Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

”You are still alive, huh?” Mei said to the Dragon while shaking her head.

”I could say the same about you. Are you still calling yourself a Queen?” The Dragon snorted at her.

”And do you still call yourself Fanrong Long?” Mei likewise snorted at him.

”That was a long time ago.” The Dragon didn’t deny that he called himself ’Prosperity Dragon’.

”Pfft.” Mei soon burst out laughing and the Dragon joined her.

They laughed for a while, puzzling not only Feifei, but even Aiko’s team that just returned.

”What’s happening?” The Blood Fox asked while staring at them.

””Nothing.”” They both replied in sync.

Mei and the Dragon stared at each other.

”I hope my little Mate didn’t trouble you much, old friend.” Mei chuckled at him.

”I have not been entertained like that for a long time.” The Dragon ignored that sarcasm and replied happily.

”Seriously?!” Mei couldn’t believe her ears. ”She didn’t destroy or steal anything?” She didn’t believe that Aiko played an angel in front of him.

The Dragon looked away.

Mei sighed, understanding his reluctance to speak. ”What did she steal this time?”

”A ’garden’ of one of the 4 Disasters.” The Dragon laughed. ”That chicken didn’t know what was coming for him!” He kept laughing happily.

”Garden?” Mei tilted her head.

”Just wait until your ’mate’ wakes up and you will be pleasantly surprised.” The Dragon chuckled.

”Why can’t you just tell me?” Mei pouted.

”I’m not a charity, nor your ’mate’.” The Dragon snorted. A long time ago he had a crush on her, so he was currently sulking that she already got a mate.

”Stop sulking. What are you, a child?” Mei slapped his scales without care in the world.

”So what if I sulk?” The Dragon snorted unhappily.

”Just because I have rejected you, doesn’t mean you can take it out on me or my mate!” Mei slapped him again on the scales.

*Crunch*

Their bodies stiffened. They turned around to see Feifei and Aiko’s team munching on jerkies while watching them.

The team acted like they were watching some kind of drama, the only missing feature would be the 3d glasses, but unfortunately, that concept didn’t exist in this Mortal World.

”Are you enjoying the show?” Mei’s lips twitched.

”I can’t believe you treat them so well...” The Dragon murmured.

”What?!” Mei snapped at him. ”You lazy bastard, I always treat everyone well!” She proclaimed.

”No.” The Dragon and the Blood Fox said in sync.

Mei glared at both of them, but could not harm one, so she beat up the other one.

”Why are you so tough!” Mei panted as she was not able to punish the Dragon at all.

”Why are you so weak?” The Dragon snorted back.

Mei growled at him, but it was just a cute whimper.

”At least you are cuter than before.” The Dragon nodded.

”Who is cuter, your mother is cuter!” Mei kicked him as she took every word from him as an insult.

*Munch Munch*

Aiko’s team turned into the jerky gallery, watching intently as the entertainment in front of them unfolded.

”Is it because of your ’mate’?” The Dragon paused. ”I should definitely thank her later, you are a lot cuter than before.”

”Cute my ass! I will beat you up!” Mei currently had the energy of a rebellious little sibling. She tried to kick and claw the Dragon, but his scales were so tough that she could not even create a mark on them.

”And what happened to her?” The Dragon asked, pointing at the strange tail nest in which a small Fox slept.

”The Cultivators said that they were chasing a Fox who destroyed all the inheritance grounds.” The Blood Fox replied. She was currently inspecting Feifei, since she noticed additional features on her body and was curious about them.

Mei naturally stiffened. Aiko was not the one who destroyed those inheritance grounds, but it was her. This means that this trouble that ’Aiko’ had created, was not Aiko’s, but hers!

Mei blushed and kicked even more energetically to get that embarrassment out of her system.

”Hmmmmm...” The Dragon narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything. He still liked this ’young’ Fox, so he would naturally not divulge her secrets.

’You should tell her later.’ The Dragon whispered into the Fox’s mind.

Mei flinched and retorted with, ”I know.” before continuing kicking.

She was embarrassed that she caused so much pain to Aiko and she didn’t know how she was supposed to tell her...

”Alright, let that little rascal rest for now. I’m still preparing for her Evolution, so you all can stay here. It will be more lively that way.” The Dragon closed his eyes and rested.

Mei was quite shocked. ’What in the world did Aiko do to change him like this...?’

If Dragon offered to help you with Cultivation or Evolution, it meant that, that Evolution or Cultivation was sure to succeed!

’Maybe I should ask him for a favour later...’ Mei narrowed her eyes. She didn’t want to get left behind, so it was better to Evolve into the next stage and attain Human Form. Then she could Cultivate over here and use Aiko’s Tail Storage to secure her safety.

It was not a bad plan, but she needed to convince Aiko...

...

A few days passed and Aiko finally woke up.

She yawned in her big form and rubbed her sleepy eyes. Her ears were droopy like she didn’t get enough sleep yet.

”Morning.” Mei greeted Aiko.

”Mhm.” Aiko blinked before going back to bed.

The Dragon expected ’Mei’ to completely flip, but he was shocked by her soft eyes gazing at Aiko. ’What in the world happened after I was banished here...’ He could not believe his eyes that the tyrant was soft on someone.

The Dragon closed his eyes and meditated on this question and the only answer that he came up with, was that it was thanks to the little Foxie.

If it was not for her, he would still be bored out of his mind, waiting to slowly die in this place again and again...

’She is a breath of absurd and chaotic air into a very mundane life.’ He nodded inside his mind and rested until the little Aiko woke up.

...

A few more days later. Aiko finally woke up and stood up without much issue.

The bedding was quivering in anger that it had to serve as a bed, but one glare from the Blood Fox pacified it.

”Morning.” Aiko murmured. She was still a bit sleepy, but thanks to the abundance of energy, she was mostly rested.

Mei greeted Aiko once again and was immediately hugged by Aiko.

”Thank you for helping me.” Aiko nuzzled Mei.

Mei felt even more embarrassed, but she coughed like a sage. ”You should be more careful next time.”

”En.” Aiko nuzzled Mei’s bosom a bit more before yawning again. ”Do you know many Herbs, Mei?”

The Dragon perked his ears. The amusement was coming quicker than he expected.

”Of course.” Mei gently pinched Aiko’s cheek. ”Who do you think I am?” She proudly stuck her chest out.

”A washing board-KUH!” The Dragon spoke without thinking and got slammed by Mei’s energy.

”But Mei is not flat?” Aiko tilted her head.

”Not in this li-ARGH!” Mei almost couldn’t bear it and suplexed the daring Dragon!

”But I like this Mei...” Aiko rubbed her face between Mei’s peaks, but for some reason, she didn’t push her away? What happened to Mei?

Aiko was unaware that Mei felt guilty of causing her so much trouble, so she steeled her nerves to indulge Aiko a bit more than she would usually do.

After a while, Aiko stopped and asked again. ”Do you know many Herbs and how to harvest them?”

”I know many, but harvesting is a different league altogether.” Mei sighed gently.

”Then, can you harvest this?” Aiko pulled one large slab out of her [Tails Storage], it was a very familiar dirt half-block, filled with Herbs on top.

Mei almost coughed up her lungs when she saw those priceless Herbs! Some were almost Spiritual Herbs!

”W-where did you get-” Mei paused her sentence since she remembered a certain sentence from a certain someone: ”A ’garden’ of one of the 4 Disasters.”

”Don’t tell me this is the ’garden’?!” Mei could not believe her eyes.

”I have more, but there is too much left, so I would like to return there and harvest it all.” Aiko nodded gently.

”You have more?!” Mei almost fainted.

*Crunch*

A large crunch was heard behind them. This time not only Feifei and Aiko’s team, but even the Dragon were munching on jerkies. The Dragon even had popcorn with funny glasses on his overly large head.

”What the fuck are you doing?” Mei spat out. She could not believe that her dignified friend would wear such colourful glasses.

”One reincarnator told me that if you are watching a show, you should wear this and eat popcorn.” The Dragon shrugged and munched on the popcorn that he picked from who knows where.

A few veins appeared on Mei’s forehead and she went to smash the Dragon into the ground.

Meanwhile, Aiko moved to her team and munched jerkies with them.

”Not you too!” Mei noticed Aiko munching with her team and staring at them as they fought.

”But there is nothing else to do...” Aiko pouted and munched a bit more because of frustration.

...

When everyone calmed down, Mei dragged Aiko and Feifei next to the block of dirt with Herbs on top.

”Now watch me carefully as I will harvest these Herbs and preserve them with their own powers. This will be useful when you have a large amount of Herbs while not having a container for them.” Mei explained. ”You can’t use this if you are grabbing Herbs quickly, as this takes time. So only do it when you know you have the time and that you are safe.”

Aiko and Feifei nodded at Mei’s words. Mei still could not get over the abnormal change in Feifei’s body, but she would study it later.

She gently grasped one Herb and sent her Divine Sense down its roots. She wrapped the Herb with the Divine Sense and gently kept squeezing and releasing.

The Herb pulsated and Mei kept doing it until the Herb shined gently. This meant that the Herb created a protective membrane and would not decay as quickly if not at all!

Mei nodded happily and looked at the duo.

”And with this, it’s finished.” Mei had a hard time not to grab a bunch of Herbs and start refining them for Special Pills for Human Form Evolution.

Mei had to keep chanting. ’It can wait. It can wait. It can wait. It can wait. It can wait. It can wait.’ In order to calm down her nerves and not jump on this opportunity.

She kept harvesting Herbs until she harvested the entire block! Even if she didn’t mean to, her mind just kept telling her to do it, so she couldn’t stop herself!