Ordered to Marry by the High King - Chapter 45

Three days in the nightmare realm, yet only half a night in the human world. But the time had passed, and the Huangliang Dream Market had already closed its doors to visitors. They could only go elsewhere now, in search of the fragrance of the Smoke and Rain Dream.

But if they could break the seal, they could skip the journey to procure the Tear-Treasuring Eye of Yaojing.

Mountains and rivers stretched on—an immense, uncertain path ahead. If something went wrong along the way, who knew when they could finally expose the schemes of Tianji and the Nightmare Clan?

Zhuoxue wasn’t tired from travelling—her life was in danger. If she could boost her cultivation by absorbing spiritual energy, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

But…

Why was Longming staring at her like that—so direct and intense? She had been calm earlier, but now it looked as if fire had taken over her heart, the blaze hiding right behind her eyes. Once the mask burned away, a pair of crimson eyes would surely be revealed.

Zhuoxue said softly, “This is the Nightmare King’s spiritual energy. I’m just a little demon—how would I dare eat it?”

“There are thousands of types of spiritual energy in the world. They come from the same source, even if they flow differently. As long as you can merge it into your own spiritual veins, even divine or celestial energy can be used by you.” Longming spoke calmly, but her eyes weren’t at peace. A turbulent current surged beneath her gaze, vast and overwhelming.

Zhuoxue met that gaze, and could only trace its source back to the nightmare.

Did she go too far? Was her cover blown?

Zhuoxue muttered, “You’re not trying to use the Nightmare King’s energy to mess with me, are you? Just because I hit you with that ladle a couple of times?”

Longming was silent for a moment. “I hadn’t intended to bring up that ladle again.”

Then Zhuoxue became all sly eyes and twitchy brows, carefully studying Longming’s expression. She whispered, “Other than the ladle, what else do you remember?”

“I remember everything while I was awake. As for how you dragged me into the forest, I have no idea.” A flicker of flame dimmed in Longming’s eyes.

Zhuoxue smiled. Luckily, she had only reached out after Longming had passed out. That meant only heaven, earth, the fox—and not the tiger—knew what happened.

Longming asked again, “Back in the Yellow Spring Palace, you flipped through the life ledger, didn’t you? What did you see?”

Zhuoxue’s smile faltered. Just as she had expected, this big tiger really had become suspicious, and now she was cornered under questioning.

She lowered her eyes. “I saw a lot. But now that you can’t read the words on the life ledger, are you really going to believe just my version of things?”

“Say it,” Longming pressed on relentlessly.

Zhuoxue started counting on her fingers. “I saw that I was an official in the royal palace in Yunjing, looking mighty impressive. I commanded thousands of troops. I marched south, fought north, galloped across the battlefield… what else… let me think.” Her lips curled into a bright grin as she continued, “Oh! And I shared life-and-death loyalty with the princess! I would go through fire and water for her!”

“You—” Longming was at a loss for words.

Zhuoxue was making it all up, claiming every good deed for herself. She acted all meek, but was utterly bold. “What? You don’t believe me?”

As if Longming would believe that. She said coolly, “Enough. Swallow it.”

“You really want me to eat it?” Zhuoxue still hesitated. But thinking it through, she didn’t believe Longming would hurt her.

Last time, she had soaked in the cold spring of Lingkong Mountain, lost her senses, and nearly drowned. If Longming hadn’t stepped in in time, she’d have become nothing but a wisp of fox spirit by now.

Longming had once been the master of Wugou River, after all—that made her different. She had seen much of the world. Maybe she really could protect her.

Zhuoxue looked uneasy. “What if I don’t eat it?”

“Even if you manage to enter the dream market and obtain a drop from the Tear-Treasuring Eye, it still might not break this trap. If chaos breaks out then, I may not be able to keep you safe,” Longming said.

Of course Zhuoxue understood. She looked at Longming’s tightly clenched fingers and didn’t respond. Only after a long silence did she say, “You’ll guard me while I do it?” To have such a great demon guard her was a bit overkill, but as a fox, she had no better option. For now, the tiger would have to yield.

“Why not? I can protect you—but only if you dare to swallow it.” Longming opened her hand.

Zhuoxue held her breath. One moment, she pictured herself with flowing silver hair. The next, she imagined herself all-powerful and unmatched. Breaking through the realm wasn’t a bad thing. Once it was done, even her heated emotions could be suppressed. She wouldn’t have to worry anymore about propriety or appearances. 

The only uncertainty lay in that spiritual energy—it came from the Nightmare King. If he sensed it, he might take the chance to kill her when she was off guard.

The energy still rested in Longming’s palm. It was lighter than drifting cotton, murky as ink. At first glance, it looked like ink spreading through water, now suspended in air.

Zhuoxue lifted her arm and was instantly frozen by the energy. It felt like it had just been dug out of an ice cave—sharper even than Longming’s own pressure.

Though it looked like a gentle wisp, it was bristling with barbs, stabbing pain into her fingertips. She quickly clenched her hand, thinking: If this thing enters my spiritual veins, I’m going to end up riddled like a sieve.

Shuddering all over, Zhuoxue looked at Longming—how could she hold this thing without a trace of emotion on her face?

“What if my veins can’t take it?” she asked.

Longming responded calmly, “Spiritual veins aren’t unexpandable. As long as someone can lend a hand, I will help you.”

“I don’t want to die just yet,” Zhuoxue said, looking at Longming. She hadn’t even begun absorbing the energy, but already looked half-dead.

“I won’t let you die.” There was a flame in Longming’s eyes—it had never gone out.

Zhuoxue believed her. She clasped her hands forward, and instantly, it felt like her palms had been pierced a thousand times. The pain almost made her fling them away. As she took a deep breath, the cold energy seeped into her skin like blades and needles, sharp and scathing.

“Sit cross-legged,” Longming instructed.

Zhuoxue complied, folding her knees and settling on the muddy ground.

The energy appeared insubstantial, but just a fraction of it could completely fill her spiritual veins. She had absorbed barely half of it and already felt so bloated she could vomit.

It was, after all, energy capable of sustaining the entire nightmare realm—how could it truly be just a wisp?

Cold sweat streamed down Zhuoxue’s face. Her hands shifted from her knees to her belly, and her waist hunched forward. Not only her spiritual veins but even her spiritual platform throbbed with pain.

Longming pressed a palm to the top of the fox’s head and forcibly widened the narrow spiritual veins. But it was no perfect solution. If the energy didn’t merge with the spiritual platform quickly, her veins would likely rupture under the pressure.

Zhuoxue raised an arm to the side of her head, groaning in pain as her body tilted. Her breath turned chaotic, and her spiritual energy churned into total disarray. Threads of energy clashed inside her meridians. She couldn’t smooth them out. Between clenched lips, two low cries of pain escaped.

It hurt last time too, but not nearly this much.

The seal at the back of her neck was disturbed and began to burn, revealing the faint outlines of runes, dim and on the verge of shattering.

Now it felt like knives were carving her insides, and her skin boiled as if dropped into hot oil. Give it another moment, and she’d be a pot of fox stew.

Zhuoxue could no longer stabilize the energy inside her. She collapsed in a sweaty heap on the ground. The energy in her hands had fully entered her spiritual veins, but she lacked the strength to guide it—it crashed around wildly, cutting her up from the inside.

She looked whole on the outside, but her insides were nearly pulp. Her teary eyes turned slowly toward Longming, her pupils abruptly shifting into golden slits.

That was her true eye color.

“It hurts so much,” she said, each word forced from her lips. A metallic taste rose in her throat.

Longming quickly reached out and pressed a palm to the back of Zhuoxue’s neck, gently guiding the chaotic energy back to its proper paths.

But Zhuoxue’s spiritual veins were still too narrow. The Nightmare King’s energy was too ferocious. Her veins were torn, and her spiritual platform even more so.

Longming couldn’t see the internal injuries in Zhuoxue’s lungs and heart, but the faint scent of blood confirmed the severity—this was a life-or-death moment.

Zhuoxue curled up on the ground and abruptly transformed into her fox form. Her fluffy ears drooped lifelessly, and her tail lay still—it looked like nothing more than a stretched-out fox pelt.

“Calm yourself. This can’t be rushed. But since you’ve chosen this path, you must not stop halfway,” Longming said solemnly.

If it had been any other demon daring to absorb the Nightmare King’s energy, they would have exploded on the spot.

Longming had anticipated hardship, but she was still surprised: the energy had actually peeled off another layer from Zhuoxue’s demon core. What was once dull now looked polished, as if the dust had been wiped clean. The intricate patterns on it grew clearer, with a few glowing faintly.

Steadying herself, Longming soothed Zhuoxue’s inner and outer wounds. She used the chill within the Nightmare King’s energy to cool the burning runes.

The fox had been curled tightly, but now her limbs began to relax. Her ears perked up, and her silver whiskers twitched with the movement of her snout. Zhuoxue vaguely felt that the once-painful, slicing energy had turned into a warm, smooth stream, gently flowing through her spiritual platform. The pain was gone. Her bones softened, her limbs turned numb. She only wanted to close her eyes and sleep.

But her breakthrough wasn’t complete yet. The Nightmare King’s energy had simply lost its edge and could now be commanded.

“Try once more,” Longming’s voice brushed against the fox’s ears.

The fox slowly sat up, resting her chin on her front paws. The large runes still visible on her back looked like a spell robe draped over her.

In the depths of the forest, leaves rustled. Occasionally, the chirp of insects could be heard.

Longming glanced around and suddenly cast a barrier, wary of other Nightmare demons catching up.

The fox gradually assimilated the energy as her own. In this form, she should’ve only sweated around her ears, yet her entire coat was drenched—as if she’d once again soaked in the River of Forgetfulness, looking like a soggy white river rat.

Longming let her hand fall slightly, gently patting the fox’s soaked nape.

The breakthrough could only be made by the fox herself. All Longming could do now was wait.

The spiritual energy in Zhuoxue’s body had been smoothed out, but her thoughts were in chaos. She could no longer tell whether she was in her beast form or human body.

Calm the mind.

Bit by bit, spiritual energy pushed into her demon core. Not only her spiritual platform, but even the demon core itself was swollen and unbearable. And yet the pain had been soothed. She didn’t feel it anymore. She only felt like a dumpling bursting with filling—its skin on the verge of splitting.

Suddenly, the demon core trembled several times. The intricate patterns on it remained unchanged, but the core now looked like polished jade. The dull outer shell had completely peeled away, revealing the brilliant luster beneath.

A breakthrough!

Longming’s pupils contracted. No—it wasn’t over yet. Even after the breakthrough, there was still enough abundant spiritual energy to push the fox toward a second breakthrough.

Then came a massive surge against the seal. Starting from the base of Zhuoxue’s tail, the sigils began to burn away into ashes, bit by bit. But the symbols didn’t completely vanish. More than half remained, and gradually faded into her fur.

In the blink of an eye, the once radiant demon core dimmed again, becoming a cold, gray stone. Her breakthrough… had failed to fully complete.

Suddenly, wild winds howled beyond the barrier. Rain poured from the sky, trees swayed in the forest, looking like ghosts dancing.

A loud crack split the air as a bolt of lightning shot down from the dusky sky and struck the barrier directly.

All living beings, when shedding ignorance and advancing through a breakthrough, if they neared the edge of the primordial chaos, would have to endure three heavenly tribulations.

Longming’s face darkened. Her raised left arm trembled slightly from the impact of the lightning.

But Zhuoxue had not yet reached the next realm, nor the edge of chaos. The lightning tribulation was ill-timed. Unless she had angered the heavens and was being barred from advancing—or unless…

Tianji!

Longming gave a cold scoff, raised her head to stare into the darkened sky, and began tracing runes with her forefinger while chanting an incantation. The runes flowed endlessly, slowly attaching themselves to the barrier. No matter how fiercely the lightning struck, the shield held strong and unbroken.

She firmly believed Tianji wouldn’t dare to endlessly hurl lightning down like this. Such flagrant defiance would surely catch the attention of other immortals in Yaojing.

Sure enough, only three bolts of lightning descended. After the third, the dark clouds dispersed, and the stars and moon reappeared.

Longming abruptly turned to look at Zhuoxue, only to see the fox trembling.

Zhuoxue had reached the edge of breakthrough but failed to cross it. Her spiritual power was nearly drained by the demon core, which now only absorbed and no longer released. She was at her most fragile; even minor discomfort could overwhelm her.

The white fox suddenly reverted to human form. Her light robe spread out on the dark muddy ground like a tuberose ashamed to bloom under daylight. But her arms and legs were still curled like in her beast form, as if newly transformed and unsure how to move.

Zhuoxue’s long hair spilled around her. More than half of it had turned white—like a silver spring trickling down a black mountain, missing only the sound of rushing water. She felt awful. The heat at her nape was gone, but now her heart was burning. Desire and heat had boiled her blood and qi, but her eyes were veiled, barely able to see clearly. Dazed and disoriented, she didn’t know where she was.

The silver-haired, golden-eyed fox crawled forward two steps and hit the barrier—as if colliding into an icefall—and let out a faint sigh. Her skirt trailed behind her in a long sweep. Perhaps due to changes in her demon core, even her transformed clothing differed from before.

A flicker of awareness lit in her eyes. She vaguely made out a figure, and just like in her fox form, she crawled forward on all fours.

Zhuoxue, still half-lucid, reached out and grabbed the edge of Longming’s robe, curling up beside her like a puppy. She seemed unable to tell who was in front of her and called out for help.

“I don’t feel well.” Tears welled at the corners of Zhuoxue’s eyes, her breath humid and hot.

Longming pressed her lips together, turning her gaze aside. “Bear with it,” she said calmly.

Zhuoxue was very close now. Her moist gaze followed the lines of Longming’s face downward. At last, she saw clearly. She rose and flung herself into Longming’s arms, soft as silk and cotton.

“Longming, I don’t feel well.”

The fox’s voice trembled with unshed tears, like summer air—both hot and damp.

Even the lightest brush made her shudder. She grabbed Longming’s hand and pressed it to her cheek, murmuring, “I don’t know what’s happening. Am I going to die?”

“No,” Longming replied. Her quiet gaze wavered, suddenly unsure where to rest. “Stop moving, or else I’ll—”

Zhuoxue refused. “No! If I don’t move, I’ll turn into a turtle!” And with that, she bit Longming on the web of her thumb. She sobbed, “Didn’t Aunt Lan say that when something hurts, you just pinch another place and it’ll distract you from the pain?”

After a long pause, Longming replied, “You bit my hand.”