The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 76

Chapter 76

The demonic energy contained a very strong malevolent aura. It overflowed from the demon’s eyes, and within a few breaths, the demonic energy spread everywhere, causing its cultivation to rapidly climb.

Tan Qingxuan shot out a golden talisman, which bound the demon’s body. Cang Ran used a claw to forcefully press the demonic energy downwards. The powerful pressure forced the demonic energy to sink.

Being restrained by the golden talisman, the energy couldn’t fully express itself and began to crash around within the demon’s body, quickly consuming the fresh flesh and blood.

The demon struggled violently, its face contorted as it roared furiously. Cang Ran had never seen such a situation. Fearing that it might go berserk and harm Tan Qingxuan and the child in her womb, she had no choice but to quickly strike and kill it.

The sharp tip of the fox claw, like a steel knife, pierced the vulnerable windpipe. Blood spurted out. The demonic energy, deprived of nourishment from the blood and heart, was gradually eliminated into nothingness under the powerful, sword-like golden beams of the talisman, leaving only a piece of coarse linen clothing on the ground.

These clothes were unlike the sect robes in the cultivation world that bear various insignia; most demons dress casually. Cang Ran had only been transmigrationed for less than a year, and her knowledge of the demon world was limited to the Azure Ripple Mountain Range.

Cang Ran couldn’t tell who had sent them, and found the situation very strange, “Qingqing, why are those demons suddenly targeting us? We just left the Grand Mystic Sect, and we hadn’t even gotten off the ship before now?”

Tan Qingxuan lowered her eyes, “These demons must be after me. I told you about the joint attack by demons and devils on the cultivation world last time. Song Zhen developed a spirit medicine to counter the demon race’s evil medicine, which is why they were repelled. I have participated in resisting the demon and devil invasions over the years. Both races harbor deep hatred for me. Only if I die will these demons and devils stop being suppressed by cultivators.”

Hearing this, Cang Ran immediately grew anxious, “Don’t talk about dying! With me here, no one will dare harm you! We still have to raise the cub together!”

Seeing the flash of ferocity in Cang Ran’s eyes, Tan Qingxuan stroked her head, comforting her, “I won’t die. These demons don’t have high cultivation. They were likely just testing us. They might have been waiting outside the Grand Mystic Sect for me to leave so they could seize the opportunity.”

Cang Ran’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed. This time was a test, but what about next time? They still had to go into a secret realm to gather herbs for the little fox cub and Song Zhen. She hoped they wouldn’t encounter this kind of thing all the way there.

Tan Qingxuan wrapped her pure white handkerchief around Cang Ran’s claw, wiping away the blood, “Let’s go check on Muyu and Shui Shaoyi first. I wonder if they encountered any danger.”

Cang Ran then remembered that they might not be the only ones attacked. Just as she was about to go out, Yun Muyu and Shui Shaoyi arrived together.

“Master, I heard the sounds of fighting just now. Are you and Shimu alright?” Yun Muyu rushed over, not even fully putting on her shoes.

“I also heard the sounds of fighting,” Shui Shaoyi looked at the two bodies on the ground and said in surprise, “Are these the two demons?”

Tan Qingxuan nodded slightly, “These demons just disguised themselves as waiters delivering food, targeting us specifically. Did you two encounter any attacks?”

Yun Muyu and Shui Shaoyi shook their heads, “No.”

Shui Shaoyi asked, “Venerable, did you find any clues? Can you tell where the demons came from?”

Tan Qingxuan shook her head, “These demons carried no identifying tokens. There was only one strange thing: the demon’s eyes suddenly emitted black energy just now, appearing neither fully demon nor fully devil.”

Shui Shaoyi analyzed, “It should still be related to the Demon-Accepting Dew from last time. My Master said that if one drinks too much of that evil medicine, they will eventually transform completely into a demonized creature, becoming a puppet controlled by demonic energy. I truly don’t understand what those demons are thinking. How can there be such a great thing in the world—gaining increased cultivation just by drinking some medicine?”

Cang Ran had originally thought they were driven by a certain Great Demon King within the demon race, but after hearing Shui Shaoyi’s words, and viewing it from the perspective of who benefits most and who is the most suspicious, it was most likely the devil race manipulating these affairs behind the scenes. After all, the strife had been consistently instigated by the devil race from the very beginning.

Tan Qingxuan comforted everyone, “Everyone, be careful. We won’t stay here tonight. Once Elder Qu returns, we will leave Cloud Sea City immediately and head to Quick-sand Island. If we enter the secret realm early, those demons shouldn’t be able to follow us so easily.”

Yun Muyu and Shui Shaoyi nodded simultaneously in agreement. Cang Ran suddenly remembered something, “It’s so late, and Elder Qu still hasn’t returned. Could something have happened to her?”

The three of them were startled. Elder Qu was a Great Vehicle stage cultivator who had traveled the martial world for so many years. She shouldn’t be in danger so easily, right?

Yun Muyu offered, “I’ll go into the city to look. If I run into Elder Qu and Senior Sister Lin, I’ll ask them to come back.”

Cang Ran stopped her, “No, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone late at night. We can’t stay in this inn for long. Let’s all go together.”

They each packed their belongings and left the inn together. Not long after, they ran into Lin Mingyue, who was rushing back into the city.

Lin Mingyue’s face was anxious, “Venerable, Elder Qu and I were at the ferry just now, inquiring about the conditions for crossing the sea here. I then saw my friend from the Azure Cloud Sect, Shen Yunyan, being ambushed at the ferry by three Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

Elder Qu said those three Nascent Soul stage cultivators were using the Azure Cloud Sect’s unique Azure Peak technique, so it should be an internal sect matter. She asked me to return and report to the Venerable to decide whether to save her. Elder Qu is staying there to watch over her for now, just to ensure Shen Yunyan’s life is not in danger.”

Hearing “Shen Yunyan,” Cang Ran remembered their trip together to the Divine Sword Tomb where they each acquired a divine sword—she took one, and Shen Yunyan also took one. How long had it been, and Shen Yunyan was being ambushed, and by her own sect members no less?

Shui Shaoyi looked anxious, “I’m going to save her! I’m from the Myriad Medicine Sect. If the Azure Cloud Sect causes trouble later, they can come after the Myriad Medicine Sect! Where is the ferry?”

Lin Mingyue pointed in a direction, and Shui Shaoyi immediately prepared to fly over on her magical artifact. Cang Ran stopped her, “How can you, a Golden Core stage cultivator, defeat three Nascent Soul cultivators?”

Shui Shaoyi stomped her foot in distress, “I have to go anyway! If anything happens to Yan’er, I don’t want to live either!”

But if you really go, you’ll just be another casualty.

Cang Ran said, “Wait a moment. Elder Qu is there. A Great Vehicle stage cultivator is more than enough to deal with three Nascent Soul cultivators. You’ll only complicate things if you go.”

Shui Shaoyi is needed to refine medicine for her little fox cub; she can’t just die here.

Lin Mingyue pleaded with Tan Qingxuan, “Venerable, please help Yunyan. She has always been honest and law-abiding in the Azure Cloud Sect and has never done anything wrong. I don’t know why she’s being pursued. I believe there must be a hidden reason.”

Cang Ran sent a mental message to Tan Qingxuan, briefly explaining the process of acquiring the divine sword in the Myriad Sword Tomb and spoke on behalf of Shen Yunyan, “I don’t know if the divine sword is still in Shen Yunyan’s hands. I’ve dealt with her and don’t think she’s a bad person. Let’s save her.”

Tan Qingxuan gave Cang Ran a deep look. Being away for so long, she not only hooked up with a little bird demon but also met a new female cultivator. If it weren’t for this incident, she probably wouldn’t have mentioned a word.

Tan Qingxuan nodded slightly, “Inform Elder Qu to save her. Since we encountered this, we can’t just stand by. If we intervene mistakenly, I will simply write a letter to the Sect Leader of the Azure Cloud Sect.”

Lin Mingyue and Shui Shaoyi immediately looked at Tan Qingxuan with gratitude.

Having received Tan Qingxuan’s approval, Lin Mingyue quickly nodded and said hurriedly, “Thank you, Venerable. I will transmit the Venerable’s order now and have Elder Qu save her.”

She flew very quickly on her sword. Shui Shaoyi followed closely behind. Cang Ran, Tan Qingxuan, and Yun Muyu followed behind them.

Elder Qu, having received Tan Qingxuan’s permission, dealt with the three Nascent Soul stage cultivators and successfully rescued Shen Yunyan. Shen Yunyan huddled in Lin Mingyue’s arms, crying inconsolably. Shui Shaoyi stood by, silently clenching her fists.

As soon as Shen Yunyan saw Tan Qingxuan, she immediately bowed and said gratefully, “Thank you, Venerable Qingxuan, for saving me!”

Tan Qingxuan asked directly, “I heard from Elder Qu that those three Nascent Soul stage cultivators are members of your Azure Cloud Sect. Why were you ambushed by them?”

Shen Yunyan’s eyes were red, and she wept, “I was fortunate enough to obtain a divine sword from an ancient secret realm and brought it back to the sect. However, the sect elders felt that I, a mere Golden Core stage cultivator, was unworthy to be the divine sword’s owner. I disagreed with their decision and sought out my Master, but my Master also sided with the sect.

I don’t understand! The divine sword clearly contracted with me, yet they still wanted to seize it and erase the brand upon it that belonged to me. When I resisted, they claimed I was rebellious and treasonous. How is it treasonous when I merely want to keep the sword that belongs to me?!”

An innocent man is guilty only by possessing a treasure. Even in the cultivation world, it was too difficult for a Golden Core cultivator to hold onto a divine sword. Shen Yunyan was fortunate to have met Cang Ran in the secret realm, which is why the sword wasn’t seized then.

But when a major sect’s elders encounter a Golden Core cultivator with no foundation, that person becomes a piece of fat meat in everyone’s eyes, and everyone wants to snatch it.

Therefore, ambushing Shen Yunyan was perfectly normal. Although seizing a divine sword is looked down upon by outsiders, it is ultimately an internal matter for the Azure Cloud Sect. As long as the execution is clean and leaves no trace, how many people would ever know about it?

Lin Mingyue stroked Shen Yunyan’s back, silently comforting her. Shui Shaoyi also stood by her side.

Shen Yunyan was trembling all over. She never thought a divine sword would cause such a huge disturbance. Her relatives and former friends were all willing to stand against her for the sake of a sword. Simply because she was stubborn and refused to submit, they wanted to kill her.

Why? Was it my fault to have the opportunity to be chosen by the divine sword? Was it wrong for me to want to grow stronger?

She had suddenly fallen into the hands of her enemies. No one in the sect reached out to help, and she was only saved upon meeting the people from the Grand Mystic Sect. Otherwise, today’s ferry would have been her burial ground.

She felt cold all over. She fell to her knees before Tan Qingxuan and gave a resounding kowtow, “I have no way to repay the life-saving grace of Venerable Qingxuan and the Grand Mystic Sect. In the future, if there is ever a need for me, I vow to be commanded by Venerable Qingxuan, even if it means facing ten thousand deaths!”

Tan Qingxuan saw her ragged clothing and disheveled hair and asked in a calm voice, “Do you have any place to go now?”

Shen Yunyan bit her lower lip until blood appeared, “Yunyan is drifting with nowhere to go. The Azure Cloud Sect nurtured me for many years, and by trying to kill me today, I consider myself dead, repaying all those years of kindness. I will go to the Bone-Crushing Monastery (Cuī Gu Shā) in Eastern Continent to seek a livelihood.”

Yun Muyu looked at Shen Yunyan, a hint of disapproval flashing in her eyes. Born into the cultivation aristocratic family, the Yun family, her mother died because she possessed the sword bone. She had been taught that if anyone ever tried to take her sword bone, she must make them repay the blood debt a hundredfold, a thousandfold.

To retreat and endure after being attacked and nearly killed like this seemed too weak. Shen Yunyan should gather strength and fight back, stepping on those who had bullied her.

Lin Mingyue nervously said, “Yunyan, the Bone-Crushing Monastery is a place for rogue cultivators. As a Golden Core cultivator, if you go there without protection, you can only take the hardest and most taxing missions, and the rewards will be very small. You might lose all hope of advancing your cultivation in the future.”

Shui Shaoyi said quietly beside her, “You can come to the Myriad Medicine Sect. I will plead with my Master for you.”

Shen Yunyan looked at her blankly, her nose red, and she turned her head away, “I have my own path. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Lin Mingyue was truly worried for her friend and couldn’t help but plead with Tan Qingxuan, “Venerable, can we take Yunyan with us for now? In her current state, it’s very dangerous for her to be alone outside. She can take care of herself. Let her come with us to the island to avoid trouble for a while.”

Cang Ran looked at Tan Qingxuan. Tan Qingxuan thought of the little fox cub in her belly. She was about to become a mother now, and she felt inclined to accumulate virtue and do good deeds for the child.

“It’s no trouble to come along. You can take this time to think about your path forward. You don’t need to make a decision so quickly.”

A hint of confusion flashed in Shen Yunyan’s eyes. She couldn’t help but thank her again, “Thank you, Venerable Qingxuan, for temporarily taking Yunyan in. I promise I won’t cause you any more trouble.”

Elder Qu placed the newly refined spiritual ship by the shore, “In that case, let’s go. We’re already at the ferry. Everyone board the ship.”

The massive ship, hundreds of feet high, was released from the magical artifact and immediately vanished into the thick fog. Even Cang Ran, standing only three feet from the shore, couldn’t see the ship’s location; it seemed to be swallowed by the dense mist.

Elder Qu shook her sleeve, and a fierce gust of wind scattered the mist slightly. She then raised an exquisite lantern to light the way, guiding Cang Ran and the others onto the ship. After they all boarded, the large ship vanished into the dense fog once again.

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