Chapter 325: Endure Three Strikes, and I

The fox spirit's howl grew even sharper.

As muscles surged, its enormous, hair-raising body stretched out amid the clouds.

Its colossal tail flicked slightly.

From the dark, oppressive clouds, it extended its forepaws; strange array runes hovered above its snowy fur, glowing with a faint luminescence.

A luminous pearl hung before its head, as if it were holding a full moon in its mouth.

White mist flowed from within the pearl, swirling around the fox spirit's body like a luxurious, gauzy veil.

"Hmph, so it can do that."

True Person Qingfeng lifted his head and stopped chewing dried fruit.

Demons do use treasure-artifacts, but most are stolen from cultivators; something specifically forged for a demonic body like this is indeed rare.

Even the aura array woven into its body is present—if I recall correctly, this must be the Xu family's signature technique.

The Qingqiu clan has truly mastered cultivation.

"Using a powerful demonic body plus all sorts of cultivator techniques—isn't that cheating?"

Tang Yuan felt indignant.

He came from a small nation, not as aloof and detached as Mount Wutong; psychologically, he harbored a natural fear of demons.

When the Qingqiu Laozu revealed his demonic form, Tang Yuan could no longer treat him as a cultivator.

Besides, his cultivation level utterly crushed Shen's.

Thinking of this, Tang Yuan silently turned back and glanced at the anxious, speechless figures from Daqian behind him.

Why do the Qingqiu's centuries of accumulation count as the fox spirit's ability, yet Shen Daoxiong's many willing allies are denied use?

How can my master, as a senior, take sides like this?

"Stop muttering to yourself like that."

True Person Qingfeng glanced at his disciple, then turned his gaze to the figure standing with hands at his sides in the sky.

Before the fox spirit, half-hidden in the mist, Shen Yi's aura was nearly negligible.

He must be a Hunyuan Master nearing the upper realm.

True Person Qingfeng didn't believe any concealment technique could evade his eyes.

He knew Shen Yi must be hiding some method.

But no matter what technique, it could never bridge such a vast gulf in cultivation realm.

What truly intrigued True Person Qingfeng was Shen Yi's expression.

Though he appeared casual, he was intensely studying the chaotic array of things on the fox spirit's body.

He was… genuinely thinking about how to strike and kill this fox.

"I've suddenly become interested."

"Three strikes."

True Person Qingfeng set down the dried fruit and raised a finger: "Tell him—if he endures three strikes, I guarantee his life."

That meeting at Bafang Restaurant gave him a slight appreciation for this young man.

Now, seeing him again.

To still be thinking how to win, not how to survive, before the Qingqiu Shenxu Laozu—this kind of spirit is truly admirable.

Three strikes are a threshold.

It proves Shen Yi is confident, not arrogant; he truly has the ability to face a Soul Transformation mid-realm fox spirit.

Hearing this, Tang Yuan quickly waved at the confused Daqian figures within the light-screen, then shouted upward: "Shen Daoxiong! Did you hear that? Endure three strikes!"

His voice drifted out.

The Qingqiu Laozu, whose killing intent had reached its peak, suddenly froze, staring downward in disbelief.

Does Mount Wutong really think it's deaf?

"Aaaah!"

His face twisted into a ferocious snarl; his fury erupted into a roar, and he finally abandoned caution, withdrawing his gaze and glaring fiercely ahead.

At that moment, a flicker of confusion appeared in his eyes.

Because the youth who had just stood with hands at his sides had vanished from his original spot.

His already faint aura was now completely undetectable.

The Qingqiu Laozu instinctively turned his head toward the most vulnerable position for an ambush—but it remained empty.

In an instant, a wisp of wind took form.

Shen Yi held a concealment array disc in his left hand, his right fist clenched.

He stared at the round pearl before him.

Within his wide sleeves, muscles tensed instantly; crimson patterns burst with blood qi.

Boom!

His punch carried the force to shatter mountains and split seas.

It slammed violently onto the massive pearl.

A faint, muffled crack echoed.

A crack spread from his knuckles, rapidly expanding across the entire surface of the pearl.

Like a full moon exploding.

The already hazy sky grew even darker.

"Does that count as one strike?"

Tang Yuan's face lit up with joy as he sharply turned to his master.

"..."

True Person Qingfeng remained silent.

He had said to survive three strikes.

But Shen Yi's performance at this moment clearly showed he intended to first weaken the fox demon's defense.

He was still thinking about how to slay the fox demon, paying no mind whatsoever to the words he had spoken.

The Qiuqiu Shenxu Laozu never expected that in the time it took to merely turn its head, the treasure would be destroyed by a single punch; without the replenishment of the bright pearl, the white mist long veil on its body instantly became much thinner.

"Scoundrel!"

In shock and rage, the array symbols on its twin claws rapidly spread down to its legs.

With the support of the formation, its demon body had already reached an unimaginable, terrifying degree.

"Trap him for this seat!"

The fox demon roared a spell technique from its mouth.

The qi of heaven and earth was seen surging, transforming into five Dragon-Phoenix Bracelets; dark light flickered upon them, and in silence, they locked onto the youth's four limbs and neck.

Just as it swung its palm.

A thorn bracelet met the wind and exploded in size, instantly binding its sharp claws.

Both had unhesitatingly chosen means to restrict the other.

But the gap was unmistakably clear.

With the support of the formation, the thorn bracelet capable of locking the Golden Body Dharma Image surprisingly held for only a dozen or so breaths before being directly torn apart by that fox claw.

Tang Yuan was stunned by the fox demon's terrifying force; he had originally thought this Shenxu Laozu was inferior to the Green Feather Demon Emperor, but with the aid of these techniques, it had actually achieved such a massive increase.

Seeing Shen Yi trapped in place, he simply started fabricating nonsense: "The 'Trap' spell technique is one strike, the palm swing is another; that makes three strikes already!"

"..."

True Person Qingfeng remained silent, lowering one of his three raised fingers.

Up to this point, he had not yet seen any true means capable of supporting Shen Yi's confidence.

Just then, True Person Qingfeng's pupils suddenly twitched.

He saw that at the same moment the fox demon broke free from its restrictions,

the Dragon-Phoenix Bracelet on Shen Yi's right arm also shattered; a spear over a zhang in length appeared in his palm, and dark light covered his entire arm from his fingertips.

In the pitch-black night sky, the Dark Tail Spear was exceptionally conspicuous.

The corners of True Person Qingfeng's mouth twitched twice.

He sensed a very familiar flavor upon it; the owner of that flavor was an existence even he dared not provoke.

Good heavens!

In a flash of lightning, the dark light shattered all the Dragon-Phoenix Bracelets.

Shen Yi raised his eyes, looking at the grotesque giant before him, watching the opponent's palm, as huge as a mountain peak, press down upon him once more.

He chose to dodge no longer.

For that seemingly ordinary palm strike from the fox actually concealed a crushing of realms; under the dense oppression, it was an strike from which there was no escape.

And Shen Yi had invested in the body-refining method of the vast demon blood.

It was precisely for situations like this, to ensure his body could still function normally.

He held the spear with both palms, and his figure shot forth with a thunderous boom!

Conversely, the Qiuqiu Shenxu Laozu sensed the aura of danger; instinctively, it retracted its claw strike, and the formation on its body shifted from offense to defense, protecting its surface.

"Qilin Turtle, protect my body!"

Besides the formation, it hastily activated its most proficient life-saving spell technique.

(End of this chapter)