Chapter 234: Seductive Su Youwan
Chapter 234: Chapter 156: Seductive Su Youwan
The thought had barely formed when the mist ahead began to stir.
She took a step forward, and an ethereal Immortal Mountain emerged from the clouds. The lush, verdant peaks shimmered under the sunlight with a Glazed luster. With another step, the air rippled. The Barrier of Qingqiu was just ahead.
Without hesitation, Elder Zi held up the Hehuan Sect’s token and stepped into the Barrier of the Fox Race.
Thanks to the deep, thousand-year-long bond between the Hehuan Sect and the Human Race, the Fox Race had surprisingly integrated the essence of Immortal Sect architecture into Qingqiu.
Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, pavilions with upturned eaves and ornate, painted beams were nestled against the mountainside in a picturesque arrangement.
A magnificent palace stood before her, its steps crafted from white jade and its roof covered in green tiles, connected by corridors adorned with elegant carvings of fox motifs.
Were it not for the occasional flash of a snow-white fox tail from beneath the eaves, one might truly mistake this place at first glance for the prosperous Grotto Heaven of a great Immortal Family.
A beautiful Female Immortal, clad in fine silks, descended on a cloud. Upon closer inspection, however, this Female Immortal possessed several fluffy, snow-white tails and a pair of furry fox ears atop her head.
The Fox Immortal studied Elder Zi, her gaze falling upon the token in the Elder’s hand. She also sensed the aura of the Hehuan Sect’s Red Desire Technique.
Only then did she speak. “How come it’s not young Zhaozhao this time?”
Elder Zi nodded. “Saintess Mei perished while training abroad. The Sect dispatched me to serve as the liaison.”
“Zhaozhao is dead?”
The Fox Immortal’s eyes widened, her expression a mask of disbelief.
But just as quickly, the Fox Immortal offered a demure smile, hiding her surprise.
“Why have you come so late? Compared to previous years, you’re several months behind.”
Elder Zi mused internally, ‘So Hua Litaohua never made it to the Fox Race, just as I suspected.’
“The Sect sent a disciple before me, but she fell victim to a Dream Demon’s Magic. When she returned to us, she was already dead.”
The purpose of this “liaison” was for the Hehuan Sect to learn about the Demon Race’s movements throughout the year, straight from the Fox Race.
Elder Zi carefully explained Hua Litaohua’s condition, then said, “May I have an audience with the Fox Lord?”
The Fox Immortal was still muttering, “A Dream Demon…” She only snapped back to her senses upon hearing Elder Zi’s request.
She shook her head. “The Fox Lord is in secluded cultivation to heal her wounds.”
Elder Zi was stunned.
‘The Fox Lord is a Demon of the Seventh Realm Yao Guang, and she also holds the title of Demon Lord. Who could possibly injure her?’
The Fox Immortal said, “About half a year ago, the Ape Lord of the Ape Race came to challenge our Fox Lord. We have no idea what possessed him.”
‘The Ape Lord?’
Elder Zi recognized the name. He was one of the few Yao Guang experts in the Demon Race.
‘But how could the Ape Lord have possibly injured the Fox Lord?’
‘The Fox Lord wields the Supreme Divine Bow—an artifact fabled to have once shot down a sun. Moreover, she is incredibly powerful herself. Unless it was a battle to the death, there’s no way she should have been injured.’
The Fox Immortal noticed Elder Zi’s confusion and simply said, “That day, the ape’s blood rained from the sky. The Ape Lord took eighteen of the Fox Lord’s arrows and, somehow, survived… Before she went into seclusion, the Fox Lord mentioned that the Ape Lord carried the scent of a Dream Demon.”
“A Dream Demon? A Dream Demon helped the Ape Lord?”
The Fox Immortal shot Elder Zi an irritated glance. “The only one who can sway a battle between two Yao Guang is another Yao Guang. The Dream Demon Race has no such expert.”
‘This is all very strange.’
‘The most powerful of the Dream Demon Race, their Clan Leader, is still in the Cloud Sea, and he hasn’t even reached the level of Yao Guang. So who could have come to Qingqiu to help the Ape Lord injure the Fox Lord?’
‘Or could the Fox Lord have been mistaken?’
Unable to sort through her thoughts, Elder Zi decided to set the matter aside for now and asked, “Has anything else unusual happened among the Demon Race this year?”
‘This is what’s most important.’
‘The Demon Race must remain peaceful. Otherwise, the Daoist Sects would have to step in and *enforce* that peace.’
The Fox Immortal replied, “It’s all been quite peaceful, aside from that crazed, damn monkey… Oh, right. It seems because the Ape Lord was injured, the Ape Race began relocating after the battle.”
The Grotto Heaven the Ape Race inhabited wasn’t far from Qingqiu.
‘Perhaps they moved because they feared retaliation from the Fox Race.’
“Come with me into the pavilion. My clan keeps detailed records.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
「Qingcao Sword Sect.」
「Two days passed.」
The occupants of the tournament platforms changed again and again. The champions of the last few platforms, in particular, had been unseated more than ten times.
Yet despite all this, not a single person dared to step onto her platform to challenge Qiu Yuehan. It seemed that after she had knocked Xue Nichang from the stage with a single strike of her sword, no one was willing to cross her.
The same held true for Li Qingcao and Bai Lu on the adjacent platforms.
As the sun rose in the east and set in the west once more.
The final day had arrived—the last chance to vie for one of the twenty-four coveted spots.
Several people made their move at once.
They were from a little-known minor sect called the Cyan Deer Sword Sect.
Now, three members of this Sword Sect ascended a platform together—not to challenge Qiu Yuehan, but to step onto Li Qingcao’s.
Li Qingcao rose to his feet and smiled. “Are you three fellow Daoists planning to come at me all at once?”
The leader of the Cyan Deer Sword Sect nodded. “Our actions may not be entirely honorable, but we still wish to test the Sword Son’s skills.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s allowed by the rules, so how is it not honorable?”
Li Qingcao slapped the wine gourd at his waist, uncorked it, and took a long swig.
“Come!”
“Then we humbly ask for your instruction, Sword Son Qingcao.”
With that, all three members of the Cyan Deer Sword Sect raised their swords and charged at Li Qingcao.
Three cultivators at the Third Realm should have posed no threat to Li Qingcao. But halfway to him, their three swords suddenly merged into one. A massive, illusory deer formed of Sword Qi materialized from the fusion, then charged wildly toward him.
‘A Sword Array that forms a deer, with Power approaching the Peak of the Fourth Realm… This is actually quite impressive.’
Li Qingcao couldn’t help but take them a little more seriously. He flicked his sword and commanded, “Rise!”
The wind blowing past him turned a vibrant, grassy green. The breeze took solid form, its energy sharpening into a blade.
*Little Grass Sword Technique*