233 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

The intense pain drained the color from Yan Zhao's face, causing her to stagger, nearly unable to stand. Fortunately, Yun Daozi had been severely injured earlier, leaving him with little strength. He couldn’t immediately rip away the Divine Origin Fruit, and instead faced fierce resistance. Though the roots of the Divine Origin Fruit appeared delicate, they weren’t easily torn. Sensing external force, they spread further, rooting themselves deeply in Yan Zhao's dantian to fight against Yun Daozi's intrusion. Yan Zhao seized this brief moment of respite, twisting Yun Daozi’s wrist with all her might. Yun Daozi's face contorted in pain, his elegant demeanor vanished, and his blood-stained features twisted into a grimace on his wrinkled, old face. Her powerful grip threatened to snap the bone in his wrist, but like a gambler refusing to let go of his last chance to win, Yun Daozi clung to his opportunity. Despite Yan Zhao's efforts, he wouldn’t release his hold. The two were locked in a stalemate, one that determined life or death. The price of failure was utter obliteration, and neither could afford to yield. Completely consumed by madness, the expression in Yun Daozi's heterochromatic eye was wild and frenzied. As long as he obtained the Divine Origin Fruit, not only would he gain an additional hundred thousand years of life, but he could also transform himself to become a rule-maker. The Celestial Realm had long enjoyed such privileges, holding the Divine Origin Fruit in great regard. Missing this chance meant such a perfect opportunity might never come again. If he lost, he’d be forfeiting nothing more than a feeble, dying life. But if he won, those arrogant bastards in the Celestial Realm would be crushed under his heel. Yun Daozi recklessly channeled all his power through his fingers. Thump. He felt a pulse within the Divine Origin Fruit, akin to a human heartbeat. Right now, he intended to tear this heart out of a living body. Yan Zhao’s face grew even paler. Yun Daozi's hand slowly withdrew, accompanied by the snapping of the fruit's roots. Yan Zhao’s strength quickly drained away, and Yun Daozi was on the brink of triumph. Trembling all over, with blood seeping through her teeth, Yan Zhao was engulfed in a bitter stench. Just then, a flash of blue caught her eye, followed by a delayed piercing sound exploding next to her. The demon-slaying sword cleaved Yun Daozi’s head with immense force, and blood erupted instantaneously. His head spun into the air, landing with a dull thud. The hand clutching the Divine Origin Fruit loosened, and Yan Zhao pushed Yun Daozi away forcefully. The fruit returned to her dantian, and the wound on her abdomen began to heal rapidly under its influence. The perilous brush with death was vividly imprinted in her mind, leaving Yan Zhao still shaken. A tinkling bell sound captured her attention, as a green figure appeared lightly. Ren Qingyue stood with her back to Yan Zhao, raising a hand to summon back the demon-slaying sword, which flew into her grasp. Yan Zhao’s face was ashen and covered in sweat. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but words felt inadequate, and she ultimately remained silent. Ren Qingyue, however, turned to face Yan Zhao, her eyes serious and intense. “Ah Zhao, remember, those who do evil beyond measure can be killed.” Their gazes locked, and Yan Zhao found she couldn’t look away. In an instant, her spirit was captured by Ren Qingyue’s piercing eyes. As her pain subsided, Yan Zhao’s emotions calmed, and she held Ren Qingyue’s gaze, asking, “If I kill someone, will my senior sister be angry?” Ren Qingyue’s heart jumped, her heart clenched into a tight knot. This was why Yan Zhao had hesitated before striking, nearly causing her death due to Ren Qingyue’s rigid and outdated advice. Ren Qingyue felt a deep pang of regret and fear. In earnest sincerity, she replied to Yan Zhao, “If the person you kill truly deserves it, how could I be angry?” Relieved, Yan Zhao let go of her worry. Yet, Ren Qingyue continued, “But if by mistake you harm an innocent…” Yan Zhao tensed up again. Ren Qingyue gently confessed, “Then this karma, I will bear with you.” Yan Zhao was taken aback, hearing a powerful, thunderous sound within her chest. However, the feeling didn’t last long. Over Ren Qingyue’s shoulder, a bloodied head suddenly rose into the air. Yan Zhao’s eyes widened in shock, and before she could think, she lunged forward impulsively. Ren Qingyue, who was just getting ready to continue her conversation with Yan Zhao, was caught off guard as Yan Zhao crashed into her, pushing her aside with force. “!” Ren Qingyue stumbled back two steps, realizing something was wrong just as she regained her footing and turned swiftly. Yan Zhao stood where Ren Qingyue had been moments ago, her left forearm bitten by Yun Daozi’s head. Yun Daozi's appearance was grotesque, nothing like a sage-like cultivator, more like a demon crawling from the deepest layers of hell. Yan Zhao yanked a chunk of his scalp out, tearing the head away from her arm. Ren Qingyue watched, her expression a mix of fear and disbelief. Though she had seen something similar before – like when Ling Jiancheng took Chen Er and she had slit Ling Jiancheng's throat without killing him – the sight remained shocking. Could it be… A terrifying thought surfaced, and Ren Qingyue cried out urgently, “Ah Zhao, be careful!” As Yan Zhao removed Yun Daozi’s head, his expression shifted abruptly, the heterochromatic eye bulging unnaturally and bursting forth grotesquely. Tentacles sprouted, creeping over Yan Zhao’s face, attempting to burrow into her eye with alarming speed. The head in Yan Zhao’s hand soon appeared lifeless, its skin turning a visible gray-ish blue. An unfamiliar force surged into her consciousness, attempting to seize control of her body. Yan Zhao staggered, shaking slightly. She flung away the now-useless head and grasped the slimy, bloody eye covering her face. The eye, undeterred by failure, plotted anew, attempting to possess Yan Zhao's body to gain control over the Divine Origin Fruit. The unexpected turn of events left Ren Qingyue frozen in horror, unable to assist. She couldn’t intervene; the eye was too small a target, and any interference risked injuring Yan Zhao. The blood red eye's tendrils snaked into Yan Zhao's eye socket, aiming to gouge it out and force a merger with her flesh. The invading power rushed into Yan Zhao’s body, seeking to root into her flesh, with Yun Daozi’s spirit following her meridians straight toward the Divine Origin Fruit. Buzz— Yan Zhao’s consciousness trembled, her grip on the blood eye tightened fiercely. In the next moment, she swung her arm, tearing out the offending eye along with her own. To Ren Qingyue and the onlookers, it was a terrifying sight. Those with less bravery or lower cultivation levels nearly fainted, while Nangong Yin, Su Zijun, and other experts were equally shocked, struggling to offer aid in time. Even the blood eye seemed startled, only to emit a sharp, bizarre noise as it violently struggled in Yan Zhao’s grasp. The feeling was not unfamiliar to Yan Zhao. In essence, possession and soul contracts were akin – a clash of souls. The body was merely flesh and blood; the Divine Origin Fruit was her spiritual home. Yun Daozi’s scheme to control the fruit through her body was merely wishful thinking. Her vision from her remaining eye shifted slightly downward, as her spiritual force concentrated and transformed into an invisible blade within the blood eye, swiftly shattering Yun Daozi’s lingering spirit. The blood eye’s struggle grew weak, and its fragmented soul dissipated swiftly. Simultaneously, Yan Zhao caught some unexpected fragments of memory. Yun Daozi's true identity was actually Huang Haidaoren. The individual from Su Zijun’s story, who had laid the foundation for the Celestial Realm's current throne for the former Heavenly Emperor but was disgracefully cast aside and persecuted to death under pretenses of practicing sinister dark arts by the emperor. By chance, the assassins sent by the Heavenly Emperor underestimated the dread of corpse curses. Although Huang Haidaoren's body was destroyed, he didn’t disappear entirely. His spirit resided in a remaining eyeball, allowing him to switch bodies to achieve immortality. Yun Daozi was the highest cultivation he'd possessed. Living on for tens of thousands of years, he hadn’t expected to meet his demise in such an unforeseen way, falling to a naïve, unsuspecting child. With the last trace of his spirit gone, Huang Haidaoren was erased from existence. Ren Qingyue, heart still pounding in fear, watched as Yan Zhao crushed the blood eye, covering the bloody hollow of her eye with her hand. Her heart clenched painfully as she softly called out, “Ah Zhao…” With her remaining eye, Yan Zhao lifted her gaze. Her once-tidy hair had come loose without her realizing, cascading wildly. Her entire face was painted with blood, creating an eerie appearance. Ren Qingyue felt weak at the knees, nearly unable to stand, yet she persisted toward Yan Zhao, reaching out to touch her cheek. Her hand covered Yan Zhao's as she held her injured eye, gripping it tightly. "Ah Zhao, your eye..." Ren Qingyue's voice choked with anguish, and she hesitated to continue. Yan Zhao, looking back at her, had blood droplets hanging like jewels from her eyelashes. Hearing Ren’s words, she lowered her hand. Ren Qingyue felt her heart tighten, bracing for the shock of seeing Yan Zhao's bloodied eye socket. If only she had been more cautious, perhaps none of this... She fought back the tears threatening to spill, determined not to let fear and regret control her. However, the gruesome image she expected to see never materialized. Once Yan Zhao released her hold, although blood lingered around her eye socket, her eyeball remained intact. Her pupil moved fluidly, the light in her eyes as vibrant as ever. Her tone was as calm as usual: "It’s already healed." "..." Ren Qingyue couldn’t manage a smile. Still caught in the aftershock of the nightmare, the moment her guard dropped, tears welled and fell silently from her eyes. Seeing this, Yan Zhao felt at a loss. Assuming Ren Qingyue was worried about her injuries, Yan Zhao hurriedly reassured her, "All my wounds are healed, truly. If you don’t believe me, just poke it." As she spoke, she grabbed Ren Qingyue's hand, intending to bring it to her eye. Ren Qingyue, startled, pulled her hand back hurriedly, exclaiming, "What are you doing?" Yan Zhao blinked at her, gesturing to demonstrate, "To show you it’s really fine, no need to worry." "Ah Zhao." Ren Qingyue suddenly grasped Yan Zhao’s hand, her voice carrying a somber undertone. Yan Zhao looked at her, puzzled. "Though wounds may heal, the experience of pain remains and doesn’t vanish." Ren Qingyue wore an expression filled with heartfelt concern, "Ah Zhao, don’t let yourself get hurt so easily again." Chapter 253 Yan Zhao was moved by Ren Qingyue's unintended display of genuine emotion. She suddenly realized that, beyond reliance and affection, there were far more complex connections between people. At this moment, Ren Qingyue's emotions conveyed through words and expressions allowed Yan Zhao to truly feel her concern. The tears shed by her senior sister were so gentle and touching that Yan Zhao found herself momentarily dazed, her mind blank, unsure how to respond to Ren Qingyue. Simply responding with “okay” seemed too casual and somewhat insincere. Yet if she said nothing, would her senior sister misunderstand and think she was being disobedient? Never before had Yan Zhao been so conflicted over a single response. A sensation thudded in her chest, like the upbeat tempo of a drum, urging Yan Zhao to reply quickly. However, before she could speak, a gust of wind roared past. Ren Qingyue was the first to come to her senses, swiftly waving her sleeve to disperse the dust. Yan Zhao, startled by the sudden change, turned to look behind her. A large and a small ancient dragon continued their fierce battle. The smaller one struggled valiantly, its body covered in wounds, yet its stance remained firm, its steps resolute, determined not to let the gray dragon get past it to attack Yan Zhao.