272 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Fortunately, Jiang Ying didn't stare at Lei Shuang while asking her question, instead casually glancing away to continue surveying their surroundings, maintaining vigilance without noticing any unusual behavior from her. Lei Shuang, feeling a mix of apprehension and excitement, stole a quick glance at Jiang Ying as she picked up the bamboo tube. She aligned her lips over the imprint left by Jiang Ying, swallowing a big gulp. Was it her imagination, or did the water taste exceptionally sweet today? Perhaps the water quality was simply better around here. As Lei Shuang drank, her gaze drifted downward, noticing the red imprint around the mouth of the bamboo tube. Two lip marks overlapped, making the color even more distinct. Lei Shuang couldn't help but feel smug. Sip after sip, soon the water in the bamboo tube was nearly gone. Realizing only a little water remained, Lei Shuang cleared her throat awkwardly and asked Jiang Ying, "Would you like some more?" Jiang Ying found it amusing and replied, "Sure." With a nervous heart, Lei Shuang handed back the bamboo tube while carefully observing Jiang Ying's expression. Jiang Ying showed no change in demeanor, taking the bamboo tube and tilting her head back to drink the remaining water in one go. By chance or fate, Lei Shuang saw Jiang Ying's red lips align once more with the imprint, causing her heart to skip a beat, accompanied by an indescribable joy. Finally, she fully realized she and Jiang Ying were a pair. Jiang Ying didn't disdain her. They could hold hands and share moments together, like drinking from the same cup. Lei Shuang, thrilled, reminded herself, "This degree of interaction is nothing. Be strong!" Meanwhile, Feng Jin, holding the remaining two bamboo tubes, approached Ren Qing Yue and Yan Zhao. Ren Qing Yue intended to let go, but Yan Zhao held on tighter. With no other choice, as Feng Jin was right before them, Ren Qing Yue allowed Yan Zhao to continue holding her hand. Feng Jin offered them the bamboo tubes, which Ren Qing Yue accepted with one hand, saying, "Thank you for the trouble." Yan Zhao also looked up, echoing her thanks alongside her elder sister. "Thank you for the trouble." Ren Qing Yue was slightly surprised, sneaking a glance her way. Yan Zhao seemed genuinely resolved and reconciled. Feng Jin nodded in acknowledgment, "No need to be formal." With that, she turned and left. As Feng Jin's figure gradually receded, Ren Qing Yue remembered someone missing from Yan Zhao's proposed guest list for the wedding. Her feelings were a mix of amusement and bemusement. Yan Zhao's little thoughts always seemed to emerge in unexpected ways. Although Yan Zhao didn't particularly favor Feng Jin, she wouldn't outright oppose her either. Friendships were serendipitous, and Ren Qing Yue didn't plan to interfere with Yan Zhao's. Handing over the bamboo tube, she urged, "Ah Zhao, have some water." Yan Zhao looked at Ren Qing Yue, her eyes sincere and earnest. "Aren't you drinking, sis?" Ren Qing Yue responded, "You drink first. I'm not thirsty." "Oh." Yan Zhao nodded, taking small sips from the tube and then handing back more than half to Ren Qing Yue. After a half-hour rest, they resumed their journey, advancing for half a day to reach the next territory. The demon soldiers patrolling the borders detected Yan Zhao and her group, immediately relaying the information back to the lord's mansion. By the time they arrived near the lord's residence, demons were already waiting in anticipation. With Han Li's token, surrounded by Jiang Ying and her two companions, Yan Zhao naturally attracted attention wherever she went. Upon learning Yan Zhao was the daughter of the demon lord, the local ruler hesitated little before handing over the token and personally escorting Yan Zhao to the territory's edge. Interestingly, after that initial success, the rest of the journey proceeded unexpectedly smoothly. Yan Zhao passed through seven or eight large demon territories unhindered, taking over a month to finally reach Nine Nether. Nine Nether's entrance was a massive chasm that split the demon realm in two, stretching east to west. A dense, black miasma sporadically surged from the bottom, rendering the surrounding thousand-mile radius barren, inhabited only by frail demons. Closer to the chasm, the ambient spiritual energy mixed increasingly with Nine Nether's extreme yin energy. As the yang energy permeated their veins, the group's pace visibly slowed. Feng Jin was the first to halt; being human, her physical strength was the weakest and least able to withstand Nine Nether's energy. Feng Jin stopped, her complexion pale, fingers tinged blue from the rapidly falling temperatures. The extreme yin energy slowly infiltrated her bones, hindered the circulation of spiritual energy, and reduced her body's temperature. "Young Mistress." Jiang Ying spoke, addressing Yan Zhao, "The increasing power of this yin energy surpasses what our bloodlines can endure. We might not be able to accompany you further." Given the dangers within the demon realm, leaving Feng Jin alone wasn't an option. Yan Zhao glanced down at the Little Fox nestled in her arms, asking, "And my junior sister?" The Little Fox lifted its head, nosing Yan Zhao's chin. Thanks to its contract with Yan Zhao, it was shielded by her bloodline from the damaging yin energy and could accompany Yan Zhao into Nine Nether. Understanding, Yan Zhao smiled, giving the Little Fox a quick kiss on the head. It was stunned by the unexpected gesture. Having made her decision, Yan Zhao instructed, "Wait for us outside, and feel free to retreat as needed." Clutching the fox, she turned, invoking speed spells, swiftly traversing several meters towards the chasm in the distance. Yan Zhao's half-demonic lineage, inherited from Nan Gong Yin, left her unaffected by Nine Nether's aura. As she approached the chasm, the rising miasma enveloped her without the slightest reaction. Ren Qing Yue felt the chasm's ominous presence and unconsciously shuddered. Alone, her physical strength would falter against the pervasive yin aura. No wonder even the demons dreaded Nine Nether. It was truly terrifying. Born here, Nan Gong Yin, who conquered the demon realm and became its ruler, was indeed legendary. Given this perspective, Nan Gong Yin and Yan Yuan Qing were perfectly matched, talented beyond measure. They were miraculous figures. Their daughter, Yan Zhao, would undoubtedly carry their legacy forward. Hovering above the chasm briefly to assess her surroundings, Yan Zhao wasted no time diving down. Thick miasma rose like volcanic steam, chilling deeper the further she descended, accompanied by bizarre visions that occasionally flitted past Yan Zhao's field of vision. Following Yan Yuan Qing's guidance, she ignored the strange phenomena, focusing solely on her descent. Inside her, energy began to boil. Her dantian glowed with a veiled golden light, brightening as the darkness intensified, cutting a blood-red rift into the void. The gap widened, replacing the darkness with endless crimson, populated with shifting gray shadows. Her entry stirred the space like blood to beasts, awakening lurking terrors. Countless shadows converged on her immediately. Sensing the encroaching threats, the Little Fox's eyes gleamed sharply. Its emerald eyes, caught in the bloody mist, reflected the looming shadows. From its gaze emerged strange shapes, extending tendrils towards Yan Zhao at lightning speed. Enveloped in frost, the Little Fox swelled, growing fur and unfurling nine long tails where ice-blue flames danced at each tip. The Nine-Tailed Fox raised its head regally, the ancient symbol adorning its brow, asserting its noble lineage. At its emergence, the shadows hesitated, appraising their unfamiliar prey. Yet their bloodthirsty instincts soon overcame, charging once more. *Zing*— The sword's sharp aura cleaved through the void, and the leading gray shadow was sliced cleanly in half. Remarkably, the creature's severed flesh regenerated almost immediately. From the gaping wound, rows of razor-sharp teeth emerged, layers upon layers. Yan Zhao's hand held the Qing Shuang sword, which vibrated fiercely, emitting a resonant sword cry as its sharp aura spread rapidly. The creature's massive mouth was severed into multiple sections by the sword's energy. Simultaneously, a ghostly blue flame consumed the creature's body, reducing the dispersed gray shadows to ashes in an instant. The Nine-Tailed Fox bounded forward with powerful strides, carrying Yan Zhao as they traversed through the void. Within Yan Zhao, the Divine Source Fruit blazed with golden light, her eyes edged with gold and covered by a sanguine shadow. More and more gray shadows converged, forming a canopy before them. Raising her sword, Yan Zhao, embodying a divine force, proclaimed with authority, "Either be vanquished by my hand or submit." Chapter 297 The news of the demon clan's young mistress returning to the demon realm spread swiftly. From one to ten, and ten to a hundred, within just a month, it had circulated throughout the entire demon world. “Is the source of this news reliable?” asked a figure cloaked in shadows, surrounded by swirling demon mist. The informant, visibly terrified, dared not withhold any information. “It’s reliable, there’s no doubt.” “Nan Gong Yin and Yan Yuan Qing…” The voice emerging from the mist carried a mocking tone. “Two women, able to bear a child, truly defying nature's order.” “The ancient legends speak of the birth from dual yin as the beginning of calamity.” The person kneeling felt an overwhelming pressure, shivering uncontrollably. “Go, capture this girl,” ordered the voice. · Gray shadows lunged forward, but were cleaved into halves before reaching Yan Zhao. Icy blue flames surged forward, instantly burning the fragmented shadows to ashes. The number of shadows slain by Yan Zhao's sword was countless. Before her, the sky split open with a vast chasm, and the gray shadows that loomed around her hesitated, unwilling to approach yet unable to abandon her. They continued to hover nearby, uncertain. The Nine-Tailed Fox stepped gracefully through the blood mist, as Yan Zhao's swordsmanship grew increasingly skilled, her foundational sword styles becoming more refined. Another creature was torn into segments by her sword energy, leaving no shadows to obstruct their path. At some indefinable moment, the foremost shadows bowed down, retracting their fangs and no longer showing aggression. The creatures fell silent as the Nine-Tailed Fox carried Yan Zhao through the mass of shadows, none daring to attack her. The duo quickly vanished into the blood mist, prompting the gathered gray shadows to gradually disperse. As the relentless yin energy seeped into Yan Zhao, the golden light enveloping the Divine Source Fruit in her dantian intensified. Nine, being the utmost of numbers, Nine Nether is the source of extreme yin energy, akin to the pure yang energy in nature, representing the pinnacle of cosmic forces. The Divine Source Tree could bloom and bear fruit by absorbing the pure yang energy, and thus the Divine Source Fruit too could thrive by assimilating the extreme yin energy of Nine Nether. The extreme yin energy was absorbed by the Divine Source Fruit, interacting and merging with the extreme yang energy originally stored within it, emerging through the fruit's skin in unusual patterns. However, Yan Zhao, focused solely on reaching the core of Nine Nether’s extreme yin region, remained oblivious to the changes within the Divine Source Fruit. Time became indeterminate as she ventured further until the blood mist dispersed, and she felt solid ground beneath her feet, revealing a dark, deep pool before her.