Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

Moon Aiko rested Mei’s body on her lap.

Aiko did like to sleep there, so it must be comfortable for others, too.

Gently letting her body rest, so that she wouldn’t wake up immediately, Aiko observed her surroundings.

They were in a spacious room, with a large, well-decorated and soft bed.

[Material: Demonic Sacred Spider Silk]

[Material: Myriad Holy Wood]

[Material: Sacred Moon-glow Latex]

[Material: Supreme Heavenly Tiger Pelt]

Moon Aiko used [Appraisal] just so she could see the dimensions of the things, but they also gave her insight into the material. This never happened before, so she was wondering what had changed.

Aiko could oddly feel that this place was under her control, but she didn’t remember creating this.

Mei stirred slightly from her sleep, and Moon Aiko gazed down.

”Feeling better?” Moon Aiko liked this place, so she didn’t mind staying here for a while.

Mei blushed once she realised where her head was, but she didn’t try to stand up.

Aiko’s thighs were oddly cool and exceptionally smooth, making for a very pleasant pillow.

Mei gently nodded her head.

Aiko tried to caress Mei’s head, but she grabbed her hand and intertwined her fingers with Aiko’s.

Moon Aiko raised her eyebrow, but didn’t say anything yet.

”Well...” Mei murmured something and then some again.

This repeated several times until Moon Aiko was fed up with it.

”You know, the previous clothing was quite cut- Auch!” Moon Aiko couldn’t believe that Mei would bite her thigh, just because she was embarrassed.

”Forget about that!” Mei didn’t expect that kind of clothing would make such an impression on Aiko.

”At first I thought it was a fake, but that was really you, huh.” Moon Aiko nodded her head slowly.

Mei closed her lips with a pained expression if she wasn’t in such a hurry, and took her time so that wouldn’t happen!

”So... did you wear anything under it?” Even if Moon Aiko wasn’t after anything erotic, she was still curious about it.

”Aiko!” Mei was trying to get in a serious mood, but Aiko was ruining it each time.

”What?” Moon Aiko tilted her head. ”It’s completely fine if you didn’t have anything under, they are- Auch! Mei!” She yelped at Mei once, and she bit her again.

”Hmpf.” Mei was completely red in the face and pouting for being made fun of.

Moon Aiko pinched her cheek. It seemed like their roles reversed for a moment.

They stayed like that for a while.

”Do you... Really like me?” Mei hesitated, but then shook her head. She gazed at Aiko. ”I like you- no, I do love you.” It would not be good if she tried to redirect that responsibility onto her partner.

Aiko did fool around with her previously, so making her say this would just be...

Mei bit her lip. ”I don’t want to lose you...”

”Then shouldn’t we be equals? Share information and all that?” Mei could act cute right now, but Moon Aiko was based on rationale and not mostly on feelings.

”I’m sorry.” Mei’s head dropped low. If she said a bit more or did things differently, Aiko wouldn’t get hurt.

’Right!’ Mei’s eyes suddenly lit up. ”Are you hurt anywhere? Where are you? Are you safe? It’s not safe in the Fox Village, right now!”

A genuine worry, Aiko was quite touched.

”I’m doing better, but many things have changed.” Moon Aiko moistened her lips with her tongue, but that just made Mei more conscious of her beauty.

Inside this dream, there were no Beast Techniques that could be used, outside of manipulating the dream itself. So Aiko’s beauty was on full display.

”I’m currently inside the Southern Sect with the Saintess.” Moon Aiko continued when she saw Mei burning red.

”It’s safe as it seems that Youngest Sister curry favour with the Sect.” Moon Aiko was greatly pleased. ”I might even obtain a flying boat~” She hummed happily, which was unlike this cool beauty.

Mei decided to ignore the last part. No Sect, no matter how big, would be unwilling to share even the tiniest flying boat. It was their technology and wealth, so even if it broke, they would just completely destroy it, so that others wouldn’t be able to obtain it.

”Do they treat you well...?” Mei wanted to buy a bit more time for herself, so that she was ready for the answer.

”They are kind of cute; they also have cute puppies.” Aiko nodded her head slowly.

Mei listened to the cool Aiko talking. Her voice was very soothing, and her soft and tender hands made Mei quite happy.

”The Elders are in hiding.” Mei suddenly said. ”We were planning to lure them out further once you had returned, but the Delegation stepped in, making it impossible for us to move.”

”Are they playing on both sides?” Moon Aiko was startled by this sudden conversation, but she listened to Mei.

”It’s very likely, while they did help me with the energy issue, that was only so that I wouldn’t die. It seems they either overvalued me or know something that I don’t know.” Mei sighed with a heavy heart.

”Is it fine for us to live with them?” Aiko narrowed her eyes.

”They won’t do anything to us in this continent, as they have to report all good seedlings. Once they report them, if even one of them dies, they will be held accountable, so it’s better for them to protect us.” Mei found this quite funny; no matter what kind of danger would appear, they would have to step in if it threatened her Soul.

”The Sacred Realm?” Moon Aiko pursed her lips.

”It seems like the Elders wanted to use it to seal you to reduce my mental strength. The Mystic Fox then was supposed to make me into a puppet or something, I’m not entirely sure what she was aiming for as she keeps blabbering about wife this and wife that.” Mei frowned, but she was forced to close her eyes once Aiko massaged her temples and forehead.

”What is our next plan?” Moon Aiko wanted to know if she was now accepted or not, so she said this on purpose.

”Nothing.” Mei shook her head. ”All we need is to stabilise our foothold, and we can do that through the business. The Delegation also took interest in it, so it’s impossible to be messed with.”

”What if the ’Seal’ returned to the Fox Village?” Aiko was curious about that part.

”There would be upheaval, but they would probably try to just hide their tracks.” Mei shook her head. Only a few individuals knew about that Seal, so most of them could play dumb and be rid of any suspicion.

”How about me?” Aiko pursed her lips.

”No, you should stay where you are.” Mei shook her head. The Southern Sect, from what she knew, protected and cherished Beasts, unlike the other Sects, so Aiko would be safe there.

”You are doing it again.” Aiko pinched her cheek.

Mei pursed her lips with a pained expression.

”I’m not small any more.” Moon Aiko added with a cool voice.

”...” Mei had conflicted feelings. ”But I don’t want to lose you...”

”But didn’t that happen a few times already?” Aiko tilted her head.

”...” Mei was lost for words.

”Isn’t it time to change something?” Aiko tilted her head.

”... Yes...” Mei felt awful, but the worry didn’t disappear from her mind.

”So you should talk to me.” Moon Aiko nudged her; this would be the last time she would do so.

”The Grandmaster is keeping them in check, and everyone believes that you are dead, so you are no longer on the ’list’.” Mei sighed. ”You do not have protection from the delegation.”

”Aren’t you wondering how I got out of the Sacred Realm?” Moon Aiko changed the topic. It seemed that Mei still believed she was weak.

”Is that something to do with the sudden drain of energy?” Mei rolled her head over on Aiko’s lap.

”That is correct, but do you believe that is it?” Aiko pursed her lips.

”... What happened in the Sacred Realm?” Mei heard that everyone who left saw a bright light coming from the deep side of the Sacred Realm, something was happening there, and everyone had a foreboding feeling of danger.

Everyone smart enough made it out alive, and the only thing Aiko’s team said was.

’That’s definitely Aiko, but the scale was too big, so we just left.’

Mei found it ridiculous, but not at the same time.

”Mei, I have melted and vaporised the Sacred Realm.” Moon Aiko knew that it was the Youngest Sister, but it was better not to confuse her for now.

Mei’s body visibly stiffened. Sacred Realm was unlike a Secret Realm. It could be said that a Sacred Realm was very close to a Mortal World when it came to size.

As such, melting or vaporising would have to include energy beyond what could be found in the Mortal World.

”The energetic Aiko?” It clicked for Mei, but she had to ask to make sure.

”See, you are not completely lost.” Moon Aiko gave Mei a peck on the forehead for being smart, making her blush and rub that place with her fingers.

”Then it makes it easier to explain, but that was not our full power.” Aiko explained.

”They were able to ’Seal’ me temporarily, but they messed up the adjustments and rules of the Seal.” Moon Aiko said.

”What actually happened inside?” Mei wanted to know a bit more, and she also wanted to hear Aiko’s voice more. She knew that this dream wouldn’t last, but she was just happy that Aiko was around and that she didn’t feel injured.

Anything inside the dream was amplified; if Aiko was hurt, she wouldn’t look like she was completely alright.

Sure, there were a few spots on her skin that didn’t look all too well, but that was about it.

”I was evolving in a special spot when they decided to seal me.” Aiko started her story.

”The Sect Sealing Relic?” Mei gently nudged.

”If you mean a strange cube, then yes.” Moon Aiko nodded.

Mei nodded gently, prompting Aiko to continue.

”Unfortunately, the adjustments were messed up, and all the energy that I had accumulated, but couldn’t absorb, was trapped inside it with me.” Moon Aiko kept going with her story.

”Thanks to that, I was able to gain more and more energy until it condensed around me. My body disintegrated and turned into a pure Spirit Form.”

Mei pursed her lips and touched Aiko’s face. She was able to check her body’s status through this, and it didn’t seem that Aiko had lost her physical body, which was strange...