Chapter 147 – A Bit Ugly!
Dugu Feng exhaled in relief. The fusion showed no sign of rejection.
For a spirit bone to appear in the first place, the hunted beast and spirit master had to share strong compatibility before death—it was that resonance that birthed a bone.
But once a spirit bone was formed, it became pure energy.
Anyone could absorb it.
He felt the lower half of his spine continuously strengthening.
A sharp pain followed—the familiar sensation of transformation.
A swelling formed at his tailbone, and soon after, a crimson fox tail burst forth from his body.
Dugu Feng immediately focused his spiritual sense on it.
The fiery tail began extending longer and longer, though its growth was slow.
He spun one of his inner pearls, accelerating the devouring process.
Hu Liena's body trembled violently, her complexion pale and drained of all color.
In contrast, the tail behind Dugu Feng grew to a full three meters.
Moments later, every trace of fox-tail energy within Hu Liena had been consumed.
Dugu Feng smiled with satisfaction.
Another external spirit bone added to his collection.
Now he possessed three—Scorpion Claws, Eight Spider Lances, and Fox Tail.
If he used all three together, he thought ruefully, he'd look like some monstrous scorpion hybrid.
"Well, ugly or not—power is what matters," he muttered with a smirk.
With three external spirit bones fused into his body, he could scarcely imagine how far his physical strength had reached.
"Old Scorpion, time to withdraw. Leave Hu Liena here for Bibi Dong—let her continue being the Spirit Hall's weakness."
He had no intention of killing her.
Hu Liena would remain a glaring vulnerability for the Spirit Hall.
After a moment's thought, he willed his internal pearl to shrink, transforming it into a strand of energy that flowed through one of his spider legs and slipped into Hu Liena's body.
Control her—use her. Eventually, the gains from the Spirit Hall would pile higher and higher.
Retracting his external bones, he also drew out every remnant of poison within her.
Without toxins, she would awaken shortly, merely weak and faint.
"Yes, Young Master!"
Old Scorpion didn't fully understand his master's intention—how could leaving Hu Liena behind harm the Spirit Hall?
But he heard the faint amusement in Dugu Feng's tone—that mischievous, almost playful cruelty.
He didn't question further. The mission was complete—it was time to retreat.
Their escape followed the usual plan.
Use Hu Liena as bait.
They left her behind. Once she awoke and her energy signature revived, Chrysanthemum Douluo—still tunneling deeper—would find her immediately.
By then, Dugu Feng and Old Scorpion would already have long fled.
Even if Chrysanthemum Douluo sensed them fleeing, he would prioritize rescuing her first.
Below ground, at their current depth, even Old Scorpion couldn't use his earth-tunneling.
So they would have to dig.
Fortunately, digging was something both excelled at.
All three external spirit bones deployed—scorpion claws, spider legs, and the mace-like fox tail—dug into the soil like blades through soft tofu, carving through the ground at frightening speed.
Old Scorpion expanded into his Martial Soul True Form—a massive crimson scorpion, an expert burrower in his own right.
Together, they carved through the earth. In mere minutes, they had tunneled over ten kilometers, leaving the Three-Eyed Demon Fox's territory far behind.
Then they turned upward.
At a shallower level where earth-escape was possible, Old Scorpion's soul ring flared, taking Dugu Feng in tow—and both vanished into the earth.
Far above, Chrysanthemum Douluo instantly sensed two fleeing auras from deep underground.
"Finally showing yourselves," he hissed coldly.
He was about to give chase—but then, from the fox's territory below, he felt Hu Liena's faint presence.
The timing was perfect—Dugu Feng and Old Scorpion had calculated it to the heartbeat.
Chrysanthemum Douluo faltered, eyes flickering with turmoil.
Should he pursue—or save Hu Liena first?
In the end, he chose her.
Losing her once had been his failure already. Now that he could detect her aura again, he had to rescue her immediately.
Whoever had taken her clearly had a reason—and gods knew what she had endured.
Had she been gravely injured? Violated?
Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression darkened, imagination spinning with ugly possibilities.
Rage burned in his chest. Petals swirled rapidly around him, spinning into whirling drills that bored down, carving a narrow tunnel barely a meter wide.
He hurled himself through, his spirit power burning into the ground like molten steel.
As he descended rapidly, fury overwhelmed him.
"Who could it be?" he growled inwardly. "When did such a person appear on this continent—bold enough to snatch someone from right under my nose?"
Moments later, a burst of spirit power shook the ground as he emerged.
He broke through the surface holding Hu Liena in his arms.
Her pale face turned toward the sky as a beam of white light immediately descended upon her—the healing power of the group's Spirit Saint healer.
Seeing her unconscious form, the healer activated his staff spirit, pouring waves of restorative energy into her body.
"Complete exhaustion and internal damage," he murmured, and continued working.
Hu Liena was carried into a tent and laid gently inside.
Gradually, her eyelids fluttered—she had awakened.
Her scattered memories began to return, and her dull eyes filled once more with awareness.
Like any woman waking after being kidnapped, her first instinct was to check her body.
Finding her clothes intact, she exhaled in relief.
Untouched—thankfully untouched.
Otherwise, she didn't know how she could go on living.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yan, and Xie Yue also released tension they hadn't realized they held.
She appeared unharmed.
But then what had happened during the time she was gone?
"Liena, are you all right?" Yan asked gently.
Hu Liena tested her spirit power—it was still intact, unchanged.
Level fifty-one, five rings—all normal.
"I just… feel weak," she murmured, puzzled.
Aside from her exhaustion, nothing else seemed off—at least until a thought struck her suddenly.
Her expression changed. She reached out with her spirit sense and probed her spine.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Chrysanthemum Douluo must have realized the same thing—he placed a glowing hand on her shoulder, examining carefully.
His face darkened.
"The external spirit bone—it's gone."
Cold light flashed from his eyes.
This was the worst possible outcome.
An external spirit bone—stolen.
Already he could imagine the Pope's wrath awaiting him back in Spirit City.
Hu Liena's gaze went distant, empty.
The pain of loss hit harder than physical injury—a nightmare come true.
Worse, she felt phantom pain at her lower back, as if her spine were being violently torn from within.
Yet even that agony couldn't match the hollow despair in her heart.
She remembered only darkness; she'd blacked out soon after being taken.
And just before losing consciousness, she recalled hearing voices.
There had been more than one man.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10