Chapter 27

Li Mengze had always been someone who knew how to assess the situation; matters where the strength between enemy and ally was vastly unequal were ones she generally avoided.

So she quickly sent a message, saying, “Sister, we have Fox Spirit Grass at home. You can eat as much as you like when we get back, alright?” The Fox Spirit Grass was rather distinctive in appearance. When she was little, Li Mengze had seen it in her mother’s herb garden. After so many years, she figured her mother must have even better specimens in her collection by now.

She thought this would persuade the little fellow. Despite their size, these cubs had eaten Jade Marrow, so their intelligence had awakened early. During their time together, they’d all behaved very well. Though Little Black often liked to act grown-up, Li Mengze understood their environment. Besides, children pretending to be adults was often quite endearing, and they’d never made any unreasonable demands. She hadn’t expected to be refused this time—and so firmly, too.

“No, Little Black wants it. There’s something good inside.” The little creature struggled for a moment, then reaffirmed its stance. It could sense that what lay within would be greatly beneficial, helping them grow. So even if it didn’t want to disappoint Li Mengze, Little Black stood its ground.

Those dark, stubborn eyes flashed with a hint of anxiety, and Li Mengze was helpless. She simply couldn’t refuse such an expression. What now?

She had no choice but to press on, steeling herself. Her spiritual sense monitored the ongoing battle nearby. The cultivators probably possessed some secret treasures; though two had fallen, they were still holding their own against the two black foxes. But it was clear that the foxes would eventually prevail; the cultivators’ strength was waning.

Biting her lip, she decided to seize the opportunity and slip inside to snatch what she could. Sorry, fellow cultivators!

Li Mengze silently recited a prayer, slapped a high-level invisibility talisman onto herself, and made straight for the black foxes’ den.

As soon as she entered, she was overwhelmed by the smell. These two foxes certainly had strong tastes. At the entrance, scraps of clothing and fragments of storage bags were piled up, along with numerous human bones. So the foxes ate people—no wonder their spiritual aura was so violent.

Li Mengze wrinkled her nose and walked deeper inside. Little Black had already scouted; there were no other foxes present. It made sense—black foxes were solitary by nature, and even pairs were rare, so there shouldn’t be any further danger.

At the deepest part of the cave, Li Mengze immediately spotted the tallest Fox Spirit Grass, nearly waist-high and swaying gently. Three Fox Spirit Fruits hung from it, still a bit green, but close to ripening. The two black foxes were likely guarding it.

The fruit of mature Fox Spirit Grass was even more valuable than the grass itself; it could purify any spirit beast’s bloodline but could only be used once in a lifetime.

No wonder Little Black refused to leave—it was second only to the Shape-shifting Grass for spirit beasts. Without hesitation, Li Mengze strode forward and yanked the Fox Spirit Grass up by its roots, not caring if she damaged them. Such a rough act made Little Black and Little White, tucked in her arms, simultaneously raise their tiny paws to cover their eyes—what a sight!

Fortunately, she didn’t need to use a sealing box for storage. Prolonged contact would leave her with the scent of Fox Spirit Grass, which the foxes could track. So she tossed it straight into her space, quickly washed her hands with spiritual spring water, dried them, and before they could fully dry, she felt a surge of wind behind her.

Trouble—the foxes were back.

Li Mengze didn’t need to turn around to sense their battle-ready aura. The air wasn’t saturated with blood yet, so they hadn’t fully recovered from the earlier fight. Apparently, the cultivator group truly had some skills, escaping from the hands of Nascent Soul-stage beasts.

Her advanced invisibility talisman was still active, so she didn’t have to worry about being detected just yet. She turned and looked at the two foxes across from her—the larger one was visibly wounded, while the smaller was unscathed, revealing a clear difference in grade and strength. The sixth-grade fox was nearly ready to take human form, which would further widen the power gap between them.

Li Mengze intended to slip out without alerting them, but the foxes had already noticed the missing Fox Spirit Grass. The little black fox let out a sharp screech, its anger unmistakable. Li Mengze realized then that they’d been waiting for the moment of transformation to consume the grass, boosting their bloodline and increasing their chances of success.

Now that it was gone, they would not let it go easily.

Li Mengze suppressed her presence and prepared to leave. As she reached the cave entrance, she suddenly sensed murderous intent behind her and dodged swiftly, leaving just in time as a giant boulder at the entrance was shattered by a powerful blow.

She had no idea how she’d been discovered and had no time to ponder it. With a flash of white light, she pulled out a giant sword, utterly disproportionate to her petite frame. This sword, Soul Refiner, was the first treasure her father Li Yunran had forged before he became famous. It had been repeatedly refined and, due to its significance, always kept close. After Li Mengze reached Foundation Establishment, she immediately picked it out from her father and uncle’s collection.

Soul Refiner was masculine and domineering—a spiritual treasure. It wasn’t really suitable for a young girl, but perhaps the sword recognized Li Mengze’s latent ferocity, and so they were perfectly matched.

Li Mengze had never truly wielded Soul Refiner before—this was their first real battle together.

She swung the sword, sending a faint shadow slicing through the air. Though it seemed feeble, the instant it flew forth, she felt its immense sword intent. Since Foundation Establishment, Li Mengze had mastered the Water Sword Intent, using softness to overcome strength, and the Metal Sword Intent, which was unstoppable. She rarely drew her sword, but when she did, even Golden Core cultivators would be wary.

The fifth- and sixth-grade black foxes couldn’t ignore this sword intent—even if the damage was minor.

“Girl, leave the Fox Spirit Grass behind, and my husband and I will let you go,” came a seductive female voice from the smaller black fox. Though not yet transformed, a Nascent Soul-stage beast could already speak.

“Heavenly treasures belong to those with fate. You guarded it all this time, but it wasn’t meant for you. That’s what fate decrees.” Now that she’d been caught, Li Mengze didn’t deny it. Until it was eaten, it belonged to whoever claimed it. Hiding only invited contempt; as a sword cultivator, courage and perseverance were her creed.

Words fell on deaf ears. The female fox opened her mouth, firing several ice arrows. Li Mengze dared not meet them head-on—Nascent Soul-stage beasts were too strong. She dodged as best she could, but even with her utmost effort, her clothes were soon torn in several places, blood spotting her skin. Her attire, gifted by her mother, was top-grade magical clothing, impervious to most weapons, which showed how dangerous the beast’s attacks were.

For some reason, the male fox did not intervene, quietly observing the battle.

Li Mengze had plenty of tricks and treasures to preserve her life, so the female fox could not best her for the moment.

As time dragged on, the fox’s pride was wounded—how could a Nascent Soul-stage beast fail to defeat a mere Foundation Establishment junior after so long? Its frustration was palpable.

Li Mengze managed to injure the female fox, though not severely, mostly relying on Soul Refiner. The sword had been fused with meteorite, allowing it to absorb the fox’s spiritual energy. Thus, even though Li Mengze was battered, she could barely hold on, but she knew she couldn’t last much longer.

The reason she’d chosen to fight was to hone herself, and now that her goal was achieved, she didn’t intend to linger. She never expected to kill both foxes alone; once she recognized her limits, she prepared to withdraw.

Soul Refiner, now faintly sentient, sensed her intent and emitted a low hum, expressing its reluctance. To draw blood and then retreat—it was hardly dignified.

Li Mengze ignored this, gathering two-thirds of her spiritual power and channeling it into Soul Refiner. She waited for the right moment, swung her sword, and turned to flee.

Riding her sword would make her too conspicuous; Li Mengze only needed that one breath outside the cave. Little Black checked and confirmed no signs of life outside. In an instant, Li Mengze entered her space, pulling out two listless cubs from her arms. She’d forgotten that these two, with just a hint of spiritual energy and impure bloodlines, would be terrified under the black foxes’ pressure.

She realized she’d been discovered because she’d only thought to use the invisibility talisman herself, neglecting the cubs, whose uncontrolled aura had given her away. She would remember this lesson.

She comforted the two little ones, giving each a beast-nourishing pellet to soothe their fragile spirits.

As soon as they sensed Li Mengze’s presence, the three treasures wobbled over. Inside her space, they became lively, always running about together, but obedient enough not to enter the herb garden, circling it as instructed. Li Mengze could relax.

Compared to Little Black and Little White, the three treasures were much weaker. So far, she’d found no innate abilities in them; perhaps it was because they were more frail. Their legs were still weak, so Li Mengze seldom brought them outside—they were still too young. Observing them, she noted they seemed indifferent to leaving her space, showing no enthusiasm.

That was just as well—it spared Li Mengze the effort of comforting them.