Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Celestial Phantom Fox

“Friend, please reveal yourself and speak. The Mysterious Spirit Fruit is of great use to us. I am willing to exchange an item of equal value with you!” Nanling clasped his fists toward the empty air, speaking with a hint of pleading.

At first, the demon toad hadn’t noticed the fruit had been stolen; all its attention was on Nanling and his two companions. Having only just awakened, its mind was still a little muddled. It wasn’t until Nanling’s series of actions that it realized the Mysterious Spirit Fruit Tree above its head was now bare—somehow, the fruit had vanished!

“Cursed human martial artists! You dare steal my spirit fruit? Today, I’ll kill every last one of you!” The toad demon’s voice, cold and sinister, resounded with cruelty.

Nanling waited for a long time but received no reply. The frustration in his heart was beyond measure. Now he wished he could slap himself; when they set out, his master—the Supreme Emperor—had specifically instructed him to bring back the Mysterious Spirit Fruit. But not only had he failed, it had been stolen right before his eyes!

This spirit fruit could help his master ascend to the Saint Transformation, and it could also help Nanling transform his True Essence and break into the Transcendent Realm.

He hadn’t expected that when the fruit was within reach, he would watch helplessly as someone else took it! How could he not be burning with anxiety? Not only had he lost the treasure, he now also had to face the wrath of the toad demon!

Boom!

With a heavy, muffled sound, the ancient bronze barrier Nanling had set up was shattered by a single blow from the toad demon. Even the ancient bronze ruler was caught by its scarlet tongue and dragged back into its mouth. With a gulp, it swallowed it down!

Nanling’s expression changed drastically at this. Beside him, Mingfeng and Xue Han’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads! That ancient bronze ruler was a precious artifact—how could it just be eaten like that?

Nanling focused his mind to the utmost, trying to retrieve the ruler from the toad demon’s belly, but as soon as it entered the creature, it was like sinking into the ocean: no matter how he called, there was no response!

“Hmph... Once something enters my belly, don’t dream of retrieving it...” The toad demon’s voice had barely faded when the ground exploded. A colossal creature, twice the size of the dragon Maximus, revealed itself within the deep valley.

All three of Nanling’s group turned pale, marveling at the sight of such a formidable monster.

Those glowing objects, once the toad demon revealed itself, all adhered to its body. Upon closer inspection, they weren’t some mysterious glowing things; rather, they seemed to be growths on its body—spherical, luminous, emitting a hazy glow.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three orbs of light detached from the toad demon’s body and, in a flash, appeared before Nanling and his companions. “Retreat!” Nanling had barely spoken before the orbs exploded with a deafening roar!

The three mighty practitioners, all at the Profound Entry stage, were blasted away with irresistible force, each one hurled into the mountainside.

Boom! Boom!

With two powerful leaps, the toad demon soared into the air! “Boss, now’s the time!” Judas urged Cold Sky anxiously.

A streak of crimson appeared out of thin air, instantly enveloping the toad demon’s massive form, and then, with a flicker, vanished as suddenly and mysteriously as it had come!

Nanling and the others, just having burst out from the mountainside, witnessed this scene, stunned into immobility. Only after a long moment did they react, and Nanling’s furious roar echoed through the deep valley, “Whoever you are, you will pay for this—ah!”

The spirit fruit was gone, and even the ancient protective treasure his master had given him had been swallowed by the toad demon. Nanling had lost all reason! As for Mingfeng and Xue Han, they secretly felt vindicated and, seeing Nanling in such a state, exchanged knowing smiles for the first time.

Dashing through the rugged mountains, Cold Sky felt elated. First, he had obtained the Violet Flame Lotus, and now he had acquired four seemingly extraordinary fruits. Most importantly, he had avenged the scheme against him, and his heart was filled with satisfaction.

“Boss, can you let me have that dumb toad?” Judas asked, drooling and rubbing his hands ingratiatingly.

“Don’t even think about it. I have plans for it!” Cold Sky refused Judas’ shameless request without hesitation.

Ever since he had encountered these giant demon beasts, Cold Sky had been considering his options. Now, with Judas’ help, an idea was taking shape in his mind—a blueprint for the future.

He wanted to establish a formidable mercenary group composed entirely of demon beasts as his battle companions! The thought alone made him eager to seize the opportunity presented by this land teeming with demon beasts.

And so, in these vast mountains where demon beasts roamed freely, Cold Sky embarked on the first step toward building his mighty mercenary group.

The arrival of these two uninvited guests threw the once peaceful mountains into chaos. The resident demon beasts were now utterly alarmed, running in terror and restlessness.

“Boss, let me have this one!”

“No way…”

“Boss, keeping this one is pointless. Just let me eat it!”

“It’ll be useful for guarding the place…”

Over the next few days, Cold Sky and Judas worked together to ambush and capture over a dozen enormous demon beasts, all of which were stored in the Infernal Realm, each confined to its own space to prevent them from killing one another.

During this time, Nanling and his companions crossed paths with Cold Sky multiple times, but as one party was always concealed, they never actually encountered each other. The reason Nanling’s group remained in the mountains was that, at Judas’ suggestion, Cold Sky would occasionally release his aura to lure them in.

One day, while remaining hidden, Cold Sky finally emerged from the endless mountains onto a vast grassland, where herds of wild animals roamed and demon beasts hunted them, forming a beautiful yet cruel natural food chain.

Cold Sky’s mind was as tranquil as a clear lake, and he glided across the grassland like a breeze. Watching the demon beasts hunt and plunder, he remained indifferent; sometimes, as he passed resting beasts, he would mischievously kick or flick them with his finger, sending them into a panic as if faced with a great enemy.

For several days, Cold Sky stayed hidden. At night, he would catch some wild game, return to the Infernal Realm to eat and rest, and at dawn continue his journey.

As the sun rose, bathing the vast grassland in pale gold, Cold Sky, with Judas' aid in blending into the void, stood suspended in midair, eyes fixed intently on the brilliant red sun rising in the east.

Soon, two pink blurs entered his vision, racing across the grassland. Their eyes glowed with three colors, and Cold Sky concentrated, discerning what these pink figures were.

They were two fox demons covered in soft pink fur. From their frequent backward glances as they ran, it was clear they were being pursued.

The moment Cold Sky saw these two foxes, he instantly liked them. He wanted to capture them as gifts for Huowu and Xiaoke—they would surely be delighted.

Not long after, a shadow sped after the foxes from behind. Its speed was so astonishing that Cold Sky was shocked, thinking, “Compared to that, I really can’t compete!”

The two foxes were running directly toward Cold Sky’s location, and now were quite close—within ten miles, making their forms clear.

Petite and delicate, their pink fur was sleek and shone with an enchanting luster. Their deep violet eyes gleamed with panic and fear.

Cold Sky was utterly captivated. He had been pondering what gifts to bring to Huowu and Xiaoke, and now, seeing these two fox demons, he knew there could be nothing better.

“Boss, are you going to save them?” Judas sensed Cold Sky’s emotional fluctuation and asked.

“Heh... That’s exactly what I intend to do!”

At this point, the foxes were only half a mile away, about to race past Cold Sky. “Go down, pick a spot, and pull them into the Infernal Realm!”

“Hehe... Sneak attacks and ambushes are my specialty!” Judas grinned wickedly, descending with Cold Sky.

Landing softly, Cold Sky’s eyes flashed with tri-colored light as he calculated the foxes’ speed and path, picked the ideal spot, and waited quietly for the prey to enter the trap.

In no time, the two foxes sped past on the morning breeze, right in front of Cold Sky.

On the empty grassland, a streak of crimson light suddenly flared, enveloping the two fleeing foxes. In a flash, they vanished without a trace.

The pursuing shadow revealed its true form—a jet-black leopard, its fur gleaming with a dark luster under the sunlight. Its golden eyes were icy, devoid of any emotion.

This black leopard, over a zhang long, exuded a dense aura of darkness. The disappearance of the foxes made it halt, its golden eyes fixed on the empty air, and a cold, emotionless voice spoke:

“Whoever you are, I advise you to hand them over. Otherwise, you will face consequences beyond what you can bear!”

The black leopard stood motionless, waiting for a response. Two hours passed, but there was not the slightest sign of movement, let alone a reply.

“If you insist on this course, then I wish you good luck!” The black leopard spoke in human tongue, not by using spiritual transmission like other demon beasts, signaling its unusual intelligence.

With that, the leopard turned, its four paws a blur as it shot off like a bolt of black lightning, vanishing at the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Inside the Infernal Realm…

“Phantasmal Heavenly Foxes…” Cold Sky sat cross-legged atop a mountain, eyes narrowed as he regarded the two foxes, silent for a long while.

“Sir, thank you for saving us sisters. Please, don’t hand us over!” One fox lay prostrate, speaking in human tongue as she pleaded, her deep violet eyes brimming with tears.

“Sister, wuu... Father and mother are gone... wuu…” The other fox sobbed.

“I don’t need to know your story right now. Since I’ve saved you, I won’t hand you over. This place is safe—no one can come in except me.”

Cold Sky gazed at the two foxes, pondering for a moment before saying, “From now on, you two will follow me.”

Martial Way’s Pinnacle, Chapter Fifty-Nine: Phantasmal Heavenly Foxes—end of update.