Ninth-Rank Refiner - Chapter 144: Alpine Fox

“That’s right. If my punch just now had landed a bit more accurately, hitting Caizhu’s head, we would have won that round.” Dugu Yunshan wiggled his right fingers, his Battle Intent still strong.

“I think our strategy just now was correct,” Cao Yueying analyzed calmly. “It was just a bit rushed. Engaging the Spirit Water Python too early meant we couldn’t get a clear view of the situation around the Violent Moon Crocodile, which allowed Lu Xi to ambush us successfully.”

“We have to admit, our overall strength is weaker than Lu Xi’s. We must leverage external forces.”

Seeing Qian Duoduo insist on leveraging external forces, Deng Feihong asked, “Should we still choose the Chuan Yun Boots for defense? Won’t Lu Xi laugh at us?”

“Let them laugh. Between Lu Dong and Lu Xi, only you can integrate Formations into Magic Treasures. Speed is our strength, and we can’t give it up. If we can’t win, we still need to run.” Seeing Qian Duoduo praise her like this, Deng Feihong lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

“What about offensive Magic Treasures?” Dugu Yunshan asked. “Still the Gilt Light Mirror? That thing is truly satisfying when it hits.”

Qian Duoduo shook his head. “They already have experience defending against the Gilt Light Mirror. It’s better to choose something with an assassination function. Something that either kills or heavily wounds.”

After browsing the Magic Treasure vault, they finally chose the Soul-Seizing Blood Crossbow. This Magic Treasure only had one crossbow bolt. However, as long as it hit the target, it would automatically explode, dealing damage to the Soul and causing a one-breath stun effect.

Looking at the cauldron in the Magic Treasure vault, Qian Duoduo suddenly had a bold idea: Could this cauldron actually be usable?

Qian Duoduo placed his hand on the cauldron, and with a burst of Spiritual Qi, fire actually ignited within the cauldron!

Surveying the materials in the vault, Qian Duoduo thought for a moment, then beckoned, and six or seven materials flew into the cauldron.

Seeing Qian Duoduo start Artifact Refining, Cao Yueying walked over and asked, “Is there enough time? Only a quarter of an hour left.”

“Not enough, but if we win this round, we’ll have another half an hour, which will be enough time.”

Hearing Qian Duoduo say this, Cao Yueying’s body trembled slightly, then she walked away, allowing Qian Duoduo to concentrate fully on Artifact Refining.

Before the Artifact Spirit announced the start of the fourth round, Qian Duoduo put on his chess vest—the Heart Chess.

The vault door opened, revealing continuous tall mountains before them, with thick Spiritual Mist floating among them.

Taking a light step, they entered the mountain forest, blending into the tall mountains.

Placing his hand on a large tree, Qian Duoduo carefully felt its Qi. The chessboard plaza’s scenery was not virtual; all the life within it was real.

Through the roots of this large tree, Qian Duoduo felt more trees, felt the wind in the mountains, felt the Spirit Birds on the trees, and felt the Spirit Beasts in the caves.

Along with Qian Duoduo, the other Xiong Jun of Lu Dong also felt the pulse of life in the tall mountains.

“Good,” Dugu Yunshan said with a single word.

As if sightseeing, Qian Duoduo led the Lu Dong Giant through the mountain forest, crossing a hillside and wading through a shallow stream.

Suddenly, Qian Duoduo stopped. In front of a cave not far ahead, there were three Extreme Fire Spirit Foxes. According to the Spiritual Beast Scroll, Extreme Fire Spirit Foxes live in tall mountains, are communal, and their scent can cause hallucinations.

These three Extreme Fire Spirit Foxes seemed to be a family. The two larger ones, a male and a female, were High-grade Jin Beasts. The smaller one was a female fox, a Low-grade Jin Beast.

Not long after Qian Duoduo sensed them, the two larger ones also sensed him.

The male Spirit Fox stood up, looked towards them, then circled in front of the cave before lying down within the circle.

The female Spirit Fox, meanwhile, urged the small Spirit Fox into the cave. The small Spirit Fox didn’t know what was happening but stubbornly refused to enter the cave.

Qian Duoduo slowly walked another few dozen zhang forward, until he could see the three Spirit Foxes with his naked eye, before stopping.

Two powerful Spiritual Awarenesses pressed towards Qian Duoduo, conveying this message: You are not welcome here; leave quickly, or we will drive you away.

“I have no ill intentions,” Qian Duoduo spread his hands towards the three Spirit Foxes.

The small Spirit Fox stared with round eyes, curiously looking at them. Of course, in its eyes, it should have been one person.

“We are not interested in dealing with you,” the two large Spirit Foxes refused again. They could sense their cultivation and felt no fear.

“I brought something that you might be interested in,” Qian Duoduo took out a Spirit Chicken from his Golden Toad and placed it on the ground.

This was Qian Duoduo’s stock in his Golden Toad. Although he now mainly Cultivated using Spiritual Qi and rarely felt hungry, he always kept a hundred slaughtered Spirit Chickens in his Golden Toad. With them, Qian Duoduo felt at ease.

The small Spirit Fox sniffed a few times, its eyes fixed on the Spirit Chicken. The unplucked Spirit Chicken looked like a plump bird.

Dugu Yunshan quietly circulated his spiritual power, blowing the scent of the Spirit Chicken towards the Spirit Foxes.

For the Spirit Foxes, the Spirit Chicken was an irresistible temptation.

The small Spirit Fox’s eyes suddenly lit up, and its two front paws scratched the ground a few times.

The female Spirit Fox stood in front of the small Spirit Fox, directly blocking its view.

“Woof woof,” the male Spirit Fox barked softly twice. High-grade Jin Beasts could speak simple human words, but it depended on whether they were willing.

These two barks were the male Spirit Fox urging them to leave quickly.

Qian Duoduo took out two more Spirit Chickens and arranged them in a line with the previous one.

He retreated two steps, placed another one, retreated two more steps, and placed another. Qian Duoduo retreated twenty steps, having laid out ten Spirit Chickens along the way.

Now, without Dugu Yunshan blowing air, this entire mountain forest was filled with the scent of Spirit Chickens.

“Hehe,” Deng Feihong could no longer hold back and laughed in his Spiritual Awareness. “Senior Brother Bu Huan, you are truly wealthy.”

Let her laugh. She probably never lacked food or drink since she was little; how could she understand the habits of poor families?

The small Spirit Fox stood up, nudging the female Spirit Fox with its head, telling it to move aside.

The female Spirit Fox blocked the way, firmly refusing to move. Their strength still posed a threat to the small Spirit Fox.

“What do you want to do?” the male Spirit Fox asked, opening its mouth.

Qian Duoduo retreated another twenty zhang and said, “No ill intentions. Any schemes would be useless in front of you two.”

“These Spirit Chickens?” The increasingly strong scent of Spirit Chicken began to tempt the two large Spirit Foxes as well.

“I just happen to have some. I’m giving them to you to taste.”

“Conditions?”

“None.”

“Really?”

“Mm.” Qian Duoduo nodded and retreated another ten zhang. For the Spirit Foxes, this distance was very safe.

The male Spirit Fox got up, walked over, picked up three Spirit Chickens, and returned to the front of the cave.

The small Spirit Fox rushed over and bit into a Spirit Chicken.

The female Spirit Fox swatted the Spirit Chicken down with a paw, tore it open in its mouth, sniffed it carefully, and then pushed it to the impatient small Spirit Fox beside it.

The small Spirit Fox ate half a Spirit Chicken in one bite, and one Spirit Chicken in two bites, then looked eagerly at the other two.

The female Spirit Fox tore up these two as well, smelled them, and then gave them all to the small Spirit Fox.

The small Spirit Fox swallowed the Spirit Chickens in a few bites.

At this point, they heard its extremely contented grunts. Cao Yueying and Deng Feihong laughed, while Qian Duoduo and He Shi'an did not. They didn’t laugh because they too had once grunted with happiness from having food.

They were no different from the small Spirit Fox, so it wasn’t funny.

When the small Spirit Fox’s gaze once again fell on the Spirit Chickens on the ground, the male Spirit Fox became a little flustered.

Qian Duoduo saw that saliva was actually dripping from its mouth.