The mist coiled low against the forest floor. It hid the surrounding area completely, leaving only thin rays of light to illuminate the place.
Li Juanxin clutched Fluffy close, his tiny fingers buried in the fox's thick fur, his body slightly trembling. Juanxin was happy to come on this journey but he was still a little bit afraid of Liu Xiong.
Now that he has been away from home for a day, his mind became restless.
"Keep your steps light , don't let your footsteps echo loudly and make it easier to hear any noise." Liu Xiong advised him.
Juanxin gave him an uneasy look before nodding in agreement.
Liu Xiong observed Juanxin carefully and sighs. He was never good with children. He didn't have the gentle expression nor the warm voice like most parents did. Therefore, he was easily mistaken as intimidating.
"We'll reach our destination in just a few hours. Just focus on keeping yourself calm and follow my orders." he ordered
Juanxin glanced up at him nervously.
"Do you remember everything I told you earlier? Most things in this forest respond to emotions, if you're frightened they would take you as an easy target. The sooner we find the blood lotus fruit, the earlier you get to go back to your father and brothers." He added reassuringly.
"I'm not scared. I'm only feeling kind of nervous because it's my first time being out here alone." Juanxin replied nervously with a small smile.
Before he could say anything further, there was a sudden commotion from behind them. Liu Xiong frowned and turned his head, his gaze falling on a wolf pack. Their yellow eyes glowing like embers in the dimness. The leader was a hulking black furred alpha. Twelve others fanned out around it with their breath steaming in cold air.
Without hesitating, he grabbed Juanxin by the waist and ran into the nearest thicket to hide and observe. With his strength, such low level creatures wouldn't dare come near him. But now his aura was suppressed to the absolute minimum.
"What are those things?! Are they a wolf pack?!" Juanxin exclaimed, he had never seen a live wolf except for those drawn in books.
"Yes, but don't worry about it. They're weak, I can dispatch them in half a minute." Liu Xiong thought for a moment before continuing: "Stay hidden, I'll handle this quickly."
Liu Xiong wanted to flatten the wolf pack in seconds. He didn't want such useless creatures to delay their journey. But he glanced briefly at Juanxin's delicate figure. Tearing through the wolves with brutal force would only unsettle the already timid child.
"No way." Juanxin shook his head. Even when it was safe in the thicket, he still wanted to follow behind. Plus, Liu Xiong said they were weak. This was the time for him to prove himself: "Let me handle it."
Liu Xiong narrowed his eyes, he thought he'd misheard. But then, he heard Juanxin repeat what he said: "Let me handle it."
"You?" Liu Xiong asked incredulously. How exactly could a seven year old with average strength be capable of taking care of a large group of wolves by himself? He was well aware of Li Juanxin conditions and stated the obvious:
"These wolves are level 2 and their strength is equal to that of a late stage Qi Gathering cultivator. Your light root won't allow you to use strong attacks skills without harming your healing ability."
Li Juanxin shook his head vigorously: "Don't worry I understand the risks! That's why Father gave me Fluffy. And... We've been training. We can do this."
At his name, Fluffy's ear perked and all its three tails rose high. Its red eyes glowed brightly and the fox gave a confident yip, as if to say leave it to us.
Liu Xiong looked at him skeptically but said nothing else. He just stood on the said watch. With him here, even if the situation gets out of hand, he would definitely be able to protect these two little ones.
Li Juanxin moved quickly, crouching behind a giant tree. Through the spiritual link of their contract, his awareness expanded. He could oversee the battlefield not only through his own eyes but also from Fluffy's vantage point. As he scanned the surroundings, he could sense each wolf's position, and their pacing.
He drew a quick set of inscription lines into the soil with his finger. Boosting agility and reflex speed. He didn't want to waste his spiritual energy but also didn't have the main mixture to make the inscription work properly.
Therefore, he did what he was most afraid of; he bit his finger open causing a drop of crimson liquid to trickle onto the ground. The blood started to drip through the lines of the inscription. Once the inscription was complete, he pressed his palm to the final sigil. The inscription activated and flared briefly before vanishing into Fluffy's paws.
"Go!" Juanxin commanded.
Fluffy shot forward, jumping through trees like lightning, heading straight toward the center of the pack.
"Left sidestep, tail sweep!" Juanxin shouted.
Fluffy's tail swiped at the left side, causing a gust of wind to blow in the direction of the wolves. knocking the nearest wolf backwards sending it crashing into the trunk of a nearby tree. The wolves finally reacted and closed in on Fluffy.
"Front pounce, slash the muzzle." Juanxin instructed, his eyes glued on the scene before him.
Fluffy jumped over, its claws slashing down across the throat of a wolf. Blood sprayed all over the place and the dead animal fell to the ground. Juanxin frowned in discomfort, the sight of blood made him sick to his stomach. But he decided to overcome his nausea and continue watching.
A single wolf managed to crawl out from its hole and lunge at the back of Fluffy. It leapt towards its prey while it had its back facing Juanxin.
Juanxin's mind tracked it instantly: "Backflip, watch out!"
Fluffy obeyed without hesitation. Its small body coiled and leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the wolf which flew past it.
Juanxin breathed a sigh of relief. Through their connection, he could feel Fluffy excitement and its satisfaction in each landed strike. This was the happiest the fox ever felt apart from eating honey cake.
Although Fluffy attacks deal much damage, they weren't fatal enough for the wolves. If the wolves attacked them head on, Fluffy's defense wouldn't hold up. There were too many wolves.
"Roll right, double tail whip!"
Fluffy twisted, its three tails slammed into the lunging wolf's ribs, the impact forcing it to tumble sideways.
Juanxin breathing quickened. Maintaining the link, and issuing constant commands was extremely tiring.
While in thought, a sharp cry suddenly echoed in his mind. Fluffy was surrounded by a group of wolves and a wolf claws had managed to cut Fluffy's side, leaving a deep long gash in the fur. Blood flowed freely from the wound. Juanxin's chest tightened tightly when he saw Fluffy wincing in pain.
"Not Yet!..." He forced himself to remain calm. His hands flew into a complex sequence of seals, faster than his eye could track.
Peach blossom leaves floated in the air and drifted down in a sudden breeze. At first, they seemed harmless until they touched the ground. The instant they did, a faint golden light pulsed outward, carrying two effects at once; healing and slowing.
Fluffy's wound began to knit closed, the bleeding ceased within moments. The wolves, meanwhile, found their legs sluggish, their lunges dulled as if wading through water.
Not only did the effect slow down the wolves and heal Fluffy's wounds, it also increased its speed.
Li Juanxin exhaled. "Now, take out the leader!"
The fox became a streak of silver and white, barreling straight at the black alpha. Three tails lashed, claws flashed, combining all their attacks into combo; the alpha was defeated and much worse than the others.
Juanxin couldn't bear to watch. Without their leader, the pack was much easier to deal with.
Juanxin slumped behind the boulder, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead. His breathing was hurried.
When the last wolf was defeated, Liu Xiong stepped forward. He'd watched the entire battle.
"Qi Gathering realm," He murmured with a light smile: "Yet that much control… and your spiritual energy output barely faltered until the end."
"As expected of Li Jain's child." For the first time, he looked at Juanxin with true regard, as someone with rare potential.
Juanxin managed a small smile before his strength gave way entirely. Liu Xiong caught him easily, lifting him onto his back with one arm and scooping Fluffy into the other.
"You overexerted yourself," He said simply: "Let's rest at the town ahead and continue tomorrow."
"Okay," Juanxin answered with a proud smile. He couldn't wait to go back and tell his brothers about his adventure.