Stains of the Snow Soul Fox’s blood dotted the snow everywhere.
For some reason, it felt the strength leaving its body.
No, it would not die!
Despicable humans—if it could not escape, they would all die with it.
It breathed heavily, its deep blue beastly pupils stained with a fierce crimson, the clarity in its eyes long since vanished.
Its fur bristled all over, and the power of ice and snow surged to its absolute limit as an icy tempest began to rage wildly in all directions.
The immense force shattered three consecutive layers of the Formation, dimming even its spiritual light. It rolled like a frail boat caught in giant waves, on the verge of being swallowed at any moment.
Lin Shanlai coughed up a mouthful of blood, yet his feet remained nailed to the spot, refusing to budge even half a step.
His grip on his Dharma Artifact never wavered as he shoved a handful of Spiritual Replenishment Pills into his mouth.
He began frantically squeezing the spiritual energy from his dantian to sustain the Formation.
Elder Gao was in a terrible state. His chest and the ground were stained with mottled blood, and the exhaustion of his body and the overextension of his Divine Sense clung to him like shadows, the spiritual energy in his dantian nearly depleted.
Yet he could not stop.
Having exhausted all his Talismans, he used the brief lull of the Snow Soul Fox to continuously whip it with his vine Dharma Artifact.
All in the hope of inflicting greater damage upon it.
Yan Jiuzhi had not moved from his spot, but his sword had already arrived. Sword qi erupted, and his ocean-like, majestic sword intent slashed at the Snow Soul Fox within the Formation like countless fatal blades.
The sword qi surrounding him never dissipated. Though he appeared effortless, his strength was actually draining away at a rapid pace, and cold sweat streamed down, soaking his clothes.
If this continued, the Formation would likely break...
Those useless trash from the Changyue Sect still hadn't arrived. Were they bitten to death by stray dogs on the way?!
The fury in Yan Jiuzhi’s eyes grew increasingly intense.
Meanwhile, in the distance, a group of people was flying swiftly toward them.
Standing upon the flying Dharma Artifact were several inner sect disciples of the Changyue Sect.
"Junior Sister, judging by the blood trail left by the Snow Soul Fox, it should be right around here. I will definitely catch it for you."
The tall and handsome male cultivator looked affectionately at the breathtakingly beautiful woman, his eyes filled with infatuation.
Xia Mengxue, standing upon the flying Dharma Artifact, merely offered an instinctive, superficial smile in return.
In reality, however, her gaze was fixed blankly and rigidly on the screen before her.
Her System panel was pitch black, her merit points having been completely cleared before her rebirth.
Having her points cleared meant she would be unable to shuttle to another minor world upon death.
She would truly vanish.
Yet she had been driven to a desperate impasse by Yan Jiuzhi, exhausting every method available to her, both conventional and otherwise.
Yet that man was like an unyielding killing machine.
Even covered in wounds with a lethal sword piercing his body, even facing deadly poison ahead, he would disregard everything else just to rush forward and kill her!
That was why, when her life was under absolute threat, she had resorted to her final trump card...
She knew she would pay a price for this.
However, she had not known the price would be so great that she could scarcely bear it.
Her System had entered dormancy, and an astronomical amount of merit points had been wiped out entirely.
She clenched her fists, a fierce emotion threatening to burst through her chest.
Steadying her mind, she began to assess the current situation.
At this timeframe, the Snow Soul Fox should have escaped; if they increased their speed, they should arrive in time to save them?
A brilliant, shifting light flickered in her eyes as several thoughts spun through her mind.
Right now, her Divine Sense and cultivation were aligned at the Foundation Establishment early stage, while Yan Jiuzhi should only be at the Qi Condensation stage following his rebirth.
If she could directly annihilate him now, wouldn't that eliminate any future trouble once and for all?
Unaware that Xia Mengxue was fast approaching, Yan Jiuzhi was gathering his strength, preparing to break through the final restriction on his Divine Sense.
He had only one chance, and he had to seize the exact moment to deliver a fatal blow!
The Snow Soul Fox within the Formation suddenly trembled as wave after wave of terror assailed it—a product of its innate intuition.
It was about to be killed!
It was unwilling; it was unwilling. Even in death, it would drag these despicable humans down to hell with it.
Steeling its heart, it mustered its remaining strength and wailed a final, mournful cry toward the heavens.
Sacrificing half its lifespan, it drove its power to the absolute limit.
Gales and blizzards gathered rapidly, and the ice and snow elements of heaven and earth seemed to converge around the Snow Soul Fox.
Its entire body was covered in hard ice, and its form swelled massively.
With a shrill screech of "AWOOO—", an ice explosion carrying a world-destroying aura detonated violently.
More formidable than any previous attack, it carried the Snow Soul Fox's determination to destroy everything.
The massive wave of ice and snow blasted outward in all directions with an unstoppable momentum.
The Formation shattered completely like fragile colored glass, and Elder Gao, Lin Shanlai, and Yan Jiuzhi were all blown backward by the blast simultaneously.
They formed three parabolic arcs trailing streaks of blood in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
In the distance, Lin Ruo, who had just regained consciousness, was also blown away a considerable distance before stopping.
She raised her head, and the sight before her made her eyes split with grief and rage.
The place where the Formation had been set up was now a deep pit, the ground marked by huge, crisscrossing fissures.
Her Master, Junior Brother, and Elder Gao all lay on the ground, their lives or deaths unknown.
Filled with terror and panic, she struggled to her feet, wanting to run over.
Yet she saw her Junior Brother covered in blood, trembling as he struggled painfully to his feet.
She did not know what he was trying to do; her vision was blurred, as if pasted over by wind and snow.
She ran toward him desperately, letting out a heart-rending roar: "Junior Brother, run!"
They couldn't beat it, they couldn't beat it!
They would die, everyone would die!
"Run! Hurry up and run!"
A large mouthful of blood gushed from Yan Jiuzhi’s mouth, yet his heart was ice-cold. He had not expected the Snow Soul Fox to be this powerful.
He ignored Lin Ruo's blood-curdling screams.
At this moment, he harbored no further misgivings, instantly breaking through the restriction on his Divine Sense.
Simultaneously, he cast special incantations in rapid succession, quietly activating the hidden Formation.
The Snow Soul Fox, having just completed a massive wave of attacks, was now completely spent. Having overdrawn its vitality, it was weaker than ever before.
It staggered, and before it could steady itself, it was forcibly immobilized by an unknown, terrifying force.
Its fur bristled like needles, and its beastly pupils were filled with terror.
A strange, bizarre force—as slender as a spider's silk yet as heavy as Mount Tai pressing down from above—resembled an invisible, fatal arrow. It shot from its wounded spine with unstoppable momentum and pierced straight into its heart.
At that instant, time seemed to freeze.
Before it could even feel the pain, its heart burst open under the impact of this terrifying force, shattering like a fragile water bubble.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, adding another splash of brilliant red to the snowfield while releasing a suffocatingly bloody stench into the air.
At that exact moment, an angry shout came from a distance: "Stop! The Snow Soul Fox is mine!"
The voice arrived before the person.
The moment the Snow Soul Fox collapsed, a rune-covered cage was hurled at high speed by a male cultivator clad in blue Dharma Robes.
With a loud "bang", the cage precisely and accurately trapped the Snow Soul Fox inside.
With an arrogant expression, the male cultivator beckoned lightly, causing the rune cage to shrink and fly back into his palm.
Seeing that the Snow Soul Fox was already dead and that his own hands were stained with blood, the male cultivator's expression turned extremely unsightly.
This was a spirit beast fancied by the Junior Sister, and after chasing it for so long, someone had actually killed it?!
His sharp gaze swept swiftly across the people present, a look of contempt inevitably crossing his face.
They were merely a Golden Core early stage cultivator, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and two Qi Condensation cultivators.
Even the clothes they wore were mere mortal garments devoid of the slightest spiritual energy.
Two of the four people had collapsed and were unable to rise, leaving only two Qi Condensation ones standing straight.
His eyes revealed deep disdain, while his heart boiled with extreme annoyance.
He had put in considerable effort to catch this Snow Soul Fox, only for it to be killed by this bunch of ants.
Turning his head to look at the pure, wind-lily-like Junior Sister, he drew his Dharma Artifact and glared gritting his teeth at the people below:
"This Snow Soul Fox belongs to us. You reckless wretches actually dared to kill it directly!" With that, he looked as though he wanted to make a move right then and there.
"Are the honored guests of the Changyue Sect intending to fail at slaughtering the city and now resort to silencing witnesses?"
Yan Jiuzhi raised a hand to wipe away the remaining blood at the corner of his mouth, hooking his lips into a mocking curve as he slowly raised his head to look at the group from the Changyue Sect.
His expression was as cold as frost. Relying on some unknown backing, he showed zero fear of their identities and dropped a stunning remark.
The male cultivator in the blue Dharma Robe had his identity exposed on the spot, leaving his hand awkwardly frozen in mid-air.
If he dared to slaughter these people under such circumstances and the sect found out, his only destination would be a stint in the bitter prison.
A bitterly cold gale swept past. Xia Mengxue, standing upon the feather-shaped flying Dharma Artifact, felt not a trace of the chill.
Her heart was as cold as ice.
The Snow Soul Fox had actually been killed... The other three absolutely did not possess that kind of strength.
The only one capable of doing it was... Yan Jiuzhi.
She watched the young man slowly raise his head.
Right now, he was clad in ordinary clothes, his features still retaining a hint of youthful greenness.
Yet those deep brows and eyes, engraved into the marrow of her bones, belonged exclusively to the god of slaughter who had hunted her down for three hundred years in her previous life.
He appeared expressionless, snowflakes falling upon his long eyelashes, making his slightly raised eyes look as frozen as hoarfrost. Deep within his gaze lurked the familiar, lingering intent to kill.
Xia Mengxue's face instantly turned pale, her heart trembling involuntarily as her legs instinctively wanted to flee far away.
Desperately trying to suppress the churning terror deep within her heart, she forced out a smile:
"Our Changyue Sect is an upright and honorable sect; how could we ever do such a thing? Fellow Daoist must be mistaken."
However, the fingers trembling slightly within her sleeves betrayed her current state of mind.
That subtle tremor was a reflection of her inner terror, impossible to mask.
Yan Jiuzhi let out a sneer: "Since this Snow Soul Fox is yours, does that mean your Changyue Sect intended to slaughter this mortal city? Since when did the Changyue Sect turn to the demonic path?"
The Changyue Sect members were shocked and angered. Who would dare own up to such a crime?
"Talk nonsense no further! We merely wanted to capture this Monster Beast, not slaughter any city!"
"Preposterous! Our Changyue Sect is an upright sect, and we would never commit such deeds!"
"Fellow Daoist, speak with care. There must be some misunderstanding here."
At this point, these few individuals were no longer easy to kill. When Senior Brother Changyu had wanted to act, the others had actually been somewhat opposed to it; after all, they were disciples of a righteous sect.
Furthermore, two more low-level cultivators had run over from a distance, and several mortals were trailing behind them, running toward this spot.
When they had just arrived, they had only had eyes for the Snow Soul Fox. But now that they looked closely, there truly was a city not far away.
There were even quite a few people on the city walls, and Senior Brother Changyu had just claimed the beast was theirs...
In the current situation, not only could they not leave, but if this wasn't handled properly, it would damage the sect's reputation, and none of them would get off lightly.
The group had no choice but to temporarily lower their proud heads, put away their flying Dharma Artifacts, and land on the ground, adopting an attitude that everything could be discussed reasonably.
Lin Shanlai was severely injured, the snow already stained a patch of bright red.
He managed to climb up, his stumbling steps nearly causing him to fall again until Lin Ruo rushed over to support him, allowing him to stand somewhat straight.
He was shocked that these people were actually disciples of the Changyue Sect, one of the Ten Great Sects. This... this was not someone they could afford to provoke!
He hurriedly looked at Yan Jiuzhi, frantically gesturing with his eyes to signal him not to be rash.
Elder Gao had also regained consciousness. Unable to stand, he lay flat on the ground, panting heavily.
He was furious at the actions and demeanor of these people, but since they truly could not afford to cross them, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.
Senior Brother Changyu wore a look of indignation, harsh words sitting on the tip of his tongue ready to be unleashed, when he caught sight of his beloved Junior Sister looking at him with a chilling detachment—a sense of oppression he had never witnessed before.
The pent-up frustration choked in his throat, neither rising nor falling, yet he ultimately clamped his mouth shut.
Xia Mengxue had, after all, lived through great storms. Having steadied her mind, she cupped her fists in a salute, smiling before she spoke, her voice as crisp and pleasant as pearls falling on a jade plate:
"We deeply admire and appreciate Fellow Daoists for stopping this rampaging Monster Beast.
This Monster Beast indeed fled here because we were pursuing it, for which we offer our sincere apologies."
She glanced at the expression of the god of slaughter, but could read nothing from it—he remained as aloof and unapproachable as ever.
"I have here two high-grade protective talismans capable of providing the city walls with robust defensive power to fend off Monster Beast attacks. Please accept them as compensation for startling the townspeople."
She then looked toward the middle-aged, disheveled male cultivator opposite her, whose face was pale, brows furrowed, and hair slightly disheveled.
Guessing that this man must be the master of that fiend, she noted that although he looked severely injured, fortunately, he was still alive.
As long as he was alive, the grudge wasn't forged too deeply.
Immediately, her delicate hand lifted slightly, retrieving a storage pouch which she handed to Lin Shanlai:
"For Fellow Daoists to leap realms to slay a tier-seven Monster Beast is a magnificent feat that must have required immense exertion. This meager token of appreciation is merely to express our gratitude for your righteous benevolence in saving a city of commoners."
With these carefully chosen words, she deftly avoided the blunt word "compensation" while weaving the very meaning of compensation into them, displaying the art of speech to absolute perfection.
Lin Shanlai instinctively looked toward his disciple, Yan Jiuzhi. Clearly he was the master, yet he inexplicably wanted to consult his disciple's opinion.
Seeing his disciple nod faintly, he reached out and accepted the storage pouch.
Seeing him accept it, the smile on Xia Mengxue's face grew somewhat more genuine.
She looked at her arch-nemesis, Yan Jiuzhi. This god of slaughter seemed to possess the protagonist's undying law; he was quite literally her nemesis appointed by fate.
Recalling her past life, whether she had spent heavy fortunes hiring assassins, taken matters into her own hands, or even gone so far as to enlist her master to personally intervene and unite numerous heavenly prodigies in hunting him down, this fiend had always managed to escape death in desperate deadlocks.
Even when cast down into that terrifying, malevolent, and perilous domain of death, he had stubbornly climbed back out.
And within a mere three hundred years, he had broken straight through to the Void Refinement realm, surpassing her by an entire major realm.
What absolute madness—was she the child of destiny, or was he?