Chapter 74: Chapter 74: A White Fox?
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Hu was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let’s go..."
The gazes of both Bu Yunyan and Leng Yao held a new trace of awe for Qin Li that wasn’t there before. It couldn’t be helped. The killing intent radiating from him was simply too overwhelming!
It was like how an animal meeting a butcher would instinctively feel its hair stand on end in terror. Killing intent was a very real thing. Human senses were just far less sensitive than those of animals. But after witnessing Qin Li instantly strike down over a dozen Profound Level Martial Artists, it was impossible for them to feel no fear at all!
Even that group of Royal Martial Artists in the distance was scared witless by a single glance from Qin Li, some even losing control and drawing their weapons.
In reality, this was the first time since arriving in this world that Qin Li had truly displayed his full power. Ever since he began cultivating the Only I am Venerable battle technique, a faint impulse had been stirring in his heart—an urge to vent, an urge to kill!
He hadn’t thought much of it at first, but as his cultivation continued to improve, the feeling grew increasingly intense. It was as if a voice was constantly echoing in his very soul, reminding him: Kill, kill, kill!
’Sure enough, I killed them, and it felt amazing!’
Standing on the wooden raft, Qin Li suddenly shivered. A terrifying thought struck him. Anyone who cultivated the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable battle technique had to endure the suffering of Nirvana and the pain of having their soul scorched. In the end, their soul would be completely devoured, leading to death.
However, something different had happened in his case. Six months had passed, yet he had not undergone Nirvana. As for soul damage, Qin Li had known from the very beginning of his cultivation of the Only I am Venerable technique that this would not happen to him.
’But since this battle technique is called Divine Level, and since it dares to have such an arrogant and domineering name, can it really have no effect on me at all?’
Qin Li had been pondering this question for a long time. It was only today, after a gratifying slaughter, that he finally felt he must be under some kind of influence. Otherwise, given his disposition, even knowing those people deserved to die, he would have simply killed them. He certainly wouldn’t have felt any pleasure from it.
’Feeling exhilarated after killing... isn’t that perverse?’
Hu guided the raft through the swamp while Qin Li stood lost in thought. Bu Yunyan and Leng Yao said nothing, and for a time, it was completely quiet.
Just then, Qin Li snapped out of it with a self-deprecating smile. ’So what if I’m influenced, and so what if I’m not? In the end, it’s just that I’ve never fully trusted this battle technique. This heavy killing intent is also related to the law of the jungle in this world.’ At this thought, Qin Li finally relaxed. ’As long as I am still me, that’s all that matters!’
Looking at his silent companions, Qin Li smiled. "What, you all... Don’t tell me I scared you?"
As soon as Qin Li smiled, he could clearly feel the others relax.
Bu Yunyan let out a long breath and patted her ample chest. "With you being so quiet, I didn’t know what to say. You were... so scary just now! But those scumbags... they deserved to die! How dare they call me ugly! Hmph!"
Qin Li felt a sense of exasperation. ’You really can’t judge women by common sense,’ he thought. To think she wanted them dead for *that* reason. ’If those powerful Martial Artists knew this from beyond the grave, they’d surely feel they had died a most unjust death.’
Hu studied Qin Li for a few moments, then gave a hard push with the long wooden pole in his hand. "Qin, you’re like a completely different person now compared to when you were killing those men! Just now, you had this... um, it wasn’t killing intent... how should I describe it?"
"A domineering aura!" Leng Yao said softly, her head lowered.
"Yes, that’s it! A domineering aura!" Hu nodded.
Bu Yunyan nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, it was so awesome! Like you were looking down on the whole world! Did you see that group of Royal Martial Artists? Scared out of their wits by a single glance from Little Brother Qin..."
"Only I am Venerable... Only I am Venerable..." Leng Yao murmured. "Could this be the true power of the Only I am Venerable battle technique?" Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she looked at a small floating island a dozen or so meters across. "What’s that?"
Behind a patch of dark, leafless shrubs, a fluffy white ball was visible, looking like a small animal resting there.
"I’ll go take a look." Of the group, Bu Yunyan was the biggest animal lover. The sight of the fluffy white thing made her heart melt, and she instinctively wanted to go over and scoop it up.
Qin Li grabbed her arm and hissed, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Bu Yunyan flinched, snapping back to her senses. Looking around, she felt a surge of belated fear and realized her mistake. She pouted, "Look, it’s not moving. We’re so close. If it were dangerous, wouldn’t it have charged us by now?"
Hu said calmly, "Qin was right. Yunyan, you were too careless this time. We’ve never been to such a dangerous place before, so we have to be extremely cautious. I think the main reason we’ve been able to cross this swamp safely is because the area has been flooded with people these past two days, scaring many of the Spirit Beasts away. Otherwise, we would have never made it across!"
As Hu spoke, he glanced back the way they came, his heart still pounding with lingering fear. Based on his years of experience, he could tell that the several hundred meters of waterway they had just passed showed signs that at least two powerful Aquatic Spirit Beasts had lived there.
Aquatic Spirit Beasts are extremely powerful in water, whereas most human Martial Artists can’t even use half of their normal strength while submerged. Therefore, it would be effortless for a Profound Level Spirit Beast to kill a Profound Level human Martial Artist.
Now that they were about to cross this quiet but treacherous swamp, he didn’t want any unexpected trouble. He just wanted to reach the shore as soon as possible. The road ahead was fraught with peril; he had no energy to spare for distractions.
Just then, as the raft glided past the floating island, a persistent Bu Yunyan pointed again. "Hey, look! It’s injured! The poor thing!"
Qin Li turned to look and couldn’t help but be amused. ’Isn’t that a fox?’ he thought. ’Completely white? A White Fox?’
The little creature wasn’t large, less than a meter long, and was curled up at the edge of the sparse bushes. Its long white fur seemed to have lost its luster, and the foreleg facing Qin Li’s group was stained with a large patch of blood.
It didn’t even lift its head to glance at them as they passed. With its eyes half-open, it lay there, completely still.
"Let’s save it, please?" Bu Yunyan pleaded in a small voice, knowing her request was a bit unreasonable.
"This creature... it doesn’t seem very aggressive. Hu, have you ever seen an animal like this?" Leng Yao suddenly asked, clearly siding with Bu Yunyan.
’When it comes to being soft-hearted, women really take the cake,’ Qin Li thought. He didn’t feel any particular attachment to such small animals, but he was puzzled that the two women didn’t recognize it as a fox.
But then, he saw Hu shake his head too. Qin Li was left speechless. ’It’s just a fox,’ he thought. ’How could none of them recognize it... How strange!’
Hu spoke up, "It’s probably a small animal unique to Phoenix Lake. The number of animal species on the Celestial Essence Continent is endless, and there are many I’ve never seen. I’ve never seen this little creature in the Spirit Beast Atlas, so it’s probably not a Spirit Beast. However... our journey is perilous. Taking it with us would be very inconvenient!"
Bu Yunyan said softly, "We just need to save its life, that’s all."
Hu scanned the surroundings. Sensing no danger, he relaxed and poled the raft up to the floating island to dock. All four of them stepped onto the island, which, not being very large to begin with, immediately began to shake. Hu quickly jumped back onto the raft.
The little White Fox struggled to open its eyes to glance at them. Its deep blue pupils were utterly listless before it closed them again.
Bu Yunyan slowly approached the White Fox, murmuring, "Don’t be afraid, little one... I’m here to save you."
Whether because it was too heavily injured or because it understood her words, the little White Fox remained still, allowing Bu Yunyan to crouch down and examine it.
"Oh, it’s so badly hurt!" Bu Yunyan cried out. She lifted the White Fox’s front paw, revealing its soft underbelly. A large area was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, with dark clots already starting to congeal. A gruesome wound of unknown origin had nearly torn the little creature in half horizontally!
’It’s hard to believe it’s still alive after such a severe injury,’ Qin Li thought. Just then, he noticed that the moment Bu Yunyan lifted the Little Fox’s foreleg, a flash of shame and indignation flickered in the White Fox’s eyes. Qin Li instantly recalled his mother, Qin Hanyue, telling him about Spirit Beasts that could transform into humans.
’Looks like I misjudged...’ Qin Li thought mockingly to himself. He then watched as Bu Yunyan took out Golden Wound Medicine and fresh water to clean the White Fox’s wound.
"It’s no use. At this rate, it’s going to die!" Leng Yao said softly, her expression turning grim.
After a moment’s thought, Qin Li walked over. "Let me see!"
By now, Bu Yunyan’s trust in Qin Li was almost blind. This was especially true since he currently looked like a man in his twenties and had just laid waste to their enemies. As the saying goes, "beauties love a hero," and in this case, that "love" was closer to adoration.
As Qin Li’s hand gripped one of the White Fox’s forepaws, the little creature suddenly opened its eyes, bared its sharp, pointed teeth, and let out a low growl at him.
SMACK!
Qin Li slapped the White Fox on its forehead and snapped, "I’m saving your life, you little brat. Don’t be ungrateful!"
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Here’s a recommendation for a book by an author Xiaodao enjoys: *Skeleton Magister*. Synopsis: A fragile half-skeleton is summoned into the laboratory of a magic academy...
