174 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Its freedom to come and go from the cave as it pleased was gone; it had two choices now: retreat into the cave and remain hidden, or head outside and face the audacious humans in a grand battle. The Ice Rock Snake had resided peacefully in this region for many centuries. With cultivation spanning thousands of years, it was immensely powerful. Who aside from that old monster cultivating on the snowy mountain dared to be so brazen in its territory? No one dared! For the first time in millennia, the Ice Rock Snake faced such an arrogant challenge. Furiously roaring, it dashed out from the cave, ready to teach these foolish humans a lesson. Just what she wanted! Ren Qingyue inwardly cheered, simultaneously using her toes to quickly retreat. The Ice Rock Snake was covered entirely in a thick ice armor, with sharp frozen spikes protruding from its head, giving it a fierce appearance. As the snake emerged fully from the cave, its length stretched a hundred meters, coiled like a small mountain, exuding an indomitable and terrifying aura. Yet Ren Qingyue was not intimidated by the oppressive aura emanating from the giant snake. On the contrary, due to the noble bloodline of the Qingqiu fox clan, her presence slightly agitated the Ice Rock Snake. As the snake roared and charged forward, Ren Qingyue continued to back away, searching for the right angle to pinpoint the snake’s vulnerable spot. The giant snake initiated the attack, its long neck extending as its head swung down like a heavy hammer. Ren Qingyue dodged swiftly, but the snake's massive size meant that when its icy hammer hit the ground, the explosive force was unexpected, sending shockwaves that rocked her as if she had been slapped hard, nearly knocking her off balance. The serpent's head kicked up a cloud of snow, obscuring its enormous form briefly. Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind reached her ears. Perceptive as ever, Ren Qingyue caught sight of the dust swirling beside her and instinctively leaped away. A massive tail swept across, lifting a thick blanket of snow. Her body plummeted from the sky, but she used the residual force from the tail's sweep to spring forward, landing on the serpent's tail and racing along its spine towards its head. The Ice Rock Snake sensed the human's presence alarmingly close but found its target elusive. In that brief moment of hesitation, Ren Qingyue had already accurately identified and lunged towards the snake's vulnerable spot. Realizing the human's intent, the giant snake reared its upper body high, intending to fling Ren Qingyue off. But quick to react, Ren Qingyue pressed her palms against the ice armor, channeling a stream of icy spiritual energy to secure her limbs. Clinging tightly to the giant snake, she remained immovable despite its frantic struggles. The Ice Rock Snake furiously whipped its long tail, the fierce wind howling past Ren Qingyue as the tail, adorned with sharp ice spikes, flew menacingly towards her. Stifling the urge to let go and dodge, she rationally concluded this feat was purely intimidation; the snake wouldn't harm itself just to rid itself of her. Just a feint to scare her into releasing her grip. Ren Qingyue flattened her body against the freezing ice armor, the sharp spikes of the tail narrowly grazing her back and slicing off a lock of hair. Indeed, a close call but no real danger. Her eyes gleamed as her aura sharpened, raising her right hand, which wasn't gripping the snake, she wielded her spiritual sword and channeled all her might to stab at the snake's vulnerable spot. Ting— The blade pierced the ice armor, embedding over a foot deep. Yet the sword's power was diminished by seventy percent upon contact with the outer ice armor, insufficient to penetrate the snake's inherent defenses. As the spiritual sword lodged into the snake, chilled air crept up the blade, threatening to freeze it into the ice armor. Ren Qingyue quickly withdrew her sword, and barely two seconds after the blade left the snake’s body, the gap resealed seamlessly, leaving no trace. Troublesome. Ren Qingyue acknowledged this issue. The Ice Rock Snake's defense was formidable, and her usual methods weren't enough to break through its ice armor. Given the rapid self-repair of the armor, penetrating it before harming the snake directly proved challenging. As Ren Qingyue strategized, the Ice Rock Snake abruptly reared its body and slammed towards the nearby mountain wall. It had been enraged by Ren Qingyue's prior attack and was bent on getting her off its body, even at the cost of self-harm. The mountain’s expansive surface left no choice; Ren Qingyue reluctantly let go. The serpent’s massive form thundered through the snow, churning like a mountain descending upon her. She had to hasten, distancing herself from the Ice Rock Snake. Ground quaked; clashes echoed incessantly as snow swirled, blinding the view. The Ice Rock Snake moved swiftly through the snowy terrain, but its body required grounding to remain mobile, producing inevitable noise during its movement, allowing Ren Qingyue to predict its path. Foresee and evade its ambush! Ren Qingyue suddenly leapt, slashing downward with a sword mid-air, the sword energy striking the Ice Rock Snake's head hard. Under the tremendous impact, Ren Qingyue propelled herself even higher, with an invisible force pushing her back. Her feet landed horizontally against the mountain wall, flowers of ice blossoming underfoot, providing leverage on the near-vertical surface. The Ice Rock Snake roared with rage, swiping its long tail like a whip at the mountain wall towards her. Ren Qingyue's pupils contracted; she pushed hard with her feet, launching herself skyward. From this vantage, her view broadened. Although she only hovered briefly, a solution struck Ren Qingyue like lightning. The abundance of icy spiritual energy in this locale... Ice's solidity allows both defense and offense. If the Ice Rock Snake could utilize it, why couldn't she? With this thought racing through her mind, Ren Qingyue altered her strategy, forming a sword seal with one hand and summoning over a dozen flying swords. These swords weren't pure sword energy but were ice swords forged from the ambient icy spiritual energy. Each ice sword possessed about a third of her full striking power. The Ice Rock Snake’s tail struck the rocky mountain with force, sending debris scattering just as its body stalled momentarily from the severe impact. Now! Opportunity! A glint of cold intent flashed in Ren Qingyue's eyes. With a sweeping motion of her long sleeve, the dozen ice swords shot toward the Ice Rock Snake's vulnerable spot. With a continuous cracking of shattered ice, all the ice swords struck the same fissure in the armor, the crack widening until, with a final crack, the entire ice armor broke away, revealing a meter-long section of the Ice Rock Snake’s true body. Its true body, with scales camouflaged like mountain rock, presented a chance as Ren Qingyue executed her signature move, the Soaring Swift Strike. Buzz— The sword moved so fast it made the air vibrate with a low hum. Sensing the lethal threat, the Ice Rock Snake twisted to escape. Yet it could not outpace Ren Qingyue’s sword. The blade transformed into a brilliant streak of light, slicing through the snake’s vulnerable spot with a crisp, clear sound, piercing through. “Roar—” The Ice Rock Snake thrashed violently, overwhelming survival instincts flaring up at death’s door, attempting to retreat into the cave. Ren Qingyue was swept skyward by the upward draft, spinning mid-air. Seeing the snake attempting escape, she forgot her own precarious airborne state, forming another sword seal. Once more a sword formation resolved; the ice swords firing like stakes into the mountain rock. These ice swords blocked the Ice Rock Snake’s escape path, temporarily pinning it in place. When it finally broke free from the ice swords, it had exhausted the last of its strength, its pace reduced to a sluggish crawl forward. Ren Qingyue, unable to regain balance and summon more flying swords, transformed into a fluffy little fox at the moment of impact, tucking into a ball and rolling across the snow with a soft thud far away. Atop the mountain, a snow sparrow observed this scene from afar. As the snake collapsed with a resounding thud, stirring up snow, a strong gust swept up from the valley. The sparrow flapped its wings and soared into the sky. From a distant snowy peak, Master Yuan Hai opened his eyes, his expression satisfied. With the Ice Rock Snake defeated, the little fox emerged from the snow, shifted back to human form, and swiftly approached the snake’s vulnerable spot to carve open its scales, extracting a golden snake gall the size of a human head. Presenting this item to Master Yuan Hai meant they could leave this place. Nearby, Chen Er was completely stupefied. To avoid being caught in the chaos, she had chosen a spot with a clear view, slightly further away, witnessing Ren Qingyue's entire hunt of the Ice Rock Snake. My goodness, this woman was incredibly powerful. A snake as large as that, yet Ren Qingyue had taken it down single-handedly. As Ren Qingyue leaped down from the giant serpent’s corpse, Chen Er approached in disbelief, exclaiming, “What technique did you use in the end? I’ve never seen anything like it!” "That's a sword technique I just created on the spot," Ren Qingyue replied. "It's an ice elemental sword technique. Although not as rigid as pure sword energy, it harnesses the unique property of ice, allowing me to utilize the abundant ice spiritual energy here." "Created on the spot? An ice elemental sword?" Chen Er was dumbfounded. "Are you some kind of celestial being come down to earth?" Ren Qingyue, eager to return and take A Zhao away, swiftly walked past Chen Er. At that moment, Chen Er suddenly spoke up, "Hey, Miss Ren, why don't you join my master's school and become my senior sister?" Ren Qingyue frowned, puzzled by the suggestion. Chen Er clenched her right hand into a fist and smacked it into her left palm with a decisive gesture, feeling exceedingly clever. "You have an ice elemental spirit root; you’re a perfect match with my master. With his guidance, your skills could advance even further, and my master's teachings would have the right successor. It's a win-win situation!" Ren Qingyue: "..." --- Chapter 188 Ren Qingyue solemnly replied to Chen Er, "I won’t join another sect." "Oh no, that's such a shame," Chen Er exclaimed dramatically, sounding genuinely pained. However, Ren Qingyue's mind was set, and no one could sway her. Reluctantly, Chen Er, who wasn't one to force others, dropped the subject. As they walked toward the snowy mountain where Master Yuan Hai meditated, Ren Qingyue continually reflected on her battle with the Ice Rock Snake. The discovery of using ice spiritual energy in that manner was revolutionary for her. She gained much insight from this encounter. As they continued, a sudden flash of inspiration stopped Ren Qingyue in her tracks, her brows furrowing. Noticing her halt, Chen Er turned back. "Why did you stop?" Ren Qingyue glanced at her and, instead of answering, asked, "Is your master the greatest spell cultivator in the world?" "Indeed!" Chen Er nodded affirmatively. Ren Qingyue fell silent, possibly understanding the true intention behind Master Yuan Hai's task of hunting the Ice Rock Snake. It wasn’t to challenge her but to guide her. Perhaps, despite their rivalry, Master Yuan Hai and her own master held mutual respect, having no other equals. Stubborn by nature, Ren Qingyue knew Master Yuan Hai wouldn't expect her to join another sect. Yet, not wanting her to wander aimlessly in cultivation, he subtly guided her towards a new path. Such valuable guidance was priceless. Upon returning to the mountaintop, Ren Qingyue handed the Ice Rock Snake's gallbladder to Master Yuan Hai, respectfully bowing with gratitude. "Thank you for your guidance, senior. It's been invaluable to me." Master Yuan Hai raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying. Chen Er beamed with joy at the scene and urged Master Yuan Hai, “Can we head out now? Today seems perfect. Master, anything you need to pack? Let me help!” As the young disciple bounced around, Master Yuan Hai’s brows relaxed. "There’s nothing for me to prepare." "Great!" Chen Er turned to Ren Qingyue. "Is Yan Zhao going to the Immortal Sect's disciple gathering too? Shall we travel together?" Ren Qingyue, supporting Yan Zhao, answered, "After departing from here, A Zhao and I have other important matters and might not be able to accompany you both." Chen Er didn’t mind, readily agreeing, "Alright, then we'll see each other at the gathering in two months!” --- "What I look forward to is not the month but meeting you." The site is non-profit, and donations go towards server expenses! If you’re concerned about getting lost, you can leave your contact information on the donation page! Click to visit the donation page >>