71-80

Chapter 71 Uncle Liu

Ugh!

The sound of the hit and Xuefeng's grunt could be heard across the Arena as Xuefeng didn't even have time to stop himself when he struck the wall. The Emergency barrier of the Arena turned on, stopping him in place to avoid any damage but that didn't mean he was hurt less.

"Xuefeng!" Tianshi called out worried but the Trainer quickly assured her. "Don't worry, Miss. He will be fine. I only used five million Units of Strength. It seems like your armor is indeed sturdy. He should only have some minor injuries."

Tianshi was nowhere close to being assured.

"Five million Units?! He said two million!" Tianshi called out sternly, knowing very well the Trainer did it on purpose.

"Whoops. I guess miss heard," the Trainer shrugged, scratching his short back cut. "He is in one piece, so it should be okay. I will put five million Units as your final result."

Tianshi squinted her eyes at him and prepared herself to fly when Xuefeng lifted himself, brushed his messed up clothes, and flew back. He really didn't seem that hurt but Tianshi knew he took most of the impact onto his body. Even though she added multiple layers of shield around him, she wasn't so strong yet to resist five million Units of strength.

Xuefeng also didn't seem happy about the strike but he didn't come at the trainer with complaints.

"That wasn't two million Units," Xuefeng pointed out as he landed before assuring Tianshi in their connection.

'Don't worry, I'm fine. He only cracked my bones and almost raptured my organs but aside from that it wasn't that bad.'

'Only???! He almost killed you!' Tianshi called back in worry, but Xuefeng embraced her while caressing her cheek. 'Shhh, it's okay. He must have done that on purpose. He was testing me. We can't made him our enemy.'

'Mhmm… As long as you are okay…' Tianshi muttered, looking into his golden eyes lovingly. As long as he was safe, nothing else mattered.

Instead of replying to the obvious, the Trainer smiled, changing the subject, "Interesting. You two are talking in your minds, right? Do you use some Spirit Artefact or are your souls connected in some way?"

Both Tianshi and Xuefeng froze, not expecting the Trainer would figure it out just like that from their acting alone. Tianshi was about to lie openly when the Trainer stopped her.

"No, don't say anything. I don't want to know. It would only bring problems," the Trainer pointed out. "Give me your token. I will note down your results."

"Thank you," Tianshi acknowledged, even though she was still dissatisfied with him.

The procedure lasted a moment and the Trainer shushed them away, "Okay, you are free to go. I will see you in two days in the Tournament."

Saying that, he ignored them, beginning to clean up the pieces of Black Draconic Stone that were spread all over the stage. They flew into one spot, piling into a small heap.

"Alright, thank you, Sir," Xuefeng called out with a bow and grabbed Tianshi by the waist, leaving the place without causing any more drama. The Shorty Bai trailed after them with his gaze but they didn't give him any more time, more interested in improving their strength instead. If they wanted to win the Tournament and gain some more recognition, they had to work hard.

Eventually, after Xuefeng and Tianshi left, even the Shorty Bai left, not having enough face to stay and watch the Qualifier. Others who still lingered around the Stage also moved away, going to watch others.

The Trainer seemed to be waiting for that moment.

He looked around if anyone was watching and crouched in front of the pile. The fragments began to float and suddenly spread on the ground as if the Trainer was recreating the wall. He played with the puzzles until a whole black wall laid on the ground, stuck together like glue.

He frowned and touched the wall before smiling.

"I knew it…"

Gazing back at the exit, Xuefeng and Tianshi were already gone, so he didn't chase after them.

"I guess I will let it slide as he did trick me," the Trainer muttered under his nose as he kept all the fragments into his Storage Ring. "But that girl is interesting… Where did she get those Support Arts?"

He wondered out loud when he felt a vibration in his ring. He pulled out a communication crystal and raised his eyebrows after hearing a message.

'Uncle, meet me in the Golden Phoenix Restaurant. I have something important to talk to you.'

He didn't wait and flew up, leaving the Arena through the roof without any care about restrictions. The Trainer shot through the sky like a bullet, dodging Flying beasts with ease, and arrived in front of the restaurant within minutes.

"Sir, Miss Liu is waiting for you in the private room number four."

The moment he entered, he was immediately spotted by the waitress who led the way for him.

He was about to reach to knock when the door opened and a familiar voice called out to him.

"Come in!"

Entering inside, the Trainer saw the table full of food and two ladies sitting by it, eating to their heart content. Purple eyes gazed at him as she put a snack into her mouth.

It was no other than his niece, Liu Xinyu.

"What is that important to talk about that you came all the way to Water Land, Little Xing?" The Trainer went straight to the point, closing the door behind him.

Miss Liu acted as if she didn't hear the question and proposed, "Hey, Uncle Liu. How about you join us? We have plenty of food."

"I am not hungry. I also need to report to the Officials and submit my results. I just finished my Qualifier for the upcoming tournament," Uncle Liu replied, causing Miss Liu to drop her fork.

"Huh? Why are you pretending to be an official this whole time?"

Uncle Liu shrugged.

"How else can I know what is happening in my City if I don't oversee it from the inside? Anyway, what is it? Is it about those two disciples of your father?" Uncle Liu questioned casually, playing his guessing game to perfection.

Liu Xinyu paused.

"How you know?"

"Because I just saw them during the Qualifier and found they are really interesting," Uncle Liu replied. "Maybe the current them are still a bit too weak but they definitely have immense potential."

"Huh? How so?" Liu Xinyu asked curiously, leaning on the table with both hands. "I want to know more about them. Especially him."

Uncle Liu's brows lifted.

"Why do you want to know so much?"

Liu Xinyu asked back, "What, my great detective Uncle Liu can't figure it out on his own? Why would I be interested in two new disciples of my father?"

"Hmm… Either you fell for the guy or something is wrong with their disciple status. After all, my brother is still in closed-door cultivation. He wouldn't go out just to recruit two disciples. Is that it?" Uncle Liu commented, making Liu Xinyu knit her brows.

"If you know the answer already then why would you mention the first option! I didn't even meet him!" Liu Xinyu called out upset. "Why you bully your niece?"

"Haha, aren't you still single? It's normal to search for a partner and this Xuefeng seems quite nice. He is handsome, smart, skilled, and has a lot of hidden power. He even cheated the qualification right in front of me, destroying the Black Draconic Stone wall. I would definitely not be sad if you two ended up together," Uncle Liu explained. "You two should be spending some more time together now that he became your junior. Who knows what will happen between you two."

"Hey! He has multiple Wives already! Why would you want me to share my man with others?" Liu Xinyu argued. "Anyway, he might not even become one. That's why I am here. He forged my father's Disciple Tokens. He is simply a con artist."

Uncle Liu didn't seem to mind that fact.

"Does it matter? You can't undo it anymore unless you silence them. Even with that, there would be too many questions raised. They created quite a scene in the Qualifier. If people learn he forged the tokens, my brother would lose face," Uncle Liu said. "My advice would be to lure him on our side instead."

"Yeah… He is also the son-in-law of Trade Union's President Wu," Liu Xinyu revealed.

"That's more than enough reasons to keep him on our side. You can also get from him how did he forge the tokens so this wouldn't repeat again," Uncle Liu suggested. "I'm also very interested in his skills. I heard he has the Judgment Vine. What else is he hiding?"

"Tsk, that's exactly what I wanted to do," Liu Xinyu snickered and suddenly stood up. "I lost my appetite. Mia, we are going to rest."

"If you want to meet him now, I can ask my people to track him down," Uncle Liu suggested with a smile but Liu Xinyu shook her head.

"He is participating in the Tournament, right? Good. I will observe from the side to see how good he actually is. If he can't even win a small Tournament, I will kick his butt."

Chapter 72 Take Over

"Is this the right place?"

After surviving their first night in the wild, the Four Devils came to an unambiguous decision of finding a proper place to sleep. Not only were the nights cold but one of the girls had to be always awake in case their camp was discovered and they were forced to fight.

Over the twenty-four hours, they made a generous number of enemies, including both bandits and the Air Land Sects. They didn't qualify as bandits as they didn't follow any code. They simply robbed anyone that crossed ways with them, forcing them to either give them all of their treasures or leave their lives behind.

Naturally, no one surrendered without any battle, causing them to be exhausted after just ten encounters. It was a good harvest, but after they split the treasures across them four, it was nowhere near enough to sustain them. They needed to catch a bigger fish.

"It should be. The scenery looks exactly like he described," the flaming beauty Xiao Wen replied as she scanned their surroundings from the sky. "I doubt he would lie with my sword near his balls. Men are too afraid of losing their manhood."

After killing the last ground of bandits, the group of Four Devils, Xiao Wen, Wuying, Yi, and Princess Shan, left one scum alive, moving on to Xiao Wen's favorite.

Tortures.

With quick manipulation, they managed to get all the information from him, including the position of their hidden Bandit City. Taking over one of the bandit groups seemed like the most attractive option for them. As they couldn't visit any legit cities, due to fear of any Sects discovering them, they could only claim an illegal city for themselves.

They have been already flying for five hours already right after waking up, so all of the girls were tired, wanting to sit down and eat some proper food.

"It should be in between of those two mountains. There is a small passage there underneath the rock formation. Once we get close, the city should reveal itself," Wuying confirmed as she led them with a map open before keeping it into her Storage Ring. "Let's go."

Wuying's body was wrapped tightly with black leather armor and she carried her Blood Daggers on her sides, just like silver-haired Yi carried her own single sword on her back. In case they were attacked, they could quickly unleash the power of their blades. Although Wuying's armor gave her less protection, it allowed her to move like the wind, being extremely comfortable at the same time.

"Will you do it?" Princess Shan questioned as they approached the ground while her beautiful ice cold hair and light blue dress danced in the wind.

"Yeah, I'm the strongest when it comes to duels in close quarters," Wuying nodded confidently and even Princess Shan who was a second candidate to this title couldn't disagree.

The moment she began focusing on the mastery of her Ice Domain, Wuying, and her twin daggers overpowered Princess Shan in that area. Especially with her Shadow and Blood Arts, Princess Shan was willing to give Wuying this much. Now they were sisters both in arms and in love, so they no longer argued about such titles.

Xiao Wen and Yi nodded firmly, each of them having a different specialty they could use in battle.

The wind blew against the tree leaves when they landed in the middle of the road leading towards the passage. Everything looked so calm and even small birds greeted them with the melody of the forest. Naturally, they knew it was just a ploy, giving the passerby a fake sense of security.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Multiple arrows suddenly shot from both sides of the forest while shadows jumped out to the front and the back. There were ten hooded men with sharpened weapons on each side, ready to pounce on them.

Xiao Wen was already prepared, creating two fireballs in her palms.

Bang, bang!

She immediately teleported them to the sides and they exploded, covering them with flames while Qi Arrows broke from the shockwave. Walking out from the cloud of fire, they were like devils descending from hell, staring coldly at the men.

Just that alone was enough to intimidate the bandits.

"Y-you entered our territory! If you want to pass—" One of them tried to speak but Wuying snapped right away, cutting him off.

"Shut up and lead us to your Boss. We don't have time for your bullshit."

Huh?

The Bandits instantly got mad as multiple people walked out of the forest, aiming their Spirit Bows with new arrows ready to release. They outnumbered them by tens of times but the Four Devils didn't care for even a second, not showing any change in expression.

"Our Boss? Who do you think you are?" One of the bandits questioned angrily only to grunt, falling to the ground while coughing blood.

"Do you think we would walk here so calmly if we couldn't kill you all? Either you lead us to your Boss or we will walk in by ourselves but you won't see the sun anymore," Wuying threatened and tightened her fist.

Cough, cough!

"You have five seconds until your buddy dies. The choice is yours," Wuying added and began counting. "Five, four, three, two, on—"

"Okay, okay! Stop!" His friends quickly called out while lowering their weapons. "We will lead you to our Boss!"

Only then did Wuying release her fist. The coughing bandit only resumed breathing normally but his body was still in a critical state. His friends fed him healing pills but the effects were minimal.

"You almost killed him," they commented while frowning but no one dared to raise their voice anymore. How could they argue with her when Wuying almost killed without even moving a step?

"I wanted to kill him," Wuying replied with a shrug and pulled out a red pill that she threw in their direction "Here, it will heal his wings."

The bandits caught it instinctively but they hesitated.

"Stop wasting time, we have a schedule," Xiao Wen barked. "If we wanted to kill you all, we wouldn't need poison for that."

It was the best logic so they didn't hesitate anymore, popping the pill into the hurt bandit's mouth. As if he ate a miraculous panacea, his strength returned instantly as he stood up on his own.

"Lead us to your Boss. We have some business with him," Wuying repeated the order, and this time no one disagreed, knowing the fate clearly.

"Our Boss doesn't accept guests so he will be mad and order to attack. What kind of business would you make with him," the recovered Bandit questioned as he led the way, clearly learning some respect after getting hurt so easily.

Wuying didn't hide their objective, announcing it boldly.

"We will kill him and take over your Bandit Ground."

Chapter 73 Meeting the Boss

Wuying's words were like a clap of thunder, paralyzing the bandits on the spot.

"What? You don't want a woman to lead you?" Wuying questioned right after, frowning. "In this world, gender doesn't matter. Only your strength does. The four of us can slaughter all of you with ease if we wanted but it just happens that we have plans of robbing one of the Sects so we need some people."

The Bandit's eyes widened.

"Miss wants to rob a Sect…?"

"What, are you scared? Or is it that you want to forever be a small bandit who only robs passing cultivators?" Wuying asked back. "Your Boss doesn't seem to have any ambition and keeps lazying around while you do all the work. He prefers to stay in the city and enjoy the beauties. Am I right? Once we take control, that will change. We are going after the big guys."

The Bandits looked at each other and no one denied, giving Wuying a sign she was right. Such a setup was present in almost all Bandit Camps where the Boss would simply give orders

"Can we even attack one of the Sects? Isn't that too much?"

A questioned reached her and Wuying only shrugged.

"At your current strength? Nope. But if I were to train you, yes," Wuying assured before walking forward. "Lead the way. The sooner we take out your Boss, the earlier we can start."

"…"

All the Bandits were speechless but after a few looks at each other, they lead the way for them. If the girls were bold enough to enter a Bandit Camp and literally announced they are going to kill their Bandit Boss, wouldn't they be a much better Boss in the end? Just as Wuying said, none of them wanted to be a small Bandit for their whole lives.

They walked along the passage, but there was no city in sight. Only when they reached a stone formation blocking the sunlight from above did the city reveal itself, right in front of them in the small valley.

"Concealing barrier," Yi commented as the air buzzed, letting them see all the wooden buildings and the people casually walking on the main street. It wasn't just some slums with men drinking but a genuine city with women strolling and kids playing around.

It surprised the girls to some extent but it was to be expected. Their families had to live somewhere too.

"Not bad," Princess Shan nodded. Although it wasn't up to their standard, it was easy to improve. The only thing they could dislike was the air quality as raw meat dried in the open, making the air stink. She could see the girls filter the air for themselves so she copied as well.

The residents quickly noticed the four new visitors and the games stopped, with mothers taking their kids out of the way. It wasn't a warm welcome but the girls weren't bothered at all.

"Haha, are we that scary?" Xiao Wen questioned with a giggle.

"We are sorry. Our camp is just not used to visitors," the recovered Bandit apologized only to get awkward, seeing multiple men block their way. Their weapons were pulled out but they didn't outright attack.

"Blake? What's the matter? Who are they?" One of the men barked with a frown. "You know we don't allow strangers into the city."

The man was tall, wearing only a white undershirt and black leather pants. His head was cleanly shaved with a maw tattoo right on his forehead. It turned out it was exactly his nickname.

"Maw, don't worry. They came to do business with the Boss. They are safe," Blake lied skillfully. "Can you tell me where he is?"

Maw squinted his eyes as he gazed at the girls and didn't buy it so soon.

"What business?"

"Maw, do you need to cause problems? Just tell me where the Boss is," Blake replied without revealing anything, causing Maw to tighten the grip around his sword.

"Bitch, you know this is my job as Vice-chief. I'm taking care of the City's order. I said before, no strangers without my permission, no matter what deals you have with them," Maw argued while cursing before turning to the Four Devils. "I'm sorry but I will have to ask you to leave before we are forced to act rougher with you."

He didn't seem to care about their beauty, treating them like everyone else.

Even though the girls weren't really scared, the other bandits that led them here were beginning to sweat. The women and kids already hidden inside their homes while men began pulling out their Spirit Artefacts, surrounding the girls from all sides.

"He is in the bar?" Blake suddenly questioned, pointing behind Maw before shouting with all his might.

"Boss!!! There are four beautiful ladies who came to meet you!!!"

"You…" Maw didn't know how to comment on that. Before he could say anything, they heard the door opening and two people walked out from the bar.

"Oh my, is today my birthday? You didn't have to prepare such a good present for me."

Wuying immediately turned colder when she saw a blond thug with an obvious prostitute hugging into his chest. His arm was on her butt, squeezing boldly in front of everyone while his top was off. His whole body was tattooed messily while the hair tied in hundreds of braids.

"I will accept them anyway. You all, come inside for a little chat," the Boss called out as he beckoned them with his finger.

Wuying wanted to vomit when she saw that, but more than anything, she wanted to pierce her dagger through his neck.

"Is this really your Boss? You must be joking," Xiao Wen questioned Blake, seeing it hard to believe. "Such a wimp is leading you all? You must be crazy."

The men who brought them inside scratched their heads, not really denying it while the rest frowned, still loyal to their Boss.

"Bitch, who is the wimp? God stage trashes." The Boss cursed, pushing his girl away as he glared at them angrily. "Take them down and strip naked. Let's see how they talk afterward."

His order was quickly countered by Wuying who stepped forward while pulling out her two Blood Daggers.

"I challenge you to a Life and Death Battle, one on one. If I win, we are taking control of this City and become your new Boss."

Maw and the other Bandits were taken aback while the Boss burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, what the fuck? You come to our City and want to challenge me? In what world do you live in?" the Boss questioned in laughter before ordering once again. "Take those idiots down. The first four who listen will get to fuck them all night."

"You are really retarded," Wuying commented, gazing at the confused men. "We came here alone, four against hundreds, and your boss is such a pussy he doesn't even want to fight. Is that the boss that you want to order you? I can bet he is only drinking and fucking his bitches while you are all working hard, earning money for him. He has never moved his ass to battle and you are just slaves for him."

Her voice echoed, striking everyone's ears with the brutal truth.

"Do you want to be led by such lazy bastard or maybe four Beautiful Devils who always rush first in the battle and lead you to victory? Your choice!"

Chapter 74 Life and Death Battle

"Fuck, why are you still not moving? Are you going to let her insult your Boss?" The Bandit Boss cursed as he pulled out a giant, two-handed sword with three round holes in its blade.

No one said anything, nor did they move. They were still standing there in shock, with their minds ultimately confused.

"So you want us to fight a God Stage woman who challenges you to a fair fight? Aren't you an Immortal Stage Cultivator, Boss? It should be an easy battle for you," Blake suddenly pointed out, siding with the girls. If they could kill him without even moving a finger, how powerful were they really?

Blake already uncovered his hood, his black locks falling gently on his sides. The smirk on his face pissed his Boss off even more.

"Blake, why would I fucking fight some weaklings and waste my Qi?! Did you bang your head against the wall this morning or what?!" The Boss shouted, threatening with his sword. It seemed really heavy but the Boss swung it around with just one of his hands, showing his superior arm strength.

"Don't we all want a strong Boss that can fight anyone and stay victorious? Are you scared that you will lose to this Miss?" Blake questioned as he stepped back, hiding behind Wuying. Just because he sided with the girls, doesn't mean he wanted to face his Boss' anger.

"I'm not scared of anyone! I just can't be bothered! What the fuck is wrong— " The Boss called out angrily only to be cut off by Maw.

"I agree with Blake," Maw said with knitted brows. "Boss, why are you bothered with the usage of your Qi? You don't use it often anyway. To be our Boss, you need to lead us. I respect you for your strength but you have been lazying around while doing nothing this whole time. I take care of everything for you while you play around with your girls."

The Boss glared at Maw but he didn't comment on that. Everyone knew Maw was right.

"Fine! Let's fight then!" Boss said as his gaze fell on Wuying with his sword following as well. "You are a beauty so it's a shame you will die today but it was your wish."

"Cut your bullshit and fight," Wuying silenced him, her daggers shining with red Qi.

"Give us space," she ordered without turning her gaze away and soon everyone walked away, giving the street for them to use as an arena.

The two stared at each other for a second before the blond thug moved, dashing forward like a hurricane. He was so swift the blade was by Wuying's neck in a blink, slicing mercilessly through her neck. Her skin cut and the head flew up the sky, shocking everyone. Though, they immediately noticed something didn't add up.

There was no blood.

Poof!

Wuying's body suddenly exploded with crimson Qi, surrounding the blond thud with like a mist.

"You don't even know my full strength yet you attack me so boldly. How can you lead people while being so irresponsible?" Wuying questioned as she reappeared behind him, all intact with her neck in the right place.

She slowly walked to the Boss with her Blood Daggers ready to slice his throat yet the Boss didn't even move, shivering as if trying hard to resist. Blake also trembled when he saw it, recalling the previous encounter with Miss Wuying. He felt like his body was no longer under his control, as if every blood vessel and vain suddenly stiffened, freezing the blood inside. His heart tightened before his organs squeezed to the point they bleed out.

Cough!

The Boss coughed out blood, spilling it all over the street, yet he regained his movement, bursting out with Air Qi that pushed the Blood Mist away from him.

"Y-you bitch…" the Boss cursed as blood trailed down his lips, then onto his neck and naked chest. "You are dead!"

Despite yelling, he didn't launch an immediate attack but instead jumped away while popping a few pills into his mouth, crunching and swallowing them whole.

It was obvious the Boss was planning to go all out.

"Berserk Pills!" Someone called out from the crowd but Wuying didn't seem to care, slowly walking up to him.

"So the great Boss has to use supplements to fight a simple God Stage Cultivator? Such a nice example you show to your subordinates," Wuying commented, playing with her daggers skillfully, making them spin around her fingers as if she wasn't even serious with him.

"Do you need help from pills to awaken your little friend as well? I guess I should ask your woman," Wuying added as she kept one of her swords and extended her arm to the side.

"Ahh!" the Boss' woman cried out as her body raised from the ground, her whole body tightened.

"Does he use them, or not? Can you share?" Wuying questioned coldly, causing the woman to visually panic.

"He does! He does!" she exclaimed right away and her body regained function, falling down to the ground.

The Boss' face turned red as a blood vessel popped on his forehead but he wasn't provoked to attack just yet.

"So I was right," Wuying announced, continuing to walk towards the boss. "Your little friend is so limp you can't even satisfy a woman. What a shame."

"Shut up and fight me! If you are so strong then why don't you—" the Boss shouted only to stop midway as Wuying's body disappeared.

Swoosh!

The Boss tilted his head back right when a dagger appeared right next to his head and he slashed with his own sword.

Ding!

A loud metallic ping resounded in the air as two blades clashed together with sparks flying in front of Wuying's face. Her arm didn't even budge as she blocked the sword at an unbelievable angle.

The power of fighting with double daggers!

Though, even with double daggers, how strong she had to be to block such a powerful strike. Many wondered but the battle continued in swift fashion.

Wuying first strike missed but that was just the first attempt. Her arm quickly withdrew and stabbed once again.

Even though his head fled to the side, blood spilled from his neck, forcing him to duck back. The blade was inches away from his neck, then how did that hit him?!

Blake couldn't even stop for a second to ponder what just happened as another wonder happened.

Wuying didn't chase after the Boss but instead waited, forming thin lines of blood in the air, creating them directly from the Boss' blood. They instantly danced around her as if alive and she dashed after the Boss who was attending to his wound a few meters away.

"Fuck off!" Boss cried out as his sword swing created a massive wind shockwave, blowing in Wuying's direction but only her bloodlines were struck as she disappeared from her spot, reappearing behind him.

Aaaargh!!

Two Blood Daggers pierced into his back yet he turned around forcefully, cutting in her direction.

Too bad, she was nowhere in sight.

Wuying's jumped using Boss' shoulders as support, grabbed the handles of her daggers that stayed stuck in his back, and pulled them out without mercy while bouncing off his back with her legs.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

The Boss' scream and the fragments of his flesh flying in the air made even Blake shudder.

Thud.

The Boss fell onto his knees while his back got coated with streams of blood. All drops didn't fall to the ground but instead flew towards Wuying who gathered them around her right arm. It covered her forearm when the stream got suddenly cut and Boss's wounds closed.

Boom!

The pressure coming from Boss exploded forth as he stood up abruptly, his muscles bulging and body growing taller. It didn't look like a natural growth as his muscles deformed from normal appearance.

"YOU BITCH! GO DIE NOW!" Boss screamed, saliva spitting all over his mouth. The pills seemed to begin working as his power began to raise, his pressure multiplying with each second.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Two Air Qi Swords appeared on his sides, aiming at Wuying as he glared at her with red eyes.

"Wuying, how about you end him already? I know you are having fun but we are waiting."

Just as the last clash was about to enroll, Xiao Wen called out to hurry the battle.

Wuying snickered and shrugged.

"Tsk, fine."

She kept her Blood Daggers and extended her arm.

Swoosh!

The blood on her arm transformed and a chain burst out from her palm with its tip sharp and steady.

Air Qi Swords burst into nothingness at the contact, unable to provide any defense to the Boss.

Splash!

The chain pierced straight through the Boss's chest, poking his overblown muscles like a balloon.

"Ooof!" the bandits gasped, watching their Boss look down at the chain and suddenly fall to the ground.

Thud.

His body was like a bag of potatoes falling.

"Thank you, love~" Xiao Wen called out as the girls approached the body, only to see it dry up, its blood sucked by Wuying's chain.

"Boss!" Blake came forward first, cupping his fists as he bowed to Wuying. "Please take good care of us!"

Others realized what just happened and quickly followed suit. Only Maw was hesitant but eventually, he gave in.

"Boss, if there is anything I can help you with, please, tell me."

"Actually, there is," Wuying nodded, gazing at Blake first. "You, gather every expert at the peak of God-Stage and above. I need to assess our forces."

Switching back to Maw, she called out a full list.

"I want a full list of citizens in this city, all the resources you have, including food and all treasures. I also want to know the list of your enemies, your connections, allies, and any trading routes you have. If you can do that, you can keep your role as the vice-leader."

"Of course, Boss."

"Good. I need it down by today. We have big plans for tomorrow."

Chapter 75 Companion

"You are not going to escape this time. I will make sure of it," King of Dwarfs commented with a bright smile as they went down the mountain with an elevator.

Drakos laid down in the cage, his legs and maw locked up with chains. Even if he wanted to burn them in flames, he couldn't. Despite being locked up, Drakos wasn't sad. Having his new art, all he had to do is wait till his soul heals itself, and then he can just perform it again, escaping from the Dwarf Kingdom.

King of Dwarfs was talking to himself this whole time but Drakos didn't even listen, his mind occupied with a certain beauty that lingered in his memory.

Bella.

The scene from just a few hours ago was still vivid inside his mind.

He gazed at Bella for the last time and looked away, observing the approaching Dwarfs. His heart was aching but when Bella's presence disappeared, his body felt lighter.

'She is safe. That's good…' he thought.

Since that moment, he could finally focus on himself without worrying about her. His body began transforming and he turned into a Dragon once again. His original body provided him more power against such giants as Dwarfs.

"Hahaha, what do I see here! A lone Dragon fell in love with a Phoenix and used his only escape too for her, letting her escape. The relief in your eyes, aaaaah, so romantic," King of Dwarfs called out as he stopped, letting his men spill into the Storage Room. "It is such a shame that you will never see her again."

"Haha, you think so?" Drakos replied with a dry laugh, fire bursting from his maw in the Dwarf's direction but the King of Dwarfs was already prepared, swinging his hammer that sent powerful shockwaves, dispersing the fire.

"You couldn't beat me the last time. What makes you think you can do it now?" the King of Dwarfs questioned mockingly. "Especially with the pitiful strength you have now. I thought you would recover your strength after I injured you the last time but you are still in your pitiful state."

Drakos only smirked at that, not planning on revealing anything about his new ability. After all, it wasn't the King of Dwarfs that caused the death of his first body. No one aside from him, Bella and Xuefeng's group knew about his ability to separate the soul from the body and creating a full-pledged body using Fate Qi.

"Even if I can't beat you, I will make sure you and your men suffer. I know you won't kill me so I can go all out," Drakos replied casually, snapping his maw while glaring at his targets.

He was now a Celestial Dragon, so his power and endurance multiplied. Just by looking at Xuefeng's Dragon Edge sword, one could imagine how tough was a Dragon's body. His scales cannot be broken, nor sliced so most of the attacks couldn't break through his defenses. As long as he was careful, he could inflict serious damage to the Dwarf Kingdom.

"Haha, you are right. I'm definitely not killing a Dragon. How could I? Your race is such a good tool. I can't get the fire the same as yours anywhere. I'm just upset you let that girl go. Phoenix flames are even better," King of Dwarfs commented with a shrug. "I guess you will have to work twice as hard to pay back for this act."

The King of Dwarfs didn't waste any more time and locked the place while walking up to Drakos.

Drakos knew the battle was lost but that didn't scare him away from the battle. The endurance of both Dragons and Dwarfs was one of the best from all the races so even though Drakos was weaker in strength, the battle lasted longer than expected.

In the end, Drakos was still locked up but he was happy he could kill multiple Dwarfs, dirtying the floor of the storage with their blood.

"You are the worst King I have ever seen…" Drakos muttered through his teeth but the King of Dwarfs only burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, thank you! I will take that as a compliment."

He didn't even care about the death of his people, treating them like tools.

Thud!

The elevator finally arrived at the bottom, causing the cage to shake.

"We arrived! I'm so happy you returned. Now that you are here, I will have two workers that will help me finish my project faster," King of Dwarfs called out ecstatic, opening the doors of the elevator. They were alone there with no other Dwarfs following them.

Drakos got quickly confused, wanting to ask when he smelled a familiar scent coming from the depth of the cave.

There was another Dragon inside! It was a female too!

Drakos' mind exploded at that thought and his eyes widened but the King of Dwarfs seemed to already expect that.

"I know you already sensed her. Don't worry, you will meet her soon. She is also a new addition to my collection," King of Dwarfs assured. "Maybe you two can even fall in love here. Who knows. She is quite uncooperative on her own so maybe she will relax with another Dragon with her."

Roaaaaar!

Just as the King of Dwarfs spoke, they heard a loud Dragon road and heatwave coming from the deeper ends of the cave.

"Damn, she is at it again. Wasting my precious flames," King of Dwarfs cursed and grabbed the chains of the cage, pulling Drakos out of the elevator.

The cage was like a wagon, sliding into the rails which made it possible to transport a giant Drakos. The chains on his legs and neck made it impossible to change back into his Human form which would allow him to sneakily leave.

They rode through a simple tunnel covered by the darkness. Drakos got hit by stale air, filled with the burned smell. He was wondering what could be the King of Dwarf's Project when he finally saw it as the light from flames illuminated the final cave place.

"Welcome to my secret project. I call it: Project Giant!"

A huge metal armor that had the size of the King of Dwarf stood in the middle of the cave. There was a huge hole in its chest, showing it wasn't finished yet. Next to the Giant stood multiple smith's tools as well as enormous piles of metal as well as smelting furnace.

Then, there was another cage, similar to his own with an adult black Dragon inside of it.

"YOU BASTARD! ONCE I'M OUT OF THIS CAGE I WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!"

A female voice growled at them as a cone of fire burst from her maw. King of Dwarfs only grinned and suddenly a big shield appeared in his hand. He covered his body, blocking the flames with ease.

"I called this metal Terminium," King of Dwarfs called out to Drakos. "It has such a high melting point that only Dragon and Phoenix flames can melt it and that also requires a lot of exposure to continuous flames. Imagine I could build myself an armor using such metal. I would be invincible!"

"Why are you telling me this?" Drakos questioned.

"Because you are going to help me build it! You two will not leave this cave until my armor is done! Hahahaha!" King of Dwarfs announced as he burst out laughing. "You want to leave? This is your only choice. Convince this lady to cooperate with you and then help me melt the rest of Terminium Ore so I can finish my Armor. I will let you free afterward and you can go back to your Phoenix Beauty."

"I WILL NEVER WORK FOR YOU! EVER!"

The Black Dragon cried out as the flames stopped and King of Dwarf sonly shrugged.

"Good luck!" King of Dwarfs wished as he kept the shield and walked behind Drakos' cage. He pulled on the single chain that connected to all locks on Drakos' body and pulled on it, swiftly unlocking them all aside from the collar.

PA!

He smacked her cage with his foot and it slowly rolled on the rails towards the female Dragon.

"I need to handle some matters on the surface! I will come back later so enjoy your new companion!" King of Dwarfs called out before going back to the tunnel, disappearing from their view.

"Hahaha!"

All they could hear was his laugh that made Drakos annoyed.

Bang!

The two cages smacked into each other, causing her to bump her head against the metal crate.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I will murder this fucker!" the female Dragon cursed multiple times but Drakos was more interested in checking her out as he waited for her to calm down.

Now that he took a closer look, it seemed like she wasn't exactly black but had a bit of dark blue hue to her scale tone. Her scales shone under the light from the torches, blinking blue light from time to time.

"Really pretty," Drakos muttered only to gather the female dragon's attention.

"What did you say?!" the Female Dragon barked at him, showing her fangs. "You shut up! I am mad now!"

"Sure. We can stay here in silence the whole time. I don't mind," Drakos replied politely but she only glared at him, looking away.

'There is no way I'm ever leaving this cave.'

Chapter 76 Yiren"s First Mission

"Miss Yiren, we almost reached our destination. Please follow me. We will land some further away."

The Village Leader's voice coming from the side made Yiren extremely excited. She waved at the Leader, signaling that she heard him and patted her bird's back.

"Follow them," Yiren ordered and the bird listened immediately.

Yiren then leaned back into Lisa's chest and called out excitedly, "Lisa! We arrived already! Our first solo mission is right ahead! Are you excited?!"

"Yeah... Wohooo...!" Lisa faked her excitement and hugged Yiren, whispering, "Don't you think something is suspicious with this place…?"

"Huh? What?" Yiren questioned confused, looking around their surroundings but she couldn't find anything weird. "What's bad with it? That's just mist."

They were flying above a lush forest mixed with a clear system of streams, waterfalls, and even hot springs. Yiren couldn't wait but to find one and dive inside it. If they were not on a mission, she would already stop earlier when she saw one.

"I don't know. I just feel an ominous aura around this place," Lisa muttered worriedly but she was quickly assured by Yiren. "Don't worry. I will protect you."

"Mhmm…"

It wasn't weird that Lisa was anxious. After all, they were in the middle of the hunting for a Celestial Beast, one that could smash her into bits with just one attack. She wasn't as strong as Yiren and the beasts didn't listen to her.

As their beasts lowered in altitude, their bodies quickly covered in the mist before it disappeared. Underneath the crown of the trees, the mist was gone with a clear view of the wildlife.

"Whoa!" Yiren exclaimed as they landed, jumping off immediately.

The sounds of nature were just overwhelming. Leaves swished with gentle wing blowing and small birds chirped at Yiren's sight. They flew over and circled around her as if they finally found their queen.

"Haha, you are so cute!" Yiren called out in laughter, rubbing their tiny cheeks.

Lisa didn't even look surprised.

"A Master Tamer indeed…" the Village Elder muttered as he landed next to them. "We need to be quiet not to alarm the Celestial Beast."

"How come this place is so green and fresh? Where did all the Blood Qi go?" Lisa questioned confused, taking a deep breath. "Can I stay here forever? I hate the air polluted by Blood Qi."

"Hah, I doubt we can but it is indeed a great place. If not for the Danger, I would definitely move the whole village here," the Hidden Leaf Village Leader chuckled as he explained, "This place is called a Holy Forrest, the only place in the Blood Land that can push the Blood Qi away with that mist above us. I'm not sure what causes it yet."

"I see. All I can feel now is Water Qi, so I found it weird," Lisa replied with a nod.

"Yes, it is weird indeed. When I discovered it, I initially thought it's some kind of treasure so I ventured deeper to check it out. I was quickly chased away by the Celestial Fox inside the depths of the forest. Since then, the Fox causes us troubles from time to time so I'm glad Miss Yiren showed up. If we can tame this beast, I'm seriously considering moving here."

"I see… Maybe it is indeed some kind of treasure. We should definitely explore after we are done taming and check it out," Lisa suggested. "Maybe we can find something interesting."

"Well, good luck with that," the Village Leader shrugged. "I'm just a guide for you today. I already gave up on the treasure and I can't tame this Beast so I won't be following you the whole way."

"I don't think that will be the proble—"

"Wait, wait!" Yiren suddenly disturbed them. "Did you just say Celestial Fox?"

"Yes, indeed," the Village Leader confirmed. "A nine-tailed white fox. I'm not really sure of its gender though but I'm guessing it is a female. She likes to clean herself in the Hot Springs and her appearance is really feminine."

"Whoa! She knows what's good. Let's go meet that foxy! I'm sure we will be friends."

As she said, Yiren picked up the little birds from her shoulders and placed them on the closest tree branch. She then hopped to Lisa excitedly and grabbed her hand, pulling her in a random direction.

"Let's go!"

The Village Leader quickly called out after them. "Miss Yiren… You are going in the opposite direction…"

As if she wasn't wrong at all, Yiren turned around, going back to the birds.

"Sir, please lead the way," Yiren ordered to which he smiled, choosing one of the paths of his own.

"Follow me."

Although it wasn't supposed to be a long walk, Yiren couldn't help but stop from time to time, admiring nature. After a fifteen-minute walk, the Village Leader stopped.

In front of them was a wild path while all other routes were filled with lush jungle. The path was covered with white vapor, signaling there were some hot springs on the other side of the jungle wall.

Yiren's eyes brightened. She couldn't wait to meet her new friend, already imagining the fluffy tails she could caress.

"Why are we stopping?" Yiren questioned, too excited to take any breaks.

"I cannot go further than this. This is the Celestial Fox territory. You may think it is just steam but it is actually the Fox ability. She will discover you the moment you pass through. Even though I trust Miss Yiren can tame the fox without me, I'm sure I will just disturb you. She hates me," the Village Leader replied with a shrug.

"What did you do to make her hate you?" Lisa questioned curiously but the Village Leader didn't even know himself.

"Honestly, it must be my gender. She seems to be hating guys. Whenever she attacks us, she always targets males while leaving all women alone," the Village Leader explained with a sigh. "I will wait here for you. Now, let me tell you how to reach the Celestial Fox waterfa—"

"We will figure it out by ourselves! Thank you, Sir," Yiren called out, pulling on Lisa's hand. "Let's go, Lisa!"

"W-wait!" Lisa cried out as her feet tried to catch up with the rush Yiren. "We didn't get instructions!"

"No need!" Yiren replied and jumped into the steam without any worry. "We adventurers don't need any instructions! I can feel her presence! She is watching us yet she doesn't do anything. Don't worry!"

"Ugh! Yiren! Wait a moment!" Lisa tried to stop her but it was for naught. They ran without break, jumping from massive tree root to another while Lisa barely kept up.

"Yiren, you are crazy!" Lisa finally scolded.

"I love being crazy!"

Ah!

Lisa cried out as she suddenly tripped on her own legs. She was falling when Yiren suddenly pulled her into her embrace mid-air, covering the fall with her own body.

They expected a hard landing but it turned out to be extremely soft. They rolled on the ground, seeing blades of grass flying in the air. They stopped after a few meters but instead of suffering from pain, Yiren laughed.

"Hahaha! That was fun."

Lisa could only sigh deeply.

"You will get me killed one day. You are dangerous," Lisa muttered, only to look around their surroundings. "Where are w—"

Lisa froze as she asked, causing Yiren to turn in her direction to check what's up. She instantly brightened.

A wild white Elk was just two meters away from them and he didn't seem like he enjoyed being disturbed during his meal. He glared at them in the middle of chewing fresh grass and lowered its antlers while pulling on the grass with his hoof as if trying to charge at them.

"Shhh… We are not your enemies. We came here in peace," Yiren called out as she extended her arm, her eyes bursting with gold and magically, the Elk's attitude changed by one hundred and eighty degrees. Its eyes softened and he resumed chewing.

"Such a good boy you are," Yiren muttered and slowly reached out, crawling up to the Elk. Eventually, it let her pat its nose, even rub it.

"Lisa, come here. It's not going to bite you," Yiren suggested but the Elk suddenly pulled away, walking away.

"I guess he doesn't like me, haha," Lisa joked, causing Yiren to sigh. She couldn't force beasts to anything they didn't want to do.

"Wait!" Yiren called out after the Elk as she stood up. "Can you tell us where can we find the Lady Fox?"

The Elk looked at her strangely but then it lowered its head in a certain direction before walking away.

"See? Told you we don't need instructions," Yiren commented and picked Lisa up.

They were on a small grass field with a few paths out of it. The one that Elk pointed at was narrow, leading down on slippery rocks with its entrance in between two boulders.

Yiren didn't hesitate and led Lisa down the path, jumping from stone to stone.

They quickly heard the sounds of the waterfall and eventually, saw a light blue lake, giving off a small layer of steam. Yiren was so excited she rushed to the shore but she didn't see a fox anywhere, making her disappointed.

"Are you searching for me?"

Chapter 77 Lady Fox"s Love Story

A sweet voice called out from behind, causing Yiren to freeze. She didn't feel anything, nor heard any steps. Yiren wanted to turn around abruptly but then realized her body didn't want to listen to her.

Both she and Lisa were like statues, unable to move, only realizing what happened a moment later. The water vapor stuck onto their bodies, immobilizing them. Milky steam began to coil around their legs as well, creeping up under their skirts.

"Yes!" Yiren exclaimed. "When we heard about you, we wanted to meet and become friends. Don't worry, we came in peace."

"Oh… I'm not worried. You are not a threat to me," the feminine voice replied as they finally heard slow steps coming from behind. They could at least confirm that Lady Fox already transformed into her humanoid form.

"What if I don't want to be anyone's friend?" She added right after, stopping right behind them.

"I will understand it but we still want to be given a chance. I am not a danger to any beasts. I'm friends with everyone," Yiren replied sweetly when something tickled her on the back.

It was like a snake, covered in soft fur as it wiggled towards her neck. Yiren forced herself to look down as it wrapped around it and exclaimed happily, "Tail!"

Her eyes shone with gold once again and she could suddenly move again. She quickly reached to the tail around her neck and hugged it, caressing the soft fur with care.

"Ahhh, it's so soft and comfy… I wish I had my own tail like this," Yiren muttered happily and turned around, gazing at the shocked lady fox. "Waah, you are so pretty!"

Yiren couldn't help but open her mouth wide as she ogled the long slim legs and the naked body of the goddess. Steam covered her skin but Yiren could still see the curvy outline of Lady Fox's bottom. Silver hair fell down onto her shoulders, rolling at the end while covering her perky chest but that wasn't the main asset of hers.

Nine white fluffy tails! Nine! Yiren couldn't believe it, wanting to jump onto Lady Fox's body and embraced her together with her nine softies. One of them was still wrapped around her neck while the other was holding onto Lisa but Yiren didn't panic, not feeling any threat energy coming from her.

"Did you just break through my binding…?" Lady Fox asked with a pair of knitted eyebrows, her face smooth like polished stones.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'm not your enemy," Yiren said with a bright smile. "I just want to be your friend."

Lady Fox's eyes widened but that was it. She didn't seem influenced by Yiren's ability at all.

"You have positive energy of nature, but how do I know it's not a trick?" Lady Fox questioned.

"Just feel my soul and you will see I have pure intentions," Yiren said with a smile and pleaded, "My sister is delicate so can you please spare her?"

Lady Fox glanced at Lisa who was already getting red on her face and released her neck, pulling both of her tails away. They were surprisingly long and flexible.

"What do you want exactly? I'm busy so be quick. I'm yet to take my daily bath," Lady Fox asked casually, covering her body with her tails while walking towards the hot spring.

Yiren was mesmerized by her tails, reaching out to pet one of them as she walked past but the tail dodged her hand. Yiren's eyes quickly lowered, watching Lady Fox's butt, moving from one side to another as she walked.

Her mouth opened after realizing all tails were part of Lady Fox's body, coming out right above her bottom directly from her lower back. Lady Fox's whole body was that of a human woman aside from her triangle-shaped ears, sharper teeth, and slanted blue eyes.

"Actually, to be completely honest with you, we came here after learning of your misconduct and actions towards the Hidden Leaf Village," Yiren explained honestly as she also walked up to the spring, taking off her sandals to soak her feet in the hot water.

"Hidden Leaf Village? I don't know it. What about them?" Lady Fox questioned casually, playing with the water in between of her fingers.

"We visited it earlier and the Village Leader complained you are attacking the male hunters of their village. Can I ask why? What happened between you and them?" Yiren questioned calmly while beckoning to Lisa. "Lisa, come join us. The water feels so nice."

"Sure…" Lisa muttered, still a bit wary of a person who almost choked her to death.

Lady Fox didn't seem to mind their presence anymore as she wondered out loud, "So those men were from the same Village? I didn't even know. I was just killing any man I meet. I'm not really picky who I kill. As long as they are male."

"Did they do something to you? If they are innocent, can't you just let them go? I came here to fix the bad blood between you," Yiren confessed the truth but Lady Fox wasn't happy at all.

The water around them began to shake, creating small waves.

"I hate all men. I can't let any of them go. No man is innocent. They are liars and manipulators. Promising you something only to break this promise the next day. I will hunt anyone I meet," Lady Fox replied coldly but Yiren disagreed firmly.

"This is not true. There are many bad men but not everyone is like this."

Yiren reached out her arm and proposed, "Please, touch my Storage Ring and tell me what you feel."

Lady Fox seemed ready to punish Yiren for disagreeing but then got confused, gazing at the only ring on her fingers. Lady Fox hesitated for a moment but still walked up and touched the ring.

Her eyes immediately opened wider. "I can hear a heartbeat… Is that yours?"

"No, it's my husband's heartbeat. He made a ring for all of his wives so we could always be together no matter how far we are," Yiren explained, showing Lisa's ring as well. "No matter how many wives he has, he takes care of each of us, giving us love and always prioritizing us over his own desires. You don't need to believe me but he loves us so much he would sacrifice his life for us. That's how much he loves us. Can you say that he is a bad man?"

"Doesn't he have multiple wives? It can only mean he is greed—" Lady Fox suggested, not at all convinced but Yiren cut her off.

"No, he is not. We were the ones who forced this to happen. His priority is to make everyone comfortable and feel loved. He never searched for other women and never made us feel unwanted. Why do you think all men are bad? You just fell in love with the wrong person I think but that doesn't mean all men are bad."

"…"

Lady Fox didn't reply this time, sealing her mouth tightly.

"You loved him, right? He came out of nowhere when you were new to this world and he helped you, explaining the rules of the human world. He cared for you the whole time, saying he will stay with you forever and you slowly began to love him, unable to separate from him," Yiren recounted the story.

Lady Fox looked up at Yiren, clearly moved by her words. Yiren didn't stop at that, continuing.

"You felt like he is the best thing that happened to you. He made you happy and whenever he left, you felt empty inside. You wanted to be in his embrace, to taste his lips, and hear his voice at all times. You didn't want to leave his side so whenever he came back, you would jump into his arms and not let go for hours. Am I right?"

"H-how… did you know…?" Lady Fox muttered softly, her eyes watering.

"After days or months of meeting, you finally gave his heart to him, maybe even gave your own body to him, yet he was interested in something else. He coveted one of your treasures. "Yiren added, not replying yet. "He asked you for it and you didn't hesitate but gave it to him because you loved him. I'm not sure what happened that made you realize his actions were not pure but you eventually discovered his true purpose and this crushed your heart. You ended up killing him and took your treasure away."

Drip, drip.

Tears streamed down Lady Fox's cheeks as her legs gave in. She fell in the water, her knees sinking. She wasn't the only one as Lisa also sniffed, unable to handle such a sad story.

"How could he be so cruel…?" Lisa lamented, wiping her own eyes. "Why did you made me cry Yiren…?"

"I was just honest. I don't know what exactly happened but I'm pretty sure I'm right," Yiren replied, also feeling a bit heavy on her chest. "I'm sorry if whatever I said brought back your memories."

"It's okay…" Lady Fox said softly, hugging onto her tails. "You are right about everything… He made me love him, made me feel happy and thankful I came to this world but it was short-lived…"

Lady Fox paused, wiping her face against her tails, and reached out towards her chest, pulling out a circular blue object.

"He never wanted me. All he wanted was this talisman… so I killed him. His body is at the bottom of the lake…"

Chapter 78 Mona"s Condition

Ba-dum!

When Lisa and Yiren saw the object in Lady Fox's hand, their hearts tightened as if they were shot by lightning.

It was the Water Elemental Stone!

Yiren was the one who found the Air Elemental Stone for Xuefeng, so she knew the exact shape and size. It was exactly the same as the talisman hanging from Lady Fox's neck! The only thing that looked different was its color, a light blue.

Earlier they didn't notice it as it was covered by Lady Fox's breasts as well as the steam wrapping around her.

Yiren glanced at Lisa and they didn't even need to say anything to know what the other meant.

They needed to get this stone!

It wasn't their greed that awakened but more like worry. Xuefeng had to collect the Elemental Stones in a certain period of time. If he doesn't collect at least one Stone every five years, the Elemental Bracelet stuck to his wrist will kill him. They couldn't let that happen.

They knew very well that although Elemental Bracelet gave Xuefeng an ultimate power over elements with each Elemental Stone, it was also a cursed object. Unfortunately, it couldn't be taken off unless he dies or completes the whole bracelet, collecting all nine Elemental Stones.

"It was a gift from my mother…" Lady Fox continued. "Before she left this world, she told me to give this talisman to a man that I truly love. It's a token of love that she didn't manage to pass on to anyone. Now that I think about it, I am not surprised she didn't find anyone worthy. All good guys are already taken."

She hid the Water Elemental Stone back in the steam in between her breasts.

"I guess it will forever stay on my neck. I'm never falling in love again," Lady Fox vowed firmly.

"Hey, don't lose hope," Yiren assured as she reached out, rubbing Lady Fox's back. This time Lady Fox didn't dodge, allowing some cheering.

"I was the same. I thought I will spend my life forever alone and heartbroken, just like my mother and grandma but then my husband, Xuefeng, came to set me free. We broke all traditions and I left my hometown to spend my life with him. You need to be patient. Love will come to you at the least expected moment."

"I don't want to hope anymore. It is meaningless and once you expect something, the heartbreak is too painful. I don't want to live through that once again," Lady Fox replied as she stood up, supporting herself with her snow-white tails. She gazed at Yiren, her tears already gone, and questioned, "You came here to stop me from killing men? Alright, I will grant your wish. I guess its just a waste of time. I was just venting my anger."

"Thank you," Yiren acknowledged with a bow. "Though, can we be your friends? That was the main reason we came here."

Lady Fox observed the two for a moment and finally nodded.

"Sure."

"I'm Yiren and this is my sister, Lisa. Nice to meet you," Yiren introduced them.

"I'm Mona. You are indeed not that bad," Mona pointed out. "I'm sorry for attacking you earlier."

"No, no. It's alright. After all, we invaded your place. It's normal to feel suspicious," Yiren assured with a bring smile and began taking off her clothes without any shame. "Shall we take a bath together? I hope no one else can walk in here."

"I was about to bath anyway so why not," Mona replied casually. "The hot water is perfect to throw all negative thoughts out of your mind. It helps me calm down."

"I cannot agree more," Yiren muttered as she hopped off the hot spring and threw her dress down on one of the boulders, stripping herself to underwear.

"Oh? What are those?" Mona asked, gazing at Yiren's bra. "You cover your breasts?"

"Yes. They were invented by my husband. They help you cover your private areas and help carry your breasts. After all, they are quite heavy. When I run, they don't hop around as well," Yiren introduced as she walked up to show her bra from up close. "Do you want to touch them?"

"Sure," Mona nodded curiously and grabbed onto the material, squeezing and playing with them. She even checked Yiren's back, checking how they worked. Her actions were so innocent, making Lisa blush as she watched the two.

"Do you want a pair too?" Yiren questioned casually, making Mona smile for the first time.

"Can I???"

"Sure, I think you have a similar size to mine. If not mine, you can try Lisa's. Her breasts are bigger. Can I check?" Yiren asked politely and Mona took her tail out of the way, giving Yiren free access to her chest.

"Go ahead. I don't mind."

Yiren didn't hesitate and reached out, grasping the two naked peaks. The sensation was as perfect as she imagined. Both were extremely soft and delicate, while her nipple cutely stuck out, sliding in between of her fingers.

"Mhmm… How are they? I made them like this cause I thought it would be better for my future cubs," Mona muttered as she let out a soft moan.

"They are amazing. Xuefeng would for sure go wild with me if mine were like yours," Yiren commented and called out to Lisa, "Can you lend Mona one of your sets? They are almost as big as yours so they should fit."

"Sure…"

Lisa pulled out a fresh white set and passed it to Yiren who took it excitedly.

"Let's put it on you right now!"

Yiren acted quickly, adjusting the bra at the front before clipping it on Mona's back. Her fingers brushed through the Water Elemental Stone, but she didn't dare take it right in front of Mona's eyes. At the very least, she confirmed it was exactly what Xuefeng looked for, watching it from up close.

"Just as I thought, Lisa's bra looks perfect on you. Any guy who sees you like this would definitely widen his eyes in amazement. You are truly a beauty," Yiren complimented but Mona shook her head.

"I'm doing it for myself. I don't want to see any guys right now. I'm still busy with my own matters."

"That's what I have been saying this whole time too!" Yiren exclaimed. "But since I met Xuefeng, I want to look pretty for him, not just for myself. Once you get a guy that will treat you like Xuefeng treats us, you will definitely think the same way."

"Mona, this bra looks extremely cute on you. I hope you can take it and treat it as your gift," Lisa joined them, also acting proactively in befriending Mona. She dropped her white summer dress and stood next to Mona with exactly the same set of underwear. "We look like sisters now~"

"She still needs her panties!" Yiren exclaimed, displaying white strings and an elegant piece of lace cloth attached together. "Come, let's set you up completely."

"W-wait," Mona called out to stop them but Yiren was unstoppable.

When she reached all the way up, Mona's eyes widened, confusion filling her expression. "Does it always go in between…?" She didn't finish, glancing at the girls.

"Don't worry, you will get used to it," Yiren assured as she fixed the panties for the last time before pulling away to get a better view. "Perfect. How are you feeling?"

"Uhmm…" Mona hesitated, feeling her breasts while checking her panties with her tails. "It feels good. Just weird to wear anything at all. I was always naked. I'm never leaving from here in a human form."

"That's good. Some men are really bad and will try to covet you for your beautiful body," Lisa agreed with a nod.

"Now that you say that, I'm really curious how your husband is… How does a good man look like?" Mona wondered.

Yiren's eyes brightened at that question.

"How about you follow us so you can meet him?" Yiren proposed. "We are separated from him right now but we will go on a journey to meet with him."

Mona smiled excitedly but her smile quickly disappeared, and brows knitted.

"I want to go, move from this place but I cannot leave yet. There is something I need to do. I can't leave before that," Mona muttered quietly, immediately changing the subject. "How about we bath?"

Mona didn't wait for the girl's answer and walked forward, deeper into the hot spring.

Ugh!

She only made a few steps and suddenly gripped herself on the chest, grunting painfully. She fell into the water as if her whole body got paralyzed, shocking the two.

"Mona!"

Both cried out after her as they ran up to pick her up. They lifted Mona out of the way and found her wiggling in pain. Dark lines spread outward from her heart position, worrying the two to death.

"Why so soon… It hurts…" Mona said through teeth.

"Mona! What is going on?!" Yiren cried out as she supported Mona on her legs but Mona didn't say anything else. Either she didn't want to or simply couldn't and Yiren bet on the latter.

"Lisa, quick! Do you have anything to help her?!" Yiren called out to Lisa, awakening her from panic.

"Yes!" Lisa exclaimed as she pulled out multiple vials of pills, pulling one each as if checking what was what. She hurriedly found the one she wanted and rushed to Mona. "This one! Mona! Open your mouth! It's my best detoxifying pills!"

Lisa tried to push the pill into Mona's mouth but it was for naught, Mona's mouth shut tightly.

"We are friends already! There is no reason for us to hurt you! Please take the pill!" Yiren scolded, as she looked into Mona's eyes, and finally, Mona opened her mouth even so slightly, letting Lisa slide the pill inside. "Quick! Swallow it!"

Mona seemed to listen as they saw her throat move but right after, Mona's body arched like a bow.

Arghh!

"Hang in there!"

Chapter 79 Split Soul

Yiren and Lisa didn't know what exactly what going on. Even when they asked, Mona was in too much pain to answer. All they could do is wait, hoping for the Detoxifying Pill to work.

Thankfully, within a few seconds, Mona stopped shivering, her body slowly recovering. The black lines coming from her heart went away as well as if sucked inside.

"Mona, are you okay? What was that?" Yiren questioned worriedly, helping Mona stand up on her own.

"I'm sorry…" Mona replied weakly, finally recovering completely. "I didn't expect to be hit by it so soon… Can I have a few of those pills? They seem to be working well to stop it."

"Sure, I have a whole vial of them, but what was that? Are you poisoned?" Lisa asked as she passed Mona the pills.

"I am not. It's more complicated," Mona replied softly, not going into details but Yiren pressured, "Mona, we saw it already. If something is hurting you, we need to know. We will help you fight it back. Trust us."

"Only I can fight against it. No one else can help me," Mona sighed deeply.

"Against what?" Yiren pressed, making Mona crack and finally spill everything.

"It was all 'His' doing… When I discovered he was always after my talisman, a huge battle broke up between us. Naturally, I was stronger than him so I quickly overwhelmed him. I really didn't want to kill him till the last moment. I still loved him even then. I wanted to spare him and let him go when he attacked me one last time. He used some object which struck my soul, splitting it in half. After that, I couldn't leave him alive anymore."

"Oh my… Your Soul is injured?"

"It isn't exactly injured… It is just split into two parts. We Spirit Foxes are extremely spiritual and our Souls are one of the strongest from all races. Even with half of my soul, I can still survive somehow but it won't be long. The longer I live without my other half of the Soul, the more painful attacks I get. If I don't recover it in time, my Soul will die," Mona explained while submerging herself in the hot water. "My daily baths helped me cope with the pain."

"If your second half lost or can you somehow recover it?" Yiren wondered.

"I can connect with it, but it's hard. Once my Soul split, it gained its own consciousness. Whenever I get close, it attacks me and I can't fight back. I am scared that once I attack, trying to recover it, I will lose it forever and end up dying. I don't want to die yet," Mona expressed worriedly.

"Don't worry," Yiren assured, swimming up to her with a tight hug. "We will help you. Aren't we sisters?"

Mona was quite surprised by the hug but she didn't push Yiren away. Lisa quickly approached as well, hugging the two of them while snugging her head into Mona's shoulder. "We are a team now. Of course, we will help you."

"But how…?" Mona asked, her eyes trembling but this time not from any pain.

"I will just gain her trust and then you connect to her. She is you after all. It's best to resolve it peacefully," Yiren suggested. "Shall we go to where it is?"

"You want to do it now?!" Mona cried out in shock, her tails straightening but both girls hugged her tighter, giving her all the warmth she lacked.

"We don't want to see you hurt ever again. The faster we settle it, the better," Yiren proposed. "Lead the way."

Mona hesitated for a moment but nodded in the end, returning the hug. "I'm really lucky I met you two…"

"Please follow me."

With the call, Mona let go of them and dove into the water, swimming to the depths of the spring. Yiren and Lisa gave each other a look and quickly followed. With Air Qi at their disposal, they could breathe underwater without any problems.

The water was extremely clear but the deeper they dove, the darker it was. The Spring turned out to be extremely deep as they didn't even reach to the bottom of it when Mona stopped, waiting for them. With her tails all moving and pushing her forward, they couldn't rival her in speed.

Mona pointed at the small underwater passage, bubbles coming out from her mouth as she swam first. The passage wasn't long, leading upward instead of horizontal.

"We arrived."

Breaking through the water surface, they found themselves in a small, dark cavern. Mona reached up and a ball of light burst from her palm, illuminating the place. There was nothing special aside from the claws marks and some damage on the walls.

"Is it hiding here?" Yiren wondered, getting out of the pool. The stone was ice cold despite the water being hot which she found weird.

"It's not hiding. I put it in here once I tried to connect with it. I almost succeeded when it suddenly got out of control and began attacking me. Thankfully, it cannot escape anywhere so it didn't create any problems in the outside world," Mona explained as she took Yiren's hand, helping her leave the pool. "It would be hard for me to find it once it escaped."

They pulled out Lisa who shivered from the cold and finally moved through the only tunnel in the cavern. It wasn't that long till they reached the end, reaching a second cavern that was almost ten times bigger. All walls were covered with white frostiness and Mona didn't need to light up the place anymore.

Her Soul was illuminating the place plentifully.

In the middle of the cavern laid a meter-sized white-fox with nine tails wiggling in the air. Just when they entered, its eyes opened and it glared at them.

Grrrr…

It growled, staring at Mona with its fangs showing but Yiren walked forward, blocking the view.

"Why are you glaring at her? Isn't she the same as you?" Yiren questioned and walked forward without hesitation, her eyes brightening with gold.

The Fox quickly jumped onto its feet, growling at her but Yiren didn't mind. She left marks with her warm feet as the ice melted, walking steadily towards the fox.

"Do you realize you are hurting her? You two are one and can't live separately. Once enough time passes, both of you will die. You need to connect once again," Yiren explained, talking to the Fox with the calmness of the Goddess.

The Fox got confused at her words, but it stopped acting hostile, giving Yiren a chance to approach it. When there was only one meter away between them, Yiren halted and crouched, reaching out to the fox.

"Come, I'm not going to hurt you. I will help you reach peace," Yiren promised.

The Fox gave her a glance and then walked forward cautiously. Its nose moved up and down as it sniffed Yiren's hand only for her to start rubbing it and caress Fox's cheeks.

"See? I don't bite," Yiren muttered sweetly as she began brushing her fingers through Fox's fur. At some point, the fox even licked her on the face, causing her to giggle.

"Mona, you can come now," Yiren called out as she continued to play with the fox. "It should be ready to connect with you."

Mona's eyes were shining brightly and she walked towards them, her face showing a mix of emotions. Her steps were uneven and breathe irregular till she finally reached them. Her body was literally shaking from ecstasy, forcing her to crouch as her legs gave in.

"Thank you, Yiren… I don't know what I would do without you," Mona expressed, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"I will leave the rest to you," Yiren said happily and finally pulled away, letting Mona take over.

"Let's connect," Mona announced emotionally, hugging into Fox's neck and a flash of light immediately blinded them. Mona began shining with white light, spreading it onto Fox's body when it's expression changed.

Bang!

One of its tails moved as quickly as the wind and smashed against nothing expecting Yiren. She got sent flying, crashing into the wall with a loud thud.

"Yiren!" Both Lisa and Mona cried out in worry but Yiren shouted despite blood spilling from her mouth, "Cough! Finish the connection!"

The Fox struggled, wanting to escape but thanks to Yiren's cry, Mona caught it tightly, not letting go.

"Come back to me! Please!" Mona cried out into Fox's ear and the light around her multiplied, slowly covering the Fox.

It struggled, smashing against Mona's back but she didn't let go, squeezing it tightly until they were both swallowed by it.

Swoosh!

The ball exploded without any sound, blasting the light into all directions. When Lisa and Yiren looked at the Mona once again, she was already gone, replaced with a tiny fox wrapped with its one tail.

"Mona…?" Lisa questioned as she helped Yiren up, passing one of the healing pills to her.

The Fox didn't move but they heard Mona's voice resounding in the air.

"I turned into my basic form to mend my soul. Don't worry though, I will recover the more I rest. If you see I recover my tails, it means I'm on a good track. Please, protect me for a while."

Chapter 80 Crazy Dragoness

Yiren and Lisa walked up to the little Mona as one-tailed Fox and paused. It wasn't because of her cuteness but rather the blue Water Elemental Stone which laid loose on her neck. The thin chain was just too big for the young fox's neck.

"I have no place to hide my Talisman for now. Can you please keep it safe for me? I will reclaim it once my Soul recovers," Mona pleaded to which Yiren naturally agreed, crouching to pick up the little white ball.

"Awww… You are so cute!" Yiren muttered, her body melting from Mona's cuteness. She couldn't help but hug and squeeze the soft fur into her chest. She was extremely light as well so it wasn't a trouble to carry her.

"Shall I wear it on me?" Yiren questioned as she touched the Water Elemental Stone, caressing its surface with her thumb. It was crystal blue, with immense energy brewing inside.

Mona cuddled into Yiren's chest with her eyes closed but they could still hear her clearly. "Yes. You can't keep it in your Storage Ring anyway, so just hang it on your neck. It is quite beneficial too. It will increase your affinity to Water Element. It was the only reason how I was able to create this place."

"Ah, makes sense…" Yiren agreed as Lisa came forward, helping her with it.

The moment Water Elemental Stone touched her chest, she immediately felt like something was different. The Water Essence in the air seemed more attracted to her, coiling around her body with each movement.

"It is truly magical," Yiren commented with a nod. "Do you maybe know if it has any other uses?"

Lisa's eyes brightened when she heard it but pretended to be oblivious.

"No, but I know there is one important usage. My mom told me that one day a person will come to collect the Talisman because they need it for completing their mission. She said if I like that person, I should give it to him, together with myself. Following that person would either bring me great misfortune or a great and happy future. The moment I heard that guy was interested in my Talisman, I checked his wrist but he didn't have the Bracelet my mom was talking about. Even though I knew it wasn't him, I still fell in love," Mona explained, giving them more clarity.

Now that Yiren thought about the situation from the bigger picture, it didn't seem like they could leave Mona out anymore.

"Don't worry… Maybe one day you will meet him, who knows. He might even like you," Yiren muttered softly, rubbing Mona behind her ears.

"I don't think this will happen any time soon… I also don't want to hope anymore. If I expect, I will only get hurt again. I will leave that to fate," Mona replied.

"Who knows, maybe he is closer to you than you think…" Lisa muttered quietly before changing the subject. "Shall we leave? It's cold here."

"I will leave the rest to you then. I will sleep for a while," Mona called out before her breathing calmed down.

Yiren and Lisa exchanged gazes but didn't say anything. Just their look alone was enough to display the dilemma placed in front of them.

Xuefeng badly needed another Elemental Stone while Mona had it. Looking at the case without any strings attached, they already took control over the Water Elemental Stone. They technically didn't need Mona anymore but then came the emotional aspect. Were they so cruel as to leave cute Mona to defend herself and break her trust? It was the last thing Yiren would do, especially to her friend.

They could only do one thing which they agreed to without even speaking.

Let Xuefeng decide what he wants to do.

"Let's go back to the Village. Once we say goodbye to everyone, we should find Xuefeng," Lisa proposed to which Yiren nodded firmly.

Both of them began to miss him when he suddenly got involved.

———

"Are you feeling better…?"

Just as Yiren and Lisa who began to miss Xuefeng, he was the same, holding onto his chest with a grimace. He was in the middle of refining when his body suddenly shuddered as if he smashed against a wall. As he was sitting on the bed with Tianshi accompanying him, it could only be one person that caused it.

Yiren.

Their souls and body got connected after Yiren split her Elvish Bloodline with him. They could feel each other's pain or strong emotions and that day was the first time Xuefeng felt Yiren's pain since they arrived in the Heaven Realm.

"I'm better now… Yiren seems to be fine but she was fighting just a moment ago," Xuefeng assured as he hugged Tianshi who stopped her refining to attend him. "I was worried for a moment…"

"It's alright… She is a strong girl," Tianshi assured as she gave him a deep kiss. "She will tell us all her stories once we meet again. We can't do anything about it."

As Xuefeng seemed to be still bothered, Tianshi sat in between of his legs and pulled out an Upgrade Fragment. She got herself comfortable while leaning against his chest and ordered. "Let's continue. You have a tournament to win in two days."

"I want to find them all soon," Xuefeng declared firmly. "Let's wait for the House of Dragons to visit and then use their help to do so. I don't think we can depend on the Trade Union."

"Yes, my love, but to do that, we need to train, so let's start again," Tianshi reminded and Xuefeng finally nodded, pulling his own fragment.

———

"Stop staring at me!"

In the depths of the Dwarf Kingdom, one of the caverns just didn't go quiet.

"Stop breathing so loudly!" The female dragon cried out and Drakos finally sighed, fed up with her bullshit.

"You are really crazy. Stop thinking so highly of yourself. I am already taken so stop flirting with me."

Pfft!

The female Dragon almost choked when she heard that. "Who is flirting with who?! Me? With an oldie like you?! Never!"

"As if I would flirt with a madwoman," Drakos replied annoyed. "How can you even tell if I'm old or not? I'm obviously still young."

The black female dragon turned around in her cage and sniffed him, declaring without hesitation, "You stink. All old perverts stink the same!"

Thud!

Drakos stomped angrily with his giant foot, causing both cages to shake. The female Dragon got startled, jumping away but was stopped by the cage. She hit her head against the bars but didn't complain anymore, only glaring at him.

"Behave," Drakos grunted. "I didn't even say anything yet you continue to insult me. We are meant to work together else we will never leave this shit hole. Got it?"

Drakos' low voice and the stare of an Elder seemed to have worked well as the female Dragon chilled a bit, avoiding his gaze while lowering her head. It was a sign of respect young Dragons gave to the Elders that all mainland Dragons were taught.

"How long have you been here? What did he force you to do? How many times does he come down here? Did you try escaping?" Drakos questioned multiple times, not wasting time.

"Two weeks…" the female Dragon replied quietly and continued after a moment of hesitation, "All I did was smelt his stupid ore. He comes down once or twice a day to give me new ore. He promised that once I'm done, he will release me but something tells me he will not... That is why I began revolting. He stopped giving me food to force me to work but I'm not going to bend."

Although Dragons had one of the strongest endurances which allowed them to survive without food for a long time, if they wanted to spit fire, they needed energy. In Drakos' case, the energy could come from Fate Qi but normal Dragons needed to eat.

"He will not release us," Drakos informed. "Many years ago I was jailed in this place and only managed to escape because he got careless. I doubt we can repeat this again."

"I knew you were old…" the Dragoness commented sarcastically and suddenly took control, "So what are we doing? I'm clearly stronger so I will lead the escape. Just tell me what is your idea."

Drakos rolled his eyes. "Didn't you just hear what I said? We won't be able to escape. Unless we are able to break those collars on our necks, we will be stuck here. Even if we can destroy those cages, we won't run away far before they either explode or crack our necks."

"Huh? Do you plan to stay here forever and be this bastard's slave then? I expected more from an uncle like you but it seems I will have to do this by myself," the Dragoness called out, acting as if he wasn't worth her time anymore.

"Oh, how will you do it? I'm very curious," Drakos asked amused.

"I don't know yet but I will figure it out soon. One thing I know for sure: I will not stay here and become a slave," the Dragoness replied firmly before glancing at the gigantic armor she helped create. "Who knows what he wants to use it for. It's definitely enough to fight against our race if he wished to do that. We can't finish it."

Drakos blinked, actually not realizing this one last fact. He didn't care about his own race that betrayed him but if Dragons were hunted down, the power dynamics in the world would shift diametrically. He couldn't let that happen.

'It will take a week before Bella can reach here… if she even will. I need a back-up plan…' Drakos thought as he glanced at the Dragoness and an obvious idea came to his mind.

"Kid, I know a certain method that will let you escape from this place. I want to use it for myself but I'm currently too weak. Do you want to hear it?"

The Dragoness gazed at him interested, even ignoring the insult using her age.

"Shoot!"