Astral Odyssey: Dying Ember

World 3.18: BaiXue

FenFang finally frowned and changed into her nine-tailed fox form, anticipating a fight. In her fit of anger and anxiety, she momentarily forgot about the restriction MengYao placed on her. Black chains appeared all over her body and a collar was around her neck. It all seemed to disappear into the ground below FenFang, restricting her movements. She felt utterly humiliated to be seen in such a state but was not willing to back off without a fight.

Just as BaiXue lifted a hand towards FenFang, LongFei entered through the front door in his human form. A black cage appeared out of nowhere above him and dropped down. He frowned in annoyance but reacted fast. He overbearingly swung his hand above him like he was simply swatting a fly away and the cage flew to the side easily.

This thoroughly shocked FenFang who still had no idea who this intruder was.

On the other hand, BaiXue's lips twitched at his show of power that she would never have so could only resort to avoiding such traps like she did earlier.

"I see him. You don't have much time left." LongFei had already went back out and changed back into his dragon form.

BaiXue called out to him just as was about to take off. He stopped immediately and peeked into the room through the door.

FenFang looked at the dragon with her mouth open and slight fear in her eyes. When and how did this wretched girl make such a powerful acquaintance?

"Free her from the chains. Break them."

"What?!" LongFei and FenFang exclaimed at the same time.

"Do you really think he would spare your life if you traded it for mine? Did you not consider escaping together? How could I come here just to kill you when you saved me from starvation?"

Knowing that there was not much time left, LongFei did not wait for her to ask again and reluctantly did as she said. He asked BaiXue to step out of the hut which she obediently did, destroyed the hut without a care for the person still inside, then hooked a claw and broke the chains where it was connected to the ground. After it was broken, it turned into normal dull rusty chain. Afterwards, LongFei took off while FenFang broke out of the remaining chains around herself with her own power.

"Now are we even?"

FenFang's face lit up. "You're no snake in the end. It's good that you have some heart in you. You should have just stated your purpose from the start. You silly girl, causing me needless stress and worry."

BaiXue smiled coldly. "It's not too late to say it now right? As you now know, I came here to save you..."

"I know I know, but we don't have the time, let's move while we talk." FenFang turned her back towards BaiXue and began walking off.

"Then kill you." BaiXue leapt towards FenFang just as the last word left her mouth and changed into her rabbit form.

FenFang turned around in anger and shock then received even more shock upon seeing BaiXue's mystical form. Her body reacted before her brain could and she felt herself tumbling onto the ground to roll away from BaiXue's stomp. A small crater was created from BaiXue's landing.

"What are you? I-"

BaiXue did not bother to wait for her to complete her sentence and attacked again. When FenFang dodged to the side again, she spun in midair with her leg fully extended to try and intercept her dodge, however it was not enough. In the same instant, she remembered how she now has a long tail so used it to wrap around FenFang's neck and brought her face down in the ground to eat dirt.

At the same time that FenFang's face smashed into ground, her own tails wrapped all around BaiXue's body in a tight hold. FenFang stood back up, shook her head and used her paw to brush more dirt off her face before looking at BaiXue to scowl at her.