Chapter 588: Backstab (Thanks to pft0 Alliance Leader for the tip)

The giant ape lay still on the ground, gasping for breath, its eyes dim and lifeless.

"Restrain its limbs!" the Fox Demon ordered through gritted teeth.

Immediately, many cultivators rushed forward, holding spiritual artifacts, and fiercely plunged them into the giant ape's limbs, pinning it firmly to the ground.

Blood splattered as the giant ape's face contorted in pain. It instinctively struggled, but to no avail.

It was completely exhausted.

The Fox Demon reached out and snatched a long sword from a cultivator's hand. She gracefully descended, planting her feet on the giant ape's chest. Her body leaned slightly, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage, but at that moment, no cultivator dared to appreciate the rare sight.

"Do you still recognize me?" The Fox Demon's hazy eyes gleamed with satisfaction, and the words that escaped her lips were chillingly cold. "I told you, one day you would die by my hand. I've waited eighteen years for this day! Eighteen years!"

A strange expression, somewhere between a cry and a laugh, appeared on her face.

Eighteen years of waiting, countless failures, and a heart full of hatred finally found its release at this moment.

She gripped the sword hilt with both hands, aimed it at the giant ape's chest, raised it high, and gritted her teeth, shouting, "Die!"

The long sword plunged down with a soft *thud*, blood splattered, and the blade buried itself up to the hilt.

Struck by this heavy blow, a flicker of clarity appeared in the giant ape's dull eyes. It let out a roar, and one of its arms, which should have been pinned motionless to the ground, suddenly rose. Amidst the cultivators' gasps, it swung a palm towards the Fox Demon.

The Fox Demon's expression changed. She had never imagined that her enemy, in such a state, would still have the strength to retaliate, let alone the ability to break free from its restraints.

Her reaction was swift; she floated backward almost the instant the giant ape raised its hand, but she was still affected by its attack.

Her tall, graceful figure spun through the air like a falling leaf.

"Your Excellency!" the group of cultivators exclaimed in alarm.

The Fox Demon landed awkwardly, spitting out a mist of blood. Her face instantly turned pale, and her aura fluctuated violently.

Being merely grazed by the giant ape's attack had resulted in such severe injuries. If her reaction hadn't been quick enough, she would likely be dead.

"Kill it!" the Fox Demon roared venomously.

The cultivators obeyed, and numerous attacks rained down on the giant ape, but it remained unresponsive.

The blow it dealt to the Fox Demon was its final act in life.

Zhou Yuntian, covered in wounds, rushed to the Fox Demon's side and asked with concern and nervousness, "Your Excellency, how are your injuries?"

The Fox Demon slowly shook her head. Zhou Yuntian quickly took out a healing pill from his storage pouch and offered it. The Fox Demon accepted it without hesitation and swallowed it.

A moment later, a pale Yu Daiwei approached, holding an earthy-yellow demon core in both hands. "Your Excellency, the giant ape is dead!" she reported.

The Fox Demon opened her eyes, looked at the demon core before her, and nodded slightly, her expression calm but tinged with a hint of bewilderment.

For eighteen years, she had lived every day consumed by hatred. Now, with her great vengeance finally satisfied, a sense of emptiness, as if her life had suddenly lost its purpose, inexplicably mingled with her satisfaction.

She looked up at the many cultivators under her command; almost all were wounded and disheveled.

She raised her hand and picked up the overlord-level demon core. "In today's battle, you all performed well, especially Lu Ye and Xie Yunhan. For slaying this fiend today, you two deserve the primary credit. Once we return to the valley, I will personally bestow rewards."

Lu Ye and Xie Yunhan quickly bowed in thanks.

"Rest here. We'll return to the valley in three hours!"

"Yes!" the cultivators replied.

After the fierce battle, everyone's spirits relaxed. They each sought a place to rest and recuperate. As for vigilance, it was unnecessary; this was already considered the territory of an overlord-level demonic beast, and typically no other demonic beast would dare to intrude.

While they had arrived with over eighty people, now fewer than half remained alive. Even among the survivors, many were severely wounded.

It should be noted that this was despite Lu Ye and Xie Yunhan having set up hundreds of formations in advance, and the cultivators, under the Fox Demon's control, fought desperately without retreat. Moreover, the cultivators from Fox Immortal Valley generally had higher cultivation levels.

If cultivators were to truly form groups to besiege and kill the berserk giant ape, it would be impossible without two or three hundred people.

The terror of an overlord-level demonic beast was evident.

Among all the cultivators, only three were unharmed: Li Baxian, who had always stayed by the Fox Demon's side, and Lu Ye and Xie Yunhan, who managed the formations.

The cultivators were meditating and recuperating, and the Fox Demon was also healing her injuries.

Lu Ye said, "Fellow Daoist Xie, you should also rest. I'll go set up some warning formations."

Xie Yunhan nodded, "Then I'll leave it to you, Brother Lu."

Lu Ye walked a short distance away. While setting up formations, he touched his battlefield mark, sending a message. A reply quickly arrived. Lu Ye checked it, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

A moment later, he quietly returned and sat down cross-legged not far from the Fox Demon. He popped a few spirit pills into his mouth and silently refined them.

Time passed.

At a certain moment, rustling sounds suddenly emerged from the tranquil jungle. The cultivators' hearing was exceptionally keen. Hearing these sounds, the cultivators who were recuperating opened their eyes. However, before they could understand what was happening, giant wolves with silvery-white fur suddenly appeared, one after another.

These giant wolves surged out from all directions, completely surrounding everyone, leaving no gaps.

The next moment, as if by agreement, these demonic wolves, an average of six or seven per cultivator, launched their attacks directly.

"Enemy attack!" an enraged shout broke the calm. Numerous cultivators sprang to their feet, instantly clashing with the invading demonic wolves.

Zhou Yuntian cried out, "Protect Her Excellency!"

He shouted while running towards the Fox Demon, but after only a few steps, he was entangled by several demonic wolves that rushed out.

Somewhere in the crowd, Li Baxian stared at the scene in astonishment, watching the familiar demonic wolves move and leap across the battlefield. An unsettling thought suddenly arose in his mind, but before he could grasp it, a figure descended from the sky, landing before him.

Li Baxian's expression changed. "Yuechan?"

He had never expected Feng Yuechan to appear before him like this.

"Senior Brother!" Feng Yuechan stared intently into Li Baxian's eyes. She couldn't discern anything unusual from his expression, but with Lu Ye's previous messages, she knew perfectly well that her Senior Brother's mind had been enslaved by the Fox Demon, and no abnormalities would be visible from his exterior.

"How could you..." Li Baxian's words trailed off as he suddenly realized something. He abruptly turned his head to look towards the Fox Demon's location.

The scene that met his eyes terrified him to his core.

Lu Ye had, at some unknown point, arrived by the Fox Demon's side, appearing to loyally protect her. However, just as everyone's attention was drawn to the suddenly appearing wolf pack, flames abruptly ignited on the long blade in his hand. He aimed it at the Fox Demon's back and, with lightning speed, stabbed straight forward.

With a soft *thud*, the Pan Mountain Blade pierced through the Fox Demon's back and emerged from her chest.

The Fox Demon's eyes instantly widened. The other cultivators protecting her nearby also felt a chill spread through their bodies.

No one had expected Lu Ye to suddenly launch a lethal attack on the Fox Demon!

A faint glow flashed on the Pan Mountain Blade, empowered by the 'Thorn' spiritual pattern.

Undeniably, the Fox Demon's own strength was formidable. Judging by the sword strike she used to kill the giant ape earlier, her power was comparable to a ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator. With such cultivation and strength, Lu Ye would be no match for her in a direct confrontation.

However, she had been injured by the giant ape earlier, her mind was now distracted by the sudden appearance of the wolves, and she had never expected a cultivator under her command to attempt to kill her. Thus, she had no defenses whatsoever.

The Fox Demon, already writhing in pain from being run through by the blade, let out a wretched cry as the 'Thorn' spiritual pattern suddenly erupted. A mist of blood spewed from her delicate mouth, and fragments of internal organs were faintly visible.

"Lu Ye!" enraged shouts rang out as the cultivators standing near the Fox Demon finally reacted, each striking out at Lu Ye.

However, Lu Ye had anticipated this situation when he made his move. Upon striking, he pulled back his blade, drawing a spray of hot blood from the Fox Demon's body, and layer upon layer of defensive spiritual patterns appeared before him.

Boom, boom, boom...

The enormous impact sent Lu Ye flying. As he landed, he watched the cultivators, enveloped in boundless killing intent, rush towards him.

A moment ago, he had been the great meritorious subject praised by the Fox Demon, envied by all cultivators of Fox Immortal Valley. Now, he was their sworn enemy, whom they *must* kill.

For these cultivators in the valley, the Fox Demon was their very sky; Lu Ye's sudden betrayal was undoubtedly intolerable.

Standing his ground, Lu Ye remained motionless. Just as the cultivators were about to pounce, wolf howls erupted from behind him. Demonic wolves, the size of calves, surged forward, meeting the attacking cultivators, and instantly engaging in battle.

From a distance of several dozen feet, the Fox Demon's gaze met Lu Ye's. Her beautiful eyes trembled, filled with an expression of utter disbelief. "You... how could you?"

Even now, she couldn't accept that a cultivator under her command had suddenly stabbed her.

On the other side, seeing the Fox Demon injured, Li Baxian moved to protect her. However, as Feng Yuechan channeled her spiritual power, a colossal cloud giant, several yards tall, appeared before Li Baxian, blocking him.

Her heart was filled with sorrow, but she didn't try to persuade Li Baxian. She knew that to break the soul secret art, Lu Ye had to kill the Fox Demon. Her only task now was to hold back Li Baxian and prevent him from approaching Lu Ye.

Thump, thump, thump...

As if a war hammer was striking, the ground trembled as a burly, tall figure rapidly approached the Fox Demon from one direction. Upon reaching her, it unleashed a punch that tore through the air, demonstrating its terrifying might.

It was none other than Ju Jia, attacking!

In the Fox Demon's current state, if that punch truly connected, she would undoubtedly die, even with her strength comparable to a ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator.

As she floated backward, her eyes glowed with an eerie brilliance, reflecting Ju Jia's burly figure.

A peculiar wave of power emanated from her.

Lu Ye, rushing towards the Fox Demon, felt this peculiar power. His heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and a sense of unease grew within him.