Safe and sound

"This cave is no ordinary cavern."


They were now clothed as their robes had dried some time ago. Feng Jiu had lighted her torch, and Dong Hua was prancing around the cave. He pronounced his statement clearly and solemnly. While they engrossed in their 'freedom' in the dreamscape, Feng Jiu had not noticed him acting so seriously, like how he was now. He must have deduced something important.


She eyed the surroundings carefully, but nothing seemed any different to her. Probably because Dong Hua was the most powerful god in the universe, he was also far more observant than the oldest living sage in the Sky Kingdom. How could she, a thirty thousand odd-year old fox immortal, compare with him, the Emperor Lord of the realms?


"Di Jun, please enlighten me."


He chuckled and teased her with a childish wink.


Goodness, he was playing games with her now?


Feng Jiu just sat and meditated with her eyes half-closed. 


Dong Hua, on the other hand, had walked to the end of the cavern, where he observed the beauty of ice crystals of various colours forming in a particular region. Something was not right there, as he sensed the presence of magic nearby.


Magic, which was supposedly not existent in that area. Yet, it existed at the end of the cavern.


The portal leading out of the world had to be inside there somewhere, he figured.


When Feng Jiu finished her meditation, she found Dong Hua meddling with the ice crystals. She looked closer and realized he had carved design in ice.


"Di Jun, just what are you doing?" she stared at him in awe. Did he have too much time on his hands?


"Don't you think it's beautiful?" he asked instead.


Though she liked how he was more truthful to his feelings now and less stoic, she couldn't resist feeling that Dong Hua was transitioning to an immature version of himself, and it worried her. What if he changed into a completely different person? Dong Hua was suppressing the childish part of himself that was intrigued by her, and unlike in the past where he hid his emotions well, things were beginning to take a turn for the best and the worst. 


Firstly, the Rock of Three Incarnations was destroyed, and the fate that Dong Hua had lost was returning to him, and he was, unfortunately, starting to become more emotional. Secondly, the vow he had made to bring peace to the realms was being nullified by Miao Luo's return. Thirdly, in the dreamscape, he was not only feeling emotions, but he was also beginning to have lustful desires when it came to the love and feelings he had kept hidden away in years, for Feng Jiu. One wrong step and he could mess up big time.


Dong Hua hoped that he would be able to maintain his self-control long enough before he got back and sought help from Taishang Laojun, the god of elixirs. He knew it was only a matter of time before Feng Jiu occupied his heart fully since he was losing control over his feelings for her. She was becoming more appealing to him day after day, and it was making him want her more and more.


She surprised him with a kiss on his cheek, and in contrast to the childish and annoying little fox in Taichen Palace then, she had a mature air about her. He reached over and held her closer. "Jiu'er, try and see if you can use your magic on that crystal."


Feng Jiu was startled with their sudden proximity, but she did what he requested of her anyway.


"Magic works?" she responded unbelievingly at the results of the magic.


"Let's try it together," he said, and firmly closed his arms around her. Their bodies were touching! Feng Jiu's heart soared, but she bit down on her lower lip and tried her best to concentrate, closing her eyes to immerse herself deep in concentration.


Her magic embedded itself with Dong Hua's, and slowly, the outline of a fiery golden phoenix was woven from their combined effort, where it headed straight through the wall of the cavern. As the 'phoenix' closed in on the wall of the cavern, it instantly burst into flames. The couple headed closer to the wall, and as they reached the end where the wall had been, they found themselves sucked into a different space. The cavern turned out to be an illusion and now, ceased to exist. The meadow they had been running through not long ago, also was no longer present. 


The sight that emerged before their eyes was indescribable. They reappeared in what appeared to be a desert. On one of the dunes, a woman bearing a striking resemblance to the vanquished Miao Luo stood.


Dong Hua was utterly sure that she was not Miao Luo, and neither was she a real form. She had to be a replica of the actual demoness, a shade. Feng Jiu's eyes broadened as he called forth for the Cang'he, which materialized immediately before him. But he was injured and dizzy, wasn't he?


"Di Jun, you're injured! I'll protect you!" she exclaimed with a rugged look. Dong Hua realized she was also calling for her sword, and he allowed her to. He was an excellent military strategist as well, and he guided her proficiently with the complete steps needed to defeat the demoness' shade. In no time, the shade was destroyed, being shredded to pieces by the adept Feng Jiu's sword. Years of training by a powerful swordmaster had helped, and she was no longer the frail and weak Jiu'er of the past.


In the aftermath of the battle, Yao Xi was seriously injured by Feng Jiu, even though she was not physically present. The shade had been an extension of her primordial spirit, and Feng Jiu had just damaged part of her primordial spirit when she destroyed and cut to pieces the shade version of her. It would take some time for Yao Xi to recuperate, so she couldn't continue withholding the dreamscape.


She vowed again; once she recovered, she would find a way to seek vengeance for Miao Luo.


Having escaped their 'trap', Dong Hua took a deep breath as Feng Jiu tumbled into his arms happily, and they surveyed the area beyond them. Unlike the strangeness of the place earlier, their current surroundings were a lot more..familiar.


"The hut we took shelter during the mortal trial," Dong Hua said. 


"Are we back in the mortal world?"


"Wait, the world is shifting," Dong Hua said, as the lands began to tremor slightly. She grasped on to Dong Hua and embraced him tightly. After a few minutes, when the world stopped shaking again, she found that despite the lands they were standing on were on the same geographical area, the hut had transformed into a magnificent modern structure. Even the vegetation seemed to have altered slightly and was much more plentiful. 


"Di Jun, what is happening?" she asked.


"We seemed to have entered a different time and space," Dong Hua said. "We are in the mortal world, but it's the year 2005."


"Will using magic still have a possibility of backfiring in the mortal realm?" Feng Jiu couldn't resist asking. 


"Allow me," he said, and before she could stop him, Dong Hua had cast a spell to convert their attire and hairstyles to that of the current world. Fortunately, only a part of the magic backfired on him, but it still hurt as anticipated. Craftily, he had this pain to his advantage.


She peered down at her now-slightly curly hair, and then his. Due to the extreme while colour of his hair, the closest he could magick out was a trendy silver. They were both in checkered tees and jeans, but she seemed to carry her mortal disguise much better than him. 


"Di Jun, you need a rest," she ordered and helped him into the structure. Instead of a hut, it was now an abandoned house, and this would be where they would be sheltering themselves for the time being.


Now, he needed an excuse to keep her here in the mortal realm, safe and sound from any danger. It wouldn't be long before the Miao Luo lookalike would get to them, and he had to stop her before she claimed the life of his beloved fox, or anybody vital to him.


He had almost lost Feng Jiu once when she was hurt for him by Qing Cang. He couldn't risk her losing her life again. She had to be safe.

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