Chapter 385 — Target Candidates for Plundered Talents (Thanks to 'My Name Is Wang Laoji' for the Silver Alliance Leader!)

From the dream memories they had searched from this beastmaster, if one set aside national allegiance, this person was truly a good soul, relieving the poor everywhere and rewarding good while punishing evil, utterly detesting those totem nations that fed on human blood and oppressed humanity. She, on the other hand, yearned deeply for the Eastern Radiance, was full of curiosity about the human nations of the Eastern Radiance—which made Shi Jin feel that killing her would be utterly wrong.

Even if this one of the Ji Clan might one day become an enemy of the Eastern Radiance, at least for now she was not, and she was fundamentally different from that Divine Tree Nation beastmaster who hunted Eastern Radiance beastmasters. On top of that, Shi Yu did not know how things stood on the Butterfly God's side—whether they had even confronted the fox god in person—so escalating the conflict further was out of the question.

Good deeds did bring good returns; the beastmaster in Shi Jin's hands had just won back her life.

Shi Jin gave a sinister laugh and said, "Want her to live?"

The three undead overlords withdrew to stand before Shi Jin; holding the beastmaster hostage, Shi Jin faced off against the fox god projection, and at the same time, as the fighting paused, a great host of Moon City beastmasters led by the Moonlight Family Head poured into the holy land.

Rumbling, a legion of several hundred entered as one.

Among them, the Moonlight Family Head stared at the gray-robed elder holding the hostage, his eyes shot through with blood, and said, "Release her—"

"Your master has already surrendered. Do you still wish to put up a futile resistance?" The fox god fixed its gaze on Shi Jin.

That left Shi Jin utterly baffled.

Something felt off.

Even if the Butterfly God had run into the fox god, surely it couldn't have faltered this fast.

This was, after all, the second team Lin You had spoken of; had it not been born the wrong sex, it might even have made the first team.

Its strength approached that of a top-tier totem—certainly stronger than the cat—a totem of a hundred years' standing.

There was no way it could fail to beat even the weakest fox in all the totem nations.

Could it be that it wasn't the Butterfly God and the others at all?

[The egg has finished absorbing. Time to slip away.]

At those words, Shi Zhao relaxed and signaled his understanding, issuing orders to the Bug and Crimson Eye while turning his gaze to the fox god and the others.

"Master?" The gray-robed Shi Jin chuckled and said, "Seems you've misunderstood something."

"No matter. My objective has been achieved."

"I give her back to you, and you let me leave. Otherwise, if a great battle breaks out, it will be bad for everyone—this city may well be reduced to ruins."

Shi Cen was unwilling to see a great battle erupt within Moon City; after all, the city still held over a million ordinary people who were not even beastmasters, and if a true conflict broke out, all of them would die.

Judging by the fox god's attitude in protecting Moon City, it likely did not want a conflict here either.

With that, Shi Cen, not waiting for a reply, hurled Moon E and the Star-Moon Fox toward them with all his strength.

[Don't go entering the World Tournament, or with strength like this, you'll still end up dead.] Shi Zhao said; when other enemies came, they would not be as kindhearted as he.

Totem nations were hostile to one another as well; were it not for the many totems restraining and watching one another, the Nine Luminaries Alliance could never have remained so stable.

This made Shi Jin think that once he had the strength, he might go subjugate a few totem nations for fun.

The Heavenly Fox Nation, for instance—didn't it love clinging to powerful thighs? It could cling to his just as well.

Moreover, the Void Emperor had actually established the altar here; perhaps, since ancient times, this land had always been the territory of the Eastern Radiance...

The hostage was thrown.

At the same instant, they all vanished!

On the fox god's side, they swiftly caught Moon E and the Star-Moon Fox, while the fox god projection shot straight into the sky, sensing for the enemy's trail.

But...

The Fox God's projection's expression darkened. Its aura and energy fluctuations had completely vanished?

How was that possible? A mere legendary Beastmaster...

...

Whooosh—whoosh—whoosh—

Above the ultra-high cloud layer from which the starry sky was visible, a Gem Cat sat atop a cloud with eyes like stars, flying along in leisurely fashion.

It had said its escape skills were first-rate.

"Want to come out and see the scenery?" the Gem Cat said, rapping on the ruin space. The moment Shi You emerged, he nearly jumped out of his skin, clutching the cloud as stiffly as if he had lost half his life.

"Holy crap, since when can you summon a somersault cloud?"

"Somersault cloud? What's that?" The Gem Cat blinked.

Shi Li: "Ahem, nothing."

Shi Jin felt that he was now shielded inside a telekinetic barrier. The cloud flew fast, but it felt exhilarating to Shi Jin. He said, "Did you hear what the Fox God's projection said earlier?"

"According to the memories I've investigated, the Fox God's true body seems to have come into conflict with some faction."

"Relax, it's not the Butterfly God." The Gem Cat yawned. "The item Lin Shuo gave me to contact the Butterfly God is still intact. If something happened over there, I'd know."

Shi Jin grinned. "Good. Then let's head to the Iron-Eating Beast ruins now. I can't wait."

The Gem Cat's mouth twitched. "You just finished causing one mess, and now you're off to wreck the next set? The Fox God's true body is over there, you know."

"I say we grab the Iron-Eating Beast and go. Forget the mystic realm—it's too risky."

"How can we do that? Doesn't the prophecy say there's Iron-Eating Beast evolution material inside? If it comes down to it, even if the Eastern Radiance has to send an envoy to trade resources with the Heavenly Fox Kingdom, we still have to get that evolution material." Shi Yu felt the Iron-Eating Beast evolution material could not be abandoned.

Even if they had to buy it, if it was useful evolution material, they had to get it from the foxes.

"Then let me contact the Butterfly God and the others." The Gem Cat muttered, "We'll see what they've found out first."

...

At the foot of a mountain in the Heavenly Fox Kingdom, at the legendary mystic realm.

A battle—brief beyond brief—had just ended. The Black Goat Totem and Legend Bai Chuan were terrified beyond measure. The Black Goat, covered in wounds, stared at the Fox God in shock.

After only two exchanges of blows, the Black Goat Totem understood: this fox was not nearly as pathetic as the rumors claimed.

Top-tier Totem!

Absolutely top-tier Totem combat power.

Had it advanced only recently, or had it been hiding its strength all along?

"Hold on. I don't know what you're talking about. Strong as you are, don't bully a goat too far—otherwise your Heavenly Fox Kingdom will surely be plunged into ruin as well."

The giant Black Goat stood amid the ruins, gazing at the white nine-tailed Heavenly Fox bathed in moonlight and starlight atop the mountain peak, and felt the urge to retreat.

"Are you underestimating my power of purification?"

Though stronger than its opponent, after a single instant of collision that shook the earth and mountains, the Fox God abandoned its attack. It sensed on the Black Goat Totem an energy magnitude it would struggle to purge.

The Fox God was displeased and had no wish to be tainted by such filth.

"You can purify a little—can you purify the radiation after my death?" the Black Goat said, in the toughest tone, the most cowardly words.

The Fox God said nothing. True enough—even if it could deal with this Black Goat, it would be an utterly foul affair, and the whole Heavenly Fox Kingdom would likely become a radioactive wasteland.