287 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

As Chen Er approached, Master Yuanhai finally opened her eyes, her expression calm as she looked at Chen Er. "You should give up on this idea; it is simply impossible," she said. With that, she flicked her whisk, and Chen Er was once again pushed down the slope by a wave of snow. This should clearly convey her stance, ensuring Chen Er wouldn't return. Master Yuanhai closed her eyes and resumed her cultivation with peace of mind. Time passed—one hour, two hours, three hours... Indeed. Master Yuanhai felt gratified by Chen Er's potential for growth. Just as she was about to continue her breath meditation, a sudden unease flickered in her heart. Could it be... Master Yuanhai furrowed her brows, unsettled by her own thoughts. With a gentle motion of her fingers, she vanished from the mountain peak. Chen Er trudged through the snow, her steps heavy and uneven, determined to reach the array's boundary, eschewing any light-footed techniques. "Must you go?" Chen Er dropped to her knees with a thud, tears brimming in her eyes. "Master, I must." Master Yuanhai regarded her coldly, fists clenching inside her sleeves, nails digging into her palms. "If you dare leave this mountain, I will no longer acknowledge you as my disciple." Chen Er was stunned. In that moment, her eyes lost focus, but eventually, she locked eyes with Master Yuanhai again, hesitant. Turning her back, Master Yuanhai's stance was proud, her voice stern. "If you repent now and return, I will pretend this never happened." Chen Er knelt silently for a long time. So long that Master Yuanhai thought she had decided not to leave after all. But suddenly, Chen Er bent forward, her forehead striking the snow heavily. "Master, please accept my last bow." Master Yuanhai froze. "I know I lack talent and often anger you. It's my failure, not your fault," Chen Er confessed, bowing repeatedly, her tears trickling down. But as the snow froze into ice on her chin, her tears became ridiculous icicles dangling there, a mixture of absurdity and pity. Sniffling, Chen Er suppressed her bitterness, bowing her head low. "From this day forward, this disciple's bond with Master ends here. Please take care." With these words, she got up, continuing her uneven journey past Master Yuanhai. At first, she cried silently, leaving behind a long trail of footprints. Once her figure disappeared beyond the bends, presumably out of Master Yuanhai's sight, she finally paused, overwhelmed by sorrow, sobbing uncontrollably. From today on, she would have no master. Her master had raised, cared for, and loved her, never abandoning her despite her meager talent. Yet now, for her own selfish reasons, she must sever this bond. Not knowing what dangers awaited at the Wanbao Palace, there was a chance she would never return. Better her master spare the worry, thinking of her as an ungrateful disciple expelled from the sect. The more she thought, the more heartbroken she became, weeping inconsolably for a long time. After an indeterminable while, her sobs subsided as she regained her composure. Knowing there was no turning back, she resolved to pursue her course, believing that, even if it were wrong, she would see it through to the end. Unbeknownst to Chen Er, Master Yuanhai stood silently on a low hill behind her, watching her gradually vanish from sight. Lowering her eyes, Master Yuanhai sighed with helplessness and sorrow. Whom could she blame but her own misfortune in taking in such a stubborn disciple? Hardheads together—sooner or later, one must yield. Upon reaching the edge of Nianqing Mountain, Chen Er wiped away her tears, adjusted her breath, and was about to fly on her sword when darkness descended beside her. Turning, she saw Master Yuanhai standing before her. Chen Er was startled. "Master..." Master Yuanhai, expressionless, gave her a cold glance. "With your pace, by the time you arrive, Wanbao Palace might already be razed." Chen Er's face paled, and she bit her lip, silent. Her expression was a tangled mix, as if even knowing that, she would still go. Seeing Chen Er's failure to grasp her meaning, Master Yuanhai felt it was a lost cause, a thankless effort only toiling her spirit and energy. She flicked her whisk, conjuring two ice wolves in the snow. Caught off guard, Chen Er blinked in confusion. "Get on," Master Yuanhai ordered from a sled pulled by the ice wolves. "Stop dawdling, delays bring unexpected changes." Suddenly realizing, Chen Er's sorrow shifted to shock, and then to joy in a blink. She blurted, "Master!" With a flick of her whisk, Master Yuanhai looped it around Chen Er’s neck and gently pulled her onto the sled, forestalling any embarrassing words of gratitude. Tripping over the sled's edge, Chen Er landed hard onto the sled. Master Yuanhai ignored her, signaling the ice wolves to set off. The wolves sprinted with all fours, racing across the snowy plains. The sled hit a bump, leaping into the air as if struck by an outcropping stone, then flew up, suspended above the ground. Unfazed, the ice wolves ran on clouds, ascending into the sky, soon disappearing within the shifting clouds and vanishing into the ethereal realm. · At Wanbao Palace, Ye Yanran was tasked with dispersing the disciples in the sect. Despite the command, after three days, though over half had left, several thousand remained. Those who stayed insisted on sharing the palace's fate, refusing to leave regardless of Ye Yanran's persuasion. Ye Yanran reported back to the main hall, conveying this to Su Zijun. Pinching her brow with a sigh of exasperation, Su Zijun remarked, "These disciples rarely paid their respects in the past, yet now they're full of camaraderie, unwilling to leave. Are they trying to burden us by staying?" Ye Yanran stood silently, refraining from commenting on the matter. "Forget it," Su Zijun waved dismissively. "If they're determined to stay, let them guard the formation's core." The protective formation would activate soon. Receiving the order, Ye Yanran left the main hall at a brisk pace. Heading to the nearest disciples' training grounds necessitated passing through the Purple Bamboo Grove. With Su Zijun often staying in the sect's main hall recently, Ye Yanran felt no hesitation, cutting straight through the grove. Midway, unexpected sounds emanated from the woods. Fearing a stealth attack, Ye Yanran lightened her steps, sliding into an inconspicuous bush. Concealing her presence, she opted to observe rather than act rashly. Soon, amidst the flamboyant bamboo foliage, a figure in white stumbled out, only to fall on the stone path, limbs weak. A blood-red knife embedded in the person's back pierced through the chest, blood still oozing from the blade's tip. Despite the severe injury, he struggled to rise and continued forward. Behind him, several shadows weaved left and right, closing in on him. Ye Yanran, hidden away, had initially planned not to reveal herself, but the nearing figure surprisingly sensed her. "Save me!" the figure called out in desperation. "If you save my life, Wanbao Palace's crisis can be averted!" Ye Yanran stiffened, instinctively grabbing his arm and pulling him along. The main hall wasn't far—making enough commotion would surely draw Su Zijun and others to investigate. Exerting all her strength, Ye Yanran sprinted, though the shadows behind pursued relentlessly, their intent to kill amplified by Ye Yanran's involvement. Suddenly, a blade aimed sharply at Ye Yanran's neck. Her heart leapt to her throat, but she twisted, evading the lethal point as best as she could. Whoosh— An ice spike pierced the pursuer, sending him flying back. Simultaneously, more ice spikes scattered, piercing the hidden assailants. Ye Yanran froze, astonished. In the next instant, two figures appeared before her. Ye Yanran's eyes widened in shock. "Chen Er! Master Yuanhai!" "Yanran!" Chen Er landed and, without hesitation, rushed to Ye Yanran, helping him up from the ground. The ambushers had all been decisively eliminated by Master Yuanhai. Behind Ye Yanran, the injured man in white lay on the ground, barely clinging to life. The relief of survival did not bring him solace; he struggled to his feet, leaning on his arm, and urgently addressed Ye Yanran and the others, "There's no time to waste, take me to see Su Zijun quickly!" Master Yuanhai glanced at him indifferently, her gaze lingering over his attire and the identifiable items at his waist. After a moment, her brows gradually furrowed. "Could you be the Immortal Lord Jingyang from Wenchang Palace of the Celestial Realm?" Immortal Lord Jingyang was taken aback by the mention of his name. Meeting Master Yuanhai's eyes, he recalled how Ye Yanran had addressed this Taoist nun earlier. Realization dawned on him, and he nodded, "Indeed, that would be me." Master Yuanhai narrowed her eyes, brushing her whisk lightly as she inquired, "Why have you left the Celestial Realm for the mortal world? Who are these people, and why do they pursue you?" Taking a couple of gasping breaths, Immortal Lord Jingyang's voice was weak. "It's a long story, but once I meet with Su Zijun, I'll explain everything." But until he saw Su Zijun, he would not utter another word. His lips sealed tight, Master Yuanhai couldn't extract any information from him, but she wasn't particularly concerned. "In that case, let's go see Su Zijun." Having already waded into this murky situation, avoiding involvement was no longer possible. Master Yuanhai silently huffed. Ye Yanran stood up and respectfully bowed to Master Yuanhai. "I still have duties to attend to. Please, could you escort him to the main hall of the sect?" Though Master Yuanhai wasn't pleased, she remained silent. She extended her whisk, wrapping it around Immortal Lord Jingyang's arm to tow him away, calling out to Chen Er, "Disciple, let's go." However, Chen Er replied, "I'll stay with Yanran. If there are more ambushes in the forest, another person for backup wouldn't hurt. Master, I'll trouble you to make the trip!" Having said that, Chen Er grabbed Ye Yanran's arm. Not fully comprehending, Ye Yanran found himself being pulled along as Chen Er quickly ran off with him. Master Yuanhai: "…" Such a disciple—might as well sever the connection. In the main hall, Su Zijun and Yaoshenzi were deep in discussion regarding their strategy. If the Celestial King truly brought forces to their doorstep, reinforcing the protective array would be crucial, adding more spirit stones at the array's core to enhance its quality and strength. They'd need at least four experts in the Great Ascension stage to be positioned at all corners to barely contend against them. Moreover, if any side faltered during battle, the entire formation would crumble. No matter how they pondered over it, overcoming this trial seemed impossible. Finding four Great Ascension stage experts alone was a headache for Su Zijun. Currently, Wanbao Palace had only herself and Yaoshenzi at the Great Ascension stage, while Dongfang Cixin, skilled in both medicine and poison, could contend with such experts but was ultimately limited to the Integration stage. Among the remaining elders from Wanbao Palace and Yaoshen Sect, only Elder Wu, at the late Integration stage, was somewhat viable. Su Zijun was deeply troubled, her face creased like a bitter melon. Just then, a soft blue light flickered in the hall, accompanied by a dull thud, as two figures appeared out of thin air—one standing and one lying down. The assembly was shocked, while Su Zijun, recognizing the arrivals, sprang from her seat in surprise.