C45 Flame Tail

The Native-tooth Pig, in its simple-mindedness, couldn't bring itself to a halt. Its massive tusks buried deep into the trunk of a stout tree. Frantically twisting its head, the creature's limited intellect failed to grasp its predicament as it continued to struggle against the unyielding tree.

The Little Flame Firefox watched the hefty beast with a look of scorn. Without awaiting Chen Wu's command, it unleashed a Crack Claw, mercilessly slicing through the Native-tooth Pig's thick layer of fat, leaving a wound that was neither too deep nor too shallow, from which blood trickled down its bristly hide.

The pain drove the Native-tooth Pig into a complete frenzy. It wrenched its tusks free and spun around, charging at the Little Flame Firefox once more with an unstoppable fury. Its colossal weight and the force of its charge whipped up a fierce wind that buffeted the Little Flame Firefox head-on.

Next to the Native-tooth Pig, the Little Flame Firefox, no larger than a small dog, appeared exceedingly delicate.

Yet the Little Flame Firefox was undaunted by its lumbering opponent. Eyes locked on the Native-tooth Pig, it seized the moment and nimbly leaped over the beast as it closed in.

The Native-tooth Pig skidded to a halt, but stopping was as difficult for it as it would be for a large truck on a collision course—nearly impossible.

It took a couple of breaths for the pig to right itself, but the Little Flame Firefox wasn't about to afford it another chance.

"Little Flame Firefox, Crack Claw, aim for its head!" Chen Wu commanded.

With no further thoughts of toying with its adversary, the Little Flame Firefox concentrated, eager to demonstrate its formidable strength. As the Native-tooth Pig turned, it was met with a vicious swipe of the claw. A week's worth of relentless training had honed the Little Flame Firefox's talons to a steel-like sharpness, rivaling the explosive power of a mature Firefox.

The Native-tooth Pig screamed in agony as its head burst open, blood gushing forth in torrents. However, the Little Flame Firefox's strike wasn't powerful enough to penetrate the overly thick skull of the Native-tooth Pig—a testament to the disparity in size and strength between them. Despite the sharpness of its claws, the Little Flame Firefox's diminutive frame lacked the sheer force needed to crack that tough bone.

Nevertheless, the Native-tooth Pig reeled from the blow, staggering in pain with blood-red, frenzied eyes, rampaging and trampling everything in its vicinity.

The Little Flame Firefox continued its probing with remarkable composure. Its repertoire of skills was limited, consisting only of the potent Crack Claw and a set of steel-like teeth, both honed by Chen Wu. Yet, the Little Flame Firefox had no intention of savagely biting its opponent to death. Ultimately, it employed a tactical combination of "Crack Claw + Evasion," gradually wearing down the Native-tooth Pig until it collapsed, drained of blood and gasping for air. With ease, the Little Flame Firefox delivered the coup de grâce!

"Little Flame Firefox, you did an excellent job!" Chen Wu praised.

Brimming with pride, the Little Flame Firefox hopped into Chen Wu's arms, nuzzling him affectionately as if seeking further commendation.

"At this stage, you're still quite young. Until you master stronger skills, your offensive capabilities remain a weakness. However, your petite stature and nimble evasion are your strengths, and you must leverage them. No matter how feeble the foe, maintaining caution is crucial. This prudence could very well save your life someday," Chen Wu advised, stroking the Little Flame Firefox's head with a sense of gravity, imparting battle wisdom.

The Little Flame Firefox let out a soft whine in agreement, playfully tugging at Chen Wu's collar with its tiny paws.

Chen Wu was confident that the Little Flame Firefox's combat prowess was sufficient to take on standard Grade 2 Demonic Beasts. With further refinement of its combat techniques and enhanced mastery over its body's movements, it stood a good chance of unlocking new skills upon advancing to the next level.

Nonetheless, Chen Wu's primary focus was on developing Blood Rain's abilities. As his Major Pet and key to his progress, Blood Rain's growth was paramount. Thus, Chen Wu intended to venture deeper into the Phoenix Nest Mountain Range. Divided into the outer, inner, and core areas, Chen Wu had only explored the deepest part of the outer area, skirting the edge of the inner region.

The Demonic Beasts encountered here were predominantly between Grade 2 and Grade 4, with Grade 4 representing the apex of strength, albeit rarely encountered. The common encounters were Grade 2 and Grade 3 Demonic Beasts.

The rationale behind this strategy was to train the Little Flame Firefox without overreaching and risking mishaps. In the outer area, Blood Rain was nearly unbeatable. With Blood Rain's vigilant presence in the skies, the Little Flame Firefox's training proceeded smoothly, minimizing any potential threats to its safety.

Chen Wu resolved to further his training and aimed to advance the Little Flame Firefox to Bronze Grade 2 within the next couple of days. He planned to take Blood Rain deeper into the territory where Grade 4 was the norm, and encounters with Grade 7 or even Grade 8 Demonic Beasts were possible. Such challenges would truly test and enhance Blood Rain's training.

A beast's wild nature must be preserved, yet its strength should never plateau. The optimal strategy is to keep them on the brink of life and death, fostering a combat spirit that is both fierce and nimble. Much like a wild wolf, regardless of how well you feed it, it will lash out with a bite the instant it senses hostility.

However, Chen Wu couldn't shake a nagging sense of unease, as if danger lurked at every turn. Despite using his Earth Listening Art to meticulously scan the surroundings, he detected no anomalies.

Far from letting his guard down, Chen Wu's apprehension only grew. He had an inkling as to the source of his unease, yet he refused to act like a skittish bird at the twang of a bowstring. He knew that the best performance required playing out the entire act.

Luckily, just as Chen Wu anticipated, after enduring a series of over a dozen "life-and-death battles" he had carefully orchestrated, the Little Flame Firefox broke through to Bronze Grade 2, its spirit and stamina soaring.

It had also mastered a new skill:

[Creature]: Little Flame Firefox

[Attributes]: Beast, Fire (Innate Evil-fire)

[Type]: Evolvable

[Skills]: Bite, Crack Claw, Flame Tail

[Potential]: Silver Level

[Bloodline]: Nine-tailed Fox (Dilute)

[Level]: Bronze Grade 2

[Status]: Healthy

Flame Tail: Ignites the tail with blazing flames, unleashing triple the force, inflicting damage and a scalding effect on the enemy. (The scalding effect stems from the Innate Evil-fire, a mutation that makes the Little Flame Firefox's flames hotter than ordinary fire, causing continuous pain after burning an enemy.)

Impressive indeed. This explosive Fire-type attack skill is a testament to Chen Wu's meticulous training of the Little Flame Firefox's agility and power. The skill complements the Little Flame Firefox's dynamic and versatile combat style perfectly.

The Little Flame Firefox's unique trait is its Innate Evil-fire. It not only boasts a superior lineage but also displays a slight mutation in its Fire-type abilities. Clearly, this mutation is evolving towards greater strength, which is promising. However, it's uncertain if it will undergo any further powerful changes in the future.

Having realized that further training on the outskirts offered little value to the Little Flame Firefox, Chen Wu resolutely ventured deeper into Phoenix Nest Mountain.

Shortly after Chen Wu's departure, a small black shadow materialized on the rock he had passed. It was a bat-like creature, watching Chen Wu's retreating figure with cold eyes before vanishing once more.

Though Chen Wu's steps appeared light and sprightly, his gaze was as icy as a frigid lake in the heavens above.

He had long suspected that the Hu Family bore a deep-seated hatred towards him. With Hu Liang's return, the Hu Family now had a backbone and would surely seize the opportunity to target him.

Even though the identity token from the Primary Academy couldn't be counterfeited, the Hu Family might not even care about the spot. They were likely plotting to silently erase him from existence during this precious time before his departure from Green-mount Town.