"Don't kill him!!" A heart-wrenching cry, like the mournful call of a cuckoo, rang out from behind Gu Qingfeng.
It was the fox spirit.
Gu Qingfeng slightly turned his head and saw the fox spirit, covered in blood, struggling to crawl toward him. Her pale hands were stained with blood, her nails digging into the dirt as she dragged her body forward, writhing like a maggot.
Gu Qingfeng was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected the severely injured fox spirit to be able to move under his soul pressure. Although most of the pressure was directed at Li Qianren, even the remaining fraction of it was something a severely injured grandmaster shouldn't have been able to withstand. Yet, the fox spirit was still managing to move, albeit with great difficulty. It was clear just how strong the willpower driving her delicate body must have been.
When a person's willpower is extremely strong, their soul becomes more resilient.
Li Qianren, seeing the pitiful state of the fox spirit, instantly turned furious. His eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging like spiderwebs as rage allowed him to break free slightly from the restraints.
"Don't come any closer! Get out of here! Go!" Li Qianren roared in a low voice.
The fox spirit's eyes were filled with tears, but her gaze was resolute. "No! I won't leave you alone!"
She continued to crawl forward with great difficulty, leaving a long trail of blood behind her.
"Tsk." Gu Qingfeng sighed, covering his face with his hand. "Are you two putting on some kind of tragic love drama here? Seriously, do you even realize how much you're making me look like the villain right now?
I can't believe this! I'm the one who's been wronged here. You deceived me, used me, and even tried to force me to refine the Ageless Pill so you could replace me as the One-Word Co-King.
Sure, you didn't succeed, but that's only because I'm strong enough. Is being strong a crime now?
Do you really have to act like this?
I'm a decent person, but you're making it really hard for me to stay that way!"
"Please... I beg you... don't kill him. He only wanted revenge and never intended to harm you. If you must kill someone, then kill me instead."
By now, the fox spirit had crawled to Gu Qingfeng's feet. She raised her head with great difficulty, pleading with him.
"No! Don't beg him! I was the one who planned everything from start to finish. If you want to kill someone, kill me!" Li Qianren's eyes were wide with fury.
At this life-and-death moment, Li Qianren could no longer suppress the emotions he had buried deep within his heart. They burst forth like a dam breaking.
"For crying out loud!" Gu Qingfeng suddenly exploded in anger. "Are you two seriously testing my patience? Is this never going to end? Are you going to keep crawling on the ground, reaching out desperately to touch each other, only for one of you to suddenly die, your hand falling to the ground, forever out of reach, leaving that last few centimeters between your fingertips as an eternal divide between life and death?
Fine! Since you're both begging for death, I'll grant your wish and send you both on your way. You can be a pair of star-crossed lovers on the road to the underworld!"
After saying this, Gu Qingfeng suddenly paused. Why did that line sound so familiar?
Whatever, it doesn't matter. Let's just kill them and be done with it. Out of sight, out of mind.
Gu Qingfeng was about to take action when he felt his pants start to slip.
Looking down, he saw that the fox spirit had grabbed onto his pant leg with a death grip.
"Please don't kill him... I'm willing to trade the Fox Clan's treasure for his life! That black light barrier that teleported you here earlier was the power of the Fox Clan's treasure. Even a Dragon Transformation Realm expert couldn't break through it. You can see how powerful it is!"
Gu Qingfeng grinned, revealing his white teeth. "If I kill you both, the treasure will be mine anyway. Are you seriously trying to trade my own stuff for his life? Are you joking?"
"Besides the treasure, I also have a secret! A secret about becoming a god! If you let him go, I'll tell you!" the fox spirit said urgently.
Gu Qingfeng laughed. A secret about becoming a god? I'm already... Wait, no, I'm not quite there yet, am I?
Crap! I almost forgot I haven't ascended to godhood yet.
"Go on, tell me."
"You have to let him go first! If you release him, I'll tell you!" Seeing that Gu Qingfeng was finally showing some interest, the fox spirit quickly pressed her demand.
"Kekeke... Little fox, it seems you still don't understand the situation. If you're not going to talk, then I'll just slowly..."
"No! If you so much as touch a hair on his head, I'll immediately sever my own heart meridian, and you'll never learn the secret of godhood!" After issuing her threat, the fox spirit's tone softened.
"There's no deep hatred between us. Li Qianren only wanted to become the One-Word Co-King to clear his ancestor's name and seek revenge. He never intended to harm you. He even said he would compensate you for your losses after getting his revenge. Now that we've lost, I'm willing to use the secret of godhood and the Fox Clan's treasure to make up for your losses. I only ask that you spare him!"
After hearing this, Gu Qingfeng focused on one point.
Clearing his ancestor's name?!
"Is he also a descendant of Qiu Yulong?" Gu Qingfeng asked in surprise.
"That's right. He's a descendant of the Alchemy King."
Now Gu Qingfeng was completely stunned. So your real name is Qiu Qianren! Qiu Qianren... Qiu Qianren!?
Damn! What a name!
No wonder you're the real villain here.
"To be precise, he's the only descendant of the Alchemy King."
"What about Qiu Xiaocui?"
"That's his flesh-and-blood avatar, created by tearing apart his soul and body using a forbidden technique."
"Ugh..."
Gu Qingfeng suddenly felt his stomach churn. The last time he felt this way was when he encountered the Shadow Demon.
He recalled how he had flirted with Qiu Xiaocui in the Jade Dragon Secret Realm... Ugh...
No wonder Li Qianren suddenly suffered severe injuries. It was because of the flesh-and-blood avatar.
"Do you have some kind of mental issue? Why did you have to make your flesh-and-blood avatar a female?" Gu Qingfeng glared at Li Qianren in anger.
Even in this life-or-death situation, Li Qianren couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. He turned his head away, avoiding Gu Qingfeng's gaze.
The fox spirit quickly explained, "He had no choice. A god suddenly appeared and stepped on the Jade Dragon Secret Realm, causing the secret realm, which was supposed to open in a year, to open prematurely.
The flesh-and-blood avatar technique is an ancient forbidden art that requires a long time to cultivate. He originally wanted to create a male avatar, but due to the lack of time, he had to cut corners and make do with what was easier. Female bodies are lighter in bone structure and require less blood and bone, so..."
Ah, so that's why.
Gu Qingfeng finally understood. No wonder Qiu Xiaocui was so short, flat-chested, and had white hair. She was a rushed, shoddy product.
"Though it's not just about the bones being lighter, right? If a woman doesn't have a figure, she's probably even lighter than a man by a few pounds."
The fox spirit was momentarily confused, her mind not catching up.
After a moment, she seemed to realize what he meant, and her already flushed cheeks turned even redder.