A solar eclipse?
Lu Yin and Su Li looked out the window. The clear sun originally hanging in the sky seemed to be eroded by something, its halo vanishing at an extremely rapid pace!
At the same time, a surge of damp, sticky vapor suddenly erupted. Even with its defensive arrays active, the entire airship felt as if it had been swallowed into something’s viscera—hot and muggy!
This was no ordinary eclipse!
Lu Yin flicked his sleeve, blocking Su Li’s line of sight. “Do not look directly at the sunlight. It will damage your eyes.”
In the next instant, the Master of Red Blood Lake’s furious roar echoed from outside: “Vile beast! How dare you stir up trouble on my head!”
Swoosh! Swoosh! Several streaks of light flashed across as sword cultivators plummeted down one after another.
On the other side, atop Supreme Will Valley’s floating island, green light pulsed repeatedly. The Medical Immortal’s voice carried over: “…It is the exhalation of a Mirage Monster, using the power of the solar eclipse to wreak havoc!” With his blue-and-white umbrella fluttering, the Medical Immortal stepped onto green ribbons, drifting downward into the depths.
A Mirage Monster large enough to swallow three whole airships?!
It had to be a demon that had cultivated for centuries, if not millennia!
The power of the eclipse inverted Yin and Yang, leaving spirit-stone arrays extremely vulnerable. Immortal cultivators suffered under the influence of heavenly timing, their strength plummeting, whereas demonic and beast cultivators experienced the exact opposite—their power surging dramatically.
The Mirage Monster’s intention was clear: it wanted to swallow these numerous cultivators in one gulp and digest them at its leisure.
Lu Yin pinched a spell sign. Just as the Ice Dust Seal at his waist began to glow with faint light, a thunderous crack roared out—it was Daoist Venerable Xuanming making his move.
Multiple bolts of silver-white lightning exploded, crackling with sparks. Daoist Venerable Xuanming stood above the clouds, lightning flickering continuously within his silver-white eyes.
As another bolt of thunder detonated in his palm, the surrounding “damp vapor” exposed its true nature: they were indeed trapped inside the internal cavity of the Mirage Monster!
The silver hair at Daoist Venerable Xuanming’s temples fluttered wildly. His figure suddenly shot upward, breaking through toward the ceiling—he was going to check if there were any flaws above, allowing him to slice open this court-death monster in a single blow:
“All disciples, return to your cabins! Do not move without my command!”
Countless cabin doors slammed shut with loud clangs! Su Li was sucked in by a massive force, dragged directly back into his own room.
He tried to struggle, but his spiritual energy instantly dissipated after circulating once. He could only watch helplessly as his Master’s room door was locked shut:
“Master!”
Inside his room, Su Li was burning with anxiety.
If Daoist Venerable Xuanming had gone so far as to lock even Master inside his room, didn’t that mean the Mirage Monster outside was truly extraordinarily dangerous?
But why would they abruptly encounter such a thousand-year-old Mirage Monster? Was there a sea along the path their airship was traveling?
Su Li fumbled in the dark room, finding a map and lighting a candle to scan it: as it turned out, there was no ocean on their path on the map—only a river. The name of the river was… the Ming River?!
The Demon Realm!
This was the Ming River located in the Demon Realm!
As expected, the Demon Realm was fraught with peril!
From just these few movements, Su Li felt his head grow dizzy, his spiritual energy stagnating and refusing to flow. He snapped to alert: Was this Mirage Monster already draining their spiritual energy?!
Wouldn’t the longer it drags on, the more dangerous it becomes?!
Just then, he caught the faint sound of soft groans. And the source of those sounds—was Master’s room?!
“Master!” He anxiously slammed against the wall a few times. “What’s wrong with you?”
Lu Yin’s voice came through intermittently: “…It’s nothing. Su Li, be careful. This Mirage Monster creates illusions to absorb spiritual energy. The higher one’s cultivation, the faster the energy dissipates! You… nngh… quickly sit in meditation to calm your mind… ah!“
“Master!” Su Li could no longer hear Lu Yin’s voice. No matter how he shouted afterward, he received no response.
Everything around him seemed to fall silent in an instant—so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Had he been pulled into an illusion?!
Su Li gathered his mind and braced himself with utmost alertness. Right at that moment, a loud roar exploded in his ears! The damp vapor transformed into dense white mist!
In the next second, behind the white mist, Lu Yin’s figure actually appeared!
“Master!” Su Li shouted in surprise, but quickly noticed something wrong—for within the white mist, two figures were clearly tangled together!
Atop a small couch, nine fluffy, massive tails wrapped around a person completely, tightly sealed without a single gap. Only when they brushed and squirted against each other did a section of smooth, tender collarbone occasionally peek out, flushed with a subtle pink. The ceremonial robes had long been tossed messily all over the floor.
The pure white tip of a tail brushed against a pinkish earlobe. The drop-dead gorgeous youth with fox ears looked in satisfaction as the jade-like person in his arms shuddered in response, letting out an adorable plea for mercy: “Don’t… stop rubbing…”
The Demon Venerable let out a chuckle, curling the corners of his lips to reveal two sharp canine teeth: “Did you think this deity’s nine fox tails were something just anyone could touch?”
“Back then, you fondled this deity. Now, I’m going to fondle you back with interest, principal and all—no bargaining allowed.”
The furry tails bound the person even tighter, giving special care to certain sensitive spots, such as the earlobe.
In the darkness, tears trickled past the plump little mole, falling onto the fox tail. Sensing the moisture, the Demon Venerable’s smile deepened. He leaned in close to Lu Yin’s ear and threatened: “You are not allowed to wet my tail, otherwise… the punishment doubles!”
“You vile beast, it was you who used the Mirage Monster to draw them away…” Lu Yin hurled a rebuke, only to have his pupils dilate in the very next second from the tail’s intense stimulation, tears streaming down endlessly.
The Demon Venerable seemed to feel wronged as well, muttering who-knows-what. Under Lu Yin’s attempts to appease him, he actually grew angrier the more he spoke, his sharp canine teeth extending past his lips: “…Why do I have to act all sneaky and secret?!” From Su Li’s angle, he could only see the damned monster’s mouth opening and closing, unable to hear what he said beforehand. But judging by his Master’s demeanor, it clearly looked like he could resist, yet chose not to!
Lu Yin panted with great difficulty, his wet, crimson lips parting and closing as if attempting to explain things to the monster. But the beast showed no appreciation whatsoever. In the next instant, his loud voice sounded: “Is that so? Since that’s the case, there’s no need for me to spare the Immortal Venerable!” Then, he simply grabbed Lu Yin’s jaw, exhaling a puff of pinkish-purple smoke along that jade-like crook of his neck, watching with satisfaction as Immortal Venerable Lingyue lost all his strength, lying there like prey placing itself onto the hunter’s platter.
Next, the fox demon naturally licked his prey thoroughly, then opened his canine teeth and bit down onto the most delicate skin!
“!” Lu Yin’s pupils contracted and dilated, yet he could only manage a faint tremor, scolding weakly: “I see you just enjoy the thrill of being sneaky… you beast… mmnf…” Soon, even those scolding crimson lips were snapped up by the demon, unable to form coherent sentences anymore.
“Master! Master!!” Su Li’s voice turned hoarse with screaming. Seeing everything through the white mist, how dared that monster?!
The spiritual energy throughout his body crashed around wildly, yet no matter how hard he pounded on the door, he couldn’t break it open. A single door between them now felt like a thousand mountains and rivers!
“Master—Lu Yin!” With eyes flushed blood-red, Su Li treasonously roared his Master’s true name!
Spiritual power surged out like a torrent. Even the Mirage Monster, frantically absorbing it, was taken aback: A mere Golden Core, yet possessing such torrential spiritual power. This boy is truly unfathomable!
In the next second, the Mirage Monster felt a wave of dread: Why had the demonic power throughout its body ground to a halt?! Why was its demonic core swelling with pain?!
Right before Su Li, a plump, perfectly round, gigantic pearl materialized, shimmering with glistening water light. The misty vapor had been emanating from this very orb!
At this moment, Su Li could feel that the majority of his drained spiritual energy was wrapped around this giant pearl, forcibly dragging it toward him instead!
Su Li formed a spell sign with both hands, only a single thought burning in his mind: I must save Master!
Spiritual power gushed out once more. The giant pearl spun frantically, shrank abruptly, and detonated with a thunderous blast!
Pearl-lustered dust scattered through the air, all falling directly into Su Li’s eyes!
He felt a sudden wave of heat in his vision, as if his eyes were soaked in a warm spring. Spiritual energy poured endlessly from them, nourishing the meridians throughout his entire body. His cultivation instantly broke through from the early Golden Core stage to the middle Golden Core stage!
In the next second, taking this spot as the epicenter, the damp vapor dissipated, soon revealing a patch of clear blue sky overhead.
“The eclipse is over!”
“The Mirage Monster has retreated!”
Faintly, cheers from disciples on other airships could be heard echoing.
Yet Su Li couldn’t care about anything else. He burst through the door, and this time, nothing stood in his way to stop him: “Master!”