Chapter 31

"L-lupus, how did you end up here?"

The woman's voice quivered as she faced the wolf-kin, the very entity that had caused her descent from the upper realms to this nightmarish place. She struggled to comprehend how he managed to arrive in this realm.

As an immortal, descending here required suppressing their cultivation to evade the world's watchful eye. Lupus, with his half-immortal cultivation, stood at the middle stage of the Ascension realm.

"I simply followed you, Vixen," Lupus smirked, his wolfish features highlighted by the eerie moonlight.

He continued, taunting, "Aren't these illusions rather amusing?" His teeth were bared in a wide, menacing smile.

"How dare you!" Fury surged through the woman, her jaws clenching in response to his insolence.

"It's alright. We'll have time to play after I'm done with that pathetic creature,"

Lupus grinned, reveling in the fear he saw reflected in the woman's eyes. He intended to toy with his prey before they inevitably begged for release.

"You came for me, leave him," the woman demanded, masking her weakness and fear from Lupus, fully aware of his sadistic tendencies. But it was already too late. Lupus already understood woman's protective tendencies towards that man.

But Before Lupus could make a move toward his prey, a dagger sliced through the air, grazing Lupus' skin, a harbinger of his imminent demise. He looked at the initiator.

"Aren't you trying hard to be an ant,"

Lupus sneered, narrowing his eyes. He directed his gaze towards a man struggling to stand with the support of a tree.

The man was covered in bloodstains, his body pierced by a small rod and fragments of glass embedded in his back.

"D-don't....touch....her!"

The man groaned through the pain, summoning the courage to move forward and stand between Lupus and the woman. The woman, shocked, swiftly grabbed his hands.

"Stop this, Avendial. You're not helping at all,"

She pleaded. Her heart ached as she saw him risking his life for her once again. Despite all the torment she had faced in this world, he had never harmed her.

"P-please....Mei....stand... behind,"

Avendial's voice was weak, each word a struggle. Blood drops trickled down his hazy eyes as he stood, barely maintaining his balance, facing Lupus.

Lupus grinned sadistically, relishing the moment. "Hahaha, now, this will be fun, Vixen. I will crush this ant in front of you. It will be fun."

Hearing those words and witnessing Avendial's grievous condition, she broke down. She, who had held on with resilience since being thrust into this harsh world, still harbored a desire for revenge against the wolf who had cowardly ambushed her. She was no weak woman, but now, seeing the man who had saved her in the Auction, who had shielded her from this brutal world, she felt a surge of helplessness.

She knew that if she stepped out into this world as she had before, relying on her charm, she would be captured. She could only use illusions due to the internal energy she is getting from a ruin sword; she couldn't morph herself into someone else. Her illusion abilities in her current state were limited to her nine tails that too was only stable because of the sword energy.

If only she were an Immortal, her bloodline would have evolved, granting her more freedom with illusions. But at present, she was helpless. Yet this man had kept her safe and unharmed in every way. He had only asked her to make some food, and the cuts were her own fault.

"Please," she whispered, clenching her fists in helplessness. She looked at the asphalt, her heart aching, and begged—not for herself, but for the man's life. She wasn't sure if she truly cared about him, but she knew this: if something happened to him, she would regret it deeply.

Especially after witnessing his genuine smile today, a smile she wished to see always.

"Hahahaha... aren't you funny, Fox,"

Lupus laughed hysterically, reveling in the woman's desperation. He felt a twisted satisfaction, thanks to the fox's stubbornness.

After acquiring a runic sword from an ancient tomb, he had encountered her on her way back, fatigued from her excursion. Seizing the opportunity, he attacked and nearly defeated her. However, she managed to escape using some technique at the last moment.

For the past few weeks, he had tirelessly searched for her. Suddenly, he witnessed a portal opening, and to his shock, a Black Divine beast emerged and casually disappeared in the forest. He knew that this divine beast, starting cultivation from Ascension, was one of the strongest. Judging by how casually it opened the portal, Lupus was certain it had reached at least the Immortal King realm to Open portal with such ease between two whole realms, maybe more than that.

Thankfully, the beast continued on its way, and he took a risk when he realized the portal was still open. As cultivators, they needed to be prepared to face death, as long as it wasn't a suicide mission. He knew that if the fox was there, the sword would be too.

He entered the portal, only to find himself colliding with a speeding car. Even though he had suppressed his body to the middle stage of Ascension, he still withstood the pressure, causing the car to go flying. And now, here they were, in the aftermath of the chaotic collision.

"However, I can pardon that human if you tell me where you've hidden that sword," Lupus pressed.

"I-i," she stammered, grappling with her emotions. She couldn't understand, For which sword was she willing to fight to the death?, why she was willing to give in to him so easily, Just for a mere human.

Looking at the man's broken state and yet risking so much for her, she doesn't know . 'Why does it hurt?' She wondered, struggling to comprehend her own feelings. She was a nine-tailed fox, destined to live for millennia, while he was just a human with a mere few decades. Thirty years, to be precise, How could she fall for him.

She looked at the man, teetering on the edge of collapse, yet enduring the pain to offer her a warm smile, trying to console her. Her eyes welled up, touched by the care he showed her. He was helpless, but he was there for her, assuring her he was alright.

"Hahaha, a mere human, and in such a state, it's funny" Lupus taunted.

"Don't test my patience, human"

He then turned serious, glaring at the weakened man who was trying to act tough for the woman. Lupus attempted to move towards them to get what he wanted.

"Please, Lupus, here, take this and don't harm him," she pleaded, offering the sword to save the man who had shown her care and warmth.

Torn between regret, helplessness, and a growing affection for the man who had shown her unexpected kindness, she couldn't bear the thought of harm befalling him. It was a painful realization that she had truly fallen for him.

She understood her condition all too well, being a nine-tailed fox with immortality in her veins. How could she not feel for him? Her eyes shifted to the man's battered form, covered in cuts and bruises, a vivid reminder of his sacrifice. Blood stained his clothes, and fragments of glass were embedded in his back.

Summoning her resolve, she grabbed one of her tails, which shattered into a glimmer of white dust, revealing the concealed sword.

It emanated a captivating blue glow, adorned with golden inscriptions, giving it an otherworldly appearance. A faint blue aura enveloped the blade, and the runic inscriptions glimmered with ethereal light.

"Ohh, who would have thought, you would hide it there,"

Lupus remarked, feigning surprise, aware that she had concealed the sword in her tails. He had taunted her about her illusion abilities.

"You get it, now leave him,"

She demanded, her eyes fixed on Lupus, her heart racing with dread.

"No! You promised!" she shouted, realizing what was about to happen.

*BANG*

A loud crashing sound filled the air as the man standing beside her was thrown by a surge of Qi Telekinesis.

He collided with a nearby wall, eyes widening, mouth open in a silent cry. His body fell to the ground, barely holding onto life. A mere flick could end him in this condition.

"No, Aven!, You bastard!"

she screamed in fury, attacking Lupus in a blaze of anger. He deflected her, sending her crashing into a nearby tree.

Her vision blurred, fading away as tears streamed down her face. She looked towards the man, her heart breaking at his dire state. Even in her own fading consciousness, she hoped for his survival. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered silently in her mind.

"So, should we wait for her to wake, then kill him in front of her? Hahaha, how fun,"

Lupus laughed manically, relishing the torment he was about to unleash. He decided to wait, savoring the idea of cutting off the man's limbs to witness her reaction when she awoke to find him maimed. "How fu..."

" Guess, It should be enough"

Lupus lost in his thoughts heard a Voice that seemed to come from that human's mouth, as he stood without any support, moonlight shone his blood stained face and eyes that seemed to lost their colour a moment ago felt as if dark, So much that even light felt devoured, his face bore Cold Gaze.

"Oh, for a mere... "

"KNEEL"

"Kuggghhh...!?!"

Lupus fell to the ground, clutching his chest in unbearable pain. It surged through his body like molten lava, making him feel as though a mountain's weight pressed down upon him. Blood trickled from his mouth as he struggled to comprehend the sudden agony.

"Cough...!"

"Aaaagghhhh!!!"

The pain escalated to a point where every fiber of his being screamed for release. He desperately wanted to run, but the pain held him in a vice-like grip. His vision blurred, the whites of his eyes turning blood-red. He looked towards the human, who stood tall, glaring down at him. The man's injuries were healing rapidly, regenerating before his very eyes. Lupus couldn't fathom how this was possible, "ho..w"

"Dead don't ask questions!"

*Badump.*

The man's voice echoed like thunder in Lupus's ears, rattling his very soul. It was as if his heart was a war drum, beating a fatal rhythm. Lupus felt his chest constricting, a suffocating grip tightening around his heart. The agony intensified, a fiery inferno coursing through his veins. His eyes widened in sheer horror, the realization of what was happening dawning upon him.

"AaaaGggHhhhh!!"

The pain was beyond anything he had ever experienced. Blood spurted from his eyes, nose, and ears, painting a gruesome picture of his torment. He convulsed on the ground, the world around him a blur of excruciating suffering.

...

The man's emotionless eyes shone in the dim moonlight, fixated on the Wolf-kin's lifeless body sprawled across the unforgiving asphalt, traces of crimson pooling around it. Despite this grim sight, he redirected his attention to the dagger he had flung moments ago.

It was no ordinary blade; it was a relic of the Triswen family, an heirloom — The blade held dual nature. First, it could meld seamlessly within the wielder's body, concealing itself from prying eyes. Second, it possessed the remarkable ability to contain any form of Qi within it for an extended period.

"It is working well,"

His words a whisper in the cool night air. He glanced at the black cat seated on the asphalt, a calculating look in his eyes. The dagger had fulfilled its purpose brilliantly, effectively infusing it with his poisonous Qi.

He directed His black Qi into the blade. The dark energy swirled within the intricate patterns of the dagger, like a tempest captured within the calm of the metal, as if devoured by night blade vanished inside him.

'