212 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Then, the jade boxes were handed over to Zuo Xun and Le An respectively. Though the prominent rumor was that they contained Yuan Qing's relics, Ying Xiao had also prepared some very nice treasures as rewards for the second and third-place winners. Zuo Xun's objective had been the sword from earlier, so he didn't care much about what else he might receive. Without even looking, he put away the jade box. Le An suppressed the jealousy and frustration in his heart and respectfully thanked Ying Xiao. With a flick of his sleeve, Ying Xiao stood with his hands behind his back and announced loudly, "The gathering of the disciples of the Immortal Sect ends here. Soon, the Immortal Alliance will host an open sparring session at the Mirror Platform. There are no restrictions on participation, and we warmly invite experts from all sects and schools to join." His voice carried far, igniting enthusiasm among the disciples on the viewing platform. However, most remained captivated by the treasures and instinctively followed Yan Zhao's movements. God of Medicine stood up and waved at Yan Zhao, "My dear disciple, are you planning to participate in the sparring session?" Yan Zhao shook her head. "I'm not participating." According to her plans, she needed to find Bi Lan and she was also worried about Ye Yanan's injuries, so naturally, she wouldn't waste time at the sparring session. "Very well." The God of Medicine smiled warmly, "Then let's head back, my dear disciple." Hearing that Yan Zhao would accompany the God of Medicine, most of the lurking individuals abandoned their plans. Still, a few decided to observe quietly for the time being. Transforming, the little fox leaped into Yan Zhao's arms. With a wave of the God of Medicine's long arm, Yan Zhao rose into the air, was grasped by the shoulder, and swiftly left the Mirror Platform. The void rippled as the master and disciple duo passed through the array surrounding the Mirror Platform. Yan Zhao heard noises emanating from the furnace hanging at her waist. Xiao Jin flapped its wings, filled with agitation. Below the Mirror Platform, the ancient grayish-white dragon opened its eyes once more. Sensing something, Yan Zhao followed this pull, and in her falling view, unexpectedly met the half-open dragon's eyes. Suddenly, the dragon raised its neck, its wings trembled as if preparing to take flight. Merely a slight shake of its wings caused the entire Mirror Platform to quake violently. Ying Xiao's face changed color, and he cursed, "Miserable beast!" Why wake at this moment? Nine stone pillars began to descend, embedding themselves into the ground, their bases piercing through the Mirror Platform, their tips flashing with electricity. The dragon's wings had barely unfurled when a bolt of lightning struck, exploding with a deafening roar. Yan Zhao's eyes widened in disbelief, "The dragon is alive!" Simultaneously, she saw that its neck was chained, an iron pillar nailed into its spine, mirroring the scene that had once imprisoned Xiao Jin. From the distant viewing platform, the spectators gasped, unexpecting the massive three-headed dragon beneath the Mirror Platform to be a living being. Disciples who had just descended from the Mirror Platform felt a chill run through them. Had the dragon awakened while they were still above, imagine how perilous it could've been. Held firmly by the God of Medicine, Yan Zhao continued to descend. The God of Medicine, unsurprised by Yan Zhao's revelation, calmly replied, "This creature is one of the ancient divine beasts tamed by the Immortal Alliance. With it here, even with otherworldly power, none of us would dare trespass the Mirror Platform." Had anyone attempted to take the divine sword by force, they would surely not have left in one piece. Yan Zhao watched the dragon's struggle within the flickering lightning, a sudden pang of sorrow rising within her. The Mirror Platform imprisoned the dragon, extracting its vitality to power its operations. It wasn't submissive by choice, merely too weak to resist. Within the alchemy furnace at her waist, Xiao Jin let out a keen cry, the self-destruction of the previous three-headed dragon had left it deeply scarred. Watching as the Mirror Platform faded into the distance, feeling Xiao Jin's turbulent emotions, an inextricable feeling of parting lingered in Yan Zhao's heart, prompting her to gently stroke the alchemy furnace for comfort. One day, she vowed, she would return. The surrounding scenery changed as the God of Medicine brought Yan Zhao back to solid ground. Yan Zhao glanced left and right, puzzled, "Master, why are we at Myriad Treasures Palace?" The God of Medicine looked serious, "To hide." Yan Zhao was confused. "Huh?" Before she could figure out what they were hiding from, the God of Medicine grabbed her collar and dashed into the purple bamboo forest. Soon, several different auras drifted overhead, but the protective barrier of Myriad Treasures Palace kept them at bay, deterring any from intruding easily. The God of Medicine patted his chest, "Just as expected, someone gave chase! Lucky we ran fast!" Just as he sighed in relief, he turned and saw a figure in purple standing silently behind him. Startled, the God of Medicine exclaimed, "How'd you appear without making a sound?" Su Zijing, with a heavy expression, glanced at him, "Senior, you're in trouble." Typically quick to snap back at Su Zijing, the God of Medicine was unusually silent today. His expression was rarely this stern and serious. Yan Zhao, baffled, couldn't understand what was going on. "Master, godmother, what are you talking about?" The little fox in her embrace frowned. Su Zijing sighed softly but didn't immediately explain to Yan Zhao. Instead, she addressed the God of Medicine, "Senior, let's move to the front hall. Yuanhai Zhenren has been waiting for quite a while." Yuanhai Zhenren? Perplexed, Yan Zhao blinked, refraining from asking further. Following the God of Medicine and Su Zijing out of the bamboo grove, she soon arrived at the main hall of the Myriad Treasures Palace. The place was where she had acknowledged Su Zijing as her godmother. Upon the stone steps leading to the hall, two familiar figures appeared—Chen Er and her master, Yuanhai Zhenren. Chen Er looked despondent and merely lifted her eyes slightly upon seeing Yan Zhao and the others approach, a shadow of her usual vibrant self. Everything seemed out of the ordinary, and Yan Zhao felt a growing anxiety. Once inside the hall, standing not far from Chen Er, Yan Zhao uncharacteristically initiated conversation, "How is Ye Yanan?" Although disheartened, Chen Er replied, "His life is not at risk, but he's still not awake." Yan Zhao couldn't find the right words to console Chen Er; if she were in her place, she would likely be more devastated. Lowering her head, she stroked the little fox, feeling a tinge of melancholy. The competition was over, yet she hadn't seen her senior sister. Did her senior sister show up at all? Su Zijing walked slowly to Yuanhai Zhenren, exchanged the usual courtesies, then asked, "What do you two make of today’s events?" In Yan Zhao's embrace, the little fox perked up its ears. Yuanhai Zhenren remained silent. The God of Medicine bared his teeth in a grimace, "Looks like I'm in for a heap of trouble." Chapter 229 "Why?" Yan Zhao asked, full of doubts. "Why do you say that, Master?" The God of Medicine reached out to ruffle her hair and sighed helplessly, "Today at the Mirror Platform, when Ying Xiao presented the Clear Frost Sword to you publicly, it was to make you the bait." Bait? Yan Zhao was still unclear. Yet, the little fox's eyes suddenly turned incredibly sharp. So that's how it is. For several years, the Immortal Alliance had been promoting the relic of Yuan Qing as the reward for the champion of the Immortal Sect's disciple tournament. They knew someone was searching for Yuan Qing's relics. Perhaps it was Nangong Yin, or maybe someone else; this individual was also a target of the Immortal Alliance. At today's tournament, although many seemed ready to act, no one dared make a move. With the divine sword now in Yan Zhao's possession, wherever she went, someone would inevitably follow. The moment the mantis appears, the oriole would be ready to pounce. Having openly acknowledged Yan Zhao as his disciple, the God of Medicine's sect was inevitably implicated. In that situation, denying it would only give Yun Daozi a pretext to exploit. If the Immortal Alliance conducted an investigation, Yan Zhao's true identity would swiftly be unveiled. The Immortal Emperor had accused Yuan Qing of stealing a celestial treasure. Thus, Yuan Qing's offspring appearing at the Immortal Alliance disciple gathering was akin to walking straight into a trap. By stepping forward as her guardian and having Su Zijing corroborate, the God of Medicine understood Ying Xiao's ulterior motives. Not wanting further complications, they chose to play along, avoiding deeper scrutiny. However, for this, the God of Medicine would have to pay a price. "Put simply, the whole world now knows it's my disciple who took the Clear Frost Sword. Anyone wanting it will target my sect." The God of Medicine shook his head, feeling as if his hair had turned a few shades grayer. He had a few disagreements with the Immortal Alliance before. This time they played a major move, and he walked right into it to take the fall himself. Yuanhai Zhenren spoke up, "I hold no interest in the motives of the Immortal Alliance. If that's all there is to discuss, then my disciple and I will take our leave." "Please, wait!" Su Zijing called out to stop him. Yuanhai Zhenren paused momentarily. Su Zijing quickly added, "In the past, you were a rival of Yuan Qing, competitive yet respectful. Now that she is gone, and the Immortal Alliance is using her relics to set a trap, aren't you at all angry or regretful?" Yuanhai Zhenren replied indifferently, "When a person dies, it is as if a lamp is extinguished. She came into the world with nothing and left with nothing. She's dead, and I will naturally find another opponent. What does it matter to me where her sword ends up, and why should I feel regret?" Su Zijing suddenly found herself at a loss for words, but the God of Medicine chimed in, "You were always bested by Yuan Qing, so there's little reason for you to mourn. Have you found your next opponent yet?" Yuanhai Zhenren remained silent, feeling the urge to yank out the old man's beard for his lack of tact. With a cold snort, Yuanhai Zhenren said, "No need for your concern." A tense silence fell over the hall until Su Zijing took a deep breath, abandoning any formal pretenses and speaking candidly, "Surely you can sense it, the human world is in turmoil, riddled with unrest, indeed a season of calamity." "The cause, you see, is the Immortal Emperor nearing the end of his life, and the disappearance of the God Source Fruit. Factions within the celestial realm are seizing this chance to vie for power, and several celestial forces are already encroaching upon the human world, subtly consuming its strength." "They dared not be so brazen before solely because Yuan Qing was here," Su Zijing's tone was grave. "Now that Yuan Qing is gone, and her relics are being used like pawns, it shows how little they regard the practitioners of our world." She turned to Yuanhai Zhenren, "If we continue as a disorganized rabble, our world will eventually perish. We need a leader to unite us, and there's no one more suited for this than you, at least none amongst us." Yuanhai Zhenren remained silent, but she didn't insist on leaving. After a brief pause, she looked up. "Are you planning to go against the Immortal Alliance?" Su Zijing replied, "The Immortal Alliance was originally the eye of the celestial realm in our world, but that was long ago. They may not all share a unified front today." Born human, she understood intimately humanity's inherent flaws and the relentless allure of power. On this path to the heavens, there are always those striving to climb higher, relentless and ceaseless. Since the goal for cultivators is the pursuit of the Great Way and immortality, they will not indefinitely remain subservient. While the Immortal Alliance can govern us for a time, they cannot control us indefinitely. While surprised by Su Zijing's perspective, Yuanhai Zhenren also found them insightful and had to acknowledge their validity. Yet, even someone as extraordinarily talented as Yuan Qing fell to intrigue and betrayal. As Yuan Qing's former defeated foe, what could she hope to achieve? At that moment, a young disciple arrived outside the hall and respectfully greeted Su Zijing, "Palace Master." Su Zijing looked up, "What is it?" The young disciple then reported, "Senior Brother Qiu has returned." Le An? Su Zijing's face suddenly darkened, letting out a cold snort, "He dares to come back." The young disciple, unaware of the context, assumed the Palace Master was upset with Le An for not securing the championship, and quietly thought: the Palace Master seems so easygoing usually, yet she is surprisingly strict.