Translator: Raikov Editor : Dhael Ligerkeys Lu Ye took a quick breath and looked towards the Fox Mutant. Since he couldn’t rely on Yi Yi, he had to rely on himself. He secretly rejoiced in having learned the Mind’s Eye Technique from Xia Liang and having the perfect training ground in the Rift of Illusions. This allowed him to make some progress within a short period of time. Otherwise, this fight would have been tricky. However, he still couldn’t underestimate the threat of that Foxfire. His Divine Soul was powerful, so his Mental Power was very resilient. Even so, taking a bit from the Foxfire still shook his mind even for a while. If it were any ordinary Cloud River Realm cultivator, they could probably only stretch their necks out and wait to be slaughtered. The Fox Mutant had been running amok in Fox Immortal Valley for nearly twenty years, not only relying on her mysterious Divine Soul Secret Technique but also her Foxfire, which she likely hadn’t revealed to anyone else before. While looking at the wary Fox Mutant in front of him, Lu Ye slowly closed his eyes. “!” The pupils of the Fox Mutant’s jade-coloured eyes contracted slightly. Cloud River Realm cultivators more or less had their own perception, but since it had not yet reached the Divine Soul level of cultivation, such perception was extremely weak, usually barely able to perceive a few things. During a true life and death struggle, one’s perception in the Cloud River Realm simply could not be relied on, but this enemy in front of her actually closed his eyes. For a moment, the Fox Mutant was left confused about Lu Ye’s intentions. However, she didn’t spend too much time dwelling on it. She was well aware of her severe injuries and her limited remaining strength, so she had to kill the traitor in front of her in the shortest time possible if she hoped to have any chance of survival. Without hesitation, she sent another few clusters of Foxfire towards Lu Ye, followed immediately by her fierce killing intent. As the Foxfire approached Lu Ye, it exploded, scattering sparks onto his body. His brow furrowed as he felt the peculiar impact once again that caused his mind to shake. It was barely a moment, but the Fox Mutant who had pounced to attack revealed her sharp claws. His saber was raised and stabbed out at an incredible angle, causing the Fox Mutant’s pupils to shrink as she hurriedly retreated. She stared at Lu Ye, whose eyes were still shut, with a mix of doubt and surprise. She quickly launched another attack, still using Foxfire as a distraction while her actual body followed closely behind. But the same scenario repeated itself. The Fox Mutant evaded the counterattack, becoming increasingly shocked. If it happened once, it could be considered a coincidence, but not when there’s a second time. This guy… How could he block her attacks with his eyes closed? Why? She had finally avenged her Master after so much effort and her only wish now was to return to Fox Immortal Valley and pay respects at her Master’s grave, but that last wish seemed to be slipping further and further away from her! Why? Why were the Heavens so unfair?! A mournful howl echoed, carrying a mind-shaking force that caused Lu Ye’s brow to furrow. Accompanied by the howl, vast clusters of Foxfire descended increasingly with the Fox Mutant’s body concealed within it, launching a frenzied assault on Lu Ye. Lu Ye stood his ground, guarding himself tightly against the attacks. The damage inflicted by the Foxfire was negligible, but its impact on his mind couldn’t be avoided. Moreover, he couldn’t underestimate the furious attacks of the Fox Mutant. Even though she was heavily injured and couldn’t unleash her full strength. She was a Spirit Beast comparable to a Cloud River Realm cultivator. No one would be able to withstand her furious and resolute attacks if they were unlike Lu Ye, who possessed strength that surpasses that of his peers in the same realm. Bloody wounds were constantly showing up on his body. Though the Mind’s Eye Technique could certainly allow him to react accurately to imminent danger within a third of a meter of himself, he couldn’t avoid the psychological impact caused by the Foxfire. Many times, he found that he couldn’t react in time. He couldn’t let this go on! Even though Lu Ye knew that the Fox Mutant was nearing her limit and couldn’t maintain this level of attack for long, continuing like this meant that it was uncertain who would die first. He needed to find a way to neutralize the Foxfire’s effects on himself! But what could he do to dispel this strange Foxfire? Then, Lu Ye suddenly thought of something. Regardless of why the Foxfire could shake one’s minds, outwardly, it was ultimately a ball of fire. If it was fire, then there was no reason for him to fear it. He recalled the scene from when he ventured deep into the Burning Lands in the Spirit Creek Battlefield. Both the Burning Lands and the Myriad Poison Forest were restricted areas of the Spirit Creek Battlefield that were difficult for cultivators to venture into. Some powerful Cloud River Realm cultivators might be able to approach the outskirts of these areas, but no one had ever been able to enter their depths. Especially the Burning Lands. Even the elite-level female Mutant would find it difficult to approach, and it should be noted that she was a Spirit Beast of the fire attribute. But Lu Ye had gone in, and not only that, he had entered when he was only a Heaven Seven cultivator. Moreover, he obtained the True Phoenix Flame from within and activated Glyph: Fire Phoenix on the Tree of Glyphs. He was able to delve into the core of the Burning Lands not by relying on his cultivation level, but on the Tree of Glyphs. At the time, during a desperate situation, he had a sudden idea and activated the power of the Tree of Glyphs, allowing its invisible roots to spread throughout his body, isolating the effects of the harsh environment of the Burning Lands on him. If the Tree of Glyphs’s power could isolate an environment like the Burning Lands, could it also isolate the effects of Foxfire? If it could, then he wouldn’t be affected by Foxfire anymore, and he could unleash his full power to kill the Fox Mutant. With these thoughts in mind, Lu Ye immediately activated the Tree of Glyphs. Immersing his mind, he saw the Tree of Glyphs in his Source Spiritual Point suddenly sprout roots that spread out as if exploring an unknown space, disappearing from view. If Lu Ye were to activate Glyph: Insight at this moment to explore his own body, he would see numerous root-like structures spread all over him, gently swaying as his Spiritual Power flowed. His mind felt as if it were being weighed down by a heavy load, and his Mental Power rapidly depleted. Activating the Tree of Glyphs didn’t consume his Spiritual Power, it consumed his Mental Power! On regular occasions, when Lu Ye fed the Flame of Earthen Spirits to the Tree of Glyphs, the consumption was minimal. Compared to that, however, the consumption now increased by more than a hundredfold. After all, his entire body was enveloped by the Tree of Glyphs’s roots, whereas when it was devouring the Flame of Earthen Spirits, only a few roots extended from his body. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw the crazed and determined blue-green eyes of the Fox Mutant, moving around not far in front of him, disturbing his judgment. With the enhancement of Glyph: Windwalk, he darted forward, directly taking on the incoming Foxfire. Swiftly and decisively! Unaware of the changes that happened on Lu Ye’s body, Fox Mutant was shocked and furious to see Lu Ye willingly charging into her Foxfire. Her agile and beautiful figure leaped towards Lu Ye. However, in the next moment, the Fox Mutant was enveloped by a chill. That was because Lu Ye’s figure rushed out past the Foxfire, allowing the Foxfire to explode upon him while his resolute gaze remained unwavering. “Impossible!” Startled, the Fox Mutant even spoke in human language. However, for a Spirit Beast like her with the ability to shapeshift, even in her true form, speaking the Human language was not difficult. She knew the power of her Foxfire very well. If an ordinary Cloud River Realm cultivator were caught by even a little bit of it, they would immediately be trapped in an illusion that they couldn’t break free from, which lasted anywhere from a few breaths to a dozen breaths of time. But this traitor who betrayed not only her, but the entirety of Fox Immortal Valley, had previously shown great resistance to Foxfire. Her Foxfire could only stall him for barely a moment! That could be explained by his amazing Mental Power, but how could he be completely unaffected now? Could his Mental Power possibly be comparable to that of the Divine Ocean Realm? From the calmness in the opponent’s eyes, it was evident that he had indeed not been affected in the slightest. In the midst of her shock, the distance between the two had already reached a minimum point. A bright flash of a blade flickered in the Fox Mutant’s vision. She only felt a sharp pain in front of her as a tremendous impact sent her flying, blood splattering in the air, and she landed in a pitiful state. Hong… In the blink of an eye, a figure landed in front of her with a chilling aura. A storm-like flurry of blade strikes enveloped her, every single one a deadly blow. She used her Foxfire again, but this time, it didn’t disturb Lu Ye in the slightest. Without her Foxfire to rely upon, and facing such an onslaught in her weakened state, the Fox Mutant was powerless to resist. Blood sprayed and the sound of blades carving through flesh echoed in the air. The once snow-white fur was stained crimson with blood, creating a disturbingly vivid and desolate scene. As Lu Ye swung his saber one more time, the Fox Mutant fell heavily to the ground, but this time, she couldn’t get back up. She lay there, gasping for breath as the light in her eyes grew dim. Lu Ye lifted the Inviolable Saber and stepped forward, leaning over the fallen Fox Mutant. The Fox Mutant’s eyes moved, but her vision was blurred. She could no longer see Lu Ye’s face clearly, only vaguely discerning a blurry outline. “So… the Heavens… have already enacted their punishment!” At her final moments, she seemed to understand something and uttered those words. Over the years, she had continuously enslaved cultivators in the Spirit Creek Battlefield with her Divine Soul Secret Technique. Those who dared to venture deep into Great Wilds Peak to train were all outstanding cultivators in the Cloud River Realm. In the past eighteen years, hundreds if not thousands of cultivators had died because of her. As the number of enslaved cultivators increased, she felt a sense of impending crisis that grew more intense as she progressed. She knew that one day, the Heavens would punish her for her actions. She had thought that it would be a punishment similar to the Spirit Creek Battlefield’s Judgement of the Heavens. But she never imagined that the punishment would come in this way, and that it would come without her even realizing it. It was only in the final moments of her life that she finally saw the truth. Standing before the Fox Mutant, Lu Ye could sense her current state, but the words that came out of her mouth puzzled him greatly. However, he didn’t delve deeper into it. He just assumed that it was just the dying ramblings of the Fox Mutant and raised the Inviolable Saber high. “Well, this is fine, too…” The glint of a blade entered her vision, but the Fox Mutant felt relief in her heart. No matter what, she had finally avenged her master. Perhaps this could be considered the final grace bestowed upon her by the Heavens. [Master, Xian’er is coming to accompany you.]