Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter Fifty-Six: Joining Forces Against the Enemy
“Whew!”
Ying Yongge opened her eyes and looked at Li Yu with a complex expression, softly saying, “Thank you!”
Just now, when the old white fox had attacked her, if Li Yu had immediately turned and fled, perhaps with him delaying the fox for a moment, she might have really escaped!
“That old white fox is quite formidable. Be careful!” Li Yu warned.
Although he also didn’t have much goodwill toward Ying Yongge, the old white fox was truly the anomaly—the dark cloud hanging over both of them.
Li Yu was confident he couldn’t defeat Ying Yongge but could still retreat unharmed. However, facing this old white fox, who had broken through racial constraints and reached the peak of fifth rank, he had no confidence at all.
Ying Yongge shared the same thought, which led to their current brief but firm alliance.
“Is it time to strike?” Li Yu looked at the old white fox pacing below, then glanced at the slightly improved condition of the Ninth Prince.
Ying Yongge pondered, “It won’t affect my full-power strike anymore.”
If so, Li Yu no longer hesitated.
He condensed a thunderball in his hand and hurled it fiercely at the old white fox.
“Boom!”
Lightning scattered, blasting one crater after another into the ground, yet without exception, no electric arc touched the old white fox!
“So fast!”
Li Yu’s heart sank. This was the first time the white fox king had revealed its full appearance, and the threat it posed kept rising in his eyes.
Its pure white fur had lost its spiritual luster, standing still with a lifeless, withered appearance, not even as tall as an ordinary adult white fox, and visibly emaciated. Yet its claws were incredibly sharp.
Now, with the sun rising, the sunlight gleamed on them, even radiating a cold light like divine weapons.
Its eyes were a deep scarlet, like two blood-red gems filled with vibrant hues.
“How to fight it?” Ying Yongge asked from the side.
Li Yu glanced around; the other white foxes had retreated far away. It seemed the old white fox, mindful of its tribe’s losses, had driven them off at a distance.
“Engage it closely!” Li Yu gritted his teeth and said fiercely.
Long-range attacks were useless against the swift old white fox and would only squander their spiritual energy.
And trying to fly away was futile—the fifth rank’s flying height was limited, and they were not agile in the air, unable to escape the old white fox’s attack range.
“Flame Form!”
Ying Yongge transformed again into a figure wreathed in flames. He glanced at Li Yu and then shot toward the ground at great speed, resembling a comet crashing into Earth from afar.
Li Yu took a deep breath, lightning flashing around him, matching Ying Yongge’s pace closely on both sides. The two charged at the old white fox together.
“Boom!”
The moment they touched the ground, a shockwave burst outward, pushing away the air violently and clearing a large patch of ground.
“This way!”
Li Yu shouted, gripping his long sword as he dashed toward the flickering black shadow.
The old white fox’s speed was terrifyingly fast; close-quarters combat was extremely dangerous. One misstep could mean bloodshed on the spot.
Ying Yongge dared not be careless and closely followed Li Yu toward the old white fox.
“Howl!”
After being pursued for a while, the old white fox suddenly turned and charged fiercely at Li Yu.
At such speed, the air compressed, forming air cannons that slammed into Li Yu.
Li Yu’s eyes fixed on the rapidly enlarging silhouette of the beast. The howling air cannons, with their piercing rush, were blown apart by the thunderballs detonating about ten feet in front of him.
The air currents swirled wildly, whipping Li Yu’s clothes, but he didn’t blink, fully focused.
The old white fox’s fierce attack was imminent. The protective barrier Li Yu conjured before him was as fragile as paper, but in a blink, it shattered the thunderball barriers around him.
The assault never paused. The old white fox’s eyes glowed scarlet, seeming to overflow with red light. Its two claws, surrounded by lightning, directly aimed for those two dark, lively eyes.
“Whoosh!”
Faced with such an onslaught, Li Yu didn’t retreat an inch. The sharp wind that followed even stung his face.
Under Ying Yongge’s horrified gaze, Li Yu suddenly stepped forward, swinging his long sword horizontally. A dazzling sword light flared, and this strike was a direct clash with the old white fox!
“He’s this tough?”
Ying Yongge was stunned. Sharing his thoughts was the old white fox. The Ninth Prince, bored with endless battle drills within the Ming Dynasty royal family, hadn’t missed the chance and threw a heavy punch.
“Flame Fist!”
The old white fox was surprised. Though Li Yu’s strike only caused superficial wounds on its jade-like hard forelimbs, the sheer force sent it flying backward!
But how did it dare?
“Boom!”
In that brief moment, Ying Yongge’s attack was closing in. The old white fox was blasted away, restoring distance between itself and the two.
“Such quick reflexes!”
Li Yu felt regret. The opportunity they created was seized by Ying Yongge, but the old fox’s experience was unmatched. It adapted swiftly, sustaining only minor injuries that didn’t affect its movement or attacks.
Meanwhile, a notch appeared on Li Yu’s long sword—chipped by the old white fox’s claws during the horizontal slash. This showed just how sharp and hard those claws were.
The old white fox’s overall defense was likely just as formidable. This was, without doubt, their toughest adversary yet.
His gaze briefly flickered in one direction, then returned to the old white fox.
“Keep going!”
Li Yu stopped hesitating, stomping his foot hard on the ground with a loud thud, scattering dirt, then transformed into a streak of light charging toward the old white fox.
“Howl!”
Although the old white fox had just dodged in time, it was furious. It let out a mighty roar as eerie white light flickered over its body. Then its form rapidly swelled.
Its scarlet eyes radiated ferocity. With a stomp of its limbs, the old white fox, now larger and more imposing than the robust white fox, turned into a flash of white light, charging fiercely at Li Yu.
“Bang!”
In an instant, Li Yu was blasted backward.
As the old white fox prepared to press its advantage, Ying Yongge intervened. The two clashed several times. Despite being on the back foot, Ying Yongge, engulfed in flames, had already singed many parts of the old white fox’s body in close combat.
“This old white fox is extraordinary!”
Li Yu struggled out of the dirt pit he’d been thrown into, spitting out the earth and feeling a flicker of astonishment.
According to records, neither white foxes nor snow foxes had the ability to grow this large. Could this be a new power awakened after breaking through bodily constraints?
“Stop dazing and come help!” Ying Yongge shouted angrily.
In this short time, several patches of flames around him had nearly been extinguished by the old white fox’s blows.
“Let me catch my breath!” Li Yu chuckled lightly. Though he found Ying Yongge’s plight somewhat satisfying, if they wanted to settle the fight, they had to deal with the old white fox first.
If left to face either of them one-on-one, no one could claim victory against it.
It was simply too strong!
At the peak of fifth rank, the old white fox’s flesh and skin were tougher than common divine weapons. Ordinary attacks couldn’t even pierce its fur.
And that was just defense. While its strength might not surpass large beasts of the same rank, it excelled in balance—speed and power both sufficient. Such a well-rounded beast was a formidable opponent for anyone.
“Boom!”
Li Yu surged forward, wrapped in lightning.
One blazing with fiery light, the other crackling with arcs of electricity, together they pressed the old white fox, relying on their bloodline affinity and divine powers to hold their own.
“Flame Fist!”
Taking advantage of the old white fox being slightly stunned by the electric attacks and slowing down, a gleam flashed in Ying Yongge’s eyes. Flames suddenly surged over his body. Clenching his right fist, he struck the old white fox’s abdomen.
A huge fiery fist imprint appeared with his punch, high heat distorting space. In the flickering firelight, the punch struck hard.
“Boom!”
Did it hit?
Li Yu squinted through the thick smoke. The next moment, his eyes snapped open. “Dodge quickly!”
Ying Yongge’s smiling face froze. He barely managed to turn aside but still took the full force, groaning muffled, rolling several times on the ground to disperse the impact.
“Take this!”
Li Yu shouted fiercely, charging at the old white fox that sought to capitalize on its momentum.
The moment they clashed, sharp winds swept outward. Ying Yongge, having just stood, was caught off guard and knocked down again by the shockwave.
“Ahhhh!”
Ying Yongge screamed wildly. His left arm—torn off by the old white fox’s thunderous attack just now.
Because of this, he struggled to maintain balance and had been battered badly by the fight.
“Such a cunning old white fox!”
Li Yu retreated repeatedly, having been at a disadvantage in the melee. Fortunately, the old white fox’s immense strength seemed to wane quickly, allowing Li Yu to withdraw.
His gaze swept over Ying Yongge’s missing arm, heavy yet somewhat relieved.
This sudden surge in power and speed must be the old white fox’s true awakened ability. It had held back before, letting them believe it had only broken bodily constraints without gaining new powers.
They relaxed, but the old white fox seized the opportunity, crippling Ying Yongge’s combat effectiveness in one fell swoop.
If that last strike had targeted him...
Li Yu shuddered. He had several ways to avoid it, but only in hindsight. If caught off guard, he might have fared no better than Ying Yongge.
“Can you still fight?” Li Yu asked without turning back.
“I can!” Ying Yongge snarled fiercely, staring at the old white fox as if he wanted to devour it alive.
The secret realm wouldn’t end anytime soon, and the longer it dragged on, the less chance he had to fully recover. Besides... the secret realm was unsafe—many would be happy to kick someone when they’re down.