novelraw Chapter 487 - 276: The Fox Race’s Upheaval
Chapter 487 - 276: The Fox Race’s Upheaval
After Li Mu finished the arrangement, with the waterfall as the center, a small half of the entire mountain was covered in Zhen Ice.
Half the mountain stood like an ice sculpture, exuding a chilling aura.
If viewed from outside, concealed by the array, it was impossible to detect the changes within.
Seeing that the Zhen Ice had ceased expanding, Li Mu stood guard.
Three days later, Li Mu suddenly opened his eyes and dodged to the side.
Bang!
The sharp ice cone broke through the cave, fragments of ice continuously rolled to the ground, producing a series of dull sounds.
Frowning, Li Mu flew directly to the edge of the cave and looked inside.
He saw a little fox, entirely jade white, crawling out. Li Mu extended his hand, and the little fox also stretched out its paw. As spiritual power swept in, the little fox was scooped out from the cave by Li Mu.
The moment it left the ice cave, its nine tails spread out simultaneously, making Li Mu’s heart tremble.
"Xue’Er?"
The little fox merely licked its lips and didn’t respond to Li Mu’s call; instead, it nuzzled affectionately against his feet, then lifted its paw.
Li Mu quickly moved his leg away.
Looking at Xue’Er’s current state, Li Mu didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad for her. If she could temporarily forget about her mother’s death and live carefreely, it would be a relief for Xue’Er.
"Let’s go. If those people come over, we won’t be able to escape."
As Li Mu beckoned, the little fox jumped onto his body. Judging from her demeanor, she seemed to regard Li Mu as her "mother."
Li Mu summoned the Earth Element Spirit Ship with a sudden thought in mind, leaving a few small puppets in place. Then, he drove away at full speed, leaving the perilous battlefield behind.
Half an hour after Li Mu left, disciples of the Nine Demons Sect appeared at the foot of the gigantic mountain.
"What kind of lousy task is this!"
"Exactly, with the Profound Celestial Sword Sect’s coalition in disarray, we’re on the verge of counter-attacking, yet they threw us into this deep forest and wilderness."
"Damn it! Commander, did you offend someone important?"
...
There were ten disciples of the Nine Demons Sect in total, all at Nascent Soul Demon Monarch strength, cursing incessantly.
The team leader was a Late-Stage Divinity Transformation Demon Venerable. Hearing his subordinates’ speculations, he also appeared resigned.
"Stop your whining. Let me tell you, this is not some menial task."
"If we went to the Profound Celestial Sword Sect’s battlefield, we’d just kill a few more of their disciples and barely earn some grim credits."
"However, if we find the corpse of a High-Tier Demon Race here, that would be a monumental achievement, unless you kill Steward Fang from the Profound Celestial Sword Sect, then you might compare."
The nine were taken aback upon hearing this.
"Really?"
The captain, seeing their attention redirected, smiled.
"Of course, last time when the bigshots of the Demon Abyss took action, it caused infighting among the Demon Race. Our Nine Demons Sect intercepted quite a few corpses and captured numerous Demon Race experts. In just a few days, they’ll all be our Nine Demons Sect’s puppets."
"The only missing piece is the clan leader of the Snow Fox Race. That old injured fox can really run; we’ve already sent the fifth batch of people searching."
"Stay sharp, capturing this old fox would be a major merit!"
It didn’t take long for the Nine Demons Sect disciples to discover the traces left by Xue’Er’s transformation and promptly report it back to the sect.
Meanwhile, the puppets Li Mu left behind recorded everything.
Unfortunately, the Earth Element Spirit Ship was too fast; to relay the message, they first needed to locate Li Mu.
Over thirty puppets received the message and rushed towards the direction of Yin Yang Valley.
At this moment, Li Mu was still on the Earth Element Spirit Ship. Watching the frolicking Xue’Er, Li Mu was uncertain whether to worry or be joyous.
"Whimper."
The little fox called out twice, snuggling at Li Mu’s feet, breathed out a chill, and instantly encased Li Mu’s feet in Zhen Ice.
Li Mu’s mouth twitched slightly.
"Again!"
He shook off the shackles of Zhen Ice immediately; the little fox was startled and darted into the depths of the Earth Element Spirit Ship, clearly indicating that it hadn’t tired of the game of catch.
Li Mu was truly annoyed. Whether it was urinating at his feet earlier or deliberately freezing his feet now, this little fox was doing it on purpose!
Today, it will surely get a good spanking!
Li Mu unleashed his powers, and familiar with the Earth Element Spirit Ship, it took only ten breaths for the little fox to be cornered.
The little fox squatted in place, curled all nine tails at its feet, and lowered its head, appearing pitiful.
This tactic had often gotten it through before, but not this time as Li Mu was not indulging it!
He grabbed her from the ground and was about to smack her behind.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
"If you dare hit me, I’ll let her out, and you’ll be heartbroken then!"
"Still sobbing, it’s quite amusing."
The little fox suddenly spoke, startling Li Mu as he gently caressed the little fox.
"You can talk?"
The little fox shot Li Mu a glance.
"Of course, I’m a Nine-tailed Fox, inherently noble. Your Human Race language isn’t difficult, I picked it up in a few tries."
Li Mu flicked it sharply on its head.
"Where’s Xue’Er?"
The little fox winced with pain, laying on Li Mu’s leg, and its nine tails drooped as it yawned.
"You mean my little sister. Mother passed away, and she’s sad, crying. If I hadn’t intervened, the treasure Mother left would have been missed."
"Alas, my useless sister, it’s her turn to rest now."
"Do you want to comfort her?"
This question left Li Mu feeling troubled.
Releasing Xue’Er now was indeed inappropriate; some things aren’t for outsiders to meddle with.
It required Xue’Er to figure it out on her own for a true understanding.
"Alright, when I come up with something to say, you must let her out."
The little fox yawned again, rubbing its head against Li Mu’s arm.
"Controlling the body is so boring. You think I enjoy it?"
Though it seemed like idle chatter, it was actually taking advantage of a moment when Li Mu relaxed his guard, then darted away with a swoosh.
Li Mu’s mouth twitched slightly, the little fox had frozen his hand.
Li Mu shook his hand, breaking the Zhen Ice on it, and shook his hand, his arm feeling a bit chilly.
Even though Li Mu only had Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivation, his full-level Spirit Devouring Body Nourishing Technique made his body much stronger than that of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator. The sharpness and speed developed by the little fox, although at the juvenile stage, were limited in strength, yet Zhen Ice could already influence his actions. In the future, if nurtured, it would surely become a significant asset for him.
Li Mu got up, stopped playing with the little fox, and rummaged through his various spirit seeds.
[Nine Nether Frost Grass]
[Grade: Tier Six Spirit Seed]
[Attributes: Nine Nether Frost Breath, Tough Grass Welcomes the Cold, without extreme cold, there would be no such form.]
[Status: Well-preserved, full of vitality.]
[The Nine Nether Frost Grass grows in extremely cold regions. After enduring three thousand years of frost and frigid weather, it eventually shapes its frosty form. This grass, which withers all other plants, stands as the sole ruler of frostlands. This item is used for awakening spiritual wisdom and comprehending Dao, even acts as a catalyst for some in the Demon Race to break through their cocoons and transform into butterflies.]
This Nine Nether Frost Grass was well-suited for the little fox now, yet whether her body could withstand the Tier Six Spirit Plant’s effects remained uncertain.
After pondering for a moment, Li Mu decided to store the spirit seed in the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion for the time being.
It was not the best time to cultivate the Nine Nether Frost Grass.
The outbreak of the battle between the Nine Demons Sect and the Profound Celestial Sword Sect made Yin Yang Valley unsafe, not to mention the need to nurture the Nine Nether Frost Grass diligently for fifty years and irrigate it for another thirty to fully grow.
At least eighty years in total; he couldn’t stay in Yin Yang Valley for that long.
As for inside the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion, the frosty nature of the Nine Nether Frost Grass wanted to freeze the surrounding plants, virtually destroying other spirit plants, so Li Mu wasn’t keen on losing a watermelon to grasp a sesame seed.
"Well then, need to try my luck at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion."
Li Mu shelved his thoughts and patiently awaited the Earth Element Spirit Ship’s return to Yin Yang Valley.
In reality, Elder Jin Ling’s death did not impact Li Mu much, after all, they only met once and hadn’t developed feelings.
Unfortunately, the original trade plan was canceled due to the Snow Fox Race’s downfall.
With the Nine Demons Sect’s heavy siege, Elder Jin Ling couldn’t escape their grasp; the other members of the Snow Fox Race were likely in dire straits.