Seriously, Who Actually Believes Demonic Cultivators?

Ye Qingchuan had pulled an all-nighter. Those two damn Dragon Dynasty special envoys were like ghosts, impossible to track. Plus, the Fox Clan’s Nine-Tailed Princess, Xia Ranyue, had vanished. The entire Fox Clan was buzzing with secret searches all night long.

With zero progress, Ye Qingchuan started feeling suspicious, wary even, of these elusive envoys. The more mysterious they were, the deeper their power likely ran. Ye Qingchuan figured he might have stumbled onto some serious trouble this time.

But that just made him more determined not to let them escape. If they found proof of Ye Qingchuan’s dirty dealings in the Fox Clan and reported back to the Empress… his career in the Dragon Dynasty would be totally screwed. Over.

Finally, as dawn approached, a glimmer of hope! A lead! They hadn’t found any trace of the envoys in the entire Cherry Cluster Secret Realm. That meant only one thing: after kidnapping Xia Ranyue, they must have headed straight for the Cherry Sea Secret Realm behind the main Fox Clan territory.

Why go to the Cherry Sea Secret Realm?

Click. In an instant, Ye Qingchuan connected the dots. The white fox saintess, Xia Zhiyue, was in seclusion training deep within the Cherry Sea Secret Realm, at the Morning Moon Altar.

Shit! They kidnapped the Nine-Tailed Princess… were they planning to snatch the Saintess too?! The absolute greed!

Okay, losing Xia Ranyue? Ye Qingchuan wasn’t that bothered. But Xia Zhiyue? That was different. The Fox elders had promised her to him! Ye Qingchuan was practically drooling over that Nine-Tailed bloodline; he was counting on her blood to help restore his peak cultivation!

“Men! Follow me to the Cherry Sea Secret Realm! Block them off!”

At his command, four powerful Azure Dragon Clan Experts followed closely. Each one was a formidable Void God Realm master, reliable assets.

With a clear target, their movements became swift. Before dawn fully broke, Ye Qingchuan had already surrounded the major exits of the Cherry Sea Secret Realm, splitting his forces three ways. Ye Qingchuan himself, along with two Dragon Guards, personally blocked the main path where they were most likely to encounter the envoys. The other two Dragon Guards secured the remaining paths, ordered to intercept and report any suspicious individuals immediately.

Ye Qingchuan refused to believe it. They went into the Cherry Sea Secret Realm, they had to come out! If they dared target the Nine-Tailed sisters one after another, they’d better be prepared to pay the price in blood!

Sometime later, as the first rays of dawn painted the sky, Ye Qingchuan finally spotted several elongated figures emerging at the end of the path ahead.

“Finally!” Ye Qingchuan straightened up, summoning his Azure Dragon Spear—FWOOSH!—clad in azure-gold Dragon Armor. Though his cultivation was far from its peak, his fighting spirit burned bright, eager for action.

Still… they were supposedly Dragon Dynasty special envoys. Until their identities were confirmed, Ye Qingchuan held back from ordering an immediate attack. He planted his spear beside him, looking like a dutiful guard, silently waiting for them to come fully into view.

“…Huh?”

As the figures stepped out from the morning glow, revealing their true appearances, Ye Qingchuan blinked. He froze, momentarily speechless. `N-No way…` He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Because Ye Qingchuan clearly saw… the leader was a young man in moon-white sacred Daoist robes. Hands clasped behind his back, posture straight and tall, exuding an air of immortal grace, looking every bit the profound master.

And following closely behind him? A fox demon girl with crimson tails in a white dress, and… the silhouette of a silver-haired fairy in a dragon-patterned dress.

Seeing them… Ye Qingchuan’s brain crashed. Hard. `Them?! AGAIN?!`

Did he recognize them? Oh, he recognized them alright!

The Woman Favored by Fate, An Luo Yi! The ruthless woman who, when Ye Qingchuan, a fellow Dragon Dynasty attendant, came to save her, stabbed him through the heart without a shred of mercy!

The Spirit Phoenix Sect’s Saint Son, He Yuan! (He Ange’s commonly used alias). The despicable demonic cultivator who corrupted the Woman Favored by Fate, framed Ye Qingchuan, and ultimately even enraged the Empress, triggering a massive war between Dragon and Phoenix!

Seeing this pair… it was like confronting a nightmare. Ye Qingchuan was genuinely traumatized by how badly they’d screwed him over. That battle left him with severe psychological scars. So much so that afterwards, Ye Qingchuan completely lost faith in any ‘righteous path’, which indirectly led him to start playing the villain himself here in the Fox Clan.

Besides An Luo Yi, following Saint Son He Yuan was a fox demon girl. Ye Qingchuan guessed this must be the supposedly crucial Nine-Tailed Princess, Xia Ranyue.

But strangely… Ye Qingchuan didn’t see the white fox saintess, Xia Zhiyue, among them. Did they fail to kidnap her?

Facing He Yuan and his group, Ye Qingchuan’s mind raced, instantly on high alert, wary of any sudden moves. “Shit, better notify the other Dragon Guards now!”

Having confirmed their identities and numbers, Ye Qingchuan immediately tried to signal the Azure Dragon experts guarding the other two paths to regroup and support him.

But… after he gave the mental command… silence. The two Azure Dragon protectors flanking him didn’t respond. At all.

Ye Qingchuan frowned, confused. He glanced left, then right… only for his gaze to be irresistibly drawn upwards, captured by the Abyssal Moon Pupils  hanging high in the sky above. He stared, unable to look away.

Illusion…? An illusion?! When did—?!

As a valiant Azure Dragon warrior, Ye Qingchuan admittedly wasn’t great against illusions. But even half-crippled, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse! He was still a Void God Realm expert! Below that level, it should be practically impossible for any illusion to affect him!

Unless… Unless it was cast by someone above the Soul Transformation Realm, someone with a special racial talent for illusions… like the Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline!

Thinking this, Ye Qingchuan’s head buzzed—ZZZZT!—as a terrifying possibility dawned on him.

SHIIIIING—!

Sword Art: Xuanhan Owl Moon Slash!

The possibility had barely formed in his mind when, in the next second, terrifying demonic energy surged alongside sword intent, slashing towards him from the side!

CLANG!

Ye Qingchuan reacted instantly, whipping his spear around to parry the crescent moon sword slash. But the force still sent him staggering back several dozen meters before he could regain his footing. Huff… puff…

That attack packed a punch! Judging by the power level, it felt like only Seventh Heaven Void Refining Realm… but boosted by the illusionary barrier, it hit Ye Qingchuan with the force of a Void God Realm attack!

“H-How… How is this possible…?” Ye Qingchuan croaked, finding it hard to believe. No matter how he looked, the Nine-Tailed White Fox  wielding the sword beneath the glowing Moon Pupils… was the same Fox Saintess he’d dismissed as a useless cripple! `Wait… ZHIYUE?!`

Xia Zhiyue… how could she break through to the Void Refining Realm overnight?! Wasn’t her core source stolen by the Void Refining Saintess?! Wasn’t she reduced to trash?!

“Aiya~” A light, teasing voice echoed from behind the white fox saintess. “Young Master Ye~ Long time no see~♡”

Then, right before Ye Qingchuan’s absolutely furious eyes, He Ange brazenly reached out and casually stroked the snow-white, alluring tail of the white fox saintess standing before him. Stroke stroke~

For fox demons, the tail was the most sacred, forbidden part of their body. Even close family wasn’t allowed to touch it carelessly.

But right now? He Ange was petting it like he was stroking a cat, casually kneading and playing with it! And under Ye Qingchuan’s incredulous gaze, the aloof, icy white fox saintess… actually blushed from having her tail touched?! `Wha—?! No way!`

Even more unbelievable to Ye Qingchuan? The usually cold and untouchable Fox Saintess… wasn’t resisting He Ange’s touch at all.

Not only that! Ye Qingchuan now noticed… the white fox saintess was wearing a delicate, collar-like ornament around her neck. And when He Ange touched the tip of her tail… a faint pink Phoenix Mark pulsed into view on her lower abdomen! GLOW!

All these signs… they were disturbingly similar to what happened with the Woman Favored by Fate, An Luo Yi!

Then he looked at the fox demon girl in the black and white lace maid dress and white silk shoes… She also had a similar slave collar around her neck!

No doubt about it. Ye Qingchuan could figure it out using his toes at this point. He knew exactly what He Yuan must have done to these two noble Nine-Tailed Fox sisters last night…

Corrupting both sisters… turning them into his playthings… `That… that having harem…` He Yuan, you greedy, despicable animal! You actually DID it!

Ye Qingchuan wanted Xia Zhiyue, he’d waited patiently for over ten days, trying every trick in the book, persuading, cajoling… and she still hadn’t agreed to the political marriage!

And He Yuan? Just one night! And he bags both of the Fox Clan’s only Nine-Tailed bloodline sisters?! How?! By what right?! Taking everything so shamelessly?! First An Luo Yi, now the Nine-Tailed sisters…

Ye Qingchuan busted his ass in the Fox Clan Secret Realm for half a month, and it was all less fruitful than He Yuan’s one night?! `ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!`

Right now, watching the white fox saintess blush and wag her tail enchantingly for the sacred-robed young man, Ye Qingchuan’s draconic face twisted further in rage and humiliation. Grrrrrrr! This was intolerable! Having his women stolen again and again… Ye Qingchuan finally snapped.

He raised his spear, pointing its sharp tip directly at the sacred-robed youth, killing intent blazing.

“HE YUAN!!!”

“IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS, COME OUT AND FIGHT ME ONE-ON-ONE!” Ye Qingchuan roared, an Azure Dragon phantom flickering into existence behind him, radiating immense draconic pressure. ROOOAR!

But facing the challenge, He Ange didn’t get angry. He was still casually kneading the white fox saintess’s tail—squish squish—Xia Zhiyue’s tail was long, slender, snowy white, and incredibly fluffy. It felt amazing to touch, easy to get addicted to, lose track of time…

Of course, right now, He Ange was mostly petting Zhiyue’s tail specifically to piss Ye Qingchuan off.

Seeing Ye Qingchuan finally lose it, He Ange’s lips curled into a meaningful smile, eyeing him like a very valuable tool… a tool-dragon, perhaps. `Heh. Gotcha.`

“Alright, Young Master Ye,” He Ange finally responded. He released Xia Zhiyue’s tail, stepped forward protectively in front of her, hands clasped behind his back, declaring proudly, “If you’re a man, let’s duel!”

“GOOD! YOU SAID IT!” Ye Qingchuan bellowed.

“Come at me~” He Ange taunted with a smirk.

“You scoundrel! DIE!” He Ange’s smugness was too much. Ye Qingchuan, blinded by rage and hatred, charged forward, hoisting his Azure Dragon Spear.

But just as he lunged, a silver-white silhouette flashed out from his undefended left flank! WHOOSH!

Sword Art: Phoenix Grace Dragon Nine Abysses!

“Wha—?!”

Before Ye Qingchuan could even reach He Ange, the silver-haired fairy, wielding her ice sword, stepped onto void-formed Daoist lotuses—shimmer—two terrifyingly powerful Dragon and Phoenix phantoms manifesting behind her! She attacked with lightning speed, impossible to react to! SLASH!

Caught completely off guard, Ye Qingchuan was sent flying again—BAM!—coughing up a large mouthful of blood. BLECH!

“He Yuan…! You…! You promised… one-on-one…!” Ye Qingchuan sputtered, clutching his chest.

He Ange just shrugged. “You actually believe the words of a demonic cultivator?”