The fox's grin widened as the shattered fragments of the defensive talisman faded from the air like golden dust.
Jinhai didn't respond, but his gaze sharpened. His fan folded with a sharp snap.
Yulan's breath came heavy. Beads of sweat ran down his temple, staining the glowing runes on his palm.
Meilin, her robes singed and bloodied, pulled herself back onto the rooftop—Qi flickering weakly around her blade.
Han's hands were already weaving another formation, talismans orbiting him in a steady spiral.
They were all injured.
But the fox—still unharmed—remained protected by the last talisman barrier.
Its breathing deepened. One paw twitched slightly. The golden defense that had saved it was gone now.
They're adapting too quickly, the fox thought. Even exhausted, their rhythm holds.
The black spear hovered behind it—quieter now, but trembling faintly with poisonous Qi.
I can't keep using talismans like this... I'm going to go bankrupt.
Its eyes flicked toward the distant courtyard. It muttered under its breath:
"Not yet. I still need to hold out a while longer."
"Press in," Jinhai ordered.
In a flash, he surged forward. His fan swept in a crescent arc, sending a wave of slicing wind Qi toward the fox.
The fox vanished.
It reappeared mid-air—just above—controlling the spear, launching it downward like a javelin.
CLANG!
Meilin met it with her sword. The blade rang like a bell. The impact drove her back, but she didn't fall.
The fox landed softly, spun low, and swept its paw outward—releasing a low shockwave of Qi that knocked Han's talismans wide.
CLANG!
The blow struck, but a barrier around Han held firm.
"Not this time," Han muttered. "You're not the only one with talismans."
With a twist of his fingers, the scattered talismans recoiled mid-air—reforming into a massive ball of flame that surged toward the fox.
BOOM!
It struck in a massive explosion.
CLANG.
The spear pierced through the smoke—straight at Han.
Han stood frozen, eyes glowing turquoise—caught in an illusion.
CRACK.
His barrier fractured, spiderwebbing—then shattered as the spear hurtled forward.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as Meilin, jaw clenched and hands raised, blocked the spear. Tightening her grip, she swung hard, pushing it off and following with a sweeping slash that sent blades of air cutting toward the fox.
The fox leapt over them—swift as the wind—dodging effortlessly.
But the spear kept moving, still seeking Han.
Yulan struck.
His sealing sigil, now brighter and faster, snared the spear mid-air, wrapping it in a sudden pulse of white light. It trembled, struggling under the fox's control.
The fox's eyes flicked toward it.
Too slow.
Jinhai closed in. His fan swept—
SLAM!
The fox blocked with its paw, but Qi surged along the impact line. Blood dripped from the wound as it winced.
Tch... They're tightening their formation.
Looks like they've already figured out my cultivation. And now they're moving without hesitation. In that case... no more holding back.
It charged forward, moving like wind. Its body reverted to full size mid-run. It swung a claw toward Meilin, who reacted instantly, raising her sword.
CLANG!
She staggered but held her ground—only to be launched backward by the force.
The fox's eyes flickered again.
Can't get separated from the spear. If it gets fully sealed, I'm done. I need space. Just one crack—one clean break in their unity.
Yulan spoke through voice transmission:
> We're close. It's faster now, but relying on preloaded tools and that spear. It's calculating, not reckless. That means… it's still buying time.
The fox vanished from its spot.
Yulan's jaw clenched. He spoke quickly:
> Don't let it break free. Stay in sync. Just a little longer—
Jinhai was already moving. His fan pierced toward the reappearing fox—
CLANG!
The fan struck a glowing barrier. Jinhai's eyes narrowed.
A talisman? I thought it had run out.
Nearby, Han blinked. The glow slowly faded from his eyes as he looked around, disoriented.
"Huh? What's going on...?"
Meilin shot him a glance. "Snap out of it. You were trapped in an illusion by the demon fox. The fight's still happening!"
Han's eyes narrowed as he heard the voice.
So… that was an illusion the entire time. I thought we'd gotten rid of it. Huh.
He glanced over—just in time to see Meilin's head severed from her shoulders, her body collapsing to the ground.
His eyes widened in shock.
A shimmer in the air revealed the lizard—its form slowly turning visible. Lightning danced across its scales. It stared at him with glowing, golden eyes.
Han's jaw clenched. He jumped back, heart pounding.
What the hell is that? It appeared out of thin air. And Meilin—
He didn't finish the thought.
The creature blinked—and in the space of that instant, it was in front of him. Its jaws opened wide, crackling with lightning, and clamped down on his skull.
Fangs sank deep.
Han's body crumpled. The lizard didn't let go—it tore his face clean off.
Across the battlefield, the fox—still protected within a shimmering barrier—fought back against Jinhai and Yulan. But all three of them felt it. The sudden shift. The deaths.
The fox grinned, fangs flashing.
"Finally," it whispered.
Yulan and Jinhai turned sharply, eyes going wide.
There, standing calmly between the two fallen elders, was the lizard. Its golden eyes gleamed.
It was watching them.