Five years later…
A fox the size of a tiger tore through the dense forest, a blur of rust-colored fur weaving between ancient trees. Its breath came in sharp bursts, claws kicking up leaves and soil. High above, leaping from branch to branch with practiced grace, a middle-aged man and a young woman pursued it relentlessly.
I'm being hunted by two Foundation Stage cultivators… the fox thought grimly. How troublesome.
"Senior Brother," the young woman called out, her voice tight with concern, "it's dangerous if we keep going deeper into the forest!"
The man narrowed his eyes as he followed the beast through the trees. She's right. If we go much farther, we might attract the attention of stronger demonic beasts. He grit his teeth. I can't let this chase drag on.
Without breaking stride, he reached into his robes and pulled out a talisman glowing faintly with fire-imbued runes.
This low-grade fire talisman can unleash a Burst Flame attack comparable to an early-stage Foundation Establishment strike. It won't kill the fox, but it should injure it enough to slow it down.
He hesitated for the briefest moment. It cost me five low-grade spirit stones… I've been saving it for an emergency. He tightened his grip. But trading it for the core of a Foundation Stage Demonic Fox… That's worth the price.
Channeling spiritual energy into the talisman, he hurled it through the air. A searing light ignited behind the fleeing fox.
The fox's ears twitched. If I keep running like this, they'll eventually catch up— Its thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a wave of heat surging toward it.
It's getting hot… It glanced back—and its turquoise eyes widened.
A Fire Burst?! A talisman attack! These humans… they really don't give up!
It was too late to dodge.
The talisman exploded with a deafening roar, engulfing the fox in flames. The shockwave hurled it through the air, crashing through trees and skidding across the forest floor. Smoke and burning leaves filled the air. The fox lay among the wreckage, blood dripping from its jaws, its body wracked with pain.
Moments later, the two cultivators landed near the scorched clearing. Ash floated down like snowflakes.
The fox was nowhere in sight.
The man drew his sword, his senses alert. "Be on guard, Junior Sister," he warned. "It might try to ambush us."
She nodded and drew her own blade, eyes scanning the shadows.
Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, the demonic fox—now shrunken to the size of a dog—limped away, its fur singed and matted with soot. Cuts line its body, and blood stained its mouth. But its eyes still burned with resolve.
I used the smoke to slip away… barely. But they'll realize it soon. Once they do, it won't take them long to track me again. I need shelter… a place to recover.
It stumbled onward through the underbrush until its gaze caught a vine-covered rock wall.
No—a cave. Hidden behind thick foliage.
Its eyes flickered with hope. A cave… perfect.
It darted forward, squeezed through a gap in the vines, and slipped into the darkness beyond. The cave walls closed around it as it padded deeper into the earth, desperate to find shelter—time to recover, to survive.
Not long after, the two cultivators landed outside the vine-shrouded entrance, blades still drawn. The scent of burnt fur and blood lingered in the air.