Chapter 1001: Demon Fox Lair

Although the main thrust of the redirected force had not been aimed at the three Demon Fox groups, the mud and water blasted outward still carried tremendous destructive power. For a time, there was no telling how many Demon Foxes coughed up blood.

At the very front, the black Demon Fox man and the two old men sensed something was wrong and threw all their strength into resisting the aftermath, yet they were still hurled away by the shock, vomiting blood.

This was not the power of Niu Youdao's own attack. It was the backlash of the force they themselves had accumulated.

Niu Youdao shot skyward from the exploding sphere of mud. In the fleeting instant as he broke free, he roughly understood what had happened. So that was it: a whole host of Demon Foxes had joined together in formation against him. With the demon power of so many Demon Foxes gathered in one place, no wonder the force had been so terrifying.

He had remained calm while trapped, but now that he was free, a belated chill ran through him. He could not help feeling deeply fortunate.

He did not thank his own adaptability, though that had certainly been one reason he had survived. In the end, what he truly had to thank was the Qiankun Art he had been able to cultivate. Without it, he would never have possessed the fundamental ability needed to adapt as he had.

Otherwise, today's rash move would likely have plunged him into a doom from which there was no return. He would have been dead for certain.

After this experience, he more or less understood how this Demon Fox race had managed to cling to survival in the Desolate Marsh Deadlands until now.

He suspected even the Nine Saints would not dare casually dive beneath the swamp in pursuit. Once surrounded and trapped inside a Demon Fox formation, even the Nine Saints might have difficulty escaping. Niu Youdao had just felt that gathered force for himself. He knew how immense it was. It had truly reached a terrifying degree.

But now that he was free, and since blows had already been exchanged, there was only one thing to do. If there was no way to reason properly with these Demon Foxes, he would beat them until they were willing to reason with him.

That was precisely why he had personally chased after them alone. He had already forced matters into the situation he wanted; he was not about to let it go easily.

Amid the flying spray of mud and water, Niu Youdao sheathed his sword at his waist, rolled through the air, and shot toward the nearest of the two old men, the one wielding a sickle.

The old man was still dazed from the blast. Through the blur of mud and water, a palm suddenly appeared before his eyes. The hand arrived with the man behind it, and he finally saw the attacker's face clearly. It was the very man they had just surrounded. Caught completely off guard, he was shocked.

With a heavy thud, Niu Youdao's Qiankun Palm struck him squarely in the chest.

The old man coughed up blood, yet at the same time he sensed that Niu Youdao had not taken advantage of his unprepared state to deal a killing blow.

Before he could react, Niu Youdao had already used the force of the strike to spring backward. Rather than press the attack, he shot straight toward the other old man.

"Watch out!" the sickle-wielding old man shouted through a mouthful of blood.

The black Demon Fox man, tumbling in the blast wave, had just steadied himself. He turned and was instantly alarmed.

The old man with the ghost-head saber looked around in a fluster and struck out hurriedly. With a bang, his palm met Niu Youdao's head-on.

His palm landed, yet it felt as though the force had nowhere to take hold. Meanwhile, a strange power surged straight from Niu Youdao's palm into his body.

He was just about to fight desperately when Niu Youdao again sprang backward after only that single exchange, this time charging directly at the black Demon Fox man.

Seeing their Clan Chief under attack, nearby Demon Foxes who had managed to steady themselves rushed in. But how could they be Niu Youdao's match? Some were blasted away by a palm strike before they could even get close.

Amid the chaotic spray, Niu Youdao flashed rapidly from place to place, striking with astonishing speed and injuring several in succession.

When he did not move, his ferocity stayed hidden. Once he did, that restrained savagery burst into view. He dared to charge, dared to strike, dared to risk his life.

The black Demon Fox man, now steady on his feet, snatched at his waist. A storm of chain shadows surged up and swept toward Niu Youdao to tear him apart.

Niu Youdao came flashing in and thrust out both hands, plunging them straight into the storm of chains.

The black Demon Fox man's hands twisted and turned. The wildly whipping chain shadows suddenly tightened and locked around both of Niu Youdao's arms. He was overjoyed.

His joy had barely appeared before it turned to shock. Niu Youdao, arms bound by iron chains, did not care at all. He simply kept charging, ramming straight in with his flesh-and-blood body.

The black Demon Fox man was delighted again and drove a violent fist into Niu Youdao's chest.

The blow landed with a resonant crash. The black Demon Fox man's expression changed once more. The force of his punch seemed to scatter the instant it struck, as though it could not inflict any effective damage at all.

Their bodies collided. Before the black Demon Fox man could understand what had happened, he was sent flying with a heavy impact.

With no spiritual power controlling them anymore, Niu Youdao shook his arms and easily cast off the iron chains binding his hands. The instant he landed, he swept one arm out and sent a lunging Demon Fox flying, then charged after the black Demon Fox man again.

Already injured by the earlier blast, the black Demon Fox man coughed up another mouthful of blood. Seeing Niu Youdao coming yet again, he was truly horrified. The man could stand there and let you hit him, and you still could not hurt him. How were you supposed to fight that? Knowing you could not win and fighting anyway would simply be stupidity.

Without another word, he turned and fled.

Unlike the two old men, however, Niu Youdao had fixed on him and refused to let go. Who had told the man to expose his identity? Who had told him to be the Demon Fox Clan Chief? Niu Youdao naturally understood the principle of capturing the bandit chief first.

The Clan Chief knew he could not win, and he did not want his clansmen dying pointlessly. They had already tried joining together in formation with so many of their number, yet still failed to defeat Niu Youdao. Sending more clansmen to attack would only be sending them to their deaths. He fled at full speed.

The two of them once again fell into a relentless chase, one fleeing in front and the other pursuing close behind.

Only after he had lured Niu Youdao away from the others did the Clan Chief drop toward the swamp. In midair, he transformed back into a black Demon Fox and plunged headfirst into the mire, vanishing from sight.

Niu Youdao descended from above with a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Run? Did he really think hiding in the swamp would let him escape?

Still in the air, Niu Youdao struck downward with one palm. Mud and water exploded apart below him.

He had never expected that long-range palm strike to do anything to his quarry. He was simply wary of an ambush beneath the mud. Demon Foxes were cunning, so he blasted open the way before entering.

Niu Youdao dropped into the crater, closed his eyes, and once again employed the Qiankun Art's subtle and peculiar sensing ability. He bored into the mud and, like a fish through water, used his spiritual power to pursue the direction in which the black Demon Fox had fled.

He could not move this way through solid ground, but mud and water could not stop him. He had once traveled beneath desert sand; this place was naturally even easier.

That was precisely why he had told the Clan Chief earlier that the Desolate Marsh Deadlands might be difficult for others, but they were not much of an obstacle to him.

As he pushed forward underground, the feedback from the shifting mud and water told him something was blocking the way ahead. His treasured sword left its sheath. He swung and chopped, cutting open a path.

The Corpse-Rot Vine soon began entangling him again. Against an ordinary cultivator it might have been effective, especially under the pressure of being buried deep beneath the mud.

Against Niu Youdao, it was useless. Without Demon Foxes empowering it, how could the vine stop a man who could move freely beneath the swamp? His sword swept unhindered, hacking with abandon. The tentacles blocking him were easily pierced and severed.

The black Demon Fox man's perception beneath the mud was exceptional as well. Precisely because of that, the farther he fled, the more frightened he became. What kind of man was this? He had already escaped so deep underground, yet the pursuer was unafraid of the enormous pressure, ignored every obstruction, and could track him blindly with complete freedom. Such ability was enough to rival the innate gifts of the Demon Fox race itself.

Something came to mind. He remembered what one of the Demon Fox elders had said just before their formation broke: this man resembled someone from legend. Comparing everything now, the Clan Chief also began connecting Niu Youdao with that legendary figure.

He was wounded and could not keep fleeing like this forever. In desperation, he made a decision and poured everything into his escape.

Niu Youdao was equally determined to capture him. No matter how the Demon Fox fled or where he went, Niu Youdao pursued him to the bitter end. If he let the Clan Chief go now, all his painstaking effort would have been wasted.

Nor could he afford to let him go. This Demon Fox had witnessed him killing people from Misty Pavilion. If Niu Youdao could not settle matters with him and the fox sought revenge by revealing what he had seen to Misty Pavilion, the consequences would be unthinkable. Under such circumstances, how could Niu Youdao possibly let him escape? He had no choice but to pursue him to the end.

He did not know how long they had been running. It felt like a long time, and he had already consumed a considerable amount of spiritual power. Then the subtle feedback from his advance suddenly changed. Something vast and solid seemed to be blocking the way ahead. His quarry abruptly changed direction and appeared to slip into some sort of underground cavern.

Niu Youdao first slashed out with his sword, then followed him inside. Once through, he sensed that it was indeed a tunnel carved through a wall of stone.

The chase turned upward. The pressure of the mud grew lighter and lighter until Niu Youdao suddenly slashed once more and burst out of the ground. He found himself in an underground space. Ahead appeared to be the gate of a cave residence.

Three characters had been carved above the gate, none of which he recognized. Their forms were extremely strange.

Pearl-like treasures resembling luminous night pearls had been set above the cave residence, bathing the space in light. The interior beyond was brightly illuminated as well. Niu Youdao saw the black Demon Fox flee inside with his own eyes.

He only swept a glance over his surroundings as he burst into the air. Without pausing for even an instant, he rushed straight into the cave residence.

From somewhere ahead came the fleeing black Demon Fox's shout in a human voice. "A powerful enemy! Quickly, get the former Clan Chief!"

The place before him resembled an underground palace, riddled everywhere with stone chambers and passageways. A great swarm of Demon Foxes rushed out, only for Niu Youdao to batter them into complete disarray.

Then six Demon Foxes of different fur colors sprang from the surrounding corridors. Mid-leap, they transformed into six elderly men and women, each wielding a different weapon, and joined forces to surround and attack Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao was astonished. Seeing three Demon Foxes capable of taking human form earlier had already surprised him. He had not expected another six to be hidden here.

He began to suspect that, entirely by accident, he had charged alone into the very lair of the Demon Fox race in the Desolate Marsh Deadlands.

Under attack from six sides, even Niu Youdao was forced to abandon his relentless pursuit of the black Demon Fox.

Since he could no longer catch the Clan Chief, he changed his plan. Anyone among the Demon Foxes capable of assuming human form had to hold considerable status. If he could not seize the black fox, he would capture one or two of these transformed elders alive.

He had just gained a new understanding of the Qiankun Art and had been wanting to test its effect. The result was exhilarating. Surrounded by six opponents, he borrowed their force and turned it against them, throwing all six into confusion.

Just as he was about to seize a hostage alive, a clear woman's voice suddenly rang through the cavern. "All of you, fall back!"

The six attackers immediately withdrew.

Niu Youdao whipped his head around. A silver-white Demon Fox had appeared. Its fur gleamed like silver frost, making it strikingly beautiful, though there seemed to be a scar at the center of its brow.

Before he could look more closely, the silver fox moved.

Its speed and momentum were like a thunderbolt.

Niu Youdao was badly startled. The force of this attack was on an entirely different level from those Demon Foxes capable of human form. Reacting in haste, he slashed out with his sword and released a fierce sword aura.

The silver fox shattered the sword aura with a single swipe of its claw and was instantly in front of him. Another claw followed.

Niu Youdao had no time to evade. He brought his sword crosswise to block.

The impact bent the blade inward until it smashed against his chest. Even his Qiankun method of dissipating force could not shed the power of such a swift and violent attack in time. In that flashing instant, he felt the same sensation he had once felt when Yin'er struck him.

Niu Youdao was hurled away uncontrollably. His back slammed heavily into the stone wall, collapsing a large section of the hard rock. Blood burst from his mouth.

[End of Chapter 1001]