Chapter 368: Demon Fox Under the Tree (First Update)

"Whether I am human or demon, does it make any difference?"

Ren Yidao was not deliberately saying things she wanted to hear to appease Mei; these were his true inner thoughts.

"Would the version of me he knows change just because I am a demon?"

"No."

What, are you trying to incite discrimination against the Demon Race?

Could Jian Xinxin possibly stop recognizing me as his junior brother?

He wouldn't dare!

If he dared not to recognize me, Huhu would dare to take his wife's spirit tablet and... oh, it's not in my hands anymore.

Then it's fine!

Ren Yidao looked at the silent Mei and shook his head, saying:

"Fellow Daoist, why dwell on so much?"

Mei raised her eyes, looking at this young man who was a stranger yet seemed to know so much about her, and said indifferently:

"Do you think you understand what I am thinking?"

Ren Yidao shrugged and spread his hands:

"I wouldn't say one hundred percent, but I can probably guess a little."

"For instance, your current thoughts are nothing more than being ashamed to see people because you have become what you are now, right? You don't want to appear by his side?"

Whoosh!!!

A tree branch carrying violent Sword Intent thrust straight toward the center of Ren Yidao's brow!

"Watch your words."

This sword strike from Mei in her fury was enough to severely injure someone at the Void Star realm, and someone at the Spirit Transformation realm would surely die!

But Ren Yidao did not dodge or evade, just looking calmly at the expressionless Mei, his upturned lips silently mocking her.

Kill me?

You wouldn't dare.

Yes, she wouldn't dare.

The Plum Wood Sword stopped half an inch in front of Ren Yidao, the gale of Sword Intent blowing his hair loose and making it flutter behind him.

"You... why did you not dodge?"

"Because I am not afraid."

Because I was right.

Lies do not hurt people; only the truth is a sharp blade.

He raised his hand to push the Plum Wood Sword away and chuckled:

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

Mei silently withdrew her sword and replied coldly:

"You were wrong. I have already let him go."

Pfft.

Ren Yidao couldn't help but snort, teasing:

"Already let him go?"

"Fellow Daoist, did I ever say who he was?"

Mei:!!?

"You!"

Realizing she had been tricked, Mei was about to react again, but Ren Yidao had already spoken first, asking:

"Since you cannot let go, why must you pretend that you have?"

"Fellow Daoist, I am afraid you have misunderstood the most important thing."

"Jian Xinxin, my Senior Brother, has he ever said he cared about this?"

This time, Ren Yidao named him directly and said sternly:

"I'll give you a suggestion: you might as well go ask him directly and see what kind of answer he gives you."

"If he cares and cannot accept it... then just dump him!"

"I... ah?"

Mei:???

You, aren't you his junior brother?

Ren Yidao: I certainly am, but I never said I was a good junior brother!

The two of us could be called the model of a friendly senior and respectful junior.

Ren Yidao spoke eloquently, seemingly completely unconcerned about whether he would truly ruin his Senior Brother's beautiful romance, and said casually:

"If you are still not satisfied, you could also beat him up, or cripple his cultivation and keep him imprisoned by your side; in any case, he is probably no match for you now."

"In short, if you cannot swallow your anger, just use all sorts of methods to make him regret it for the rest of his life."

Mei blinked rapidly, beginning to feel uncertain about this young man's identity...

You aren't an impostor, are you? Are you actually A Jian's enemy?

After talking about dangerous topics for a long time, Ren Yidao reined in his teasing expression and changed the subject:

"But what if he doesn't care? If you are so conflicted now, aren't you just looking for trouble?"

"Fellow Daoist, a hundred years have already been missed. Since you are fortunate enough to have returned to the Earthly Realm, why torment each other like this?"

"Is this really worth it?"

*Clap. *

Ren Yidao clapped his hands, pulling Mei's thoughts back from her contemplation, and smiled:

"In any case, I've told you all the methods; what you do when the time comes is no longer up to me."

"Of course, if you truly enjoy your current life, I have nothing to say, and can only wish you happiness."

To each their own; if you are going to be this stubborn, there is nothing I can do~

Besides, you aren't my wife.

That I could help Senior Brother persuade you for so long is already out of consideration for the friendship he and I have shared for so many years.

"……Alright, say no more."

Mei let out a long sigh. She raised a hand to rub her temple, shaking her head with some weariness, not wanting to discuss this topic anymore:

"Let me think about it later."

Hiding herself away like this, even going so far as to hide overseas, perhaps she really was wrong……

Ren Yidao knew that what had been said today was enough, and that saying more would do more harm than good, so he nodded obediently:

"That is only natural; after all, you are the one who has to make the decision."

Having completed his political mission, Ren Yidao relaxed and chuckled:

"Well, by the way, if you want to dump him, you had better act quickly. He's been looking all smiley lately, which makes me feel a bit uncomfortable……"

"As for me, I'm still used to that decadent Senior Brother who would spend all day wearing a bitter, resentful face, knowing only how to hide in a secret chamber painting portraits of women, and having no idea how to take care of himself."

"I'm more familiar with that one; I don't recognize this one now, though perhaps you are more familiar with him."

Ren Yidao's words touched Mei's calm heart once again, and seeming to feel a pang of heartache, she asked in a low voice:

"……Has he been like that for all these past years?"

Ren Yidao thought for a moment and said earnestly:

"I haven't seen it with my own eyes from before that, but for the seventy-plus years since I entered the sect, it has always been like this; I have never seen him smile even once."

He looked at her and said softly:

"Never."

"Is that so……"

Seeing that Mei was about to fall into deep thought again, Ren Yidao asked:

"So, Daoist friend, you still haven't answered my question. Now…… how exactly should I address you?"

Mei was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh:

"Mei, just call me Mei."

"Oh, then Sister Mei?"

Mei did not answer; she neither agreed nor refuted it.

Ren Yidao took that as her tacit consent.

"Fine, then you can call me Little Ren, Yidao, or Junior Brother, as you please."

With the serious business concluded, Ren Yidao relaxed his entire body.

He made himself at home, found a large rock, and sat down with his tail cushioned beneath his backside.

It was freezing deep underground, and the large rock was covered in a layer of ice crystals; although he didn't need to worry about cold in his dantian, he didn't want to make his backside ice-cold either……

After sitting obediently on the rock, Ren Yidao struck up a conversation with Mei:

"Sister Mei, how did you end up here? This is already the meeting place of the East Sea and the South Sea; you've crossed more than half of Shenzhou!"

"……That is a long story."

"That's perfect, I'm not in a hurry right now."

Perhaps because she truly accepted Ren Yidao's identity after this round of persuasion, Mei's attitude changed quite a bit.

She stepped out from the tree trunk, her skin transforming from that bark-like texture back to normal, and she wore a white robe, looking no different from a member of the Human Race.

With a wave of Mei's hand, a set of wooden table and chairs grew from the ground, and a branch reached out from beneath to lift Ren Yidao and place him onto a chair; she then sat down opposite him.

The two sat facing each other, and Ren Yidao naturally took out a tea set, gathering some ice and snow to melt and boil for tea.

Mei did not stop Ren Yidao. With a distant look in her eyes, she pondered for a moment and spoke slowly:

"Ever since I awakened, I have been traveling everywhere, visiting many places from my memories."

If Jian Xinxin were here right now, she would notice that Mei did not emphasize whether these memories belonged to "Mei Yongdi" or the current "Mei."

"Since you know of the Sword Spirit Body, you must know that we possess a talent that allows us to use the keen perception of Sword Intent to cut through space and perform long-distance travel."

"Oh, I know that, but……" Ren Yidao blinked, thought earnestly about the Li Qiushui in his memory, and shook his head: "She is a bit weak right now and can't pull it off."

"What is her cultivation level?"

"The last time I saw her, she should have been at the peak of the Dharma Aspect Realm? I don't know if she has made any progress recently; she isn't far from Spirit Transformation."

Thinking about it, his Fox Tail Clone hadn't seen Li Qiushui for a while; he wondered where she and Shi Xue had run off to.

"Then it should be soon. Once one steps into the Transformation Realm, their perception of the outside world becomes much keener, and they can perceive space through Sword Intent."

Mei extended her index finger and made a light downward stroke, silently slicing open a fine, dense crack.

"As for me, I was able to master it perfectly when I was in the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm."

Before hearing Mei's explanation, Ren Yidao had assumed this was an exclusive talent of the Sword Spirit Body, but after hearing the principle, it didn't seem like an exclusive skill.

"Sister Mei, can outsiders learn this method?"

"It is very difficult." Mei had guessed he would ask this, and nodded: "But as long as one's perception is keen enough, those in the Void Refining Realm should also be able to do it."

"Once one steps into the Heaven Realm, the situation is different. Heaven Realm cultivators do not need such crude techniques; they can shift themselves by relying on their perception of their domain."

"Although the methods of the two are different, the principles should be similar."

No matter how flashy the principle, it all boils down to this: perceive space to find nodes, then break the nodes to shift.

What is required is, on one hand, keen perception, and on the other, a means to break through spatial nodes.

"Oh—is that so."

Ren Yidao closed his eyes and felt it carefully; although he could vaguely perceive the general range of the node, he could not pinpoint it, let alone break through it.

Relying purely on a body at the Void Refining Realm, it seems one cannot yet break through the void with the physical body alone.

Then what to do now is very clear.

"It is time to advance my Daoist Art; I cannot focus on one thing while neglecting the other."

If the physical body is not enough, then make up for it with Daoist Art.

"My Demon Race true form has been constantly improving, but my Daoist Art has been suppressed all along; it is already starting to become imbalanced."

Ren Yidao's true form has advanced to Spirit Transformation, and his physical body has even reached the Void Refining Realm, making him incomparably powerful and allowing him to easily crush the younger generation of the Demon Race.

But his Daoist Art is a bit lacking; it is not weak, but it is not strong enough to reach the level of sweeping through his peers.

"I had vaguely felt that I could no longer suppress it before, but I did not find a suitable opportunity in Demon Emperor City; now is actually a good time for a breakthrough."

"Why not take this opportunity to stop accumulating and burst forth in one go to see what level I can reach."

Mei did not expect Ren Yidao's train of thought to change so quickly; she had only mentioned this possibility, and now he was already pondering how to make this sister-in-law he had acknowledged serve as a laborer to protect his cultivation.

"I am searching for myself."

"Am I her, is she me? I need an answer."

"Finally, during an accidental teleportation, I felt a kind of calling and found this Cave Abode."

Mei took out a spirit grass that looked withered and rotten; she looked at that grass with an extremely complex expression, containing both confusion and fear.

"I do not know the name of this grass, but it allows me to briefly turn back into that person."

Oh!

Soul Returning Grass.

The effect of this spirit grass seems unexpectedly very effective for Mei's current situation, creating a special connection between her and Mei Yongdi.

"But what I did not expect was that as I became closer and closer to her, my strength also became stronger and stronger; a month ago, I actually broke through to the Heaven Realm."

When she said this, her expression was one of being unable to laugh or cry.

Whether in the past or the present, she has never had much obsession with strength, yet in the end, she actually broke through to the Heaven Realm that countless people would not even dare to imagine.

A blessing in disguise?

"The commotion from my breakthrough attracted that snake-lizard; it wanted to swallow me, so I beat it half to death and threw it at the door to act as a guard dog."

"After that, it was you all arriving and disturbing my rest."

Oh.

I was wondering why the tree branch had such a bad temper before, insisting on seeing blood before stopping.

So it was just morning grumpiness!

A moment of silence for the poor little snake-lizard.

It is not your fault; it is all the world's fault!

"Then what about you? Why did you appear here?"

Ren Yidao was shocked that his sister-in-law could travel so far, and Mei was equally curious about his appearance here.

She has the Sword Spirit Body talent and can wander around, but how did he travel from Beiming Divine Continent to the edge of Southern Border Divine Continent?

Hearing this, Ren Yidao imitated Mei's previous tone and said slowly:

"……That is a long story."

Then he laughed, his tone relaxed and casual as he said:

"Simply put, it is 'I was searching for my missing master in the Eastern Wasteland, but accidentally ended up in Demon Emperor City and became the Demon Race Crown Prince'."

Mei:?

Demon Race, Crown Prince?

Huh?

"You... betrayed the Human Race and submitted to the Demon Race?"

Ren Yidao's expression turned serious, he straightened his back, and said solemnly:

"Mei Jie, although we are familiar, you must not talk nonsense! What do you mean I betrayed the Human Race? I am deep behind enemy lines, risking my life to obtain important intelligence on the Demon Race!"

What do you know?

I am playing the role of an undercover agent.

I am a great double agent!

Mei blinked, very much wanting to retort that they were actually not very familiar, but seeing how serious he looked, she remained silent.

"By the way, I am actually not here to find you, but to retrieve a portion of spirit grass."

"Yes, the one you are consuming; this grass is called Soul Returning."

Sister, don't get too high on it; leave a portion of the spirit grass you are consuming for me.

"You want it? Is there a problem with your soul?"

"No, I need it as a medicinal primer to refine some Mending Heaven Pill."

Ren Yidao shook his head, not explaining too much, and turned to say seriously:

"Mei Jie, although it is very sudden, can you protect me while I cultivate?"

Mei's expression also became serious, and she said in a low voice:

"You are about to break through?"

"Yes."

Ren Yidao controlled the aura inside his body that was like a wild horse off its leash now that he was no longer suppressing it, his smile slightly distorted.

Ren Yidao said:

"I am going to break through to..."

"Void Star!"

Happy New Year, everyone!

Wishing you prosperity!

Hand over the red envelope! (reaches out hand)

Hahahaha!