Even after failing to transcend the tribulation, the Di Kui Demon Fox once possessed the terrifying power of a sixth-level demon beast. Although currently surrounded by two men, it did not immediately fall.
Fortunately, the two remained vigilant against each other, occasionally exchanging blows. Otherwise, facing two tenth-level Xiantian cultivators, even the Di Kui Demon Fox in its prime would likely be no match.
Ming Qi easily identified which of the two was Yan Dongliu.
The two men's fighting styles were completely different. One waved his hand, casting strange incantations. It went without saying that this person was Yan Dongliu, the Lord of Dongling Mansion. The other, the black-clad figure, mostly used profound hand seals. From what Ming Qi had observed, he had noticed that neither of them had ever directly engaged in Yuan Li.
It seemed that combat at this level had reached a new level, and simple Yuan Li bombardment had become quite superficial.
The Dikui Fox Demon, having failed its tribulation, was clearly no match for the two. The battle dragged on for a while before the Dikui Fox, within the battle group, began anxiously searching for a way out and escape.
Yan Dongliu had already foreseen the Dikui Fox's movements. He waved his hand and cast a golden talisman. The talisman burst into dazzling light in the air, transforming into a vast net that enveloped the fleeing Dikui Fox.
At the same time, he soared into the air, closely following the Dikui Fox.
The other man in black, undeterred, opened and closed his hands. Mysterious hand seals flowed from his ten fingertips, then flew out, several of which struck the golden net in the air.
Swish!
The hand seals collided with the golden net, making a hissing sound. Although the hand seals were neutralized by the golden net, several holes were punched into it.
As the Dikui Fox saw a breach in the golden talisman net, it let out a long howl and, recklessly, transformed into a streak of silver light, leaping out of the opening.
But as if the man in black had anticipated this, the instant the Dikui Fox leaped, several massive black seals descended upon it.
The man in black's move was swift and precise. The swift Dikui Fox was instantly struck by the black seals, its body abruptly stalling in mid-air and plummeting downward.
Seeing the Dikui Fox struck, both men rushed to attack.
For a moment, talismans and seals flew everywhere.
However, the Dikui Fox wasn't completely powerless to escape. The moment it was struck, it spun in mid-air and fled in another direction.
Their attacks were completely ineffective, but the Dikui Fox had found an unexpected opening and quickly escaped their attacks.
"This beast is so cunning!"
Yan Dongliu finally couldn't help but yell, his speed suddenly increasing. With a flick of his finger, he summoned a magical weapon: a large bronze bell.
As soon as the bell was summoned, it spun rapidly, chasing the Dikui Fox at lightning speed.
The man in black remained silent. He stepped into the void, waved his hand, and a emerald green net flew out.
Seeing that ordinary methods were no longer enough to subdue the Dikui Fox, both men simultaneously summoned their magical weapons.
The bell and the green net, under their respective command, pursued the fox relentlessly.
At this moment, judging from their aura alone, either one of them had the strength to defeat the Dikui Fox alone. However, the two of them were restrained by each other, making their attacks somewhat weaker. As a result, both of their attacks were a beat slower, and they were ultimately chasing the Dikui Fox's tail.
"Brother Tianhe, why bother!"
As the two pursued him relentlessly, Yan Dongliu spoke again, his voice tinged with frustration.
"Hehe, I'm just short of a demonic beast guarding my backyard. This Di Kui Fox is perfect for me. Why don't you find another victim?"
The black-clothed man named Tianhe also took on the responsibility, showing no sign of letting up.
"You Yaoshan demonic beasts are so plentiful, are you really going to snatch this Di Kui Fox from me today?"
Yan Dongliu was immediately enraged. Yue Tianhe, as the Lord of Yaoshan, possessed countless demonic beasts, yet he was now competing with him for a Level 6 demonic beast. He might be deliberately plotting against him.
After listening to the conversation, Ming Qi understood. It seemed these two were a perfect match. One was the Lord of the Dongling Chi Mansion, the other of the Yaoshan Qing Mansion. Neither of them could possibly do anything to stop the other.
Still, the simultaneous appearance of the two Palace Masters in the Valley of Despair at this time is indeed a cause for concern. Whether this is related to the events of the Biyou Sect remains to be seen.
Ming Qi had just begun to consider leaving when he suddenly heard a subtle, shrill sound. Before he could even turn, a surprised voice rang out from behind him.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
The unfamiliar voice made Ming Qi realize something was wrong. He had been so focused on listening to the conversation that he hadn't allowed this person to approach and discover his tracks!
Ming Qi thought for a moment, but without turning back, his robe fluttered in the wind as he swiftly leaped into the dense forest and tall grass.
But the moment he moved, a surge of Yuan Energy spread, immediately alerting the two people in the distance!
"Who?"
Although Yue Tianhe and Yan Dongliu weren't alone on this trip, they were both well-informed about their subordinates. This strange fluctuation of Yuanli clearly meant it wasn't one of their own.
Whether from Yaoshan or Dongling, Yue Tianhe and Yan Dongliu could already sense a hint of alarm in each other's voices.
The two were currently fighting over the Dikui Fox. It seemed like a tacit agreement between the two that their subordinates would refrain from engaging in combat. However, the sudden appearance of this person left both deeply perplexed.
"Not one of mine,"
Yue Tianhe spoke first.
"Not one of mine either," Yan Dongliu followed.
The confusion was resolved, as it was now clear that the person who had appeared wasn't from either of the Yaoshan or Dongling factions.
"Does anyone else know that the Dikui Fox has awakened?"
Yue Tianhe looked at Yan Dongliu before him, scanning for the Dikui Fox's location with his peripheral vision.
A brief interlude, a mere few breaths, but the Dikui Fox had vanished! The two exchanged glances, neither speaking, but each searching in a different direction.
They had been vying for the Dikui Fox for quite some time, and neither wanted to lose sight of it because of a minor mishap.
Level 6 demonic beasts were extremely rare in this area close to where human cultivators lived, and those areas where they swarmed were beyond the reach of those of their strength. Therefore, capturing the Dikui Fox was paramount.
Ming Qi, on his part, dodged into the dense forest, re-activating the Taixu Nine-Step Technique, which he hadn't used in a long time. He pushed it to its limits, weaving through the tall trees and weeds.
The situation was clear. Even if Yan Dongliu and Yue Tianhe were on guard against each other, capturing the Dikui Fox was not something anyone else could do, especially since Ming Qi didn't have the strength to do it.
Leaping and dodging through the brush, he finally managed to shake off the cultivator behind him.
Just as Ming Qi took a breath, he saw a flash of silver light before him, and a gleaming silver figure appeared before him.
"Loulan Sacred Tree! I smell the scent of the Loulan Sacred Tree!"
As soon as it appeared, the Dikui Fox stared at Ming Qi with a puzzled look and uttered a questioning sound.
The Dikui Fox's voice sounded like that of a woman still recovering from a serious illness, soft and pale, but as she looked at Ming Qi, her eyes gleamed with a rare brilliance.
"Loulan Sacred Tree? Loulan Ancient Tree?"
The Dikui Fox's words reminded Ming Qi that he actually had something that looked like the Loulan Ancient Tree.
Dabai had once said that the Loulan Ancient Tree seemed to be a sacred object of the Sky Fox Clan, a sacred object revered by them. It seemed that the Dikui Fox was indeed a member of the Sky Fox Clan.
"Block this calamity for me, and I swear allegiance to you!"
Before Ming Qi could move, the Dikui Fox suddenly spoke.
"Loyalty?"
Ming Qi was somewhat surprised to hear this word suddenly.
He already had two demon beasts around him, but Dahei wasn't even at the Innate stage, and Dabai wasn't nearly as powerful as these sixth-level demon beasts. If he could truly subdue the Dikui Demon Fox, it would be quite a feat.
But Ming Qi also knew that the demon foxes were known for their cunning nature and could not be easily trusted.
"Why should I trust you?"
Ming Qi's eyes were sharp as he stared at the silver demon fox before him.
"I can smell the scent of the Loulan Sacred Tree on you. The Loulan Sacred Tree is the final resting place for our Sky Fox Clan. It's instinct."
The Dikui Fox spoke frankly. When Ming Qi was discovered earlier, he had mobilized his energy to release the aura of the Loulan Ancient Tree, which was why he was captured by the Dikui Fox.
The Loulan Ancient Tree was the sacred tree of the Sky Fox Clan. It seemed Dabai was right.
After a moment's thought, Ming Qi nodded, then added, "You're so powerful, I'm worried."
"This..."
Di Kui Hu clearly hadn't anticipated this. The human cultivator before him wasn't very powerful, and it was true that he could leave at any time. He might even kill him and take the Loulan Sacred Tree.
The Sky Fox Clan is shrewd and cunning. Although Ming Qi didn't state this explicitly, that was essentially the point.
In the distance, Yan Dongliu and Yue Tianhe were already rapidly approaching, and it wouldn't be long before they discovered him.
Time was running out, so Di Kui Hu pondered for a moment before saying, "You can cast the seal, and I won't kill you."
Ming Qi still didn't know how to form a seal with a demon beast, but he did have a beast-taming magic cube in his hand, which could come in handy right now.
Pulling out the Rubik's Cube, he said to Di Kui Fox, "I'll seal you in here for now. As for the seals, we'll discuss them later."
Afterward, Ming Qi didn't immediately seal Di Kui Fox inside the Rubik's Cube. Instead, he activated the Ancient Spiritual Mirror. A flash of light shone on Di Kui Fox, and an identical Di Kui Fox appeared next to it.
"What is this?"
Di Kui Fox asked curiously.
"This is a mirror image. I can't escape unless I distract them."