bracelet simply didn't have enough capacity to store such a massive corpse.

Just then, a glint of red caught her eye—something tossed in her direction. She looked up to see Xiao Wen standing a few dozen paces away, arm outstretched from the throw.

"Here. A little something for your, ah… performance," Xiao Wen called, her tone light. The ring tumbled end over end in the air. Wuying snatched it, studying the polished crimson band. She knew at once it wasn't a natural Spirit Artifact but a manufactured one—far easier to claim ownership of, so long as no old imprint remained.

"Thank you," Wuying said softly, sliding it onto her middle finger. It instantly shrank to fit snugly. A quick probe confirmed the ring's storage capacity: hundreds of cubic meters of empty space. This is… extremely generous. She glanced at Xiao Wen, unsure whether to refuse, but took the gift for what it was—perhaps a silent apology for the friction between them.

In a smooth motion, Wuying enveloped the lizard's corpse in a swirl of Qi and guided it into the ring. The carcass vanished with a soft ripple, leaving only a patch of churned soil and spatters of drying blood. I can't even imagine what kind of space Xiao Wen's ring has if she can hand out a ring of this size so casually, she thought wryly.

"Get ready," Xiao Wen warned. She stared into the distant undergrowth, her senses keyed on a new tremor in the earth. Sure enough, something large was approaching.

Meanwhile, Ling's voice stirred in Xuefeng's head. They're nearly drained of Lightning Qi. Time to finish them off, gather the cores.

The Thunder Wolves had grown uneasy. Their alpha sensed something was wrong—none of their combined attacks had so much as rattled the human in front of them. Their bolts should have reduced him to twitching ash by now, yet he remained very much alive, even invigorated. The alpha's rough, scarred snout wrinkled in frustration.

Kill the smaller ones first, Ling suggested, her tone crisp and sure.

A determined gleam lit Xuefeng's eyes. He conjured his Black Flames Slayer, and a wave of dark fire ignited along the blade's edge. Beneath his breath, he activated one of his newer Aura-type Artifacts, boosting his speed and fortitude. Before the closest wolf even registered the shift, Xuefeng's sword whipped out, sending a lupine head spinning through the air in a spray of gore.

The pack recoiled in alarm, but Xuefeng capitalized on their disarray. Pushing a surge of Qi into his movement skill, he blurred forward. Another wolf fell with a savage thrust to the chest, its dying yelp echoing through the clearing.

Caught off guard, the remaining two lesser wolves sprang to attack—but they'd already spent most of their lightning reserves. Their claws and fangs were lethal, but no match for Xuefeng's boosted agility. In the span of a heartbeat, both collapsed in bloodstained heaps.

All that remained was the alpha. It staggered back a few paces, ears flat against its skull, eyes rolling in primal fear and fury. Once, it had been certain of an easy kill. Now it stood alone, cornered by a young man who seemed to devour lightning and laugh in the face of death.

Xuefeng's smirk flickered. "Just you and me now. Ready to play?"

A guttural snarl tore from the alpha's throat. Acting on pure instinct, it charged, lightning crackling around its fur in a final desperate gambit. A glowing armor of static flickered into being—Lightning Armor, an inborn ability it had honed through countless battles.

Xuefeng felt the prickling hum of energy against his skin and poured more Spirit Qi into the hilt of the Black Flames Slayer. The sword answered, its darkness churning into a hungry blaze that spread across the entire blade. It was the perfect time to test one of the Flame Spirit Arts that Ling had previously unlocked.

Although he technically needed Fire Qi for the move, Black Flames Slayer solved the problem by transforming ordinary Spirit Qi into fierce, swirling flames. The more battles he fought, the more cooperative and refined those flames became, as though the sword itself were guiding him.

A ragged snarl broke his concentration. The alpha wolf crouched about five meters away, rank fur bristling with sparks. Crackling arcs of lightning skittered across its body, forming a static barrier that spat electric currents in all directions. Xuefeng dashed forward, each footstep scorching the ground, as the once-chaotic flames along his sword lengthened and stabilized—extending the blade's reach by at least twice its usual length.

The wolf leader sprang, claws slashing the air, jaws spread in a vicious attempt to rip Xuefeng apart. But Xuefeng was faster. Gripping the handle with both hands, he swung with his full strength. The blade's black fire roared to life, and the impact smashed into the beast's side.

"Cool…" Xuefeng breathed in awe, watching as the beast's body sailed through the air, the entire left side scorched to bone. It slammed into the ground with a dull thud, legs twitching once before going still.

The lightning fizzled out around its charred pelt. Xuefeng lowered his sword, exhaling in relief. His heart still pounded against his ribs, and the blow had devoured half his Spirit Qi in one glorious flash of violence—but it had been worth it.

Good work, Ling noted, her tone carrying a faint note of satisfaction. Now collect their lightning cores.

Nodding, Xuefeng stooped to the fallen wolves. One by one, he located the cores—small, pulsing orbs still crackling with faint energy—and slipped them into his storage ring. Each core could be sold or used later for forging specialized gear. Then, he moved on to the alpha. Its side was blackened and caved in, its ribs visible through charred flesh. A floating artifact shimmered above its head, shaped like a crystalline orb. Xuefeng reached out to claim it, finding it to be a minor Lightning Barrier crystal. Not bad, he mused, though he already had something more powerful from Ling's teachings.

Tucking the orb away, Xuefeng straightened. "That's two fights under my belt," he muttered, remembering how uncertain he'd felt with that first kill. There was a grim satisfaction in how quickly he was adapting, even if part of him still flinched at the bloodshed. This is survival, he told himself. No room for hesitation.

He turned to check on Wuying's progress—only to freeze, eyes widening in shock at the sight before him.