Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 235: Chapter 234: Poisonous Ambush

At that moment, the giant rabbit, slammed to the ground by the heavy blow, let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

The raw power of its cry shook the leaves from the surrounding trees.

It stared in disbelief as it saw that its fangs and claws had been shattered by Shen Yue’s single strike.

It even felt as if the power within its body was being siphoned away by the woman.

It shrieked again, its blood-red, vertical pupils filled with terror. Its gaze, now fixed on Shen Yue, was a mixture of hatred and fear.

Shen Yue retracted her power and slowly descended, landing a short distance away from it.

”You audacious beast. Slaughtering living creatures and sucking their lifeblood... Are you trying to become a demon?”

She had read about this Blood-eyed Purple Rabbit in an ancient tome before.

The book’s entry on it was sparse, just a few short lines.

It said the species had an extremely low survival rate and that all Purple Rabbits were female; males of the species did not exist.

Furthermore, their bodies would mutate upon reaching adulthood. They had no Spiritual Core, but possessed metamorphic abilities and immense strength.

And their maternal lineage was unknown.

When she first read that, she had pondered that line repeatedly.

’Why would the record specifically mention that its maternal lineage was unknown?’

’Shouldn’t the one who gives birth to a Purple Rabbit also be from the Purple Rabbit clan?’

That was why the record of the Purple Rabbit had left such a deep impression on her.

But looking at it now, this creature really was unnatural. ’If there are no male Purple Rabbits, how are they even born?’

’Where would the genetic material come from?’

After all, in the Beast World, the offspring’s species—whether from low-level beasts or the High-level Beast Clan—was always determined by the father.

Low-level beasts and animals lacked sentience and spiritual power, making it impossible for them to transform into human form. Thus, they only ever mated with their own kind.

Reproductive isolation was a factor, after all.

So, if this Purple Rabbit was just a low-level, non-sentient beast, yet had no males, how could it possibly come into existence?

But if it were a high-level female Beastman capable of transforming into a human, its birth was an even greater mystery.

’No wonder the record made a special point of it. From ancient times, the Purple Rabbit must have been an unsolved mystery to the Beast World People—a genetic bug!’

Shen Yue walked toward the giant rabbit, which lay on the ground, unable to rise.

She decided to eliminate this menace, whatever species it was. She had seen plenty of carnivores, but this was the first time she had ever encountered a bloodsucker.

Since ancient times, creatures that lived by sucking lifeblood and slaughtering living beings were either evil spirits or outright demons and monsters.

This Beast World was already surreal enough, with its complex species and ever-changing nature. Many things couldn’t be judged by common logic.

’So, this thing has to go.’

With a shift in her thoughts, she gathered the power within her body into her hands.

She advanced on it, one step at a time.

The Purple Rabbit on the ground watched the currents of energy gathering around her. The pressure felt like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, drawing closer with every step.

Under the weight of extreme fear, its pupils...

...seemed to show a flicker of human-like reason and expression.

Shen Yue keenly caught the emotion hidden in its eyes, and the power in her hands wavered.

Her initial resolve to kill it faltered for a moment.

Then, she reined in the power she was about to strike with...

But just as she did...

A powerful force slammed into her from the side.

Her eyes narrowed as she instantly threw out a palm strike to counter it.

BANG!

The two forces exploded on impact.

The air seemed to rip apart as leaves and broken branches were sent flying.

A grayish-blue blur shot out from the bushes, pouncing on her like a bolt of lightning.

It looked like it was about to snap her neck in an instant.

Simultaneously, the roars of two other beasts closed in from behind and above.

Three blurs lunged at her almost simultaneously.

On reflex, Shen Yue shot into the air, creating distance between them.

At the same time, she got a clear look at her attackers.

Three grayish-blue Pallas’s cats!!

They were identical to the beast form of Hu Tu that she and Huang Ziyue had seen in the secret chamber last night.

Her pupils contracted. ’That attendant was telling the truth.’

’There really are three Hu Tu.’

Just then, Huang Ziyue and Bai Chaosi, who had recovered from their stupor, rushed over the instant they sensed the three different auras.

Huang Ziyue threw his arms around Shen Yue.

He instantly unleashed a wave of power from his body.

The Pallas’s cats attacking from the left and above were both sent flying by the blast.

The two Pallas’s cats tumbled across the ground, their eyes turning savage as they charged again.

To the right, Bai Chaosi threw a palm strike. But the attacking Pallas’s cat transformed in mid-air. Its hunched body elongated and reshaped at a visible speed. Its mane receded, its claws morphed into fingers, and in the blink of an eye, it had become a humanoid figure clad in a gray robe.

The figure flicked its fingers, and a handful of fine white powder, radiating a sinister, cold aura, shot toward Bai Chaosi, Shen Yue, and Huang Ziyue.

”Poison Powder!” Huang Ziyue’s pupils constricted. Reacting with astonishing speed, he whipped his wide, dark cloak around like a shield, completely enveloping Shen Yue. The powder landed on the cloak with a SIZZLE, instantly eating small holes through the fabric.

Bai Chaosi, still recovering from his internal injuries, hastily pushed off the ground to retreat, but he was a step too slow.

A few specks of the powder landed on his collar, and his skin instantly turned a sickening purple. He let out a muffled grunt, his breathing suddenly becoming ragged and chaotic.

In the chaos, no one noticed that the two Pallas’s cats that had been knocked to the ground were being dragged into the dense forest by two silent, shadowy figures.

By the time Bai Chaosi managed to suppress the poison raging within him and looked up, only two faint drag marks remained in the dirt. The two Pallas’s cats had vanished without a trace.

The purple discoloration spread rapidly from the edge of his collar up his neck.

A metallic sweetness welled up in his throat. He tried to swallow it down, but blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth, splashing starkly against the gray ground.

He staggered back half a step, barely managing to steady himself by leaning against an old tree. His handsome features were now contorted in pain from the poison, and his face was so pale it was nearly translucent.

Shen Yue, sheltered behind Huang Ziyue’s cloak, saw the scene unfold. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain so sharp she could hardly breathe.

She broke free from Huang Ziyue’s grasp and stumbled over to Bai Chaosi, catching his swaying body. Her fingertips touched his ice-cold skin, and she couldn’t stop herself from trembling.

”Bai Chaosi!” Her voice was choked with a sob she hadn’t even realized was there, and her eyes instantly turned red. ”How are you? Don’t scare me...”

Bai Chaosi forced a reassuring smile, his voice dangerously low and hoarse. ”It’s nothing... just a little poison. I won’t die.”

But before he could finish, another violent coughing fit seized him, and more bloody froth spilled from his lips, staining Shen Yue’s fingertips.