Chapter 81: The Celestial Fox's Return to the Mortal Realm (Part Two)

On the other side, Jing Ling and Lie Yang walked over to Huo Tianqing, their expressions complicated as all three gazed at the door that had just slammed shut. After a long silence, Lie Yang asked in a voice barely audible to the three, “Celestial Fox’s Primordial Essence?” Huo Tianqing nodded helplessly. Upon hearing this, Jing Ling seemed to recall an old acquaintance, her eyes rimmed with red, fingertips pale, sighing, “Another doomed entanglement.”

Inside the room, the incense burner released a calming fragrance. Bai Shengyun tossed the unconscious Xie Yingying onto the bed, then swiftly arranged a Gathering Yin Array to draw in the sinister energy of the Evil Sect, making it easier for him to perform his spell—he needed to suppress the excess Yang energy, lest it further damage Xie Yingying’s golden core.

Fortunately, Bai Shengyun’s mother was a Snow Fox, while the Fox Emperor was a Red Fox. He was the only prince to inherit both spiritual roots, enabling him to balance and harmonize Yin and Yang energies, and neutralize opposing spiritual forces. Otherwise, anyone else would have sent Xie Yingying’s soul to the afterlife already.

Though Bai Shengyun was rich in Yang energy, he lacked sufficient Yin, which was why he needed the array. He sat at Xie Yingying’s bedside, harmonizing the Yin and Yang within himself, then gently transferred this balanced energy and spiritual force into Xie Yingying’s body.

Even though the energy was already gentle enough, Xie Yingying’s brow remained knit, as if suffering intense pain. Bai Shengyun paid no mind, guiding the energy and force down to her dantian, soothing the agitated spiritual power, and urging the Celestial Fox’s Primordial Essence to settle.

He exercised great caution, but hadn’t anticipated just how fragile Xie Yingying’s golden core had become. The cracks widened under the mingling forces. Sensing this, he immediately withdrew his hand, his face cold as he looked at her.

Seeing her furrowed brow, he couldn’t help but recall her repeated resistance and attempts to escape from him in the past, a flicker of irritation and disgust rising in his heart.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, stood up from the bedside, and turned decisively to leave. Yet, as he reached the door, he abruptly stopped, his gaze lowered, his expression no longer so resolute and fierce.

Bai Shengyun turned back, seeing Xie Yingying lying there, her face pale, devoid of vitality. After a while, he returned to her side, sat again at the bed, and looked at her half-dead state, a scornful smile curling his lips.

In recent days, had she not amused him, and stirred emotions in him unlike any had for years, he would never have crossed mountains and rivers to the Evil Sect.

He placed his hand a few inches above her lower abdomen, closed his eyes, and gently transferred energy once more. This time, the spiritual force he imparted was much less and even gentler, preventing further fracturing of her golden core, and restoring some color to her cheeks—at least she was no longer so deathly pale, though her brow remained tightly furrowed with discomfort.

Because the energy was so scant, her golden core did not recover quickly, but fortunately, Bai Shengyun had managed to suppress the Celestial Fox’s Primordial Essence.

As sunset faded and the moon climbed high, casting its bloody glow, chaos reigned within and without the Evil Sect. Yet even so, those senior monsters who presided over the sect remained unmoved, sitting in silence atop their thrones in the grand hall, faces dark and brooding.

Huo Tianqing, Jing Ling, and Lie Yang had kept vigil outside Xie Yingying’s bedchamber all this time. Yet the sealed door never opened.

Yin Ling, returning from a mission, had just arrived at the sect and overheard the disciples discussing the matter—their words wavering between admiration for Bai Shengyun and worry for Xie Yingying.

Alarmed by what she heard, Yin Ling hurried toward Xie Yingying’s chambers.

By the time she arrived, most of the disciples who’d gathered had left, leaving only a few close to Xie Yingying and three elders.

She rushed forward, too anxious to pay respects, and exclaimed in surprise and concern, “How is Senior Sister? Why is this place surrounded by iron thorns...?”

Lie Yang pointed to the bedchamber. “She’s still inside.”

No sooner had Lie Yang spoken than the three elders’ expressions changed dramatically, their anger palpable.

Seeing their reaction, Yin Ling assumed they’d discovered Bai Shengyun had done something to Xie Yingying, and hurriedly asked again, “What’s happened to Senior Sister?”

The three did not answer, exchanging glances before turning and striding away from the bedchamber. In a blink, they vanished.

Yin Ling stared, bewildered, as they left—not breaking through the iron thorns to enter the chambers, but heading elsewhere. Realizing nothing was wrong on Xie Yingying’s side, she breathed a sigh of relief.

With three elders present, she had no worries, and remained quietly at her post outside the chambers.

By now, the three had traveled far from the bedchamber. Lie Yang, still monitoring the situation, was seething, his pace quickening.

“Do those Immortal Sect people think our Evil Sect is some kind of playground? They come, and now they’re fighting inside the sect! More trouble to deal with—annoying! I don’t even have time to go fishing!”

Jing Ling heard Lie Yang’s angry rant, scoffed coldly, her face full of disdain as she kept her eyes ahead, matching his speed.

Her beautiful eyes turned a deep crimson, gaze penetrating the palace walls, catching sight of the fierce battle in the distance. She said coolly, “Let’s see how I teach them a lesson this time. Do they really think the Evil Sect is powerless?”

At her words, Huo Tianqing chuckled mischievously and teased, “You couldn’t beat Bai Shengyun, and now you expect to take down Bai Qirui, who’s just as powerful? I doubt you’ll manage more than hauling off that woman!”

As they spoke, they arrived at the scene where Bai Qirui and Shen Ruru were locked in combat.

No sooner did the three land than one of the nearby palaces collapsed with a thunderous crash, reduced to rubble.

Lie Yang’s expression was relatively composed, but Jing Ling and Huo Tianqing’s faces darkened instantly.

Bai Qirui sensed their arrival and dodged Shen Ruru’s sword, then stood his ground, watching the trio emerge from the dust.

Huo Tianqing met his gaze, lips curling as he was first to speak: “Long time no see, Third Young Lord of the Celestial Fox clan.”

Bai Qirui snapped open his folding fan with a flourish and smiled—a gentle smile, in contrast to Huo Tianqing’s wicked grin and Bai Shengyun’s cold smirk, as if welcoming all comers.

With a light wave of his fan, the smoke before the trio cleared, and he laughed, “Many years have passed, but you haven’t changed at all.”

Lie Yang, recently appointed as an Evil Sect elder and formerly a solitary cultivator, cared little for sect affairs and valued only his own freedom, so he didn’t know much about the relations between the sects. Curious, he asked Huo Tianqing, “You two know each other?”

Huo Tianqing did not answer.

Bai Qirui laughed heartily. “If others don’t mention it, neither will I.”