The tail of the three-tailed fox had a tuft of blue fur, and the rest of its body was white, save for its ears and paws, which also bore blue fur.
Overall, it appeared white, but if one were really to describe it as blue and white, it wouldn't be entirely incorrect, since the human eye always tends to focus on the exceptions.
The three-tailed fox could be considered an animal with swift speeds, but unlike the Cerberus and the Bone Hyena, as elite creatures, they relied not on sharp claws or teeth.
Tang Xian had always been grateful to those pioneers who had laid the groundwork for later generations by braving the Soul Crystal Mine and studying its creatures, such as Shi Wenbin, the author of "Foxology."
Tang Xian remembered a passage in Foxology about an internal conflict among three-tailed foxes, noting that though elite creatures, they had the capability to utilize Soul Crystals and wield elemental powers.
Foxfire was an exceedingly powerful type of flame.
The foxfire of the three-tailed fox, although seemingly small when spitting out a fireball, held an orange-red flame nearly three thousand degrees in temperature.
It was an attack potent enough to heavily wound an opponent.
The Six-Tailed Flame Fox was even more inconceivable, with its flames already reaching the purple stage; purple flames nearing seven thousand degrees, capable of instantly melting any creature's core in a deadly assault.
Perfect-level bosses naturally possessed formidable abilities, presenting a massive obstruction to the progression of human civilization.
As for the ultimate bosses of cataclysmic tier, the Nine-tailed Fox, scholars such as Shi Wenbin could only theorize through Steven's "New Mine Area Evolution Theory."
Gifted individuals had caught sight of the Nine-tailed Fox, possessing life and offensive and defensive stats of a cataclysmic boss, but the specific powers of the Nine-tailed Fox and how it could usher in vast destruction remained unknown.
Perhaps even the most elite human squadrons were planning to target these apex creatures of the mines.
But at least... they weren't capable of it now.
Tang Xian smelled the scent of a three-tailed fox in the distance.
He became alert and signaled to Dong Ran. Through the gaps in the bushes, he also spotted a white figure sprinting from afar.
It was an adult three-tailed fox. To take on such a beast, one must dispatch it before it could spit its foxfire.
Tang Xian believed that as long as he timed it right, Dong Ran could seize the opportunity to kill the elite creature in one fell swoop.
Dong Ran was indeed exerting her full effort.
She had concealed some matters from Tang Xian.
Or rather, she thought she had.
But now, with a three-tailed fox, a pot of running Silver Fox soup, and the credit of defeating an elite creature in her sights, she had no intention of hiding her abilities.
As the three-tailed fox drew closer, Tang Xian felt uneasy for some reason.
An extremely faint sense of terror seemed to envelop him.
When the fox arrived, Tang Xian saw that it was actually wearing a Seven-Leaf Dual Phase Orchid around its neck.
Even as one who usually remained composed, this time he revealed a look of shock.
At that moment, the three-tailed fox revealed a huge vulnerability as it approached the edge of the bushes; seeing it from her crouched position, Dong Ran didn't wait for Tang Xian's command when she saw her chance and unleashed a forceful and mighty Gust Palm!
"Damn it! Stop!" Tang Xian didn't expect Dong Ran to act without his order.
But his words came too late.
The Gust Palm was incredibly powerful, indeed fulfilling its purpose, striking the unsuspecting three-tailed fox squarely and preventing it from spitting its foxfire; the fox staggered, its speed significantly diminished.
Dong Ran, thinking to strike while the iron was hot, was too excited to notice the meaning behind Tang Xian's shout to stop.
In a flurry of palms, had the three-tailed fox faced Dong Ran in direct combat, she might not have been able to land her hits, but after the successful ambush, the fox's movements slowed considerably.
The force of the palms struck the three-tailed fox with full effect.
The three-tailed fox tried to emit a howling sound; Tang Xian, disregarding his status as a common person, instantly jumped forward and clamped his hands over the fox's mouth!
This action startled Dong Ran.
Fortunately, her palms had succeeded in killing the three-tailed fox.
It bounced twice, and then it was dead.
"Tang, what are you doing! If it had had even a bit of strength left, you would have just..."
Dong Ran felt she had regained her dignity, her mood uplifting, as she had taken the initiative to find the perfect opportunity to kill the Three-tailed Fox; the surprise attack had been flawless!
She thought that this time Tang Xian certainly wouldn't scold her.
Tang Xian didn't scold Dong Ran.
He just glared at Dong Ran, too angry to speak.
Dong Ran was still awaiting praise and had also thought through how to explain her own strength.
But Tang Xian didn't seem to care about that at all.
Tang Xian said:
"From now on, I have nothing to do with you. I disregarded my own safety just now to prevent the Three-tailed Fox from calling its friends, which repays the debt for when you saved me."
"We are even now. I'm leaving. You should go back on your own."
Tang Xian tried to keep his tone as calm as possible.
Dong Ran was puzzled but felt a bad premonition and an unprecedented sense of grievance.
"Tang, I... What's going on? Your expression looks terrifying."
Although Tang Xian usually appeared quite indifferent, Dong Ran had never seen him this cold before.
Tang Xian said:
"If you want to live, leave quickly, or just use a teleportation rift here to return to the Pyramid; don't enter the mine area again within two months."
Dong Ran knew that Tang Xian wouldn't say this without a reason, and her unease intensified.
"But why, didn't we just kill the Three-tailed Fox?"
"You killed it, don't involve me. Didn't I tell you to wait for my signal before acting?" Tang Xian's tone still carried a hint of anger.
"But, but the Three-tailed Fox was so fast! The opportunity was just for a split second, by the time you would have spoken, it would have been too late, and I didn't want to miss the chance..."
Tang Xian interrupted Dong Ran.
"I will act alone from now on. The biggest fear when cooperating with others is encountering self-righteous people like you who don't follow the plan. I don't mind you taking the initiative when you show decision-making stronger than mine, but when there is a plan in place, you should follow it strictly. Are you really so undisciplined as a spy sent by the military to probe my depths?"
Dong Ran was shocked. When did Tang Xian discover her true identity?
Tang Xian didn't care about these things at all, finding it reasonable that a spy would try to get close to him. Considering their acquaintance, he intended to let Dong Ran leave with a clear understanding.
"This Three-tailed Fox had a Seven-Leaf Dual Phase Orchid around its neck, whereas it's rare for them to use even a Five-Leaf Biphasic Orchid."
"Why?"
Dong Ran realized she might have caused a disaster. Now she remembered that indeed Tang Xian had emphasized twice to wait for his command before acting.
"Because the Biphasic Orchid is somewhat similar to the fox clan—the more noble and rare, the more there is at a certain place. The Biphasic Orchid shows it in the leaves, the fox clan in their tails."
"And a Seven-Leaf Dual Phase Orchid hung around the neck of a Three-tailed Fox signifies that there is an extremely rare fox in the nearby fox den. It intended to use the Seven-Leaf Orchid to warn intruders not to mess with its den."
"A Six-Tailed Flame Fox?"
Dong Ran had not expected to provoke a top-notch boss. Knowing that if a fox had her scent, she would have to be extremely cautious in the mine area from now on, her face turned deathly pale.
But the expression on Tang Xian's face clearly showed that the situation was even worse.
"If it were a Six-Tailed Flame Fox, I would be confident in dealing with it, but the one coming this time..."
Looking into the distance, Tang Xian heightened his sense of smell to the extreme.
"I'm afraid it might be the strongest creature known at this stage... the Nine-Tailed Fox."