Excruciating pain shot through every wound on Su Yaoyao’s body, but her gaze was full of heartache as it fell upon Lucia.

She knew deep down that the emotional trauma Lucia had endured over the years was countless times worse than the physical pain she was feeling now.

Lucia slowly closed his eyes, and a single tear slipped silently down his cheek.

He quietly felt the warmth of Su Yaoyao’s tight embrace, a warmth like the spring sun, slowly melting the iceberg that had been frozen in his heart for years.

He felt the strength of her hug, a force that seemed like a silent promise, telling him that from now on, she would stand by his side and never leave him.

His voice, tinged with endless exhaustion and vulnerability, was a soft whisper. "Yaoyao, I really don’t want to be alone anymore. For so many years, this heart has been filled with pain. I’m so scared... scared of losing someone again. I’m so tired..."

Su Yaoyao tilted her head up slightly to look at Lucia, her eyes full of determination and tenderness. She said, "If you don’t want to go back, then I’ll stay here with you forever."

Lucia’s pupils trembled. He knew exactly what her words meant.

If she stayed here forever, it meant her consciousness would fall into a deep sleep with his, never to awaken in the real world again.

That way, Su Yaoyao would truly belong to him and him alone. She would never leave him again.

’But how could he bear to let Su Yaoyao pay such a heavy price for his sake?’

Lucia gave a helpless smile, his eyes full of doting affection and heartache. "Silly girl," he whispered. That single phrase was laden with so many complex emotions: gratitude, resignation, and above all, a deep and profound love for Su Yaoyao.

Finally, Lucia slowly closed his eyes, as if letting go of all his defenses and burdens.

He quietly accepted the soothing spiritual power Su Yaoyao was sending him. The warm, gentle force was like a trickling stream, flowing slowly through his body and healing his spiritual wounds.

Soon, a brilliant white light gently enveloped his entire body. The glow was holy and serene, as if banishing all darkness and pain.

Lucia then consciously led Su Yaoyao out with him.

When she disconnected from Lucia’s Spiritual Link and returned to reality, she looked at the Nine-tailed Red Fox before her, now enveloped in white light, and her heart filled with relief and joy. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Bathed in the gentle, brilliant white light, the originally massive form of the Nine-tailed Red Fox slowly transformed into that of a man.

Lucia slowly lowered his head, his gaze locked on Su Yaoyao, as if everything else in the world had ceased to exist, his eyes seeing only her.

His lips trembled slightly as, with gentle caution and infinite love, he lightly pressed them against Su Yaoyao’s.

That one kiss contained so many unspoken emotions: gratitude for her steadfastness, the joy of reuniting after brushing with death, and a love that was bone-deep.

Su Yaoyao’s eyes instantly welled up, and tears began to stream down her face.

Her tears were for the pain Lucia had endured, and for the sheer emotion of their embrace.

Feeling the warmth of Lucia’s lips, her heart was a swirl of complex emotions, as if all her feelings had finally found an outlet.

And in that moment, the wounds she had sustained in the Spirit World vanished completely, leaving no harm on her physical body.

However, the warm and beautiful moment did not last long.

Lucia’s body suddenly shrank. His energy was completely depleted, and he could no longer maintain his human form.

With a faint flicker of light, Lucia changed back into a small fox in the blink of an eye.

The little fox curled up weakly in Su Yaoyao’s arms, its body twitching faintly. Every breath seemed to be a struggle.

Its fur was a tangled mess, and blood still seeped from several unhealed wounds, staining its pristine white fur crimson.

It was clear he was gravely injured. His life force was fading, as if a gentle breeze could extinguish its final spark.

A sharp pain shot through Su Yaoyao’s heart as she looked at the dying little fox in her arms. She clutched it tightly to her chest, as if she could give it strength and hold onto its fading life.

Augustine came forward and gently embraced Su Yaoyao. "You did it, Yaoyao," he said, his heart filled with relief that she was safe.

Su Yaoyao’s eyes were filled with anxiety and worry. She looked at Augustine almost pleadingly, her voice trembling with tension. "Find a doctor, Augustine! Please, help me find a doctor. Lucia... he’s hurt too badly."

Seeing her panic, Augustine quickly reassured her, "Okay, don’t worry. Calm down. Let’s leave this dungeon first. The conditions here are awful and aren’t conducive to treatment." With that, he gently took Su Yaoyao’s arm and led her quickly from the gloomy dungeon.

「Before long, they arrived at Su Yaoyao’s bedchamber.」

The little fox lay quietly on the soft bed, its eyes shut tight, so weak that it seemed a single gust of wind could extinguish its life.

Augustine didn’t dare delay for a second and immediately summoned a highly skilled doctor.

The doctor approached the bed with a grave expression, carefully examining the little fox’s wounds with advanced instruments, sometimes shaking his head gently, other times frowning slightly.

After a thorough examination, the doctor slowly began to speak. "He’s far too seriously injured. The massive blood loss has left his body extremely weak. The next few days will be very tough for him. He’ll need to take medication to replenish his blood and nourish his body, and he’ll require meticulous care.

Fortunately, his life is not in immediate danger.

However, due to his previous berserk state, his internal energy is almost completely depleted. I’m afraid it will be incredibly difficult for him to recover to his former S-Class level."

The doctor’s gaze suddenly shifted to Su Yaoyao. "But that’s just a possibility, of course.

After all, the Holy Female has now appeared in the world. If Your Holiness can stay by his side and soothe him often, a full recovery isn’t entirely out of the question. It would just mean I must trouble you, Your Holiness, to care for this little fox frequently."

Hearing this, Su Yaoyao’s tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and she let out a long sigh of relief. "Okay, I understand. As long as his life isn’t in danger..." Before she could finish, her vision suddenly went black, and her body pitched forward uncontrollably.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Augustine shot forward and caught Su Yaoyao securely in his arms. "Doctor, quick, check on Yaoyao!" he shouted, his voice filled with worry and urgency.

The doctor rushed over and, after examining Su Yaoyao, said, "The Holy Female fainted from extreme exhaustion. It seems she hasn’t slept well these past few days. The combined physical and mental fatigue was too much for Her Holiness to withstand."