"Long Hu Hu, you're being naughty again. Where are you going off the island in such cold weather?" Ye Ju was surprised to run into Xiao Bai.
"Sister, I'm here to pick you up. I sensed you were nearby." As soon as Xiao Bai boarded the boat, she transformed into a delicate young girl. Xiao Wang You, wearing a fur-collared cloak, looked at Ye Ju with a surprised expression.
In the sea of consciousness, the Black Dragon was agitated, leaping and twisting. Ye Ju felt dizzy and had to confine him to a corner, planning to deal with him once they reached the island.
Ye Ju gently stroked the heads of the two young girls. Listening to their chatter, Ye Ju felt a sense of peace and the warmth of returning home!
The purple bamboo boat flew into the barrier. Ye Ju was amazed to find the island free of snow. Although it wasn't as warm as autumn, the temperature was significantly milder than outside. Ye Ju regretted not being able to have a snowball fight on the island. However, knowing that snow beasts roamed Tian Chen Continent, she decided against it.
Upon returning to the purple bamboo house on the island, Ye Ju saw A You and Shopkeeper Zhu waiting by the entrance.
"Master, just as Lord Xiao Bai predicted, you have indeed arrived today. I've already cooked your favorite dishes!" A You said excitedly.
"Fairy Ye has returned. Congratulations! Shall we have a few drinks tonight to celebrate?" Shopkeeper Zhu said with a smile.
Ye Ju noticed that the sky was darkening. Due to the snowfall, the sky was overcast, making it difficult to gauge the time. However, given the excited dragon in her sea of consciousness, Ye Ju asked A You to keep the food warm and prepare more, anticipating potential guests.
A You readily agreed, believing everything their Fairy Master said was correct.
"Uncle Black Dragon, I'm letting you out now. Please try not to get too excited!" Ye Ju feared he might get so agitated that he'd demolish the purple bamboo house.
"Hu Hu, I've brought someone familiar. I think he might be your father." Ye Ju explained the situation to Xiao Bai first.
"Sister, my father? He's still alive?" From her heritage, Xiao Bai knew she was the child of a dragon and a nine-tailed fox, but that was all. She had assumed her parents were no longer alive. Ever since she could remember being by her sister's side, no one had ever spoken of her parents. She had always believed she was abandoned.
"Hu Hu, he has passed away. Only his dragon soul remains. I'll let him out." Ye Ju's heart felt heavy.
Ye Ju released the Black Dragon. As soon as he emerged, he soared above the rooftop of the bamboo house. The dragon's roar made Ye Ju's eardrums throb. Those who couldn't see the dragon soul, like Xiao Wang You and A You, only felt a pressure in the air, a palpable might that made them feel breathless. Shopkeeper Zhu, being at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, could see the dragon soul and felt a sharp pain in his ears. This Fairy Ye always brought surprises! This was a dragon, a true divine dragon! Zhi Meng, who had angered Ye Ju earlier, had retreated to his room to hibernate after the onset of winter. Upon sensing the arrival of something extraordinary on the island, he crouched down, trembling!
Without Ye Ju needing to say anything, Xiao Bai burst into tears upon seeing the majestic Black Dragon. The power of her bloodline told her this was her father, though he was dead, and this was merely his dragon soul.
The Black Dragon, seeing his beloved daughter cry, immediately descended and transformed into a handsome middle-aged man. His face was chiseled, his features sharp and attractive. He wore a black stand-collar long gown with embroidered gold patterns, a golden belt cinching his waist, adorned with a piece of black jade. He exuded an aura of nobility and power.
"Hu Hu, don't cry. I am your Father God..." The Black Dragon, heartbroken, reached out to embrace his daughter for comfort, but his hands passed through her.
Xiao Bai watched his strong hands attempt to hold her but pass through her body. A hollow ache formed in her heart, and tears streamed down her face like pearls. Ye Ju had never seen Xiao Bai cry so heartbrokenly. She quickly went to her, embracing and comforting her. As Xiao Bai nestled into Ye Ju's embrace, she clung to her tightly like a fledgling returning to its nest, sobbing uncontrollably, her cries seemingly shaking the heavens and earth. Unbeknownst to them, outside the barrier, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and a torrential rain began to fall. With both snow and rain, the weather grew even colder!
The Black Dragon's expression was filled with pain, watching his precious daughter before him, yet unable to touch her.
"Sister, can you save him? I saw you bring flowers back to life. Please save him," Xiao Bai pleaded, her eyes blurred with tears.
The words "Father God" lingered on Xiao Bai's lips. She tentatively opened her mouth, but still couldn't utter them. She held resentment, always believing she had been abandoned, which made her fear that her sister might one day leave her too. That's why, when her sister was on the verge of death in the upper realm, she had severed her nine tails, depleted her cultivation, and reversed time by burning her life force.
"I will try my best, darling!" Ye Ju promised repeatedly, her heart aching.
Ye Ju knew that resurrection was not opportune at the moment, but she couldn't bear to see her beloved Hu Hu in such pain!
Shopkeeper Zhu remained silent throughout, finding everything rather perplexing.
"Shopkeeper Zhu, please guard me later. We'll go to the open space in the spirit fields." Ye Ju offered no further explanation. The spirit fields, not planted during winter, had all been harvested, leaving a large area clear. Ye Ju first went to the spirit spring pool, filling several pots with spirit spring water, and also gathered some spirit herbs and plants. She made her preparations.
Shopkeeper Zhu agreed.
Xiao Bai watched her sister's actions, afraid the spirit spring water wouldn't be enough and insisted on filling a large water tank. She remembered that only her sister could access the spirit spring and worried about what might happen. The thought of her sister being in danger made her hesitate. She deliberately avoided looking at the tall figure that had been following her.
"Sister, perhaps we should wait. I don't want anything to happen to you!" Xiao Bai's fearful expression made the Black Dragon's heart clench as if being squeezed, causing him unbearable pain.
"Xiao Ju Yin, perhaps we should wait. I can see Hu Hu is content..." The Black Dragon understood his importance in his daughter's heart. He feared she might overexert herself during the spell, as her cultivation was only close to the Divinity Transformation stage, but her realm was still quite low.
Ye Ju looked back at the father and daughter, her heart warming.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I have a premonition that today is the best opportunity. You have appeared, and those people won't give you much time. Now that Hu Hu is exposed, the news of the emergence of the Nine-Tailed Fox divine beast on Tian Chen Continent has already spread. We don't have much time, and I don't even know who the enemy is! Don't you want to start protecting her from now on?"
Ye Ju had investigated the truth for a long time, millions of years ago, without any leads. But since meeting the Black Dragon, she had a vague feeling of conspiracy. In the upper realm, when she was young and her cultivation was merely that of a little fairy, she had resurrected a small snake and a small rabbit. Father God had forbidden her from resurrecting people, saying that life and death were predetermined and one should not defy heaven's will!
Well, this Dragon God was essentially a snake, not a person, right! But what if she defied heaven! Ye Ju's resolve solidified, her face etched with determination! Weren't all cultivators defying fate and seeking the Great Dao? And Ye Ju's Dao was to do what she believed was worth doing, to give it her all, and never regret it!