Confrontation

The Heavenly Fox girl gazed at the pool, her eyes shimmering with excitement. As soon as the flying boat landed, she took a green bottle from her waist, curled her fingers, and unleashed a tremendous suction from its mouth. With a rush of splashing water, the spring water was steadily drawn into the bottle.

From a distance, Xu Yan watched with longing. Earth Spirit Spring water was a rare treasure, containing not only flawless spiritual energy but also the essence of the earth. It was a spiritual medicine that nourished the body's Qi.

He cultivated the Eight-Nine Profound Art, and this was exactly the kind of spiritual medicine he needed.

This demoness has abundant blood and Qi and tremendous magical power. She must be at least at the seventh or eighth level of Pulse Opening. If I attack, it'll be like throwing an egg against a rock.

Xu Yan thought to himself. Disciples from prominent clans like these would surely have profound treasures to protect themselves. His Skull-Cracking Hammer really didn't measure up. It was only because those at the Qi Exhalation and Pulse Opening stages couldn't fully wield Spirit-Born Artifacts; otherwise, disciples from these Aristocratic Clans would surely carry one or two around.

Xu Yan decided to withdraw.

Just then, the sound of something cutting through the air came from far away. It rang like a sword cleaving the sky. Xu Yan looked toward the noise.

Sure enough, a man in a green robe came flying on a sword.

Without a word, the man swept his wide sleeve. The sword beneath his feet tore through the air, growing to fifteen feet long and surging with fierce astral energy as it slashed toward her.

Even the air trembled with a buzzing hum!

The Heavenly Fox girl reacted just as quickly. Turning, she struck out with a palm, sending out a surge of powerful magical energy. Like a mountain being swept away by a flood, it seized the giant sword. Her gaze sharpened as she stared at the man in green.

The man in green narrowed his eyes and smiled. "I wondered who it was. So it's a fellow cultivator from Taihang Mountain. I thought you were some monster from this Immortal Treasury!"

"Putting on an act!"

Killing intent glinted in the Heavenly Fox girl's eyes. She curled her palm into a claw and suddenly exerted her strength.

Powerful magical energy roared forth. Her fur-lined robe snapped in the wind, and dust billowed across the sky. The immense magical force made the giant sword vibrate and hum. The man in green gritted his teeth and curled his fingers. Patterns of magical energy, like a spiderweb, appeared across the giant sword. In the next instant, astral energy burst in every direction.

The sword tore through the thick magical energy, shrank back to the size of an ordinary Dharma Sword, and shot backward. It swept around the man in green before he caught it firmly in his hand.

"Fellow cultivator from Taihang Mountain, this is a misunderstanding," the man in green said smoothly.

"Are disciples from the Jiang Family Sword Tomb all such fine specimens?" the Heavenly Fox girl said coldly.

"Fair enough if you insult me, but why drag my clan into it? That's terribly discourteous." The man in green shook his head.

"You shameless wretch, and you dare talk to me about courtesy!"

The Heavenly Fox girl was furious at his slick words. She stamped on the ground, her enormous strength crushing a huge crater into it. Though her body looked petite, she was as murderous as a beast. Her slender, pale arm darted from her sleeve, wrapped in domineering magical energy, and smashed toward him!

"Calm yourself, fair maiden," the man in green said, hastily raising his sword to block her. Then he widened his eyes. "You're not about to reveal your true form, are you?"

Even at a moment like this, he was still teasing her.

The two of them erupted into battle.

Xu Yan retreated more than a hundred feet and hid behind a giant tree, watching the fight carefully.

There didn't seem to be anyone else within at least a hundred-yard radius. Otherwise, they would have come to see what was happening after hearing all that commotion. Then again, they might have been too weak to get involved, just like Xu Yan, and fled or hidden themselves.

The Heavenly Fox girl and the Jiang Clan sword cultivator seemed evenly matched. They fought for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, leaving devastation in every direction.

The Heavenly Fox girl revealed her true demonic form: a giant white fox, ten feet tall, with greatly increased speed and physical strength.

This time, the Jiang Clan sword cultivator was at a disadvantage and could do nothing but take a beating.

They fought for another incense stick's worth of time. The Jiang Clan sword cultivator was disheveled, his Daoist robe torn to shreds by her claws, leaving him nearly naked.

"Stinking fox, just you wait! When we meet again in the Immortal Treasury, I'll take your life!" After delivering this threat, he fled on his sword in a sorry state.

The Heavenly Fox girl was badly wounded too. More than a dozen sword gashes marked her body, and her white fur was stained red with blood.

The fury in her eyes slowly faded. Looking tired, she walked to the pool, bent down, and drank several mouthfuls of spring water. Then she sat down to heal. Her Dao Body gradually returned to its form with a fox's head and a human body.

On the other side, Xu Yan did not move.

Hidden behind the tree, he gripped the handle of his Skull-Cracking Hammer tightly in one hand and kept the other on the Qiankun Bag at his waist, ready to bring out talismans at any moment. His breathing was so shallow that he had even deliberately slowed his heartbeat. His Qi-Concealing Art had hidden his aura completely.

He was waiting.

Only after confirming there was no one within a thousand yards waiting to swoop in and reap the benefits did he slowly step out.

Xu Yan suppressed the urge to launch a surprise attack.

He was only at the ninth level of Qi Exhalation. Even with a profound treasure on hand, he couldn't be certain he could kill her in a sneak attack.

If he failed, he would have made an enemy of a disciple from a great clan. Inside this Immortal Treasury, he would likely face an endless hunt.

Xu Yan's steps were quiet, but in the stillness, each one could be heard clearly.

The Heavenly Fox girl's eyes snapped open.

A cold gleam flashed in her slit pupils. Her exhausted body tensed at once, magical energy surged around her, and her fox tails bristled like those of a cat with its tail stepped on.

"Stop!"

Her voice was cool and slightly hoarse, yet it still struck with the force of thunder.

Xu Yan stopped when he heard her, halting more than thirty feet away.

It was a safe enough distance.

"Don't be alarmed, fellow cultivator." Xu Yan cupped his hands and spoke in an even tone. "I'm the rogue cultivator Xu Yan. I happened to pass by and saw the two of you fighting. I didn't dare disturb you, so I hid nearby. If I'd wanted to attack you from behind, I wouldn't have walked out like this."

The Heavenly Fox girl watched Xu Yan coldly and immediately asked, "What do you want?"

Xu Yan spoke calmly. "This Earth Spirit Spring water would benefit my cultivation. I'd like to take half of it. Would that be all right?"

"What if I say no?"

The Heavenly Fox girl stared directly at Xu Yan.

"I won't take it for free." Xu Yan remained composed and took a Heavenly Creation Pill from his Qiankun Bag.

The pill was naturally not worth as much as the Earth Spirit Spring water. But Xu Yan's gesture gave them both a way to save face. Since the Heavenly Fox girl was injured, she wouldn't be foolish enough to burn her bridges with Xu Yan and make an enemy of him.

As he spoke, Xu Yan flicked the Heavenly Creation Pill toward her.

The Heavenly Fox girl said nothing. She reached out, drew the pill through the air, and caught it in her palm.

The Heavenly Creation Pill could heal internal and external injuries and protect against a hundred poisons. It was a premium healing pill for those at the Qi Exhalation and Pulse Opening stages, and it was quite valuable.

But disciples from a great clan like her had naturally made thorough preparations before entering the Immortal Treasury. She wasn't short on pills.

She looked up and sized Xu Yan up with her slit pupils.

Xu Yan looked to be around twenty, with delicate features and a steady gaze. He was even holding a profound-treasure magical weapon. It was truly rare for a rogue cultivator to produce a pill and a weapon like these.

"You're quite the businessman," the Heavenly Fox girl said with a cold snort. "I found this spring first, then drove off that Jiang Clan fellow. And you want half in exchange for a single pill, without doing a thing."

Though she said this, the Heavenly Fox girl had already reached into her Qiankun Bag and taken out the bottle she had used to collect the spring water.

"Let's consider it a gesture of goodwill. With your generosity, fellow cultivator, you're sure to accomplish great things in the future." Xu Yan smiled, his attention focused on her, and nodded. "I've long heard of the Heavenly Fox of Taihang Mountain. May I ask your name, fair maiden?"

"Tushan Jiuyuan."

After speaking, Tushan Jiuyuan casually waved her slender hand. The green bottle, filled with Earth Spirit Spring water, flew through the air toward him.

Xu Yan caught it in one hand, then cupped his fists and bowed. "Thank you for agreeing, fellow cultivator Tushan."

With that, Xu Yan wasted no time. He channeled Mystic Qi and sped away.

He turned and disappeared into the dense woods, his figure soon swallowed by the night.

Tushan Jiuyuan gazed toward the direction where he had vanished. After a moment of silence, she closed her eyes and continued healing.