Fighting Techniques, Who is the Fox Demon Between Him and Me?

[Killed an intermediate Innate Realm fish demon, gained lifespan: 817 years]

Gu Cheng glanced at the record on the panel, his heart finally settling.

Although the process was a bit convoluted, the lifespan of this intermediate Innate Realm fish demon had ultimately fallen into his grasp.

On the other side.

Bai Xingqiu was momentarily stunned by Gu Cheng's imposing entrance.

He sized up Gu Cheng's disguised appearance, rapidly racking his brain to recall various figures in Chongshan County, but he couldn't find any matching information.

When did Chongshan County produce such a person?

A hint of seriousness flashed across the handsome face of Young Master Bai, but he didn't dare to be careless.

He closed his folding fan and politely cupped his hands towards Gu Cheng, his eyes carrying a trace of apprehension:

"I am Bai Xingqiu. May I know your esteemed name?

If you have no intention of making an enemy of my Bai Family, I ask that you be merciful and depart now."

Even though the other party was a Fox Demon in its Form Transformation, this fellow's scholarly demeanor didn't seem fake at all.

"Hmph, you speak human language well, but unfortunately, you don't act human," Gu Cheng sneered inwardly, too lazy to waste words with the other party.

Without even looking at Bai Xingqiu, his gaze fell upon the corpse of the red-scaled fish demon. He reached out.

A fist-sized, crystal-clear blue Demon Core, as if drawn by some force, slowly floated out of the headless fish corpse and into his hand.

Gu Cheng casually examined it before storing the Innate Demon Core in his storage pouch.

This arrogant attitude of ignoring the "fox" completely disregarded the Fox Demon to the extreme!

"How dare you!"

Bai Xingqiu was so enraged that smoke seemed to billow from his orifices. His eyes turned into scarlet beast pupils, and demonic aura surged around him, transforming into tangible black mist.

He leaped into the air and lightly waved his folding fan.

Eight talismans shot out from his sleeve in succession, weaving together in the air to form a massive Bagua formation.

Demonic energy permeated the talismans, and a blazing fireball nearly ten feet in diameter instantly condensed.

Like a Gaia energy cannon, it emitted a terrifying, suffocating heat, smashing down towards the black-clothed youth below!

Facing this colossal fireball that descended like the scorching sun.

Gu Cheng's expression remained unchanged; he didn't even blink.

He slowly raised his right hand, his palm surging with true qi, forming a mirror-like, invisible barrier before him.

-Total Counterattack!

The giant fireball crashed down, and a terrifying heatwave swept out, instantly boiling the lake water and sending up clouds of mist!

However, this terrifying heat, capable of melting solid steel, couldn't shake Gu Cheng in the slightest.

The moment the fireball touched the barrier, it bizarrely changed direction, rebounding back at an even faster speed than it had come, its target aimed directly at Bai Xingqiu in mid-air!

"What kind of evil sorcery is this?!"

Seeing his demonic art reflected, Bai Xingqiu couldn't help but frown deeply.

He didn't dare to delay, his folding fan dancing rapidly in his hand as talismans rained down, and he chanted incantations.

Swoosh—

The lake water churned and exploded, transforming into high-pressure water jets that, carrying a sharp gust of wind, intercepted the roaring giant fireball on the spot.

A shower of fire scattered, heatwaves surged, and steam rose, making the entire lake surface appear to be boiling.

Bai Xingqiu stood proudly behind the water curtain, his robes fluttering, exuding a rather immortal aura.

He pointed his folding fan, and dozens of water jets condensed again, shooting towards Gu Cheng from all directions like a hailstorm of needles, blocking all his escape routes!

Judging by the imposing momentum of this killing move alone, this Young Master Bai's Water Control demonic art was even superior to that of the red-scaled fish demon!

However, in front of someone who had eaten several water demon cores and was clearly cheating, it was somewhat lacking.

Snap—

Gu Cheng lightly snapped his fingers, activating his Water Control divine ability. An invisible wave quietly spread out…

Instantly, it was as if time had frozen.

The violent water flow, as if pressed by an invisible giant hand, suddenly halted in mid-air, transforming into crystal-clear water columns, bizarre and beautiful.

Gu Cheng spread his palm, his fingers contracting.

The suspended water flow twisted and deformed, eventually condensing into a massive water snake about ten feet thick, which opened its gaping maw and lunged towards the Bai Family's Fox Demon!

"He knows Water Control too?"

Bai Xingqiu's heart was even more shocked. He quickly fumbled for a silver bell and gently shook it.

Infused with demonic aura, the clear bell sound, accompanied by visible sound wave ripples, instantly spread out.

The giant water snake, its massive jaws opening to strike, was shattered by the bell's resonance, its enormous body exploding into a shower of water droplets that rained down.

Bai Xingqiu dared not relax, shaking the silver bell in his hand even more rapidly.

The continuous ringing of the bell, like a mournful song, carried a soul-stirring magic as it swept towards the young man in black.

Young Master Xu the Second, trapped within the water prison, was the first to bear the brunt. Already imprisoned, the bell's sound made him feel dizzy and disoriented, his mind in a haze. It was clear his divine sense was being eroded.

However, the young man in black seemed oblivious to the strange bell sounds, a mocking smile curving his lips instead.

"Hmph, compared to Ximen Yu's 'Illusory Demonic Sound,' that perverted freak, this Bai Family Fox Demon's illusions are far too childish."

Gu Cheng let out a cold snort, took out the Withered Wood Dragon's Roar, and lightly plucked its strings with his slender, fair fingertips.

"Zing—"

A clear, resonant zither note, as if descending from the heavens, instantly drowned out the eerie bell chimes.

The zither music contained an essence that calmed and focused the mind, completely at odds with Bai Xingqiu's demonic aura.

The two forces clashed, emitting a violent roar and stirring up waves of energy that caused the lake water to boil instantly!

Bai Xingqiu felt an overwhelming surge of divine sense impact him. The silver bell in his hand let out a "crack" under the immense pressure, and cracks instantly appeared on its surface.

He himself felt his blood surge, a sweetness rising in his throat, nearly causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Just what is this kid's background?

Why the hell does he know how to do everything!"

Bai Xingqiu forcefully swallowed the metallic taste in his throat, gazing at the black-clothed youth standing with his hands behind his back, his mind utterly blown.

Their Fox Demon clan had always been known for their mysterious and unfathomable abilities, possessing myriad divine powers.

But what was happening now?

The techniques displayed by the young man in black before him were even more varied and more powerful than his own!

"Damn it, who between him and me is the real Fox Demon!"

Just as Young Master Bai was questioning his very existence, a chilling coldness suddenly struck his heart, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Puff—

The lake surface exploded, and a terrifyingly sharp stream of water, imbued with immense force, shot towards his back like a viper's flicking tongue!

"Not good!"

Bai Xingqiu's pupils contracted. He immediately recognized this as the formidable sword technique that had previously slain the Red Scale Fish Demon. He dared not meet it head-on.

At the critical moment, with no time to think, he fumbled for a treasured jade pendant he kept in his bosom and crushed it fiercely.

The jade pendant shattered, transforming into a dazzling light shield that firmly protected Bai Xingqiu.

The next moment, the stream of water sword energy slammed violently into the light shield, sword qi erupting and a deafening roar echoing across the entire lake surface.

Bai Xingqiu grunted, his body sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. Although he had narrowly escaped death, his face was ashen.

His originally elegant white robe was also torn to shreds by the residual sword qi, looking like beggar's rags, utterly disheveled.

He looked down at the shattered jade pendant in his hand, his eyes filled with lingering fear and relief.

"What terrifying sword qi! Its power is even more fearsome than Second Master Xu's Thunder Law! If it weren't for the treasure bestowed by my ancestor, I would have been decapitated!"

Bai Xingqiu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

In any other situation, facing such an unfathomable enemy, he would have already turned tail and fled.

But this Falling Star Lake was precisely the "trap" he had meticulously set up earlier to deal with Second Master Xu!

"Heh heh, I never expected the contingency I prepared for Second Master Xu would actually be useful at this time..."

A sinister glint flashed in Bai Xingqiu's eyes as he casually tossed aside his beloved folding fan.

Simultaneously, he formed hand seals, fully activating the demonic aura within his body!

Hum—

The calm lake surface suddenly lit up with large swathes of mysterious dark purple runes.

A formation, larger and more complex than the one used to subdue Young Master Xu the Second, slowly rose from the lakebed, enveloping nearly half of Falling Star Lake