The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Not much time had passed since Cang Ran’s return trip; Huazhao had already transformed into her little chubby bird form.

Huazhao leaned against the pillar she was tied to, both wings spread out relaxedly, “The spiritual healing medicine you gave me is good. I can now transform into my original form and doze off for a bit.”

Cang Ran had matters on her mind and didn’t indulge in small talk, “How much do you know about the demon races of the other mountain ranges, and can I subdue them with my current cultivation?”

Huazhao shook her head, “You are currently at the first stage of the Void Refining Stage ($Lianxu Qi$). Even with the Demon Emperor Seal and a divine sword, you can at most fight three Great Demons of the Void Refining Stage simultaneously and only achieve a draw. However, the Demon Realm has only a handful of Void Refining Stage Demon Kings. A small portion are fierce generals. Some Great Demon Kings are already very old and won’t fight you. If you can defeat the rest, the Demon Realm will be yours.”

Cang Ran said solemnly, “From the Azure Wave Mountain Range, Sister Leopard sent me a letter, saying she would lend me a hand. Counting the demons from the Azure Wave Mountain Range, my chances of winning should be better.”

Huazhao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Fortunately, Cang Ran had good relations with the Azure Wave Mountain Range demons. Otherwise, a single demon challenging three Great Mountain Ranges would end up covered in blood and carried out horizontally.

Huazhao nodded, “Among the remaining two mountain ranges, the strongest is the Blood Mist Lion, who has an initial-stage Mahayana Stage ($Dacheng Qi$) cultivation. The Blood Mist Lion is the Great Demon King of the Cloud Marsh Mountain Range and is already very old. I’m not sure if she will compete, but the Starry Night Rhinoceros and the Silver Ring Snake are both her subordinates.

One is at the third stage of the Void Refining Stage, and the other is at the completion of the Void Refining Stage. They also have around ten lesser Demon Kings at the Soul Condensing Stage ($Ningpo Qi$) under them. However, these two demons don’t get along and won’t act together, but both are highly competitive. The Kunlun Mountain Range’s Great Demon King is the Snow-Leaving Turtle, but I have some history with her and can talk to her.”

Cang Ran listened to her entire list and realized the last sentence was the key, “After all that talk, you brought yourself up in the end. Are you trying to get me to release you?”

Huazhao’s eyes lit up, her abacus beads clicking loudly, “My self-created technique has a good chance against that turtle. I can’t just watch you go into danger alone while I stand by as your friend. With my smooth tongue, I can definitely persuade her not to make trouble for you. Talk some good words to Song Zhen, let me go, and I’ll help you.”

Cang Ran tched lightly, “You previously said this was a matter between the two of you, and that you enjoyed staying in the dungeon. You can go talk to Song Zhen yourself; you’re quite articulate when talking to me.”

Huazhao knocked her head against the pillar, “If she could listen to me, I wouldn’t have been squatting in jail for half a year. Go and speak for me. After all, those involved can’t see clearly, and bystanders are clear. She won’t listen to me, but she will definitely listen to her Senior Sister.”

Cang Ran thought about it. They couldn’t keep Huazhao locked up forever, but this was a personal grudge between Song Zhen and Huazhao, and she shouldn’t interfere too much.

Cang Ran pondered, “I will discuss it with Qingqing. Whether it works out or not still depends on whether Song Zhen is willing to release you.”

Huazhao flapped her wings, “Please.”

Cang Ran returned and told Tan Qingxuan about the entanglement between Song Zhen and the little bird demon. Tan Qingxuan also couldn’t make the decision for Song Zhen and could only tell Song Zhen the whole story.

Song Zhen held Tan Qingxuan’s hand, tears in her eyes. She knew that even without Huazhao, others would have come for her family, but she had hated Huazhao for so many years that she couldn’t let go with just a few words.

Tan Qingxuan said gently, “If you still have unresolved issues, Junior Sister, you don’t have to release her. She has been in the Grand Profound Sect’s dungeon for half a year; it wouldn’t hurt to keep her for a little longer.”

Song Zhen took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, “Senior Sister, don’t worry. I am not someone who disregards the bigger picture. It’s just that Huazhao is cunning and rarely speaks the truth. I am afraid she will cause trouble for you.”

Song Zhen took out the dungeon key, turned around, and ordered her disciple to bring Huazhao out of the cell.

Cang Ran was astonished by Song Zhen; she thought Song Zhen would fight tooth and nail not to release Huazhao, but she was unexpectedly decisive on this major issue.

Huazhao’s chains hadn’t been removed, but seeing the light of day again, she knew freedom was near and frantically winked at Cang Ran.

Song Zhen saw Huazhao’s appearance and immediately drew her long sword.

Huazhao saw Song Zhen about to act again and quickly said, “Didn’t you agree to release me? Why are you going back on your word?”

Song Zhen glanced at her coldly, took out a medicine bottle, raised her sword, and cut her fingertip. Crimson blood flowed from her finger and dripped into the bottle.

The medicine and fresh blood mixed, quickly emitting a clear, fragrant scent similar to fresh bamboo after rain.

Song Zhen raised her hand slightly and threw it deftly into Huazhao’s arms, “Drink this. It can counteract the poison I gave you before.”

Upon hearing this, Huazhao immediately drank the medicine Song Zhen gave her. After circulating her internal energy to adjust her breathing, her demonic power indeed recovered. With a burst of demonic energy, all the iron locks shattered into fragments.

Song Zhen turned to leave indifferently, leaving only one sentence, “I also put poison in that bottle of medicine. If you dare to cause trouble in this matter, you can wait for death.”

Huazhao’s face turned pale. She immediately checked her body and indeed found that Song Zhen had put another poison she didn’t know about into the medicine, which was affecting her Dantian (core energy center).

Seeing Song Zhen about to leave, she covered her aching heart and said sadly, “Zhen Zhen, do you not care about me at all, still guarding against me at every turn?”

Song Zhen paused her steps, glanced sideways at Huazhao, and said flatly, “I will never trust you again. Cang Ran is very important to my Senior Sister. You had better not play any tricks.”

Song Zhen left quickly. Huazhao looked at her retreating figure with a mournful expression. Cang Ran watched the woman and the bird, not knowing what to say. Although this was a private matter between the two, it was still somewhat related to her and Tan Qingxuan.

Tan Qingxuan looked at her Junior Sister’s retreating back with some concern, wondering when her Junior Sister would resolve her internal conflict.

Cang Ran comforted Huazhao, “Huazhao, don’t cry. After the matter is resolved, I will come and retrieve the antidote for you.”

Huazhao’s eyes were bloodshot. She suddenly wiped away her tears, “The poison was just too bitter, that’s why I cried. I will never shed another tear for her.”

Cang Ran saw her saying this, yet she was crying like an adorable bird, tears still streaming down. Her already fragmented clothes were soaked by the cool tears.

Cang Ran offered her a handkerchief and then took out a new set of clothes from her storage artifact, “Go wash up in the spiritual spring near the Grand Profound Sect and change your clothes. I’ll come find you later.”

Huazhao smelled herself. After staying in the dungeon for so long, the whole bird smelled of the prison. She took the clothes, “Thank you.”

Only Cang Ran and Tan Qingxuan were left in the Rising Phoenix Palace. Cang Ran helped Tan Qingxuan sit on a soft chair nearby, and after helping her snuggle into her cloak, she said, “Qingqing, I need to go out for a while. I need to resolve the crisis with the demon race first to make them afraid to attack. If I can persuade them, they might even help resolve the siege by the cultivators.”

A flicker of worry crossed Tan Qingxuan’s eyes. She lowered her gaze and asked, “How confident are you of winning?”

Cang Ran didn’t dare to hide the truth, “Fifty percent confidence. With Sister Leopard and Huazhao helping, I think I can manage a draw. But this time, I want to thoroughly defeat the Demon Kings so they never dare to cause trouble again. I’m just worried about you and the child. How long can the Grand Profound Sect’s Sect Protection Array last?”

Tan Qingxuan comforted her, “They fear me, not the Sect Protection Array. Although the cub in my belly is restless, it does no harm to my body. I feel the child might be born soon. If you go, you must come back early.”

Cang Ran hugged Tan Qingxuan, feeling conflicted, “I will come back as quickly as possible. I also want to be there when the child is born. This is the baby I’ve longed for.”

She leaned down, pressing her ear to Tan Qingxuan’s abdomen. The little cub seemed to know its fox mother was leaving and moved constantly inside Tan Qingxuan’s belly.

Cang Ran kissed Tan Qingxuan’s abdomen several times through the soft fabric and negotiated with the little fox cub, “Baby, I’m going out. Be good and wait for me to come back before coming out of your mother’s belly, okay?”

The little fox cub’s small foot kicked right against Cang Ran’s lips through the skin of the belly. Cang Ran’s heart softened, and a smile appeared on her lips. She couldn’t resist kissing it two more times. So cute. My own cub is the cutest.

Cang Ran used to feel ashamed and angry when Tan Qingxuan held her by the scruff of the neck, but now that it was her and Tan Qingxuan’s little cub pushing her with its short hands and kicking her with its short legs, she was filled with nothing but joy.

Seeing her reluctance to leave the child, Tan Qingxuan placed her hand on Cang Ran’s head, “Why don’t you stay in the sect until the cub is born?”

Cang Ran raised her eyes, “If I delay, the Grand Profound Sect will be attacked from both sides. If the child is born at that time, I’m afraid you will be weak after delivery and will have to worry and exert yourself.”

Giving birth is a life-and-death ordeal for ordinary women, but it is better for high-cultivation cultivators. However, it is still an obstacle. She wanted Tan Qingxuan to give birth peacefully, without any worries.

Tan Qingxuan saw the determination in her eyes and realized Cang Ran was already a Great Demon who could stand on her own; she couldn’t remain under her protection forever.

She embraced Cang Ran, holding her for a long time, “Don’t get hurt. The child and I are waiting for you to come home.”

Cang Ran promised, “It will take at most one fight. I’ll be back soon.”

Tan Qingxuan then had Song Zhen send some high-grade healing medicine for Cang Ran to take, just in case, before letting her leave.

Cang Ran and Huazhao left the Grand Profound Sect together through a teleportation array. Huazhao summoned many small birds of various colors. Bird clans were good flyers, small, and secretive, penetrating almost every corner of the three realms.

Huazhao was able to become the power behind the Phoenix Perching Pavilion earlier because she controlled first-hand intelligence. Even when she wasn’t stationed in Penglai, countless small birds were constantly gathering information for her, equivalent to countless pairs of eyes and ears scattered around.

The information they received inside the Grand Profound Sect was passed to them unilaterally. Now, looking through the birds’ perspective, they instantly saw the full scope of the situation.

Cang Ran couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, It’s good to be a little bird. Not only do they fly around every day, but they also get to hear so much gossip. No wonder Huazhao had so many interesting stories to tell.

Cang Ran had the little birds send a message to the Mountain Suppressing Leopard, inviting her to come to their aid. After meeting up with the demons brought by the Mountain Suppressing Leopard, they used the bird clan’s intelligence to precisely locate the Great Demons who had gathered to seize the Demon Emperor Seal.

The Demon Emperor Seal was the supreme treasure of the demon race. The enormous potential benefits drove these Great Demons to put aside their differences and gather in the long-abandoned White Sand City, a place outside the jurisdiction of any faction.

Even after being driven out of the Ancient Demon Emperor’s Relic, and Cang Ran dyeing the Demon God Hall door with blood by killing a few foolhardy demons, these Great Demon Kings remained unconvinced, as they hadn’t been hit on the head with a fist.

Violence is not the only means of resolving issues, but in the demon world, where strength reigns supreme, if they weren’t subdued by force, there was no way to sit down and talk properly.

It was a time of lingering spring cold. Spring arrived later this year than in previous years. Fine snow pellets still fell in early February. The snow finally stopped, but continuous overcast rain followed.

When Cang Ran and Huazhao arrived, the weather had turned into a downpour. The White Sand City no longer saw flying sand. Ruined walls were everywhere, water levels rose sharply, and the rivers were swift. The chilling, damp wind sounded like the howling of wild ghosts.

The heavy rain was pouring down. Huazhao’s feathers were soaked. She shook her wings continuously and perched on Cang Ran’s shoulder.

Cang Ran’s robe was also soaked by the rain. Tiny water droplets rolled down her temple hair. The little yellow dog from the Demon God Hall stopped by her leg. The Mountain Suppressing Leopard’s bronze-colored muscles gleamed in the rain.

As soon as Cang Ran, Huazhao, the Mountain Suppressing Leopard, and the other demons entered the city, they drew many scrutinizing glances.

These Great Demons had fierce eyes, each one a formidable opponent. They stood on the high walls, holding their weapons, staring bloodthirstily at Cang Ran, the nine-tailed fox demon, in the center.

Cang Ran was not fighting alone on this trip. She had friends supporting her and the strength to contend for power. Her Demon Emperor Seal and divine sword were both immensely destructive.

Cang Ran’s beautiful eyes were bold and fearless, “Everyone, are you all here to take the Demon Emperor Seal from me?”

Her nine fox tails rose in the wind and rain, like a blazing flame that would never be extinguished, reflecting her own arrogant and brazen demeanor. The golden light of the Demon Emperor Seal flowed over her, carrying an inherent, invisible pressure.

Initially, every demon wondered why a fox demon was chosen by the Demon God to receive the Demon Emperor Seal. Seeing her magnificent presence today, they realized the Demon Emperor Seal seemed destined to belong to her.

However, who would willingly submit and serve? If they didn’t fight for it, how would they know if they couldn’t win?

A blinding cold blade slashed violently towards Cang Ran. The torrential rain was cleaved by the blade’s light, the water scattered, and then the blade struck against the long sword burning with thunder fire, instantly sending sparks flying everywhere.

The battle was immediately ignited. Cang Ran chuckled softly, “Then come at me together.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Great Demons of the Soul Condensing Stage swarmed her, eager to devour this fox demon who thought too highly of herself. Even if she had nine tails, which Great Demon present did not have the bloodline of an ancient divine beast in their ancestry?

The demons’ fighting spirit was high, hacking and slashing. Amidst the Great Demons, Cang Ran’s movement was peerless, flowing like water. She used both the Mystic Heaven Sword Technique and the Radiant Spirit Sword Technique, making it impossible to predict her moves. With the added pressure of the Demon Emperor Seal on her, streams of fresh blood were splashed wherever she went.

These Great Demons were completely crushed under Cang Ran’s sword’s edge. Like a sharp sword, no demon could match her fierce momentum.

Until a sharp weapon stabbed toward Cang Ran’s back.

Huazhao was fighting alongside her. Seeing this, it was too late to fly over and block it. She quickly summoned a pitch-black raven to block the fatal sneak attack, “Ran Ran, watch out!”

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