Future Threats

Shu Fanrong flipped through the air and landed gracefully.

Her fine control of her body was a side effect of cultivation. If not, she never would have been able to flip through the air, let alone after a dropkick.

She rushed towards the Deep Sea Fox and sent a Perfect Harmony Fist towards its face, launching it further away.

Seeing the distance of the Deep Sea Fox, Shu Fanrong turned her attention towards the Blaze Fur Fox whose fur was glowing a fiery red as it ran towards her.

"Gyaaa!"

Shu Fanrong jumped above the Blaze Fur Fox. She then stepped on its head gracefully.

Btoom!

The Blaze Fur Fox's head crashed straight into the dirt, forming cracks on the earth.

Shu Fanrong leaped off the fox and fanned herself slowly. "That was a bit warm."

As the Deep Sea Fox stood up once more and the Blaze Fur Fox recovered, Shu Fanrong's eyes gleamed.

Ah, I can finally fight!

A fire ignited within her heart.

Her father hadn't regained the ability to move his legs yet. Even if he did, the scene stunned him too much to even take his eyes off of it.

His daughter was... fighting the foxes, the ones that he couldn't do anything against? And winning, at that?

The Blaze Fur Fox, sensing that it couldn't win in its current state, strengthened the heat around its body, doubling its temperature!

Shu Fanrong finally started to feel the heat.

As the Blaze Fur Fox pounced on her, she felt the need to dodge, otherwise she might just get her skin roasted. She circulated the spiritual energy inside her body and threw a stronger Perfect Harmony Fist towards the fox.

On the side, the Deep Sea Fox charged its attack, locking onto Shu Fanrong who was busy fighting off the Blaze Fur Fox.

When Shu Dashou noticed this, his stress went through the roof.

"Rongrong! Behind you!"

However, it was too late.

The stream of water rocketed towards Shu Fanrong with a speed thrice as that of earlier. She could only turn her head before it hit her straight onto the spine.

Shu Dashou's eyes widened as he gritted his teeth to move his legs as much as he could, but it was no use. He had no choice but to watch as his daughter was penetrated... eh?

As the stream stopped, the Deep Sea Fox looked at Shu Fanrong, bewildered.

Shu Fanrong scratched her back with a distressed expression.

"Owie, that hurt..."

Even that didn't damage her!? Shu Dashou stopped trying to stand as he watched with fervent eyes. He wasn't confident that he could take that attack and still be standing afterwards.

Shu Fanrong's spiritual energy quickly circulated inside her, repairing the shield that had been broken through by that stream. This shield was a natural barrier that formed around her body, protecting her from harm without her thinking about it consciously.

Most of the damage was circumvented due to the fact that the Frostfire attribute held an absolute advantage over that of the Deep Sea Fox's more common water attribute. The frost part controlled the water while the fire part suppressed it, resulting in but a measly amount breaking through Shu Fanrong's shield and reaching her skin.

Now learning that the Deep Sea Fox couldn't hurt her, confidence shined through Shu Fanrong's eyes. She abandoned the Blaze Fur Fox and ran towards the Deep Sea Fox with unprecedented speed!

The Deep Sea Fox changed its tactic and resorted to shooting a continuous rain of water bullets. Shu Fanrong dodged as much as she could, but it was inevitable that some would land on her. Regardless, the Deep Sea Fox forwent quality for quantity, so the tiny water bullets did null damage even as they rained upon Shu Fanrong's skin.

Shu Fanrong quickly arrived in front of the Deep Sea Fox and threw several punches, knocking the latter a few meters back.

She felt a slight heat coming from behind her. When she turned, the Blaze Fur Fox's claws swiped against her, leaving her no choice but to block.

The Blaze Fur Fox's claws glowed a pulsating bright red as it slashed across Shu Fanrong's arm.

However, the fire attribute of the Blaze Fur Fox was suppressed and controlled by the Frostfire attribute in the same way as the water attribute, causing Shu Fanrong to take little to no damage.

Shu Fanrong's expression turned playful. It turned out that the attacks against her were not very effective!

And so, Shu Dashou watched his daughter casually suppress the two giant foxes whose skin he couldn't even scratch, let alone beat.

Moreover, she was fighting against the both of them at the same time!

Shu Dashou looked at his daughter's face—she had the same expression as when she played and won against her friends in a game of tag.

No, scratch that, it looked like she was having even more fun!

The two beasts he considered to be life-threatening were being treated like playthings by his daughter...

Shu Dashou did not know whether to laugh or cry.

.....

Jing Hei, who was watching from the cliff as usual, almost spit out the breakfast he had last eaten about 10 years ago.

"The hell kind of monster child is this?!"

He connected the pieces together, deducing that the little girl must be the hidden cultivator's disciple, whose parents lived in the village.

But if that was her identity, too many things did not make sense!

When he was living amongst the villagers, he learned that none of them had any cultivation, nor knowledge of how to cultivate. Jing Hei did not find it weird—this was normally the case for backwater villages like this.

He also remembered that the hidden cultivator had only taken in the child as a disciple about half a month ago.

If both of these were true, and his guess about the child's identity was right, then that could mean two things: either the child was a buried diamond, or the hidden cultivator was incredibly talented at teaching. In the worst case scenario, it could even be both of them!

In any case, the situation spelled bad news for the future plans of his sect.

"I need to get rid of any future threats!"

Jing Hei's eyes turned vicious.

He originally wanted to stay lowkey and let the beasts wreak havoc in the village so that he could sneak into the barrier himself. However, the current scenario called for him to take action himself.

Judging by the battle, the child's cultivation should be somewhere around the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"In that case, killing her should be elementary."

Jing Hei thought for a second before taking out a talisman and burning it.

After a while, a projection of a head appeared.

"Master." Jing Hei kneeled on one knee.

"Make it quick." The man scratched his bald head.

"Please give me permission to destroy the village." Jing Hei didn't dare look at his master as he spoke.

"Hm? Haven't I already given you permission? Do whatever you want, as long as there are no witnesses."

"No, master. I mean, I will personally destroy the village."

"Impossible!"

Jing Hei imagined that if his master was here, there would be spit all over his face by now from how violent that shout was.

The bald man continued, "I've already told you—we're still a righteous sect! We can't do overtly evil actions, we have a reputation to uphold."

"But can't you spread the news that the village is full of demonic humans or something? You've done the same when you purged the Great Order Sect..."

"We can only use that excuse so many times. What brought this up, anyway? Can't you just let the beasts overrun the village like your plan entailed?"

"Master, we've underestimated the Great Order Sect's remnants. My Foundation Establishment Realm beasts have been defeated."

"Isn't that well? That's your objective, isn't it? To lure the hidden cultivator out?"

"....The hidden cultivator within the barrier didn't make a move, only his disciple did."

"You mean, the one that he took in half a month ago?"

"Yes, master."

The bald man fell silent. He contemplated for a while before speaking resolutely, "Take her in."

"What?" Jing Hei was bewildered.

"Take her in, no matter how you do it. This kind of talent cannot be lost. Even if she refuses, you need to take her into the sect. You will be rewarded greatly."

"But, master. What if she progressed that fast only because of the teachings of that hidden cultivator?"

"We'll know when we get her. Besides, my disciple, you're underestimating how outrageous an achievement it is to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, or at least, an equivalent strength, in just two weeks. Even if that hidden cultivator assisted her, teachings can only get one so far. It is most certainly through her own talents that she progressed this fast."

Jing Hei could only nod. This was an order from his master, it was absolute.

"Also, I grant you permission to destroy that village. Get rid of any future threats. I'll take care of any backlash—just make sure you do it cleanly."

"Yes, master."

The bald man ended the Zoom call.