Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

Before that poignant smile could fully bloom on Su Xiaojiu's face, it was blown away by a gust of wind.

The weather in Yunmengze changes in an instant. Just a moment ago, the moon was bright and the stars were few, but in the blink of an eye, dark clouds, like an overturned black pot, weighed heavily on the treetops.

The chirping of insects in the woods instantly ceased, and even the rustling of leaves in the wind could not be heard; the silence was so profound that it made one's eardrums throb.

At this moment, every pore on Bai Yin's body seemed to explode.

That's the instinctive fear a wild beast feels when facing its predator.

He didn't ask Su Xiaojiu why she was laughing, nor did he ask her what she meant by "Don't be busy."

He simply turned around silently, moving twice as fast as usual, and took the roasted meat off the fire.

The meat was roasted to perfection, with a golden-brown skin that sizzled and dripped with oil, its aroma so irresistible it filled the nostrils.

Bai Yin took out a bone knife, and with a flick of his wrist, sliced ​​the meat into thin slices, arranging them neatly on a clean, broad leaf.

He did it with utmost care, each cut following the grain, as if he were slicing not wild boar meat, but some rare treasure.

"eat."

He held the leaves up to Su Xiaojiu's face, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Su Xiaojiu looked at him.

The tiger's hands were trembling, but he tried his best to hide it, so he held the leaves higher to cover his face.

"It's going to rain, what's the point of eating?" Su Xiaojiu didn't answer.

"I'm full, I'm not cold." Bai Yin stubbornly pushed the meat forward a little. "This is the best piece, tenderloin, so tender."

Su Xiaojiu picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.

There was no salt, only the natural charred aroma of the meat and a hint of wood ash.

Bai Yin watched her swallow, and his tense shoulders relaxed a little.

He stuffed the rest of the meat into Su Xiaojiu's arms, then stood up and casually picked up the broken sword leaning against the cave wall.

He picked up the sword from a pile of corpses; the blade was chipped, and it was covered in indelible black and red rust.

"I'll go gather some firewood." Bai Yin didn't dare look at Su Xiaojiu. He lowered his head and straightened his tattered Taoist robe, trying to cover the newly scabbed wounds on his body. "It's raining heavily, and the firewood won't burn well if it gets wet."

A clumsy lie.

The firewood inside the cave was piled up like a small mountain, enough to burn for three days and three nights.

He just wanted to die outside.

Die where she can't see you, so her blood won't stain her dress.

Bai Yin strode out, taking large, yet heavy steps.

When he reached the cave entrance, he paused for a moment, as if he wanted to turn back, but in the end he just gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and plunged headfirst into the dark rain.

My waist tightened.

A pair of soft arms wrapped around his waist and abdomen, which were as hard as iron, from behind.

Bai Yin froze on the spot, as if he had been frozen in place.

"Foxes have a keen nose, but tigers aren't far behind." Su Xiaojiu's face was pressed against his scarred back, her voice muffled. "That nauseating Taoist smell, I could smell it from ten miles away. You're gathering firewood? You're just going to your death."

"Let go." Bai Yin's voice trembled. "Xiao Jiu, be good."

"No." Su Xiaojiu hugged him even tighter. "Who just said they wanted to get married? I, Su Xiaojiu, am not going to do something that's a losing proposition."

"They're coming for me!" Bai Yin panicked, reaching out to pry Su Xiaojiu's fingers off. "I'll distract them. You hide, and run when it's quiet... Ouch!"

Su Xiaojiu took a bite of the soft flesh on his lower back.

"Foxes and tigers are inseparable." She loosened her grip, walked around to Bai Yin's front, and looked up at this big, clumsy guy who was two heads taller than her. "If we're going to die, we'll die together. At least we'll have each other on the road to the underworld."

Bai Yin looked at her, his eyes red-rimmed, his lips trembling as he couldn't speak for a long time.

Just then, a loud bang came from above.

Boom!

It wasn't thunder.

A blinding sword light descended from the sky, slicing away half of the mountain as easily as cutting tofu.

The rubble and mud collapsed with a roar, instantly exposing the previously hidden stalactite cave to the world.

The torrential rain poured down, instantly soaking their clothes.

Twelve figures, riding on flying swords, hovered in mid-air, looking down at the two people in the ruins.

The elderly man at the head of the group had white hair and beard, and wore a spotless purple Taoist robe. He exuded a suffocating aura.

Xuanjizi, the law enforcement elder of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect.

Half-step into the Great Sage Realm.

Behind him, twelve elite disciples at the peak of the Casting Cauldron Realm stood in formation, their sword energy chilling, sealing off the area within a hundred feet so tightly that not even a fly could escape.

"You beast."

Xuanjizi stroked his long beard, his voice not loud, but imbued with spiritual power, making one's chest feel tight. "You think you can wash away the blood debts on your body by hiding in this desolate and treacherous place?"

Bai Yin shielded Su Xiaojiu behind him, his back arched, and a low roar came from his throat.

"Why aren't you running anymore?" Xuanjizi sneered, his gaze passing over Bai Yin and landing on Su Xiaojiu.

In that instant, a hint of amazement flashed in the old Taoist's cloudy eyes, which then turned into naked greed.

"So that's why this beast has changed its ways. It turns out it's been keeping a mistress." Xuanjizi clicked his tongue twice. "Nine-tailed spirit fox... such a top-grade furnace cauldron. If I capture it and use it to replenish my energy, my cultivation, which has stagnated for many years, might be able to advance again."

He then looked at Bai Yin, his tone as contemptuous as if he were looking at an ant: "Although this tiger demon's fur is mixed, it's still usable enough to make a carpet. As for its bones, we can take them back and soak them in wine to nourish our disciples."

Furnace/cauldron.

carpet.

He could endure being called a beast, he could endure being hunted down, and he could even endure death.

But he could not tolerate these hypocritical scumbags using such disgusting words to insult Su Xiaojiu.

"roar--!!!"

A deafening tiger's roar exploded, drowning out the thunder.

Bai Yin's Taoist robe instantly ripped apart, revealing his bronze muscles bulging and veins protruding like crawling insects.

His eyes were bloodshot, his golden pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints, and his reason was completely swallowed up by his bestial nature at this moment.

He didn't want to run anymore.

He's going to tear these bastards to shreds.

"die!"

Bai Yin stomped his foot on the ground, and the rock beneath his feet shattered instantly.

He transformed into a blur, charging recklessly towards the sword formation in mid-air.

There are no moves, no rules.

Pure power, pure killing intent.

"Overestimating yourself." Xuanjizi snorted contemptuously, not even bothering to move a finger.

The sword formation behind them moved.

The twelve flying swords, linked end to end, transformed into a giant silver dragon, screeching as it tore through the air, and crashed head-on into Bai Yin.

puff!puff!puff!

The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was exceptionally clear in the rainy night.

Bai Yin's figure paused in mid-air. Several deep, bone-revealing wounds appeared on his chest, thighs, and arms, gushing out blood that instantly stained his white fur.

But he didn't back down.

He withstood the sword energy, grabbed the foremost flying sword, and even with his palm cut and bloodied, he didn't let go, forcefully twisting it.

Click!

He broke the superior magical artifact with his bare hands.

The disciple whose natal flying sword was destroyed screamed, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fell from mid-air.

"court death!"

Xuanjizi's face darkened. Injuring his disciple in front of him was a slap in the face.

He raised his hand, a dazzling ball of lightning condensing in his palm, and casually waved it.

boom!

The lightning struck Bai Yin squarely in the chest.

Bai Yin flew backward like a rag doll, crashing heavily into a pile of rocks and splashing up a cloud of mud and water.

"Little White!" Su Xiaojiu exclaimed in surprise.

Bai Yin struggled to his feet, his chest charred black, and bloody foam mixed with fragments of internal organs constantly gushing from his mouth.

He stood there unsteadily, staring intently at Xuanjizi in the sky, a defiant growl still emanating from his throat.

The gap is too big.

One is a wild beast that fights on instinct alone, while the other is a half-step Great Sage who has mastered the laws of heaven and earth.

This is not a battle, it's a massacre.

"Stubborn fool." Xuanjizi shook his head. "Since you want to die a painful death, I will grant your wish."

He raised his hand again, and this time the lightning that gathered was ten times larger than before. The terrifying pressure caused the surrounding rainwater to evaporate instantly.

Just then, a pink figure suddenly darted out.

Su Xiaojiu did not dodge.

She stepped on the "Phantom Steps," her figure moving like a ghost among the rocks.

She knew that her meager skills were no match for Xuanjizi, but she couldn't bear to watch Bai Yin be beaten to death.

[System notification: The host is engaging in suicidal behavior. Immediate escape is recommended.]

"Shut up!" Su Xiaojiu cursed inwardly.

With a flick of her wrist, she threw a dark, round ball towards the sword formation.

Those were the Thunderfire Pearls that the system had previously rewarded.

Bang bang bang!

A series of loud noises followed, and thick smoke billowed up.

Although it couldn't harm those disciples at the Casting Cauldron Realm, it was enough to disrupt their vision and divine sense.

The sword formation was thrown into disarray for a moment.

"Xiao Bai! To the left!" Su Xiao Jiu shouted.

Although Bai Yin had gone berserk, he had an instinctive obedience to Su Xiaojiu's voice.

Without a second thought, he dragged his heavily injured body and charged to the left. His enormous tiger claw, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, slammed down on a lone disciple.

The disciple's vision was obstructed, and before he could react, his protective aura was shattered by a slap, and he was sent flying, his fate unknown.

"A trivial skill."

Xuanjizi snorted coldly and waved his sleeve.

A sudden gust of wind arose, instantly dispersing the thick smoke.

He looked at Su Xiaojiu jumping around below, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes: "Then let's cripple this tiger first."

He pointed with his finger.

A golden light flew out from his sleeve, swelled in the wind, and transformed into a nine-story exquisite pagoda.

Heavenly-rank magical artifact – Demon-Locking Tower.

The pagoda spun and fell, casting down thousands of golden rays that enveloped Bai Yin and Su Xiaojiu.

Su Xiaojiu felt a sudden heaviness in her body, as if she were carrying a mountain on her back, making it difficult to even move a finger.

The demonic power within his body was completely suppressed, leaving him utterly powerless.

It’s over.

This is a true dead end.

Bai Yin was also forced to the ground.

He was panting heavily, and blood dripped from his chin into the muddy water.

He struggled to lift his head and glanced at Su Xiaojiu, who was standing right in front of him.

She was soaking wet, her hair was a mess and stuck to her face, she looked disheveled, but she was still trying to push away the golden light above her head with her small hands.

Bai Yin's eyes changed.

The frenzied killing intent faded, replaced by a chilling resolve.

He slowly moved his body, little by little, climbing above Su Xiaojiu, using his broad back to shield her from the blinding golden light.

"Xiao Jiu".

His voice was very soft, almost inaudible in the sound of the rain.

Su Xiaojiu paused, looking down at him.

Bai Yin grinned, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace. His two sharp fangs were covered in blood.

"Meeting you in this lifetime... is all I needed."

The demon core within his body began to operate wildly, and an extremely violent aura condensed in his dantian.

That was the demon race's last resort—self-destructing their demon core.

"In a moment... when the tower explodes." Bai Yin looked at her deeply, as if trying to etch her image into his soul. "Don't turn around."

"run."