Chapter 212: Luo Li’s Demon Might: The Raging Flames of Foxfire

Shen Yan had just taken a step forward when his foot slipped, nearly sending him to his knees. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself against a broken wall, cold sweat trickling down his temples. The wound Pei Yue had bandaged was still oozing blood, and his Spiritual Power felt like a leaking pipe—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t muster it.

Pei Yue stood half a step behind him, her hand resting on her Medicine Pouch, her gaze fixed intently on the gaps in the ruins ahead. She didn’t speak, but her breathing was twice as heavy as usual.

The wind swirled with ash, then suddenly stilled.

A Dark Shadow erupted from behind a pile of rubble, a blade flashing straight toward Pei Yue’s throat. It was a Devil Clan soldier with only one arm left, his face burned beyond recognition, yet his movements were unnaturally swift for someone so injured.

Shen Yan tried to block, but his body reacted a beat too slow. He only managed to shove Pei Yue aside before twisting away himself. The old wound on his shoulder tore open, the pain so intense his vision darkened.

The blade grazed his chest, slicing through fabric and leaving a searing sting on his skin.

Just as the Devil Clan soldier retracted his blade to strike again, a burst of violet-red flames exploded in the air.

The man didn’t even have time to grunt before he was engulfed by a fiery dragon, reduced to ashes within three breaths. The flames didn’t extinguish upon hitting the ground, burning a charred pit with wisps of green smoke rising from its edges.

Luo Li descended from above, her cat ears twitching slightly, the tips of her fingers still glowing with embers. Without so much as a glance at the corpse, she turned and walked up to Shen Yan, her brow furrowed tightly.

“Do you think you can rely on luck to survive every time?”

Shen Yan gasped for breath, forcing a slight smile. “This time wasn’t luck. You arrived just in time.”

“Stop with the nonsense,” she said sharply, though her eyes paused when they swept over his shoulder. “Moving around before your wounds have healed—are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I didn’t have a choice,” he replied. “She needs to stay alive.”

Luo Li didn’t respond, turning her head to look deeper into the camp. In the distance stood a half-collapsed watchtower, its top flashing with a red light, like some kind of Signal.

“Someone’s Initiating an alarm,” she said. “The patrol will be here soon.”

Shen Yan glanced down at his phone. The Screen darkened for a few seconds before lighting up again, a line of text appearing on the Interface: 【Low-Consumption Stealth Protocol Loading】.

He swiped his fingers across the Screen a few times, inputting a Command. Faint ripples shimmered in the air, like heat rising from water.

“Five-person range, interference field active,” he whispered. “It’ll last three minutes.”

Luo Li nodded, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist. Her palm felt warm, almost hot, and her grip was surprisingly strong.

“Stop pushing yourself,” she said. “You can barely stand steady right now.”

“I know,” Shen Yan looked at her. “But I can’t fall. Pei Yue saved so many people. We can’t let her efforts be in vain.”

Luo Li narrowed her eyes, her vertical pupils contracting into thin slits. “So you’re betting your life on it?”

“I’m not betting alone,” his voice softened. “You’re all here with me.”

The two locked eyes for several seconds, neither backing down.

Footsteps echoed in the distance, uniform and synchronized—at least ten people or more. The sound of metal boots crunching on gravel grew steadily closer.

Luo Li suddenly turned and strode toward the center of the camp. “Follow me.”

“Where are you going?” Shen Yan asked.

“That cry for help earlier,” she replied without looking back. “It was the aura of the Demon Clan. Young, injured, but still alive.”

Shen Yan was taken aback. “How do you know?”

“I can hear it,” she said coldly. “Just like you can hear the Bugs in the Code.”

He smiled slightly and said nothing more, following after her. Pei Yue also quickened her pace to keep up, her hand resting firmly on her medicine pouch.

The three of them passed through a collapsed section of tents, with chains and shackles scattered across the ground. Some of the chains were stained with blood, long since dried.

Luo Li walked steadily, her tail swaying gently behind her. Yet Shen Yan noticed that her pace was slower than usual, each step seemingly controlled with deliberate force.

He knew that her earlier strike had taken a considerable toll.

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

“Save your breath,” she retorted, though her steps didn’t falter. “If you really care, don’t fall behind.”

Shen Yan didn’t press further. He knew Luo Li’s temperament—the more exhausted she was, the more stubborn; the more she hurt, the harder she became.

They skirted around a pile of charred wood, and ahead appeared a stone house half-buried in the ground. The door was sealed shut, engraved with twisted runes that resembled some kind of restriction seal.

Suddenly, a dull thud echoed from inside.

Then came a faint, intermittent cry for help, mingled with the clanking of chains.

“Someone’s in there,” Pei Yue said.

Shen Yan stepped forward and reached out to touch the runes on the door. The moment his fingertip made contact, his phone vibrated immediately.

【Detected Demon Power fluctuation, intensity: weak】

【Vital signs: one, unstable heartbeat】

“It’s a child,” he said. “Locked up for a long time, barely holding on.”

Luo Li stared at the door, her expression shifting. Gone was the sharp intensity from the fight, replaced by an emotion Shen Yan had never seen before.

“Let me handle this,” she said.

“You just used your fox fire. Forcing your way through the seal now will hurt you,” Shen Yan blocked her path.

“Do you have a better idea?” She looked up at him. “Can your program still run?”

Shen Yan glanced down at his phone. The interface froze for a moment before popping up a notice: 【Insufficient Mental Power, advanced functions locked】.

He truly had no other way.

“I can wait for you to fix it,” Luo Li said. “But that child can’t wait.”

Shen Yan stared at her, then suddenly reached out and gently touched the cat ears atop her head.

The ears twitched sharply, and her entire tail stiffened.

“I know you can do it,” he said softly. “But don’t charge in alone. We’re in this together.”

Luo Li froze, her lips moving slightly without a word.

A few seconds later, she turned her back to him. “Stay close.”

With that, she raised her right hand, spreading her fingers and pressing them against the door. A layer of pale purple flame surged from her palm, spreading along the cracks of the runes.

The stone door emitted a grating screech as fissures slowly widened.

Shen Yan stood behind her, ready to assist at any moment. He could see her shoulders trembling slightly, her breathing growing ragged.

“Hang in there,” he said.

“Shut up,” her voice trembled a little. “I’m working.”

The flames crawled across the entire door, and with a loud boom, the stone door exploded, fragments scattering everywhere.

Amid the dust, a small, thin figure was curled up in the corner, its hands and feet bound by chains. It was a young fox demon, its fur dull and gray, its face covered in wounds.

Pei Yue immediately rushed in to rescue them.

Luo Li leaned against the doorframe for a moment before slowly straightening up. She glanced back at Shen Yan.

“See?” she said. “I don’t need your protection.”

“Mhm,” Shen Yan nodded. “You’re the Demon Clan princess, of course you’re formidable.”

“Then remember that,” she turned and walked ahead. “Don’t always act like the savior.”

Shen Yan didn’t argue, only smiled slightly and followed after her.

Pei Yue emerged carrying the little fox demon, her expression grim. “Too much blood loss. We need to treat it immediately.”

“There’s a hidden spot up ahead,” Luo Li said. “I’ll lead the way.”

The three of them continued forward, passing through several rows of tattered tents. A foul, rotting-meat stench began to permeate the air.

Shen Yan’s phone suddenly vibrated.

【Warning: High-intensity Demon Power reaction detected】

【Source: Within fifty steps ahead】

He looked up, about to speak.

But Luo Li stopped first, her ears fully perked up, her tail bristling with fur.

“Something’s wrong,” she whispered. “That child’s aura… it’s too pure.”

Shen Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

Just then, a cold laugh echoed from behind the tents ahead.

“How touching. The Medical Cultivator saves the wounded, the demon girl leads the charge, and the Programmer drags everyone down.”

A figure stepped out of the shadows, holding a blood-dripping whip.

The moment Shen Yan saw that face, his fingers tightened around his phone.

It wasn’t a Devil Clan soldier.

It was the wounded soldier they had thought they’d already killed.

But his severed arm… was visibly regenerating.

(End of Chapter)