Zara's eyes widened in shock as she gazed into Abigail's eyes, which glowed like embers from the underworld. Abi's skin and fur seemed to radiate powerful, fiery flames that danced across her body. The air around her crackled with energy, and her very presence seemed to command the respect of the elements.
Zara's voice was laced with venom as she spat out her commands. "It's just a fox, but anyone who has betrayed me must die! Listen Zhian, kill Velverosa, kill Lucky, break their spiritual core, and burn their body!" Her words sent a chill down Zhian's spine, and he couldn't help but think, "Isn't that too much?" But he had no choice but to follow her orders, bound by his loyalty and duty.
As Zhian approached Abi, she sprang into action. With a graceful leap, she flew up into the air, her nine tails fluttering behind her like a fiery cloak. With a swift motion, she flapped her tails, unleashing a piercing energy that shot towards the soldiers on the cliff. The energy struck the rocks with a deafening crash, sending the soldiers flying backward. The force was so intense that it shattered their bodies, leaving them lifeless on the ground.
The sound of the impact echoed through the valley, a grim reminder of the fury that Abi now embodied. Her transformation into a nine-tailed fox had unlocked a power that was both mesmerizing and terrifying to behold. Zara's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the implications of abi new strength, as Abi landed gracefully on the ground, her eyes still blazing with an inner fire.
Abi's body rolled gracefully, her nine tails swishing behind her like a fiery whip. One of her tails lashed out, slapping Zara with incredible force, sending her crashing into a nearby rock. Zara's eyes widened in shock, fear etched on her face as she stumbled backward, her hands scrambling for support. She slipped and fell, her body crumpling to the ground.
Zhian rushed to intervene, but Abi's powers proved too strong. With a mere flick of her wrist, she sent him flying across, his body colliding with a massive rock. The impact was brutal, and Zhian spat out blood as he fell to the floor, his body limp and still.
Abi's gaze fixed on Zara, her eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity. She moved closer, her steps slow and deliberate, her long tail slithering behind her like a snake. Zara cowered in fear, her eyes darting wildly as she scrambled backward, desperate to escape Abi's wrath.
"If...if you lay your fingers on me, you'll lose your body and spirit," Zara stammered, her voice trembling with terror. But Abi didn't flinch, her expression unyielding and cold. She continued her relentless advance, her eyes fixed on Zara with a zombie-like stare, her tail swishing ominously behind her.
The air was heavy with tension as Abi closed in on Zara, her powers crackling with energy. Zara's eyes were wide with fear, her body paralyzed with terror, as Abi's tail seemed to hypnotize her, drawing her in with an eerie, serpentine grace.
Abi's hand reached out, her fingers mere inches from Zara's neck, when a sudden, intense dark energy burst forth, intervening between them. The force was so powerful that it sent Zara flying across the room, her body crashing into a rock with a sickening thud. She lost consciousness instantly, her body crumpling to the ground.
Abi, meanwhile, stumbled backward, her feet scraping against the ground as she struggled to maintain her balance. The dark energy enveloped her, its power suffocating, leaving her no room to breathe or react. It struck her forehead with unrelenting force, sending her crashing to the floor. Her tail, once a fiery, nine-tailed whip, vanished into thin air.
As Abi lay there, she spat out blood, her body trembling from the sheer force of the attack. She tried to lift her head, to gaze upon the face of her attacker, but her vision blurred, refusing to focus, but she knew who her attacker was, his footsteps echoing through the silence like a death knell.
The air was heavy with the weight of the dark energy, its malevolent presence suffocating. Abi's body felt weak, her strength sapped by the sheer power of the attack.
"As a spiritual guide, you are not a pure one, and as a fox, you're not a real fox," Master Zuka remarked, striding closer to Abigail, who struggled to catch her breath.
"Intriguing. What are you truly?" he inquired, peering deeply into her eyes, yet she remained unable to respond.
With a touch of his finger to her forehead, a surge of dark energy coursed through Abigail, causing her to tremble violently before losing consciousness moments later.
Zhian hurried to Master Zuka's side, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
"I apologize for interrupting your cultivation, Master," Zhian said, bowing his head respectfully.
"Do not disclose tonight's events to anyone, including Malbonte."
"Of course, sir... But what about Velverosa?" Zhian inquired, casting a concerned glance toward Abigail.
"She's interesting. We need to keep her. Take her to the seventh level jail. She will be a secret no one knows about," Master Zuka commanded, causing Zhian's eyes to widen in shock.
"The seventh level jail? Even immortal masters wish for death if they're locked in there," Zhian thought, feeling a wave of disgust as he looked at Zuka.
"Is there a problem?" Zuka asked, noticing Zhian's disdainful stare.
"No, sir," Zhian replied quickly.
"Zara," Zuka whispered as he rushed over to where Zara lay unconscious.
Sighing in relief, he picked her up. "She's fine. She just fell unconscious. I'll take her home for treatment. Stay behind and clear up the mess. Prepare yourselves; we're attacking Blue Moon tomorrow. We haven't gotten the key. It's not with Leander, Ziyad, or Lucky, so who has it?" He asked rhetorically.
"Tomorrow will be a bloody war. If they don't provide that key, I'll bring down the whole realm. Even Leander isn't safe. Inform him to prepare his funeral beforehand and tell him their little hero is dead," he commanded.
"Yes, sir. I'll do that," Zhian replied, and with a blink of an eye, Zuka disappeared.