"Murong Huan! Murong Huan! Get out here, now!" The white fox's shrill cries rang through the mountain forest.
That Fourth Realm remnant soul was her last refuge.
She had bewitched the old man while he was alive. Even after he died, she had managed, through a stroke of luck, to preserve his soul because he had been a cultivator of the middle three realms.
She had sent him to deal with those people from the Heavenly Prison earlier. Where had he gone?
Ye Wuyou calmly watched the white fox crawling backward along the ground, his gaze lingering on her tails in particular.
A Third-Tier Demon Fox naturally had three tails.
The Qingqiu Demon Fox lineage differed from other demonic beasts, as though they were heaven and earth's favored children. While other demonic beasts were still rolling in the mire, these foxes could awaken their intelligence early, take human form with ease, and wield their inborn Divine Ability of illusion and enchantment.
Demonic beasts placed great importance on inherited bloodlines, and a fox with the blood of the Qingqiu Royal Clan possessed one additional life-saving Divine Ability.
Tail-Shedding Survival.
The white fox backed away step by step, terror in her eyes. Blood drenched her hindquarters, and her sole remaining Fox Tail trembled uncontrollably.
The man before her had just killed her once.
Instantly.
She had not even seen him attack, yet some strange force had torn her apart.
The white fox could not see whatever had killed her. She could not even sense it.
But wasn't he only in the First Realm?
He had never fallen for her deception. He had known she was a demon fox from the very beginning.
Was he even human?
The white fox was exceptionally perceptive, adept at reading people's hearts, but only now did she realize something.
She could not sense the slightest trace of human emotion from the man before her.
Those eyes were cold and indifferent, watching her silently as though they could see through everything.
Under his gaze, the white fox felt pressure crashing over her like waves. With only one lonely tail left, she felt as though she were suffocating.
But that sensation soon vanished.
Ye Wuyou's gaze had passed over her and shifted elsewhere.
The white fox's heart quivered. She turned to seize the chance to escape, only to be scooped up.
"Oh my, where did this little fox come from? So pretty. But why are you missing a few tails?" A woman's voice rang out like a delicate bell, tinged with laughter.
Feeling the hand gently stroking her body, the white fox's scalp prickled.
This was her elder sister.
"You beast. You brought about the destruction of my Thousand Illusions Sect. At last, I've found you." The brocade-robed man had appeared nearby at some point, his eyes brimming with hatred.
"So this is the demon fox? She only has one tail left. How am I supposed to make her my bound spirit beast now? I tame beasts, not cripples." The man in plain clothes emerged, staring at the white fox helplessly.
"She's still very useful. Just let her recuperate for a few years. Otherwise, where will you find another demon fox that awakened her intelligence so early?" Bai Lu chuckled, then tossed the white fox to him.
"Recuperate for a few years? More like spend another few years killing people to feed her their blood essence, isn't it?" The plain-clothed man narrowed his eyes, but did not refuse.
A demon fox with the blood of the Qingqiu Royal Clan would be far stronger than other demonic beasts if he could acquire her.
The white fox tried to open her mouth. She wanted to tell them.
The woman beside you is a demon fox! Don't tame me-tame her!
But she could not open her mouth. During all that stroking, Bai Lu had clearly done something to her, leaving her unable to make even a sound.
"Look, she won't say a word. Tsk. Brother Tu, hurry up and subdue this demon fox, then question her about the Thousand Illusions Purple-Gold Bell. She doesn't have the treasure on her," the brocade-robed man said excitedly.
As a member of the Thousand Illusions Sect, he understood its supreme treasure better than anyone. With that treasure, rebuilding the sect would be child's play.
I'll talk! I'll talk! If only I could open my mouth!
The terror in the white fox's eyes deepened. If she fell under the Beast Taming Sect's control, she would lose everything, with no chance of turning the tables. She would be reduced to a human's minion forever.
But soon, she was no longer frightened.
Crack.
A crisp sound came from her body. Then her entire head twisted at an impossible angle. The light in her fox eyes vanished, and in an instant, she stopped breathing.
The sudden turn of events stunned all three of them. Then, seeming to realize something, they looked ahead in fury.
Ye Wuyou stood calmly where he was, his hands hanging at his sides, looking utterly harmless.
But all three knew that he was the one who had killed the demon fox.
The brocade-robed man reacted first. Fury crossed his face, and he lunged forward.
"Do you realize you've killed my master's wife... pah! You killed this demon fox! How are we supposed to find the Thousand Illusions Purple-Gold Bell now?"
The brocade-robed man struck in anger, whether for his sect's supreme treasure or his dead master's wife. Vital Breath raged around him, surging toward Ye Wuyou like a dragon.
His Third Realm cultivation blazed forth without restraint.
But his body abruptly shuddered. His steps faltered, and he collapsed to the ground.
The brocade-robed man lowered his head in disbelief and looked at his chest.
A hole the size of a palm ran straight through it.
What... had he done?
In the brocade-robed man's final glimpse, he saw only those calm, unhurried footsteps slowly passing him by.
Bai Lu and her companion felt even greater terror than the dying brocade-robed man.
An instant kill against the Third Realm?
This brat was clearly only a First Realm cultivator.
But frightened though they were, neither reacted slowly.
As their Vital Breath flowed, they... shot backward several dozen meters.
Visible Vital Breath encircled their bodies, enveloping each of them like a protective dome.
When facing an unknown enemy, keep your distance.
Their actions had clearly worked.
Ye Wuyou remained where he was and did not attack again.
The range of Ghost's spectral Ghost Hands was limited, just like their number.
At present, he could extend his Ghost Hands a little over ten zhang at most, but their power would diminish with distance.
To maintain sufficient power, it was best to stay within five or even three zhang-roughly ten meters.
Within that range, an unexpected strike with a Ghost Hand was very effective against those who could not perceive them.
But once the opponent noticed, kept their distance, and added protection around their body... the ability became rather like chicken ribs, offering little meat.
A godlike skill for sneak attacks.
From several dozen meters away, the woman's voice came, carrying a hint of gravity.
"Are you from the Heavenly Prison? Why kill that demon fox? Besides, my companion was the Thousand Illusions Sect's last surviving disciple. Now that you've killed them, don't you want to find the Thousand Illusions Purple-Gold Bell?"
Ye Wuyou stood where he was and considered her words quite seriously.
"Since you knew I was from the Heavenly Prison, why did you not only obstruct official duties, but attempt murder as well? Are you planning to rebel?"
Bai Lu's strikingly beautiful face darkened in an instant.
No matter how much the cultivation sects and the Great Yan court were like fire and water behind closed doors, on the surface, the sects still fell under the court's authority.
He was invoking the court...
But what use was that? Kill the Heavenly Prison's people here, and wouldn't everything be over?
Ye Wuyou continued speaking, his gaze settling on Bai Lu as the faintest smile touched his lips.
"Or are you accomplices of this demon fox-evil creatures yourselves?"
Bai Lu's expression shifted slightly. She could not tell whether those words had been meant specifically for her.
But just as she was about to reply, a tremor even fiercer than before surged from deep within the mountains.
In an instant, the earth split and the mountains crumbled.
Alongside the thunder of the tremors came another sound.
"Ring, ring, ring..."
The clear chime of a bell.
Its chime echoed through the mountains, lingering on and on...
Before you continue