Chapter 1224 Give up?

"Give up?" Shangguan Mo was about to try to force the attack with the Spirit Refining Rune when the Starfall Black Scorpion suddenly moved towards the blue crystal sphere. The green chakra of its tail wrapped around the crystal sphere and began to absorb its water-attributed energy. The golden lines on the black iron shell flickered violently. The green chakra and water-attributed energy collided within the scorpion's body, causing the Starfall Black Scorpion to roar in pain. The cracks in its shell reappeared, more dense than before.

"Stop! It'll burst!" Shangguan Mo tried to stop it, but he saw the energies of fire, earth, and water slowly merging within the Meteorite Scorpion's black iron shell. The green tailed beast's chakra bound the three energies together like a bond, eventually converging into a multicolored energy ball at the scorpion's tail. The energy ball struck the central stone platform, and three attribute crystals illuminated simultaneously. The hall floor slowly cracked, revealing a staircase leading deeper into the ruins.

The Falling Star Scorpion slumped to the ground, the cracks in its black iron shell gradually repairing, but it was much weaker than before. Shangguan Mo quickly took out the spare tailed beast chakra container and injected the Seven-Tails chakra into the Falling Star Scorpion. Watching it regain its vitality, he felt a mixture of relief and fear. "Don't take such risks next time. We must get out of here alive together."

Descending the stairs, the temperature in the depths of the ruins grew increasingly intense, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. At the end of the stairs, the sight before Shangguan Mo astounded him—atop a massive spirit altar, suspended a basketball-sized "Spirit Refining Origin Crystal Core." The core glowed with a rainbow of colors, surrounded by a rich ancient chakra that would drive any spirit refiner mad.

"Finally found it!" Shangguan Mo was about to step forward when a cold voice suddenly came from the shadows: "Shangguan Mo, I didn't expect you to be able to walk here. It seems that the Star Meteorite Black Scorpion is more useful than I thought."

The man who arrived was a remnant of the Akatsuki organization, "Reinreki." He wore a black Akatsuki robe and held a staff with black lines. The runes on the staff were the same as the Reinreki techniques found in the ruins, clearly aiming for the Origin Crystal Core. "I've been tracking you for a long time, all the way from Meteor Valley to here, just to seize your summoning beast and crystal core." Reinreki pointed his staff at Meteorite Black Scorpion. "This summoning beast, fused with the power of the tailed beast, will surely be put to good use if handed over to the organization."

"Want to steal my stuff? Ask the Meteoric Scorpion first!" Shangguan Mo flung out the Soul Refining Rune, and the Meteoric Scorpion immediately attacked, shooting meteor fire from its tail towards the Soul Refining Ghost. The Soul Refining Ghost swung his Soul Refining Staff, and the black runes formed a barrier, blocking the meteor fire. At the same time, several black chains were released, entangling the Meteoric Scorpion's pincers and firmly pinning it to the ground.

"Your soul-refining technique is too crude." The soul-refining ghost sneered. Black runes followed the chains and entered the body of the Falling Star Scorpion, attempting to control its will. "This spirit beast will soon become my weapon, and you will only become nourishment for the crystal core."

Shangguan Mo watched the Falling Star Scorpion in agony, his heart simmering with rage. He suddenly remembered the ritual enshrined in the spirit crystal. He immediately pulled out all the fragments of the star core black iron and fused them into the Soul Refining Rune. Simultaneously, he opened the Tailed Beast Chakra Container and poured all the remaining Seven-Tails chakra into the rune: "With my blood, I will draw forth the Tailed Beast's essence; with the black iron as the medium, I will forge the Soul Refining Spirit—Soul Refining? Tailed Beast Transformation!"

The crimson essence, green tailed beast chakra, and blue black iron energy merged to form a massive rune. This rune enveloped the Meteorite, unleashing the tailed beast energy within it. Its outer shell began to shatter, and green chakra gushed from the cracks. The Meteorite's size tripled, its tail transforming into a massive sickle swirled with multicolored spirit energy. Its eye sockets glowed crimson—this was the Meteorite's "tailed beast form"!