Volume Three: Rising Fame - Chapter Fifty-Four: The Old Fox

The Snow Fox Demon Vine was the primary objective of this expedition—so vital that everything else in the secret realm could be forsaken, but the vine had to be obtained at all costs.

Yet, after locating and securing it, Ying Yongge had reduced it to ash.

Li Yu drew a sharp breath. He said nothing more, his gaze cold and lethal as he locked eyes with the culprit before him.

Under that stare, Ying Yongge could not help but take a step back. However, reminded of his own status, a flicker of unnatural pride surfaced, and he stepped forward once more. He was well aware of the Snow Fox Demon Vine’s importance to Li Yu. While its grade might not always be exceptionally high, its utility was profound—it was, effectively, a panacea for all toxins.

The Great Ming Imperial Palace possessed only a meager reserve, a testament to its rarity. However, since the entire secret realm belonged to the Imperial House, they believed that with careful cultivation of the white foxes, future harvests of the Snow Fox Demon Vine would be as bountiful as vegetables in a field, ready to be reaped season after season.

Thus, during their recent skirmish, Ying Yongge had intentionally permeated his fire aura toward Li Yu’s chest. While it could not penetrate Li Yu’s protective lightning, it was effortless to incinerate a few spirit plants that lacked sturdy defenses.

He had achieved his goal, but it seemed the consequences were more than he could bear. A trace of fear flickered in Ying Yongge’s eyes.

"You really are in a hurry to meet the King of Hell!"

Li Yu advanced through the void step by step. Though his pace appeared measured, each stride covered a vast distance, and in a heartbeat, he reached the Ninth Prince.

"The King of Hell? What is that?"

Before he could ponder further, an attack, laden with crackling lightning, descended with swift and ferocious intensity. Ying Yongge, startled back to reality, barely managed to cross his meteor hammer in front of him. In the next moment, amidst the roar of thunder, his figure was sent flying backward, slamming violently into the deep snow.

A blur flashed past.

Li Yu pursued him closely, descending into the humanoid crater carved into the snow.

"Boom!"

The power of lightning rippled outward. The accumulated snow exploded under the raging force, transforming back into a fine mist of flakes that filled the air. A vast, white void obscured the scene, leaving only the relentless thundering sounds echoing within. Occasionally, when white light flared, two figures could be vaguely seen moving at blinding speed.

"This..."

A long silence passed before a voice finally spoke.

"Is the Lightning Bloodline truly this formidable?"

"Is... is His Highness being suppressed?"

No one answered. They stared unblinkingly at the rapidly thickening white mist. As the shockwaves rolled out, the surrounding group was swept into this snowy expanse. When visibility cleared momentarily, they only caught glimpses of one figure relentlessly pummeling the other.

As the lopsided battle unfolded, they wondered: could His Highness possibly gain the upper hand? They knew, however, that this was merely wishful thinking. Whether it was the flamboyant arcs of lightning or the figure that resembled Li Yu’s, everything pointed to one conclusion: Li Yu held absolute dominance.

"What should we do?"

No one answered. If a Fifth-Rank cultivator were soaring through the sky using a spirit domain, those in the party—mostly Seventh-Rank—would be unable to intervene. But even now, with the Fifth-Rank combatants on the ground, they realized with despair that they were still helpless; the sharp, stray fluctuations of energy alone were enough to pierce them with pain.

"Whoosh!"

While they were paralyzed by indecision, no one noticed a figure, nearly blended into the swirling snow, moving with blinding speed around the periphery. Every time it halted, another member of their group lost their life.

...

"Do you truly believe I wouldn't dare to kill you?"

Li Yu’s long sword had returned to its scabbard. Wearing his gauntlets, he rained blow after blow upon Ying Yongge’s meteor hammer.

"Bang!"

Another vicious strike landed on the hammer with a dull thud. The sheer force sent a tremor through Ying Yongge, who held the weapon, causing him to vomit blood and stumble back repeatedly.

Li Yu remained expressionless, his feet light as he stayed glued to the Ninth Prince, ensuring that every punch landed squarely on his target.

"Damn it, why is he acting like a madman?"

Ying Yongge felt a surge of regret. Even during their life-or-death duel moments ago, the assault hadn't been this intense. Why was he acting as if possessed just because a few vines were destroyed? He had assumed that when Li Yu sheathed his sword, it meant the man didn't dare to commit murder. He hadn't expected Li Yu to think that finishing him with a single blade strike wouldn't be satisfying enough—so he had sheathed his sword to beat him to death with his bare fists instead!

Li Yu said nothing. After a brief exchange with Can Yishuang, his brow suddenly furrowed.

"What is that? Come out!"

Li Yu roared, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.

Ying Yongge, seeing Li Yu’s assault pause, had intended to seize the opportunity to recover, but the sudden shift in Li Yu’s demeanor caught his attention. He frowned, then realized the cause of the sudden reaction: a pungent scent of blood had begun to permeate the air.

Moments ago, no such stench had existed. While the blood of white foxes was red and identical to that of humans, its scent was notoriously acrid and stinging to the nose. Moreover, the only humans in the vicinity were… his own subordinates?

Ying Yongge’s expression shifted, and he activated his spirit domain to soar into the sky. Li Yu did not stop him, standing his ground as he scanned the perimeter with caution.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly sensing something, Li Yu looked up at Ying Yongge, who was ascending to break through the snowy mist of the battlefield.

"Pfft!"

Ying Yongge let out a muffled groan, his figure stumbling in mid-air as a spray of blood erupted.

"What was that?"

Li Yu narrowed his eyes. He had barely caught a glimpse of a black shadow vaulting past… No, it wasn't flight—it was a leap! If it had been flight, it would have moved in a straight line, not an arc.

"That aged voice from earlier… it must have come from this white fox, not that robust leader from before…"

Li Yu pondered, a realization dawning. Though he had only caught a fleeting glimpse, he was certain it was not humanoid. The only things that could move in this area were the white foxes.

How could one tolerate another sleeping on one's own doorstep? The white fox clan occupied this territory, so it could not be any other beast. And this fox’s strength far exceeded that of the robust one from earlier; clearly, this was the alpha, the King of the White Foxes.

After all, a Fifth-Rank white fox was an extreme rarity. An average adult fox only reached the Seventh Rank. What kind of fortune must this one have encountered to reach the Fifth Rank?

Li Yu’s expression turned solemn, lightning crackling within a three-meter radius around him. Only then did he feel a sliver of security.