In the absolute darkness of the Jueling Suotian Great Array in the West Sea of the Tianyuan Realm, a small fox stumbled out of the array.
Years ago, Xiao Fei had lured her into the great array and trapped her within. Only today had she finally managed to escape.
At this moment, her eyes were vacant, her body disheveled. Her fur had become dry and split, losing its luster, and she was shedding.
During her years of confinement within the Jueling Suotian Great Array, she had cursed Xiao Fei loudly whenever she thought of him.
Now that she had finally seen the light of day again, she let out a long cry to the heavens, cursed Xiao Fei again for a while, and then flew west.
After breaking free from the great array, she flew westward all the way, passing through the territory of the West Sea Yao Clan.
Ahead lay the outskirts of the Central Continent, islands controlled by the human race.
On this day, the little fox flew near an island and saw a man sitting on a reef, fishing.
The man was exceptionally handsome, the most handsome she had ever seen.
At this moment, the little fox’s eyes were distant, gazing blankly at the man, and she couldn't help but approach him.
"What are you doing here?"
The little fox asked blankly, as if she had known the handsome man before her for a long time.
Who else could this handsome man, who attracted attention wherever he went, be but Zhu Yu?
"Of course I'm here. Besides, do we know each other?"
Zhu Yu, having seen much of the world, was well-versed in all sorts of pickup techniques.
In his memory, at least 300 women had used this approach of pretending to be old acquaintances on him.
However, it was his first time seeing a little fox use this method.
With your small size, not much bigger than a little bird, you dare to provoke this young master.
Zhu Yu scrutinized the little fox before him, finding it quite novel.
Little did he know that at this very moment, countless fragments of memories were appearing in the little fox's mind.
In a magnificent great hall, a man who looked extremely similar to Zhu Yu sat high on the main seat, with a group of immortals below respectfully bowing…
In a sea of clouds, this man, similar to Zhu Yu, was fighting with a fox that had nine tails, their roars echoing…
…
The memory fragments that appeared in the little fox's mind were numerous and chaotic…
Then, this fox decided to follow Zhu Yu.
Zhu Yu didn't mind. He treated her as a pet, and besides, Cai Jingjing, who lived with him, also liked this little fox.
Ever since Zhu Yu married Cai Jingjing, the current clan leader of the Cai clan, his life had been enjoyable.
Every day was happy, sweet, harmonious, and full of fun. Apart from being a bit taxing on his kidneys, everything was good.
It felt like he had returned to the days when he followed Old Ancestor Shangguan many years ago.
Although many years had passed, whenever he recalled Old Ancestor Shangguan dying for him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for a long time.
Ji Wudi, who had traveled the world with him back then, stayed with him in the Cai clan for a period, leaving behind many romantic legacies, and then chose to leave him.
This was because Ji Wudi had always been a cultivator with ideals and ambitions; he wanted to pursue his own path to power.
Clearly, Zhu Yu's path was not suitable for Ji Wudi; he couldn't handle it.
Zhu Yu remained with the Cai clan, and through some of the Cai clan's information channels, he could occasionally hear news of Xiao Fei and Huang Feifei, which greatly astonished him.
These two troublemakers were always stirring up trouble wherever they went, which was far from his own low-key approach.
A while ago, he heard that these two had gone to the Southern Wilderness Continent and had not yet returned.
However, the Cai clan did not send reinforcements to the Southern Wilderness Continent this time because, in addition to the Jueling Suotian Array encircling the Eastern Continent, there was another Jueling Suotian Array in the West Sea.
This Jueling Suotian Great Array had been very restless in recent years, with otherworldly creatures often escaping from it.
Recently, that array had encountered more problems, with many otherworldly creatures escaping, requiring more people to guard outside the array.
As a member of the cultivation world, the Cai clan was honorably assigned this task.
"Husband, your concubine needs to guard the clan, so I can only trouble you to lead the Cai clan members to go forth, to spread the prestige of our Cai clan and bring glory to our Cai clan."
"Don't worry, wife. I'll take care of this. We definitely won't let the Cai clan be shamed." Zhu Yu patted his chest and promised loudly.
"Mm! It's good that my husband has this intention. If you encounter danger, prioritize saving your life first. As the saying goes, as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood to burn."
Cai Jingjing hesitated for a moment longer, then seemingly making a final decision, she said, "Husband, please follow me!"
Zhu Yu followed Cai Jingjing towards a forbidden area within the Cai clan.
This place was protected by eighteen layers of formations. Without the personal presence of the current clan leader, no one could enter.
When Cai Jingjing led Zhu Yu through the layers of restrictions and reached the deepest part of the forbidden area, there was only a pool of water emitting a chilling cold.
"Husband, this Cold Pool is the Cai clan's greatest secret. Entering it can rapidly increase one's cultivation, and there is even a high probability of breaking through to the Void Refining realm.
It takes hundreds of years to accumulate enough to use it once. You should enter and soak in it for a month. How much you gain will depend on your personal destiny."
Cai Jingjing omitted one detail. According to the rules passed down from the Cai clan's ancestors, this Cold Pool could only be used by the clan leaders of past generations.
By bringing Zhu Yu into the forbidden area this time, she had already violated the ancestral rules.
If her ancestors knew that Cai Jingjing had allowed Zhu Yu to bathe in the Cold Pool, they would surely be so enraged that their corpses would rise from the grave.
Cai Jingjing didn't know what had come over her, but she was so infatuated with her current husband that she had done something against ancestral decree.
She stood by the edge, watching as Zhu Yu, following her instructions, took off his clothes and stepped into the Cold Pool. Every inch of his body captivated her.
Zhu Yu was likely the first male to enter the Cold Pool in countless millennia.
For countless millennia, the clan leaders of the Cai clan had bathed in it.
Through the long period of condensation, it was like a rich broth, the pool water carrying a natural feminine fragrance. Taking a deep breath, the aroma entered the heart and lungs.
However, Zhu Yu soon lost the leisure to appreciate these things.
The water in the Cold Pool was bone-chillingly cold, and streams of icy energy surged into his body through his skin.
Zhu Yu quickly gathered his senses, refining the icy energy that entered his body, and his cultivation began to skyrocket…
…
Two months later, Zhu Yu set off with a pat on his chest, holding a little fox in his arms, followed by a large group of elegantly dressed Cai clan members.
His cultivation had now reached the Void Refining realm.
His gains from entering the Cold Pool two months ago far exceeded Cai Jingjing's expectations.
Most people could only soak in it for a month before being unable to absorb any more energy.
However, Zhu Yu had absorbed energy within it for two months.
After he finished soaking in the pool water, its energy was completely depleted, and it was unknown how many years it would take to fully recover.
As he absorbed all the energy from the Cold Pool, the feminine fragrance that had accumulated over countless millennia also entered Zhu Yu's body.
Now, Zhu Yu exuded an alluring scent from his entire body, including his armpits.
Zhu Yu stroked the little fox in his arms, but a strange thought arose in his mind.
The ancestral Cold Pool of the Cai clan had been used by him. Would the future clan leaders of the Cai clan become pregnant if they bathed in it?