Xue Ji flashed a charming smile as she darted forward from the group of demon geniuses, her snow-white fox tail swaying behind her.
Xue Ji was clearly a prodigy of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan. Her figure was enchantingly graceful, and her breathtaking beauty could make any man's heart race.
In a blur, she seemed to tear through space itself. The next instant, she appeared abruptly in front of the square-faced soldier and the other Northwestern Army elites in the blink of an eye.
A burst of wind from her finger shot toward them. Before Fang Hai could react, he was slammed into the ground, feeling as if an ancient primordial mountain was pressing down on him. He couldn't move a muscle—only his eyes darted around in terror!
The other soldiers, seeing Fang Hai pinned down with a single finger, immediately attacked Xue Ji together, hoping to fight their way out.
Unfortunately, they were even weaker than Fang Hai. With a flick of her finger, Xue Ji sent the remaining two flying into the canyon walls, knocking them unconscious.
Casual, effortless strikes—yet she had subdued three Spiritual Element Realm experts with terrifying ease. Just how strong was this demoness?
And judging by the group, she was likely the weakest among the six demon geniuses!
Pei Shao's face turned deathly pale, his heart pounding in his throat. He poured all his true qi into his legs, fleeing desperately.
Right now, his only hope was reaching Ling Feng or Cao Meng.
But then, a soft, mocking voice whispered in his ear:
"Trying to run? Where to?"
A white figure materialized in front of him—a stunningly beautiful woman floating gracefully in the air, her lips curled in an intoxicating smirk as she stared down at him.
Pei Shao's pupils shrank. Under normal circumstances, he would've taken his time admiring such a beauty.
But now? She was like a death warrant, scaring him half out of his wits.
Gritting his teeth, Pei Shao activated his movement art and bolted again.
"Hehe, do you really think you can escape?"
Xue Ji's phoenix-like eyes narrowed, locking onto his fleeing back. Her fingers wove a series of seals as she murmured an incantation.
The world trembled. Wherever her gaze swept, mountains shattered, and massive earthen spikes erupted from the ground, as if the earth itself were splitting apart.
A bloodcurdling scream tore from Pei Shao's throat as one of the spikes impaled him through the stomach.
He vomited blood, his body convulsing violently.
How... How is this demoness so strong?!
She was only a demon lord—equivalent to the Spiritual Element Realm—yet her power defied reason!
This was the fundamental difference between demons and humans. Realm didn't always equate to strength. With her Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline, she could fight evenly against a king-tier expert—maybe even kill a weaker one!
(Author's Note: So stop complaining about Ling Feng not leveling up. Realms don't mean fart. With Chaotic Rebirth, he can already brawl with demon kings head-on. And I've said it a million times—the Transformation Realm is just a transitional phase for geniuses. Once they break through, they basically jump straight to the Spiritual Element Realm.)
"Xue Ji truly lives up to being the most pure-blooded Nine-Tailed Fox in centuries. She's the youngest among us, but given time, she might even rival the Third Prince."
A gray-furred man with emerald-green eyes—Du Lang[1], the young master of the Howling Moon Wolf Clan—crossed his arms, admiration plain in his gaze.
The northern demons had gone to such lengths precisely for the Wuji Cave Heaven's treasures—to nurture geniuses like these.
Too bad Qingtian Fortress stood between them and the Tianbai Empire, making infiltration no easy task.
Meanwhile, Xue Ji smirked, her delicate fingers curling slightly.
Pei Shao coughed up another mouthful of blood, his stomach still impaled by the earthen spike, writhing in agony.
But he wasn't just any Spiritual Element Realm martial practitioner. As a distinguished vice-general of the Northwestern Army, his willpower was unshakable.
By sheer force of will, Pei Shao gritted out through the pain:
"Absolute... Wind... Suppression!'"
The world twisted violently. A massive tornado erupted around him, shredding the earthen spikes to dust and even pulling Xue Ji into its fury.
Pei Shao was a wind-attribute cultivator, making him faster than most. Now, with his life on the line, this desperate attack packed real power.
"Windswept Broken Clouds!"
He roared, glaring at the demoness who'd humiliated him. Even if he died here, he'd drag her down with him!
Yet from start to finish, Xue Ji stood perfectly still—her long hair undisturbed, her white dress not even fluttering.
It was as if the violent tornado hadn't touched her at all.
Had Ling Feng been present, he'd have noticed: the raging winds couldn't breach an invisible barrier three chi around her.
Xue Ji sighed, her red lips parting in disappointment.
A single step forward—and Pei Shao's tornado shattered.
Blood gushed from Pei Shao's mouth as he stared in horror, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"H-how...? This... can't be...!"
Battered and bleeding, he knew one more finger-twitch from Xue Ji would end him.
Her enchanting eyes glowed pink for an instant.
To Pei Shao's horror, his body moved against his will, following her like an obedient slave.
This was the innate ability of the Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline—charm. Any male creature could fall under its spell, let alone one as weakened as Pei Shao. In his exhausted state, he'd succumbed to Xue Ji's charm before he could even resist.
Trembling, he shuffled toward her like a mindless puppet before suddenly snapping out of it.
"Demon witch! What did you do to me?!"
Xue Ji ignored him, asking coolly:
"Tell me. How many soldiers did the Northwestern Army send? Where are the others?"
"Heh, you think I'd talk and expect to live?"
Pei Shao spat a mouthful of blood. "Let me go, or you'll get nothing!"
"A prisoner has no right to bargain."
Xue Ji raised her hand, slashing five deep gashes across his face with her nails.
With that, she grabbed Pei Shao and the other unconscious soldiers, vanishing in a flash—returning to the Demonic Jiao Prince and casually tossed the captives at his feet.
1. 毒狼 (Dú Láng) direct translate = Poison Wolf or Venomous Wolf ☜