189 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

A sharp sound sliced through the air as a branch, as thick as an arm, came crashing down from above. Chen Er was momentarily distracted, and by the time she realized it, it was too late to dodge. It seemed she was about to be severely injured. With a crisp "snap," the expected pain didn't come. Instead, everything went dark before her eyes as Ye Yan Ran rushed forward, catching the vine with her bare hands. The vine wrapped around her forearm, leaving a bright red mark on the back of her hand. The searing pain drained the color from Ye Yan Ran's face. Without turning her head, she harshly scolded Chen Er, "In such a critical moment, stop daydreaming! If you want to die, don't drag us with you!" Chen Er, aware of her fault, noticed the blood oozing from Ye Yan Ran’s hand and reminded her, "Be careful." Ye Yan Ran straightened the vine with one hand, while quickly affixing a fire talisman to it with the other. This time, she was close, and the talisman was securely attached. The fire rapidly climbed the vine, and the tree monster roared. The vine in Ye Yan Ran's hand struggled to pull back. Ye Yan Ran couldn't match its strength and was yanked into the air. Although she quickly reacted and let go, her feet had left the ground, and she struggled to regain balance mid-air. Countless vines turned into a net, ready to swallow her whole. "Yan Ran!" Vines flew toward her from all directions. Her waist tightened, and thinking she was ensnared by vines, she resignedly closed her eyes. But just then, a strong pulling force came from the soft object around her waist, dragging her swiftly backward, out of the surrounding vines. Ye Yan Ran was taken aback and looked down, finding a piece of cloth wrapped around her waist, its origin unknown. Pulled back to the ground, she lost her balance and was about to fall hard. In the next instant, she crashed into someone's arms. The collision reduced their backward momentum, and the soft embrace absorbed the impact. Ye Yan Ran looked down at her waist. It was Chen Er's belt that had wrapped around her unexpectedly. Chen Er had undone her belt to save Ye Yan Ran and caught her in time, allowing both of them to escape danger. In other words, Chen Er was now left with an open front, her outer garment hanging loosely, looking quite disheveled. And at this moment, Ye Yan Ran was held in Chen Er's arms. Ye Yan Ran quickly regained her composure, pushing Chen Er away with a flushed face, "Put your clothes on properly!" "Hmph, I saved you out of kindness, why the extreme reaction?" Chen Er muttered, stumbling backward while clutching her chest from the hard push. "You should return my belt first." It was then Ye Yan Ran realized Chen Er's belt was still wrapped around her. The tree monster wasn't subdued yet, and countless branches danced wildly in the air, growing faster and fiercer with each strike from the fire talisman. Already enraged by repeated strikes, the tree monster threw several more vines, chasing after them. Ye Yan Ran didn't have time to return the belt. She leaped, shielding Chen Er, using a fire talisman to disperse the attacking vines, covering Chen Er's retreat. Behind them stood Xuan Yuan Mu. They couldn't retreat further, but not even half of the time span Xuan Yuan Mu promised had passed. Ye Yan Ran took off the belt and tossed it back to Chen Er, saying sternly, "I'll distract it." Chen Er quickly secured the belt, perplexed, "How?" This monstrous tree was formidable, and another close call could lead to friendly fire from Xuan Yuan Mu's spells. "No other choice, it has to be this way," Ye Yan Ran insisted. The lure of those two medallions was too great; they couldn't abandon their quest halfway. Though still worried, Chen Er watched as Ye Yan Ran made up her mind. She lunged forward with outstretched arms, summoning rarely used artifacts from her spatial pouch. Just then, Chen Er rushed up, pressing her shoulder and pushing her back. Ye Yan Ran stumbled a few steps but steadied herself, bewildered by Chen Er's bold stance, "What are you doing?" Chen Er, firm and resolute, said, "You're also wood-element; I'm better suited!" As long as she conserved her energy, refraining from casting spells to battle the tree monster, she’d have enough strength later to both defend herself and save others once Xuan Yuan Mu was ready with his big move. Ye Yan Ran tried to protest, but Chen Er made a swift gesture. A gentle wave splashed over Ye Yan Ran, propelling her several meters away. "Chen Er!" Ye Yan Ran called out anxiously. Her voice fell on deaf ears as Chen Er charged toward the tree monster with uncharacteristic determination, her demeanor entirely transformed. As her resolve solidified, her presence was indomitable. Ye Yan Ran watched Chen Er's back, emotions she couldn't suppress swelling in her heart. Chen Er approached the monstrous tree, tossing a large snowball beneath her before getting too close. The snowball rapidly expanded upon contact with the ground, growing to a meter wide. Chen Er cast a spell, vanishing inside and piloting it with agility. Numerous vines shot from all directions, whipping through the snowball. Ye Yan Ran felt her heart leap into her throat. As the snowy shell peeled away, the creeping cold rapidly rose, freezing the vines solid. The core split in half, rolling with speed. The vines surged wildly, aiming at the snowball in clusters. But the snowball moved too swiftly. Vines and dry branches brushed its surface but failed to halt its advance, crashing into the tree monster's base with a resounding boom. The tree monster shook, its trunk buzzing under the impact, retreating several meters. Snow scattered, and Chen Er leapt from within, darting effortlessly into the ancient tree's branches. Behind Ye Yan Ran, Xuan Yuan Mu suddenly opened his eyes wide, “Yan Ran, get out of the way!” His spell's energy coalesced. Ye Yan Ran was taken aback, reminding him, “Chen Er went to save someone!” A flash of insight crossed Xuan Yuan Mu's eyes. "I know, move!" Ye Yan Ran swiftly retreated. Glowing, multicolored dots swirled, condensing behind Xuan Yuan Mu, forming a dazzling phoenix. The phoenix’s wings spanned over nine meters, flaring with spontaneous combustion. Wild flames surged in the wind, lighting up the dark terrain until it gleamed like daylight. Ye Yan Ran felt the heat wave rolling towards her, the scorching temperature pricking her cheeks painfully. As Chen Er had said, such intense heat deterred her from advancing. Alarmed by the danger, Ye Yan Ran retreated several more steps, feeling somewhat relieved once the searing heat distanced from her. The colorful phoenix let out a cry, transforming into a sharp arrow, and launched forward. Where the phoenix wings passed, fire blazed; the ground turned to scorched earth, rocks shattered, and smoke billowed. Flying straight toward the grotesque tree, the phoenix ignited the canopy like a colossal fireball, burning the vines entangled above to plumes of ash. As the blaze surged, Chen Er, who heard the phoenix's cry first, leapt forward, grabbing the entangled sect disciple. The monstrous tree was engulfed in flames instantly, unable to even struggle, its lush crown serving as ample fuel for the raging fire. · On the floating island, Xuan Yuan Kai suddenly stood up. Glaring at the scene unfolding on the Clear Crystal Platform, his eyes wide with fury, fists clenched, knuckles showing veins. Si Kong Xuan clapped and laughed, "Master Xuan Yuan, it seems I've won, doesn't it?" Xuan Yuan Kai's focus remained fixed on the unending blaze, ignoring Si Kong Xuan's words. Hadn’t that phoenix been dead? Meanwhile, Yao Shen Zi, upon glimpsing the radiant light, showed surprise in his eyes. "Isn't this fire too intense?" Yao Shen Zi questioned hesitantly, "What about the kids in the tree?" Seated quietly nearby, Yuan Hai Zhen Ren cast a calm glance at the blazing tree before shutting his eyes again. Su Zi Jun propped her chin up, smiling serenely, asserting, "They should be alright." Yao Shen Zi inquired, "Why do you say so?" Su Zi Jun playfully replied, "You’ll see, just watch." · At the high temperatures, the entwined vines became brittle, unable to bear the weight of two people. With a crack, Chen Er, clutching the sect disciple, descended together. Both were soaked to the skin, as though fished from water. The massive snowball had completely melted, the heat quickly warming the watery remains, turning it to steam, visibly entwined around them. Ye Yan Ran bent down, quickly casting a spell to summon a column of green vines that burst from the ground, deftly lifting Chen Er and the sect disciple away from the searing flames. As the vine released its hold, Ye Yan Ran successfully caught Chen Er. The sect disciple, on the other hand, slipped from Chen Er's grasp, tumbling upon hitting the ground. "Chen Er!" Ye Yan Ran shook Chen Er vigorously. Chen Er had fainted, and the parts of her body Ye Yan Ran touched felt alarmingly hot. If not for Chen Er's quick thinking to enclose herself in the snowball to cool down, she would have likely been reduced to ashes by now. Relying on her quick reflexes and her nature opposite to fire, Chen Er managed to protect herself within the flames, only fainting from the ordeal with no apparent external injuries. A moment later, Chen Er stirred, slowly coming to under Ye Yan Ran’s shaking. Her eyes fluttered open, vision gradually clearing. The first thing Chen Er saw was Ye Yan Ran, her eyes brimming with tears, on the verge of crying. Seeing Chen Er awake, Ye Yan Ran’s tear-filled eyes widened suddenly. "You..." Chen Er began, her voice trailing off. Before she could finish, Ye Yan Ran suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. "Umph." Chen Er felt as though Ye Yan Ran's hug was as suffocating as when the old tree's vine had wrapped around her neck. Ye Yan Ran held onto her tightly, restricting her breath with the intensity of her grip. Barely regaining some strength, Chen Er gently advised, "... Yan Ran, you’re hugging too tightly, loosen up a bit." Ye Yan Ran's face remained nestled against Chen Er's neck. Despite the request, she maintained her embrace without shifting. Chen Er threw a pleading glance at Xuan Yuan Mu, seeking help. Xuan Yuan Mu averted his eyes nonchalantly, pretending not to notice. Chen Er: "..." Chapter 204 Xuan Yuan Mu gazed into the distance at the blazing flames, a subtle sadness evident in his eyes. She had barely managed to cast such a spell using the power of the demon core, witnessing the ethereal sight of the phoenix rising in flames. Once Ye Yan Ran calmed down, Chen Er finally broke free from her grasp. Ye Yan Ran no longer had the tearful look from moments ago. Though her eyelashes were still damp, the moisture in her eyes had vanished, her gaze gentle and serene, resembling the familiar countenance most known to Chen Er. Chen Er cautiously observed Ye Yan Ran, noticing how her eyelashes fluttered lightly, with small crystal-like droplets clinging to the long, dense lashes. The sight softened her usually steadfast expression. Guided by an inexplicable impulse, she lifted a finger to playfully nudge Ye Yan Ran's lashes. Startled, Ye Yan Ran exclaimed, "What are you doing?!" Despite her face being covered in soot, Chen Er grinned widely, "You look so pitiful, like someone just bullied you." "...," Ye Yan Ran ground her teeth, "Who are you calling pitiful, you sooty monkey? It seems like you're itching for a beating!" With those words, she raised her fist playfully. Instinctively, Chen Er tried to flee, but her whole body ached. With the slightest movement, a yelp of pain escaped her. Ye Yan Ran paused, worry replacing her initial bravado. "Where does it hurt?" Chen Er let out a light whistle, "… My butt." Ye Yan Ran froze. Just as Chen Er was about to say it wasn't a big deal, Ye Yan Ran swiftly turned her around to check. The lower part of her back was indeed a charred mess, the fabric scorched away, evidence of the intense heat she had endured, leaving her backside undoubtedly sore.