Chapter 217: Fearful Hope

Three fluffy blue foxtails were excitedly swishing out from Masami's waist. 

Masami, who took immense gratification in seeing her Sect geniuses, so bewildered, took it a step further. She began to proactively swirl her three foxtails in front of her face, just to show off more.

"How you ask? Why….you three should simply know what this means, right?" 

Masami's voice was drenched in a heavy condescending tone as if she was explaining an elementary subject to a trio of fools.

Kasai, Cui, and Zhaun didn't even react to Masami's disdainful tone. They simply wanted to reject Masami's words, yet her foxtails were simply undeniable proof. 

And they, of course, know what this signifies.

Even though Kasai and Cui have four foxtails, they felt their inferiority towards Masami tremendously increased again. Zhaun felt his mind drowned in inferiority as he only had three foxtails. 

The fact of the matter is, Masami really is a genius exponentially above their levels.

The legend of that one Ancestor genius who was able to grow another foxtail quickly came into Kasai, Cui, and Zhaun's minds. 

The evolving Nine Tails bloodline. 

Everyone in the whole sect knows while their bloodline is at a Heavenly Rank. It's a simple far cry from an actual Nine Tails God Bloodline. 

The only hope they had to change this irreversible destiny was to grow more foxtails and evolve. But for so long, that fantasy-like dream never occurred again since their Legendary Ancestor genius. 

Kasai, Cui, and Zhaun even regarded that tail as mere folklore. 

Until now, that is. 

Their eyes were in overwhelming awe; their brains were lagging further and further behind just to process this magical event.

In actuality, Kasai, Cui, and Zhaun should've been astounded that a fellow member of theirs managed to grow another foxtail. Though their three Factions have heavy differences, there still was a common goal that bounded the three Factions together.

That is to rise to the top of the Icy Cloud Province and perhaps even rise to the top of the whole Nine Provinces! 

And to achieve that, everyone in the sect believed somebody who can grow another foxtail could lead them to that unfathomable dream.

However, there weren't such high hopes swirling in Cui and Zhaun's minds. Their Factions were always at heavy odds with hers.

Kasai, though, was feeling something particular. But he couldn't quite identify what it was. His mind was focused on trying to get through Masami's vengeful wrath.

"Ma-Masami…." 

Kasai, Cui, and Zhaun all simultaneously spoke in a vain attempt to say something, anything to calm down this apparent monstrous genius.

But besides saying her name, Kasai, Cui, and Zhaun quickly went silent. 

They simply didn't know what to say. Not after so many past aggressions, taunts, and jeers. Furthermore, there weren't any high-level Elders or authority figures to calm down the situation.

'Tsk, tsk. This is going to be painful for them.' Aniela mused to herself while shaking her head. 

In all honesty, she already has a predisposition to dislike anything from the Ice Nine Tail Sect because of her relationship with Masami.

Aniela felt this was all just karma coming towards these unruly geniuses. 

"Ma-Masami what?" Masami jeers didn't let up at all, furthering Kasai, Cui, and Zhaun's shame. "You all could run your mouth so much before, but I guess fox got your tongue now."

When seeing they all had nothing else to say, Masami crossed her arms. 

"Hmph." She disdainfully snorted and vanished in a blue fire flash. 

In that instance, Kasai, Zhaun, and Cui felt their fear explosively increase, seeing Masami finally beginning to move.

And without warning, Masami's first target was Cui as she flashed right in front of her face. Being so up close and personal with Masami, Cui felt an unbelievable crushing pressure grasp her mind, soul, and body.

"Wa-wa-" Cui fruitlessly tried to beg, but Masami didn't have any of it; she reached out her hand at lightning speed, tightly grasping Cui's frail neck. 

Masami's smile only widened as Cui was utterly powerless under her grip.

While Cui was experiencing her windpipe getting painfully crushed, Masami violently lifted her up from the ground, making her whole body helplessly dangled. 

An agonizing sizzling seared painfully burned Cui's throat. Agony she never once felt in her life spread throughout Cui's entire being. 

Cui wanted nothing more than to at least claw at Masami's cruel hand. Yet, there wasn't anything she could do. A great fear of being absolutely powerless birthed in Cui's heart and was carved deep within.

"The Koduka Faction, hm?" Masami began to slowly shake her head. "Always, so proudful, arrogant and showboating. Never once in your lives do you think the other factions could ever top you, And honestly? You would be correct in this line of thought. Until now, that is."

Masami's words were like another massive mental attack on Cui's mental state. Her whole pride was getting ruthlessly trampled upon by Masami in just a mere matter of seconds. 

Cui had even briefly compared Masami to Kato in her mind. Kato, the number one genius in the whole Ice Nine Tail Sect.

And not even he carried such an overwhelming prowess like Masami. 

There was no supposed lowest talented daughter here, only a legendary genius that wasn't seen for years! 

As Masami sent Cui down a mental hell of disbelief, she had then turned her sights on Kasai and Zhaun.

"Hmph." Masami coldly snorted again. She willed her foxtails, making them quickly sail over to Kasai and Zhaun at light speeds. 

"Nnng!!" 

Kasai and Zhaun felt a tremendous crushing force on their windpipes as Masami's foxtails tightly coiled around their necks.

Masami's foxtails lifted them slightly above the ground, making their bodies helplessly dangled just like Cui. 

Like Cui, Zhaun and Kasai were on the same road of mental hell. 

Though Zhaun knew his Faction was less than the Koduka Faction. He at least held a certain superiority belief over the Kitsui Faction. 

However, that belief was flushed down the drain all at once by Masami. Being powerless and helpless was quickly destroying the charismatic confidence he had naturally built up.

It was just that Zhaun couldn't stop comparing himself to Masami. And In every aspect of cultivation, the inferiority just kept getting higher and higher to where Zhaun was actually considering himself to be an ant compared to Masami.

For Kasai, he was still trying to get over his state of shock. 

Admittedly for him, Kasai never really looked down on Masami that much. He indeed never regarded her as that much of an important person. But there wasn't any apparent disgust when thinking about Masami. 

And now, all of his thoughts were being heavily changed. 

He greatly feared Masami with this extreme monstrous prowess. And yet, another feeling slowly birthed within Kasai's mind.

The feeling of hope. 

Whatever happens to them today, Kasai just felt a faint sliver of hope that Masami truly will change their whole Faction around. From what she's showing off now, Kasai could believe there was a slight chance for a better future.

"This is certainly fun, Sami, but what are you going to do with them?" 

Aniela's voice suddenly spoke up, making Kasai, Cui and Zhaun recalled that she was also here. 

Her following words, though, sent a cold fear down their hearts.

"Are you perhaps going to kill them? I mean….from what they're saying, only your grandmother has the faintest of clue that you're here. And we can't have them revealing our little secrets, right~?" Aniela's tone sounded teasing.

Yet the words she spoke contrasted with her light teasing tone, making her sound like a terrifyingly cruel woman. 

Masami slowly put a finger to her chin, looking as if she was actually pondering on killing them.

If they could move Kasai, Zhaun, and Cui's bodies certainly would shiver with overwhelming fear. The fact they can't only made the situation far more horrifying. 

After a slow, tense couple of seconds, Masami lightly said, "Hm, I don't think that will be necessary. I'm not that much of a heartless woman. Besides, we have other options to keep their mouths sealed, right?" 

Kasai, Zhaun, and Cui only felt a sliver of relief. 

But there was still the uncertainty of what Masami means by 'keeping their mouths sealed.' 

Aniela only nodded her head, and while keeping her eyes forward, she said, "I believe we do. Wouldn't you also agree, Darcy?"

"Indeed we do," Darcel stated while he stood right next to Aniela. 

Aniela didn't even need to sense that Darcel's was done; she just felt his presence slowly walk up to him. 

Surveying the situation, Darcel's eyes suddenly locked on Kasai; he continued on to say, "And I think I just found something that'll actually help us in the long run. Also, we now have Mage Darkness Servant." 

At that point, Aniela turned her head around to look at Darcel.

Standing a few feet towards his left was the once downtrodden battered Raven Mage. However, now, the Raven Mage is in a far better state. 

Her face was no longer bloody, now being able to showcase her natural beauty radiance. There was a serene glint in her eyes as she calmly analyzed the situation before her. 

Darcel pointed over to the Raven Mage, telling Aniela, "Her name is Sako. She has a similar quiet disposition like Zara."

"Mistress." Raven Sako quietly said while slightly inclining her head in deep respect. 

Aniela got highly curious now that they finally have someone on the other side of power directly under them. "A Mage in the flesh….perfect! She'll definitely have her worth. But for now…."

Aniela turned her back on Masami. "How shall we finish this?" 

Darcel also turned his attention back on Masami. Though for a split second, his mind flashed over Raven Sako's conversion process. 

As usual, it was quick and straightforward.

But there was a slight concerning thought that still permeated Darcel's mind ever since he first tried to do the conversion on her. 

Darcel, however, pushed down this thought since he concluded he can still do what he needs to now.

He can think upon that concerning thought later. Looking over to Masami, Darcel told her, "Masami, leave that one up." He had pointed over to Kasai, causing both him and Masami to feel slight puzzlement.

"You can knock out the other two; they're not worth much." 

Darcel's cold, harsh words would've caused a violent reaction under regular times. But all Zhaun and Cui did was close their eyes in shame.

Kasai, however, felt tension explode within him. He could only pray that whatever Darcel did wouldn't be so disastrous to him. 

"Hmmm...alright." Masami complied and turned her attention towards Cui.

'Bang!'

Without another word, Masami violently slammed Cui straight into the ground! Cui felt most of her bones cracked and her organs chaotically churned; she was knocked out cold on impact.

Masami willed her foxtails next, swiftly bringing Zhaun towards her face. "Any last word, snake?" 

All Zhaun could think and say was, "N-nightmare…." 

"Thanks, I appreciate the compliment." When she finished speaking, Masami slammed her foxtail to the ground, violently crashing Zhaun into it. Most of his bones shattered, his organs shifted, and he was knocked out cold on impact.

With the final one, Masami slowly brought Kasai close to her face. She revels in his increasingly fearful expression, and Masami asks Darcel then, "So, what's the point of keeping this femmy boy up?"

Darcel began slowly walking up to Masami. His following words sent great shock in her mind. "Not a femmy boy. Just a masquerading beautiful girl."