Chapter Nineteen: Supreme Equipment

Li Yunfei was not entirely unfamiliar with the profession of a Taoist priest. The items the system required him to collect were all materials used for drawing talismans, and none of them were particularly difficult to obtain. Some things were harder to find in the city, but much easier to procure in the countryside.

As for drawing talismans, he felt no apprehension. He had learned brush calligraphy from his father since childhood. Though his handwriting wasn’t beautiful, he had no trouble wielding a brush. No matter how complex a talisman might be, it was ultimately composed of basic brushstrokes; as long as his hand was steady and fluid, there would be no major problems.

He took out his phone to check the time. It was just past four in the afternoon. If he set out now, he should be able to return before nightfall.

With his mind made up, Li Yunfei flipped the system interface to the pet beast panel.

He saw that the first slot in the little fox’s skill bar featured an icon of a single paw slashing, leaving four claw marks in its wake.

Concentrating his mind on the skill icon, the skill’s description flooded into Li Yunfei’s thoughts.

Pet beast combat transformation: transforms into combat mode, gains fighting abilities, assists its master in battle.

Curious, Li Yunfei closed the system panel and looked at the little fox before him.

At that moment, she was holding a fifty-yuan note in her mouth, sitting upright and gazing up at him.

Such a little miser.

He shook his head with a smile and took the banknote from her mouth. “Honghong, activate combat form.”

Upon hearing this, the little fox moved her four short legs—which, though not particularly long, gave an impression of elegance—and withdrew gracefully a short distance.

“Awooo…”

In the next instant, the little fox lifted her head and let out a sharp, wolf-like bark, more piercing than any dog's.

Fiery red light radiated from her body, enveloping her so completely that her features could no longer be seen—only her silhouette remained.

In the intense red glow, the little fox’s figure rapidly expanded.

In merely two heartbeats, the once tiny fox had grown to match Li Yunfei’s shoulder in height. Her raised head even surpassed his own, and her body stretched to over three meters in length.

As the red light receded, the little fox appeared before Li Yunfei once more.

Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but now she possessed sharp fangs and claws, and her slender body was imbued with explosive strength, making her a formidable force in battle.

After transforming, the little fox sat on the ground, lifting her left forepaw. Four claws, each as thick as a human finger and about an inch long, sprang out suddenly.

She narrowed her eyes, extended her tongue, and licked her gleaming claws—a gesture surprisingly seductive and beguiling.

Li Yunfei’s eyes shone as he admired the little fox’s combat form, stepping forward until he stood before her.

Even sitting, she was nearly as tall as he was.

He gently stroked her furry face, chuckling. “You little enchantress—luckily you’re not human, or who knows how many men would fall under your spell.”

“Yiyi~”

Even in combat form, the little fox remained soft and adorable in front of Li Yunfei, like a cuddly little girl.

She squinted, tilting her head to rub against Li Yunfei’s palm, clearly showing her affection.

Li Yunfei hugged her neck. “Alright! Let’s gather our things—we need to head out.”

“Yi~”

Releasing the little fox, Li Yunfei walked toward the corpse of the Ant Lion King.

On the ground beside it lay an ant lion jaw sickle and two stacks of medicine packs.

Bosses always dropped better equipment than ordinary monsters.

If ordinary monsters dropped basic gear, then bosses dropped magical equipment.

Or, one might say, regular monsters dropped weapons, while bosses bestowed magical artifacts.

The Ant Lion King did not disappoint. When Li Yunfei picked up the jaw sickle, he was overjoyed.

Paralyzing Ant Lion Jaw Sickle.

Not only was its material several grades superior to a regular jaw sickle—making it more lethal—it also came with a paralyzing effect.

If this were a game, it would be a top-tier divine item.

Among weapon effects, the most prized were those like stun, paralysis, freeze, and petrify.

Slow and confusion came next, followed by extra damage attributes—things like fire, lightning, or poison.

The third category could boost damage, but didn’t weaken opponents, so you’d still have to withstand their attacks.

The second category had a greater impact on the battle, as it weakened the enemy and gave you a huge advantage.

The first category was even more decisive—it could determine the outcome of the fight outright.

Stun, paralysis, freeze, and petrify all shared one trait: immobilization.

Once struck, the enemy became a clay puppet—no fighting back, no dodging, unable to move at all, forced to stand there and take the blows.

With this effect, monster hunting would be effortless.

Though this weapon was useless against ant lions themselves, once outside the ant lion nest dungeon and in other dungeons, the paralyzing jaw sickle would be a monster-hunting treasure.

After putting away the paralyzing jaw sickle, Li Yunfei picked up the two stacks of medicine packs.

One was potent ant lion powder, the other potent knockout powder—ten packs each.

Potent ant lion powder was, simply put, the antidote to all sedatives.

The potent knockout powder, according to the system, was so effective that even an elephant would succumb. Most dungeon monsters couldn’t withstand its effects.

Li Yunfei hadn’t sold any of the ant lion medicines—they would be invaluable later.

The ant lion jaw sickles, however, he sold for ten thousand yuan each. Purchase price was twenty-four thousand yuan, and he had four, selling them for a total of forty thousand.

The paralyzing jaw sickle, of course, he kept.

Once his items were sorted, Li Yunfei said in his mind, “Exit dungeon.”

Returning to normal size, Li Yunfei didn’t bother packing up his tent, since he’d be back soon. He simply led the little fox, still in combat form, out of the village.

The little fox could freely shift between normal and combat forms, with no time limit.

Having just leveled up, both Li Yunfei and the little fox were at peak condition. Though it was nearly dinnertime, neither felt hungry.

When they reached the village entrance, Li Yunfei was about to call for the little fox to run, but she bit his sleeve.

He looked back, puzzled, and saw her crouched low, gazing at him and tilting her head toward her back.

Li Yunfei, surprised, pointed at himself. “You want me to ride on your back? Is that safe?”

“Yiyi~”

The little fox called out twice and shook her head. Li Yunfei cautiously approached her, swinging his leg over her back.

He didn’t dare put all his weight on her, keeping his feet on the ground.

But the little fox leapt up with ease—far more deftly than any horse.

Li Yunfei’s face twitched, and he quickly braced himself on her back, adjusting his position.

She had jumped too suddenly—he felt a sharp pain.

And it wasn’t just a figure of speech; he’d really been struck.

“Yi~”

The little fox looked back, her expression relaxed, calling again as if to tell him to settle in.

Thinking of her speed, Li Yunfei didn’t dare delay. He lay low against her back, arms wrapped around her neck.

The little fox’s alluring eyes narrowed, her long muzzle curving into a smile—she seemed to relish this moment.

In the next instant, she bounded forward on all four legs, shooting ahead.