69novels Chapter 833 Defeated
Chapter 833 Defeated
When Ye Xue noticed Xiao Shuai's change, his heart skipped a beat, as if struck by a heavy hammer, his internal organs throbbing with pain. A strange, ominous premonition crept up his spine, chilling him like ice, instantly seeping into his limbs. The wound on his back was still bleeding, soaking half of his clothes. Every movement felt like countless dull knives scraping against his bones, the excruciating pain causing his vision to blur, gradually turning bloodshot. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, dripping into his eyes, bringing a burning sting, but he barely had the strength to lift his hand to wipe it away, and could only let the stinging sensation obscure his vision.
But the red fox before him had changed its gaze. The madness and ferocity of moments before had vanished, replaced by an almost languid composure, like a cat deliberately teasing a mouse. It paced slowly, its bushy tail sweeping the ground idly, the dust it kicked up settling at Ye Xue's feet. Its sharp teeth gleamed coldly in the dim light filtering through the cave walls. Its eyes clearly said: Don't rush, take your time, you can't escape anyway. Ye Xue felt a chill run through him under that gaze, a bone-chilling cold shooting from his feet to the top of his head—at that moment, he realized that perhaps he had never been the hunter from the start, but rather the prey about to be torn apart.
Xiao Shuai was indeed no longer in a hurry. Having just sensed his master Long Si's breath stabilizing after a period of turmoil, his heart finally settled, leaving him only with the urge to toy with his prey. It let out a low "woof," the sound lingering, as if mocking Ye Xue's disheveled state. It circled him slowly, its claws occasionally leaving shallow marks on the ground, each step landing on Ye Xue's taut nerves. Once, it deliberately slowed its pace, its nose almost brushing against Ye Xue's ankle, then nimbly leaped away in the instant he tensed, its amber eyes full of amusement.
Ye Xue gritted his teeth, his gums bleeding, and forced himself to sit up. The wound on his back was pulled, causing him even more pain, almost making him collapse. But he gripped the short knife tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white. He knew he couldn't fall. Even if he had only a sliver of strength left, he had to fight this fox demon head-on—at least, he had to hold on until Ye He sent word, even if it was just a simple "I'm alright." He tightened his grip on the short knife, the bloodstains on the blade reflecting on his pale face. His Sharingan struggled to turn in its socket, the single tomoe pattern blurred, yet it remained fixed on Xiao Shuai's movements, like a drowning person grasping at the last piece of driftwood.
Compared to Ye Xue's desperate situation, Ye He's predicament was even more unbearable. He stared at the dragon coiled at the bottom of the cave, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to shatter his ribs. His throat felt like it was stuffed with a ball of hot cotton, and even breathing was painful.
While Ye Xue was preoccupied with Xiao Shuai, he crouched low and slipped into the depths of the cave, secretly plotting his next move. He'd heard that the dragon was severely injured, and since Long Si hadn't made a sound, it must be extremely weak. He even considered whether he could take advantage of the situation to gain some benefits, such as plucking a dragon scale to make a talisman or obtaining a drop of dragon blood to refine elixirs. That way, he could both gain fame and profit. So, mustering his courage, he charged forward, brandishing the bronze sword that was supposedly a "demon-slaying weapon," shouting a rallying cry to bolster his courage: "Demon! Take this!"
Long Si merely raised its eyelids lazily, its vertical pupils radiating contempt. It had been sleeping and recovering from its injuries, the misty vapors of the deep cave soothing its old wounds, but this reckless human had awakened it, and it was already impatient. Although it had suffered old injuries in the last battle with the demons, leaving it with less than a tenth of its magical power, dealing with this mortal who hadn't even reached the threshold of cultivation was more than enough. It didn't even bother to prepare a fighting stance, merely mobilizing ten percent of its magical power. A faint mist rose around it, which condensed into fine frost upon contact with the cold air, and an invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire cave, as if an invisible mountain had pressed down upon it.
Ye He had only charged halfway when he was slammed to the ground by this oppressive force. His knee cracked with a sharp sound, as if a bone had split, and excruciating pain shot up his leg. The bronze sword in his hand clattered to the ground, rolled a few times, and came to a stop against the stone wall. A metallic taste rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the bluestone slab in front of him like a mournful flower blooming. Looking up, he saw Long Si's enormous head slowly lower, its golden vertical pupils larger than millstones, reflecting his terrified and distorted face, as if looking at an insignificant ant—no, not even an ant, at most an eyesore of dust.
"You're courting death." Long Si's voice echoed deep within the cave, trembling like ripples on water. Each word struck Ye He's heart like a heavy hammer, making his blood surge and his throat tighten. "If it weren't for your useless companion still struggling outside, you would have turned into mud at the bottom of the pool by now, not even a bone fragment would remain."
Ye He tightened his grip on the peach wood sword, his knuckles turning white. A hint of barely concealed fear flashed in his eyes, yet he still forced himself into an offensive stance, the sword tip pointing diagonally at the ground, his fierceness a mix of bravado and cowardice: "A mere dragon dares to speak so arrogantly! Does it really think my Ye family has no one left? Today I'll let you taste the power of our Ye family's 'Demon-Slaying Sword Technique'!" With that, he thrust the sword at Long Si, the tip carrying a sharp sword aura, slicing through the stagnant air in the cave, aimed straight at his face.
Although Long Si was still severely injured and his spiritual power was less than one-tenth of what it used to be, allowing him to exert only one-tenth of his strength, his foundation from a thousand years of cultivation remained, and his dragon clan techniques were exquisite. He moved slightly, gliding away half a step like a mountain stream, easily dodging the sword's edge. At the same time, he raised his hand into a claw, his fingertips shrouded in a faint blue light, and grabbed at Ye He's wrist with lightning speed—even faster than Ye He's sword swing.
Ye He felt a sudden numbness in his wrist, and his longsword almost flew out of his hand. He hurriedly took half a step back, and by the moonlight filtering in from outside the cave, he could see clearly the vertical pupils belonging to a dragon in Long Si's eyes. The pupils were long and narrow, gleaming with a cold light. His heart suddenly tightened—this demon's cultivation level far exceeded his expectations! He gritted his teeth and swung his sword horizontally, his sword moves becoming more and more rapid. The sword light wove a net of light in the cave, but it could not touch even a hem of Long Si's clothes, as if he was fighting with a phantom.
Long Si dodged with ease, occasionally raising his hand to block. His seemingly casual movements always precisely blocked the openings in the sword strikes. He circled Ye He like a toy hunter, and the moisture in the cave rose with his movements, gradually spreading a thin layer of white mist that enveloped the two figures, adding to the eeriness of the scene.