Xue Yunxue's consciousness returned slowly, like someone being forcibly dragged up from the depths of dark water.
The first thing she felt was cold.
Not ordinary cold—but a damp chill that seeped straight into her bones. She opened her eyes, only to be greeted by an endless dark forest. Black trees towered like the shadows of giant beasts, while thin gray mist hung low in the air. A dense, sinister aura filled every breath she took, making her chest feel heavy.
This was mutant territory.
She had to leave immediately.
She tried to stand, but the sound of heavy metal clinking rang out.
Clang—
Xue Yunxue looked down.
Both her hands and feet were bound by massive dull-black chains. Faint runes pulsed along their surface, emitting spiritual pressure that suppressed the flow of her internal energy.
Her brows furrowed.
Why… chains again?
Back then, Yun Wu had bound her like this when they first met. The memory flashed briefly through her mind, almost drawing a sarcastic smile to her lips—as if her fate was forever entangled with dangerous men. Ever since arriving in this world, she seemed to be chained far too often.
Soft footsteps echoed ahead.
She lifted her head.
A young man stood several steps away.
His long white hair fell to his waist like winter snow. His face was handsome, yet pale as bloodless paper. His eyes were cold and deep, devoid of any trace of human emotion.
Xue Yunxue was certain… she had never seen him before.
"Who are you?" she asked calmly, despite her racing heartbeat. "Why did you kidnap me?"
Secretly, she circulated her internal energy, attempting to break the chains. Spiritual power flowed slowly, but each time it touched the black metal, the energy was absorbed and suppressed.
These chains… were no ordinary artifact.
She could break them—but it would take time.
The man began walking toward her. His steps were light, nearly silent, yet each one carried pressure that made the surrounding air grow heavier.
He stopped directly before her.
His cold gaze slowly traced her face, as though admiring a piece of art.
"You are very beautiful," he said softly, his gentle tone sending chills down her spine. "It would be such a pity… if I had to kill you."
His slender fingers lifted, touching her chin and tilting her face upward.
His touch was cold as ice.
Xue Yunxue resisted the urge to slap his hand away. She forced herself to remain calm.
"Why do you want to kill me?" she asked steadily while secretly gathering more internal energy. "I don't even know you."
The man smiled faintly—a smile that never reached his eyes.
"You have offended someone very important."
Xue Yunxue's thoughts raced.
Someone important? Who?
Someone she had recently met? Or… was he connected to the mysterious group that had tried to infiltrate her residence before?
"You should not have offended the higher authorities of Wulong City," the white-haired man said slowly. His voice remained calm, almost gentle, yet every word felt like a thin blade pressing against the air. "Now they want your life."
He paused, studying her carefully, as if searching for even the slightest reaction.
"However…" the corner of his lips lifted faintly, "if you are willing to become my partner, perhaps I might spare you."
The dark forest suddenly felt even quieter.
Xue Yunxue scoffed softly, her eyes narrowing with ridicule.
"Tch." She lifted her chin despite the chains binding her body. "I already have five husbands. If they learn of this, they will kill you like an ant."
Her words did not sound like an empty threat—more like a simple statement of fact.
The man did not grow angry. Instead, he chuckled softly, low and almost inaudible.
"Have you never considered…" he said, leaning closer until only inches separated them, "…that it is precisely your husbands who have placed you in this situation?"
His sharp gaze pierced directly into her eyes.
Her breath stalled for a fraction of a second, though her expression remained calm.
Behind that calmness, her thoughts moved rapidly.
Wulong City's higher authority… her husband…
The pieces of information assembled in her mind like fragments of a puzzle.
She remembered hearing rumors while shopping—the City Lord of Wulong's daughter, Bai Ling, was known for her beauty and stubborn temperament. Even more famous… was her near-obsessive fixation on Yun Wu, a topic of gossip throughout the region.
If those rumors were true…
Then everything made sense.
Xue Yunxue's gaze gradually turned cold.
So because of one of her beast husbands… someone wanted her eliminated?
"So," she said lightly, her tone casual as if chatting about trivial matters, "I'm nearly killed… just because of a woman's jealousy?"
The white-haired man raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her composure.
"You are far smarter than I expected."
Xue Yunxue smiled faintly.
Behind that smile, however, her internal energy continued eroding the seal within the black chains. The runes along the metal trembled subtly—barely noticeable.
A faint cracking sound echoed.
Crack…
Her eyes flashed.
Now!
Her internal energy erupted without warning. From her palms, dark-green vine blades burst forth as if alive, writhing like venomous serpents. Dense wood-element energy mixed with poison spread through the air, carrying a sweet yet deadly fragrance.
The vines shot straight toward the white-haired youth.
He was startled.
This girl… could fight back?!
His reflexes reacted instantly. A sword of light appeared in his hand, shining brightly within the dark forest. With a single clean slash, the blade swept through the air.
Shraaak!
The poisonous vines were severed instantly.
But his smile vanished just as quickly.
The surface of his light sword slowly darkened, black stains spreading across the blade.
The plant was poisonous.
His gaze sharpened.
Had he been even a fraction of a breath slower, the toxin would have already entered his body.
At the same moment—
BANG!
The chains binding Xue Yunxue's hands shattered into fragments, dissolving into particles of energy in the air.
Her aura changed.
No longer prey.
She stood upright, her hair swaying gently beneath a pulsing aura of power—soft, yet dangerous.
The white-haired youth stared without blinking. Admiration surfaced in his eyes, impossible to conceal.
A young girl… with such strength?
Wood-element cultivators were already rare, and one capable of merging it with high-level poison was even rarer. The life energy radiating from her attack felt pure—wild yet beautiful.
Like a living treasure.
A sudden reluctance arose within him.
Killing a girl like this… would truly be a waste.
But the image of Bai Ling immediately appeared in his mind—the gentle smile hiding madness, and the horrifying punishment awaiting those who failed her orders.
His body stiffened unconsciously.
If he failed… his fate would be far worse than death. Even as her favored beast husband, that woman was frighteningly vindictive.
His gaze toward Xue Yunxue slowly changed.
If he could not kill her…
Then he would have to possess her another way.
He would claim her as a valuable asset.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"Impressive," he murmured softly. "A wood element… and high-level poison. You are truly rare."
A cold aura slowly spread around his body.
As a researcher, he understood one thing with absolute clarity—
Beast humans possessing the wood element carried extraordinary life energy. If used as the core of an experiment… she could become the perfect living weapon.
And that meant…
This girl would still belong to him.
The light sword in his hand shone once more, its glow colder than before.
"I've changed my mind," he said gently, yet his tone froze the very air around them. "Killing you would be far too wasteful. You will become my test subject."
Their battle erupted violently.
Sword light and poisonous vines intertwined in midair, leaving streaks of energy that tore through the darkness of the forest. Every collision released shockwaves that swept across the surrounding trees, making ancient trunks tremble like frightened living creatures.
The young man was undeniably strong.
Each swing of his blade carried immense spiritual power, enough to split the earth and shatter massive rocks.
But—
he was lacking in one thing.
Speed.
Xue Yunxue's body moved like a shadow of the night. As a black fox beast human, her steps left almost no trace. She appeared and vanished between shadows while the plant vines danced at her command like extensions of her own body.
The young man began to feel pressured.
Wasn't she supposed to be just an ordinary girl?
How could her combat ability rival a Level Sixty beast human like him?
Clang!
Another violent collision rang out, sending waves of energy rippling deep into the dark forest.
And the forest… responded.
The ground pulsed faintly. Leaves rustled without wind.
From afar came low growls.
Mutants.
They sensed the intense spiritual fluctuations and began gathering, drawn like insects to flame.
The young man's expression darkened.
Damn.
If high-level mutants arrived, even he wasn't confident he could escape alive.
Without hesitation, he took out a small crystal bottle from his storage ring. The murky liquid inside pulsed grotesquely, releasing a foul aura that weighed heavily on the air.
A mutant potion.
An expensive concoction given by Bai Ling—designed specifically to corrupt the body and consciousness, transforming its target into a grotesque mutant creature.
He hurled it straight toward Xue Yunxue.
The bottle spun through the air, reflecting a cold gleam.
But Xue Yunxue's eyes had already narrowed.
Dark green vines shot forward like lightning.
Crack!
The bottle shattered before it could touch her.
Poisonous liquid burst into the air, evaporating into a thin greenish mist.
The young man's face stiffened.
'Damn it…!'
He stepped back and immediately formed hand seals.
Earth energy trembled.
His body sank into the ground like a shadow swallowed by mud.
In an instant—
he disappeared.
Leaving Xue Yunxue alone in a forest that had grown quieter… yet far more dangerous.
Xue Yunxue stood still, her breathing slightly heavy.
Her instincts screamed in warning.
Something was wrong.
The thin mist from the shattered potion had not completely dissipated.
Its scent…
sweet—
yet rotten.
The ground trembled again.
This time, more clearly.
From behind the dark trees, tall figures began to move. Long shadows stretched outward, their bodies thin like sticks, limbs unnaturally elongated and twisted.
Tall Stick Mutants.
High-level creatures infamous within this forest.
Meanwhile, underground, the young man fleeing through the earth glanced back using his spiritual sense.
A trace of regret flickered in his eyes.
What a pity…
Such a talented girl should have been the perfect research material.
But facing a horde of high-level mutants was far more dangerous than losing a single experiment.
He accelerated his escape without looking back again.
Meanwhile—within the forest now slowly filled with low growls from every direction—Xue Yunxue finally realized one thing.
She was surrounded.
The potion had failed to hit her.
But its side effect… was an aroma that attracted high-level mutants.
And now—
every creature in the forest was heading toward her.
The night wind blew gently, lifting her black hair.
Dozens of red eyes began to glow in the darkness.
The real battle…
had only just begun.
The ground trembled softly.
Dark green energy burst forth from Xue Yunxue's body as she pressed her palm into the air. In an instant, several gigantic vines erupted from beneath the earth, shooting upward like living serpents. The vines coiled firmly around her waist and lifted her body, suspending her nearly five meters above the ground.
Below her, the forest had transformed into a sea of shadows.
Low-level mutants began to gather.
Twisted bodies with glowing crimson eyes rushed in from every direction, drawn by the lingering scent of the potion still hanging in the air. Their growls overlapped one another, making the night feel increasingly oppressive.
Xue Yunxue's gaze turned cold.
She no longer held back.
Plant-element energy exploded outward from her body.
BOOM—!
Dozens of massive vines pierced through the earth simultaneously, shattering soil and trees alike. They lashed wildly yet with precise intent, striking the mutants like colossal whips. Mutant bodies were flung away, crushed, or instantly impaled by poisonous thorns growing along the vines' surfaces.
Terrifying screams filled the forest.
But their numbers were far too many.
'Sister Xue, you must leave immediately!' Moa's voice rang inside her mind, filled with panic this time.
Xue Yunxue frowned slightly.
'I'm detecting a level-eighty mutant in this area. Direction nine o'clock… less than one mile away!'
Her heart pounded violently.
A level-eighty mutant was not something she could fight right now.
Without hesitation, she released even more of her spiritual energy. Plant roots spread rapidly beneath the ground, forming a vast network like living nerves. Within a few breaths, a massive plant trap formed, surrounding an area nearly one hundred meters wide.
The earth rippled.
From it grew gigantic carnivorous plants—their petals opening wide to reveal rows of razor-sharp thorns and slowly dripping corrosive fluid.
The trap was complete.
Xue Yunxue immediately directed another vine toward the tallest nearby trees. Her body shot from branch to branch, moving swiftly across the forest canopy like a black shadow carried by the night wind.
She fled in the opposite direction of the high-level mutant.
The night wind struck her face as she leapt between trees. She glanced downward briefly.
What she saw caused her eyes to narrow slightly.
Dozens of pursuing mutants had become trapped within the plant formation.
The gigantic carnivorous plants closed their petals one by one, swallowing struggling prey. Thorned vines dragged away mutants attempting to escape, while the ground writhed like a starving living creature.
Their screams gradually faded, replaced by horrifying chewing sounds.
The life energy released by the dying mutants was absorbed by the plants created by Xue Yunxue, deepening their dark green color.
But Xue Yunxue did not slow down.
Her black fox instincts continued to warn her of danger.
In the distance—
she could feel an overwhelmingly heavy aura slowly approaching, like an apex predator that had already found its prey.
The level-eighty mutant… was heading straight toward her.
With the speed unique to a black fox, Xue Yunxue shot through the forest like a shadow barely touched by light. The night wind tore through her long hair, while moonlight became her only guide within the ocean of darkness.
Finally—the dense forest opened.
A clearing stretched before her.
Bright green grass swayed gently under the night breeze, reflecting moonlight like the surface of water. There was no rotten aura, no darkness energy, and no trace of mutant presence.
The place felt… pure.
As though the chaotic world outside had never touched it.
Yunxue stopped.
Her body swayed.
The exhaustion she had suppressed finally collapsed alongside a long breath escaping her lips. She quickly took out a recovery potion and drank it without hesitation. Warm liquid flowed down her throat, yet even the potion's effects felt slow compared to the overwhelming fatigue weighing on her.
Her spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
Earlier, she had exhausted much of her power calming Xiang Shuai… then came the brutal battle, the long escape, and the large-scale use of her plant element, all of which had drained her energy core completely.
At last, she dropped onto the grass.
The soft ground felt cool against her back, soothing the heat in her tense body. For the first time in hours, she allowed her eyes to gaze upward.
The moon hung quietly above.
So peaceful… it felt unfamiliar.
"Where… am I actually…" she murmured softly.
With the last of her strength, she activated her chakra computer. Silver runes shimmered briefly in the air before fading again.
No signal.
No coordinates.
Only an empty screen.
She released a long breath as exhaustion washed over her consciousness. After running nearly a hundred miles without rest, even her fox instincts were beginning to weaken. For a moment, she simply wanted to close her eyes… even though she knew the world was never truly safe.
Meanwhile—
At the military camp of Wulong City.
Spirit lamps swayed gently inside a luxurious tent. A faint rose fragrance filled the air, creating warmth that contrasted sharply with the cold night outside.
Bai Ling had fallen asleep.
Her face appeared peaceful, yet her brows remained slightly furrowed, as if even in dreams her mind was still consumed by obsession.
The tent curtain moved silently.
Someone entered.
Eyen.
His steps were light as a shadow. He slipped beneath the blanket, his arm immediately wrapping around Bai Ling's slender waist, pulling her close against his chest.
Bai Ling slowly awakened.
"How…?" her voice was hoarse with sleep. "Did you succeed in turning her into a mutant?"
Eyen fell silent for a moment.
His gaze darkened, as though hiding something.
"No," he finally answered softly. "But I left her at the center of mutant territory. That place is filled with creatures above level sixty."
He paused briefly before continuing calmly.
"She won't come out alive."
Bai Ling released a satisfied breath.
Eyen lowered his head, his lips brushing gently against Bai Ling's neck. The touch felt intimate, almost indulgent—yet his eyes remained cold.
He did not tell the truth.
He did not reveal that the girl had resisted him, nor that rare plant-element energy flowed within Xue Yunxue's body.
That, for a fleeting moment… he had even felt reluctant to kill her.
That secret he kept entirely to himself.
"You should have made sure she died," Bai Ling muttered, slightly annoyed.
Eyen smiled faintly.
"You don't need to worry. Even I, with my earth-element ability, could barely leave that place easily." His hand gently stroked Bai Ling's hair. "Do you really think a girl like her could survive? There's even a level-eighty mutant there."
The tension on Bai Ling's face finally disappeared.
"Good," she whispered in satisfaction. "That's why you're my favorite husband."
Even if that girl possessed the plant element and could fight, she would never survive facing tens of thousands—