Chapter 138
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Chapter 138: Title
In the eyes of all present, the demon lord remained silent for a long moment without uttering a word.
Di Yun’s nerves instinctively tightened. Had his earlier question been inappropriate? Was it something the demon lord found difficult to answer?
With this thought, Di Yun’s gaze flickered toward the Dragon Lord, who was calmly sipping tea.
Ao Yuan maintained an air of detachment, as though entirely oblivious to Di Yun’s scrutiny. Unlike the human, he keenly understood the chasm between himself and the demon lord before them—not merely in the palpable disparity of their cultivation but also in the profound wisdom accumulated over countless centuries.
What Di Yun sought to uncover mirrored Ao Yuan’s own curiosity. Though the inherited memories of spirit cultivators preserved many ancient mysteries, they were far from exhaustive.
The term “World Fusion” had flashed once through those ancestral recollections, marked only as a matter of grave significance. Its deeper implications remained shrouded.
The silence thickened like fog.
It was the white fox who finally pierced the stillness.
“What World Fusion entails… you shall learn soon enough.”
Her words rippled through the room, each listener instinctively dissecting their layers. When a demon lord chose her phrases with such care, the surface meaning was but the tip of the iceberg.
In matters of interpretation, humans invariably outcomplicated spirit cultivators.
Ah, how tirelessly they turned simple truths into labyrinths of conjecture.
Having abstained from human company for centuries, the nine-tailed fox had long since discarded memory of their peculiar habits.
Had she known these mortal minds were vivisecting her casual remark, she might have laughed aloud. There existed no hidden meaning—only plain truth, offered without artifice.
After a contemplative pause, the white fox addressed the group anew. “Should you consent to wait half an hour, the remaining demon lords may wish to greet you.”
“The Space Overlap phenomenon warrants their attention. As your arrival in Southern Wilderness and Qingqiu remains unknown to most, notification is required.”
Di Yun’s heart leapt. An audience with multiple demon lords exceeded their boldest hopes.
Their prior intelligence stated clearly: while Empress Nuwa—creator of spirit cultivators and supreme deity of Huaxia’s ancient pantheon—reigned as highest authority, she seldom manifested. Present governance rested with the nine tier-nine demon lords. Their strategy had been to first approach the nine-tailed fox before seeking others.
Building rapport through direct engagement would bring only benefits to the human cultivators.
—Though had Di Yun known of recent events in the human realm, his optimism might have faltered.
“This is most generous! We offer our deepest gratitude, Your Highness.” Di Yun bowed deeply.
“Hm.” The white fox acknowledged with regal brevity.
Professor Zhao quietly calculated: half an hour here equated to one earthly hour. The Mountain and Sea Realm’s geography defied mortal measurements—crafted as a condensed mirror of Huaxia’s Nine Provinces, its true scale remained awe-inspiring.
Demon lords of celestial immortality level (equivalent to tier-nine Practitioners) governed these lands. For the Dragon Lord, traversing a thousand miles required less effort than blinking—and even that speed was restrained for his guests’ comfort.
Should the farthest demon lord journey from Northern Wilderness to Southern Wilderness within this half-hour window, the Realm’s expanse must dwarf even their most ambitious estimates.
Professor Zhao sighed inwardly. The spirit cultivators excelled in their cultivation, yet remained primitive in other aspects. Despite their numbers in the human realm, not a single spirit cultivator could accurately describe the expanse of their homeland.
The crude measurements and hollow descriptions of the Mountain and Sea Realm had nearly driven the already balding experts and professors to complete hairlessness.
The white fox studied their group with contemplative eyes before smiling as if struck by sudden recollection. "I recall your human cultivators have a saying: ‘Guests from afar deserve hospitality.’"
"Since this holds true, little ones—serve our visitors tea and fruits."
"You may sit and wait leisurely for half an hour."
At her command, previously inconspicuous fox spirits bowed deeply, paws pressed together. "As you will, Ancestor."
The Nine-Tailed Demon Lord idly plucked fur from the fox cub nestled at her knees. With a breath, the white strands drifted downward, materializing into precisely enough tables and chairs for the assembly.
The simultaneous widening of every human eye spoke volumes. Was this illusion? Or true Creation of the Void?
"Your generosity honors us, Demon Lord." Di Yun bowed before turning to his team—only to find them clustered around the furniture like wide-eyed peasants gawking at imperial treasures.
…Did they forget they represented Zhongxia’s entire modern society? The furnishings mirrored their creator’s style—unrefined edges bearing no trace of craftsmanship.
Di Yun’s deliberate cough went largely unheeded. While Yun Han and Xiao Chen maintained decorum, the veteran professors pawed at the mystical furniture with academic fervor. The team leader’s eye twitched as he resolutely looked away.
He vividly recalled his stern warnings upon entering Qingqiu—hands off the "wildflowers and grasses." Not only were these plants owned, but their earlier botanical sampling near the Shennongjia Space Overlap had already stripped that area bare.
The delegation sat at a carefully measured distance from Ao Yuan’s group, joined by Mr. Bai who claimed unworthiness to approach the two noble figures. Modern sensibilities chafed at this hierarchy, yet Zhongxia’s policy of mutual respect bound them to accept spirit cultivator customs.
"Guests, partake."
Fluffy servers barely taller than the tableware delivered refreshments. Di Yun’s team shifted uncomfortably being served by such adorable creatures.
"Thank you," they chorused instinctively.
Mr. Bai translated before adding, "Their cultivation surpasses yours, despite appearances."
The revelation stung. Knowing these were fox spirits didn’t ease the humiliation of being outmatched by housepet-sized beings.
Yun Han lifted his translucent teacup, observing cold mist swirling above liquid where floral fragments danced. "The tea’s chilled."
Meanwhile, Xiao Chen examined a fist-sized fruit whose delicate aroma belied its humble appearance.
"These will benefit you; partake," Mr. Bai advised, sighing inwardly at the human cultivators oblivious to their extraordinary fortune—such treasures no longer existed in the human realm.
The teacups and spiritual fruits upon the table precisely matched their number. Even had there been surplus, none could likely stomach a second portion.
What appeared as mere floral tea brewed with crystalline water transformed upon the first sip into torrents of pure Spiritual Energy cascading through their meridians.
The sensation mirrored cultivation’s meditative absorption. Without prompting, every Practitioner instinctively channeled their unique Cultivation Methods.
—All Special Bureau agents dispatched to the Mountain and Sea Realm bore cultivation foundations, however rudimentary.
Unlike ordinary Spiritual Energy requiring laborious refinement, this essence flowed like placid rivers, merging seamlessly with their reserves.
This was no common brew. Though perhaps not legendary celestial flora, its value remained unquestionable.
They sipped with ceremonial slowness, pausing between mouthfuls to assimilate the energy. Forewarned by the tea’s potency, they approached the spiritual fruits with measured caution.
Even within the Great Wilderness, such rarities were scarce—exquisite spiritual blossoms steeped in enchanted waters, fruits capable of purging impurities and supplanting months of arduous cultivation.
Observing the covertly meditating group, Mr. Bai mused how these Tier One Practitioners squandered portions of the treasures’ essence.
Their limited cultivation prevented full absorption, particularly regarding the fruits’ latent medicinal properties.
Yet consolation lingered—while dispersed Spiritual Energy escaped utilization, the residual potency would gradually suffuse their bodies through future cultivation.
"Your restraint has grown remarkably, Dragon Lord," the Nine-Tailed Demon Lord remarked, her vulpine eyes glinting at Ao Yuan across the table. "The human realm journey serves you well."
"I anticipated inquiries from Your Lordship."
"Many questions arise," Ao Yuan responded, his tone as unperturbed as still waters.
"Then pose them! Might I illuminate mysteries for the legendary dragon?" She tilted her head, an artless gesture belying millennia of cunning.
The artless charm required no fox tribe enchantments—merely the relaxation of her natural allure. Yet Ao Yuan regarded her with the detachment one reserves for woodland creatures.
His ironclad will rendered such trifling temptations irrelevant.
"Not all mysteries demand articulation."
"Indeed," she acquiesced smoothly, unfazed by the rebuff. "Some matters needn’t involve meddlesome outsiders."
The Dragon Lord’s brusque nature tolerated few companions. His seniority among the Nine Extreme Demon Lords commanded deference beyond mere power—a respect for ancient lineage the white fox graciously extended.
(Though wisely, none ever mentioned this tacit consensus to the draconic dignitary.)
As they conversed, twin conflagrations—one obsidian-dark, another sunfire-gold—streaked across the firmament toward Qingqiu.
"Our neighbors approach," the demon lord observed, sipping tea with amusement. "Care to speculate their identities?"
"Considering spirit cultivators infiltrate the human realm freely," Ao Yuan countered, "and that they enlisted your vigilance here, their knowledge of the Mountain and Sea Realm must be…substantial."
Her rhetorical question hung between them, its certainty sharper than any blade.
