Chapter 223: The Fox Speaks

After a one-day break due to an unexpected incident, the finals of the Four Saints Selection Tournament continued in the capital of Qiguo.

The prophecy regarding “destruction” quickly spread throughout Kyoto and the surrounding areas, becoming the most talked-about topic among the people.

However, not many truly took the absurd prophecy declared by that inexplicable figure to heart.

After all, the Ancient Spirit Realm is currently thriving and peaceful; if someone suddenly pops up saying the world will be destroyed soon without any actual evidence, it would be as absurd as someone on Blue Star announcing online that aliens will attack Earth tomorrow. People would just think they’re an idiot.

The crux of the matter lies in the timing and occasion of the appearance.

During the highly publicized Four Saints Selection Tournament, an explosion occurred in the city, igniting a fire with heavy casualties, and almost simultaneously, all the projection screens broadcasting the match were hijacked. Even if people didn’t quite understand the specifics, it was enough to raise doubts about the capabilities of Kyoto’s security and the related personnel.

Although the explosion and fire in the west of the city were ultimately deemed a workshop fuel leak by official sources, various news outlets and expert commentators did their best to support this narrative and enhance its credibility, trying to stifle the negative opinions and conspiracy theories. Yet, they couldn’t cover up the impact caused by the hacked projections.

Thus, there was a need for even more explosive news to capture the public’s attention and divert their focus.

That morning, a shocking piece of news jumped to the front pages of newspapers and magazines in Xingyuan City, nearly making everyone drop their jaws.

“Shock! Remains of the Spiritual Fox Priestess discovered within Qiguo’s borders, and Miss Baihong is actually a direct disciple of the Holy Immortal!?”

After twisting her voice around to read the top headline of the newspaper, the Cat Daughter casually handed it to a certain black-haired girl who had just gotten up, her expression as strange as it could get.

“This Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch really dares to pull this off, actually using the Spiritual Fox Priestess’s name to establish authority. Are you really going to compete using this identity? Isn’t someone supposed to hate trouble?”

Glancing at the contents of the freshly released morning paper, Vilyric tossed it aside on the bed and stretched, yawning.

“Haha~ After all, nothing is more intimidating than this title, and in a way, I did inherit quite a bit from the Spiritual Fox Priestess, didn’t I?”

She pointed at the fox-shaped jade pendant hanging from her waist, walked to the window, threw open the curtains, letting the bright morning light flood in, and turned back with a smile.

“While I dislike trouble, it doesn’t mean I fear it. The four nations of the Ancient Spirit Realm are now standing on the front lines against the world crisis. Given the urgency, a little bit of trouble to help out isn’t that big of a deal. Plus, didn’t Shangguan Qiuming prepare a gift as well~?”

“The time is just about right; the situation is getting clearer, and those hiding in the shadows are beginning to take action one after another. Since we’ve chosen our sides, might as well step out with a legitimate identity. It’ll make it easier to act. Do you really think that because I’m a disciple of the Spiritual Fox Priestess, some people are going to target me? That would be perfect.”

The girl made a little gesture with her delicate, seemingly harmless fists and revealed eight bright, white teeth.

“When all the scheming and plots come down to it, it’s still about this thing~”

“And the next match…”

“Hmm, no need to hold back. Let’s wrap this up quickly; barring any accidents, the final showdown will probably be between you and me. Let’s putting on a good show to boost his morale; I promised Shangguan Qiuming I’d set off a big firework for him.”

…

After defeating Hong Yan last time, Vilyric had successfully advanced to the top fourteen. According to the rounds, she’d need to win at least three more fights to reach the final one-on-one showdown.

Though it was just a mere formality for the Priestess, who had no intentions of hiding anymore, these three matches could also serve as a convenient path to “prove her identity.” Not only did she need to win, but she also had to win in style, without any doubt.

Of course, Vilyric wouldn’t directly admit that she concocted this so-called “descendant of the Spiritual Fox Priestess” identity with Shangguan Qiuming; that would be way too obvious. In truth, while the world knows the name of the immortal, hardly anyone knows how the Spiritual Fox Priestess actually fights. So, the Priestess just needed to put on a little show of strength and let others fill in the blanks.

As for her opponent, they had been carefully selected.

“Miss Vilyric, please don’t hold back. Let me see the gap between myself and a true powerhouse.”

In the match from fourteen to seven, the Priestess faced off against a young man named Shangguan Hong, the top disciple of the Forbidden Religion with his peculiar heterochromia, and currently the only one among them who had reached the realm of “Seeking Immortals.”

By the way, Shangguan Hong was actually a descendant of Shangguan Qiuming, a direct heir of the Four Saints bloodline.

Having spent quite some time with him, Vilyric was fairly familiar with this guy. Facing the serious-looking young man, she coolly gestured him forward as if teaching a junior.

“Bring it on.”

“Ha!!!”

The top disciple roared, and his already towering figure inflated again, transforming into a muscular body nearing three meters tall. His upper garment instantly burst open, revealing a beast design on his chest that seemed to leap like a tattoo, he howled towards the sky!

In the audience, some attention that had been fully focused on Miss Baihong shifted momentarily.

Through the high-up screens, which looked the same as before but actually employed a far more expensive broadcasting method, the crowd could clearly see the aberrant beast design on the young man’s chest.

“Hey, look! Isn’t that the Eastern Sacred Beast, Baize?”

“I heard it’s illegal to casually have a sacred beast tattooed, doesn’t this Shangguan Hong have some guts…”

“Are you stupid? He’s a Shangguan; can’t you figure out his identity? This isn’t some ordinary tattoo, it’s probably the legendary sacred mark that allows one to borrow power from a sacred beast through their bloodline! I heard that even among the direct descendants, only a few can manage it. The power exceeds that of regular folks by far, and ordinary people can hardly withstand even a pinch…”

“But Miss Baihong is a disciple of the Spiritual Fox Priestess, and she handled her earlier battles easily. Shouldn’t she be able to handle this?”

“Who knows? In my opinion, those reports are just baseless speculations to grab headlines. Miss Baihong has never acknowledged it, and those wishing to confirm with her have reportedly been chased away by the Eastern Yuan Guard. The outcome of this battle seems quite uncertain.”

“Hmph, what’s uncertain about it? Miss Baihong is the best! How could she possibly fumble against a guy who isn’t even on the top 100 list?!”

“Exactly! Miss Baihong is soft and fragrant, I wish she’d kick me with her little feet~ It would be even better if she wasn’t wearing boots, hehehe, Miss Baihong, my Miss Baihong~”

“?”

   

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