Little White Fox Shows Her Might

Liu Ding was carried away, while Liu Tao still felt powerless in all four limbs, sprawled on the riverbank unable to rise. Her chest heaved, her pretty face flushed as red as if drunk, and her beautiful eyes fixed fiercely on Liu Ding. "You little hooligan, you bastard—I'm going to tear that mouth of yours apart!"

She wanted to leap up, but that shameful blockage from before had left her breathing uneven. She broke into a violent coughing fit.

Seeing her crimson, wet lips, Liu Ji felt even more choked with rage. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Liu Tao, don't dirty your hands. Let me teach this little hooligan a lesson."

He shot the two clan girls a look, telling them to help Liu Tao up and keep her from exploding, then strode several steps forward to face Liu Ding.

In a show of force, he stretched out both fists and pressed them together. His knuckles crackled, a wave of Cauldron Qi swiftly circulated within him, and then he pressed both elbows downward at an angle. His Soulforce surged, and his entire bearing underwent a heaven-and-earth transformation.

"Qilin's Surge! A Soul Forging Martial Apprentice at the Five Cauldrons Realm—Brother Ji is finally making his move!" The watching boys and girls stared with burning eyes.

Among the many young bulls hostile toward Liu Ding, only Liu Ji had never personally acted. He had always indulged and secretly directed his lackeys. Today, it seemed he could no longer suppress his fury.

Within the Soul Forging Realm, the first four cauldron stages—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—were merely the foundation. Like the four legs of a Soul Forging Cauldron, they served to stabilize one's soul. Only upon breaking through to the fifth cauldron, the Qilin Stage, did true combat Soulforce erupt.

Liu Ding could defeat any Martial Apprentice below the Four Cauldrons Realm, but he could never shake a Five Soulforging Cauldrons Martial Apprentice. The Qilin Soulforce of the fifth cauldron was more than half again as powerful as the combined Soulforce of the previous four stages.

They all clenched their fists. The humiliation and pent-up anger they had suffered before would be washed clean today, at this very moment.

Yet just as they anticipated wiping away their shame in one stroke, Liu Tao's shriek, which had pierced through the nine heavens, had already drawn many clansmen over. A voice barked, "What are you doing? Ganging up on a clansman—aren't you afraid of severe punishment under the clan rules?"

Liu Chengwu pointed at the young bulls carrying Liu Ding, furious beyond measure.

Damn it, they would not get to beat this little hooligan senseless today. Liu Ji resentfully loosened his clenched fists. Seeing the young bulls holding Liu Ding look to him for help, his eyes rolled, and he said, "Uncle Cheng Wu, you misunderstand. They were only breaking up a fight."

Liu Ji pointed at Liu Tao, indicating that she too was being "held back."

"Fine, release Liu Ding now." Liu Chengwu did not dare offend this clan prodigy too deeply, so he took the offered way out.

"Uncle Cheng Wu, there's no rush. We still have another matter to settle." If he could not beat the little hooligan senseless, he still could not let him off easily. With a dark face, Liu Ji turned toward the Little White Fox, who had remained at one side of the riverbank, glaring fiercely in Liu Ding's direction.

Sensing Liu Ji's ill-intentioned gaze, the Little White Fox immediately turned her crystal-clear eyes toward him and stared.

"White fox spirit beast, I know you understand me. You've followed that little hooligan for so many years, so you count as part of the Liu Clan. Now, my beast pet Mighty challenges you. Do you accept?" Liu Ji came at the Little White Fox aggressively.

"Xiao Zhi, don't accept!" Liu Ding shouted. If he had not been held down, he would have rushed over and run away with the Little White Fox in his arms.

"If you accept Mighty's challenge, I won't make things difficult for Liu Ding before the clan patriarch succession battle." Liu Ji's eyes shifted as he cast out the bait.

Sure enough, the Little White Fox's crystal eyes flickered. She was tempted. With a chirp, she leaped to the center of the riverbank and fixed her bright gaze on the ferocious Golden Lion, who was growling low and constantly pawing at the river sand. She stretched out a little paw and lightly waved it, her meaning perfectly clear: You're no good.

Liu Ji's mouth twitched. What did it mean when one sought death by courting disaster? She had only herself to blame for being so close to that little hooligan. She actually dared insult his Golden Lion—then die! With a wave of his hand, the crowd scattered and left a ring of battlefield open. He roared, "Mighty, attack!"

"Awooo!" The Golden Lion, already unable to restrain himself, let out a roar. His fur gleamed with dazzling golden light beneath the morning sun as he sprang into the air, ready to pounce upon the Little White Fox.

The Little White Fox was astonishingly calm. She coldly watched Mighty descend through the air, and at the instant the Golden Lion lunged down, she lightly leaped aside, shifting sideways.

Bang! An explosive sound rang out on the riverbank. Sand fragments flew everywhere, streaks of golden light flashing beneath the sun.

The Golden Lion let out a great roar.

His lion body twisted, sweeping sideways with extreme ferocity. The river sand that had just burst forth in golden flashes spun into a vortex.

Yet the Little White Fox merely gave a nimble turn, causing his attack to miss once more.

"Damn it, who fights like that? If you're afraid of dying, don't come up here!" The young bulls watching with hot blood boiling clenched their fists in fury.

"Roar!" The Golden Lion grew enraged. Throwing back his head, he howled long and hard, all his fur standing on end as golden light flickered over him. His lion tail curled, then shot out like a spear, stabbing straight toward the Little White Fox.

"If you've got guts, don't dodge!" Liu Ji howled. He could see that the Little White Fox was nimble and far too fast. Compared to her, his Golden Lion looked utterly clumsy and would collapse from exhaustion.

The Little White Fox narrowed her crystal eyes, planted all four paws firmly, and stared at the "spear" hurtling toward her without moving.

"Xiao Zhi, dodge!" Liu Ding cried out in alarm, struggling desperately. Yet his limbs and Meridian Court were restrained, leaving him unable to exert any strength.

The Little White Fox turned and gave him a smile, gentle and warm.

The "spear" had already struck. Quite a few sympathetic clansmen could not help closing their eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

The Little White Fox did not dodge. She did not even turn back. With one slap of her little paw, she struck the "spear" directly.

Crack!

With a shattering sound, the spearhead exploded, while the Golden Lion's enormous body spun wildly like a top amid wave after wave of miserable howls.

"Impossible!" Liu Ji's eyes widened. He could not believe what was happening before him.

At long last, the Golden Lion stopped spinning, but he continued to wail. Half his tail had been broken off.

"Ah!" Liu Ding's face was filled with delight as well. He shouted at Liu Ji, "You lost! Your Golden Lion lost! Release me!"

"Who doesn't get hurt in battle? My Golden Lion won't lose! Go! Get up there and tear her apart!" Liu Ji stamped his feet in a frenzy, pointing at the Little White Fox with fire blazing from his eyes.

"Roar!" The Golden Lion roared, though his roar trembled. He began circling the Little White Fox, his four paws digging into the ground and sending river sand flying as he gathered himself for another attack.

"If you've got guts, don't dodge!" Liu Ji taunted, howling at the Little White Fox.

The white fox swept him a contemptuous glance, stretched out a little paw, and crooked it at the Golden Lion. Her humanlike expression of disdain was spot-on.

Whoosh!

The Golden Lion was enraged. He leaped into the air, baring his fangs. His gaping bloody maw could swallow the Little White Fox whole.

Whoosh!

The Little White Fox sprang straight up to meet him, simple and direct. Curling one paw into a fist, she punched hard into the Golden Lion's nose. The sound of cracking bone rang through the sky, and the Golden Lion howled again as he crashed to the ground.

Golden sand shot through the air over the riverbank, yellow dust churning thickly. The Golden Lion rolled across the ground, his miserable cries unceasing.

"No!" Liu Ji could not believe it. He stared fixedly at the Little White Fox.

The Little White Fox panted slightly, her little body somewhat limp. Squatting on her hind legs, she met Liu Ji's gaze with crystal eyes, then turned toward Liu Ding, who was still being held. Her meaning was clear: it was time for him to fulfill his promise.

"You wounded my Golden Lion, and you still think you'll live? Die!" Liu Ji had gone mad with fury. He bent an arm and pressed down. The Soulforce of the Five Cauldrons Realm swiftly circulated as he thrust out a palm, slashing viciously at the Little White Fox.

Qilin's Surge. The air seemed to warp, and an invisible square cauldron pinned the Little White Fox in place, waiting to be slaughtered.

"Don't!" Liu Ding cried out in grief and despair.

"Liu Ji, don't!" Liu Chengwu could not help shouting as well. But he had only taken one step when a light cough suddenly sounded ahead.

Looking up, he saw that the number of onlookers had somehow increased. Nie Zhengxu stood there, glaring at him coldly.

Less than two years remained before the battle to contend for clan patriarch. Among the younger generation within the stipulated age range, Liu Ji had the strongest support. Liu Chengwu hesitated; besides, it would be difficult for him to restrain Liu Ji now.

The Little White Fox retreated at top speed, her limbs a little weak.

Liu Ji's face twisted savagely. With Qilin's Surge shaking mountains and rivers, his feet seemed capable of shrinking the earth to an inch. In an instant he closed in, bringing one palm down as Cauldron Qi surged—a fatal strike.