Chapter 70: The Fox Spirit's Night Attack—The Enchantment Failed

“All right, that’s enough. You’ve cried long enough; it’s time to stop. Who ever said your mother would be forever trapped in her dream?”

“What did you say? My mother could still… No—she will definitely come back!”

Xiao Ling’er abruptly lifted her head and looked at Ling Tian. At first, she was doubtful, but soon she shook her head, denying her own words. A resolute light appeared in her eyes as she spoke with certainty.

“Of course. You must understand, the knot in your mother’s heart is actually you and your father. If you want to help her escape the dream, the two of you are undoubtedly the best candidates. However, there is no bond linking your mother and father, so it would be extremely difficult for him. But you—you’re different! You share the same blood. You can serve as the bridge, enter her dream, and bring her back!”

As Ling Tian spoke, he reached out and gently wiped away the tears on Xiao Ling’er’s face.

Xiao Ling’er did not shy away from his gesture. On the contrary, a warmth bloomed in her heart, and a gleam of hope lit up her eyes. She had never imagined there was such a way. Didn’t this mean her mother might wake up soon?

“What should I do? What do I need to prepare?”

Eager, Xiao Ling’er could hardly wait to awaken her mother.

“It’s not possible right now. Your spiritual strength isn’t enough. At the very least, you’ll need to reach the Void-Shattering Realm before you can try.”

Ling Tian considered for a moment before replying.

“Void-Shattering Realm…” Xiao Ling’er whispered, surprised at how high the requirement was. What about her mother, then…?

She suddenly looked to Huang Huang, seeking confirmation that Ling Tian was not deceiving her. After all, achieving the Void-Shattering Realm would take an enormous amount of time.

“There is indeed such a method,” Huang Huang replied, expression unchanging, calmly corroborating Ling Tian’s words.

“Of course, you needn’t worry. Who knows? Perhaps your mother will wake on her own before you reach that level.”

Ling Tian shrugged, offering another possibility.

“I understand. I’ll train hard. If my mother wakes, all the better. If not, I will awaken her myself!”

Xiao Ling’er nodded vigorously, answering with determination.

Ling Tian trusted she wouldn’t do anything reckless in pursuit of rapid cultivation. After all, if anything happened to her and Huang Xi couldn’t wake on her own, then there would truly be no hope. Xiao Ling’er could surely weigh what mattered most.

“Let’s make our preparations. It’s time to head to the Phoenix Domain’s secret realm.”

Wiping away the traces of tears, Xiao Ling’er cast a deep look at Huang Xi, then turned to Ling Tian.

The secret realm would temper them, invigorate their spirits, and help them grow stronger more quickly.

“Very well.”

Ling Tian nodded, and the two left side by side.

Watching their departing figures, Huang Huang muttered under his breath, “Why go to such lengths?”

The method Ling Tian had spoken of was one Huang Huang had never heard before. When he heard Ling Tian say Xiao Ling’er would need to reach the Void-Shattering Realm, his first thought was that Ling Tian was lying—giving her hope, something to cling to.

But lies are always eventually exposed, and when that day came, it would be difficult to resolve. With their relationship so close now, Huang Huang truly didn’t understand why Ling Tian would do this.

He was selfish; otherwise, he wouldn’t have helped Ling Tian perpetuate the falsehood. He simply didn’t want to see his granddaughter in such a state.

Huang Huang glanced at his daughter. This matter had become a demon in his own heart, halting his cultivation for years. Perhaps it was his own punishment.

He didn’t know that Ling Tian’s words were not false—such a technique did exist. Ling Tian simply could not wield it yet.

When Ling Tian and the others returned, Huang Yu looked at Ling Tian with admiration, pulling him aside to ask about all that had happened while he was gone.

Seeing Xiao Ling’er, his enthusiasm only grew, and he began recounting tales of Huang Xi. Xiao Ling’er was very interested in her mother’s past, and Huang Yu was only too glad to oblige. Judging from their attitude toward Xiao Ling’er, father and son truly weren’t bad at all.

With Huang Yu’s tactful mediation, the atmosphere remained pleasant.

“It’s just as well they broke it off—this kid never did act proper anyway!”

That night, Huang Lei hosted a banquet for Ling Tian and his companions. During the meal, Hu Yunying brought up the dissolution of the arranged marriage, to which Huang Lei responded magnanimously, even shooting a glare at Huang Yu.

Huang Yu only smirked, not bothering to argue.

As for Xiao Ling’er’s mother, everyone tacitly avoided the topic, so the meal passed pleasantly.

Their accommodations had been carefully arranged.

Outside Ling Tian’s room, an unexpected figure appeared.

Fox Immortal crept about furtively, and after confirming no one was nearby, finally let out a sigh of relief.

She was dressed lightly, her hair clinging to her back—she had just bathed. Her skin glowed with a rosy translucence, stirring endless imagination; every move was steeped in allure.

It was infuriating. Ever since she had broached the subject of helping the fox clan, Ling Tian hadn’t mentioned it again. Because of this, Fox Immortal had suffered many sleepless nights.

It was maddening—did he not know it was terribly rude to leave things half-said?

That was why she resolved to visit him late at night, hoping to use her beauty as a lure…

Don’t misunderstand—she wanted to use her beauty to entice Ling Tian into agreeing, and to record the whole thing with a recording stone so he couldn’t go back on his word.

At this thought, Fox Immortal smiled dazzlingly. Composing herself, she gently pushed open Ling Tian’s door.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed cultivating, Ling Tian instantly sensed something amiss outside. He thought, Surely I won’t face danger on my very first night staying here? Otherwise, everything he’d discussed with Huang Huo would have been for nothing.

He opened his eyes and saw Fox Immortal, plainly up to no good in her revealing attire.

“You’re awfully careless. If I hadn’t wanted to see who it was, you’d be dead already.”

Ling Tian couldn’t help but sigh. Fortunately, he had restrained his impulse to attack; otherwise, Fox Immortal would certainly be injured—perhaps even fatally so.

Seeing she’d been discovered, Fox Immortal abandoned all pretense and walked in openly, thinking, What kind of decent person stays up this late?

As she drew closer, Ling Tian caught a pleasant fragrance. People always said foxes were seductive, but that wasn’t entirely true. The seduction lay perhaps more in their actions than their scent.

“A midnight visit—what business brings you here?”

Ling Tian watched as Fox Immortal settled herself on his bed, staring directly at him. He could only shake his head and ask helplessly.

“Do you find me attractive?”

Fox Immortal answered with a question, her eyes shimmering as she looked into Ling Tian’s, her innate charm clearly at work.

As a nine-tailed fox, her enchanting arts far surpassed those of lesser foxes.

“Beautiful.”

Ling Tian was momentarily dazed, his expression growing blank as he nodded.

Seeing this, Fox Immortal’s face lit up, convinced her plan had succeeded and she could now achieve her goal.

She pulled out the recording stone and asked, “Was it you who promised to help the fox clan out of their plight? Did you—ah! What are you doing?!”

Intent on recording, she didn’t finish her sentence before Ling Tian suddenly pressed her down, eliciting a startled cry.

Watching Ling Tian’s lovesick expression, Fox Immortal grew apprehensive. She had prepared herself for the worst, but now that it was actually happening, panic gripped her.

As Ling Tian’s face drew closer, she braced his chest with her arms in an effort to slow him down. Who would have thought that, despite his slender appearance, he was so heavy? She was nearly unable to hold him up.

Fox Immortal bit her lip, her beautiful eyes flickering with struggle—should she break the enchantment? That way, she could escape, but the fox clan’s predicament might never be resolved. Looking at Ling Tian and recalling his actions, she thought, Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if he did take me…

Hesitation leads to defeat; decisiveness leads to surrender.

Having resolved her inner conflict, Fox Immortal closed her eyes, her trembling eyelids betraying her unrest.

But what greeted her was not Ling Tian’s beastly force, but a sharp flick to her forehead.

“It seems you were rather looking forward to that, weren’t you?”

A teasing voice sounded in her ear.

Fox Immortal opened her eyes, holding her sore forehead, and looked at Ling Tian with grievance.

“How did you not fall for it? And get off of me!”

For the fox clan, failure of their charm was tantamount to denial of their allure. Ling Tian was the first to pass this test.

Those who failed…

Fox Immortal glanced at their somewhat compromising position and scolded Ling Tian internally, demanding he move. If he hadn’t fallen under her spell, then he was simply taking advantage!

Ling Tian, however, showed no interest, rising and moving aside.

Fox Immortal straightened her disheveled clothing, looked up at Ling Tian, then lowered her gaze again. Had he snapped out of it midway? Did he not realize she meant to gather evidence?

A fleeting hope crossed her mind, but Ling Tian quickly dashed it:

“I was never under your spell.”

“So what now?”

At his words, Fox Immortal deflated, her earlier vibrancy gone. She knew she had been in the wrong, resorting to such tricks while seeking his help—he had every reason to refuse her now.

If only she’d simply talked things over with him!

“This won’t be let go so easily. You must be punished.”

Ling Tian’s tone was stern, making Fox Immortal nervous. But then again, if she wasn’t afraid of that, why fear punishment? At least he hadn’t said he wouldn’t help.

Ling Tian paused, glanced at her, then said seriously:

“As I said before, a flick to your forehead will have to do for punishment. I told you—if you join my cause, I’ll help you. That promise stands, always.”