217: Chapter 217 Provocation

Hu Lie stood at the very front, his yellowish-brown pupils fixed on the direction of that pine tree, and said in a low voice, "Since you have come, show yourself."

As soon as Hu Lie finished speaking, the branches and leaves of the pine tree stirred slightly.

Commander Su Qin's figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. His cyan-grey robes shimmered with a cold light in the moonlight. He did not land on the ground, remaining instead on the pine branch that extended diagonally, looking down from above at the clearing below, which was already filled with Demonic Qi. His gaze swept over Hu Lie and the other demons.

"A nest of feathered beasts, and you dare to line up in formation before this official?"

Commander Su Qin's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the night, like a stone thrown into water, sending ripples spreading outward.

"I will not waste words with you vile beasts. Tell me where you came from, and I might spare your lives."

"Otherwise..."

While speaking, Commander Su Qin waved his hand, and a flash of spiritual light struck out, instantly shattering a large number of crows, their blood spattering on the spot.

"You seek death!!!"

Hu Lie's yellowish-brown pupils constricted sharply, his back arched, and a tiger's roar exploded from his throat. Digging his four claws into the ground, his form, wrapped in a foul wind, lunged toward the pine tree.

"Roar~"

"Heh, overestimating your capabilities!"

Commander Su Qin sneered and waved his right hand.

"Hum~" "Crackle!!"

A silver-white electric arc shot from his palm, condensing in the air into a slender whip. The whip's body was composed of leaping lightning, crackling and flashing with intermittent arcs of light.

He flicked his wrist gently, and the Lightning Whip lashed out violently, tracing an arc in the air like a silver snake, precisely striking toward Hu Lie's chest.

"Bang!!"

Hu Lie dodged sideways. The Lightning Whip grazed his shoulder and landed on the stone wall beside him, blasting open a charred crack as stone fragments flew.

Hu Lie was shaken and stumbled half a step to the side. His paws slipped on the rubble, but he barely managed to steady himself, leaving a charred mark on the fur of his shoulder that was emitting wisps of smoke.

Seeing this attack, Hu Lie was also inwardly shocked.

Subsequently... the Lightning Whip continued to swing, emitting a piercing sound as it broke through the air.

Hu Lie dodged again. But just as he landed, the second whip strike had already chased after him.

He did not take it head-on, pushing off with all four claws and rolling to the side. The Lightning Whip grazed his back, plowing a deep, charred furrow into the soil.

"Haha, well dodged, come again!"

"Swish~" Hu Lie flipped back up to his feet, and before he could catch his breath, the third whip had already lashed over from the side.

He pushed off with his hind legs, leaping onto the nearby stone wall. The Lightning Whip followed relentlessly, striking the spot where he had just been standing, sending stone fragments flying.

Commander Su Qin stood on the pine branch, a smile on his face as he gently flicked the Lightning Whip with his wrist, like a cowherd idly swinging a whip rope.

He was in no rush to pursue, nor was he in a hurry to deal a fatal blow. He just lashed out one whip after another, neither fast nor slow, each strike hitting the spot Hu Lie had just vacated, as if deliberately leaving a half-beat gap for him to dodge.

A bland smile hung on the corner of his mouth as he spoke: "You dodge quite nimbly; it seems you haven't been chased and beaten by others too little."

Hu Lie did not respond. After landing, he pushed off with his four claws and lunged to the side again.

The Lightning Whip chased after him, striking the stone slab where he had just landed, splitting it in two.

Commander Su Qin's wrist turned again, the tip of the whip curling into a loop, like a cowherd snapping a whip. He added unhurriedly: "Just knowing how to dodge is not enough. How many more hits can your hide take?"

Hu Lie gritted his teeth. "Damn it!"

"Boom~" A mouthful of Demon Power wrapped around his claws, and he lunged violently toward Commander Su Qin.

But at this moment... the Lightning Whip swept across. Hu Lie was forced to dodge the whip body sideways again, but the arc of light whipped out by the tip grazed his shoulder, taking away a tuft of charred fur.

He stumbled as he landed, charred smoke rising from his shoulder. He gritted his teeth without making a sound, a low rumble squeezing out from his throat, grinding from deep within.

After landing, Hu Lie did not pause. He slammed his two claws onto the ground, and Demon Power exploded from his body, spreading forward along the ground. The yellow-black Demonic Qi, wrapped in rubble and dust, charged straight toward the pine tree like a rolling mudslide.

The pine tree shook violently under the impact of the Demon Power. The roots made cracking sounds in the soil, and half of the bark was torn away, but Commander Su Qin's figure had already left the spot an instant before the Demon Power arrived.

He stood on a rock wall above the side of the pine branch, the hem of his cyan-grey robes fluttering slightly, looking down at Hu Lie as if watching a child who had spent considerable effort to stir up a cloud of dust.

"Quite a commotion, but unfortunately, you can't hit me."

Commander Su Qin's voice was neither high nor low. He gently swayed the Lightning Whip in his hand, as if weighing something.

"If your Demon Power could actually land on me, I might think more highly of you, but you can't even accurately see where I am standing."

Hu Lie panted heavily, his yellowish-brown pupils filled with bloodshot veins. "Damn it!"

He gritted his teeth, his front claws digging deep into the ground, his bones emitting a subtle creaking sound, as if something was re-gathering power within his body, ready to charge again at any moment.

Commander Su Qin looked down at him, as if looking at something not very durable.

"These injuries of yours are all for nothing."

"You can't hit me, you can't get close, and you can't run away. What are you still struggling for?"

The Lightning Whip in his hand flicked lazily, the tip landing on the clearing with a snap, like swatting a fly that refused to fly away.

"You wild demons from the mountains, with a little bit of strength, you think you can turn the world upside down, but in reality, you can't even produce half a decent spell."

The mockery continued. Hu Lie's eyes turned red.

His body crouched slightly lower, his back arched deeper, his tail taut. His chest heaved violently, blood seeping from the wound on his chest and flowing down along the fur of his abdomen.

A low roar welled up in his throat, like stones grinding underground: "If you have the ability... come down and fight..."

Upon hearing this, Commander Su Qin seemed to have heard something amusing. The curve of his mouth widened slightly, but it quickly retracted, like a stone washed by water for too long, leaving only a smooth outline.

He shook his head, slowly rotating the Lightning Whip in his hand, the tip tracing a silver-white electric arc in the air: "You can't even handle the tip of my whip; what qualifications do you have to make me come down and fight?"

As time passed, Commander Su Qin had had enough fun, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

He looked down at Hu Lie, the Lightning Whip in his hand stopped swaying and hung quietly at his side. The electric arcs no longer leaped, but that casual air was gone, replaced by something colder.

"Alright, the game ends here."

He flipped his wrist, and the Lightning Whip lit up again, the silver-white electric arcs crackling and sounding, more than twice as bright as before.

"If that great demon behind you does not come out, then this whip strike will take your life."

"Lightning Snake Devours Soul!"

Before the words had even faded, the Lightning Whip lashed out violently.