273 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

This is the Eye of the Nine Nether Abyss. It is the coldest place between heaven and earth. Around the vicinity of the icy pool, not a trace of impurity survives, not even a sliver of the purest yang energy. Upon arriving here, Yan Zhao for the first time in her life felt the pain of her flesh and bones being corroded by an overwhelmingly extreme force. The extreme yin energy seeped into her bones, forming tiny shards of ice in the crevices, sending a chilling sensation throughout her body. Even the Nine-Tailed Fox could no longer endure and curled up tightly in Yan Zhao's embrace. Yan Zhao encouraged it to stay within the Soul Condensing Pearl, but it refused. Thus, she had no choice but to continue holding it close. With each step, Yan Zhao's joints ground against each other, the unimaginable pain slowing her journey towards the icy pool. Yet, she showed no hesitation, stepping forward one after another. The short hundred steps to the icy pool took her three days and nights to traverse. Upon taking the final step, Yan Zhao retrieved the orb of light that sealed Nan Gong Yin. The dark blue light illuminated the icy pool, and Yan Zhao noticed a faint golden glimmer shining from the core of the seal, only to flicker and vanish abruptly. The Positive Clear Seal hidden within was destabilized by the extreme yin energy of the Nine Nether Abyss. Realizing this, Yan Zhao knew the extreme yin energy was indeed affecting the Positive Clear Seal. She sat cross-legged, holding the seal and began chanting. Having once attempted to break the seal, though unsuccessful, Yan Zhao had memorized the method thoroughly and was now more adept in her casting. Spiritual energy gathered and entwined with the seal, the sigil bound within responding to Yan Zhao's call, loosening layer by layer. Engrossed, Yan Zhao's little fox perked up its ears, safeguarding her as she focused. Fortunately, the inhospitable environment deterred others from venturing here. Due to joint pain, the process of breaking the seal was slow, keeping Yan Zhao seated for several months. Unbeknownst to her, the ice shards in her bones gradually melted, and strange patterns on the surface of the divine fruit within her dantian became clearer. The golden light encasing the divine fruit split into two hues, black and white. The black and white energies merged, forming a continuously rotating yin-yang fish within the halo. At one point, Yan Zhao opened her eyes, a flash of gold passing through her gaze. The seal in her grasp suddenly erupted in azure light, and in a blink, energies flowed, dispersing the sigils encircling the seal into the void. Amidst them, the Positive Clear Seal was swept away by the extreme yin energy before it could exert its power. Yan Zhao's eyes brightened with joy. The little fox in her arms struggled to raise its head, witnessing the seal unravel. It worked! The dark blue light soared, rapidly expanding in the air, revealing Nan Gong Yin's figure as it emerged from the twisting void and then plummeted down. Yan Zhao sprang up, extending her arms to catch Nan Gong Yin. Nan Gong Yin, still injured, remained in a continuous slumber, perhaps due to the impact of the Positive Clear Seal. With a flash of light, the surrounding scenery rapidly transformed. With a mere thought, Yan Zhao returned to Yan Yuan Qing's retreat, Nan Gong Yin and the little fox, now transformed back to human form, accompanying her. Yan Zhao carried Nan Gong Yin into Yan Yuan Qing's chamber, placing her beside Yan Yuan Qing. Nan Gong Yin and Yan Yuan Qing lay side by side on the bed. Yan Zhao stood by the bed, momentarily dazed. Upon leaving the Nine Nether Abyss, the little fox visibly recovered, now returning to human form and approaching Yan Zhao's side. Just as she intended to pat Yan Zhao's shoulder in solace, Yan Zhao suddenly spoke, "When Ah Yin wakes and sees her mother, she should be very happy." Ren Qing Yue nodded, "Indeed." Yan Zhao turned to her, continuing, "Because whenever I wake up and see my senior sister beside me, I feel very happy." Caught off guard by such words, especially in front of her master and Nan Gong Yin, Ren Qing Yue couldn't help but feel embarrassed, lightly nudging Yan Zhao's arm to make her stop. Unexpectedly, Yan Zhao asked, "When senior sister wakes up and sees me, will she be happy?" Ren Qing Yue's cheeks tinged red, averting her gaze from the elders, her voice shy, "Yes." Yan Zhao immediately beamed. Even though her senior sister had yet to agree to become her Dao companion, her senior sister's words alone could make her joyful for a long time. Affection is a mysterious feeling. From the little fox to her senior sister, Yan Zhao felt it deepen more and more. "Let's go outside," Ren Qing Yue suggested, "now that the seal is lifted, we should leave here quickly." Yan Zhao agreed, "Alright." Returning to the icy pool of the Nine Nether Abyss, Ren Qing Yue once again transformed into a little fox, cradled by Yan Zhao. Though the extreme yin cold subtly eroded their bodies, the area enclosed by Yan Zhao's arms was infused with a continuous warmth. Yan Zhao invoked the Divine Movement Spell, traversing the hundred steps in a single leap. Ren Qing Yue was taken aback, sensing that something felt different. Upon reflection, she realized Yan Zhao's movements seemed uninhibited now. When they had arrived, it took Yan Zhao three whole days to cover this segment, but now she crossed it in a single stride. Yan Zhao's cultivation must have advanced again, the extent of which Ren Qing Yue wasn't sure, but she felt an undeniable change in Yan Zhao's aura. As they left the icy pool, the environment's temperature slightly increased, the extreme yin energy's purity diminished, gradually restoring sensation to the little fox's stiff limbs. With a leap, Yan Zhao stepped onto a flying sword, retracing their path, returning shortly to the mist-covered region. The beasts born from the blood fog sensed Yan Zhao's aura and dared not approach, allowing her to pass through unhindered. The crevice appeared in sight, and Yan Zhao accelerated, intending to leave in one go. Just as she was about to cross the border between the blood fog and the crevice, several dark figures suddenly emerged from the black abyss. Blades and swords reflected a blood-tinted gleam, striking with unexpected ferocity. Yan Zhao couldn't react in time; the sharp edges were already before her eyes. A clear chime echoed as a silver bell formed a shield, but it shattered almost instantly. Blood splattered, the icy blades unable to pierce Yan Zhao's throat, blocked by a small white fur ball. A sharp blade impaled the little fox's body, its tip pausing an inch from Yan Zhao's neck, a line of crimson trickling down the blade's edge. Yan Zhao's pupils contracted. The surface of her divine fruit, the yin-yang fish whirled violently. The merciless, cold blades retracted, with blood splatters staining Yan Zhao's cheeks. The small fox fell limp into Yan Zhao's arms. The sharp blades returned, the assailant changing tactics after a failed strike, as several weapons gleaming with cold light simultaneously aimed at Yan Zhao. A hum resonated as the void trembled, Yan Zhao's vision cast in blood-red. Several blades pierced through flesh, emitting muffled thuds, yet the sensation differed significantly from their typical targets. Upon closer scrutiny, the blades were aimed at a grey shadow. Yan Zhao's form obscured by the shadow. Where the sword tore open, flesh wriggled. A chill crept into their hearts, a strange premonition arose within the dark figures. On the grey shadow, the wounds suddenly split open. Revealing a mouthful of densely packed, backward-bending sharp teeth. · Dark mist surged, a human silhouette flickering in and out of view behind it. "Reporting to the Lord." The reporting figure dared not lift their head, trembling uncontrollably. "Our deployed forces... have been completely wiped out." Chapter 298 The monstrous maw behind Yan Zhao slowly closed. Its chewing teeth ground against each other, producing a teeth-grating squeak. Amidst the monster, Yan Zhao maintained a composed demeanor, staring blankly down at the little fox in her arms, its fur stained with fresh blood. She lifted the small fox, following the trail of blood to its source, finding its belly impaled by a sword, the wound bleeding profusely. The unexpected attackers possessed great strength, the silver bell's shield dissipating most of the damage in an instant, but the sword's qi inevitably grazed its internal organs. Fortunately, despite the severe appearance of the wound, it was not life-threatening. Yan Zhao swiftly brought out a small vial containing dragon saliva, applying the liquid to the little fox's wound. The small fox opened its eyes, its brow furrowed in disdain, its fox face showing annoyance. However, in its weakened state, it couldn't stop Yan Zhao, and had no choice but to let her "treat" it. After applying the dragon saliva, the wound began to visibly heal and grow. However, dragon saliva can only heal external wounds, leaving internal injuries untouched. Yan Zhao used up the entire bottle of dragon saliva, then took out a high-quality water attribute demon core from her pouch and brought it to the little fox's mouth. The little fox opened its eyes a sliver, hesitated not a moment, and swallowed the demon core. In the demon realm, spiritual energy is relatively scarce. Within the domain of Nine Nether, the dominant extreme yin energy further hampers the little fox’s recovery. It can only rely on consuming demon cores to gather the spiritual energy needed for healing. Thankfully, Yan Zhao is a veritable mobile treasury, her pouch filled with boxes of demon cores across all five elements. Even if she runs out, she can still refine more. After consuming the demon core, the little fox closed its eyes, resting and absorbing the demon core's spiritual energy. Behind her, the grinding noise paused as the monster burped contently, then unexpectedly spat out an item. A small, lustrous white object flew towards Yan Zhao. Noticing something approaching, she instinctively reached out and caught it in her palm. Opening her hand, she found a milky white jade pendant. Within the jade pendant resided a familiar force. Yan Zhao had encountered this very essence not long ago—pure Positive Clear yang energy. Engraved on the jade pendant was the Positive Clear Seal. The monster continued chewing, intermittently spitting out jade pendants, in total producing six pieces. Six individuals, six jade pendants, each inscribed with the Positive Clear Seal. Even with her limited worldly experience, Yan Zhao immediately realized where these pendants originated. The celestial realm. The dark golden gleam in Yan Zhao's eyes gradually faded, softening her demeanor slightly, yet her expression remained heavy, tinged with a lingering air of menace. The little fox’s injury hit her where she was most vulnerable. Though these attackers met their fate being devoured by the monster, Yan Zhao’s anger did not dissipate. She returned the little fox to Yan Yuan Qing's retreat, found a nearby guest room, and settled it upon a bed. The little fox, upon touching the bed, transformed into human form. Clutching the wound on her chest and abdomen, she sat up cross-legged. Seeing Ren Qing Yue's pallor, Yan Zhao anxiously leaned over and asked, "Senior sister, how are you?" "I'm fine," Ren Qing Yue cast a cleansing spell on herself, continuing, "Don't worry." Hearing Ren Qing Yue’s reassurance, Yan Zhao completely relaxed and added, "Those assassins carried jade pendants engraved with the Positive Clear Seal. They came prepared." Ren Qing Yue focused, "People from the celestial realm?" The presence of so many celestial beings in the demon realm was indeed intriguing. Yet, the celestial realm has persistently sought the divine fruit, believing it to be with Yan Yuan Qing's male demon consort. Now that it's known Yan Zhao is the child of Yan Yuan Qing and Nan Gong Yin, the demon realm spreads word, naturally drawing these individuals. Ren Qing Yue inquired of Yan Zhao, "What do you plan to do?" Yan Zhao pondered and replied, "First, return to Nianqing Mountain. Mother, Senior Sister, and Ah Yin all still need to recuperate. Once Mother wakes and Ah Yin has healed, then we seek revenge." Ren Qing Yue felt somewhat relieved. Compared to before, Yan Zhao had indeed matured considerably, now acting with deliberate thought rather than recklessly. "Be careful on your way back," Ren Qing Yue advised, "First, meet with the guardian protectors." The romance that I look forward to is not with the moon, but with meeting you. Consider donating to help the website operation. The site has no ad revenue and is non-profit. Donations are used to cover server expenses. Worried about getting lost? Visit the donation page to add contact details!