Something's wrong!
Ever since seeing Sylvia and Elise fuse together, Fan Xinglou had felt that something was terribly off!
From that girl named Elyvia, Fan Xinglou couldn't sense anything at all! It was as though nothing existed there!
Yes, you heard right!
Fan Xinglou, a thousand-year-old immortal fox, actually couldn't sense her enemy's existence?
That could only mean one thing—Elyvia's strength far surpassed Fan Xinglou's!
So, Fan Xinglou first made a probing strike to test Elyvia's strength. Unfortunately, she couldn't discern anything. That playful, almost toying battle style gave no real measure of power, no reference point at all.
Thus, Fan Xinglou planned to rely on her Xianshu, returning herself to her peak state. If she did that, perhaps she could face Elyvia head-on.
But reality had taken a far darker turn!
With just a single word, Elyvia had stripped Fan Xinglou of all resistance!
She couldn't use Xianshu, couldn't wield her strength, couldn't even act on her own will!
This power was terrifying beyond belief!
Could such strength really belong to a human?
Even in Fan Xinglou's thousand-year life, she had never encountered anything like it!
With only a word, she could alter everything in this world!
Could she be a goddess?
Fan Xinglou could now be certain of Elyvia's strength: even if the entire world attacked her together, they wouldn't stand a chance! Lasting even a single minute against her would be nearly impossible!
Without question, Elyvia already possessed a power that transcended worlds! Against someone like her, who was still bound within the world's limits, this was a dimensional crushing!
Realizing this, Fan Xinglou lost all interest in the fight.
She truly did enjoy battle—but only against opponents who matched her in strength. Her clashes with Helga were perfect examples, which was why she often pestered Helga for duels.
But if the opponent could kill you instantly without effort—while you, no matter how desperately you fought, still couldn't touch them—could that even be called a battle?
She was battle-hungry, but not a fool!
Moreover, she couldn't comprehend Elyvia's power, nor did she have any ability to counter it. In other words, Fan Xinglou couldn't inflict any effective damage!
This battle was meaningless. Surrendering would be best.
It wasn't as if she couldn't accept defeat!
But just as she decided to admit defeat, she realized—she couldn't surrender?!
This was too shameless!
Not only could she not win, but she wasn't even allowed to concede?
...
"Hmph, naughty children deserve a spanking!"
Elyvia looked at Fan Xinglou with delight. She could already see the nervous sweat forming on the little fox's face.
It was just too amusing!
Elyvia clapped her hands, and thick smoke began to swirl around the arena.
Even at this point, Elyvia intended to leave Fan Xinglou a shred of dignity. After all, she was only a fusion body—if she offended Fan Xinglou too badly, both Elise and Sylvia would have to pay the price.
But revenge still had to be exacted!
Using the smoke, Elyvia created illusions over the field. Whether by human eyes or cameras, the truth could no longer be seen.
"What do you plan to do to me?"
Fan Xinglou swallowed hard. She was now meat on the chopping block. Whatever Elyvia wanted to do, she couldn't stop it. She was utterly at her mercy!
"Isn't it obvious, little Xinglou?"
"Of course—it's to give a disobedient child a proper lesson!"
Grabbing Fan Xinglou by the collar, Elyvia sat down at a good spot. Ignoring her resistance, she pulled her over her lap.
"Now then! It's time to teach a naughty little child a lesson!"
Smack!
"Uwahhh—!"
Fan Xinglou's scream rang out. Yet within that cry, there seemed to be a peculiar note of something else.
After all, Fan Xinglou was a thousand-year-old immortal fox!
Was she really afraid of pain?
She had fought countless battles, suffered unimaginable wounds. A mere spanking?
Of course, something like this wasn't enough to make someone like Fan Xinglou cry out.
But!
Had Fan Xinglou ever been in love?
Had she ever experienced the affairs between man and woman?
You can endure pain—but can you endure pleasure?
Right now, Elyvia was amplifying both Fan Xinglou's pain and her pleasure, creating this effect.
"Look, little Xinglou, you're crying out so happily!" Elyvia teased as she spanked her. "I really am such a benevolent person!"
If onefold wasn't enough, then try twofold. If twofold wasn't enough, then fourfold! One fold upon another—surely one of them would suit her!
Hearing Elyvia's words, a deep sense of regret welled up in Fan Xinglou's chest.
Originally, when they first met, because Elise hadn't shown any flaws, everyone viewed her as the saintess. Fan Xinglou hadn't thought much of it.
It wasn't until she saw Elise teasing her disciple Zhao Hufeng that she realized something was wrong, and judged that Elise's true nature might be like her own—a prankster.
So Fan Xinglou's mischief and antics in the arena had all been for the sake of drawing out Elise's true self, to make her an interesting person!
That way, she would surely gain a very close friend in the future!
But…
"That's not the kind of amusement this old lady wanted!"
She wanted fun, not to become the fun!
Clearly, Elyvia's current behavior left Fan Xinglou completely unable to laugh.
At this rate, she might end up throwing herself away in the future!
"Uwahhh!"
Feeling both the sting on her backside and the faint soul-stirring pleasure, Fan Xinglou truly lost her nerve.
"Eh? Xinglou, so that's what you were thinking?"
Of course, Elyvia also possessed the ability to hear inner thoughts. She heard Fan Xinglou's musings loud and clear!
Fan Xinglou clenched her teeth, forcing a fierce look, unwilling to let tears fall from her eyes. But unfortunately, before long she still succumbed to Elyvia's overwhelming force.
This was the greatest failure in this old lady's attempts at guidance!
Next time, she would definitely have to find a way to correct her!
As for now…
"This is the story you began, Xinglou," Elyvia said, her cheeks flushed. "No matter what, you have to keep moving forward!"
"Whatever the consequences, you'll have to bear them!"
This lesson continued, showing no signs of ending anytime soon.
None of this could possibly be known to anyone but the three present. Elyvia even recorded it with a video camera—something that might come in handy in the future!
And so, time passed slowly. Eventually, the illusions on stage faded away, leaving only three figures lying on the ground.
Elise, Sylvia, and Fan Xinglou—all unconscious. Medical staff rushed in to begin treatment. Fortunately, their injuries weren't serious.
But for some reason, Fan Xinglou's backside seemed a little larger than before. And at the corner of her lips… there seemed to be a faint trace of something…