Chapter 126: The Trap

At my summons, the numerous Feathered Ones hidden underground swiftly burst forth, each wielding a club. Without hesitation, they relentlessly struck at the blue-eyed demon fox. The sound of clubs pounding the earth rang out, but the fox that had appeared beside us was already fleeing into the distance. I quickly called the others to halt—it was merely an illusion, a cunning trick of the fox! I gathered my inner energy and gave chase, the Feathered Ones unable to keep up with my speed, trailing closely behind nonetheless.

The demon fox headed toward Broken Back Mountain, indeed moving faster than I could manage. Yet, with my ability to ride the wind, I barely kept pace, soon leaving the Feathered Ones far behind. The fox's path veered away from Broken Back Mountain, deliberately choosing the intricate terrain of mountain gullies and ravines, where I could not track it from the air. Resigned, I descended to the ground.

Occasionally, the fox glanced back at me; whenever it seemed to have shaken me off, it would pause and wait before dashing onward again. It appeared intent on leading me somewhere. I thought to myself, “Let’s see what tricks you have left—you’ve met your match today!”

Thus, it ran and I pursued; every time I nearly lost sight of it, it would stop and wait. After an unknown length of time, we seemed to have left the Valley of No Worries. Ahead lay a vast dense forest, with towering trees several fathoms high spreading across hundreds of acres. Though it was mid-autumn, when leaves typically wither, this forest was lush and dense, sunlight unable to penetrate the canopy. As I entered, a chill ran through me; the demon fox had already sprinted ahead. I quickened my pace, relentless in pursuit.

I was close to catching the fox, which now appeared fatigued, its speed slowing. I was different—imbued with both true energy and demonic energy, such exertion was trivial. Within five hundred meters, still outside effective shooting range, I planned to close in and unleash a volley from my revolvers, which I held one in each hand. I refused to believe that bullets enhanced with true energy could not fell this demon fox.

Closing in, I readied my aim. Suddenly, I was seized—my body tightened, lifted into the air. Looking down, I saw myself ensnared in a large net. A silent curse escaped me—trapped in a hunter’s trap! No wonder the fox kept stopping and starting; it was a cunning ploy to lure me into a snare. Truly sly!

My anger deepened. To think a mere net could contain me! Clearly, this fox was not so clever after all. Drawing the Frostblade from my spatial ring, I prepared to cut through the net and capture the fox. Seeing the ice blade, the fox spun and dashed forward. I swung the blade fiercely, but to my surprise, the net’s cords proved remarkably tough—my strike failed to sever them.

I struck with increasing desperation, but the fox vanished from sight. The net’s material was unknown, impervious even to the combined might of my triple-tiered true energy amplified by the Frostblade’s chilling power. I had named the blade “Frostbind” for its ability to summon ice at will.

If ice couldn’t sever it, perhaps fire could. Sheathing Frostbind, I unleashed the third level of the Demonic Art—“Netherfire.” A scorching wave rolled over me as my body ignited, the flames harmless to my clothes but scorching all near me. Though I had only mastered the first level of this flame, the Demonic Art claimed that mastering the ninth would reduce all to ash. The net’s surface blackened and emitted a foul odor after two minutes of burning, but the cords remained unbroken. Exhausted, I ceased the flames. What now? I was at a loss.

If my master were here, what would he do? True energy—yes, I should try that. Triple-tiered true energy was rare even across the Divine Demon Continent. I directed the energy into my palms, grasping the net and tearing with all my might. Several attempts failed. Frustrated, I combined true energy with demonic energy to form an energy sphere, which I exploded. Though my protective barrier shielded me from harm, the deafening blast left my ears ringing.

Sitting dejectedly within the net, I lit a cigarette. The fox remained uncaught, and I was ensnared. I lacked the strategist’s nimble mind—had I flown on the wind upon leaving the valley, I might have caught it. Though the forest was dense, wind-riding was still possible. My carelessness had allowed the fox to escape. Until I resolved this, I could not rest easy leaving the Feathered Ones.

After finishing the cigarette, I tried again—every method at my disposal: ice, fire, netherfire, Frostbind—all to no avail. Was I Li Yunfei, unable to break a mere net? I refused to accept it! With no means to escape, I concluded I must wait for the net’s owner to appear and release me. Resigned, I lay back, my thoughts drifting to Xu Qinghuan—her every smile and frown replaying endlessly in my mind. I had tried to force myself to forget her; I could not live in the past. To love someone was easy, but to forget them was an ordeal beyond measure.

Liu Tingting, Xu Qinghuan—two identical women living in different worlds, yet fate had cruelly intertwined our paths: to meet, know, love, but never be together. Heaven, how long must you torment me?

At some point, I began to understand the words Murong Xue had spoken. Perhaps she was right—our lives are not our own, dictated by gods and mortals alike. Even this demon fox, who defied the heavens, was bound by fate. Had it not cultivated its power, it would not have drawn the heavenly tribulation; without the tribulation, it would not have slaughtered innocents. I believed the fox had its reasons—pride, a desire to change destiny—and I was no different. Arranged to this world to stop the Demon God, all seemed orchestrated by some unseen figure, while I remained powerless to resist.

Lost in these thoughts, a commotion arose nearby.

“Wooden Head,” one voice called, “where do you think that explosion came from just now?”

“Who knows? As long as it doesn’t interfere with our hunt for that fox family. That fox has grown powerful—we’ll sell it to the World Alliance and never worry about food or clothes again. Let’s check our ambush.”

The game was far from over.