Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

They waited for a while until Mei finally braced herself.

”So you are going to control it with your Divine Sense, right?” Moon Aiko pursed her lips.

”You really want me to fall into the lake?” Mei ’glared’ at Aiko.

”I mean, drenched Mei doesn’t sound too bad.” Moon Aiko nodded her head slowly.

”I miss my innocent Aiko...” Mei sighed, but she still liked this kind of Aiko.

”That’s kind of impossible right now as everything is ’stilled’.” Moon Aiko shook her head.

Mei was confused, but it didn’t seem like Aiko would say more, so she just jumped onto the boat.

”You really want to fall.” Moon Aiko stepped on the boat slowly, so that she could maintain her fragile balance.

Mei rolled her eyes. ”If I do it slowly, I will fall for sure.”

”I don’t think that’s how it works.” Moon Aiko shook her head.

”That IS how it works...” Mei sometimes could not understand Aiko and that feeling was definitely mutual.

Moon Aiko waited until Mei seated herself.

”It’s oddly comfortable.” Moon Aiko knew that this was a Treasure, but that didn’t mean it would be comfortable.

For example, her [Unnamed Spirit Boat] was not all that comfortable, since the materials used on bed were cheap compared to what she was currently sitting on.

Mei picked up the stick with her Divine Sense and gently nudged the floor of this lake.

’Rocks?’ The whole lake floor was covered with rocks, startling Mei. ’I can definitely make use of this.’ She nodded her head slowly, preparing for the voyage.

”Don’t fall.” Moon Aiko teased Mei.

”I won’t fall...” Mei clicked her tongue, but she didn’t really like boats on water. She still had some lingering fear due to the tests on the mainland.

”How is the Immortal World? Is it similar to this place?” Moon Aiko looked around, enjoying the petals on the lake surface.

”It’s... different, yet same at the same time.” Mei pursed her lips. She didn’t know if it was a good idea to tell Aiko about this, but maybe this will help her later on?

”How is it different?” Moon Aiko was curious so she asked Mei, who was trying to balance her body.

Seeing that, Moon Aiko sat between Mei’s legs and leaned back, practically pinning Mei against the boat.

Moon Aiko looked towards the sky as a pleasant and soft sensation spread on her back.

Mei pursed her lips. She didn’t think she would be able to feel safe in a boat with others, but maybe Aiko was just that special.

”If I were to compare, the Immortal World is more ’magical’.” Mei chuckled. ”Floating islands, deep ravines, water floating backwards and many more things.”

”How would we fare in the Immortal World?” Moon Aiko tilted her head.

”If you are asking if we would be oppressed, that’s unlikely.” Mei smiled. ”Unlike in the Mortal World, Beasts are not limited in the Immortal World.”

”Because they can no longer be overrun?” Moon Aiko narrowed her eyes as she watched the fake stars.

”No.” Mei chuckled. ”Unlike Mortal World, the management of the Immortal World is given to someone even more powerful, and they are usually impartial.”

”Are you sure that will be the case when we get there?” Moon Aiko turned her head towards Mei’s.

Mei planted a gentle kiss on Aiko’s forehead. ”I don’t believe they will be able to change in the very short time that we are here.” She shook her head slowly.

”Does time flow differently there?” Moon Aiko was curious about how they would deal with that.

”Not usually, each Mortal World has different rules, so they can have faster, or slower time flow compared to the Immortal World.” Mei explained while Aiko watched the sky.

”A cave?” Moon Aiko pursed her lips.

”They are definitely creative.” Mei chuckled.

Their boat was suddenly guided into a lone water cave. The ceiling of the cave was adorned with many shiny crystals, gently illuminating the surrounding area.

”Are they trying to create stars inside the crystals?” At least that’s how it felt like for Moon Aiko.

”Possibly, such crystals are rare, but not impossible to get.” Mei appreciated that gesture, since those were some of the most beautiful crystals that one could own.

”It’s really hard...” Moon Aiko sighed.

”You are not the only one who is trying to ignore the flaws...” Mei likewise sighed. She had superior knowledge about illusions, so she immediately saw through it and was trying to suppress her ability so that the Array would even work on her.

While Moon Aiko only had some knowledge about illusions, but her superior observation made it difficult to ignore those flawed pieces.

”They worked hard.” Moon Aiko chanted as she tried to ignore those flaws.

”There, there.” Mei patted the hardworking Aiko.

”I wonder how many Arrays it would take to create this place...” Moon Aiko tried to distract her mind and think of something else.

”Usually just one, but you would have to do a lot of adjustments.” Mei didn’t think it would take that much work, but that was for her, as for others... better to not attempt it.

”You are amazing.” Moon Aiko nodded her head as their boat suddenly appeared out of the cave.

”They probably heard you and were upset.” Mei giggled at Aiko.

”Don’t laugh at me! I did enjoy most of it!” Moon Aiko pouted at her.

”Yes, yes.” Mei wrapped her hands around Aiko. She was a lot slimmer than she remembered, but that soft and squishy sensation was the same.

Simply irresistible.

”Pavilion?” Moon Aiko noticed quite a cute pavilion on the side of the river and under the huge tree.

”They are really going all in.” Mei chuckled as she guided the boat towards it.

”There is no way to stop here.” Moon Aiko wanted to experience the whole thing, since this thing was on a cliff-side.

Was that also an illusion, or did the Foxes create it? She was curious, but she would wait and ask later.

”But there is.” Mei giggled as she lifted Aiko up, intending to jump up, but...

*Sliiiiiiiiiip*

”Huh?” Mei was startled why the boat was so wobbly, while Aiko kind of expected that and already held her breath.

*Splash*

*Bubble bubble*

Mei and Moon Aiko soon resurfaced, but neither of them said a word.

Well, at least that’s what Mei hoped for...

”I understand that you didn’t want to be the only one to fall into the water, but was this necessary?” Moon Aiko didn’t have all that many clothes that fit her, so she was slightly upset.

”Shush it.” Mei was embarrassed that this happened. Moreover, she was a very prideful Immortal, so falling into a lake like this was...

Moon Aiko kicked the water, arriving at the top of the cliff, but her clothes were completely soaked, since she didn’t expect that Mei would be so clumsy.

’Next time, I’m definitely keeping that ability running.’ Moon Aiko nodded her head.

Mei somehow got up too, but she was in an even worse state than Aiko.

”What about your tails?” Moon Aiko knew how to keep her tails dry, but that didn’t seem to be the case for Mei.

”I’m used to using the natural repulsing force of Immortal Qi to keep my body dry...” Mei grimaced, realising that she was too conceited when it came to certain things.

”Let’s go inside.” Moon Aiko noticed that the Pavilion could be covered with some paper walls, keeping the wind from coming in.

Moon Aiko used that fact to move Mei inside and then dry her slowly.

They both knew there was a faster way to do this, but there was a tacit understanding that both of them ’forgot’ it.

Mei enjoyed the smooth sensation of Aiko’s fingers as she tended to her tails, while Moon Aiko enjoyed the combing that Mei did while she waited for her tails to dry.

”This will take a while.” Moon Aiko pursed her lips.

”We can just wait for night. That way, we can observe actual stars.” Mei chuckled.

”Now you are just stabbing them with words.” Moon Aiko giggled back.

”Hey, no peepers allowed.” Mei shrugged, but it was true that neither of them wanted to have any peepers.

That was because they were already interrupted so many times that they might actually completely destroy this continent if it happened one more time.

”That’s true, if they would come, we would have to deal with them.” Moon Aiko shared the same sentiment.

Like this, they slowly groomed their tails until both of them were satisfied.

...

”A Spiritual Tea?” Moon Aiko titled her head.

”This is our time alone, uninterrupted, so we might as well go all in.” Mei shrugged like it was not a big deal, but anyone who knew this type of tea would know that this was very precious.

”True.” Moon Aiko took the cup and lifted the lid. A gentle yet invigorating scent wafted from the tea.

”I was always thinking, but why does everyone use the lids? Wouldn’t it be easier to just warm it up again?” Moon Aiko suddenly asked Mei.

”That is because you would degrade the tea that was diluted into the water.” Mei chuckled. ”So everyone understands that the only way to keep it somewhat warm for some time is a special lid.”

”Any kind of Qi would change the properties, huh?” Moon Aiko nodded her head as she sipped her tea.

”Yeah, that’s why everyone is so careful about what they are drinking and how.” Mei chuckled, remembering the attempted assassinations in her life.

”It was that bad, huh?” Moon Aiko noticed Mei’s ’shadow’ inside her eyes and slowly nodded her head.

”It was not THAT bad, but it was not good either.” Mei shrugged before sipping her tea.

After enjoying the gentle tea, they both left the pavilion. They knew that this was not the only thing that the Demonic Foxes prepared, so they were looking around.

”I think that the pavilion is the last part of this place.” Moon Aiko chuckled.

”What makes you say that?” Mei turned around, but then she also noticed a hidden door leading somewhere, and guessing from that scent, it was definitely a bedroom.

”What do you think?” Moon Aiko laughed at Mei, who was slightly stiff.

”Well, since we won’t be interrupted?” Mei nudged Aiko.

”After you.” Moon Aiko smiled mischievously.

”What are you up to?” Mei raised her eyebrow.

”Nothing, I’m going to watch that ass move.” Moon Aiko chuckled before running out of range of Mei’s hands.

”Aiko!” Mei shouted at her, but Moon Aiko already dived into the hidden door.

”Rascal!” Mei chased after Aiko immediately...