198 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

"Running into the Kun Ling Sword Sect—it’s just their bad luck!” Hearing this kind of talk, Wu Ying Ying couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. Her opponents were so formidable; could Senior Sister Zuo be eliminated? In Yan Zhao's arms, the little fox's eyes flickered. Huang Yin Feng's group was not easy to deal with. Fang Miao led three sword cultivators, not daring to underestimate their foe, and set up a sword formation together, launching a coordinated attack on Zuo Xun. Zuo Xun focused her mind, preparing to react, when she suddenly sensed a slight fluctuation of magical power from beside her. At the same time, her pets became agitated, and the insect queen hidden in her sleeve bit her. Zuo Xun’s eyelid twitched, alert and without hesitation, she retreated with a swift tap of her foot. Boom— A bolt of lightning descended from the sky, sensing the metal energy on the stage, and was drawn to it, striking Fang Miao and his companions directly. In an instant, sparks flew across the arena, leaving a deep crater on the stone platform. When the lightning dissipated, the three sword cultivators of the Kun Ling Sword Sect stood rigid like wooden stakes, their bodies charred black with tendrils of white smoke rising from their skin. Moments later, three muffled thuds followed as the trio collapsed to the ground, unconscious. The elder overseeing the match raised an eyebrow at this sight. Zuo Xun glanced at the spellcaster with surprise, seeing them covering their ears, trembling and shocked. She arched an eyebrow, unexpectedly intrigued. Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover. The sudden turn of events startled Luo Qi as well. When Zuo Xun abruptly retreated, he, being the closest to the trio, nearly got caught in the chaos. The thunder's crash was so loud that it almost deafened him. Before he could even grasp what had happened, the overseeing elder announced: “The winner is Xin Jin’s team.” The spectators erupted in surprise. Yan Zhao was astonished, unable to believe it: “What did they do to incur such divine wrath?” Wu Ying Ying: "Just their bad luck!" Bi Lan: "..." --- Chapter 213 Truly unfortunate, thought Ren Qing Yue. Who could have predicted that the unassuming spellcaster would possess a Variant Lightning Spirit Root and wield such powerful lightning magic, perfectly countering the three gold-element sword cultivators? The three spellcasters from the Kun Ling Sword Sect exited the stage in defeat, transported instantaneously to a far-off view platform as a flash of light engulfed them. Zuo Xun turned and left, unperturbed. Only then did the onlookers around the stage regain their senses, exploding into chatter. The unexpected outcome of this match was astonishing. The seeded team that had garnered much pre-match attention was unexpectedly eliminated in an upset, while the three who had been randomly grouped together won in just one move, with two members not even taking action. Speculation arose that these three might be the dark horses of this Immortal Sect disciple assembly. On the floating platform, Yao Shenzi exclaimed with a gasp of enlightenment: “Wasn't that a Thunder Descent spell? Could it be a disciple of that old fellow?” Su Zi Jun, with less experience than Yao Shenzi, asked: “Who do you mean by that?” “It’s the old man known as Lei Lingzi,” Yao Shenzi waved dismissively. “His temperament is horrible, and his standards are exceptionally high, so despite living for tens of thousands of years, he has never found a disciple he is satisfied with. I have always had a poor relationship with him.” Su Zi Jun remained silent, thinking: Weren’t you also just recently apprenticing someone? Regardless of the discussions, the matches continued. The elder in charge of the drawing selected the lots again, two glowing spheres appearing, showing the numbers: Ji and Geng. As the glow returned, the inscriptions on Yan Zhao’s bamboo plaque dimmed. She sighed helplessly: “Not chosen again.” Bi Lan glanced at the plaque in her hand and then looked at the few others who were also not drawn. She murmured, “But it seems our opponents have been confirmed.” Their next opponents’ leader, Song Pi, carried a large artifact on his back, wrapped in cloth, and they were unsure of its purpose. Behind him were two others, a man and a woman; the man was from the Blade Sect, while the female disciple was a fire-element spellcaster. The team seemed balanced, though not particularly remarkable at first glance. However, the calm demeanor of their leader, Song Pi, who didn’t even flinch at the previous thunder, led Bi Lan to suspect they would be tough opponents. But that was a concern for later. For now, it was Xuan Yuan Mu’s team that was drawn. Their opponents also included an artifact cultivator, along with a beastmaster and an alchemist. Their lineup was quite similar to Yan Zhao’s team. Bi Lan watched the stage, her gaze lingering on Xuan Yuan Mu for a long time, feeling a mix of emotions. The overseeing elder announced the beginning of the battle, and both sides refrained from making rash moves. On the other side, the beastmaster summoned their spirit pet—a half-man-tall, muscular leopard. The leopard’s cultivation level was impressive, its presence exuding a wild and fierce aura that reverberated through the arena. The alchemist and artifact cultivator retreated behind the beastmaster, ready to provide support in battle. Feeling the leopard's green eyes on her, Chen Er gasped, showing her teeth nervously: “Isn’t this unfair, them outnumbering us?” Ye Yan Ran glanced at her: “If you're scared, step aside.” “Who do you think you're underestimating? I’m not scared!” Chen Er lifted her chin defiantly, “The two of you should step back. After all, I am the spellcaster here. One of me is worth you both.” Without hesitation, Xuan Yuan Mu took a large step back, leaving Chen Er to face the opponent. “Then you handle this.” Chen Er: “…” How could she, a mere half-baked spellcaster, possibly take down a spirit leopard at the Golden Core stage! It might even be in the latter stages of the Golden Core! Casting spells required reciting incantations and forming seals, while the leopard only needed to open its mouth to bite! If it gave chase, she wouldn’t be able to outrun it either. Chen Er despaired and suggested, “Maybe we should just surrender.” Ye Yan Ran rolled her eyes: “What a great teammate you are.” Chen Er felt no shame in admitting, “Thanks, I think I’m doing okay.” With that, a bestial roar echoed from not far away. Chen Er flinched, and Ye Yan Ran instinctively stepped forward, shielding her, drawing her sword in preparation for the leopard's attack. The leopard watched them coldly, lowering its body, ready to pounce at any moment. “Oh dear, it’s terrifying,” Chen Er shivered. Cowering behind Ye Yan Ran, her hands moved quickly, forming seals and reciting incantations, preparing a spell she wasn’t very skilled at but packed a punch, ready to counteract the spirit leopard. Throughout, Xuan Yuan Mu's expression remained emotionless. Though seemingly inaction, Chen Er trusted she was concocting a strategy. The leopard roared again, baring its fangs and claws at Chen Er’s group. Xuan Yuan Mu and Ye Yan Ran charged forward to intercept. The leopard, agile and powerful, engaged the two of them alone. Attention from the three behind them shifted to Chen Er. Chen Er’s expression changed subtly, a sense of impending crisis overwhelming her. What would happen if those three attacked? This thought crossed her mind, and Chen Er steeled her resolve: strike first! She finished forming her seals and chanting her incantation, channeling her energy into the spell. Suddenly, a fierce wind swept through the arena, drawing the attention of everyone on the platform, as well as those watching below. Startled, the beastmaster quickly recalled the spirit leopard. Ye Yan Ran and Xuan Yuan Mu briefly sighed in relief. The wind intensified, causing clouds in the sky to gather densely over the platform. Abruptly, a single drop of icy rain fell, splashing onto the platform's surface. The beastmaster’s team watched warily, while Ye Yan Ran and Xuan Yuan Mu secretly hoped that Chen Er's impressive move would replicate the shocking results seen with the spellcaster previously. If so, they wouldn’t mind giving her some credit. Ye Yan Ran mused. More and more rain fell, turning into a downpour. The few clouds barely contained this amount of rainfall, all inundating the platform at once. Soon after, the rain ceased, and the wind calmed. Nothing happened. The trio on the other side looked bewildered. Chen Er: “…Ahem, it failed.” Ordinarily, if this spell were to succeed, it wouldn’t just result in heavy rain. Xuan Yuan Mu and Ye Yan Ran: “…” Well, if nothing else, the soaking rain had certainly cleared their minds. The onlookers around them were momentarily stunned, each wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Floating in the air, Su Zi Jun burst out laughing on the spot. Yao Shenzi was equally amazed. "Which family does this intriguing young disciple belong to? How did she make it to the second round?” Ying Xiao cast an awkward glance at Yuan Hai Zhen Ren. The latter kept his gaze steady, eyes on his nose, nose to his heart, remaining completely unmoved. Clearing his throat, he replied primly, "Seniors, please continue watching the match." On the stage, the three opponents shook off their shock, quickly exchanging looks and understanding each other instantly. The leader immediately formed a hand seal, and the leopard beside him let out a roar, its sound rolling outward from the central platform, audible even from the distant stands. “Chen Er, watch out!” Ye Yan Ran was the first to notice their opponent’s intent. Her warning had barely left her lips when the leopard suddenly accelerated, swayed near Xuan Yuan Mu as if to fake a move, then darted around him, heading straight for Chen Er. The air was thick with a bloody scent as the spirit leopard lunged, its maw terrifyingly wide. Chen Er swung a water whip behind her, striking the leopard's head, causing it to stagger. Though angered, the spirit leopard pursued her relentlessly. The leopard’s speed was indeed formidable, and Chen Er struggled to keep up, her subsequent water whips missing their mark entirely. The spirit leopard closed in, seeming as if Chen Er had no room to defend. Ye Yan Ran and Xuan Yuan Mu had been bypassed by the leopard and were too far to help. Were they to watch helplessly as the leopard struck Chen Er? Naturally not. With the spirit beast almost upon her, Chen Er felt all hope was lost. Just then, she heard a sharp phoenix cry. In the corner of her vision, a multicolored phoenix ascended, transforming into a swift moving cloud as it barreled toward her. The phoenix, surprisingly fast, intercepted right as the leopard was about to strike, body-checking it midair and sending it skidding across the ground before landing with a crash. Both those on the stage and in the stands were fixated on the vibrant phoenix, with Chen Er herself struck by disbelief. Could it be... Huang Er? Around the floating islands, Xuan Yuan Kai's face fell, his eyes wide with anger. Si Kong Xuan raised an eyebrow but remained silent. Surrounding the stage, Bi Lan covered her mouth in shock, stifling a gasp. On stage, Xuan Yuan Mu continued her spellcasting motion, the multicolored phoenix circling above before returning and landing on her shoulder. The spectators then saw clearly: the phoenix was not a living creature but a large spirit puppet crafted from intricate mechanisms. It perched regally on Xuan Yuan Mu's shoulder, appearing haughty and proud, while its creator, Xuan Yuan Mu, remained indifferent. Notably, her cold demeanor intensified as she glimpsed a certain man on the floating island through the corner of her eye. The spirit leopard dropped with a whimper, struggling to regain its footing to return to its master. But Xuan Yuan Mu wouldn’t allow it. She altered her hand seal, and the phoenix screamed and launched itself once more at the spirit leopard. This time, its approach was fierce, even carrying a hint of lethal intent. The rules stipulated that one must not inflict true harm on competitors, yet it said nothing about not harming spirit beasts. The opposing beastmaster paled in horror, hastily employing a shifting technique to swap places with his pet. Facing the oncoming malevolence, he managed only to complete the swap, unable to do anything else, as the colorful phoenix shot towards him like an arrow, poised to pierce his body in mere moments.