Chapter 7: The Path of Change, The Narrow Way
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Qingqiu Xue agreed to spar, which made Yu Qiye very happy. He had long coveted several powerful attributes of Qingqiu Xue: the red attribute—“Immortal Claw,” the red attribute—“Ancient Demon’s Body,” the purple attribute—“Ultimate Transformation,” and the purple attribute—“Enthralling Eyes.” Each of these attributes was extraordinary, and capturing any one of them would greatly enhance Yu Qiye’s strength. Therefore... Yu Qiye was determined not to lose. “I must win.”
Muttering to himself, his blood-moon-like eyes suddenly focused sharply.
Boom!
A fierce wind swept through the heavens and earth, countless black feathers shot forth like sharp swords. Swish, swish, swish... The sound of breaking air was continuous, as if a thousand arrows had been unleashed.
Seeing this, Qingqiu Xue swung out a claw, leaving a white claw light several yards long trailing behind. Countless black feathers rushing toward her turned instantly into black dust. Many more black feathers, however, bypassed Qingqiu Xue and embedded themselves in the ground on both sides and behind her.
Then, in the next moment, Qingqiu Xue’s pupils contracted.
He vanished.
Yu Qiye had truly disappeared.
“This is bad.”
Qingqiu Xue’s expression changed drastically. She suddenly turned around and raised her sharp claw.
Bang.
A metallic clashing sound rang out, sparks flying wildly.
“Blocked?”
Yu Qiye was somewhat surprised. His little assassination trick had failed. One must understand, when he hunted demons, he often let black feathers fall—not to show off. The falling black feathers and the shooting black feathers now served the same purpose: to distract the enemy’s attention. Then, he scattered feather after feather around the enemy, each black feather acting like a teleportation point.
With a slight focus, he would instantly flash and swap places with a black feather, then strike a decisive blow. But now...
Though startled, Yu Qiye did not forget that the battle was still ongoing.
Bang, bang, bang...
The continuous clashes were like a violent storm. The huge trees and rocks around them shattered one after another. Even the distant lake was stirred into waves. The might of a great demon was terrifying indeed.
At this moment, Qingqiu Xue suddenly lifted her gaze. Her originally icy eyes flickered with a trace of purple. An indescribable sensation surged within her heart. Her bloodline boiled, her breath quickened...
A graceful, exquisite figure suddenly invaded Yu Qiye’s mind.
“Is this Qingqiu Xue’s ‘Enthralling Eyes’?”
Startled in his heart, Yu Qiye instinctively retreated. Yet despite his swift reaction, with a crisp tearing sound, black feathers filled the sky, accompanied by a splash of blood-red.
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It was Qingqiu Xue’s claw. One claw struck Yu Qiye’s chest, leaving a mark. Fortunately, Yu Qiye had fused several “Body Enhancement” attributes: tough skin, iron-like hardness. Otherwise, this single claw would have severely wounded him.
“Is this guy’s body really that tough?”
Qingqiu Xue looked surprised as she stared at the faint claw marks on Yu Qiye. Although she had not used full strength, this strike should have caused serious injury. Yet he had withstood it.
“You really can’t be underestimated.”
A cold voice suddenly echoed through the air, causing Qingqiu Xue’s expression to shift repeatedly.
Wind...
A surge of demon winds rolled up like tornadoes from all directions, encircling Qingqiu Xue.
“Strangle.”
With a fierce shout, Yu Qiye raised his right hand and clenched it tightly. Boom. One tornado after another converged, pressing down on Qingqiu Xue. But looking closely, within the depths of these tornadoes, black feathers danced wildly.
“I admit defeat, I can’t beat you.”
A sudden voice came from within the tornado.
“...”
Yu Qiye fell silent. The howling tornado dissipated instantly.
[ Ding, you have defeated Qingqiu Xue. Randomly looted attribute: Ultimate Transformation. Fuse? ]
[ Ultimate Transformation—The fox clan’s art of metamorphosis, indistinguishable between true and false, mysterious to the extreme. ]
“Fuse.”
Yu Qiye did not hesitate. The fox clan’s art of transformation was renowned and worth integrating!
Boom.
Suddenly, a roar filled Yu Qiye’s mind as countless pieces of information poured in. This was the art of transformation. It was a minor path, but extremely useful in magical combat.
It was worth noting that in this world, the most famous transformation arts were the Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations and the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations. Here, “Heavenly” and “Earthly” referred to numerical transformations. While “Ultimate Transformation” might not match the Thirty-Six or Seventy-Two Transformations in power, it was unexpectedly effective for transforming various creatures.
“Very practical.”
Yu Qiye admired inwardly and glanced at the white crane lying on the ground.
“Lier...”
A sharp screech sounded. To Qingqiu Xue’s astonished eyes, Yu Qiye suddenly transformed into a white crane and spread his wings in the sky.
“Uh...”
Qingqiu Xue was stunned, a strange look in her eyes. Was it a hallucination? Why did she feel that this crow’s art of transformation was very similar to her own Ultimate Transformation?
“How about I become the trusted white crane of the Tiger King and spy on him?”
Yu Qiye’s words echoed in the air, catching Qingqiu Xue’s attention.
“A good idea, but very risky. If you are exposed, the Tiger King’s retaliation will be merciless.”
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“Then I’ll just try my best not to be exposed.”
With a faint laugh, Yu Qiye spread his wings and flew into the sky.
...
Yu Qiye had intended to seek out the demon general and then confront the Tiger King. But looting Qingqiu Xue’s attribute—Ultimate Transformation—had planted a plan in his mind.
Ultimate Transformation excelled at altering various beings, blurring the line between reality and illusion. The white crane was a trusted aide of the Tiger King. If Yu Qiye transformed into this white crane to approach the Tiger King, it would be very difficult for the Tiger King to detect him.
Moreover, even if exposed, he need not worry. His red attribute allowed him to vanish in an instant, which was extremely mysterious. With continuous flickering, he could escape thousands of miles away. Even if the Tiger King’s power far exceeded his, it would be hard to catch him.
So... it was worth trying.
“If the Tiger King’s power surpasses my expectations, I’ll stay hidden and wait for the right moment.”
With this secret resolve, Yu Qiye headed straight for Tianqing Mountain, where the Tiger King resided.
...
Tianqing Mountain lay south of Huaguo Mountain. Peaks soared sharply, piercing the clouds, while streams babbled through deep ravines. The mountain front was lush with fragrant grass, vibrant and full of life; behind, rare flowers dotted the landscape, resembling a splendid painting. Ancient trees towered, pines and cypresses stood tall, and slender bamboo deepened the mountain’s mystery.
Yu Qiye, in the form of a white crane, landed before the mountain.
“Crane grandma, crane grandma, didn’t you go to find that little fox?”
Suddenly, a voice came from nearby. Looking toward the sound, a humanoid frog demon emerged from the grass. It walked on two legs, holding a steel fork, its face covered with numerous lumps, looking extremely grotesque.
“That little fox agreed. The old lady hurried back to report the good news to the king,” Yu Qiye replied after some thought.
“Really? Let’s go, hurry and tell the king—he’ll definitely be pleased.”
With that, the frog demon bounced off toward the mountain’s depths.
Seeing this, Yu Qiye folded his wings and silently followed.
After winding through numerous turns and crossing several hills, Yu Qiye and the frog demon arrived at a massive cave entrance.
Above the entrance, three characters were carved: “Black Tiger Cave.”
Before entering, a dense and potent demonic aura already surged forth.
“There are quite a few demons in here.”
Yu Qiye thought as he ventured deeper into the cave.
Along the way, he saw many demons, but the strongest among them only reached the Great Demon Realm.
One scorpion demon caught Yu Qiye’s attention.
[Species: Scorpion Demon Clan.]
[Rank: Great Demon.]
[Attributes: Tail Venom Sting (Red), Ironclad Armor (Purple), Giant Claws (Purple), Intimidation (Blue).]
This scorpion demon followed the path of an “Ancient Demon,” formidable in strength. Especially the long, swaying tail several meters in length—it radiated a faint but palpable threat even to Yu Qiye.
“Greetings, Crane Grandma.”
What surprised Yu Qiye was that his assumed identity, Crane Grandma, seemed to hold a high status in Black Tiger Cave. Even the powerful scorpion demon showed respect upon her arrival.
...