194 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

The third place leader on the right side of the Tai Kun Immortal Domain dismissed the issue: "It's just a phantom beast, meant to exist only briefly. Now that it's escaped the underground palace and the worldly energies have shifted, it naturally dissipated." The Mirror Stage showed nothing more than an illusory reflection—a mirage. Yun Daozi, who had remained silent throughout, lifted his eyelids slightly and gave the Mirror Stage a sideways glance. Suddenly, a crimson glow flashed in his eyes, and he made a hand sign with his fingers discreetly concealed in his sleeve. In the labyrinthine secret realm, an eerie silence fell for a moment. The disciples of the immortal sects gathered around the stone platform from afar, watching this scenario unfold. When Yan Zhao landed and held three tokens of clearance in her hand, they were momentarily too stunned to react. Suddenly, a lanky male disciple stepped forward and said to Yan Zhao, "Fellow immortal, I'm willing to offer a hundred thousand spirit stones to purchase a token from you!" Those who had yet to acquire a clearance token immediately grew restless. Yan Zhao had obtained three tokens, two of which were spare and could easily be traded or exchanged. "I'll offer one hundred and fifty thousand!" another voice piped up, upping the bid. The murmurs of the crowd grew louder as acquaintances began discussing among themselves in hushed tones. Some moved to the side, not intending to bid but eager to see who would eventually obtain the token, so they could follow up later. Amidst this tension, a loud voice rang out from the back of the crowd: "I'll bid five hundred thousand." Yan Zhao recognized the familiar voice and turned her head to see Ye Yanran supporting Chen Er with one arm while raising the other above her head. It was she who had spoken. Chen Er was extremely shocked: "Five hundred thousand? I wasn't aware you were so wealthy." Ye Yanran glanced at her coolly: "You never asked." "..." Chen Er was at a loss for words yet had to concede that Ye Yanran was right. Five hundred thousand! The price had skyrocketed several times over, surpassing many people's valuation of a clearance token. The male cultivator who initially initiated the transaction recognized Ye Yanran and, after weighing his options, decided to back down, unwilling to offend the Wanbao Palace over a single clearance token. Just as he was about to retreat, he suddenly felt someone bump his shoulder. An instant later, his mind buzzed, and he found himself in a momentary blank. Across the distance, Yan Zhao met Yanran's gaze, contemplating whether to agree to the exchange since she had an extra token. Just then, a flash of cold light suddenly appeared in front of her, and she heard Bi Lan shout, "Miss Nian, watch out!" The aura of murder was palpable, and Yan Zhao instinctively took a step back. A chilling blade light grazed past her nose. The assailant was none other than the tall, scrawny sword sect male cultivator from earlier. His first attack missed, but he quickly turned around for another strike. His speed suggested he intended to take Yan Zhao's life, and the surrounding onlookers were too far away to intervene. The abrupt chaos caused an uproar among the audience, even making the powerful figures on the floating island furrow their brows simultaneously. Medicine Sage scoffed with a glare, "Youngsters today lack magnanimity, narrow-minded indeed." Su Zijun casually swept a lock of hair behind her ear, her demeanor nonchalant, but with a faint killing intent gleaming in her eyes. Real Person of Abyssal Sea scrutinized the attacker's move, his gaze thoughtful. Ying Xiao awkwardly chuckled, "As long as it's within the rules, all's fair in war, right?" Just as the sword tip was about to reach Yan Zhao’s chest, a fluffy, large tail gently swished, and the silver blade was caught in a whirlpool-like force, pushing it aside with irresistible power. The disciple from the sword sect staggered forward due to inertia, just as a white blur flashed before his eyes. The white spiritual fox leapt forward, slapping him across the face. Instantly, several bloody marks appeared. The fox's slap was so forceful, it knocked his head to one side, lifting his feet off the ground as he spun in the air, ultimately crashing down unconscious. The crowd was dumbfounded. Yan Zhao stood there unmoved, the assailant having been easily repelled and now laying on the ground unconscious. Bi Lan had charged onto the stone platform, but by then, Yan Zhao no longer needed her help. With a crisp jingling, the little fox, having repelled the sword sect disciple, leaped back onto Yan Zhao's shoulder. Its large tail swirled around Yan Zhao's neck, retreating with its mission accomplished. Yan Zhao naturally reached up to pat its head, then nonchalantly approached the fallen sword sect disciple. She lightly kicked him to check if he was completely unconscious, then reached into his pockets. Not long after, she retrieved a few spirit stones and some materials for crafting. Feeling unsatisfied, Yan Zhao remarked: "So poor." The people around her were speechless. After emptying his pockets, Yan Zhao noticed the sword by his side. It seemed to be made of quality material. This person had spent all his spirit stones and crafting materials maintaining this sword—it was obvious he was a sword enthusiast. Yan Zhao picked up the sword, putting it into her own pocket in front of everyone. Ye Yanran handed Chen Er to Xuanyuan Mu and leaped onto the stone platform herself. Without hesitation, she pulled out a qiankun pouch full of spirit stones and said to Yan Zhao, "Miss Nian, here's five hundred thousand spirit stones. Could you transfer one of your clearance tokens to me?" Yan Zhao didn't hesitate for long before taking out a token: "Money for goods." While five hundred thousand was a small sum for her, it was still better than nothing, especially since she had just come into a significant fortune not long ago. After all, why hoard items that aren't needed? Ye Yanran completed the transaction with Yan Zhao, gave her a respectful fist salute, and said, "Thank you." With that, she glanced at Bi Lan standing beside Yan Zhao, said nothing more, and returned to Xuanyuan Mu and Chen Er. Chen Er examined the clearance token Ye Yanran brought back closely, clicking her tongue in amazement. Greedy eyes swept over them from the surrounding crowd, but Xuanyuan Mu's icy glare deterred them, forcing the onlookers to retract their gazes in guilt, not daring to linger. Xuanyuan Mu reminded, "Store the items. We've completed our mission, but the time limit is still one day." During this time, no one knew if another unforeseen incident would occur. Chen Er raised her hand, "I have a suggestion." Xuanyuan Mu and Ye Yanran simultaneously replied, "Denied." Chen Er was stumped: "…I haven't even said what it was." Xuanyuan Mu shot her a look, "If your suggestion is to team up with Miss Nian and her group, then there's no need to bring it up." "…" Chen Er conceded with a resigned pout. Outside the Mirror Stage, Yun Daozi's fingertips trembled, a dark gleam flashed in his eyes, and a wisp of black aura seeped from the back of the sword sect disciple's head. The black aura slipped into shadows, traversing the cracks in the ground briefly before disappearing entirely, escaping detection by anyone. The little fox curled around Yan Zhao's neck seemed to sense something and glanced warily at the unconscious sword sect disciple. He remained unconscious, showing no signs of waking. Was that sudden, snake-like, chilling sensation just her imagination? Chapter 209 With the chaos subsiding, Wu Ying Ying prepared to go join Yan Zhao and Bi Lan. Just as she was about to move, someone called from behind, "Sister Wu." Wu Ying Ying paused and turned back. Zuo Xun was standing behind her, one hand hidden behind her back. Her expression looked indifferent, yet conflicted, as if she wanted to say something important. After a moment without Zuo Xun speaking, Wu Ying Ying blinked and asked, "Sister Zuo, what's the matter?" Zuo Xun clenched her fingers around a qiankun pouch, took a deep breath, and forced herself to speak, "You haven't gotten a clearance token yet, have you?" "Ah? A clearance token?" Wu Ying Ying was surprised but then relaxed into a smile, "Bi gave me one earlier." While she wasn't sure if Yan Zhao and her group would be willing to share, Yan Zhao herself had extra tokens. She could simply purchase one like Ye Yanran did, so it wasn't much of an issue. Zuo Xun was astonished. Not lingering any longer, Wu Ying Ying waved to Zuo Xun and quickly hopped onto the stone platform, heading toward Yan Zhao and Bi Lan. Zuo Xun stood frozen in place, her expression unchanged, but her grip on the qiankun pouch trembled with intensity, as though a taut string had snapped. Zuo Xun lowered her gaze, self-mockery in her eyes: "Ridiculous." To silently procure an additional token just so someone else could pass—when had she ever done such a thing before? The most absurd part was, the other party hadn't needed it at all. Wu Ying Ying had so many friends—how could she ever need Zuo Xun? Furthermore, she might not even be considered Wu Ying Ying's friend. Zuo Xun lowered her gaze, her eyes turning detached and calm once more. On the stone platform, Wu Ying Ying ran over, joining Yan Zhao and Bi Lan without issue. She proposed to trade spirit stones for a token, but Yan Zhao, informed by Bi Lan about the earlier transaction with Wu Ying Ying, simply gave her a glance and said, "No need." Wu Ying Ying was taken aback: "Eh?" Yan Zhao handed her spare clearance token to Bi Lan, speaking naturally, "This way we can all pass together." Wu Ying Ying was overjoyed and pulled Yan Zhao into an enthusiastic embrace, bouncing up and down. "You are so kind!" The little fox cast a glance at the clasped hands of Wu Ying Ying and Yan Zhao. Second time. Hmph. Bi Lan, somewhat calmer in contrast, voiced a reminder: "It's not wise to linger here." Those who had previously just watched the commotion were starting to leave, while a few lingered around the edges, occasionally casting surreptitious, ill-intentioned glances their way. The fact that the three of them possessed at least two clearance tokens was now common knowledge. It's likely some people wouldn't stray too far away. After Bi Lan's reminder, Wu Ying Ying also understood the situation. Yet she wasn't overly concerned, laughing heartily. "Miss Nian can even tame a three-headed dragon, and she handled such a dangerous situation just now with ease—no one would dare target us, right?" Bi Lan, cautious by nature, responded, "It's still best to be cautious." Unbeknownst to when, Yan Zhao had become the pillar of their small team, and both Bi Lan and Wu Ying Ying awaited her decision. However, she didn't seem too bothered by it. Since they had the tokens, they might as well find a place to meditate and cultivate, and pass through once the time came. So she nodded and said, "Let's go." The three of them left the stone platform and casually entered a passageway. As soon as they departed, a few disciples from the immortal sects began stealthily following them. Zuo Xun saw this from afar, her expression indifferent. She turned and stepped into another passageway in the opposite direction, casually tossing away her spare token. Items could be stolen again, but she didn't want this one. Not long after, another passerby picked up the discarded qiankun pouch from the ground. With the brim of his conical hat lowered, his figure blurred as he slipped into another passageway. Yan Zhao and the others had walked quite a distance when Bi Lan remarked, exasperated, "We're being tailed by about seven or eight people." A group of seven or eight had formed a considerable force, likely a coalition of two or three small teams working together to divide the clearance tokens between them. However, they didn't seem inclined to make a move just yet. There was still time, and they weren't the only ones eyeing Yan Zhao. They might be waiting to swoop in like the fisherman benefiting from the clam and the snipe's struggle. Bi Lan shared her analysis with the others, and Wu Ying Ying's eyes sparkled as she sincerely praised, "Miss Bi, you're really smart!" "..." Having spent half a day together, Bi Lan was now quite familiar with Wu Ying Ying's personality, and she laughed, "Are you this friendly with everyone, Miss Wu? Do you have preferences with your friends?" Due to the Xuanyuan family, Bi Lan had some dealings with the Medicine Sect, but she had mainly met Medicine Sage and hadn't interacted with Wu Ying Ying personally. She had heard of Wu Ying Ying's reputation for having good interpersonal relationships in the sect, but it was only now that she understood why. Wu Ying Ying replied, "Of course I have! I'm not amicable with just anyone!" Bi Lan chuckled, asking, "Who's your best friend, then, Miss Wu?" "The best..." Wu Ying Ying tapped her chin with her index finger, thinking deeply for a moment before replying, "That would definitely be Junior Sister Yan!" Bi Lan was taken aback. "Junior Sister Yan?" Having been suddenly mentioned, Yan Zhao raised her eyes, a smile playing at the corners. But she managed to keep her lips together, refraining from laughing out loud.