Trial Character: Tingyun LV.90/90 (5-Star)]
Stella stared at the line of text on the screen, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Tingyun?
Five-star?
She blinked once, then twice.
The character cover on the screen was blindingly clear—a Foxian lady stood gracefully, dressed so magnificently she looked ready for a grand banquet, holding a folding fan with a smile playing on her lips.
The most ridiculous part was behind her—
One Tail.
Two Tails.
Three Tails...
Nine Tails.
Fluffy and voluminous, they swayed gently in the air like nine blooming clouds.
Stella's brain stalled for three seconds.
Doesn't Tingyun have only one Tail?
Just one!
Exactly one!
She had seen it with her own eyes! That "Tingyun" who blushed when Stelle called her a "vixen" only had one Tail!
Why does this Tingyun have nine?!
What does nine Tails even mean?
It's nine times the fluffiness! Nine times the Tails to wag! Nine times the—
"What are you dazing off for?"
[Qingque]'s voice pulled her back to reality.
Stella snapped out of it and found [Qingque] craning her neck to peek at her system panel.
She instinctively tilted her body to block the system panel.
[Qingque] curled her lip. "I can't even see the system panel, why are you blocking it?"
Stella ignored her and continued to stare at the nine-tailed Tingyun's avatar.
Also... five-star?
Why is she a five-star?
She had seen the Tingyun played by Phantylia—that fake Tingyun's every move and word perfectly mirrored the real Tingyun.
After all, even Yukong of the Sky-Faring Commission hadn't noticed anything wrong.
And the real Tingyun...
...wasn't good at fighting.
That was a fact.
How could an Amicassador who wasn't good at fighting be a five-star?
Could it be because she has more Tails?
No way, more Tails don't equal combat power—
Wait.
Stella suddenly thought of a possibility.
Could it be...
The real Tingyun has actually been hiding her strength all along?
She's actually super strong, but just didn't want anyone to know?
The eight extra Tails are the proof?
As her mind wandered, what Lan had just said flashed through her head—
"Phantylia is a Suiyang, and an Emissary of Destruction herself."
Suiyang.
What is a Suiyang?
It's a kind of being that can possess and parasitize others—
Stella's train of thought suddenly hit a snag.
She looked down at the nine-tailed Tingyun on the screen.
Then she looked up and thought about the fake Tingyun from earlier.
Looked down again.
Looked up again.
"...No way, right?"
She muttered to herself.
"Whatever, I'm overthinking it!"
She shook her head violently, tossing those messy conjectures out of her mind.
"I'll just summon her and ask her directly!"
Trial characters don't take up summon slots—that was a good thing, she didn't have to send [Phainon] and the others back.
She took a deep breath and raised her hand—
Light flickered.
A figure gradually solidified within the light.
A slender figure, magnificent robes, and a gently swaying folding fan—
And those nine fluffy, furry Tails behind her that one couldn't look away from.
"This humble one is Tingyun."
Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of a captivating lilt at the end.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Benefactor."
[Tingyun] bowed slightly, her round fan covering half her face, revealing only a pair of smiling eyes.
Those eyes curved into two crescents, filled with tenderness, charm, and something indefinable.
Stella was stunned.
Ben... Benefactor?
She called me Benefactor?
With that voice? That tone? Those eyes?
Her face flushed crimson instantly.
It turned scalding hot.
It was as red as if it had been scorched by fire.
She instinctively covered her face, leaving only two eyes to peek out through the gaps in her fingers.
Being called "Benefactor" in such a captivating tone by such a beautiful Foxian big sister—
This feeling!
This feeling!!
This feeling!!!
"Alright, alright, [Tingyun]."
A voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of a lazy smile.
"If you keep going, believe it or not, our host will collapse on the spot?"
Stella was startled.
Who's speaking?
She looked around.
No one.
In the Seat of Divine Foresight, there was only her, [Qingque], and the newly summoned [Tingyun].
[Qingque] was burying her head in a pile of documents, playing dead.
Then the voice just now was—
Her gaze fell back onto [Tingyun].
Then she noticed something was wrong.
Among the nine Tails behind [Tingyun]—
One of them was green.
It wasn't the brown of an ordinary Foxian Tail.
It was green.
Emerald green.
And on that Tail, something seemed to be burning—
Green flames.
Eerie and quiet, like phosphorus fire, yet also like some strange life form pulsing gently.
Stella pointed at the Tail, her voice trembling:
"This is..."
[Tingyun] looked down at her Tail and smiled slightly.
"She is my friend."
She paused.
"Called—"
"[Phantylia]."
A voice took over.
"That is my name."
Stella shuddered all over.
That voice didn't come from [Tingyun]'s mouth.
It came from—
Behind her.
She turned around stiffly.
A woman was standing less than three steps away behind her.
Looking at her with a beaming smile.
The woman wore exaggerated robes and held a round fan.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
The aura radiating from her made Stella's back go cold, her scalp tingle, and her calves tremble.
Lord Ravager...
Emissary of Destruction...
Suiyang...
I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die—
"Sister [Phantylia]."
[Tingyun]'s helpless voice came from behind.
"Stop scaring her."
[Phantylia]—that dangerous woman—tilted her head, the smile on her face not changing one bit.
But that sense of pressure suddenly eased slightly.
It was like a wild beast retracting its fangs, revealing only its furry paws for the time being.
"Hmm?"
She blinked.
"Was I being scary?"
Yes!
Very much so!
Stella screamed frantically in her heart.
"That look in your eyes just now made it seem like you were going to eat me!"
"Alright, alright."
[Phantylia] shook her head with a smile.
"I just wanted to tease our little host sister."
She paused, her round fan swaying gently.
"After all—"
She looked at Stella, a glimmer of amusement flashing in her eyes.
"We'll be spending a lot of time together from now on."
Stella: "..."
Stella's brain had completely crashed.
She turned her head stiffly and looked at [Tingyun].
[Tingyun] was looking at her with a smile, her Tails swaying gently.