The Guardian Spirit (The Guardians of Nine Heavens #2)

Chapter 34: Yuehong's Power

The Black Panther spirit first widened eyes at such a sudden transformation of the tailed fox, but then fiercely growled, and the two beasts dashed at each other.

"Ah!" Sandy quickly hid behind Lutecia, so horrified she was - two such enormous beasts were fighting each other on the same branch they stood on.

But it seemed like Yuehong didn't want his battle to harm his wife, because he jumped at the Black Panther rapidly like a true rabbit (he had well learned the moves from Lutecia), bit him on the neck, and took him down to the ground, taking the battlefield down on the land and not on the tree where Lutecia and her squirrel friend might get hurt.

The girls fearfully and curiously watched the battle from up the trees and, of course, rooted for the tailed fox, who had come specially to save them. The fox and the panther had a fierce fight. Yuehong spat red flames out of his mouth, while the Black Panther sent energy into the earth and made some strong lianas grow which, upon hitting the enemy, could deplete their energy. Soon, these lianas indeed caught Yuehong and tied him up.

"You're a goner, fox!" the panther chuckled with triumph. "These lianas will take away your whole energy and exhaust you to death!"

In response, they heard a deep, demonic laugh which was way scarier than Yuehong's laugh in his usual form... It even sent shivers to Lutecia, who was, in fact, quite used to Yuehong's demonic laugh. She thought the voice had changed and turned more gruesome due to him taking his Basic Ultimate Red form.

"Of course, I'd be long dead by now, as your logic is right... but you forgot a very important thing, child: I am Huli Yuehong - I am nature myself!" red flames heated up his whole body and made the lianas burn right on his fur. The Black Panther gasped in shock and fearfully stepped back:

"Y... You said, Huli Yuehong?!"

Now he got truly terrorized. However, Yuehong wasn't the type to forgive easily. He roared in a gruesome hell-fox voice and spat red flames out of his mouth, burning down all of the defensive lianas of the panther, and then, the flames even reached his skin.

"Ah!!!" he roared in pain and bled severely as his skin got eaten by red flames.

"You wanted to eat my wife..." the fox sneered, "As you had no knowledge, I shall now let you go, but be sure - whatever happens in nature, I am watching. Now run, and never come back!"

The Panther purred with pain and anguish and ran off at a full speed. Sandy was horrified - this giant fox possessed such power, and was so brutal! She almost burst into tears now even feeling pitiful towards the poor panther, who almost got roasted. Lutecia was no less frightened - she had never seen her husband so raged before.

Just as the panther disappeared in the dense forest, the flames subsided and died out. The gruesome nine-tailed fox took back his normal redhead boy-fox form, covered his face with his red fan, and looked up at the two girls:

"All clear! Please come down!"

The girls blinked - he acted so carefreely after all that had happened! Then they sighed with relief - at least they wouldn't become that vile panther's lunch... They jumped off the tree, but Sandy still felt a little fearful of the predator spirit so she hid behind Lutecia's back.

"T... Thanks..." Lutecia murmured, still dumbfounded about all the events that had occurred right before her eyes.

"Be a little careful from now on," Yuehong grinned and hit her softly on the head with his fan.

"Ouch!" Lutecia rubbed her head and giggled. "Hehe! I promise I will, Hong-hong!"

While the couple felt happy for their reunion, Sandy still timidly and fearfully watched Yuehong. The fox spotted her gaze and smiled benevolently, looking down at Lutecia:

"Oh, I see you've found your old friend, hein?"

"Hehe, yeah! Meet my friend, Sandra Nutts!" then she turned to her squirrel friend, "Sandy, this is Yuehong, my husband".

"It is nice to meet you, Sandy," the fox smiled and stretched out a hand. However, noticing his long red claw-like nails, the squirrel shuddered. "Don't worry. I don't eat my wife's friends".

Hearing such a carefree joke about eating weak spirits, Sandy trembled even more and gulped. She quiveringly shook his hand:

"It's... nice to meet you too..."

Yuehong laughed seeing her fear. Then he fanned his face and smiled at Lutecia:

"Well then, I guess I'll get going now, little one. I have my work to do. Goodbye!" he sprang up and vanished in the sky.

"Woah..." Sandy mumbled after the fox disappeared, "He jumps so high... How could you teach him jumping and teleportation? His power has no limits now!"

"Well, I guess we got saved because of that," Lutecia chuckled. "Don't worry. He'll never do anything cruel".

"Yeah, but he sure roasted that poor big cat just now..." Sandy shrugged. Lutecia giggled at such a remark of hers:

"What? You pity that predator now who wanted to eat you just a few minutes ago?"

"Well, everyone is relatively right, I guess... That guy was just hunting for lunch. Ugh, I guess I can never understand the ultimate laws of this world..." she chuckled, "I'm just thankful I stayed alive".

"Well, let's leave all those ultimate laws to the three primal forces, and enjoy life while we can," Lutecia beamed, and the girls followed their way on.