In the next instant, Zhang Mingyuan's figure appeared like a ghost in front of the giant snow-white fox.
Under the clear sky, snow covered the vast wilderness. Sunlight fell upon her pure, spotless white fur, reflecting a holy and luxurious glow.
Nine massive tails stretched out behind her like nine fluffy, snowy mountain ranges. Much like her master, she exuded an air of laziness and arrogance.
The fox half-squinted her eyes. Sensing someone's approach, she didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, speaking in a slow and unhurried manner:
“Oh? The Mahayana Stage? Are you here to serve this venerable one as well?”
“Let this venerable one make this clear first: when you groom my fur, you must stroke downward from the thirty-sixth joint. The pressure must be neither too heavy nor too light. Also, this venerable one only eats the Seven-Color Glazed Fish from the East Sea, and it must be alive, descaled, deboned, and cooked with dew from the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus...”
“Shut up!”
A cold shout interrupted her incessant babbling.
“Stupid fox, open your dog eyes wide and see who this Sacred Lord is!”
Zhang Mingyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression arrogant.
The Nine-Tailed Snow Moon Fox was startled by the shout, finally looking directly at the human in front of her.
She did not recognize him.
Still, a mere Mahayana Stage cultivator dared to be so insolent in front of her!
After all, she was the spiritual pet of the Myriad Snow Immortal Lord, making her one of the most noble existences in the Myriad Snow Palace—no, in the entire Xuanling Realm!
Who would dare speak to her in such a manner?
Not even the Supreme Elders here would dare!
“Lowly human, what did you say?”
The fox's voice instantly turned sharp.
“You dare insult this venerable one? You even dare insult me by calling my eyes 'dog eyes'?”
Zhang Mingyuan laughed. “If they aren't dog eyes, then what are they? Aren't foxes part of the canine family anyway?”
Canine family?
What did that mean?
Was he calling her a dog?!
The Nine-Tailed Snow Moon Fox flew into a rage. Her massive body suddenly stood up, blotting out the sun!
“Lowly human, you will pay the price for your words and actions!”
Before her voice could even fade, a massive claw covered in snow-white fur came crashing down toward Zhang Mingyuan's head, carrying a terrifying force capable of tearing through the void!
The power of this single strike was enough to instantly reduce a thousand-foot mountain peak to dust!
Yet, Zhang Mingyuan didn't even look. He merely raised his right hand casually.
Bang!
The world-destroying claw was firmly caught by a seemingly frail palm, unable to move forward even a single fraction of an inch.
Immediately after, Zhang Mingyuan backhanded her, landing a solid slap right across the giant fox's face!
Slap!
The crisp sound echoed across the mountain peak.
The massive Nine-Tailed Snow Moon Fox was actually sent spinning several times on the spot by the slap. She fell flat on her butt, her nine tails twisted together like dough twists.
She... she was hit?
The fox was completely dumbfounded. Soon after, an endless rage erupted from the depths of her heart.
With her slitted pupils locked onto Zhang Mingyuan, she bared her fangs and snarled, her voice so sharp it could almost pierce one's eardrums:
“You dare strike this venerable one?! Do you not know my status here?!”
“This venerable one is—”
Slap! Slap!
Before she could finish, two more slaps—one forehand, one backhand—landed squarely on her face.
“Holy crap, this venerable one is—”
Slap! Slap!
Another two slaps. They left the stupid fox seeing stars, her head spinning.
As the saying goes: "If you reside in the Myriad Snow Palace but do not know Sacred Lord Zhang, even ascending to immortality is in vain."
What a joke. A mere stupid fox dared to demand service from Sacred Lord Zhang?
Who did she think she was? Su Jinxue herself?
Even if it were Su Jinxue, whether Zhang Mingyuan felt like serving her or not depended entirely on his mood!
Zhang Mingyuan stretched his hand and even blew on it with an air of mock seriousness.
“What a detestable, lowly, stupid fox. To think you actually dared to strike my hand with your face. Truly absurd.”
Hearing this, the fox was utterly dumbfounded.
What did he mean... she struck his hand with her face?
Listen to that. Was that even human language?
Why did a human's words sound even colder than the blood of her cold-blooded demon race?
“Damn it! Human, you're finished! Do you have any idea who this venerable one is?!” The fox trembled with rage.
“Who?” Zhang Mingyuan asked with great interest.
“This venerable one is—”
Slap! Slap!
Another two crisp slaps.
“Aaaaah!”
The fox was completely infuriated. Every single strand of her snow-white fur stood on end, puffing out like steel needles!
A terrifying pressure belonging to a Mahayana Stage great demon swept out, yet she tightly suppressed it within a tiny radius around her body.
This was because she had sadly realized that she... couldn't seem to beat the man in front of her.
“Why did you strike this venerable one again?! Do you have the guts to let me finish my sentence?!” The fox was both aggrieved and furious.
“Sorry, reflex.”
Zhang Mingyuan stretched his hand again, looking completely innocent.
“What were you trying to say just now? Who are you?”
“This venerable one—”
The moment the words left her mouth, the fox suddenly clamped her two front paws tightly over her muzzle, her slitted eyes filled with wariness and dread.
She looked exactly like a Husky.
This damned, lowly human definitely wanted to slap her again!
This venerable one will not fall for it again!
“Oho, who would have thought a stupid fox like you could be quite clever?”
Zhang Mingyuan was amused.
“Go ahead and speak. I won't slap you this time.”
“This venerable one won't!” The fox mumbled through the gaps between her paws.
“Go on, say it. If you don't speak, how will this Sacred Lord know who you are or what status you hold?” Zhang Mingyuan coaxed patiently.
“This venerable one simply won't say it!”
The fox covered her mouth even tighter.
However, just as the human and the fox were at a standstill, a flattering yet shrill voice suddenly rang out.
“Lord Su Li is the Immortal Lord's spiritual pet, and even her name was personally bestowed by the Immortal Lord! You ungrateful human, how dare you strike Lord Su Li! I will report this to the garden director later, and have him inform the Immortal Lord to punish you!”
Zhang Mingyuan looked up to see a large, pitch-black dog with sleek, glossy fur walking upright on its hind legs. It wagged its tail as it approached, carrying an expression on its face that was indistinguishable from a human's.
A Body Integration Stage Heaven-Shaking Mastiff? It really carried itself with quite the human pretension.
As soon as the lackey finished speaking, the Nine-Tailed Snow Moon Fox, known as Su Li, immediately cast a grateful look toward it. Her gaze seemed to say:
“Well done! From this day forth, this venerable one shall promote you to my Chief Imperial Guard!”
“Ah, so you are the Lord Immortal Lord's spiritual pet. My apologies for the disrespect, truly my mistake.”
Zhang Mingyuan cupped his hands in mock surprise.
“Might I ask how deeply Immortal Lord Su dotes on you? Would you mind sharing a detail or two with me?”
Seeing that Zhang Mingyuan's attitude had instantly become much more respectful, Su Li reassumed her arrogant posture.
She moved her paws away and let out a cold snort:
“Lowly, detestable human, do you know fear now? The Lord Immortal Lord naturally dotes on this venerable one immensely. Is that something a mere Mahayana Stage cultivator like you is worthy of asking?”
“Human, this venerable one shall give you a single chance!”
Su Li looked down on him from above.
“Kneel and kowtow to me three times, then chop off the hand you used to strike me just now. If this venerable one is in a good mood, I might spare your life!”
“Oh?” Zhang Mingyuan raised an eyebrow. “And what if I don't?”
“What if you don't?!”
Before Su Li could even speak, the lackey dog beat her to it, shrieking, “If you don't kowtow, prepare to be torn to shreds by us!”
With those words, the lackey dog actually opened its bloody maw and let out a wolf-like howl that pierced through the clouds and split the rocks!
“Awoooo—!”
The howl transformed into physical soundwaves, spreading across the entire hundred-mile expanse of the Spirit Beast Garden.
In mere moments, countless powerful auras soared into the sky from all directions, converging toward this mountain peak.
A dense swarm of spirit beasts surrounded the entire mountaintop so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through. There was a winged Leize Ferocious Tiger, an Earth-Splitting Pangolin clad in dragon scales, and a thousand-year-old Green-Eyed Toad... each and every one of them exuded an aura of at least the Void Refining Stage or above!
“Oh, calling for backup?” Zhang Mingyuan looked around and curled his lip. “Wait, no. Calling for back-beast.”
“Still, with just these dozens or hundreds of little monsters at the Void Refining and Body Integration Stages, you won't even last against a single hand of mine.”
“Human, did you forget about this venerable one?!”
Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, Su Li's confidence surged. She stood up once more, her nine tails swaying as her demonic energy surged into the sky.
“Earlier, this venerable one was merely careless! Now that so many of my fellow beasts are here, as long as they form an array to delay you for a moment, you will be doomed once my 'Nine Underworlds Frost Moon Break' lands on your head!”
With that, she let out a sharp screech and issued her command.
“Form—the Myriad Demons Heaven-Prison Array!”
In an instant, the great demons responded, each occupying their respective positions.
Boundless demonic power surged into the sky, weaving into a massive, sky-blotting net in the air that crashed down toward Zhang Mingyuan!
This array was one that Su Li had trained her spirit beast troops in for a long time. Composed of thirty-six Body Integration Stage great demons and seventy-two Void Refining Stage great demons, it was more than enough to temporarily trap a Mahayana Stage powerhouse!
Rate on N.U.
