Chapter 685: Shadow Fox Lady's Lightning Tribulation! Cultivation Tribulation?
"Yaya! Don't close your eyes! Ren Onii-chan is coming to save you right away! Hold on!"
The moment Ren tore through the dimensional barrier and arrived in this world, Tushan Honghong's desperate, heart-wrenching cry pierced his ears.
"Ren... Brother..."
Lying in a pool of her own blood, Tushan Yaya heard the name drift through her hazing consciousness. A tragic, fragile smile touched her lips, which were stained crimson.
She felt cold. So incredibly cold. It seemed she wouldn't be able to wait until he arrived after all.
'If there is a next life...'
That was Yaya's final, drifting thought as the darkness threatened to swallow her whole. Her eyelids felt heavy as lead, sliding shut.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
At the very edge of the abyss, a gentle, familiar voice anchored her soul.
Before she could succumb to the void, she felt a pair of large, warm hands press firmly against her lower abdomen.
Use Doomsday Companion privilege. Status: Administrator Intervention.
Immediately, a torrent of golden vitality surged from those palms. It wasn't just a trickle; it was a roaring river of life force that flooded into her broken body, knitting flesh, repairing meridians, and reigniting the fire of her soul.
"Ren... Onii-chan!"
Seeing Ren's figure materialize out of thin air, Tushan Honghong felt her knees go weak. The crushing weight of despair that had gripped her heart vanished instantly.
In her heart, Ren was omnipotent. He was their miracle.
And as always, he proved her right.
Under the infusion of Ren's boundless energy, Yaya's vitality recovered at a visible rate. The ghastly pallor of death faded from her cheeks, replaced by a healthy, rosy flush. Her eyes, originally drooping and lifeless, snapped open.
The first thing she saw was Ren's face, close to hers, his expression focused and tender.
"Yaya, is there anything uncomfortable? Does it hurt anywhere?" Tushan Rongrong rushed over, her usual calm demeanor shattered by anxiety.
Yaya blinked, her long lashes trembling. She slowly sat up, testing her limbs.
Touching her body, which suddenly felt lighter than it ever had before, Yaya shook her head in sheer disbelief. The excruciating pain from moments ago was gone, replaced by a buzzing warmth that centered where Ren's hands had been.
"There's nothing uncomfortable... I feel great! Better than great!"
She looked up at the man kneeling beside her, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Wei... Ren Onii-chan, thank you for saving me!"
Yaya clutched the corner of her clothes nervously, her fingers twisting the fabric. In front of him, the usually brash and carefree young fox demon completely lost her composure, transforming into a shy young girl.
"Heh heh, it's good that you're fine."
Ren chuckled softly, his gaze softening. He reached out and gently ruffled her small head. His hand naturally slid upwards, fingers burying themselves in the soft, plush fur of her large fox ears.
"Ah...!"
Yaya let out a small, startled gasp, her body stiffening for a split second before melting into his touch.
Ren didn't pull back. The texture of the fox ears was exquisite—warm, velvety, and twitching slightly against his palm. He stroked the base of the ear with his thumb, applying just the right amount of pressure.
"Mmn..."
A strange, electric sensation shot down Yaya's spine. She showed no resistance at all; instead, her eyelids fluttered, and a look of intoxicated bliss washed over her face. Being touched by him... it felt safe. It felt possessive.
But as the seconds ticked by, the heat in her cheeks intensified. She realized that her sisters, Honghong and Rongrong, were watching intently.
Honghong's eyes were wide, a mix of relief and something unreadable, while Rongrong's calculating narrow eyes were open slightly, a rare look of surprise on her face.
Yaya's face flushed a deep crimson, resembling a ripe tomato, but she didn't dare move her head away from Ren's hand. She greedily enjoyed the warmth he provided.
"Is... is this really an Otherworld?"
A new, confused voice cut through the tender atmosphere.
Rongrong's instincts kicked in instantly. She spun around, magic power flaring around her hands as she glared at the newcomer.
"Who are you?!"
"Uh..."
Misaka Mikoto froze, blinking awkwardly. She stood near the dimensional rift Ren had opened, looking completely out of her element.
She was wearing her standard Tokiwadai Middle School uniform, the beige vest and plaid skirt looking jarringly modern against the ancient, mystical architecture of Tushan.
"I..." Mikoto hesitated. She remembered the rules about the Chat Group—information had to be kept secret from non-members. How was she supposed to explain her presence here? 'Hi, I just teleported from a city of science to your magical fox village?'
Ren, sensing the tension, finally reluctantly withdrew his hand from Yaya's soft ears. He stood up, shielding Mikoto from Rongrong's hostile gaze.
"Rongrong, no need to be vigilant. She is my friend, Misaka Mikoto. She came to help."
Rongrong's hostility evaporated instantly upon hearing Ren's endorsement. She bowed slightly. "I see. My apologies, Misaka-san."
Misaka Mikoto's eyes lit up as she looked at Ren. "You are Ren! The Administrator!"
"That's me," Ren nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. "I know you might have a mountain of questions right now—about the magic, the ears, the world—but for the time being, let's put those questions aside."
Ren's expression hardened as he turned his gaze toward the massive, towering silhouette in the distance—the Bitter Love Tree.
The sky above the giant tree was churning with ominous, dark energy.
Yaya, jolted back to reality by Ren's shift in focus, cried out in horror. "Right! The enemy! It's... it's the Shadow Fox Lady! She ate everyone in Tushan! She's going to harm the Bitter Love Tree!"
"She ate everyone..." Mikoto whispered, her face paling. "That's..."
Honghong's eyes burned with a terrifying rage, her fists clenching until the knuckles turned white.
"It's her... I must kill her!"
The Shadow Fox Lady... Fengqi. The former Master of Tushan whom she had sealed away not long ago. The woman who had been like a mother to the three sisters, only to betray them in the cruelest way possible.
Honghong stepped forward to gather her spiritual energy, but suddenly, she staggered.
"No! My magic power!"
Honghong looked at her hands in horror. The crimson aura that usually surrounded her flickered and died.
"The magic power is disappearing! It's draining away!"
Rongrong gasped, checking her own reserves. "Me too! I can't mobilize my spirit qi!"
"The Bitter Love Tree is in trouble!" Yaya shouted, trying to summon her ice magic, but finding only a spark.
Their magic power originated from the profound power of love, deeply connected to the root system of the Bitter Love Tree. If the Tree was compromised, their source of power would wither.
"This means... the Shadow Fox Lady has succeeded in infiltrating the core," Rongrong analyzed, her voice trembling slightly.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
At this moment, a sharp, piercing laugh echoed from the direction of the Bitter Love Tree, rolling over the hills like a shockwave.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sky responded to the malice. Thick, ink-black clouds swirled directly above the tree, blotting out the sun. Within the vortex of clouds, purple and red lightning snakes slithered and cracked.
The atmosphere in Tushan became heavy, suffocating.
"Is this... a tribulation?"
Ren stroked his chin, watching the spectacle with keen interest. He wasn't panicked in the slightest.
He observed the formation of the thunderclouds. They were concentrated, rhythmic, and targeted specifically at the entity atop the tree. It was quite reminiscent of the legends of Cultivation Tribulations—heavenly lightning descending to test those who sought to defy the natural order.
"Well, this is a rare sight," Ren muttered. "Might as well document it."
He raised his hand and swiped the air, activating the System Interface.
[Ding! Administrator Ren has started a live broadcast!]
[Ding! Yuzuriha Inori has entered the live broadcast room!]
[Ding! Tatsumaki has entered the live broadcast!]
[Ding! Silver Wolf has entered the live broadcast!]
[Ding! ...]
A flurry of notifications popped up on the translucent screen floating before him.
[Tatsumaki: What's going on? Why did you start a live broadcast all of a sudden? Didn't you say you were saving someone? I was expecting a battle, not a weather report!]
[Misaki Shokuhou: Ara? Why do I only see a few blurry mosaics in the corner? Where are you, Misaka-san?]
[Misaka Mikoto: ??? I'm right next to Ren! Stop looking for me!]
[Ding! Misaka Mikoto has entered the live broadcast room!]
[Misaka Mikoto: Ah! Wait, why is my image on the screen pixelated?! Why am I a mosaic?!]
[Ren: You're not happy even when I'm protecting your privacy? You are a middle school girl in a strange world, censorship is standard protocol for safety.]
[Misaka Mikoto: Uh... that sounds reasonable, but also like a very simple and crude excuse...]
Back in her own world, within the pristine dorm room of Tokiwadai, Misaki Shokuhou narrowed her star-shaped pupils.
'Misaka-san was actually there...'
She tapped her chin thoughtfully with her remote control. She sent a private message, bypassing the public chat.
[Misaki Shokuhou: Are you sure you're in an Otherworld right now? Not just some movie set Ren created?]
[Misaka Mikoto: This... I'm not sure how to explain it, but the air feels different. The gravity feels slightly different. And it's definitely not Academy City. Plus...]
Mikoto cautiously glanced at the fox ears on Honghong, Rongrong, and Yaya's heads. They moved independently. They twitched with emotion. They were definitely not cosplay props.
She swallowed hard and replied.
[Misaka Mikoto: I saw Tushan Honghong and her two younger sisters. They seem to be Fox Demons... actual Youkai. They really have fox ears and tails! And the energy here... it's not AIM diffusion fields. It's something more... natural.]
[Misaki Shokuhou: ...]
It seemed the possibility of traversing to an Otherworld was very high. This confirmed her hypothesis.
But this confirmation brought up a terrifying realization about her own current situation.
[Misaki Shokuhou: Ren, Mr. Administrator, can you tell me what's going on on my side? I need an explanation.]
[Shinobu Kocho: Miss Misaki Shokuhou, have you encountered a problem? Is there an enemy?]
[Misaki Shokuhou: Yes, a big one. My whole body can't move. Not a muscle. Only my consciousness is active within the Chat Group interface. The clock on the wall has stopped. The birds outside the window are frozen in mid-air. What is going on?]
[March 7th: Oh oh! That problem! This Girl will explain it to you! Don't panic!]
[March 7th: It's a safety feature! After Doomsday Companion is activated, when companions traverse to other worlds to help, their original world falls into a state of Absolute Time Stagnation to prevent any time discrepancies when they return!]
[Ch'en: That's right. It ensures you don't miss anything in your life. But the consciousness of other Chat Group members who reside in that frozen world can still interact via the System interface.]
[Misaki Shokuhou: Absolute... Time Stagnation?!]
For the first time in a long while, the Queen of Tokiwadai felt truly astonished. Her mental defenses crumbled slightly.
This meant that not only could she not move, but the entire world couldn't!
[Misaki Shokuhou: The entire planet is in time stagnation... simply because one person left? Is this a bit too exaggerated? What kind of energy scale is that?]
[Misaka Mikoto: Ah? There's such a thing? You mean my mom, Kuroko, everyone... they are all frozen like statues right now?]
[Ren: The entire planet? Heh heh, Shokuhou, you are thinking too small. If it's your world that is anchored, then the entire Universe of your dimension is in time stagnation. Entropy itself has paused.]
[Misaki Shokuhou: ...]
[Misaki Shokuhou: The scale of this 'Administrator' is far beyond my calculations...]
[Aqua: Emmm, why bother with these complicated details? Boring! Pay attention to the live broadcast content! Look at the sky!]
[Ais: Up there, on top of that giant tree... isn't there a person?]
[Sakata Gintoki: Hiss! There really is a figure! Oi, oi, looks like she's about to get BBQ'd! She's being struck by lightning!!!]
KRACK-BOOM!
As if on cue, a terrifying bolt of heavenly purple lightning descended from the vortex, striking directly onto the crown of the Bitter Love Tree.
It slammed into the figure of the Shadow Fox Lady.
Most would be obliterated. Most would scream.
But on the screen, and in front of Ren's eyes, the Shadow Fox Lady's expression was twisted not in pain, but in extreme, manic excitement.
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