The fox's smile deepened as it felt the pulse of the elders' Qi strain beneath the pressure. Each attack they parried chipped away at their reserves—soon, they'd falter.
With a flick of its paw, the black spear hummed sharply, drawing a faint trail of Qi that sliced through the air like a serpent.
"Keep them contained," the fox thought coldly. No reinforcements. No recovery.
It surged forward in a blur—silent and fluid.
The spear spiraled, twisting with precise control, aiming for Elder Jinhai's vital points. But Jinhai was ready; his jade talisman erupted in golden aura, forming a dense shield that absorbed the strike with a crackling sound.
The elders moved as one, a weaving dance of spiritual energy—silver seals flashing, barriers rising.
But the fox's eyes gleamed with cruel delight.
> Their coordination is solid... but they can't keep this pace. I just need to break that one using the sealing art.
It vanished once more, this time appearing directly behind Elder Yulan. Before Yulan could react, the spear sliced through the air, aimed at the spine.
But Yulan's hand shot up, fingers tracing a rapid sign—air shimmered as a silvery net of symbols erupted around his waist, deflecting the spear just in time.
The clash sent shards of Qi scattering like sparks in the night.
Symbols began wrapping around the spear, binding it mid-air.
The fox's eyes narrowed, though its expression remained calm. The spear surged, Qi trembling as it fought against the binds—then snapped free with a violent tremor. It flew back, hovering above the fox's head.
> That sealing art… it's as I thought. But my timing is still off by fractions of a second. If I can force him to fully commit, I can disrupt it.
The fox lunged again, this time feinting left before striking right—testing the elders' reflexes.
"Now," it thought. "To finish the dance."
CLANG!
Sparks flew as the attack was blocked. Jinhai, jaw clenched, his fan surging with Qi, swung and pushed the spear back with a powerful burst.
"Yulan," Jinhai called out through voice transmission, "The fox's spear is precise—but its Qi output per strike is too light. It isn't trying to kill—it's aiming to wound. Now that we know, we can press the advantage."
Yulan gave a slight nod. "Understood. I'll begin."
Drawing a deep breath, Yulan began to converge his Qi, releasing a surge that spiraled outward and wrapped around him. A coherent wave pulsed from his core to his hands—ancient runes glowing, lifting into the air.
With a sharp motion, they shot forth—weaving a layered net of spiritual chains across the rooftop.
The fox's eyes narrowed, watching the symbols approach. It controlled the spear with a flick—spinning violently, it cut through the bindings in bursts of Qi. But the net held firm, wrapping around the spear, tightening like a noose.
The air vibrated with the strain of their energies.
The fox leapt away from the weapon, expression flickering with focus.
Sweat beaded along Yulan's brow. His meridians burned with effort.
The fox growled softly, tail flicking in irritation.
> This technique is stronger than I thought… but he won't last. He hasn't fully mastered it, and it's eating away at his body.
It raised its paw.
With a sharp roar, it summoned a surge of raw spiritual energy—infusing the spear with a pulse of poisonous Qi, a forbidden technique only the most ruthless cultivators dared wield.
The spear hissed as it tore through the symbols, streaking toward Yulan's chest like a venomous arrow.
Yulan's eyes flared with determination.
Raising both hands, a small object burst forth from his side pouch, intercepting the spear mid-flight.
CLANG!
The impact echoed like thunder over the courtyard, shockwaves rippling through the air.
The fox stared, eyes intense, gleaming.
It muttered, "Huh. A defensive tool…" eyes narrowing at the brown shield that had blocked its strike. "A low-tier Earth-grade spirit tool. All the cultivators of this clan sure ha—"
It stopped.
Eyes flickered—glancing to the side.
Behind it—
Han snapped his fingers, sending glowing talismans spinning from his palm like deadly stars. They streaked forward, trailing ribbons of burning runes.
At that same instant, Shen Meilin appeared at the fox's flank. In one fluid motion, she swung her blade—seven shimmering petals of sword Qi bursting forth in a cascading arc.
The petals sliced through the air, sharp and elegant.
Han's talismans blazed beside them.
The attacks converged in a single instant—petals and talismans aimed to strike the fox from both sides.
BOOM.
The explosion rocked the rooftop—dust and smoke billowing from the impact zone. Both elders landed lightly nearby, gazes locked on the swirling smoke.
As it cleared—
The fox stood, unharmed.
A faint golden barrier shimmered around its body. Cracks spidered through it... then it shattered, fading like mist.
Han stared.
Eyes narrowed.
Jaw clenched.
He muttered, "Dammit… it used a talisman to block our attack."
The fox's turquoise eyes glowed through the haze.
> So that was their plan. A sneak attack, coordinated and timed.
But it had failed.
Jinhai appeared beside the fox—Qi blazing, fan drawn, strike ready.
CLANG!
The jade fan struck—but was met with another shield, another barrier flaring to life just in time. Sparks flew.
Jinhai's eyes narrowed.
Jaw clenched.
He stared.
The fox stared back, turquoise eyes gleaming, a wide, toothy grin spreading across its muzzle.
Voice calm, it spoke:
"You didn't think I only had one talisman… did you?"