Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

The temperature in the clearing raised several degrees as Húwáng stepped into view, his nine tails flowing behind him.

Blue flames wreathed his hands, and his eyes carried a cold fury.

"Xùyán," the Fox King said with deceptive calm, "step away from Lord Ambrose immediately."

"Your Majesty," Xùyán replied with a mocking bow that never took his attention off Grim. "How good of you to join us. I was just dealing with the human problem you've been too weak to address."

The insult to royal authority sent ripples of shock through the forest itself. Even corrupted by dark mana, openly defying the Fox King was tantamount to declaring war on the entire realm.

"Last warning," Húwáng said, blue flames intensifying around his hands. "Stand down."

"Or what?" Xùyán laughed, dark energy crackling around his body. "You'll fight me? The old king against the new power?"

"If necessary," Húwáng replied with deadly calm.

More figures emerged from the forest as palace guards and elders responded to the magical disturbance. Princess Ruxi arrived first, her face showing horror at Grim's condition, followed by the nine-tailed elders whose expressions ranged from concern to barely contained fury.

But it was the final arrival that changed everything. Húxiān materialized in the center of the clearing like a star descending to earth.

The corrupted energy around Xùyán actually recoiled from her proximity, his dark flames flickering uncertainly.

"This has gone far enough," the fox deity said, her voice carrying absolute authority that made the earth itself tremble. "Xùyán, you will release the corrupted power immediately and submit to judgment."

"No," Xùyán replied desperately. Defiance im his voice showing he had nothing left to lose. The dark mana around him flared brighter in response to the divine challenge.

"I won't go back to being weak. I won't accept human contamination of our sacred realm."

"Then you have chosen your path," Húxiān said with genuine sadness, her divine nature allowing her to see the tragedy of what Xùyán had become. "And sealed your fate."

Húwáng stepped forward with deliberate care, pulling on gauntlets that gleamed with an otherworldly sheen.

The cestus were clearly ancient artifacts, their scale-like patterns seeming to move in the flickering light.

Each gauntlet covered his hands and forearms completely, inscribed with runes that pulsed with hungry energy that seemed to devour nearby mana in the air.

"Xùyán of the Eastern Wind clan," the Fox King said with formal authority, "by your actions you have forfeited your place in this realm and threatened the safety of our people. I challenge you to single combat under the ancient laws."

"Gladly, old king," Xùyán replied, dark flames erupting around his transformed body like a living inferno. "Let's see if your royal blood can match the power of evolution itself."

The two fox spirits collided with earth-shaking force. Húwáng's blue flames met Xùyán's dark fire in a spectacular display that lit up the entire forest. The Fox King's enhanced strength, augmented by the mana-draining cestus, allowed him to match Xùyán's corrupted power.

Each blow from Húwáng's gauntlets drained mana from his opponent while adding it to his own reserves.

The runes on the cestus glowed brighter with each successful hit, creating a feedback loop that slowly but steadily turned the tide of battle.

While the two fox spirits fought, Húxiān approached Grim's while he was collapsed on the ground on one knee.

The deity's presence immediately began to stabilize his injuries, though the corruption-tainted wounds resisted her healing efforts.

"You're hurt badly," she observed with clinical detachment. "The corruption is spreading through your system."

"I'll survive," Grim replied through gritted teeth, trying to push himself back to his feet.

"Perhaps," Húxiān agreed, "but not if this continues much longer. The dark mana is resonating with the corruption in your fourth heart. Much more exposure and it will overwhelm your containment entirely."

"Then what do you suggest?" Grim asked, watching as Húwáng and Xùyán exchanged devastating blows that shook the ground beneath them.

"I was planning to wait until after your wedding," Húxiān said, producing an orange scrollfrom her dress. "But circumstances have changed. I'm offering you the contract now."

Grim's eyes widened at the implications. "What kind of contract?"

"You don't have time for a full explanation," Húxiān replied urgently as a particularly violent explosion from the ongoing battle sent shockwaves through the clearing. "Húwáng is strong, but Xùyán's corruption is still growing. I feel like the king will grow bored. If you want everyone to see that you'll be the guardian you said you would be. Now is the time."

Another blast of dark energy sent the Fox King sliding backward, blue flames flickering as his strength began to wane. The cestus were draining Xùyán's power, but not fast enough to prevent the corruption from adapting and evolving.

"The contract will give you power that can match what he's become," Húxiān continued. "But it requires your blood and your commitment. There's no time to read the terms."

"What are the risks?" Grim asked, though he was already reaching for the scroll.

"Unknown," Húxiān admitted with refreshing honesty. "This contract is unique, designed specifically for your unusual cultivation system. It could grant you incredible power, or it could kill you instantly."

A roar of pain from Húwáng decided the matter. The Fox King was losing ground rapidly, his blue flames growing dimmer as Xùyán's corruption continued to expand and strengthen.

"Time to prove yourself," Húxiān said, offering Grim a knife that gleamed with divine light. "Do you accept the contract?"

Without hesitation, Grim drew the blade across his palm and pressed his bleeding hand to the orange scroll. The moment his blood made contact, the contract blazed with impossible light that seemed to burn through reality itself.

Power flooded through Grim's body, different from anything he had experienced before. It wasn't just mana or spiritual energy, but something that felt thick coursing through his body. Check My Virtual Library Empire (MV1LEMP1YR) for the latest updates.

The scroll dissolved into particles of light that flowed into his body through the blood contact, rewriting his spiritual pathways at the most fundamental level.

New channels opened throughout his cultivation system while existing ones expanded to accommodate the amount of mana he could channel at once.

"What did you give me?" Grim asked as the transformation completed itself.

"A contract with the fox spirit realm itself," Húxiān replied with satisfaction. "You are now bound to this land and its people in ways that transcend mere political alliance."

Before Grim could ask for clarification, another explosion from the ongoing battle demanded his attention. Húwáng was on his knees, blue flames almost completely extinguished, while Xùyán loomed over him with dark energy crackling around his claws.

"Your Majesty grows tired," Xùyán taunted. "Perhaps it's time for a younger, stronger leader."

"Perhaps," Húwáng agreed with obvious effort, "but not you."

Húwáng got up and shook out off the dark mana. The Fox King caught Grim's eye and nodded slightly. "I grow bored with this game. Your turn."

"Gladly," Grim replied, feeling the new power coursing through his veins.

As he stepped forward to engage Xùyán, something unprecedented happened.

The contract's power manifested in a way that defied all expectations, creating possibilities that no elders, royalty, or Húxiān expected.