Outside the dimension, the volcano was becoming deadlier by the second. Bai Qingyue shrank back into his cub form, preparing to greet Li Meirong. He had distanced himself to the furthest edge possible, in order to avoid the molten rock. He huddled into a ball, trying to hide from the scalding lava as much as possible.
He was uncertain how much power was left in his meagre little body. Unable to wield most of his spiritual powers, reduced to a common animal but still powerful enough to shapeshift in size and speak to mortals. Did it mean that he was now a spirit beast? And a low-grade one at that…
This wouldn't do. He was loathe to take back the spiritual powers he had given Li Meirong, but to cultivate to godhood now would take him far too long!
He needed to find someone strong and… temporarily 'borrow' their accumulated cultivation.
His little bride had been quite busy and had already made powerful enemies; he could not stay a helpless fox and let her battle without him.
After losing his godly strength, Bai Qingyue had become susceptible to forces of nature such as the volcano's blazing heat, but he could not, no, would not descend the mountain alone. After all, his bride was still here!
White, fluffy ears drooped as distressing thoughts swarmed his mind. What if something terrible had happened to her after all? She should have already risen out of the lava; what could have possibly held her back?!
Bai Qingyue, the most cold-hearted, detached Sovereign Lord under the Heavens, had become a furry ball of anxiety.
A sudden change inside the sizzling volcano drew his golden eyes instantly, gaze glued to the shift transpiring.
The liquid fire parted in two!
Between the separated waves of lava, Li Meirong levitated, surrounded by blue foxfire and a nearly-translucent, shimmering barrier. Both emitted a soft light, haloing her in their glow.
Thin, shapely eyebrows knitted into a frown; her eyes were shut in concentration. Long, dark hair floated about her jade-smooth skin and brightly-coloured robe, framing her feminine shape.
Li Meirong's entire appearance glowed vibrantly, and she appeared impeccably well-groomed.
Bai Qingyue was awestruck. In all his life, he had never seen such a beautiful scene. It was as though he was witnessing a phoenix being reborn from the flames; the image would be seared into his mind for eternity.
After the awe eased somewhat, a wave of relief flooded through Bai Qingyue. His bride was completely unharmed!
Li Meirong might have made a pretty picture, but her nerves were absolutely on edge. Practising a shield was one thing, but putting her own life on the line to test it made the situation truly unpleasant.
When she managed to escape the lava, she decided upon a new rule: from that moment on, avoid dangerous men and hide from trouble whenever possible!
Li Meirong opened her eyes the moment she felt her soft leather shoes touch solid ground. She had no time to focus, however, before a small shadow bounded over, straight into her arms.
"Snowball!" she cried out. Her vision sharpened, and she saw the white-furred fox cub she had found in the forest before. Snowball grasped her waist with both of his small, fluffy front paws, holding onto her for dear life.
Li Meirong lifted him in her arms and embraced him tightly. She hadn't been certain what had happened to him after she fell into the lava; he had been left to deal with Sheng Jing Wu alone, and then had stayed in this dangerous location. She had thought he would either run away, or have gotten himself killed by the evil cultivator. Seeing him, safe and sound, made her feel as though they had battled through the storm and managed to survive the calamity all the better for it.
Bai Qingyue snuggled comfortably into Li Meirong's arms. Feeling her warmth against him, his heart finally felt at peace. He couldn't help but think of how all of his choices, good and bad, were worth it to experience this moment.
But what, or rather, who was this 'Snowball' she was talking about?
As if hearing his thoughts, Li Meirong spoke, as if to herself more than him, ruffling his fur. She walked to the lip of the mountain's peak, preparing to climb down as she verbally reassured herself.
"I'm so glad you're safe, Little Snowball."
A sudden fear gripped Bai Qingyue's heart. Who was she calling 'Little Snowball?!' This woman couldn't be serious!
'Don't tell me she named me, the Sovereign Lord, the Celestial Fox God who governs an entire Heavenly Realm—'
"Snowball, be careful now."
Bai Qingyue's dread-filled thoughts were cut off as Li Meirong's sweet voice spoke once again, confirming his suspicions.
She placed him on her back, and then started to climb down the rocky mountainside.
The Fox Lord felt a rage build inside him, but what could he possibly do? He couldn't, wouldn't, kill his own bride for her insolence.
Still, she named him Snowball, of all things! He mustn't let anyone find out!
Despite pouting the whole way down, Bai Qingyue did not fail to notice that Li Meirong's aura had grown significantly more potent. His bride had finally taken control of the powers he invested in her.
At the moment, he concluded that he simply had to find a way to take care of his own cultivation, and then bring her back to his palace.
Reaching the base of the mountain, Li Meirong retraced her steps towards the forest. A few hours had likely passed; it had to be sometime during the middle of the night by this point. She hoped that Sheng Jing Wu thought her dead, and would not bother her anymore.
The farther they travelled from Fire Mountain, the chillier it became. A thick fog made it even harder to see, worse yet as Li Meirong's eyesight already impaired by the late hour.
It became darker and more frightening in the forest at night. The only sounds which could be heard were those of Li Meirong's footsteps as she walked. She was scared of bringing trouble on herself, but it was impossible to see, and she just wanted to reach the safety of her wooden cabin already!
Thus, deciding to take the risk, Li Meirong focused her inner energy on her fingertips, and summoned a bright blue flame to light the path.
Knowing that Snowball could not be a simple fox, and wanting to find a way to make the time pass quicker in their travel, Li Meirong felt the need to discuss a few things with him. She shifted the fox cub from her back, bringing him around to her front and hugging him to her chest. His golden eyes gazed up at her with what she could only assume to be an infant's adoration.
"Little Snowball, are you a spirit beast?" LI Meirong asked curiously, attempting, unsuccessfully, to gently ease into the conversation. There were many spirit beasts in the forest, so she wouldn't be surprised if he was one.
It would certainly explain how he could change his shape at will, like Chou did.
"… a spirit beast." Snowball coughed, tactfully holding back from speaking his mind. 'I am a Celestial God, damn it!'
"The evil cultivator you tackled, what happened to him?" This was what Li Meirong truly wanted to know, and her breathing grew quicker in anticipation of the response.
"Hm," Snowball's answer was thick with disdain. "He scurried away, the vermin." 'But this husband of yours shall take care of him soon enough.'
Li Meirong giggled lightly at his response. She definitely hadn't expected such a lordly, domineering answer from a baby fox.
"That's good! That's really good. I'll take you to my place, little Snowball. I don't have much, but I should be able to treat your wounds. Everything that happened was my fault, and you got dragged into my mess. I'm really sorry about that," Li Meirong apologized, sincere.
By now, she was used to communicating with animals the same as she did with humans. It didn't matter if they were spirits or demons; she thought they needed to be treated with the same amount of respect as everyone else.
"Your troubles are my troubles," the fox cub replied curtly.
Bai Qingyue lifted himself higher in her arms, to reach her face, and stuck out his tiny pink tongue to give her cheek a reassuring lick. 'Silly woman. There is no need for apologies between husband and wife.'
Li Meirong held a hand to her cheek, where she had just felt Snowball's rough, wet tongue. The sensation left her slightly embarrassed, and she awkwardly asked her next question.
"Why did you call yourself my husband?"