Chapter 64: Loki Makes Important Choices?
Chapter 64: Loki Makes Important Choices?
A sudden flash of pristine white light illuminated the deck, and the towering, fifteen-foot form of the Kyuubi began to shrink. When the radiance faded, a stunning woman stood in its place, wearing the elegant, flowing white robes of a cultivator. Just like Shehuang, she had meticulously hidden away her fox ears and tails.
The woman stood at a modest five-foot-four, her cascading chestnut hair framing a face with piercing hazel-gold eyes. Without a shred of hesitation, she glided forward, eagerly sliding Loki’s left arm into her ample cleavage and smiling up at him with unadulterated affection. Her robes were not woven from thread; they were a clever blend of light-constructs and illusions that shifted subtly with her mood, a necessity born of her constant shapeshifting. For creatures like her and Shehuang, a hybrid form was their default state of being, while their colossal demonic beast forms and human guises were merely alternate shells.
In this world, achieving the Seventh Circle or higher was a monumental threshold for Demonic Beasts. Monsters like the Third Elder Old Tiger, much like legendary Dragons or Lamias, unlocked the ability to assume human form as a natural step in their evolution.
For Thorin and the crew, it was their very first time witnessing the breathtaking Baihu in either of her shapes, let alone this intoxicating, seductive human veneer. She stood completely barefoot on the deck, utterly indifferent to footwear, bypassing even the traditional wooden geta-sandals that Shehuang occasionally wore to enhance her allure.
"Guess what, Loki?" Baihu chimed, her voice like honeyed silk. "While I was away playing gambling games, that miserable Third Elder was actively chanting for you to die in the Secret Realm. He figured if you kicked the bucket, I’d drop dead before I could win any more of his precious cores, haha!"
Loki could easily read between the lines. The joyful, triumphant gleam in Baihu’s eyes proved the old tiger hadn’t truly meant any malice. "Oh? And did you beat him to tears for it?"
Baihu lifted her chin in absolute pride. She puffed out her chest, raised a dainty fist in a gesture identical to Shehuang’s signature pose, and nodded aggressively.
"Yup! First, I cleaned out every single one of his spending cores," she giggled, leaning into Loki. "Then, I used that Wing Chun style you taught me and completely kicked his ass in a duel. He cried like a baby! Oh, but don't worry, Loki—I'm no savage. I gave him a Full Healing before he passed out."
Thorin stepped forward, intending to formally introduce himself to his brother's terrifying new summon. But the moment he caught sight of that deceptively delicate fist, paired with her terrifyingly casual words, he instantly froze. He took one step back, already plotting a quiet retreat.
"Hey, brother, don't run off," Loki called out, catching him in the act. "Come over here and meet Baihu, the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect."
Thorin stared at her, the gears turning in his head. A Holy Maiden clad in pure, spotless white who belongs to a 'Demonic Sect.' Sure. Perfect sense.
Detecting his blatant nervousness, Baihu’s inner vixen flared to life. Teasing mortals was, after all, a Kyuubi's birthright. "Oh-my~! Handsome boys certainly run in my husband's family, haha! I bet you're quite the charmer yourself, brother-in-law?"
When an powerhouse of an eighth—nearly ninth—Circle Kyuubi casually claims you as her husband out of nowhere, you don't argue. You simply nod, smile, and address her as your wife with as much affection as you can muster.
Thorin swallowed hard, offering a strained smile. "Nice to meet you, sister-in-law. Look, you two clearly need to reunite. I have to go find my two lovers right over there." He pointed frantically toward Mary and Jane, who were currently standing a safe distance away, entirely paralyzed by Baihu’s oppressive, magnificent aura.
"Go on and play, little Thor," Baihu teased, waving a hand to dismiss him. "Big sister will bring you a nice little gift next time, haha!"
Hearing the exact, hated childhood nickname both their mothers always used, Thorin didn't even care to feel offended. He simply quickened his pace, practically sprinting toward safety.
"Dearest Loki, your brother is far too fun to tease," Baihu purred.
As Ayala and Lisa finally navigated their way through the crowd to join Loki's side, the airship gave a massive shudder, lifting off into the clouds once more.
Inside the luxurious living room of the airship’s VIP cabin, Loki found himself thoroughly surrounded by an overwhelming display of beauty. Ayala, Lisa, Taki Tsuki, Yin Meng, Shehuang, and Baihu filled the space. Baihu, true to form, had claimed the prime spot, planting herself firmly on Loki's lap and buried her face into the crook of his neck.
To make matters more distracting, the mischievous fox had manifested her clothing as a sheer illusion this time. Beneath his palms, Loki could feel the soft, warm reality of her completely naked skin. He let out a silent, frustrated sigh. Only Taki Tsuki, gifted with the piercing clarity of True Sight, could see right through the trick, silently amused by how the fox loved to torment Loki whenever their companion Owen wasn't around to interrupt.
Shaking off the distraction, Loki steered the conversation toward the heavy matters at hand, recounting his perilous journey through the Secret Realm.
He detailed the discovery of the Prismatic Lotus, the bizarre ecology of the Gu insects, and the joyous yet complicated reality of Lana’s pregnancy and the trials they had barely survived.
Ayala and Lisa immediately shifted into strategic mindsets, brainstorming whether it was wiser for someone to consume the Prismatic Lotus raw or process it into a high-tier cultivation pill.
Seated to the side, Yin Meng gently stroked her belly and softly shook her head. "Master, please do not waste such a priceless, heavenly herb on me. I am only at the 5th Circle of the Fighter realm; it would be a total waste. Just let me focus on being a good mother to our child and a dutiful wife to you."
Baihu let out a sultry hum, her tongue darting out to lick a warm stripe across Loki’s neck. "Mmm~? She speaks the truth, Loki. I also only need time and a steady supply of your love to grow stronger."
Before Shehuang could open her mouth to politely decline as well, Loki cut her off with a firm, unyielding look. "Shehuang, you are the one who will take it. I never gave you a proper wedding gift back then, and you have already pushed against your racial limits. Before you try to argue that you're better suited for a supportive role, listen to me..."
He leaned forward, his voice serious. "By evolving for my sake, you elevate our entire household. The moment you break through to the Eighth Circle, our bond unlocks Summons Telepathy and Banishment Immunity. Taki, Yin, Mamba, and I will finally be able to communicate flawlessly with our minds. More importantly, I will become utterly immune to being banished from a Secret Realm back to Myst."
The weight of his words hung in the air. In their world, the mechanics of spatial magic were brutal. If a standard Banishment spell successfully targeted a creature from another plane or a summoned entity, they were instantly ripped from the battlefield, forced back to their home plane, and locked out from being summoned again for a full hour. When Loki and his group entered a Secret Realm, they technically ceased to be natives; they became planar outsiders. Malicious Mages, Healers, and rival Summoners could easily exploit this vulnerability to banish them right back to Myst, leaving Loki completely exposed.
With a sudden, exasperated shove, Baihu smirked as Shehuang literally pushed her right off Loki’s lap. Shehuang threw her arms around Loki’s neck, her eyes shining with deep emotion.
"Husband... I will do exactly as you wish," Shehuang whispered, her voice trembling. "My heart is so incredibly full... I truly love you the most, Loki!"
She leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss. As Loki held her close, he knew a massive part of his decision stemmed from a profound sense of debt. He remembered the grueling sacrifices Shehuang had made for him across every single one of his past lives. She had been married to a fickle, reckless god; she had lost her children to his careless actions; she had faithfully served him through his absolute worst cosmic punishments, and she had ultimately chosen to die right alongside him.
Then, she had reincarnated directly into the very device that claimed his life in the next mortal cycle, before finally consolidating into a creature that perfectly combined every fragmented aspect of her soul's history.
Yeah, Loki thought grimly. If I don't cherish and treat Shehuang like royalty in this life, I might as well burn my own soul away the same way my past self did for Yggi.
"Junior Sister, your time is up, sigh," Baihu complained.
With a sharp tug, the annoyed fox hauled Shehuang off Loki’s lap and promptly reclaimed her throne, settling back into his embrace. Shehuang merely licked a lingering strand of saliva from her lips, gloating openly at the fact that her affectionate display had thoroughly annoyed the rest of the room.
"Now, let us talk about the Demonic Sect," Baihu continued, getting down to business. "The First and Second Elders want you girls to return to the Sect for a formal visit. All three of you completely vanished from the face of the earth when you were attacked and subsequently summoned to Loki.
However, with my spatial coordinates locked onto the Sect's grounds, combined with Loki’s summoning pathway, we can now bypass the vast distances instantly."
She paused, a sharp glint entering her hazel eyes. "And Loki, the moment we locate a completely loyal Healer to tie to our cause, we can bring you directly into the Sect to meet the higher-ups. As for your request regarding the Gu Insects? You're in luck. The First Elder is a highly accomplished Summoner aligned with the Life element, and she is a true Gu Master."
"I’ll personally raid her library to bring you her private scrolls, manuals, and information jade slips. Oh, by the way, did you know she currently has our Sect Leader, Long Aotian, firmly trapped under her Love Gu, hehe?"
Loki blinked, momentarily struck speechless by the casual revelation. "Wait... isn't that just straight-up mind controlling the leader of a superpower? That sounds incredibly dangerous."
"Well, there's a bit more nuance to it," Baihu explained with a casual shrug. "First of all, the Sect Master has lusted after her body for decades. Second, the man is an absolute free spirit. He used to constantly sneak away from the Sect to go on wild, reckless adventures, completely abandoning his administrative duties."
"So, the Sect’s Guardian Beast—the legendary Azure Dragon, Qinglong—actually suggested that the First Elder 'tame' him using the Love Gu and effectively become his wife. Now, the First Elder happily sleeps with the Sect Leader just as he always wanted, and he refuses to leave her side. Whenever he does have to leave the Sect for business, he sprints right back to be with his lover instead of frolicking out in the wider world all year round. In the end, everyone wins. Plus, the Sect Leader technically agreed to it anyway... he's an absolute horn-dog for her."
Loki digested the information, his mind mapping out the complex magical properties of Gu. The Love Gu and the Golden Silkworm Gu were both variations of love-bound parasites, but their control was far from absolute.
For starters, any cultivator possessing advanced magical reserves and a high affinity for the Life element could actively resist and safely purge a Gu insect from their own body. If a victim targeted by a horrific Bone-Eating Gu happened to be a skilled Life Mage, they could seamlessly cleanse the threat.
Furthermore, a Gu Insect wasn't entirely a physical bug; they operated more like localized ghosts or spirits tied directly to the Life Realm. Upon entering a host's body, they became completely transparent and insubstantial, remaining dormant until the host failed to feed them properly, at which point they would viciously attack the internal organs.
In the Sect Leader’s case, if he was hosting the Golden Silkworm Gu could have offered a massive, double-edged sword. The immense benefit was a permanent, passive buff to his overall destiny; the Golden Silkworm was fundamentally a creature aligned with the Law of Fate. Because of it, Long Aotian enjoyed absurdly high fortune in everything he attempted—whether it was gambling, pulling off miraculous victories in battle, executing heightened aura techniques, stumbling upon ancient treasures, or experiencing sudden bursts of brilliant combat inspiration.
It was a staggering, god-tier artifact of power, provided the host could sustain its steep price. The feeding mechanism was directly tethered to the Gu Master’s own Vital Gu, which resided inside their magic core. It thrived on genuine love directed toward the Gu Master, the literal sacrifice of specific emotions, or the absolute submission of the host as a subordinate.
Crucially, a Gu Master could never benefit from their own Golden Silkworm; its power was strictly external and tied to the Vital Gu. In the grand hierarchy of the craft, cultivating a Vital Gu was the single most pivotal step to becoming a true master. Anyone could theoretically tame, capture, or eliminate a rogue Gu using basic Life utility magic, but without a refined Vital Gu, they could never harvest or wield their unique powers. It required absolute dedication and grueling work, but if mastered, it could elevate a standard Summoner or Beastmaster into an absolute powerhouse.
Baihu’s vivid breakdown left Loki with a healthy mix of profound respect and genuine caution. "That is still terrifying."
Baihu merely shrugged, completely unbothered. "If you already love the Gu Master with all your heart, what actual harm does a Love Gu pose?" She winked at him. "Besides, standard summons can't even be infected by a Love Gu or a Golden Silkworm anyway, since our essence is already directly bound to the magic core of our Master."
Shehuang nodded in agreement, turning her gaze toward Baihu. "I also wish to reunite with my own mentor, the Second Elder. I want to absorb as much advanced knowledge as possible so I can pass that wisdom directly to Loki. I will return to the Sect with you for a short while, Husband. But remember, you can still summon us instantly whenever you wish to make love, whenever you simply miss us, or if a battle demands our presence."
She smiled warmly, mapping out the logistical benefits. "With Senior Sister’s spatial magic handling the heavy lifting, the commute is entirely effortless. Furthermore, we can establish a highly lucrative trade route between the East and the West for you. Certain rare herbs, cultivation ingredients, and magical items are incredibly common over there but practically non-existent here, and vice versa."
Taki Tsuki spoke up next, her calm voice cutting through the room. "I have just successfully broken through to the Eighth Circle, which means I desperately need access to higher-tier spell grimoires to stabilize my foundation. The Sect’s grand library possesses exactly what I require.
Furthermore, I must remain in close proximity to Concubine to properly meditate and pave my pathway toward the Ninth Circle."
Yin Meng, completely free from the burdens of cultivation breakthroughs, smiled softly. "As for me, I will only visit the Sect for the single week it takes for your airship to return to the capital. After that, I will return home to rest, take things easy for the sake of our child, and ensure everything is ready for your return, Master."
Baihu slid off Loki's lap, smoothing out her illusory robes with a knowing smile. "Let Junior Sisters Shehuang and Taki Tsuki keep you company tonight before I escort them back to the Sect tomorrow. After all, it has been a full month since they last got to hold you, Loki."
Lisa immediately pouted, casting an indignant glare at the playful fox. "Wait a minute! Why are you volunteering to give away my and Ayala’s time with Loki tonight? We haven't been able to be with him in a month either!"
As a naturally feisty and impulsive woman, Lisa hated feeling slighted. But the clever vixen was entirely prepared for the pushback.
"It is only for a single night, and you've already had him all to yourselves at the camp for the last few days, haven't you?" Baihu purred, stepping closer to loop her arms around Lisa and Ayala’s shoulders. "Besides, I want to spend the entire evening drinking and talking with you two lovely ladies. We are going to be a lifelong family, after all... and I absolutely need to know every single detail about our Master’s specific likes and dislikes in bed, hehe!"
Watching Baihu effortlessly disarm and manipulate both Ayala and Lisa with a few whispered promises made Loki break out into a cold sweat. He made a mental note to never, ever let Baihu and Lana spend time alone together. If those two masterminds ever joined forces, he would be thoroughly screwed—both figuratively and literally.
"Come along, Master~ Let Taki and I show you exactly how we tag-team your heart and your body~!" Shehuang giggled.
Before he could even voice a token protest, both women seized him by the arms, dragging him enthusiastically toward the adjacent bedroom. The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind them, the lock clicking into place with definitive finality, sealing his fate for the remainder of the night.
Loki buried his face in his hands as he was pulled toward the bed, a massive, unpreventable grin breaking across his face.
I, Loki, am one incredibly lucky motherfucker.
Review, Comment, and light up Favorite Buttons...