The Wolf Revealed

Chapter 623: The Wolf Revealed

"No matter whether you are a manifestation of the Corpse Puppet or not, only one of us is walking out of here alive."

Han Li's voice was flat, his expression unreadable. Without another moment's hesitation, he pointed at the swarm of flying swords before him. The azure sword curtain flared violently, transforming into a massive sheet of cyan light that rolled toward the corner of the stone chamber with the crushing weight of a mountain.

The young woman's eyes lit up at the sight of his attack. She licked her crimson lips with a pink tongue and let out a laugh dripping with seduction. Then, amidst a flash of white light, she simply vanished.

The azure radiance swept through empty space, slamming against the Blue-Gold Stone wall with a shrill clang.

Han Li frowned. A quick sweep of his spiritual sense revealed no trace of the vixen. Her concealment art was indeed far superior to his.

He exhaled a cold snort. His hand dropped to his storage pouch, and a small silver bell appeared in his palm.

"Go."

He muttered the command. The bell flashed, turning into a streak of silver light that shot upward to hover a few feet above his head, where it re-materialized.

Without a second's delay, Han Li formed a hand seal and spat out a ball of azure qi onto the small bell.

The ancient treasure erupted in silver radiance, and with it came a thunderous dang.

The closed space amplified the sound-wave attack, boosting its power by nearly half. The entire Blue-Gold Stone chamber filled with a ringing echo.

A few yards from Han Li, the air suddenly rippled.

In a flash of white light, the naked young woman materialized, swaying unsteadily.

Han Li's heart leaped with triumph, but a sliver of doubt gnawed at him. This vixen seemed noticeably weaker than an ordinary rank-seven demon beast. Could the Corpse Puppet's injury have crippled even this so-called incarnation?

He didn't let the thought slow him down. With a flick of his finger, five azure sword beams shot forth.

The foot-long streaks of green light pierced through the young woman's body in several places.

She let out a short scream, collapsing to the ground. Beneath her fair, naked form, bright red blood pooled across the floor.

The ease of the kill gave Han Li pause.

As he hesitated, the hand holding the jade ruyi suddenly grew hot. A layer of crimson light erupted from his body, forming a reddish defensive barrier around him.

At almost the same moment, several fine silver threads shot out from a seemingly empty spot in the chamber, striking the barrier and bouncing off.

"Eh!"

"Ah!"

A man's and a woman's surprised voices rang out simultaneously.

Han Li's shock gave way to instant action. He opened his mouth and spat out an azure streak, which shot toward the source of the silver threads.

A haunting, soul-stirring laugh answered him.

A white blur flashed, and the naked young woman reappeared in another corner of the chamber, one hand pressed lightly to her chest.

Han Li's expression darkened. He turned to look at the spot where her wounded body had fallen. It was empty. Not a trace remained.

"Illusion art," he said through dry lips, his heart sinking.

The young woman's smile widened. She didn't answer his question. Instead, her crystalline eyes shifted to the small yellow wolf crouching at Han Li's side, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.

Han Li caught the look. He glanced at the little wolf, then at the wolf-head jade ruyi in his hand. His expression cycled through doubt and calculation.

That fire-attribute barrier that had blocked the vixen's attack hadn't been activated by him. Had the artifact's tool spirit acted on its own? The memory of the red and yellow wolves merging into the silver giant, and the mystery of that silver wolf, made him uneasy.

The young woman twisted her snow-white waist, about to speak, when the jade ruyi in Han Li's hand flashed. A beam of red light shot out. At the same time, the small yellow wolf leaped silently, turning into a yellow streak that met the red light midair.

Han Li's expression changed. He tightened his grip on the ruyi but made no move to intervene.

As he expected, the red and yellow light merged, erupting into a silver halo.

From the center of that halo emerged a giant silver wolf. It floated in the air, a full ten feet tall, its eyes gleaming with excitement as it locked onto the vixen.

The naked young woman's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know the wolf's origin, but its presence sent a wave of unease through her. Even the seductive smile on her face froze under the giant wolf's stare.

She caught herself. Her brow arched, and her expression darkened. She parted her crimson lips, and a thick cloud of pink mist—luscious and fragrant—poured out, shrouding her form. In an instant, she had vanished.

The pink mist spread rapidly, swallowing half the chamber.

Han Li had no idea what the pink fog was capable of, but he had no intention of breathing it in. His face hardened as his hand went to his waist, producing a spirit beast pouch.

No matter how strong the vixen's concealment art was, he didn't believe she could evade a swarm of tens of thousands of Gold Devourer Beetles.

Just as he raised the pouch to release them, the silver wolf floating before him moved in a way that made him freeze.

The wolf opened its mouth. Silver light exploded forth as countless fist-sized silver orbs poured out, all hurtling toward a specific spot within the mist. Then, with a low howl, the wolf itself turned into a silver rainbow and charged straight in.

Startled, Han Li's call to the beetles slowed by a beat.

A series of muffled puffs followed. The silver orbs, upon entering the mist, detonated instantly.

Silver light and pink fog intertwined. From within came the vixen's muffled, furious grunt.

The silver rainbow that was the giant wolf plunged into the mist.

"What are you doing? Impossible, you are... No..."

The vixen's voice went from confusion to terror, ending in a desperate, agonized scream.

Then, abruptly, the scream cut off.

Han Li's expression shifted. He narrowed his eyes on the mist.

Without spiritual energy to sustain it, the pink fog began to dissipate, slowly revealing what lay inside.

The sight made Han Li's face change completely.

The naked young woman was sprawled on the ground, trembling violently. Her body flickered with two competing lights: pink and silver. Each occupied one half of her form, clashing in the middle as though fighting for control.

"Possession," Han Li said through a sharp intake of breath.

Before he could decide what to do, the silver light began to gain ground, pushing the pink back steadily.

"No!" The young woman clutched her head with both hands, letting out a cry of pure agony.

Her voluptuous body twisted and rolled. Amidst a flash of white light, it shrank and distorted. Moments later, she reverted to her true form: a small, delicate white fox.

The last trace of pink light, clinging to the fox's tail, was swallowed by the silver radiance. At the same time, the vixen's considerable cultivation power vanished without a trace. She was once again a low-level demon beast.

The white fox lay limp on the ground, utterly exhausted. But the silver light on her body only blazed brighter.

Han Li stared down at the jade ruyi in his hand, his face caught between hesitation and calculation.

The silver wolf had clearly succeeded in its possession. Should he subdue it now, or wait to see what it would do next?

After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh.

For now, the white fox's cultivation had fallen to a level that posed no threat. There was no need for immediate lethal action.

Besides, the silver wolf had blocked that attack for him earlier. It didn't seem hostile.

And Han Li wanted answers. He had never heard of an artifact's tool spirit being able to act on its own. This silver wolf was clearly something far more significant, just as he had suspected.

As he brooded, the silver light on the white fox's body dimmed. The creature struggled to its feet, limbs shaking.

It seemed unaccustomed to its new form. After two hesitant steps, its front legs gave way, and it collapsed onto its knees.

Han Li let out a low, involuntary chuckle.

The white fox raised its head, looking at him with unmistakable annoyance in its eyes.

"What's so funny? A newly possessed body naturally takes some getting used to," a faint woman's voice said abruptly in Han Li's ear.

His smile froze.

"You... you're a woman?" he murmured, rubbing his nose and exhaling slowly.

(The author's note: Sorry for the delay. Busy day. I'll keep writing and get another chapter out tonight.)

(End of this chapter.)