897: Chapter 898 Banquet of Ten Thousand Foxes

"Since Senior is so kind, this Junior will naturally comply," Yao Delong agreed with a smile.

Mo Jue nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward Xue Shushu, speaking with a tone of unquestionable command: "Shushu, your injuries haven't healed yet, so take this opportunity to rest quietly. You will act as Protector for little friend Long, ensuring his secluded healing is not disturbed in any way! Do you understand?"

Xue Shushu was slightly taken aback, then lowered her eyes and replied, "Yes, Father." This arrangement caused the waves that had just settled in her heart to churn faintly once more.

Only then did Mo Jue lead the excited and curious Xue Li away, their figures disappearing outside the meditation room, clearly heading off to prepare for the grand "Ten Thousand Fox Banquet."

In the meditation room, only Yao Delong and Xue Shushu remained. The air seemed to grow several degrees quieter.

Xue Shushu did not immediately sit down to recover. Instead, she slowly walked to a spot a few paces in front of Yao Delong and stood still. Her figure was still somewhat frail, but her emerald eyes were startlingly bright, like stars piercing through a mist, staring directly at Yao Delong's face with a scrutinizing and probing gaze, as if she wanted to see through him completely from the inside out.

To be stared at so closely and undisguisedly by a Demon Emperor, even with Yao Delong's resilient will, his back instantly stiffened and alarm bells rang in his heart: 'Crap! Has this Feather-Clad Demon Emperor really seen through me? Was the Great Sun Sacred Body exposed that day? Or is there some flaw in my Demonic Power Origin?'

Just as his thoughts spun rapidly, thinking of how to respond, Xue Shushu's voice, cold as a winter spring and carrying a faint edge, echoed in the meditation room:

"Fellow Daoist Long..." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "The physical power you displayed under the Pill Tribulation that day—your blood and Qi were as brilliant as the great sun, overbearing and blazing, incinerating all Laws... Its charm and majesty seem..."

She paused slightly, seemingly weighing her words, her gaze tightly locked on every slight change in Yao Delong's expression. "It seems quite similar to the Body Refining Divine Ability practiced by a certain Prodigy who has recently risen to fame in the Human Race territories, named 'Yao Delong.'"

Boom!

Yao Delong's heart skipped a beat! The calm he maintained on the surface almost broke! 'As expected! I was still recognized! This woman's intuition and memory are terrifying!'

He forced down the tumultuous waves in his heart, and an appropriate look of surprise immediately appeared on his face, which then turned into a nonchalant laugh, as if he had heard something amusing:

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Shushu must be joking!" Yao Delong spread his hands, his demeanor relaxed and natural. "In the path of Body Refining, all methods lead to the same goal; the ultimate pursuit is physical immortality and breaking all Laws with strength. I have indeed heard of that Yao Delong's name—rumor has it he obtained some ancient Body Refining Legacy? Perhaps the method he Cultivates just happens to share some similarities with the ancient Yao Race methods I practice. There are so many divine techniques in the world; a similar aura is not surprising at all, not surprising at all!"

As he blustered through his explanation, he quietly observed Xue Shushu's reaction.

Xue Shushu's delicate brows furrowed; she was not easily convinced by Yao Delong's explanation. That blazing, overbearing blood and Qi power, that Concept as brilliant as the great sun that suppressed everything, had left too deep an impression on her!

Outside Biqu City, that Human Race youth named Yao Delong had erupted with exactly this kind of power! Although the level of power and physical strength displayed by this 'Long De' before her far exceeded the Yao Delong of that day—that person could at most be said to be showing his first signs of brilliance, while 'Long De's' Physical Body could already trigger the resonance of Heavenly Laws—the essence of that 'Brilliant Great Sun' charm was identical!

But... how to explain the Demonic Power Origin? What this person before her radiated was a pure, even more refined and profound Yao Race Bloodline aura than most Demon Kings! It was absolutely impossible for a human to possess such a pure and powerful Demonic Power Origin!

A contradiction! A massive contradiction!

Seeing Xue Shushu fall into deep thought, her emerald eyes flashing with confusion and probing light, Yao Delong knew he couldn't let her keep thinking. He immediately gave a light cough, his face showing a timely hint of exhaustion and a fervent desire for the Dao of Alchemy as he spoke:

"Ahem, Fellow Daoist Shushu, refining a Ninth-Grade Divine Pill this time was truly an act of defying heaven. Although I luckily succeeded, it has left me completely exhausted. Furthermore, I caught a glimpse of the mysteries of a higher Realm in the Dao of Alchemy. At this moment, I feel inspired and urgently need to enter secluded meditation to fully digest these insights, stabilize my Primordial Spirit, and prepare for the upcoming 'Ten Thousand Fox Banquet.' I will have to trouble Fellow Daoist with the matter of healing and acting as Protector."

Hearing Yao Delong take the initiative to mention secluded meditation for insights into the Dao of Alchemy, Xue Shushu's eyes flickered, and she temporarily suppressed her massive doubts. Insights into the Dao were like a flash of inspiration, fleeting and indeed not to be delayed. Moreover, the other party had just performed a monumental service for Qingqiu and had accepted the fox emperor token; his status was now entirely different.

She composed herself, returning to her usual cold and steady demeanor, and nodded. "Fellow Daoist Long, rest assured in your seclusion. With me here, absolutely no one will disturb your quiet cultivation." Saying this, her figure flashed as she drifted back to the entrance of the meditation room and sat cross-legged. Nine-colored divine light faintly appeared as she entered a state of guardianship, but deep within her emerald eyes, a trace of unresolved doubt still remained.

Yao Delong breathed a secret sigh of relief and immediately turned to enter the deeper parts of the meditation room, setting up several layers of simple isolation Restrictions. Sitting cross-legged, he did not immediately begin healing but first sorted through the close call he just had. The risk of his identity being exposed had suddenly increased; Xue Shushu's suspicion was like a sword hanging over his head. But with the fox emperor token in hand, so many precious spiritual materials, and the behemoth of Qingqiu as a potential ally... though the future was fraught with danger, it was also filled with unprecedented opportunities!

"The Ten Thousand Fox Banquet in seven days... I'm afraid it won't be too peaceful." A sharp light flashed in Yao Delong's eyes, and then he slowly closed them, beginning to circulate his Cultivation Technique with full force to refine the medicinal power and repair his body, while also repeatedly deducing the various mysteries from refining the Ninth-Grade Divine Pill in his mind, seeking an opportunity for a Breakthrough.

Time flowed quietly beneath the surface of calm.

The entire Qingqiu Holy Land, however, was in a complete frenzy. Surviving a catastrophe, the hope of the Fox King waking up to ascend to the Emperor Realm, and a noble Guest Elder who had refined a Ninth-Grade Divine Pill being awarded the fox emperor token... every single one was a major event enough to shake the Demon Domain!

At the peak of Qingqiu, a massive plaza had long since been cleared. White jade paved the ground, and there were carved beams and painted rafters. Rows of massive tables made of ten-thousand-year-old spiritual wood were arranged neatly, already laden with various spiritual fruits and fine wines that gave off an enticing aroma. Various colorful spiritual lamps and formations were set up among them, reflecting the mountain peak like a fairyland. Countless disciples of the Fox Race bustled about, their faces overflowing with smiles of excitement and pride.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the melodious and grand sound of a bell echoed in every corner of the Qingqiu Mountains. The Ten Thousand Fox Banquet was about to begin!