232 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Chapter 251 Su Zijun's expression turned stern. "The arrow is already on the string. Following orders might give you a chance at survival, but if even one of you succumbs to complacency or laziness, risking the failure of this mission, you'll be dooming everyone's lives. It will take countless lifetimes in the cycle of reincarnation to cleanse such karmic debt." Hearing this, nobody dared to slack off. Each person poured their magic into the formation with all their might, causing the array to glow brighter and brighter. A fireball struck the formation with a deafening roar, sending a violent tremor through the ground. The explosion deafened everyone within earshot. Yet not a single crack appeared on the formation. Everyone felt invigorated. Fireballs rained down like a torrential storm. The rumbling was relentless, and the surface of the formation rippled as if it were on the verge of collapse amid the fiery onslaught. It was unclear how much time had passed before Bi Lan slowly opened his eyes. The protective array remained intact. Everyone inside, unharmed. "We did it! Amazing!" came a triumphant cheer from the crowd, only to be followed by the sound of multiple bodies collapsing to the ground. Some of the junior disciples, whose cultivation was weaker, were so terrified that their legs gave out beneath them. Real Master Yuanhai looked on in admiration, while Yao Shenzi gave Su Zijun a thumbs-up. Su Zijun stood at the forefront, arms folded with a furrowed brow. Just as Bi Lan was about to speak, a tremendous sound abruptly interrupted her thoughts. Everyone turned to see a beam of red light descending from the heavens, like a rainbow piercing through the spine of an ancient dragon. The colossal dragon's body crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar, sending dust and debris surging like waves in all directions. Nangong Yin stood on the back of the ancient dragon, wielding her Blood Shadow Spear. The dragon let out a desperate howl as she raised the spear high, poised to pierce its skull. Yet, from below came a loud call: "A Yin, wait!" The one who stopped Nangong Yin was Yan Zhao. Nangong Yin's attack paused for a moment. But that brief hesitation allowed the ancient dragon a chance at survival. With a fierce flap of its wings, a wind sharp as blades swept up, throwing Nangong Yin off. Opportunities like this were fleeting. Nangong Yin, not intent on prolonging the battle, leapt aside to avoid the cutting gusts and retreated to Yan Zhao's side. The dragon, having suffered a substantial blow, instinctively retreated, granting Nangong Yin a moment's respite. Yan Zhao released Ren Qingyue from her grip and turned her head, her eyes unintentionally meeting Nangong Yin's gaze. Nangong Yin, taller than Yan Zhao by a head, had to dip her gaze slightly to maintain eye contact. Not a word of blame came from her for Yan Zhao's intervention that delayed the attack. Instead, she asked, "How's the injury?" "I'm fine," Yan Zhao replied, then turned to look at Ren Qingyue. Ren Qingyue was still shaken by the near-fatal injuries Yan Zhao had just suffered. Though she had hoped forming a bond with Yan Zhao might save her, she was not entirely certain it would work. She remained dazed until Yan Zhao addressed her as 'senior sister', pulling her out of her reverie. "I'm alright, it's nothing serious," she hastily replied. It was Nangong Yin who had thwarted the hidden weapon Yun Daozi hurled at her, leaving her unharmed. Only her protective magic had been breached, slightly backlashing her, and her internal energies were a bit unstable due to the emotional turmoil. Ren Qingyue was more worried about Yan Zhao, despite Yan Zhao's assurances of being unharmed. She had witnessed firsthand the severity of Yan Zhao's injuries. Just as Ren Qingyue was about to speak, Yan Zhao preempted her, "Senior Sister, could you look after A Yin's wounds for me?" Nangong Yin lowered her eyes, puzzled but silent. Understanding something, Ren Qingyue furrowed her brow, her voice anxious, "A Zhao, what are you planning?" Yan Zhao avoided Ren Qingyue's gaze, her eyes flickering slightly before focusing on the ready-to-strike ancient dragon. She whispered, "I plan to end this conflict." Ren Qingyue was taken aback, but before she could react, Yan Zhao quickly got to her feet and performed a swift incantation, disappearing several meters away in an instant. Observing Ren Qingyue's helpless expression, Nangong Yin said coolly, "You've saved Zhao'er's life; I owe you a favor." "You owe me nothing," Ren Qingyue replied, having regained her composure. "Even without me, A Zhao wouldn't have died. You anticipated this earlier. Besides, my actions weren't for your sake." Nangong Yin raised an eyebrow. "I know it's not for me, and it may not even be for Yuanqing." Ren Qingyue remained fixated on Yan Zhao, uninterested in Nangong Yin's teasing. Yan Zhao had barely spoken upon waking and already left. Neither the seal, the contract, nor her identity had been mentioned. Yet amidst the tangled web of complex emotions, she was more concerned about Yan Zhao's safety and the apparent change in her demeanor since waking. Yan Zhao had declared her intent to end this strife. How could she do it? What even the combined might of Real Master Yuanhai, Su Zijun, Yao Shenzi, and Nangong Yin failed to achieve—how could Yan Zhao alone manage it? Suddenly, the dragon ceased its attack, and Ying Xiao roared in fury, "Keep attacking! Retrieve the Divine Source Fruit!" He had staked his entire life and future on this battle. With the Divine Source Fruit, he would gain the favor of the Immortal Lords, potentially granting him the chance to break the void and ascend to the Immortal Realm. So close to victory, he would not permit any pause in action. Ying Xiao altered the spells in his hands, and the dragon's fleeting calm was once again shattered by searing pain. It bellowed up at the sky, eyes flaring red. Scenes of shattered mountains, destroyed lands, and devastated homes replayed before it, overwhelming the creature. Its spirit crushed by centuries of torment, its muddled mind now saw every human in its view as those who had once stolen the Divine Source. They all deserved to die. Kill, kill, kill! The dragon's wings thrashed violently, sending waves of slicing wind in every direction. Just as Nangong Yin prepared to retreat, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, unintentional, and spat out a mouthful of blood. Seeing this, Ren Qingyue quickly recalled her Demon-Slaying Sword, dispersing the wind blades with a burst of sword energy, while simultaneously grabbing Nangong Yin by the shoulder, retreating away with her. On the other side, Yan Zhao darted forward, enhanced by her spell, crossing several feet in a single bound. Yet her target was not the ancient dragon. She threaded her way through the masses of wind blades, her wounds healing almost instantly even if she was nicked. It wasn't long before Yan Zhao ascended a set of white jade steps, facing someone. That person was Yun Daozi. Yun Daozi, under the influence of Yan Zhao's word magic, had been grievously wounded, nearly meeting his end. He lay on the ground, taking considerable time to ensure all his organs returned to their proper places. The damage to his insides severe, immediate recovery was impossible. Thus, he wrapped his wounds with magic to hold them in place, hoping they would gradually heal. Given the current chaos of the battlefield, ample time for recovery was clearly lacking. As he opened his eyes, he was met with shadowy light and a cold, expressionless face. Yun Daozi gasped sharply. She appeared gentle and pure, a seemingly kind face, but at her core, she was a merciless predator. She was the true hunter, one who would mercilessly snap the necks of her prey, leaving no room for escape. Yan Zhao turned a hand over, revealing an object in her palm, and questioned Yun Daozi, "Is this yours?" Yun Daozi's eyes trailed downward, spotting a gray-white nail in Yan Zhao's hand. The Soul-Sealing Nail. Yun Daozi's gaze flickered, yet he remained silent. Yan Zhao locked eyes with him, her pupils flickering with a red gleam, commanding, "Tell me." The familiar buzzing returned, and Yun Daozi's mind fogged over, his thoughts fractured. By the time clarity returned, Yan Zhao's expression indicated she had learned the answer she sought. Yun Daozi's swollen eyelids lifted slightly, twin-colored pupils tinged with faint blood beneath the gray sclera. Then Yan Zhao spoke again, "Since you can forge such an item, I trust you can undo its effects as well." She withdrew a cloth bundle from her waist, revealing a small black furnace upon unwrapping it. Popping open the lid, a gleaming bat leapt onto Yan Zhao's hand. Yan Zhao leaned in, regarding Yun Daozi icily, "Remove the Soul-Sealing Nail from it." Unable to resist the power of the Divine Source Fruit, Yun Daozi, eyes vacant, began working as commanded. He formed an incantation with his hand, gathering a small white light at his fingertips. In his grievously weakened state, the remnant magic essence condensed into a thin, pale thread, linking with the nail on Xiao Jin's back. Xiao Jin let out a cry of pain. The white light contended with the nail, locked in a stalemate, yet the outcome remained uncertain. Behind Yan Zhao, murderous intent surged as the ancient dragon closed in, its three heads, with six glowing eyes, spewed malice. The left head unleashed a jet of flame, while the right one blew a fierce gale. The central head, its jaws wide open, aimed to cleave Yan Zhao into pieces, reduce her to ashes, then swallow her whole. Yan Zhao stood with her back to the dragon, motionless. As the overwhelming intent bore down on Yan Zhao, all spectators held their breath, hearts in their throats at the impending scene. Ren Qingyue, in particular, was frantic with worry. Grabbing her Demon-Slaying Sword, she prepared to leap forward to aid. At that moment, Nangong Yin, whom Ren Qingyue had previously saved, reached out to stop her. Confused, Ren Qingyue turned to look at Nangong Yin. Nangong Yin didn't meet her gaze, focused entirely on Yan Zhao. Just as Yan Zhao seemed destined to disintegrate under the dragon's breath, Yun Daozi suddenly pulled forcefully on the white light in his hand. A flash on Xiao Jin's back occurred as the Soul-Sealing Nail slipped free from its joints. Boom— Neither the flame breath nor the wind blade struck Yan Zhao; a golden wall sprang up from nowhere, blocking every lethal attack. Everyone was stunned. Behind Yan Zhao stood another three-headed ancient dragon! This dragon, with gleaming golden scales, was almost half the size of the one summoned by the Celestial Alliance but was still large enough to shield Yan Zhao completely. Most of the flame and wind blades hit Xiao Jin. Under the intense dual assault, Xiao Jin's tough scales burst apart, spraying blood, which flowed down the gaps in its armor. Yet it seemed unfazed by the pain, lunging forward to confront the larger and mightier ancient dragon. Two immense dragons, six heads in total, exchanged streams of dragon breath—a scene perhaps only matched during past invasions by foreign spirits in the three realms' history. Everyone on-site was stunned by this sight. This included Ying Xiao. Suspended high above to avoid the aftermath of the clash among the experts on the mountaintop, Ying Xiao had been confidently controlling the ancient dragon to slay Yan Zhao, only to face this unexpected twist. At his wits' end, upon seeing the additional three-headed dragon, his anger turned to disbelief. "What?! How is this possible?!" Behind Xiao Jin, Yan Zhao faced off with Yun Daozi. She had found the creator of the Soul-Sealing Nail and saved Xiao Jin. Stopping the ancient dragon summoned by the Celestial Alliance would bring this farce to an end. With everything in place, Yan Zhao no longer hesitated, reaching to grasp Yun Daozi's neck. "You wish to kill me?" A sinister gleam flickered in Yun Daozi's crimson eyes, and a cryptic smile played on his lips. Yan Zhao's outstretched hand paused in mid-air, her brow furrowing. A sudden image of Ren Qingyue's stern gaze flashed in her mind. She couldn't kill. At least, she couldn't kill in front of her senior sister. At that moment, a distant shout of alarm came: "A Zhao, watch out!" Yun Daozi's smirk twisted into a savage sneer. Yan Zhao momentarily froze. Then, slowly, she lowered her gaze. A bloodied hand had sunk into her dantian, grabbing at the fully sprouted fruit within. "You little brat, you thought you could kill this old man? You're far from it!" Yun Daozi's face broke into a wild smile as he tightened his grip, attempting to yank the Divine Source Fruit out by the roots. Chapter 252 The roots of the Divine Source Fruit were intertwined with Yan Zhao's meridians, replacing her golden core as the source of her power. Yun Daozi fiercely tugged at the Divine Source Fruit, and with every pull, Yan Zhao's internal channels were twisted, her organs clenched tight.