The night sky was dark and heavy. Thick clouds covered the moon, and only a little silver light fell on the forest below. The wind moved fast, shaking the trees like they were scared too.
A Nine-Tailed Fox woman was running.
Her white hair was messy, stained with blood and dirt. Her clothes were torn, and deep wounds covered her body. Behind her, nine tails, once shining and proud, were now dull and heavy. Some tails were burned. Some were cut. Blood dropped from them and soaked into the ground.
She was breathing hard.
Her chest felt like fire. Every step hurt, but she did not stop.
Because behind her… death was chasing.
In the forest, loud sounds echoed.
"Don't let her escape!"
"She is heavily injured! Chase her!"
Several cultivators in clean robes were running forward. Their swords shone with spiritual light. Their eyes were cold and greedy.
Behind them were demon cultivators, their bodies covered in black aura. Their faces were cruel, and their laughter was ugly.
"Hahaha! A Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline! Her core is priceless!"
"Once we kill her, her body belongs to us!"
Both sides hated each other. But today, they had the same target.
Her.
The fox woman turned her head slightly and saw flashes of light behind her. Her heart shook.
"So many…," she whispered weakly.
Her voice was soft, almost gone.
She remembered the moment it started.
She was fallen trap set by demons races and human races.
Cultivators surrounded her first. Then demon cultivators appeared. A great battle exploded.
Spells filled the sky.
Swords cut the air.
Dark flames burned the land.
She fought with all her strength.
Her tails smashed mountains.
Her claws tore bodies apart.
But there were too many enemies.
One by one, powerful attacks hit her. A sword pierced her shoulder. Dark poison entered her blood. A formation crushed her bones.
Still, she refused to die.
Using her last strength, she broke the encirclement and escaped into the forest.
Now, her vision was blurry.
Her legs felt weak.
Suddenly—
Boom!
A spell hit the ground near her. The explosion threw her body into the air. She crashed into a tree, breaking it in half.
"Cough—!"
She spat blood.
Her body trembled as she tried to stand.
"Run… I must run…"
She bit her lip until it bled. With shaking hands, she took out a broken jade pendant.
"This is… my last chance…"
She crushed it.
A weak light wrapped around her body, hiding her aura for a short time.
The pursuers stopped.
"Where did she go?"
"Her aura disappeared!"
The demon cultivator sniffed the air. "She's still alive. Search everywhere!"
They split up and continued hunting.
The fox woman forced herself to move deeper into the forest. Each step was slower than the last.
Finally, she reached a small hidden valley.
She collapsed near a rock.
Her body could no longer move.
Blood flowed freely. Her spiritual energy was almost empty.
She looked up at the sky.
"Is this… the end?" she murmured.
Tears mixed with blood ran down her face.
"I don't want to die like this…"
Her tails slowly wrapped around her body, protecting her like a weak shield.
Her eyes slowly closed.
But her heart still beats.
She was alive.
The next morning came slowly.
Golden sunlight passed through the trees and fell on a narrow forest path. Birds were singing, but the forest was still quiet and deep.
A young boy was walking alone.
He looked about 16 or 17 years old.
He was wearing a yellow majestic robe, clean and bright. The robe was simple but noble, with faint dragon patterns stitched on it. Even in the wild forest, he looked out of place—like someone from a powerful family.
The boy stopped walking and sighed.
He looked back in the direction he came from and spoke to himself.
"Haa… it's not easy to run away from home."
He shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"Father is too strict. Mother cries too much. And those elders…They all want to control my life."
He stretched his arms and continued walking.
"I just want some freedom."
Suddenly—
Rustle… rustle…
The sound of footsteps came from all directions.
The boy stopped again.
His eyes narrowed slightly, but his face stayed calm.
From behind the trees, five men appeared.
They wore rough clothes. Their eyes were sharp and greedy. Each one held a weapon—swords, blades, and a spear. Faint spiritual energy surrounded their bodies.
They were bandit cultivators.
One of them laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Lucky day!"
Another one stared at the boy's robe with shining eyes.
"That yellow robe… he must be rich!"
The leader stepped forward. He had a scar on his face and a cruel smile.
"Kid, don't be scared," he said.
"Leave your storage ring, clothes, and weapons."
"We promise to let you live."
The boy looked at them quietly.
Then… he smiled.
A calm, confident smile.
"You all think… you can rob me?"
The bandits were stunned for a moment.
Then they burst into laughter.
"Did you hear that?"
"This kid is crazy!"
"Maybe he hit his head!"
The leader's face turned cold.
"Enough talk," he said.
"Kill him if he resists."
The bandits attacked together.
One swung his sword at the boy's neck.
Another jumped from the side.
Spiritual light flashed.
But the boy did not move.
At the last moment—
Whoosh!
He stepped forward lightly.
The sword missed.
The boy raised his hand and tapped the attacker's chest with one finger.
Boom!
The man was sent flying backward like a broken leaf.
"What?!"
"How is that possible?!"
Before they could react, the boy moved again.
His yellow robe fluttered.
He appeared in front of another bandit and slapped him casually.
Pa!
The bandit spun in the air and crashed into a tree, unconscious.
"Damn it!"
"Attack together!"
The leader rushed forward, his blade covered in sharp energy.
"Die!"
The boy sighed.
"So noisy."
He raised his hand and caught the blade with two fingers.
The leader's eyes widened in fear.
"Impossible…!"
The boy twisted his fingers.
Crack!
The blade broke into pieces.
Then—
Thud!
He kicked the leader's stomach lightly.
The leader fell to the ground, coughing blood.
The remaining bandits froze.
Fear filled their faces.
"M-monster…!"
"Run!"
They turned to escape.
The boy waved his hand gently.
A small burst of energy flew out.
Bang! Bang!
All of them fell to the ground, unable to move.
The forest became silent again.
The boy looked at them lying on the ground and shook his head.
"If you want to rob someone," he said calmly,
"At least choose the right target."
He turned around and walked away.
As he walked, he spoke to himself again.
"Running away from home is already difficult."
"And now even bandits want trouble."
He smiled faintly.
"This world is interesting."
Far away, hidden deep in the forest…
A seriously injured Nine-Tailed Fox woman lay unconscious.
And fate was slowly pulling their paths closer.