Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

Chapter 130 – Beauty through the roof!

Aiko was learning Herbs and looking at the unconscious duo. She could only sigh and shake her head at the sight before returning to the Jade Slip.

The next day, she repaired a few more parts of the Massage Chair as well as tweaking some of it's features, but since Mei said that the power from the Qi Gathering Arrays were sufficient enough, Aiko decided to not tweak it further.

"Mei..." Aiko looked wronged and sad.

"It's beneficial for you to learn it." Mei said gently, but Aiko wanted to cry.

She was learning at an incredibly slow pace and did not want to remember the Herbs, as there was an absurd amount of them to memorize!

'The system...' Aiko couldn't bear it any longer, she would spend her dwindling Skill Points to help her out of this predicament.

'I still have plenty of System Meat, so it will be fine even if I spend them willy-nilly.' Aiko consoled herself.

[Enhanced Memory] - 100 Skill Points

Aiko felt strange when she saw how little it cost.

[Perfect Memory] - 10,000 Skill Points

Aiko narrowed her eyes, she liked the perfect memory skill option despite it being a hundred times more expensive than the cheap one. As such, she was willing to save up and buy it.

'I will wait a few months to get more Levels naturally, so I won't waste the System Meat too much.' Aiko thought.

"You are free to learn for 3 months since the Grandmaster is going away." Mei suddenly said, causing Aiko to be distracted from her thoughts.

'3 months, huh...' Aiko nodded slowly. She would bear with this for 3 more months before chewing down on the System Meat.

...

It was an idle 3 months as the whole team spent their time either sparing with each other or learning from books that they found around the abode.

Aiko was looking at the system with a strange expression.

[Level: 124->135 (3rd Evolution)]

'So little...' Aiko clicked her tongue, it seemed like she would have to use the System Meat now...

She sneaked into the forest carefully, so that others wouldn't notice her.

'Here should be good enough, it's not like I will be Evolving right now.' Aiko thought and pulled out the System Meat.

*Munch*
[Level Gained]
[Level Gained]
[Level Gained]
...

[Level: 169]
[You can Evolve into [Rare] Beast]
[Levelling further will allow you to Evolve into [Epic] Beast.]

'????' Aiko didn't understand what was happening. 'Wasn't that supposed to be around Level 180?'

She continued munching.

*Munch*
[Level Gained]
[Level Gained]
...

[Level: 225]
[You can Evolve into [Epic] Beast]
[Levelling further will allow you to Evolve into [Unique] Beast.]

'Did I get some sort of Ability that reduced the necessary Level milestone for Evolutions?' Aiko tilted her head and thought further. 'I don't see anything that would allow me to do that...' She shook her head, feeling melancholic and decided to not overthink it.

*Munch*
[Level Gained]
[Level Gained]
...

[Level: 282]
[You can Evolve into [Unique] Beast]
[Levelling further will allow you to Evolve into [Holy/Demonic] Beast.]

'Almost there...' Aiko smiled happily. This reduction was an unexpected gain, but a very welcome one.

[Level: 564]
[You can Evolve into [Holy/Demonic] Beast]
[Levelling further will allow you to Evolve into [####] Beast.]

'My heart bleeds...' Aiko thought to herself again, even with the reduction to the Level milestones, she still had to consume an abundant amount of System Meat...

[Meat x1,414->985]

'I still have plenty of System Meat, hmm...' Aiko thought for a moment before one intrusive thought whispered inside her head. 'I wonder what is beyond [Holy/Demonic] Beast...' She really wanted to know! But... but so much System Meat would be used!

One sane thought drifted into her mind. 'We don't know how much it will cost to reach the next Evolution Tree, let's postpone it until we have a way to farm Levels.'

Aiko struggled for a bit before putting the System Meat down and listened to her sane thoughts.

[Level: 135->564 (3rd Evolution)]
[Stat Points: 11,857 -> 54,217]
[Skill Points: 2,458 -> 44,818]

Aiko nodded happily, she obtained plenty of Skill Points that could be used for future conveniences as well as keeping the rest of the System Meat for one more Evolution if she so desires.

'But I will have to wait for the Evolution, since they are always chaotic...' Aiko sighed.

[Perfect Memory]
[Passive Ability]
[User can remember everything on the first time they read or do something.]

[Skill Points: 44,818 -> 34,818]

'It still pains me that I have to watch those numbers go down so sharply...' Aiko sighed.

She then looked over the system and choked.

'D-don't tell me that if I change into Human form...' Aiko's paws quivered.

"FUCK!" Aiko yelled out, breathing heavily. 'What do you mean beauty is in the tens of millions?! Isn't that like a huge target on my back telling them to kidnap me?!' Aiko cursed incessantly.

She was distressed, worried, wronged.

She turned back into her Fox form, which had beauty still in the millions, but it was better than her Human form.

Aiko didn't know what to do, so she would ask the all-knowing Mei!

Aiko dashed back.

...

"What's wrong?" Mei asked seeing the huffing Aiko who returned from sneaking outside.

"..." Aiko didn't know how to say it, but Mei already narrowed her eyes. "What did you eat to make your fur so much more pleasant to look at?"

Mei was taken aback by how nice Aiko's fur looked, but she still had enough restraint to not pet it immediately.

"Oopsie?" Aiko looked away shyly.

Mei's brows twitched. 'What do you mean by oopsie?! How can you make an oopsie and return with brand new, pristine fur?!' Mei scolded Aiko in her mind but kept her Stoic expression.

"Well..." Aiko came closer to Mei, unknowingly tempting her.

Aiko nuzzled into Mei due to distress.

While Mei's heart was pained by this, her fur already charmed her mind. She gently petted Aiko to her heart's content.

Aiko sighed quietly, this was not a bad treatment, but she needed a solution for that ridiculously high Beauty stat.

She didn't check the Evolution Tree from the distr- Wait the Evolution Tree!

'This can help me!' Aiko hoped sincerely. 'This would allow me to revert to Level 1, which means all that Beauty would go poof!' Aiko's eyes shined brightly.

[Evolution Tree:]
[Holy/Demonic]

[Nightmare Fennec Fox]
[Darkness Fennec Fox]
[True Moon Fennec Fox]
[Dream Moon Fennec Fox]

'So little to choose from...' Aiko frowned.

[Nightmare Fennec Fox]
[Unique Rarity]
[Fox that brings nightmares to its opponents. She is very stealthy especially during the night or in the shade. Darkness wraps around her like a friend always ready to help.]

'I can't take that one...' Aiko shook her head.

[Darkness Fennec Fox]
[Epic Rarity]
[Fox that is the embodiment of Darkness. She is the Darkness itself and thus doesn't need help from it. She sees how Darkness sees and acts as Darkness acts.]

'Again, can't take this one...' Aiko sighed.

[True Moon Fennec Fox]
[#### Rarity]
[####]

'...' Aiko stared at it blankly.

[Dream Moon Fennec Fox]
[Unique Rarity]
[Fox that brings dreams from the Moonlight. She observes like the Moon's rays and brings people pleasant dreams. She is kind and very perceptive, even when she lacks emotions.]

'I really don't want this one...' Aiko sighed. 'That means I will have to take the [True Moon Fennec Fox]...'

[True Moon Fennec Fox]
[#### Rarity]
[####]

[Requirements:
Bathe in the rays of the Moon for 3,000,000 consecutive days.
Nurture a Moon Palace
Core Purity of at least 80%
During Evolution, the User needs to be bathed in the rays of the Full Moon]

[Hidden Requirements:
Nurture Moon Stone x####
####]

[Stats Requirements:
Mind: 1,000,000+
Soul: 100,000+
Beauty: 5,000,000+
Luck: 100,000+]

[Title Requirements:
Something about the Moon.
Something about Race.]

Aiko stared at it blankly. This was truly a #### Rarity Evolution! But how will she manage the Mind and the other stuff?!

It didn't seem like she would be able to Evolve into this one for the time being as her mind was a measly 370,000+, while she required a million to her name!

Aiko discarded that thought and she didn't like the [Dream Moon Fennec Fox]. She could not go for the Shadow ones as it would mean she would advance in Beast Rank again and cause disaster around her. She can't afford that expenditure!

Aiko looked back at Mei as her last salvation. They would have to put their heads together and come up with something!

"Mei..." Aiko whimpered.

"What is it?" Mei gently kissed Aiko's forehead.

"I want to hide..." Aiko whispered. The other duo were looking at Aiko with sparkling eyes as they had never seen such beautiful fur.

"Okay, I will see what I can do." Mei whispered back. Naturally, she would make it so that Aiko would not hide from her, but there was no need to tell her that.

Aiko nuzzled back, happy that Mei would help her...

Mei glared at the Passion Fox. "I will leave Aiko in your care for the time being." She snorted coldly. "If something happens to her, I will skin you alive!"

The Blood Fox snorted back. "As if I would allow anyone to touch her." She glared especially sharply when she said 'anyone'.

Mei nodded at the Passion Fox and the Passion Fox nodded back.

Mei placed Aiko in her care while disappearing to meet the Sect Leader.

The Blood Fox hugged the little fluffball and caressed her fur.

"Amazing..." She was slowly melting from the softness of her fur.

The Umbra Fox gulped. She really wanted to pet it too, but at the same time, she was worried that the Passion Fox would beat her up if she tried.

She could only endure and keep a steady mind... 'But that fur...' She shook her head. 'Nononono, let's go train!'

The Umbra Fox left the abode to train on the Shadows Peak to calm down her emotions.

Aiko was being caressed gently and she slowly drifted to sleep.

...

"Hey, I need recognition inhibition artefacts." Mei barged into the Sect Leader's room.

The Sect Leader was startled at first but steadied herself. "What do you need it for?"

"My Mate. Now give me some recognition inhibition artefacts." Mei asked again, but the Sect Leader could see the oddness of her voice.

"Is it that bad?" The Sect Leader asked while rummaging through the ring.

"She wanted to hide and I agreed." Mei didn't say more.

"Tsk. You spoil her too much." The Sect Leader was upset that no one spoiled her like this Jade Fox.

"That's my problem." Mei dismissed the Sect Leader.

"Sure, sure..." The Sect Leader placed a bracelet in front of her. "We just got this, so let her test it first or let her create a copy." The Sect Leader shrugged, since she knew that the Vicious Cub was an Inscription Cultivator.

Mei nodded and smiled happily. "Thank you." She could see that it was a high-quality artefact.

The Sect Leader blushed and kicked Jade Fox out, otherwise, she would have jumped on her right this moment.

'It's not easy to be a Sect Leader...' She shook her head, sighing.

...

Mei returned to the abode and found the Passion Fox sleeping with Aiko. They both were sleeping peacefully.

But she was not upset to the point that she would disturb her sweetie's rest. She would rather battle it out with the Passion Fox later and make sure she mess up her tails real good so Aiko would forget about her!

Mei smiled at her plan and prepared Herbs for Pills.

She sighed as she didn't like to do this, but it was needed before they could extort money from the Foxes through the Massage Chair...