Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1476: 924: Thanks for the Hospitality (Part 2)

A tremor went through the mountains and wilds, as if an invisible force of demon energy savagely tore at the very fabric of space.

Baili An was fleeing at full speed through the valley, the small fox cradled in his arms, while the colossal shadow of a two-tailed silhouette loomed directly overhead, akin to a monstrous net casting its inescapable grip upon him.

A Three-tailed Demon Fox wasn't typically a creature to inspire great fear, especially when it was already wounded and had lost one of its tails.

If Baili An hadn't been critically injured by that Golden Immortal's strike.

A demon fox of this caliber, at his current cultivation level, would have been effortlessly annihilated with a mere flick of his wrist.

However, with his severe injuries, having just regained consciousness, his immediate priority should have been to meditate and stabilize his condition.

He needed to meticulously purify the terrifying Thunder Force raging within his body using his Spiritual Power and the potent dark blood.

Failure to do so would result in the Thunder Force erupting once more, inflicting secondary damage upon his body and creating a cascade of unending troubles.

Furthermore, he was now faced with a crisis from a century-old fox possessing both Immortal Energy and Demon Immortal cultivation.

With his body grievously wounded, Baili An's swiftness was drastically diminished; he couldn't even utilize Sword Control to soar through the skies.

Abruptly, the demon power radiating from the mountains surged with chaotic intensity.

A gigantic demon tail, resembling a colossal python emerging from its subterranean lair, its fur bristled like steel needles at the tip, let out a fierce roar, unleashing a barrage as if thousands of tiny arrows were fired in unison!

Baili An's movement faltered momentarily amidst the onslaught of the shadow cast by countless needle-like tail projectiles, yet he did not evade significantly.

A subtle shift in his posture, almost by sheer accident or with uncanny precision, was all that occurred.

The rain of needles grazed the strands of his hair, veering off diagonally towards a cliff face in the distance.

The soft fur embedded itself into the unyielding rocky cliff, much like a searing needle meeting cold oil, without a discernible sound.

This attack from the tail, while grazing his arm, managed to prevent a single needle from piercing Baili An's vulnerable form.

A thin, long red line instantly broke open, evolving into a deep crimson gash that nearly severed half his arm, splattering bright red blood all over Shu Ci.

The wound Baili An sustained was to the very arm cradling her.

The Three-tailed Demon Fox's intentions were unmistakably clear—she harbored intense hatred for the little demon that had marred her facial beauty.

Witnessing Baili An fiercely shielding it, ensuring not a single harm befell the small creature, had incited her to a furious rage.

A single, powerful blow to his arm was intended to force him into relinquishing the little demon he held.

To the fox's surprise, Baili An didn't even spare her a backward glance, allowing the wound on his arm to bleed profusely.

The small fox nestled within his embrace remained utterly unharmed.

With surging blood energy erupting beneath his feet, he endured the immense pressure exerted by the Corpse Pearl nestled in his chest, as Astral Wind erupted around him, launching his body forward from the ground like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

The Three-tailed Demon Fox's fury escalated, her countenance contorted into a bestial grimace as she bellowed towards the moon.

The terrifying sound waves fractured the very space within a ten-mile radius into countless ephemeral fragments.

Baili An's body jolted violently, his free hand swiftly reaching out to caress the little fox's head.

A faint aura of blood energy enveloped its tiny form, shielding it from even the slightest ripple of the sonic assault.

Drip, drip, drip.

Shu Ci could feel the cold, metallic liquid intermittently falling onto the tip of her nose.

She looked up, observing Baili An's pallid, handsome features, blood Oozing from his seven orifices, a subtle frown betraying his pain.

Yet, such a visceral scene, bathed in the luminosity of the clear night sky, possessed no grim undertones.

His silhouette did not tarry for even a moment within the confines of the forest; he gently wiped the blood from her nose, erasing the crimson stain.

He then carefully wrapped Shu Ci's small form within his ragged robe, allowing only her fluffy little head to protrude, before lowering his own head and speaking with a smile:

“Have no fear, little one, I shall not permit that unsightly beast to capture and consume you.”

Shu Ci absorbed the resonance of his low, amused voice; the dark crimson blood energy dispersed into the rushing wind, catching glimmers of light within his red irises, exhibiting an unexpected tenderness.

She dreamily gazed upon Baili An’s brows and eyes, which remained gentle even as they were streaked with blood.

The core of her being, long calcified by the passage of ages, felt as though it were being softly stirred by an unseen force.

Within the archives of her memory, it seemed… no one had ever dared to address her with such a lulling, tender inflection.

She was a Great Demon of the tumultuous Six Realms, an eternally enduring calamity.

Immortals and divine beings alike held her in awe, fiends and malevolent entities feared her, and even the lesser Demon Clans and magical beings trembled, their breaths unsteady within a three-foot radius of her presence.

Never had anyone dared to display even the slightest hint of disrespect, regardless of her juvenile guise.

Yet, Baili An’s gaze and tone were imbued with a startling lack of deference.

Curiously, the usually quick-tempered Shu Ci did not react with the anger one might expect.

A sense of bewilderment was her prevailing emotion.

Her eternal invincibility meant she had witnessed the rise and fall of countless Demon Lords, rendering the terrifying concept of death utterly meaningless to her.

She was the guardian of the Demon World; killing was ingrained in her very being, and no one possessed the power to end her existence. Consequently, she had never known the gentle, cautious embrace of another.

Shu Ci lowered her gaze to the paw swathed in a bandage, now hanging from her neck.

She recalled that ever since the Three-tailed Demon Fox launched its attack, the only time her paw had been harmed was when she herself had sustained an injury while he was unconscious.

Following that incident, he had resolutely prevented the fox from inflicting any further harm upon her.

What a novel sensation this was.

Here he was, on the brink of death, yet still choosing to protect an immortal being as ancient as she.

But then again, human capabilities were finite, and even the Heavenly Dao operated under its own set of immutable laws.

The young man was already at his absolute limit, while the fox pulsed with pure Immortal Energy, enjoying the freedom to move and evade at will.

If he continued to flee on foot like this, how much farther could he possibly escape?

As anticipated, the Three-tailed Demon Fox's reserve of patience finally evaporated. Baili An's insult, 'ugly monster,' had ignited her fury, her eyes instantly blazing with a furious, demonic crimson.

She marshaled a colossal, fearsome power within her palm, light congealing intensely within her grasp.

From this concentrated light erupted a whip fashioned from a purple bone, crackling with accompanying arcs of purple electricity. It lashed out, striking Baili An's back with the ferocity of a venomous dragon.

Suddenly, there was no opportunity to evade, not even a fleeting moment to draw breath.

The flesh on his back tore open with a sickening sizzle. Baili An contorted his body, tumbling through the grass multiple times to absorb the brunt of the devastating strike.

Observing no sign of Baili An rising to his feet again, the Three-tailed Demon Fox moved like a predator, a leopard or beast, stalking within the shroud of night.

The grass rustled, and the dewdrops shimmered faintly.

It was only Baili An's form, moving with astonishing speed through the dark cover of the undergrowth, seemingly vanishing from the Three-tailed Demon Fox’s sight.

A sinister sneer twisted the lips of the Three-tailed Demon Fox, her murderous intent intensifying with each passing second.

Her perception finally sharpened; this youth, despite his grievous wounds and precarious state, had repeatedly managed to elude her lethal assaults.

Should he truly manage to escape this time and fully recuperate in the future.

How could she ever hope to contend with him then?

The animosity between them was already beyond reconciliation. Allowing him to escape now would be akin to releasing a tiger back into the wilderness, posing an incalculable future threat and virtually guaranteeing his future retribution.

By that fateful time, it would be she who found herself on the verge of desperation.

The Three-tailed Demon Fox licked her lips, resolute in her determination to prevent his escape today, regardless of the cost.

She was determined to drain him of all his vital yang energy, thus securing her own future peace.

This young man, possessing such profound cultivation, undoubtedly harbored an essence of immense potency.

Perhaps, through their inevitable union, she could fully refine the Immortal Energy residing within her, originally obtained from a White Sun Golden Immortal.

Thereby, she could transcend her current demonic form, achieving immediate ascension to become a Demon Immortal.

With such a status, she would possess the right to journey to Kunlun, serve as a guardian of the myriad beings dwelling there, and secure an enlightened future, forever absolved from the agonizing cycle of mortal reincarnation.

These thoughts fueled an even fiercer burning desire within the demon fox, Ting Yan.

Her magnificent, voluminous fox tail swayed like wings or feathers, and her body glided with ethereal grace upon the wind, soaring towards the formidable cliffs of the mountains and the depths of the forest.

In the air, the persistent scent of blood lingered, an enigma she was determined to solve. Guided by her acute fox senses, she could unerringly track Baili An's precise location, even without direct visual confirmation.

As the pursuit continued, Ting Yan discerned that the terrain was becoming increasingly precipitous, leading her progressively further away from the earth's valleys.

A distinct sense of unease began to stir within her heart, hinting at something profoundly unusual.