The Million Mountains

After entering through Yuyang Gorge.

All they could see were rolling mountains stretching beyond the horizon.

When they reached Pale Ridge Mountain.

From afar, it looked like a giant serpent coiled upon the earth. An ancient, weathered aura swept out from the mountain, immersing them in the feeling that they had stepped into a primordial age.

Fu Shaoping took out the Hunting Manual and compared it carefully with the terrain. The mountain's contours had not changed much, and the Ironwood Fox's cave lay on its rear slope. Using Ethereal Steps, the two crept forward cautiously, doing their best not to attract the attention of other demonic beasts.

They could normally have crossed the mountain in half the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Instead, they spent a full incense stick's worth of time.

They had just reached the rear slope.

When suddenly.

The sounds of fighting came from ahead.

Fu Shaoping carefully determined the direction and found that it was precisely where the Ironwood Fox's den lay.

"Pan'er, stay here. I'll go take a look."

Pale Ridge Mountain stood on the outskirts of the Million Mountains.

High-level martial artists rarely ventured here.

Fu Shaoping advanced in a crouch, tapped his toes lightly against the ground, and landed steadily in a Tailing Spirit Tree. Through its leaves, he saw an old woman locked in combat with a snow-white Ironwood Fox. Standing upright, the fox was as tall as an adult, and two tails sprouted from its rear.

That meant this Ironwood Fox was already at the peak of the first tier. Once it grew another tail, it would join the ranks of second-tier demonic beasts.

The old woman fighting it.

Was deathly pale.

At her feet lay two young people whose bellies had been ripped open, their intestines spilling across the ground. They still appeared to be alive, however, which was why the old woman refused to retreat.

Both the old woman and the Ironwood Fox were wounded.

Her left arm had been severed at the shoulder.

A fine sword remained embedded in the Ironwood Fox's abdomen, blood pouring from the wound.

Taking in the situation, Fu Shaoping immediately turned and beckoned to Zhou Pan'er. He estimated that he was about a hundred and thirty paces from the battlefield below. With his archery skills, he should be able to hit the Ironwood Fox the moment it stopped moving.

But.

On the battlefield.

The old woman and the Ironwood Fox were tangled in a fierce, unrelenting struggle.

He had no opening to act.

Suddenly.

The Ironwood Fox wheeled around, pointing its rear at the old woman. With a puff, a cloud of pink mist burst out and instantly enveloped her. Her eyes went blank, clearly caught in an illusion, though she quickly broke free.

But it was already too late.

The Ironwood Fox's two long tails had wound tightly around her neck.

There was a ripping sound.

Her neck looked about to be crushed.

At that critical instant.

A vicious gleam flashed through the old woman's eyes as she regained her senses. Her right hand shot out like lightning and seized the sword embedded in the Ironwood Fox's abdomen. Summoning every last ounce of strength, she drove it inward until even the hilt disappeared into its belly.

"Screee!"

The Ironwood Fox let out an agonized cry.

Yet its two tails did not loosen in the slightest, maintaining their death grip around her neck.

There was a crack.

This time.

The old woman's neck was torn apart, and her head went flying!

The Ironwood Fox crouched on the ground in agony.

"Now!"

A Darklight Arrow shot from Fu Shaoping's hand with a whistle.

One followed another.

Five arrows flew in a continuous chain.

"Screee!"

The Ironwood Fox heard them cutting through the air.

It reared onto its hind legs.

There was no time left to flee. In its haste, it could only lash its two tails at the oncoming Darklight Arrows.

Clang, clang.

With two ringing impacts.

Two Darklight Arrows were knocked aside.

The Ironwood Fox raised its forepaws to shield itself. With a thud, the third arrow pierced straight through a forepaw and struck its brow with a clink. But the resistance from its paw had robbed the arrow of its force, and it left only a bloody mark between its brows before clattering to the ground.

"Screee!"

The Ironwood Fox threw back its head and roared in fury.

Its right paw blurred, actually catching the fourth Darklight Arrow.

Its two tails were free again and moved to knock away the fifth. Unexpectedly, however, the fifth Darklight Arrow did not fly straight at it. Instead, it traced a long arc through the air before piercing the back of its head with a wet thud!

Yes.

The first four Darklight Arrows had all been a diversion.

The fifth had been Fu Shaoping's true aim.

The Ironwood Fox's fatal weak point lay at the back of its head!

Thump!

The Ironwood Fox crashed heavily to the ground, its eyes wide in death.

"Screee!"

Just then.

Another Ironwood Fox's cry came from inside the cave.

Damn!

Fu Shaoping had already used up all his Darklight Arrows.

According to the map.

There should have been only one Ironwood Fox in this cave!

Then.

A blur flashed ahead.

He could barely make out its shape. The Ironwood Fox that rushed from the cave leaped into his Tailing Spirit Tree in an instant.

A tail swept toward his neck as fast as lightning.

With barely a moment to react!

Fu Shaoping instantly used Ethereal Steps, twisting into an uncanny posture to evade the encircling tail.

At the same time.

His Martial Suppression Saber rang out as he swung it at the fox's tail.

The tail flickered.

Nimbly evading the Martial Suppression Saber's edge.

"Pfft!"

At that very moment.

A cloud of pink mist enveloped Fu Shaoping!

Though the sequence seemed slow, only a dozen or so breaths had passed since Fu Shaoping first attacked.

"Shaoping!"

Arriving just in time to see this, Zhou Pan'er bellowed.

But having witnessed what had happened to the old woman, Fu Shaoping had held his breath the instant this Ironwood Fox appeared.

Now.

As its tail lashed toward him again.

He instantly unleashed Tiger Roar Fist.

"Roar!"

A tiger's roar burst from his left fist.

Then it slammed into the Ironwood Fox with a boom.

The Ironwood Fox had never expected Fu Shaoping to resist its illusion. Caught off guard, it plummeted heavily from the tree!

How could Zhou Pan'er let this chance slip away?

All ten fingers flicked in succession.

A series of whistles sliced through the air.

Ten Blood Flying Needles shot out like lightning. The falling Ironwood Fox had only just steadied itself when its tail whipped swiftly toward the dozen or so needles. Nine were knocked aside, but the tenth lagged just a fraction behind.

With a sharp ping.

It pierced straight through the Ironwood Fox's eye!

"Screee!"

The Ironwood Fox cried out in pain.

Realizing it was outmatched.

It immediately tried to flee.

But its escape abruptly slowed as the Blood Flying Needle's poison took effect.

At that moment.

Fu Shaoping shouted.

He leaped down from the tree, and his Martial Suppression Saber swept across the Ironwood Fox's neck with a thud. Its head fell cleanly away, leaving it well and truly dead!

This Ironwood Fox had only one tail.

Its cultivation should have been at the early first tier.

Yet it seemed about the same age as the dead one. They were a male and female pair, but the one with only a single tail was the male!

Although Fu Shaoping had swiftly cut off the Ironwood Fox's head, the Blood Flying Needle's poison still spread throughout its body. Within a few breaths, sizzling sounds of corrosion rose from its flesh, and it dissolved into a puddle of dark green blood.

Fu Shaoping's pupils contracted at the sight.