The newcomer was an old man with an ethereal, immortal-like presence, his white beard and eyebrows giving him an air of formidable prowess.
When he made his move, it was nothing short of extraordinary.
With a simple gesture, his hands formed a seal, and the massive iron hammer on his back soared into the air on its own.
With a single, effortless strike, it shattered a large boulder into fragments.
The debris flew like the sharpest of blades, but the Venerable Fox-Slayer remained unfazed.
With a gentle lift of his hand, a barrier gathered all the scattered fragments into a neat pile, calmly placed by the roadside.
Kuang Yuanwei was overjoyed, his face brimming with reverence.
He introduced the figure to the other members of the demon-hunting team:
“This is the Venerable Fox-Slayer the undisputed leader of the Wanderers’ Guild in all of Northern Juzhou and among the rogue cultivators of the region! Centuries ago, when the fox clan still thrived, the Fox-Slaying Venerable wielded that great iron hammer to crush countless seductive fox demons who bewitched human hearts!”
Jiang Ke’er shuddered, her face paling as she tucked her tail tightly.
Venerable Fox-Slayer merely smiled faintly, as if accustomed to such praise.
“Legend has it,” Kuang Yuanwei continued, his face full of admiration, “that within a thousand miles, the Venerable can smell the stench of a fox demon’s allure. In an instant, he can appear and smash them into fox paste!”
Jiang Ke’er’s face grew even paler.
She cautiously stuffed her large tail into her pants.
“Do you know the oath the Venerable Fox-Slayer took when he embarked on his path?” Kuang Yuanwei asked with a mysterious smile.
He then provided the answer, bowing respectfully to the Venerable. “On the day of his initiation, before the Platform of the Dao, the Venerable Fox-Slayer swore an oath to the Heavens: ‘If the fox demons do not perish, I shall!’ This unwavering resolve to eradicate foxes has allowed him to transcend the mundane and reach the extraordinary realm he stands in today. Truly admirable!”
Jiang Ke’er’s legs went weak.
Her face drained of color, she leaned against a tree, trembling so much she barely dared to breathe, terrified that the Venerable Fox-Slayer might catch the scent of her fox nature.
What horrified her even more was the glance he cast her way, his expression carrying a cryptic, knowing look.
Jiang Ke’er nearly burst into tears.
She didn’t want to be turned into fox paste!
“Let’s head down first,” the Venerable Fox-Slayer said.
“We’ll scout the situation below and set up an ambush formation as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, sir!” Kuang Yuanwei and the others promptly agreed.
The rest of the demon-hunting team entered first, followed by the Venerable Fox-Slayer, who leapt in.
Kuang Yuanwei hurried to Jiang Ke’er’s side and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
“Hm? Why are you trembling?” Kuang Yuanwei noticed something was off with her.
“I… I’m cold,” Jiang Ke’er quickly lied.
“It’s already the third day. I led you to the dragon vein—shouldn’t you give me the antidote now?”
“We’ll talk about the antidote after we capture that dragon clan saintess,” Kuang Yuanwei replied vaguely, though he seemed to understand why she was shaking.
It must be the cold poison acting up.
Still carrying Jiang Ke’er, he jumped into the cave’s entrance.
As soon as they entered, Jiang Ke’er felt a stinging pain on her skin, and breathing became difficult, as if the air itself was laced with iron grit.
“Never have I seen such dense metallic spiritual energy!” Even the Venerable Fox-Slayer couldn’t hide his astonishment.
After Kuang Yuanwei set Jiang Ke’er down, she looked around and realized the underground space was vast—not like a natural cave, but more like a man-made subterranean palace.
The surrounding walls were etched with golden patterns, with arcs of electricity flickering within them.
“Natural dragon patterns—this is the place!” Kuang Yuanwei exclaimed, his face alight with ecstasy as he gazed at the electric arcs on the walls.
The Venerable Fox-Slayer closed his eyes, his fingers forming a seal as he murmured, “Xun above, Zhen below—Wind and Thunder, the hexagram of Increase, moderately auspicious… The time has come, fortunes are turning, like withered wood bursting into bloom! This is a place of transformation!”
The Venerable Fox-Slayer burst into laughter: “The omen speaks: Venture boldly to achieve great deeds, turn danger into fortune without fear! This place is perfect for taking a grand risk!”
His laughter echoed through the palace, and the golden dragon patterns on the walls seemed to shimmer in response.
Kuang Yuanwei’s face lit up with joy.
“Even the heavens are on our side!”
Jiang Ke’er noticed that directly beneath the cave’s entrance was a stone with golden veins, shaped like a dragon’s head, facing the opening.
It looked as if it could spring from the ground and soar out at any moment.
The Venerable Fox-Slayer kicked the dragon-head stone with disdain.
“Who knows when this young dragon vein was nurtured here. It seems those fools in the Eastern Divine Continent didn’t purge thoroughly enough… Once we’ve slain that demon dragon, I’ll call for someone to come and destroy this dragon vein to prevent future trouble.”
“Naturally,” Kuang Yuanwei nodded in agreement.
“The sky is already brightening,” the Venerable Fox-Slayer said.
“At noon, when the fire energy peaks, that demon dragon will arrive here, and the major sects will follow. We must prepare our formations before then. Come with me to set up the array.”
“Yes, sir!” Kuang Yuanwei and the others replied in unison.
Kuang Yuanwei glanced at Jiang Ke’er.
“Stay here quietly and don’t cause trouble. We’ll be back soon.”
“Mm.” Jiang Ke’er nodded reluctantly.
“I’ve already fulfilled my promise. The antidote…”
“Enough nonsense! You’ll get it after we kill the demon dragon!” Kuang Yuanwei snapped impatiently.
If not for his interest in the bizarre knowledge in Jiang Ke’er’s head, which he believed still had some use, he would have dealt with her long ago.
Besides, the poison was incurable.
As Kuang Yuanwei left the underground palace, a mocking smile curled his lips.
How naive, this little demon, still clinging to hope of survival.
How clever he was, using a fake antidote to exploit her fully, making her work tirelessly for him.
Jiang Ke’er couldn’t guess Kuang Yuanwei’s smugness, nor did she have time to.
With the Venerable Fox-Slayer and the demon-hunting team gone, this was a rare opportunity!
She had to act quickly, before they finished setting their trap, to form a blood pact with the treasures of the three major sects and lay her own trap!
She pulled out a spiritual cloth, an array template, and a dagger.
Gritting her teeth, she gripped the dagger and pricked her fingertip.
Blood flowed out, and Jiang Ke’er, unwilling to waste a single drop, hurriedly began copying the array template, drawing the blood pact formation on the spiritual cloth with her own blood.
As she worked, her ears perked up, locked on the cave’s entrance, listening for any sound in case they suddenly returned.
But misfortune struck.
“A blood pact formation?”
The Venerable Fox-Slayer’s voice came from behind her.
Unnoticed, he had appeared, crouching down and watching her with a sly smile.
Jiang Ke’er jolted in fright.
It was over.
She was going to be fox paste.
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