Section 78: Fighting Oneself in a Narrow Space

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Wuyun scolded the others for making a fuss and ignored them. The curious Little Bug and Dou King stood atop the serpent's head, rising like a ladder to the clouds, gazing in the direction Old Bear Three pointed. What a sight it was—far off, the land resembled a menagerie, with beasts of all kinds filling every patch of flying trees and grass.

Even Feng Qianyu, who was the closest, was facing similar trouble. A three-eyed ghost sparrow provoked her, and she sliced it in two with her celestial weapon. In the next instant, as if she had stirred a hornet’s nest, each half became a new ghost sparrow, both as formidable as the original.

Feng Qianyu was not one to be cowed; she suppressed them with force. Others, in her place, might have relented, but she was relentless. One sword stroke felled a thousand sparrows; a thousand became two thousand, then four, then eight, then thirty-two thousand...

The sparrows blotted out the sky, only the glimmer of her celestial might could be seen flashing amidst the chaos.

Little Bug was baffled, while Greenleaf watched enviously. “This is what an elite of a great family should be like. Only with such prowess can she be worthy of a full array of celestial weapons!”

Dou King nodded in agreement, caressing the fifth-grade celestial weapon he had seized from the five-headed serpent, though his own strength was too weak to wield it.

“If only I had such an arsenal, to become a little golden body of treasures—how glorious that would be,” Dou King sighed. Meanwhile, Yue Qi complained that rabbit meat tasted too gamey and demanded something different.

What could a child of barely three years old be so picky about? Yet, seeing the brilliant gleam of his developing teeth, Wuyun stood up and surveyed the surroundings in silence.

Until Little Bug began to make a fuss, Wuyun, troubled, said, “Don’t worry. Before long, Feng Qianyu will be forced to flee in disgrace!”

As he finished, his brow furrowed, and he immediately summoned the Jade Seal Coffin, gathering them all inside.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Three knocks sounded from outside, followed by a charming voice: “I’ve come, drawn by your reputation—how could you bear to keep me outside? Let me in for a talk.”

Everyone inside felt drowsy; even Yue Qi began to mumble, “Mama, mama.”

At that moment, a mirror appeared within the Jade Seal’s space, and the Ten-Tailed Fox Immortal King seemed to see them all, her shadow stepping directly inside.

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She glanced around, and upon seeing Long Yi, her curiosity piqued. Teasingly, she said, “There are no dragons left around Dragon-Annihilating Star—not even jiaos, dragonfish, or loaches; all have fled in terror. We Imperial Serpents are not to be underestimated. She’s going to wipe out the dragon clan and ascend to the Divine Realm!”

“Ridiculous,” Long Yi snorted. “The might of a true dragon is not for the likes of you to judge. To gaze at the sky from the bottom of a well is to court your own destruction!”

His words drew a peal of laughter from the shadow. “Do you know why the Imperial Serpent forgoes cultivation in seclusion for wandering the stars?” she asked. Then, enunciating each word, “She visits the neighboring constellations, and the other Imperial Stars, persuading those immortal and demon emperors who’ve suffered under dragon oppression to join her in rebellion. Understand, slaying one Dragon Emperor gives rise to a new Demon Emperor.”

Long Yi’s expression shifted. He recalled similar events in his own immortal realm. Yet the dragon clan reigned supreme, sacred and inviolable; any threat to their power was swiftly crushed.

“Tricks of substitution and deception—hardly worth mentioning!” Wuyun recalled the scene when Bitao slew a dragon-affiliated immortal king, the techniques left behind in the altars, and the power the Dreaded Immortal Sword drew forth. He shook his head in disdain.

The Ten-Tailed Fox Immortal King was instantly enraged. Anyone might be doubted, but not the Imperial Serpent. For her to ascend to demon emperor was fraught with difficulty, but if she slew a Dragon Emperor and took his place, tribulation would be a breeze—and she’d gain some of the dragon clan’s power to boot.

“Come out. You are an immortal king, as am I. If you become my consort, I guarantee the Imperial Serpent will spare your life.”

“Don’t question her power—you will suffocate, you will beg for mercy. Her restraint of the dragon clan is their greatest terror!”

As her gentle voice washed over them, Long Yi, Greenleaf, Little Bug, and Old Bear Three’s eyes lit up—they all turned to Wuyun, unconsciously moving to attack him. Wuyun quickly coughed, causing the Jade Seal to tremble, and everyone snapped back to awareness.

Even Yue Qi shouted, “Liar! You’re a wicked monster!”

The seductive art of the shadow was so potent—if they faced her true form outside, wouldn’t they be helpless?

Long Yi’s hands shook as he saw Wuyun send him out—how could he go?

Snap!

Long Yi reverted to his true form outside the Jade Seal, facing the Ten-Tailed Fox Demon King.

“So it’s you, who ruined my plans and left a thread of your spirit entwined with mine!” she laughed, making no move to attack, and continued, “The Imperial Serpent likes to call me Little Ten Fox. Why don’t you try it as well?”

“Little Ten Fox, Little Ten Fox!” Long Yi replied meekly. His bones had been shattered, he was wounded—against a demon king of immortal rank, he was no match.

But why had Wuyun sent him out? Was he supposed to catch her off guard and strike with the Soul-Shattering Blade?

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The more he pondered, the more plausible it seemed. Yet before he could act, he drifted, dazed, into the arms of a great celestial maiden, rolling and clinging to her in a childlike plea for affection.

Old Bear Three’s eyes nearly popped out at the sight: the face of a celestial maiden suddenly morphed into a fox, jaws wide, about to bite into Long Yi’s dragon neck.

At that critical moment, Wuyun produced the carved fox Long Yi had discarded earlier and waved it just as the bite was to fall.

The Ten Fox bit empty air. Though she was a mid-stage immortal king, fully capable of defeating a mere celestial, in her hesitation Long Yi unconsciously stabbed forward with a blade.

It is said the most dangerous places are those that seem most gentle—one must kill or be killed. Staring at the Soul-Shattering Blade that had materialized from nowhere, and at the bewildered Ancestor Dragon Six Talents, Long Yi shook his head desperately. “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me!”

Once embedded in the Ten Fox’s body, the Soul-Shattering Blade gave rise to swirling mists. Wherever it touched, flesh and nerves were carved away.

Suspended in midair, it was clear to see: the unique aura around the blade devoured all forms of defense within the Ten-Tailed Fox’s immortal body—an invisible battle was raging fiercely.

“A truly fine blade,” the Fox Immortal King praised, as the wound closed instantly and she was restored to her former state.

Next, with a flick of her wrist, she bundled Long Yi and the blade into a scented pouch, then turned to Wuyun with a sneer. “To flaunt such petty curses! I’ve heard the Buddha can redeem all things. Is this the so-called Buddhist art of salvation?”

Wearing an expression that brooked no hope for the young, Wuyun pointed a finger; both Long Yi and the Ten-Tailed’s pouch were drawn into the Jade Seal.

The Ten-Tailed’s gaze turned sharp, and the pouch, now separated from Long Yi, transformed into her own likeness.

“In the face of absolute power, cunning always seems laughable.” As her avatar entered the Jade Seal, the real body outside reversed places, ready to subdue Wuyun and the others—only to find they had all left.

Wuyun then summoned Long Yi, sealing him tightly around the Jade Seal Coffin. The Ten-Tailed, preparing to break it open with force, struck with her palm—only for the blow to rebound and land squarely on her own forehead.

How bizarre!

With Long Yi entwined around the Jade Seal Coffin, Old Bear Three was reminded of their first encounter with the Soul-Shattering Blade at the Golden Bridge. With a sigh, he said, “She’s trapped now. She cannot attack Long Yi, but with Long Yi fused to the coffin, any blow to the coffin is a blow to him—so in this narrow space, she’s beating herself.”

Dou King and Little Bug both nodded in agreement, and even Wuyun praised Old Bear Three’s insight—at last, the bear’s eyes had truly been opened.