204 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Han Fu Feng closely pursued Yan Zhao, who retreated step by step. The icy surface obscured her view, leaving her unable to see Han Fu Feng's moves clearly. She had to rely on the sounds she could pick up with her ears to determine his position. Her cultivation was far inferior to her opponent's, making her nearly a sitting duck. Although knocking her out would have required little effort from Han Fu Feng, he mysteriously refrained from direct action. Instead, he circled Yan Zhao, forcing the Little Fox to engage him. Knowing she was not a match for him, Yan Zhao stopped struggling, waiting for the Little Fox to hold him off while she pondered her strategy. Was there a way... Ah, she thought of something. Yan Zhao took out the copper lamp she had snatched in the previous battle. This copper lamp was half a head taller than Yan Zhao, requiring her to stand on tiptoe to reach the wick. However, Yan Zhao didn't consider this a problem. After setting the lamp on the ground, she immediately cast a spell, planning to ignite it. Han Fu Feng perceived Yan Zhao's intention, and in the midst of confronting the Fox, he suddenly reversed his grip and slashed a sword towards Yan Zhao's wrist. The Little Fox exclaimed, "!" She quickly cast an ice shard that collided with the sword's energy mid-air, shattering the ice into fragments that grazed Yan Zhao's hand, leaving a slight cut. Yan Zhao remained undeterred, resolute in her ignition spell. With a flicker, the flame ignited. The sword energy cut through the air towards the flame, snuffing it out instantly. Successfully thwarting Yan Zhao, Han Fu Feng landed lightly on his toes and lunged forward once more, a murderous glint in his eyes as he thrusted his sword at Yan Zhao. A fierce growl erupted as the nine-tailed fox emerged behind Yan Zhao. Her eyes glowed with a chilling light as her nine tails flared out, transforming into whips that shot towards Han Fu Feng. Han Fu Feng's eyes lit up with excitement, and he shouted, "Bring it on!" The nine fox tails clashed with the sword in his hand, causing an earth-shattering explosion as the stone platform collapsed. The more Han Fu Feng fought, the more exhilarated he became. Despite being just a mid-level sword cultivator, he managed to face off against the Nine-Tailed Fox as if battling a formidable master. Around the Mirror Platform, the audience frowned. Yuan Hai Zhen Ren cast a quick glance before retracting his gaze, his expression indifferent. "The outcome is decided." On the Mirror Platform, after Han Fu Feng slashed to prevent Yan Zhao from lighting the lamp, he suddenly fell into a frenzy, dancing and shouting madly, in stark contrast to his earlier calm demeanor upon entering the ring. Yan Zhao stood calmly behind him, holding a lamp with the Fox beside her, as Han Fu Feng seemed to lose his mind, circling the platform and releasing sword moves repeatedly. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground without warning, appearing as if heavily injured. Contemplating, Yan Zhao walked over and kicked him. Though he showed signs of excitement, he lay unconscious on the ground. He must be trapped in some sort of dream. Yan Zhao shook the copper lamp in her hand, watching the flame flicker at the wick. "This magical artifact is really powerful," Yan Zhao couldn't help but praise. This battle was much easier than the last, all thanks to the advantages provided by this copper lamp. She raised her head and asked the referee elder by the platform, "Did I win?" The elders were silent in unison. After a moment, the eldest among them answered, "Yes, you won." Yan Zhao put away the copper lamp and nonchalantly descended the platform with her Little Fox. Han Fu Feng, meanwhile, was swept away by a beam of light and transported elsewhere. Below the platform, Wu Ying Ying could hardly contain her joy and rushed to Yan Zhao with enthusiasm. Her face flushed with excitement, she couldn't articulate her admiration and could only repeat, "Wow, Young Lady Yan, you are really amazing! You're incredibly amazing!" Her simple praise couldn't fully express the awe and respect she felt inside. Bi Lan, being more composed than Wu Ying Ying, although surprised by the unexpected outcome, felt that somehow everything fell into place as it should. While the situation unfolded with an unexpected twist again, Xuan Yuan Mu found deep interest in the copper lamp Yan Zhao was holding. But with Bi Lan standing by Yan Zhao's side, this became a barrier she couldn't cross. Xuan Yuan Mu decided to set aside her thoughts for the moment. It was then Xuan Yuan Zheng voiced his grievances, "Where did this woman from the Beast Master Sect come from? With just that bit of cultivation, how can she form a pact with a Nine-Tail? Relying on external objects to narrowly defeat Brother Fu Feng, and still not disqualified?" Xuan Yuan Zheng jumped to his feet, yet Jue Lan beside him remarked, "The competition rules do not prohibit the use of magical artifacts." "But such a match is simply unfair!" Xuan Yuan Zheng remained unconvinced. He knew how formidable Han Fu Feng was, and for such a master to be eliminated in such a humiliating way, he found it profoundly unjust. A soft female voice then reached him, "Luck itself is a form of strength." Xuan Yuan Zheng raised his head in anger and saw a familiar figure before him. It was Xuan Yuan Mu. Xuan Yuan Zheng's face darkened instantly, "I'm talking to Brother Qiu, what does this have to do with you?" "Naturally, it has nothing to do with me," Xuan Yuan Mu's lips curled in a faint smile, an air of pity in her gaze, "But watching you make a fool of yourself is quite amusing, so I came over to take a look." Xuan Yuan Zheng bristled like a cat whose tail had been pinched, eyes wide with rage, "You think I'm disgraceful? You actually said I'm disgraceful?!" Just as he was about to retort, saying, "Who could be more disgraceful than you?" Xuan Yuan Mu interrupted him, "That copper lamp is of high grade. Once bonded as a contractual item, it's hard to sever. Yet Young Lady Yan was able to easily take it from Song Pi. What does this tell you?" Xuan Yuan Zheng froze, instinctively following Xuan Yuan Mu's words in thought. Yet, he couldn't grasp the reasoning. Indeed, why? Seeing his bewildered expression, Xuan Yuan Mu scoffed lightly, "Truly foolish." Xuan Yuan Zheng, once more, was incensed. Oblivious to his anger, Xuan Yuan Mu casually added fuel to the fire, "It shows that Young Lady Yan's soul power is ten times that of Song Pi's. If you can't even understand such a simple situation, don't you think that's disgraceful?" Chapter 220 Xuan Yuan Zheng was dumbstruck, lost for words. Xuan Yuan Mu glanced at him with disinterest, unwilling to engage further, and turned to leave. Only once Xuan Yuan Mu had gone did Xuan Yuan Zheng snap back to reality, stomping in frustration, "It's outrageous!" Jue Lan watched Xuan Yuan Mu's departing figure with a slight frown, yet didn't step forward to support Xuan Yuan Zheng. Xuan Yuan Mu returned to Ye Yan Ran's side, where Chen Er smiled at her with narrowed eyes, "I didn't expect you to be so warm-hearted." "..." Xuan Yuan Mu pondered briefly before replying, "It's just that I can't stand some people's arrogance." Ye Yan Ran looked past Xuan Yuan Mu, towards Xuan Yuan Zheng, who continued to mutter curses behind her. It was no secret that Xuan Yuan Mu didn't get along with her family. Xuan Yuan Kai's intentions to promote the branch family, Xuan Yuan Zheng, as the heir were also well known. The two sides were at odds, incapable of peaceful coexistence. Following the last battle, once the referees cleaned the platform, another draw took place. Two glowing spheres shot out, spinning swiftly in the air. As the mist cleared, two golden names were revealed: Wu Ying Ying, Jue Lan. Seeing his name, Jue Lan initially paused, then his mouth curled into a meaningful smile. With a wave of his long sleeve, he gracefully leaped onto the platform. Then, he cast his gaze towards Yan Zhao's group, pinpointing Wu Ying Ying amongst those beside Yan Zhao and Bi Lan. Without hesitation, Wu Ying Ying shouted, "I forfeit!" The disciples around the platform and the elders observing outside the Mirror Platform fell silent in unison. Jue Lan laughed heartily, offering, "Junior Sister Wu, you are quite amusing. Come up and spar with me; I will show restraint and won't harm you." Wu Ying Ying replied, "No need!" Knowing she would certainly lose, she had no desire to go up and take a beating. What she regretted was having to briefly part from Yan Zhao and Bi Lan. After Wu Ying Ying conceded, the referee elder declared, "Jue Lan wins." As the words fell, a white glow appeared beneath Wu Ying Ying's feet. She bid farewell to Yan Zhao and Bi Lan, eyes glistening with unshed tears, saying, "I will go ahead..." "..." Bi Lan responded calmly, "We will meet again soon." As the glow enveloped her, Wu Ying Ying's gaze drifted slightly further to where Zuo Xun stood, leaning against a pillar. Zuo Xun seemed to have sensed something, and the moment she glanced over, he raised his eyes slightly. Thus, their gazes met across the distance, unexpectedly locking onto each other. Neither of their expressions changed, and as the light from the teleportation array flared up and faded away, Zuo Xun lowered his gaze, acting as if nothing had happened. With a hint of sentiment, Bi Lan watched Wu Ying Ying depart before turning as the third round of drawing came to an end. The referee elder announced the results: "Xuan Yuan Mu versus Bi Lan!" Her demeanor stiffened, and she immediately discarded the melancholy of briefly parting with her friend. Bi Lan turned around to see Xuan Yuan Mu, who, like her, seemed slightly surprised by the draw's outcome. Chen Er exclaimed, "What kind of luck is this, drawing Little Lan?" From what she'd heard from Chen Er about some affairs within the Xuan Yuan clan, Ye Yan Ran sighed softly, "Perhaps this is fate." Xuan Yuan Mu remained silent. One could call it fate, or perhaps more accurately, a tragic fate. She had brought Bi Lan into the Xuan Yuan clan, and now Bi Lan stayed there in her stead. With her parents as they were, having passed so many years, Bi Lan must have endured considerable grievances. Even a wastrel like Xuan Yuan Zheng could publicly bully Bi Lan while Xuan Yuan Kai turned a blind eye to it all. To say Xuan Yuan Mu was entirely unaffected would be untrue. Yet, she couldn't forgive Bi Lan. Even though Bi Lan might have been deceived initially and used by her parents, Bi Lan still became an accomplice in the harm against Huang Er. The issue remained unresolved. Bi Lan sought a face-to-face confrontation, and Xuan Yuan Mu couldn't avoid it. It seemed destined by the heavens that they would have this confrontation. Xuan Yuan Mu's emotions only wavered briefly before regaining calm. She then leapt lightly onto the platform, expressionless. Simultaneously, Bi Lan also moved, arriving on the stage alongside Xuan Yuan Mu. They took positions on opposite sides of the platform, gazing at each other from afar. Bi Lan took a deep breath and gently called out, "Sister Mu." Xuan Yuan Mu gave her no reply. She raised her arm, and a magnificent Phoenix Spirit Puppet appeared instantly, poised on her shoulder, ready for battle. Determined to fight to resolve their karma, Xuan Yuan Mu's stance was clear. Understanding Xuan Yuan Mu's intention, Bi Lan steeled herself and solemnly took out her own weapon. The Thousand-Machine Compass. Xuan Yuan Mu's gaze sharpened; she had seen Bi Lan use it before and naturally recognized it. It was the last artifact she had crafted with her own hands before leaving the Xuan Yuan clan. Back then, she had a falling out with her parents and left in a hurry, leaving this item behind unintentionally, not expecting it to end up in Bi Lan’s hands. Originally intended as a gift for Bi Lan, it was better in her hands than being ruined by her parents. It was clear that over the years, Bi Lan had taken great care to protect the Thousand-Machine Compass, with barely any visible damage on its surface. However... "You can't defeat me using that," Xuan Yuan Mu stated icily. Bi Lan, firm in her resolve, remained unmoved by Xuan Yuan Mu's attitude and asserted confidently, "Victory or defeat isn't for you to decide, Sister Mu." Seeing this, Xuan Yuan Mu chose to say no more. The referee elder announced, "A friendly sparring match, stop upon contact!" The Phoenix let out a cry and soared into the sky, its wings spreading to a width of ten feet, eyes glinting coldly. Bi Lan was immediately overwhelmed by the pressure emanating from Xuan Yuan Mu. Over the years, Xuan Yuan Mu's cultivation had grown yet again, whereas Bi Lan had only recently broken through to the Golden Core stage. The gap in their strength was significant, and just as Xuan Yuan Mu had indicated, her chances of victory were slim.