196 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

The spirit eagle, in an attempt to reluctantly take flight without attacking Yan Zhao or confronting the nine-tailed fox, collided mid-air with a snowy white bundle of fur. "!" It panicked, shivering with fright. With a jingling sound, the little fox clamped down on the token while simultaneously planting a paw on the spirit eagle's head. The spirit eagle decisively gave up any struggle, plummeting to the ground and playing dead. The little fox landed gracefully back on Yan Zhao’s shoulder, just as Yan Zhao successfully retrieved Wu Ying Ying, retreating after accomplishing his mission. For a moment, the scene fell into silence as everyone exchanged bewildered glances, but no one took action. The sword repair's expression turned blank. He glanced down at his empty palm and after a moment's pause, his face filled with shock. What kind of speed, what kind of technique was this?! A disciple from the Beast Taming Sect was able to snatch a hostage from him with bare hands! Yan Zhao pulled Wu Ying Ying to a corner, standing in front to protect her, then instructed the little fox and Bi Lan, “Take action!” Bi Lan quickly snapped back to reality, forming a seal with her hands and slapping the ground. From within the corridor walls, dozens of vines sprouted, rushing towards Lu Ying. Lu Ying, too, was a beast tamer, but with his creatures absent, his combat capabilities were reduced by seventy percent. Upon seeing the oncoming vines, he let out a pained cry and turned to flee. Meanwhile, the little fox engaged with the black-clad sword repair. The opponent's movements were swift, evading the little fox’s initial lunge and then countering with a strike to force it back. Deliberately holding back its strength to avoid revealing its identity publicly, the little fox confronted the opponent with equally matched moves, making it hard to determine a winner for the time being. The vines grew wildly like serpents, intertwining and streaking out like lightning, latching onto Lu Ying’s ankle. Lu Ying tripped, his head hitting the ground with a dull thud. One of his lackeys was nearby, and Lu Ying, unable to free himself from the vines, stretched out a desperate hand: “Help me up!” The person heard but didn’t pause, fleeing without a backward glance. Lu Ying’s expression changed drastically, shouting in panic, but the figure continued running resolutely without looking back. He reaped what he had sown. Another Jindan-level expert, aligned with the sword repair, noticed the black-clad sword repair being entangled with the little fox, ignored Lu Ying, and promptly moved to assist. Even when outnumbered, the little fox did not show signs of defeat, maintaining an even battle. This fox could also wield ice magic, preventing the two from bypassing it to attack Yan Zhao and Wu Ying Ying. The operation had completely failed, leaving no room for recovery. The sword repair made a decisive choice, pushing the little fox back with a swift strike and instructed his companion, “Retreat!” The two quickly withdrew, cutting through blocking vines with a stroke of sword energy as they fled. With an opening through the vines, Bi Lan let out an unwilling snort. Her opponent's cultivation outstripped hers, and practicing metal-based techniques naturally overwhelmed her wood-based abilities, rendering her unable to stop them. The pair leaped over Lu Ying’s head and, with a few bounds, disappeared into the distance, leaving the range of the entwined vines and distancing themselves from Yan Zhao and the others. Just as the sword repair was about to relax, he felt a sharp pain in his neck followed by a wave of dizziness. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a mosquito-sized black dot slowly flying by, and his pupils contracted. A muffled thud sounded beside him as his companion collapsed. He, too, felt his strength ebb from his limbs, his body pitching forward uncontrollably as darkness claimed his consciousness. The last thing he saw before his vision vanished was a slim, tall figure leaning against the wall at a distant corner. A black and yellow venomous wasp rested under her eye, like a sinister mole. Chapter 211 The sound of two successive thuds reached Bi Lan’s ears, catching her by surprise. Looking up, she saw the two fleeing individuals collapse and faint without warning. A flicker of astonishment crossed Bi Lan’s eyes. She looked around, unable to see who might have come to assist. She called out loudly, “Whoever you are, thank you for your help!” Yan Zhao, who had been checking Wu Ying Ying’s injuries, turned his head at these words. Aside from Lu Ying, who was struggling in the vines and wailing miserably, the other two Jindan experts were already on the ground, and a minor lackey had fled. Bi Lan's voice echoed through the passage, yet no one responded. The disciples of the sects, witnessing this display, felt compelled to withdraw. It wasn’t Yan Zhao they feared, but rather the mysterious, powerful figure lurking unseen. Without showing themselves, this presence had felled two Jindan experts, making any attempt to strike back futile; they knew wasting time here would yield nothing. The group, thus intimidated, didn’t hesitate long before quietly withdrawing. Bi Lan gave Lu Ying a good beating, binding him along with his lackey. Meanwhile, Yan Zhao made sure to confiscate his Qiankun pouch, naturally doing the same with the two Jindan experts. They captured four people and obtained two pass tokens. When Wu Ying Ying awoke, she saw Yan Zhao holding a pass token in each hand, fell into a brief meditation caught in disbelief. Truly, she alone was useless. She had fainted, yet her companions still managed to turn the situation around. At that moment, Bi Lan uttered a soft “huh,” prompting Wu Ying Ying to turn her head, just as she heard Yan Zhao inquire, “What’s wrong?” Bi Lan pointed at the neck of the black-clad sword repair: “Miss Nian, look at this person’s neck.” Yan Zhao followed Bi Lan’s direction, her eyes widening in surprise: “Isn’t that the bite mark from that bug!” The Jindan cultivator with the sword repair also had a similar bump on his neck. “Bug?” Bi Lan was puzzled. Yan Zhao explained, “Previously, someone who was trying to snatch our pass token was stung by a bug, and the man passed out with a bump like this on his neck.” With Yan Zhao’s reminder, Bi Lan recalled, her expression astonished: “You mean Xuan Yuan Zheng?” Yan Zhao answered, “I don’t know what his name is.” There was only one man stung by a bug, and Bi Lan deduced: “So, was it Zuo Xun just now? But why wouldn’t she come to find us?” Wu Ying Ying, having listened for a while, noticed the green and red markings on the neck of the sword repair and fell into silence. So, Zuo Xun had come, cleaned up the troublemakers, and left. Zuo Xun was willing to help Yan Zhao and Bi Lan but didn’t want to meet them, possibly because of her. Because she was a burden, perhaps Zuo Xun avoided meeting her. This thought brought a wave of melancholy over Wu Ying Ying. Bi Lan noticed the sect disciples who had been eyeing them earlier had disappeared. It seemed they had been deterred, and although the battle was thrilling, it had certainly dispelled the intentions of those who sought to seize the pass tokens. Thus, the remaining time became more leisurely. The trio left the troublesome place, finding a corner rich in spiritual energy to meditate and cultivate. Twelve hours passed swiftly; when the three-day time limit ended, the pass tokens in their hands glowed white. Shortly after, a personal teleportation array unfolded, and in the blink of an eye, they returned to the Mirror Platform. Appearing simultaneously were about twenty people. The plaza, previously crowded and noisy before the start of the competition, now felt sparse and oddly unsettling. Everyone looked at each other, and Bi Lan briefly observed the surroundings, estimating the numbers, and recalling Jue Lan’s earlier mention of the high elimination rate in the first round. From this, she deduced that those remaining had likely been eliminated. Previously, the Celestial Alliance's leader, Ying Xiao, had mentioned that over three hundred sect disciples reported to compete. Now, seeing only about twenty left, she realized fewer than one in ten made it through to the second round. Jue Lan and Xuan Yuan Zheng had also passed the first round. Seeing the numbers, he was stunned: "How can there be so few?" As soon as he spoke, Ying Xiao’s voice resonated from the lofty stage. “A total of thirty-six pass tokens were placed in the labyrinthine secret realm. The rules permit a single person to hold multiple tokens to clear the stage. This time, the person who obtains the most tokens will receive an additional treasure as a reward.” The sect disciples erupted in chatter. With thirty-six tokens, even if each person got one, the clearance rate would only be ten percent. Because some seized multiple tokens, the passing probability greatly decreased, making the rules more grueling compared to previous years. As Ying Xiao’s voice fell, he opened his palm to reveal a jade box, evidently the extra reward for the winner of this round. Once again, everyone exchanged glances, speculating on who could emerge victorious in the first round. “Could it be Nian Zhao?” Bi Lan and Wu Ying Ying whispered to each other. After all, Yan Zhao held three pass tokens. This item is difficult to obtain; winning even one requires emerging victorious from competitions among ten contenders. Collecting three means defeating thirty! Wu Ying Ying agreed, nodding repeatedly, "Indeed, that's very probable!" Though Yan Zhao didn't consider three tokens to be a lot, he found himself hoping for the extra reward. Then Ying Xiao publicly announced, "Wanbao Palace, Jue Lan." The unexpected name left everyone staggering in surprise, all turning to look at the corner of the crowd. Jue Lan didn’t seem surprised at all. Upon hearing Ying Xiao call his name, he walked forward with poise, chest high and face proud, yet feigned modesty as he cupped his hands towards Ying Xiao, "Thank you, Senior Alliance Leader." Ying Xiao nodded, complimenting him: "You've done well. To acquire six pass tokens in the first round by yourself — this reward is truly deserved." Six tokens! This number struck like a thunderclap on the Mirror Platform, leaving all the competing disciples utterly bewildered. Jue Lan was that formidable? But wasn't he an artificer? Since when did an artificer's skills become so superior? Yet there were no objections from the Alliance Branch Masters on the nine columns or the more esteemed predecessors from major sects, proving that Jue Lan's acquisition of six pass tokens was an undeniable fact, without deceit. Truly unbelievable. Wu Ying Ying's wide eyes were like those of a startled doe, "Six? How did he achieve that?" Bi Lan shook her head blankly, feeling this was beyond her comprehension. Even if there were no competition, she doubted she could gather six by herself even if they were free for the taking. Yan Zhao pouted slightly, feeling a twinge of disappointment. Ying Xiao tossed the jade box forward, which Jue Lan caught with both hands before lifting it above his head to bow to Ying Xiao. Without even looking inside, he tucked it directly into his Qiankun pouch. Then he spoke again, "Senior Alliance Leader, may I ask, where have the eliminated competitors gone?" Ying Xiao raised his sleeve, gesturing for him to look behind. Jue Lan turned to see a new floating island had appeared behind the Mirror Platform at some point. This half-ring-structured island had tiered terraces forming orderly viewing platforms, where the eliminated disciples now stood on the ground before the platforms. Besides that, cultivators from all over, who had gathered to witness the sect disciple competition, were present, ready to watch the upcoming trials. Upon hearing the commotion, Yan Zhao turned to see the crowded platforms filled with experts from various sects. Among them stood Elder Wu of the Medicine God Sect, accompanied by some of its disciples. Wu Ying Ying broke into a grin, though she still said, "Why has my grandfather come too?" "..." Yan Zhao looked for a while but did not see Ren Qing Yue. Did Senior Sister not come, or did she miss seeing her? Yan Zhao preferred to believe the latter. With so many people on the platform, failing to spot Ren Qing Yue seemed normal, after all. She consoled herself with this thought. But still, she felt a bit downcast as she lowered her gaze. With the spectators in place, Ying Xiao formed a seal, and rain began to fall from the sky, drenching the Mirror Platform. Everyone's fatigue vanished. Chen Er, in particular, felt it keenly. A moment ago, her rear was aching, but as the gentle rain fell, her injury healed instantly. "I'm not waiting for the moon, but for a chance meeting with you." [Donate to keep the site running] [This site is ad-free and non-profit, with donations going towards server maintenance.] [Afraid to lose track? You can contact us via the donation page!] [Click here to proceed to the donation page >>]