Chapter 21. The Domain of Wolves (2)

The ground was slightly indented.

There, a fox lay sleeping.

‘What’s a fox doing here...?’

Xueliang took a step back.

His eyes, now holding a sword, were sharp and piercing. Though he maintained his Dark Shadow Body, a murderous aura did not emanate from him, but a cold, blade-like light flashed in his pitch-black eyes.

‘Could it be a spirit beast?’

It must be a spirit beast. Even a top-notch Neijia master like myself cannot approach the realm of such malevolent energy. It can’t be an ordinary fox.

But...

‘...Hmm.’

Xueliang’s face, which had been tense, broke into a pleased smile.

‘It’s so cute?’

The fox was indeed cute, but it was a baby fox.

It was curled up, resting its chin on its front paws, and it looked incredibly adorable. Its underdeveloped nose and snout made you want to pinch it, and its large ears were as soft as silk.

Its lustrous golden fur. Its fluffy tail was even larger than its body.

‘Wow...’

He was enchanted, completely captivated.

The more he looked, the more his smile widened. His eyes were spinning, and his hands itched; if not for the patience of a killer, he might have hugged it without realizing it.

‘Can a spirit beast be this cute?’

Its very existence is a protective charm. No matter how wicked this baby fox might be, no one would dare to hit it.

Why? Because it’s too cute.

Xueliang, who had forgotten the situation and was busy admiring the fox, suddenly paused.

‘A fox? A spirit beast?’

What kind of fox spirits are mentioned in the Shan Hai Jing?

‘...I don’t know.’

He had never seriously read the Shan Hai Jing.

Still, he had heard some stories.

‘It can’t be a nine-tailed fox, right?’

A fox spirit with nine tails that lives on the Blue Hill. It’s so famous that it came to mind even without the Shan Hai Jing.

Xueliang glanced at the fox’s tail.

‘No, it’s just one. And it’s too cute to be a nine-tailed fox. I’ve heard that the beauty of a nine-tailed fox is so great that its malevolent energy can even be felt in the sky.’

This baby fox was different. It didn’t even have the faintest trace of malevolent energy, let alone the aura of a common spirit beast.

Xueliang, who had been staring blankly at the baby fox, slapped his cheeks.

‘Damn, this isn’t the time for that.’

Unfortunately, he had to go.

Xueliang, who had turned around, immediately looked back at the baby fox. He kept getting distracted by it, clearly enchanted.

‘Tch, if it’s still sleeping when I come back, I’ll wake it up once.’

Xueliang, who had reluctantly put aside his regret, started walking again.

But.

“...Huh?”

Xueliang was taken aback.

“What? Is this the end?”

The path he had taken was blocked by bamboo on all sides. The bamboo was thicker than any he had ever seen, densely packed.

‘Did I reach the deepest part in just that short time? Does this make sense?’

He looked around.

‘It’s narrower than I thought. Or did I take the wrong path?’

After looking around for a while, he closed his eyes and awakened his qi sense.

Wooom.

His fists clenched involuntarily.

‘Right! This qi is right! The spiritual energy here is the most concentrated!’

He had finally found it.

‘This is a bit anticlimactic, though.’

He didn’t know how powerful the spirit beast was, so he had even brought Zhetuo Grass and the leaves of the Gulsong tea. The Zhetuo Grass was for concealment, and the strongly scented Gulsong tea leaves were perfect for deceiving the sensitive noses of spirit beasts.

It felt like a waste...

Xueliang, who opened his eyes, ran his hands over the surrounding bamboo.

‘Suck!’

Xueliang’s face was filled with shock.

‘Incredible.’

It was truly terrifying spiritual energy. Even if he had gathered all the bamboo he had purified and eaten, it would still be far inferior to this single bamboo.

This place was filled with such bamboo.

‘If I could purify and take just three of these...’

He couldn’t help but swallow.

‘With just internal energy, I would undoubtedly be the undisputed strongest.’

Of course, he wasn’t at the level to absorb such a massive amount of qi yet. Even if he had his body from the time of the Killer King, it would be difficult to take two.

Xueliang, who looked at the bamboo with a longing gaze, sighed.

‘Three is a joke. I shouldn’t be greedy. It would be fortunate to take even one properly.’

The bamboo was too thick. Not only was it heavy, but its size made it impossible to carry more than one.

“Well, what can I do? Just getting one of these would be a stroke of luck, wouldn’t it?”

The quality of the spiritual bamboo here was more impressive than the quantity.

It was truly pure and holy energy. Although malevolent energy is the opposite of pure divine energy, there might be no better source of spiritual bamboo for dark arts.

Moreover, the Dark Shadow True Demon Art retains a significant portion of the cultivation techniques of the Buddha’s martial arts. Depending on how the true energy guidance is performed, it would undoubtedly yield much more true energy than a typical demon practitioner would obtain.

Xueliang chuckled.

“Alright. The goal is achieved.”

A little... very little...

‘Man, this is disappointing.’

The amount of internal energy doesn’t determine one’s strength. But if the body is ready to accept it, having more internal energy wouldn’t be bad. Especially for a supreme expert with the enlightenment of a top-tier master, the uses would be endless.

Moreover, spiritual energy is incredibly helpful for developing the upper dantian, or the brain. It could grant the mysterious abilities of the upper dantian that a deeply enlightened monk might achieve after a decade of cultivation in a short time.

‘Too much is as bad as too little. I’ll just take one. The sect doesn’t overharvest, after all.’

Xueliang, who had suddenly licked his lips, suddenly looked down at the ground.

‘Huh?’

A small bamboo shoot was protruding from the ground.

He looked around.

‘This is the only bamboo shoot here?’

Hmm...

Snap!

He pulled the bamboo shoot out by the roots and shook off the dirt.

At the same time.

Flash!

The baby fox’s eyes opened.

A dazzling, five-colored light. The cute fox Xueliang had seen was gone. There was a very mysterious, yet eerily strange, five-colored light in its eyes.

Swoosh.

The baby fox slowly got up and looked at Xueliang.

Flash! Flash!

The five-colored light in its eyes flickered, unreadable.

Normally, the sensitive Xueliang would have noticed it, but he was busy cleaning the bamboo shoot.

After examining the bamboo shoot for a while, Xueliang’s eyes widened.

“Wow, what is this?!”

The spiritual energy is incredibly pure.

The amount isn’t much. At most, it’s a bit more than the bamboo shoots he often found near his residence.

But the quality of the spiritual energy is higher than any other bamboo in the deeper areas, and it’s as pure as water. It’s like the core of a luminous and pure spiritual energy.

‘Is this completely the essence itself?’

If it were a medicinal herb, it would be on par with the Blue Stone Milk.

I heard it takes a hundred years, or maybe a thousand years, to produce one drop.

‘It’s so pure, I don’t even need to use the purification technique.’

Crunch!

Xueliang bit into the bamboo shoot.

He thought it would be tough, but it turned mushy as soon as his teeth touched it. As he chewed the mushy pieces, they liquefied and slipped down his throat.

“Wow! The fragrance is amazing... Huh?”

Xueliang tilted his head.

‘What? Why is there no reaction?’

The liquefied bamboo shoot had gone down smoothly.

But he didn’t feel an overwhelming surge of energy. It just made his stomach feel warm, like a good tonic.

The only different sensation was that it seemed to be digested incredibly quickly and turned into blood and flesh. Other than that, there was nothing particularly special.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

He chewed and swallowed several times, but still felt nothing.

“I knew it. Essence? What a load of crap. I must have used up all my luck in my previous life.”

Swoosh.

Xueliang, who had finished eating the bamboo shoot, drew his sword.

His Dark Shadow Body had long been dispelled, and a vigorous malevolent energy was rising from his entire body.

He was clearly different from his usual self, constantly grumbling.

He was completely careless. The person who was usually meticulous and focused when he needed to be was now extremely negligent.

As if he had been enchanted by a monster.

Still, from the way he was planning to pull out and break the bamboo, it was clear how terrifying his determination was.

Wooom.

A dark red aura enveloped the sword he held, concentrated to the point of being visible.

Xueliang swung the sword casually.

Clang!

“...Huh?”

What? Why isn’t it cutting?

He alternated his gaze between the sword and the bamboo, then stuffed the remaining bamboo shoot into his mouth and gripped the sword with both hands. He swung it again.

“Suck!”

Crack!

“...”

Xueliang’s eyes bulged.

The sword, imbued with malevolent energy, only embedded itself in the surface. A cut that could split a rock in half barely scratched the bamboo’s skin.

“Look at this. It’s different, isn’t it?”

Crack!

Xueliang, who pulled out the sword, closed his eyes.

The sword aimed at the middle section.

Sssss!

A red, translucent aura now enveloped the blade. It was sticky and dull like blood, yet bright and flashy like fire, a contradictory energy.

The ultimate ability that could only be achieved at the level of Body and Sword as One.

Heart and Sword as One, Sword Qi Wounding People. A powerful sword qi was swirling inside the blade.

Xueliang’s eyes sparkled.

‘Moon Break.’

Flash!

A red beam of light split the air.

Swoosh.

The bamboo, cut at the base, slowly tilted.

Boom!!

The ground shook.

Given its thickness and length, it must have been incredibly heavy, but it was even more than he imagined. He might have to drag it.

Xueliang, who sheathed his sword, crouched in front of the fallen bamboo and tapped its surface.

“This could be used as a weapon. How much spiritual energy must be concentrated in it to turn a mere bamboo into steel? It’s really impressive...”

Crunch. Crunch.

“Huh?”

What? This familiar sound and the tingling pain.

Xueliang looked at his left hand.

“...Huh?”

Crunch. Crunch.

The baby fox was wagging its tail and nibbling on his fingers.

Not only that, it was licking the blood flowing down his hand, looking incredibly happy.

The delicate fragrance of the bamboo shoot he had been holding was long gone, replaced by the metallic smell of blood.

Xueliang flinched.

Sensing his gaze, the baby fox looked up.

Xueliang and the baby fox’s eyes met, sparks flying in the air.

A moment later.

“Aaaaah!!”

“Kyaah!”

Xueliang, who had fallen backward, quickly got up and drew his sword.

Although he seemed a bit foolish, the momentum that accompanied the sword draw was impressive. The murderous aura, which had become intensely sharp, was noticeably reduced, a natural reaction.

“Kee...”

The baby fox took a few steps back.

It looked very pitiful, lowering its head and backing away. Xueliang felt a bit embarrassed for drawing his sword so quickly.

“Huh? But you?”

...

“What? When did you wake up?”

The fox couldn’t answer. It kept backing away, lowering its body, and finally lay down, resting its chin on its front paws and looking up at Xueliang.

It was a pitiful sight. Xueliang scratched his head.

“After sleeping so well in this dangerous place, why are you so submissive?”

Rustle.

The large tail kept wagging.

Considering it’s a canid, it doesn’t seem scared. Based on the situation...

‘Sad?’

Xueliang chuckled.

“Nonsense.”

Swoosh.

He sheathed his sword again and picked up the bamboo. He didn’t feel any murderous intent or the primitive ferocity of a beast from the fox. His extrasensory perception confirmed that it wouldn’t attack.

Well, even if it did attack, it would probably just hurt itself.

Xueliang shook his left hand.

“Ouch, it hurts. A tiny thing like that has the strength of a tiger.”

Creak.

He picked up the bamboo. He thought he would have to drag it, but somehow it ended up on his shoulder.

Xueliang, carrying the bamboo, hummed a tune as he walked.

A moment later.

“...Why are you following me?”

When Xueliang stopped, the baby fox, which had been following cautiously, placed its front paws on his thigh and wagged its tail. Then it looked up with its large eyes.

‘...’

It’s really, really cute.

Xueliang waved his hand.

“Shoo, shoo. Return to nature.”

How long did he walk like that?

“...”

The baby fox placed its front paws on his thigh again. It blinked its bead-like eyes and sniffed, as if it had something to say.

Xueliang scratched his cheek.

“Well, it doesn’t seem dangerous. It will probably leave on its own.”

He dismissed it and retraced his steps. The bamboo collection was much easier than expected, making his steps light.

And the baby fox followed him closely.

In the baby fox’s black eyes, a five-colored light was faintly visible as it watched Xueliang’s back.