The two foxes were of different sexes, with the purple-eyed hellthunder fox a few times the size of the nightmare fox. It ran with great speed, pouncing with its claws bared like a monstrous demon as lightning like Meow Meow's own crackled menacingly near its seven tails.
Chu Xiaoqi hugged her umbrella tight and stood between her two foxes, the pink in her eyes intensifying and making her even more alluring. Nobody would question the claim that she was among the most famous beauties on the continent. She seemed pure, yet seductive at the same time, being able to enchant others with the slightest wink. However, the one who stood before her was Tianming.
His allies were suffering quite a few losses, so he had to hurry up and deal with his foes. Only then would they stand a chance of survival. As such, he bore nothing but killing intent for a beauty of her class, having seen her almost kill Xuanyuan Yucheng and Beigong Qianyu moments before. His decision to help out elsewhere had almost left the couple for dead. If he had come a moment later, he would definitely regret it.
"Jiang Wuxin managed to escape, but I won't let you leave with your life!" Tianming charged in with Ying Huo and Meow Meow.
"Do you think you're invincible?" she snickered. She only looked pure on the surface, and her true personality was just as cynical as anyone else's.
"I'm not invincible, but I am powerful enough to kill you."
"We'll see." Chu Xiaoqi was reminded of the infuriating experience of being toyed with by him on the windblade layer of the battlefield. "A blood debt is to be paid back in blood!"
"That's exactly what I plan on doing!"
"Just because you managed to defeat Jiang Wuxin, you dare to underestimate me?" She had reached the fifth-level life phase much earlier than Jiang Wuxin and had unique methods that weren’t utilized by most beastmasters. Far too many people that were more powerful than her had fallen by her hand.
"That's right. Who do you think you are?"
She was smiling both from the impudence and how laughable the statement sounded.
"Kill him!" she shrieked. The sharp cry sent her two beasts into action at the same time as her. The purple fox raised its tails high, shooting a net of lightning at Tianming with its ability Violet Lightning Prison. It didn't seem much weaker than Meow Meow in its current form at all. At the same time, it also spat out a flash of lightning toward her, creating eight wings behind her. The ability was called Eightwing Electrofiend.
The attack clashed with Meow Meow's Misty Hellthunder and exploded into many lightning bolts that shot in all directions. Then Chu Xiaoqi flapped her wings and accelerated, closing her umbrella and couching it in her shoulder as if she were jousting.
A chilling sound was heard as a formless wave spread out across the battlefield when the nightmare fox disappeared in the thunderclouds and used its Sleep Vortex. While Tianming wasn't affected by it, Ying Huo said it was feeling a little drowsy. Tianming, with his soul protected by the Prime Tower, aside, the ability was actually quite formidable. Formless abilities were the most effective, after all, as they could affect others unimpeded, especially the other Archaion disciples. Not only did they begin feeling drowsy, they were also having hallucinations of really weird things. Chu Xiaoqi looked even more alluring to them now, with a gentleness to her that made them forget what they had been doing.
"Isn't this basically my Bewildering Eye?" Tianming said. He had to admit that the enchantment of the nightmare fox was really similar to that of Dong Jingjing's lifebound beast, but it was even more powerful. Without another word, Tianming had Ying Huo and Meow Meow stand guard in front of him as Chu Xiaoqi's purple-eyed hellthunder fox charged them. Instead of bothering to defend against the incoming attack, he focused his attention on the nightmare fox in the distance that thought it was hiding rather well. Too bad the hunter was Tianming, who wouldn't let someone that could control the tide of battle like Xian Xian roam about unabated.
"You better hold on!" Tianming told Ying Huo.
"Don't worry. Do you think these females can enchant me? I'm not the least bit into women!" Ying Huo said as it intercepted Chu Xiaoqi with a sword art.
"That's right. Hens are more your thing, right?"
Meow Meow turned into the Regal Chaosfiend and clashed with the purple fox, causing their purple and black lightning to intertwine. While the nightmare fox's ability was having a significant effect on it and put it at a huge disadvantage, it wouldn't last for long. Tianming had made it to where the nightmare fox was.
"He isn't affected!" cried the smaller fox.
"What?!" Chu Xiaoqi snapped and turned back.
"It's too late." The nightmare fox immediately used another ability, Dream Mirror, by shaking its seven snow-white tails in a really eerie way. The next instant, an enchanting mirror appeared before Tianming, showing the visage of a smiling Feiling, looking more tempting than ever as she waved alluringly at him, dazzling him for a moment. "Come, come to me."
Her beauty was infinite, but Tianming didn't react too strongly, partly due to the Soul Tower blocking most of the effects, but mostly his familiarity with Feiling's beauty. He still had everything under control. "No way in hell will I come to you!"
Tianming raised his left hand and used the Soulshaker Eye, causing the nightmare fox's vision to darken. The next moment, Tianming pierced it with his sword, unleashing the combined power of his tribulation sword ki and the Imperealm Sword Formation at once. The hell barrier formation appeared and the fox had been eliminated, allowing Ying Huo and Meow Meow to regain their full fighting prowess.
Even so, Tianming wouldn't show any mercy. He immediately used the Mortal Dao Sword, destroying the barrier formation with the sword of life and unleashing a barrage of slashes with the sword of death, cutting the head off the nightmare fox.
The fox’s head was sent flying and its seven-tailed body fell. It was bound to be defeated after gaining Tianming's full attention, though he would have been in trouble, if not for the Soul Tower, and might have fallen for the Dream Mirror if he wasn’t so familiar with Feiling.
With the nightmare fox dead, the delicate balance was broken. When Chu Xiaoqi made her way to him, Tianming tossed the little fox's head to her, splattering its blood all over her. Her expression contorted to a frightening degree as the fox’s shriek was still ringing in her ears. What was worse was that Meow Meow and Ying Huo had kept attacking her and weren’t giving her any time to grieve! Meow Meow wasn't afraid of her lightning at all as it kept her busy, creating opportunities for Ying Huo to go in with its backstabs and causing her other lifebound beast to struggle to escape as well. Now, she was starting to panic.
"Aren’t seven-tailed demon foxes supposed to be strong?" Tianming asked with a scathing look.
Chu Xiaoqi had acted so arrogantly and her face had contorted so much that her usual tricks of stoking sympathy and pity would no longer work. Now she was doused in nothing but killing intent. "Li Tianming, you deserve a thousand deaths!"
"As do you!"
If he didn't kill her, she would only join up with the rest to continue massacring the Archaion disciples. They had already lost quite a lot, thanks to Nonahall's participation, and still needed Tianming to hold the line at the two caves. They had placed all their hopes in him, and now he was getting ready to go in for the killing strike. "Since Jiang Wuxin didn't die, I'll make sure you do!"
He split his Grand-Orient sword in two, his death tribulation force rising once more as he focused on the killing intent aspect of his technique. When he executed the Animacorpus Eradication, a deathly aura filled the surroundings, causing her scalp to feel prickly and numb.
Though she wanted to escape, she held the pride and dignity of the Biritual Demon Sect. There was no other option for her but to resist to the end. "I must fight, or I won't be able to face Master ever again!"
As she thought of how amazing her master was, and how much she worshipped her, there was no longer any possibility for her to back down. "Li Tianming, you will die without question. After the Number One Summit, your divine realm and goddess shall only exist in the annals of history! I will exterminate everyone and anyone affiliated with you!"
"You think shouting like this will mask the fear you feel?" Tianming coldly said as his sword coursed toward her. The Accusation Dream Shade instantly morphed into many different forms, but to no avail. Animacorpus Eradication crushed it like bamboo and continued toward her.
"Die!"
It was absolute domination with an outburst of power. His first strike caused hungry ghosts to descend and howl, filling the area with intense sword ki that pierced through the umbrella and triggered her hell barrier formation. As her nightmare fox's barrier formation had already manifested before, her current barrier formation couldn’t mitigate the force of the attack and shattered. Tianming's second strike was surrounded by the spirits of the accused as he struck with the sword of death.
"I—" Chu Xiaoqi finally broke down and turned to run.
"Farewell!" Sword ki burst out as the Grand-Orient Sword slashed horizontally. No matter how beautiful a headless corpse was, a headless corpse was a headless corpse. Her head flew to the highest point of the mountain, allowing her to see the entire battlefield and the white-haired youth that charged into it like a demon after beheading her.
"How terrifying...." Just like that, her soul scattered, mired in terror and despair. Countless people across the continent lamented at the death of such a top beauty and genius. She’d had the potential to dominate the realm like her master, becoming one of the most amazing women on the continent.
After her eradication, the audience turned to the white-haired youth as he charged into the fray with his Imperealm Sword Formation and tribulation sword ki. Heads flew wherever his swords pointed.
"Those who harm the Archaion Sect shall die!"