187 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Chapter 201 Xuanyuan Mu and Ye Yanran were utterly stunned by what they witnessed. Chen Er pointed proudly at the massive tree that had swiftly disappeared into the darkness. "I wasn't wrong, was I?" "You fool, get out of the way!" Ye Yanran reacted swiftly, lunging forward to shove Chen Er aside with force. With a sharp whoosh cutting through the air, a vine whipped past Chen Er's shoulder, landing with a resounding snap. Dirt and stones scattered in an instant. Chen Er inhaled sharply. The ground beneath them cracked from just that single strike. One could only imagine what kind of scene would unfold if the whip struck a person. What a terrifying monster. A disciple from the celestial sect, hanging from the tree, heard the commotion. He raised his head with difficulty, spotting the faint glow in the darkness. It was like a drowning person seeing a life-saving straw. His spirits lifted, and he cried out desperately, "Please save me! I'm willing to give up the token I've gathered! I also know the location of another token nearby, and I can tell you!" He couldn't stand staying in this accursed place a second longer. He only wanted to leave as soon as possible and find a safe corner to wait for his inevitable disqualification. The moment the tokens were mentioned, Chen Er's eyes lit up. Xuanyuan Mu and Ye Yanran were also visibly interested. If they saved him, they might obtain two tokens effortlessly! "Save him! Quickly, save him!" Chen Er declared without hesitation. Ye Yanran yanked on her arm to remind her, "What will you use to save him?" The monstrous tree hurled another vine at them, forcing Xuanyuan Mu to back away while Ye Yanran pulled Chen Er with her to avoid its attack. Calming down slightly, Chen Er focused her gaze. The monstrous tree sported hundreds, if not thousands, of writhing branches among its towering limbs. Without first severing those countless tentacle-like branches, they couldn't even get close to the trunk, let alone save someone. Xuanyuan Mu summoned her flying sword, launching it in a synchronized attack on the monstrous tree. Realizing their intent, the tree immediately pulled its captive up into its canopy. Following several swift slashes, some vines were severed, but more branches quickly sprouted in their place, surging toward Xuanyuan Mu. The branches approached rapidly, poised to strike Xuanyuan Mu. Being underpowered, she was unable to counteract effectively. A sheet of water suddenly materialized in front of her eyes. The vines passed through the water, only to be repelled and deviated by its force, sparing Xuanyuan Mu from any real harm. Yet, the water fed the wood, causing it to grow wildly. Instantly, countless new vines sprouted and enveloped Xuanyuan Mu. The entwined vines formed a green cocoon. The monstrous tree drew another branch, pulling the vine cocoon backwards. Witnessing this, Chen Er gasped, "Ah Mu!" If they didn’t act swiftly, Xuanyuan Mu would become the monster's second hostage. Ye Yanran shoved Chen Er aside and quickly performed a hand seal, retrieving a yellow talisman from her other hand. The talisman ignited without fire, carried by a force towards the vine cocoon. The flames caught the branches, and the bundled vines blistered and crackled under the heat. The vine dragging the cocoon snapped under the fire, and the outer layer of vines peeled away. The inner vines, feeling the heat, dissipated rapidly. The gap between the tangled branches opened slightly, allowing Xuanyuan Mu to leap out. They managed to escape unscathed, solely thanks to the quick reflexes of Chen Er and Ye Yanran. Among the trio, two were artifact cultivators, not skilled in combat. Although Chen Er practiced magic, he was only a novice, and his water-based skills were ineffective against the tree. The fire on the vines didn't last long; the tree, enraged by their actions, charged at them again with renewed ferocity. The combat prowess of this tree was comparable to a peak Golden Core cultivator. Chen Er couldn't hold it in. "It’s just a tree—how is it this fierce?!" A tree could outfight him. Ye Yanran threw several fire talismans, and seeing this, Chen Er followed suit for self-defense. However, the fire talismans barely cleared some vines and made little difference overall. Xuanyuan Mu stated gravely, "Since it's a tree, it's naturally afraid of fire. But the power of just the talismans isn't enough!" Chen Er hopped in frustration. "Then what do we do?!" He was, after all, a water-element spell practitioner, capable of little beyond running away in such a circumstance. Were they just to sit and await their doom? Xuanyuan Mu pondered briefly before making a firm decision. "I'll need the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Cover me!" Ye Yanran and Chen Er exchanged a glance. Though unaware of Xuanyuan Mu's plan, they agreed without hesitation, "Okay!" Xuanyuan Mu withdrew and clasped her hands in a gesture to begin her spell. In the observation pavilion, upon seeing Xuanyuan Mu and the others being overwhelmed by the monstrous tree without any means to counterattack, Xuanyuan Kai sneered. "A ragtag bunch, bested by an unformed tree spirit!" He shot a sideways glance at Sikong Xuan, relishing his moment. "Brother Sikong, it seems our bet is mine to win." Sikong Xuan, unfazed, responded steadily, "Until the end, who knows if there's a twist?" Xuanyuan Kai assumed Sikong Xuan was masking discomfort with composure and burst into laughter. "Then let’s watch and see!" The Medicine Sage eyed Xuanyuan Kai, displeased. How hadn't he noticed before how petty Xuanyuan Kai could be? Regardless of the discord between him and Xuanyuan Mu as father and daughter, his demeanor shouldn't have been such under so many watchful eyes. And why had Xuanyuan Kai initially wanted to send Xuanyuan Mu to the Medicine Sect to learn alchemy? The Medicine Sage reminisced about past events, his hand propping his chin. When Xuanyuan Mu reached foundation building at ten and body-trained by a hundred, she broke through the Golden Core realm in less than five hundred years and showed exceptional talent in artifact crafting, originally Xuanyuan Kai’s favored successor. But then, while Xuanyuan Mu was traveling, a high-ranking immortal visited the Xuanyuan residence. The Medicine Sage was present, and the immortal officiated that Xuanyuan Mu was rebellious by nature, destined to have strained ties with kin, and without restraint, would patricide and matricide. Despite initially dismissing the claim due to young Xuanyuan Mu’s cleverness and obedience, Xuanyuan Kai couldn’t help reconsidering after Xuanyuan Mu returned from her travels more headstrong than before, notably rebelling against a marriage he arranged for her, resulting in family upheaval. So, Xuanyuan Kai sought to send Xuanyuan Mu to the Medicine Sect for the Sage’s guidance, never expecting what unfolded afterward. Now, this father and daughter were estranged, making Xuanyuan Kai possibly convinced of the prior immortal's word, wary of Xuanyuan Mu's growth, opting to neglect her over these years. Ultimately, it was a private family matter, and although the Medicine Sage sighed deeply about it, he had no desire to intervene. Amid the familial chaos of the Xuanyuan clan, his primary concern lay elsewhere—how his young disciple was faring amid the labyrinth. On the other side of the labyrinth, Yan Zhao's group encountered a fork in the path. Previously, it was easier to decide with just two of them. Bi Lan respected Yan Zhao's judgment, and Yan Zhao would seek the little fox’s guidance. Now, their group had expanded, making decisions on which intersecting corridor to explore more challenging. As usual, Yan Zhao consulted the little fox for guidance, but this time there was no response. The group exchanged looks, Wu Yinying glanced at Zuo Xun, while Bi Lan hesitated whether to use her compass to divine their direction. At that moment, Yan Zhao's ears perked as she sensed Xiao Jin's restlessness from within the cauldron. Xiao Jin seemed to have an overwhelming desire toward a particular path. It felt as though something awaited them at the end of that path. Yan Zhao examined the path closely but saw no difference from the others. Zuo Xun summoned several worker insects to scout ahead. Moments later, the insects returned, and Zuo Xun shook his head. "There are no tokens in this direction." Bi Lan queried, "Does that mean we should backtrack to choose again?" "Yes," Zuo Xun nodded. Wu Yinying supported, "Senior Sister Zuo is impressive; the last token was also found by her." Bi Lan then turned to Yan Zhao. "Miss Nian, shall we head back?" Yan Zhao frowned. Noticing her expression, Wu Yinying asked, "What's wrong?" After a moment of contemplation, Yan Zhao raised her hand and pointed towards a path. "You go ahead; I’d like to check this way." Bi Lan was surprised, Wu Yinying puzzled, and Zuo Xun frowned. Zuo Xun asked Yan Zhao directly, "You don't trust my judgment?" "No," Yan Zhao shook her head. Bi Lan made a decisive choice, "I'll go with Miss Nian. Senior Sister Zuo, Miss Wu, what about you?" A flash of impatience crossed Zuo Xun’s eyes. They were still one token short. The previous token—Wu Yinying refused to take it despite contributing to finding it, insisting Zuo Xun keep it as it was her achievement. Meanwhile, Wu Yinying didn’t seem very concerned about passing the first round of the trial. Zuo Xun had already scouted the surrounding paths without finding a token, so accompanying Yan Zhao would likely be a waste of time. Just as she was contemplating an excuse to decline, Wu Yinying naturally replied, "Of course, we're going together, right, Senior Sister Zuo?" Zuo Xun hesitated and replied, "There are no tokens ahead," she emphasized, "You haven't secured one yet." Wu Yinying shook her head cheerfully, "It's okay, passing isn't important. What's important is that everyone is together and having fun!" "…" Zuo Xun lowered her gaze and sighed, "Alright." Noticing Zuo Xun’s fluctuating mood, Bi Lan carefully spoke up, "If Senior Sister Zuo isn't willing..." Zuo Xun interrupted her, "It's fine, we'll take this path." Once she made a decision, she wouldn't easily change it; worst case, they would reach a dead end and have to turn back. Less than half of the three-day period had passed, leaving plenty of opportunities. Wu Yinying clenched her fist and cheered, "Let's go!" Yan Zhao turned to look at them momentarily, then said, "Thank you." Zuo Xun nodded as she passed by, "Mm." Wu Yinying and Zuo Xun led the way, with Bi Lan and Yan Zhao following closely behind. As they continued, Yan Zhao intently listened to Xiao Jin's movements. The further they progressed, the stronger Xiao Jin's sense of something ahead grew. At that moment, the corridor came to a dead end, and Zuo Xun halted, "It seems we've reached the end." Standing behind Zuo Xun, Yan Zhao looked at the plain wall before them, sensing from Xiao Jin that there was still a path ahead. Zuo Xun turned back to signal Wu Yinying, "Let's head back." Yan Zhao remained stationary in front of the wall. Bi Lan, puzzled, called out, "Miss Nian?" Before Bi Lan finished speaking, Yan Zhao unexpectedly grabbed her sword at her waist, unleashing two gusts of sword energy at the wall. Boom— The wall shattered and collapsed, revealing a dark, unlit path beyond. The commotion echoed loudly, causing Zuo Xun to pause. She turned around, exclaiming in astonishment, "How is this possible?!" The walls in the labyrinth were reinforced with magical formations. They had attempted to break them multiple times along their journey, to no avail, and could only explore along the designated routes. Yet, the hole in front of Yan Zhao—how could it be explained? Chapter 202 On the Bright Mirror Platform, the tops of nine stone pillars flickered with light. The scene within the labyrinth was displayed to everyone present, prompting one of the masters to question, "Leader, what is this about?" First, Chen Er shattered the ground, followed by Yan Zhao cleaving the palace wall, both instances differing from previous celestial disciple tournaments. "If the rules were the same each time, wouldn't that be boring?" Ying Xiao replied nonchalantly, "It's just a bit of added intrigue; whether they can find the hidden mysteries depends on their abilities." —From the anticipated meeting with you, not the moon.