Monster!
Qin Yangling was utterly horrified. He withdrew his dagger and this time aimed for Lei Xiuyuan’s golden left eye. Suddenly, Lei Xiuyuan’s head drooped, and the dagger struck his forehead with a metallic clang—as if hitting solid iron—jarring Qin Yangling’s hand painfully.
Terrified, he dropped the dagger and scrambled backward. Spiritual energy surged within him as a Tribulation Mirror slowly materialized in his right eye. In an instant, layers of ice several feet thick engulfed Lei Xiuyuan’s figure. Yet, his body erupted with a dazzling golden light, even brighter than during the Martial Competition Tournament. The ice in the cave shimmered gold under its radiance.
Recalling his previous humiliating defeat, Qin Yangling immediately summoned his jade flute beneath his feet. This was no place to linger! Where was Zhen Yunzi?! If he stayed a moment longer, he’d witness this boy’s true form—what else could it be but a Demon?! He shot toward the cave’s exit, but mere moments after fleeing, a deafening crash of shattering ice echoed behind him. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat. Not daring to look back, he fled desperately.
Birds in the mountains took flight in panic as waves of Demon Qi surged. Monsters within a hundred-mile radius were frantically fleeing in all directions. Just as Qin Yangling gaped in shock, an immense force seized his belt. Helpless as a chick snatched by an eagle, he was dragged back into the cave and slammed onto the shattered ice, nearly blacking out from the impact.
Through his blurred vision, a foot appeared—wreathed in raging golden light, as if coated in thick golden flames. Dazed, Qin Yangling slowly lifted his head and met Lei Xiuyuan’s golden pupils. His entire body was enveloped in that eerie, frigid radiance, evoking an indescribable dread. A primal terror seized Qin Yangling—he wasn’t human! What was he?!
Lei Xiuyuan studied him briefly before glancing around. Suddenly, he spoke: “Where’s Li Fei?”
Qin Yangling panted for a long moment before trembling out, “I’ll tell you—just don’t hurt me!”
Lei Xiuyuan regarded him indifferently. The golden light wreathing his body gradually dimmed, retracting inward until he appeared no different from usual—yet somehow altered. The gash on his neck had vanished without a trace, and the blood that had covered half his face was now gone.
Qin Yangling watched in horror as Lei Xiuyuan’s neatly tied hair suddenly loosened. Two slender black horns, about three to four inches long, slowly emerged from his temples, lying smoothly against his ears.
Black horns? He… he’d seen this form somewhere before…
Stunned, he stared as Lei Xiuyuan crouched beside him. A lock of hair brushed Qin Yangling’s face, and the delicate black horns lent an otherworldly air to his features. His expressionless face was terrifying, stirring a soul-deep fear that left no room for escape.
From the corner of his eye, Qin Yangling spotted the bronze Yaksa mask he’d worn earlier lying discarded in a corner. His mouth fell open as he gaped mutely at Lei Xiuyuan—truly, not a single word could escape him.
“Speak. I won’t harm you.” Lei Xiuyuan’s voice was calm, betraying neither anger nor joy.Qin Yangling covered his face in terror, his voice trembling as if he were crying: "She... she was taken by Zhen Yunzi! And... and! Zhen Yunzi took someone else too! Someone wearing a Star Rectitude Hall disciple uniform! I told you everything! I don’t know what he plans to do! From the moment I met him, he told me nothing! He just offered to help me! I don’t know where he went! I really know nothing at all!"
He waited for a long while but heard no response. Trembling, he peeked through his fingers, only to see Lei Xiuyuan cast three golden Healing nets over Ye Ye and the other two. Immediately after, he grabbed Zheng Xu Zhang Lao’s corpse and tossed it lightly into the air. His body suddenly transformed into a streak of golden light, shooting upward before crashing back down in an instant. Qin Yangling watched in horror as Zheng Xu Zhang Lao’s body burst into a rain of blood, splattering across the ground without even a trace of bone left behind.
Lei Xiuyuan opened his palm and clenched it lightly, as if grasping something unseen before crushing it. Then his icy gaze fell upon Qin Yangling once more.
"I promised not to harm you," he said in a low voice. "I am a man of my word. So, I will only kill you."
Qin Yangling’s heart seemed to stop, his body going limp as Lei Xiuyuan tossed him up just like Zheng Xu Zhang Lao. The last words he heard in this world were: "Don’t worry, it won’t hurt at all."
Li Fei felt as though every bone in her body had shattered. The excruciating pain tormented her, making her faint only to wake again from the agony. Her vision was blurred and disoriented, but she hazily sensed Zhen Yunzi carrying her to an open area. The sea breeze brushed against her, the scent of the ocean enveloping her, gradually clearing her mind.
Dazed, she looked up at the blue sky. They seemed to be on a wide cliff, where a massive boulder stood at the edge, naturally formed and covered in countless carved inscriptions, though she couldn’t make them out clearly.
The next moment, her body was carelessly thrown forward. The Dragon Imprisoning Lock bound her, suspending her in midair on a cross-shaped Earthen Frame. Blood dripped down, staining the ground beneath her. Struggling to lift her head, Li Fei saw Ji Tongzhou gently placed on the ground by Zhen Yunzi. He was also covered in blood, his face pale and eyes closed, as if severely injured.
Zhen Yunzi cast a Healing net over him, clearly not intending to kill him. Li Fei secretly sighed in relief, watching as Zhen Yunzi stood and walked toward the boulder. He traced the inscriptions with his fingers and murmured, "In the past, Qing Cheng Xian Ren took the Nine-tailed Fox overseas. Today, I, Zhen Yunzi, shall refine the Nine-tailed Fox into a Mystical Treasure. From this moment on, whether in cultivation or knowledge, none shall ever surpass me!"
Qing Cheng Xian Ren took the Nine-tailed Fox overseas?! Li Fei shuddered, suddenly more alert. Did the Nine-tailed Fox refer to Ri Yan? Had he gone overseas with Qing Cheng Xian Ren?!
After muttering to himself for a while, Zhen Yunzi’s fingertips glowed with golden light as he began carving new words into the boulder: "Zhen Yunzi of the Star Rectitude Hall Profound School refined the Nine-tailed Fox Ri Yan here!"Li Fei stared in horror as he approached her, gripping a snow-white Mystic Sword in his hand. Once unsheathed, the blade revealed itself to be incredibly slender, gleaming like autumn waters, radiant and divine. Zhen Yunzi flicked the blade lightly with his finger, producing a cold, resonant hum. Immediately after, his spiritual energy surged onto the sword, and with a flash of icy light, the blade mercilessly pierced Li Fei’s abdomen.
Strangely, she felt no pain. The slender sword, infused with spiritual energy, silently churned waves of spiritual energy fluctuation within her body. Zhen Yunzi was actually attempting to forcibly refine a living person?!
A Celestial’s spiritual energy was domineering and unrestrained, especially when used to refine a living being. Li Fei felt agony in every limb, every meridian—her entire Eight Extraordinary Meridians were wracked with pain. This torment was unlike anything she had ever experienced, as if her body were being endlessly crushed and shredded. The earlier pain of her bones nearly breaking now seemed like a mere tickle in comparison.
She couldn’t help but scream, her body convulsing violently. Her hands clenched desperately onto the Dragon Imprisoning Lock, her wrists dislocating instantly from the force of her struggles. Yet, she could no longer feel anything—only the excruciating, grinding pain that ceaselessly ravaged her.
Zhen Yunzi watched her with fervor. Finally, it was his! The Nine-tailed Fox! He had waited nearly a century for this moment! He had endured and remained silent for too long, so long that he had almost forgotten the supreme pleasure of standing at the pinnacle. Everything he had lost was now about to return to his grasp! To lose and regain, or to gain and lose—both were the extremes of this world, one bringing joy, the other suffering. He had experienced both. Once the Mystical Treasure was refined, his cultivation would stabilize, and his power would advance immeasurably.
"Senior Zhen Yunzi." The unconscious prince behind him seemed to have awakened. Witnessing a living person being refined, he showed no shock or alarm—remarkably composed.
Zhen Yunzi didn’t turn around. A mere junior disciple, no matter how prodigious, posed no threat to him. He replied indifferently, "Awake? The cold poison runs rampant in your body, but as a fire-attribute Spirit Root, you should be able to expel it yourself."
Ji Tongzhou slowly walked to his side. The sound of Li Fei’s agonized screams filled his ears, yet he didn’t look up, only asking quietly, "May I ask... what are you doing?"
Zhen Yunzi smirked coldly. "Out of respect for your relation to Senior Xuan Shan and as the beloved disciple of Senior Wu Zheng, I’ve spared your life. You are a disciple of Star Rectitude Hall—you know what truly matters. If you’re wise, you’ll pretend you saw nothing today and leave. I’ll let you go."
Ji Tongzhou bowed deeply to him, then immediately took to Sword flying. Zhen Yunzi smiled—so the boy knew his place! But in the next instant, a blade of pitch-black flames slashed through the Dragon Imprisoning Lock, tongues of fire lashing out before him—utterly black! This child actually possessed the Profound Splendor Fire?!
Even Zhen Yunzi dared not confront the Profound Splendor Fire head-on. He swiftly withdrew his sword and retreated. Ji Tongzhou scooped Li Fei into his arms and attempted to flee, but Zhen Yunzi would never allow a junior disciple to escape right before his eyes. His snow-white sword suddenly elongated, and a piercing chill shot toward Ji Tongzhou’s back. Dodging the fatal strike, Ji Tongzhou took the blow head-on.Li Fei suddenly felt the excruciating pain in her body lessen considerably. Gasping weakly and barely conscious, she opened her eyes to see Ji Tongzhou's face hovering extremely close in her blurred vision. Blood dripped from his lips, falling onto her face drop by drop. With a sudden burst of strength, he hurled her away, then swiftly turned back on his flying sword. A massive black wall of flames erupted across the cliff face, accompanied by deafening explosions as the mountain fire's tremors engulfed the entire precipice. The dark flames obscured her vision—she could no longer see him.
Where was her spiritual energy? Her spiritual energy?! Circulate faster! Li Fei could no longer hold back and directly activated Spirit Absorption. Instantly, spiritual energy flooded her body. With a thought, the Horn of the Rhinoceros materialized beneath her, catching her weakened, falling body. The agony of being torn apart still lingered within her, her organs feeling as if they had been twisted to shreds. She clutched her abdomen tightly, screaming in pain.
Gritting her teeth, she reset her dislocated wrist. The Horn of the Rhinoceros carried her swiftly back toward the cliff. She shouted, "Zhen Yunzi! I'm here!"
The black flames and thick smoke slowly dissipated, revealing Ji Tongzhou's furious face. He roared, "Why did you come back?!"
Before his voice faded, Zhen Yunzi's slender sword pierced through his right chest. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed, unable to hold on any longer. Li Fei caught him, casting a Healing Net over him. Pressing his head down, she snapped, "Stay still!"
Zhen Yunzi flicked the blood from his sword, his burning gaze fixed on her in silence, as if preparing to form the Dragon Imprisoning Lock seal.
Li Fei met his stare coldly. This man had pursued her relentlessly since childhood, like a festering wound. Lei Xiuyuan had been right—even if he did nothing, she would spend her life in constant fear. He would always remember she had a Nine-tailed Fox, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. With him around, the six of them would never live in peace.
She refused to continue like this—hiding like a turtle in its shell, praying her luck would hold, pretending nothing would ever happen.
Of course it would happen! When least expected, it would strike, shattering all illusions of peace.
"No need for the Dragon Imprisoning Lock!" Li Fei spread her arms. "I won't hide or run. Go ahead and refine me!"
Zhen Yunzi studied her thoughtfully, as if weighing her sincerity. Truthfully, the Dragon Imprisoning Lock sealed her spiritual energy, making refining inconvenient for him as well. But was this little girl trying to trick him?
Li Fei sneered, "Still hesitating?"
Zhen Yunzi suddenly found it amusing. A mere disciple at the third bottleneck—what could she possibly do even if she tried to deceive him? His slender sword abruptly extended, plunging once more into her abdomen.
The tearing agony surged through her again. Clenching her teeth, she gripped the blade tightly. The Horn of the Rhinoceros manifested in her palm, and as her fingertips brushed its tip, it voraciously devoured his overwhelming, domineering spiritual energy like a whale swallowing the sea.
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