Chapter 497: Nine Tails and Madara's New Form
"Kuwahahaha! It's astonishing! Contestant Uchiha Madara has discarded the Skybound Crystal!" Morgans exclaimed.
"This priceless treasure can turn someone into a Mythical Beast Jinchūriki!"
"He abandoned it! Is this the boldness of a true warrior?"
Courage? Or is he just foolishly wealthy?
At that moment, viewers worldwide watching the live broadcast were stunned, some pounding their chests in frustration.
If he didn't want it, he could have given it to them!
Throwing it on the ground was such a waste!
Truly, they couldn't fathom the ways of the strong.
While many lamented inwardly, the scene shifted.
In the Bright Lake Forest, after Madara and the Nine Tails Fire Fox signed the Summoning Contract, the ground trembled.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The earth shook, and the ground beneath Nine Tails turned red.
Before Nine Tails could react, scorching magma erupted violently.
From a distance, a volcano, 100 meters in diameter, rose from the ground under Nine Tails.
As it gained some height, the volcano erupted.
Twenty-eight magma pillars shot skyward, illuminating the surroundings.
The environment glowed red, with thick smoke billowing.
This sudden change made Morgans, who was focused on the scene, widen his eyes.
He began shouting passionately, "Kuwahahaha! Look, something has happened where contestant Uchiha Madara stands!"
"The sky-high magma has engulfed both him and the Nine Tails Fire Fox!"
"Who could it be?"
As the camera panned and switched views, a figure emerged from the rubble.
He bent down and picked up the Skybound Crystal, flung aside by the magma's impact.
With a volcanic head and brown skin, it was unmistakably the demon apostle Zhurong.
He raised the crystal in his hand.
The surrounding firelight refracted through it, making it gleam.
So, this crystal could seal a Mythical Beast?
Could it also seal a demon?
While examining the Skybound Crystal, Zhurong grasped its usage and some of its principles.
This question crossed his mind.
Demons shared similarities with Mythical Beasts to some extent.
This made Zhurong slightly uneasy.
Had the Yamata Sect developed similar items for demons?
After a moment of concern, he refocused and tucked the Skybound Crystal into his coat.
For now, the two figures before him were the priority.
"Kuwahahaha! Dear viewers, who would have thought? The demon apostle Zhurong has arrived at the Bright Lake Forest!" Morgans announced.
"He launched a sneak attack on Uchiha Madara and the Nine Tails Fire Fox!"
"Most crucially, he claimed the Skybound Crystal. What a twist!"
"So, will Zhurong be the ultimate victor in the Bright Lake Forest? Let's wait and see!"
Morgans' voice boomed, but Zhurong at the scene ignored it.
He gazed at the dissipating magma pillars.
Countless magma rains dotted the sky.
The fiery rain contrasted with the surrounding chaos, creating a grim atmosphere.
In this environment, Nine Tails emerged from the magma, shifting from lying down to a ready stance.
Madara stood atop its head.
His Eternal Mangekyō eyes spun slowly.
A blue Susanoo cloaked Nine Tails, shielding it from the surrounding magma.
"You scoundrel! Why attack without warning? That hurt!" Nine Tails roared from atop the mountain.
It was furious.
It had been resting when the attack struck.
These outsiders had no manners.
While Nine Tails fumed, Madara saw the demon apostle's timing as perfect.
Since he was here, it was an opportunity to test his envisioned form's combat power.
With a thought, Madara's Eternal Mangekyō spun rapidly.
Under Nine Tails' puzzled gaze, the thin Susanoo draped over it began to expand wildly.
Thick blue chakra armor enveloped Nine Tails' body completely.
Only the tips of its nine tails and the sharp claws of its limbs remained exposed.
Blue wings sprouted from its back, and a pair of hands wielded Susanoo's sword.
A flame-fan symbol adorned its abdomen.
The transformation wasn't complete.
Fiery red chakra erupted like flames from Susanoo's body, blending with the blue to form purple.
The transformation was finished.
This was Madara's vision for using his Summoning Beast.
It was fortunate Nine Tails had agreed to be his Summoning Beast.
Otherwise, his plan wouldn't have worked.
His Eternal Mangekyō couldn't hypnotize Nine Tails.
As a Mythical Beast, Nine Tails' unique power system was formidable.
Combined with its strength, using illusions to control it was challenging for Madara.
Controlling it outright was nearly impossible.
In the chakra system, illusions typically disrupt the target's chakra flow.
This was difficult for beings without chakra.
The only option was to target mental energy, but this greatly weakened the illusion's effect.
For powerful systems shielding mental energy, the effect was further reduced.
However, this worked both ways.
Illusion abilities from other systems faced similar limitations.
The clash of different systems hinged on their strengths and weaknesses.
"I didn't expect your power to meld with me like this." Nine Tails said.
"My body feels much lighter!" it added.
It wagged its five tails freely, raising its forelimbs to inspect the purple armor of blue and red chakra.
"Don't move, Nine Tails." Madara said coldly.
"As my Summoning Beast, you follow my commands in battle. You can move freely otherwise."
Hearing Madara, Nine Tails curled its lips.
"You! I have a name. Call me Enko from now on. Yamata God-sama gave me this name." it said.
"It's rare among Mythical Beasts." it added, raising its head proudly.
Madara frowned, speechless.
"That's not important. Just act!"
"Why isn't it important? It means I'm the favored cub!" Enko retorted.
Feeling Madara's mental command, it moved while arguing.
Since following this human allowed some freedom, it reluctantly complied.
Besides, the opponent had launched a sneak attack without warning.
A sneak attack on a baby less than a year old!
The world was truly harsh!
Among purebred Mythical Beasts, there were two types.
One was newly born lifeforms.
The other was subspecies transformed into purebreds through experiments.
Enko belonged to the first type.
Though physically and mentally mature, it was less than a year old.
Calling itself a baby was no exaggeration.
( End of this chapter )