Zhang Chen was a smart man. He knew that now that this Fox Spirit had set its sights on him, there was no way he could run. The other party had mastered Void Transformation; he was painfully clear on how troublesome that technique was. The only reason his opponent hadn't gone for the kill yet was because it was currently studying his Five Elements Escape Technique, coveting the secrets within it.
But even among Immortal Techniques, the Five Elements Escape Technique was top-tier Divine Techniques. How could its secrets be laid bare just by watching with one's eyes?
"I have to find a chance to scheme against this beast and kill it. Only then can I get rid of this trouble." Zhang Chen pondered inwardly. He had the Blood Transformation Divine Saber; as long as he got the opportunity, cutting down the other's physical body wouldn't be hard. The key lay in the opponent's soul. Once the soul abandoned the shell of the body and fled far away, he might not be able to catch up.
The God-Beating Whip could indeed restrain the other's soul, but the other's soul had mastered Void Transformation; once it escaped into the ground, even the God-Beating Whip would be helpless against it.
Zhang Chen repeatedly ran through all of his Skills. The Nine Bends Yellow River Array had to be ruled out first. That Fox Spirit wasn't stupid; it would never voluntarily step into the Nine Bends Yellow River Array. As for his other Skills, while they could kill the Fox Spirit's body, that Fox Spirit was anything but simple—he might not be able to keep its soul behind.
In the end, after thinking it over again and again, Zhang Chen really did come up with a method: "I have to force that Fox Spirit's soul into Soul Emergence, then make its soul chase after me. At that time, whether I rely on my True God Golden Light or the Golden Scissors, it'll be enough to make this Fox Spirit suffer, and even let me ambush and assassinate it."
The problem was, that Fox Spirit had mastered Void Transformation; forcing its soul into Soul Emergence would not be easy.
No matter how much he thought, Zhang Chen couldn't come up with a better plan. He could only lower his head and run as fast as he could, all the way to where the great river lay. From a distance, he saw a torrential, surging river appear before his eyes.
The great river roared, over three hundred meters wide, its length unknown. Ever since Zhang Shicheng died, the Northern Land had been battered by continuous torrential rains. Rain poured down from sky and earth without end, an overwhelming deluge. All the dried-up rivers of the Northern Land were now filled to the brim.
Zhang Chen stood atop the river, his feet treading the churning waters, eyes blazing as he glared at Bai Cang, who was in pursuit.
Bai Cang stopped in front of Zhang Chen, eyes roving up and down him, his gaze full of mockery:
"Human brat, why aren't you running anymore?"
"Fox Spirit, don't you dare bully me too much!" Zhang Chen glared angrily at Bai Cang.
"I merely saw some talent in you and wanted to take you back to cultivate. Besides, Chen Sanliang is your grandmaster. If you and Chen Sanliang were to come study among the Demon Race, wouldn't that be wonderful?" Bai Cang's voice was full of warmth. His four paws rested on the water's surface, a Mysterious Power circulating around them, keeping him from sinking.
"Like hell I'd believe you! I am Human Race—how could I possibly defect to the Demon Race?" Zhang Chen said to Bai Cang, "Senior Ancestor, your kindness shames me; I must decline. Please, Senior Ancestor, go back."
"You brat are really obstinate. Must I, this old ancestor, personally lay hands on you to invite you?" Bai Cang sighed, his eyes filled with regret. "Once it comes to blows, things are bound to get unpleasant. What a headache."
Bai Cang stretched out a paw and pressed it toward Zhang Chen through the air. As if in the unseen void, a strange power gathered. That paw carried a mysterious sort of magic that seized one's spirit, leaving them unable to move an inch.
"It's the Power of the Mind! This Fox Spirit is adept at controlling the mind!" Zhang Chen suddenly felt the connection between his soul and body sever for no reason. His soul desperately urged his body to dodge, but it was as if the body had lost all signal. That nameless force instantly cut off every bit of sensory connection between body and soul.
Fortunately, Zhang Chen was still Zhang Chen. The Light of the True God within his body could make Tenth Tier evil spirits retreat. That Light of the True God naturally flowed out, and in an instant broke the power suppressing his mind.
However, Zhang Chen continued his act, as if that power still bound his body. Seeing the Fox Spirit's paw draw closer and closer, about to come within three feet of him, a streak of red light flashed from Zhang Chen's sleeve and slashed toward Bai Cang's body.
The strike came without warning. Even with Bai Cang's extraordinary cultivation, his paw was still sliced open by the Blood Transformation Divine Saber.
To any being below the Twelfth Tier, the Blood Transformation Divine Saber was practically unstoppable. Even after Bai Cang's evolution into a Seven-Tailed Bloodline, he still couldn't withstand the edge of that saber.
The moment the Blood Transformation Divine Saber appeared, Bai Cang sensed danger. An indescribable, overwhelming terror surged up in his heart, and he retreated madly. One had to admit this Fox Spirit's speed was truly nimble; in a single flicker he evaded the saber's lethal blow. Even so, the Blood Transformation Divine Saber was faster still, leaving a wound on his wrist. Blood gushed out, soaking his fur.
"It worked!" Seeing Bai Cang's snow-white fur stained a deep crimson, Zhang Chen felt a surge of elation, his eyes bright with joy.
"How is that saber in your hand? Isn't that the saber Xie Xuan used to slay the dragon?" Bai Cang stared fixedly at the thin, cicada-wing blade in Zhang Chen's hand, his expression full of shock.
Back when Xie Xuan slew the dragon, he pierced the True Dragon's Reverse Scale in a single strike and killed it above the lake, drawing the gaze of countless people. Especially that crimson saber—every eye had been drawn to it. The Fox Race's patriarch, Bai Cang, was of course among them.
Whoever had seen that saber, even once in their life, would never forget it!
So the instant Bai Cang saw the Blood Transformation Divine Saber in Zhang Chen's hand, his eyes went wide, filled with greed.
This was a saber capable of slaying dragons!
With only Ninth Tier cultivation, Xie Xuan had slain an Eleventh Tier True Dragon—one could imagine just how terrifying this saber was.
Hearing Bai Cang's words, Zhang Chen gave a faint smile and slipped the Blood Transformation Divine Saber back into his sleeve, because only a blade that couldn't be seen could unleash the greatest intimidation:
"This was my saber to begin with."
"You can't keep this saber! Once it's exposed, your family will be ruined, your kin wiped out, and you'll die without even a place to be buried." Bai Cang said.
Hearing Bai Cang's words, Zhang Chen let out a quiet sigh. "And then what? I can't exactly just hand this saber over, can I?"
"Give it to me, and I can guarantee your safety." Bai Cang swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
"Heh, worry about yourself. You've been struck by my Blood Transformation Divine Saber—you're screwed." Zhang Chen sneered coldly.
Once wounded by the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, the wound would bleed without end, until the victim literally bled to death.
Zhang Chen saw that the Blood Transformation Divine Saber had injured the Fox Spirit, and his objective was achieved, so without another word he cast Water Escape Technique again, starting yet another round of fleeing.
"Brat, I definitely won't let you get away this time." Bai Cang also went ruthless now. That Blood Transformation Divine Saber was of immense importance; if he could get his hands on it, then even when facing the top experts under Heaven in the future, he would have nothing to fear.
One fled, one chased; even with wings he wouldn't escape.
Zhang Chen had to admit that his Water Escape was indeed lousy; he couldn't outrun that bastard Fox Spirit.
After merely three breaths, the Fox Spirit was already blocking Zhang Chen's path. A formless power in his hand disrupted the operation of the Law of Heaven and Earth, stirring the power of the Water Element; Zhang Chen's Escape Technique was shattered, and his whole body was knocked right out of the Water Escape state.
"Brat, stay here for me!"
This time the Fox Spirit didn't dare be careless. Illusion Realm power circulated around him, spreading out to envelop Zhang Chen.
"You're nothing more than an Eighth-Tier Fox Demon. Even with your Bloodline Power boosting you, it doesn't mean you can definitely beat me!" Zhang Chen watched the Illusion Realm closing in, and in the next instant activated his Water Control Technique. All the flowing water within a radius of a thousand meters was seized by him, forming a vast vortex that swept toward the Fox Spirit's body.
"Nice trick. I didn't expect you to have this kind of ability!"
Feeling the pull coming from the vortex, a grave expression flashed in the Fox Spirit's eyes. He had to admit he had really underestimated this Human Race ant in front of him. Zhang Chen's methods far exceeded his expectations, so the Fox Spirit leapt, dodging the vortex's pull. But at that moment another Water Dragon roared in, crashing straight toward his body, startling the Fox Spirit into dodging again.
Even though he had Bloodline Power, his physical body was still a weakness, still very fragile.
"Mind intervenes with matter!" Seeing he couldn't dodge, Bai Cang directly drove the Power of the Mind to interfere with matter, affecting the operation of substance, freezing that Water Dragon in midair.
Then the Fox Spirit's eyes fixed on Zhang Chen. A surge of Power of the Mind erupted, a formless force starting to invade Zhang Chen's body, trying to seize control of Zhang Chen's flesh.
"What a domineering Fox Spirit!"
Zhang Chen felt that spiritual will constantly tugging at his own body, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes. "The Power of the Mind is unbelievable. If I didn't have Golden Light Body Protection, I'd probably be done for today. No matter how many Divine Techniques you have, if the Fox Spirit directly seizes your mind and possesses your body, you can't use any of your methods at all."
But the Fox Spirit running into Zhang Chen was just bad luck for him; the Light of the True God was the natural bane of this kind of power.
That mind interference had just invaded Zhang Chen's body when the next moment a shrill scream rang out. The Fox Spirit suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and scarlet blood surged nonstop from his seven orifices, leaving him in a miserable state.
His strongest trump card had been broken!
A natural counter!
"You…" Bai Cang's eyes stared at Zhang Chen in horror, filled with shock. His strongest technique had been inexplicably broken; how could he not panic?
He knew that with this Power of the Mind alone, even Ninth-Tier existences would be flustered before him, trapped by his Illusion Technique. Yet who would've thought that once his Illusion Technique met Zhang Chen, it would become useless?
Either Zhang Chen had some Secret Treasure protecting him, or this brat was hiding some unknown power on him, and everyone had been fooled by him.
"So, Old Ancestor, have you decided how you want to die yet?" Zhang Chen asked with a squinting smile, his voice gentle yet murderous.