Chapter 611: Acquaintances and Amber Toxin

The surface of the 【Ten Thousand Forms Crucible】 suddenly hardened into a thin, dark red crystalline shell, resembling a crystal ball encasing molten lava.

Crack!

The dark red shell vanished in an instant, shattering with a brittle snap as a scorpion tail adorned with molten-gold patterns burst forth.

Heat waves surged.

A humanoid upper torso, forged into a boiling orange-red by the crucible, squeezed out, arching its back like a cat and stretching with exaggerated languor.

Though the humanoid form resembled a glowing iron brand, its face and skin were indistinguishable.

Yet in that single stretch, her upright chest and slender waist carried an unmistakable, lazy sensuality.

Hss—

A cool breeze blew.

The glowing humanoid form rapidly cooled, revealing its true face.

Purple-black short hair covering her eyes, a beauty mark beside her lips, an exoskeletal bustier across her chest, and a sharply raised scorpion tail.

Snow-white, glistening feet emerged.

She did not land.

With a light leap, she kicked apart the 【Ten Thousand Forms Crucible】, her adorable toes tickling Luo De's palm as she stood atop it, weightless.

Scorpion Woman Hera.

Her sensual lips curved, the beauty mark beside her mouth granting her an irresistible allure even without any seduction magic.

The pressure of a ninth-rank aura crashed down, turning every face in the vicinity pale.

Piercing Mage Vincent narrowed his eyes: one Luo De was already hard enough to handle—now another newly ascended ninth-rank?

Huh?

No—

But her spiritual affinity and bloodline showed a far greater harmony than any newly ascended ninth-rank should possess. What's going on?

Cardinal Davide's expression remained unchanged.

He shook his head bitterly, as if pained by the prospect of having to kill one more person.

Luo De was different.

He raised an eyebrow, silently admiring the snow-white, elongated legs before him.

He even secretly dug his fingers into Hera's toes—soft, smooth.

Only when Hera grinned down at him did he stop.

"Naughty, little Luo De."

Luo De acted as if nothing had happened.

Even when he was weaker, he dared stare boldly at Hera's thighs and chest—now, of course, he was even bolder.

"Lady Hera, long time no see. How are you feeling?"

"Thanks to this crucible—better than ever! Wait… are you holding back your spiritual energy to avoid ascending?"

"Yes. A certain overprotective elf lady suggested I stabilize my spiritual arts, balance my spirit and body—and now she checks on me daily under the guise of physical examinations."

Luo De smiled.

Just then—

An unnatural shadow appeared behind him; Tally leapt out with the half-elf Lily and the Hunterwind Guildmaster Eve.

The Tooth Fairy Rosalia also arrived late, gliding down gracefully with moonlight beneath her feet.

"Master~~"

"Luo De! Are you alright?!"

"Rosalia, you're safe. Eve Guildmaster."

Tally had been about to rush forward and hug him, but seeing the tall, dazzling scorpion woman standing on his palm, she hesitated.

Lily, grinning without thinking, gave Luo De a thumbs-up with a mischievous smirk.

The exact same expression one gives a buddy who's nailed a hot date.

But then jealousy surged, making her expression freeze—she was painfully slow to catch on.

Scorpion Woman Hera chuckled lightly.

She tapped her toe, leapt onto Luo De's head, and spun twice like a dancer, descending with her tail coiled.

Two warm, snow-white thighs settled perfectly across his shoulders as she affectionately patted his head.

Then she arched her spine, hanging upside down to bring her face close to his.

Luo De blinked: "Lady Hera?"

Hera's lips curled; her hair stood on end, revealing black exoskeletal eye shields covering her eyes.

"Your strength has stabilized enough during this time. Let me help you break through."

Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling on each other's skin, thick with intoxicating fragrance.

She didn't wait for Luo De's reply.

Purple lip gloss spread from her corner, instantly covering his lips.

Hera's kiss was dominant—she pried open his teeth and effortlessly drew the reluctant man into her mouth.

She lightly pierced his tongue.

"Ah!"

Tally, far away, let out a sour, shrill cry.

But Luo De's eyes lit up.

【Detected trace amounts of 'Amber Toxin'!】

【This substance will stimulate spiritual activity, greatly enhancing spiritual-body compatibility!】

【Use 'Fungal Warrior Physiology' to resist?】

Obviously not.

There was no way he'd resist.

Luo De wouldn't wait any longer.

He released all the accumulated spiritual energy he had been holding back.

BOOM!

Pressure slammed down, crushing Luo De into a small crater in the ground.

The spiritual pressure surged higher and higher.

Hera, smirking playfully, broke the liplock, snapped the spiritual thread, and leapt clear of the spiritual pressure's range.

She greedily licked her damp lips, her snow-white skin glowing with seductive charm: "Little guy's quite tasty."

"That's mine!"

Tally shouted in protest.

Unlike other girls, she sensed a clear threat from the scorpion woman before her.

Because some scorpion species are exceptionally dominant in reproduction.

They inject venom during mating, paralyzing their partner into a living food store, draining them until pregnancy.

Compared to a succubus's appetite, this dominant reproductive drive is equally deadly.

Their territories of activity barely overlapped.

"Don't get worked up, little succubus."

Hera remained airborne, her scorpion tail propping her up, legs crossed in midair.

She smiled with a teasing lilt: "I have more important things to do—I'm not planning to get pregnant just yet. I'll let you have him for now."

Tally, puffed up with anger, opened her mouth to retort.

"Tally! Look ahead!"

Half-elf Lily suddenly cried out.

Clearly—

Piercing Mage Vincent and Cardinal Davide had no intention of letting Luo De ascend unchallenged.

Brilliant blue lightning and gray-white vertebral spikes erupted simultaneously.

Scorpion Woman Hera vanished from her spot in that same instant.

A purple-black shadow moved faster—the lightning was instantly knocked aside, and her tail whipped around, snapping the bone spikes as they burst from the ground.

"I'll handle the old man. You take care of the mage."

Hera danced midair, her skin glowing even whiter beneath her purple-black exoskeletal bustier and shorts.

Cardinal Davide's face changed: "Scorpion folk? Hera? You're the scorpion woman guarding the Windwall Forest?"

"Correct."

"You were defeated and demoted back then—how dare you ascend again?"

Hera's expression turned icy: "Precisely to seek revenge."

Her purple-black form vanished, hurtling forward at blinding speed.

On the other side—

Hunterwind Guildmaster Eve drew her longsword, face grim, ready for battle.

Half-elf Lily held a staff in one hand and a short blade in the other, eyes bright with excitement.

Tally had already slipped into shadow and vanished.

The fairy Yaxian, Rosalia, reentered the state enveloped in lunar radiance; white insect exoskeletons coiled around her arms and neck, and one of her eyes turned black.

She regarded the piercing mage Vincent from afar with cold, resentful eyes.

The four of them formed an encircling formation, slowly closing in.

Unlike their tension,

Luo De, in the midst of his advancement, heard a familiar voice calling beside his ear.

(End of Chapter)