The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the rays of the morning sun slowly climbed the eastern horizon, marking the end of the month-long stay at Qingqiu.  

Xiao Mi, bored, watched the distant flying peaks from the cave entrance, her three tails swaying, and her pretty black eyes brimming with unconcealed envy.  

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Yesterday, both her father and mother had returned, and her father was truly fine! They had rolled around in their nest, hugging and kissing. Her father’s newly grown fur was especially soft, making it very comfortable to cuddle.  

Then, her father said that her mother still needed to go back to the flying peak to take care of something. Her father saw her mother off, leaving Xiao Mi alone in the cave. She really wanted to see those flying peaks herself. In the two hundred years since she was born, she had never seen them up close.  

She attempted to run out of the cave, but a nearby large fox skillfully grabbed her back.  

“Let me go,” the little fox squeaked, struggling in his mouth. “I just want to go out and have a look. They’re all about to leave.”  

The large fox nudged her back into the cave, nuzzling her. “Don’t make a fuss. The clan leader ordered us three to protect you. You can go out once they’re gone.”  

The little fox whined a couple of times in displeasure, lying on the ground with a face full of despair.  

In the distance, the sun had already risen, and the numerous flying peaks in the plains had started to glow with seals, seemingly gathering the power to ascend.  

After a while, seals appeared on almost every peak. The little fox noticed a raggedly dressed, wounded man hobbling toward the nearest flying peak. He even fell and rolled a long distance but still pressed forward with an unstoppable determination, leaping onto the mountain peak already several feet off the ground.  

“He actually made it,” the large fox beside her chuckled lightly, his seven tails swaying in apparent delight.  

“Didn’t get sucked dry by those vixens,” the other two guarding large foxes also chuckled.  

The little fox looked at them in confusion. “What are you talking about?”  

“That man is a very bad demonic cultivator who wants to steal foxes and eat them,” the guarding large fox bared his teeth in a predatory gesture. “He especially likes to eat little foxes like you that run around.”  

The little fox was unfazed, merely looking at him with a “you must be kidding” expression.  

“Alright,” the guarding large fox retracted his exaggerated expression, speaking gently. “So the clan leader had a few large spirit demons lure him to the Xianghai Cavern, where seven vixens were tasked with ‘taking care’ of him until the flying peaks were ready to depart.”  

“Seven?” the little fox exclaimed in awe. “No wonder. You can barely handle three at a time, right?”  

The three large foxes looked shocked, and the leader, displeased, said, “Xiao Mi, you’re still young. You should only worry about this when you turn three hundred.”  

The little fox huffed and continued to longingly watch the distant flying peaks. She saw that the peaks had begun to rise, one after another, flying away.  

It was an awe-inspiring sight.  

Suddenly, a gentle voice laughed, “Xiao Mi, you really want to go on the flying peaks, don’t you?”  

Accompanying the voice was a silhouette against the light, but there was no trace of its presence, and even the figure itself was blurry.  

The three foxes tensed up, immediately shielding Xiao Mi behind them. Xiao Mi sensibly ran towards the cave, where her mother’s aura remained, making it a place few would dare to enter.  

However, Xiao Mi suddenly collapsed and fell unconscious after just a few steps.  

The three foxes, startled, leapt at the figure, but it was just a shadow.  

“Trade Feng Qingxiu’s life for this little fox’s soul,” the figure said softly, shaking the transparent, struggling little fox in its hand before vanishing into the wind.  

“Quickly, inform the clan leader!” one of the large foxes urgently picked up the unconscious Xiao Mi and raced toward the distant flying peaks.  

But as the last flying peak took off, in just a few breaths, the floating landmasses disappeared into the sea of clouds, like mirages.  

There was no way a few ordinary foxes could catch up to the full speed of the flying peak.  

***  

On the flying peak, Qiu Yuansheng was making tea for Feng Qingxiu. His specially crafted tea pills were always in high demand and perpetually sold out.  

A green pill and clear spring water were added to the teapot, lightly whisked a few times, and the tea in the cup turned emerald green, exuding a delicate fragrance and an aura of spiritual energy that calmed the mind.  

“The tea pills are made from early spring spiritual tea combined with the essence of medicinal pills,” Qiu Yuansheng said with a smile. “The Shennong Alchemy Book categorizes various herbs into superior, middle, and inferior types. It compares superior herbs to monarchs, middle herbs to ministers, and inferior herbs to officials. It states that alchemy should be like governing a country, requiring the cooperation of monarchs, ministers, and officials to produce top-grade pills.”  

“Senior Brother Qiu doesn’t seem to fully agree?” Feng Qingxiu took a small sip of the tea. Although he didn’t know much about tea, the tea’s calming effect was enough to show its extraordinary quality.

“No, I quite agree, otherwise how could there be so many kinds of pills,” Qiu Yuansheng smiled. “I’m just a little puzzled and would like to discuss a couple of things with Senior Brother Feng.”

“Senior Brother Qiu is a great talent in the Dao of alchemy; I’m afraid my understanding is limited and I can only listen,” Feng Qingxiu said, not out of modesty but because he was genuinely unfamiliar with alchemy.

“No matter, just listen,” Qiu Yuansheng said. “The relationship between the monarch and his ministers has existed since ancient times, but when I refine pills, I always like to introduce new ideas, so I’ve often experimented with ‘monarch-less’ pills.”

Feng Qingxiu looked confused. What is a monarch-less pill?

“It’s said that every medicine is three parts poison. A monarch-less pill is one where the ingredients counterbalance each other…” Qiu Yuansheng found this explanation too complex, so he gave an analogy. “Ordinary pills are like a country, with the monarch being the most powerful, but minor matters are handled by the ministers, and the monarch merely oversees. A monarch-less pill is like the current state of the human world, with no supreme ruler, only various lords balancing each other, but it can still maintain stability.”

Feng Qingxiu understood—it was two different types of pills—but he also felt that Qiu Yuansheng’s meaning seemed to go beyond that.

“So I refined many different ratios of pills, each with various uses, though the number of furnace explosions was a bit high,” Qiu Yuansheng said. “Kun-Lai is like a pill, with the Sect Leader as the monarch, the elders as the ministers, heaven and earth as the furnace, and we as the assistants.”

“So, Senior Brother Qiu, what exactly are you trying to say?” Feng Qingxiu asked politely.

“Do you have internet here?” Qiu Yuansheng asked directly.

Feng Qingxiu’s face turned pale.

“What!” You Jia, who was eavesdropping under the pretense of being wary of Qiu the Venomous Snake, instinctively jumped out, his eight tentacles waving around his body maniacally.

Qiu Yuansheng never acted without certainty, so if he said that, he must have something to rely on!

Qingnu also unconsciously moved closer.

Guan Yuli and Ying An, along with Huang Wei, all gathered around.

Only Feng Qingxiu was still a bit dizzy. “Senior Brother Qiu, how did you manage to jump directly to this topic?”

“Do you know what the greatest benefit of my tea pills is?” Qiu Yuansheng asked confidently.

“Alleviating internet addiction!” Qingnu clapped her hands suddenly, realizing. “Right, Qing Xiu, you don’t show any signs of internet withdrawal at all. It’s understandable if you didn’t use it much during the Foundation Establishment stage, but you’ve been using it for so long now without any signs of withdrawal. Tell us, did the Sect Leader give you special treatment?”

“There is something off. You’re the Sect Leader’s apprentice, but in all the recent Kun-Lai communications through firebirds, you haven’t sent a single letter to the Sect Leader,” You Jia said, looking at him with suspicion.

“Eh…” Huang Wei quickly performed a divination and found that the heavenly secrets were hidden. “I can’t figure it out. This is a clear confession!”

“Sharing is caring.” Qiu Yuansheng sipped his tea slowly, saying, “I told you so much not to seek advice. Senior Brother Feng is not good at lying, so don’t struggle.”

For the first time in his life, Feng Qingxiu experienced the formidable nature of one of the Seven Talents, facing a direct and fatal blow with no chance of fighting back, feeling utterly defeated.

“…But my internet connection is terrible, it takes ages to load anything,” Feng Qingxiu muttered.

“That’s definitely not a problem!” the surrounding prodigies exclaimed simultaneously.

“But the Sect Leader won’t agree…” Feng Qingxiu whispered.

“That depends on you, Senior Brother Feng,” You Jia shook him with his eight arms. “If you can convince the Sect Leader, I’ll let you eat one of my arms!”

“Yeah, I won’t charge you for surgeries in the future!”

“No charge for medicine either!”

“I’ll kill for you without any fee…”

“Aren’t you all here to protect me?” Feng Qingxiu looked at his suddenly mutinous senior brothers and sisters with great disappointment.

“We are the ones who need protection now!”

“Right, equality, we want equality!”

***

The news quickly spread across the various peaks.

Bai Shuixian whispered to Yan Zhao, complaining that the Sect Leader favored this apprentice too much, as they never had such treatment.

Then she ordered her flying peak to move closer to the Zhuiyun Peak.

However, her disciple replied that the closest position to Zhuiyun Peak was already taken, and for safety, each peak must maintain a certain distance.

“Drive them away!” Bai Shuixian casually commanded. As a Kun-Lai elder, she had the authority.

“But it’s taken by Senior Brother Yang Fuyin from Taiyi Peak,” the disciple said in a small voice. “Previously, when the Sect Leader’s apprentice constructed a flying peak without notifying Senior Brother Yang, he taught the entire Taiyi Peak a lesson they didn’t forget. It’s said he’s still looking to make trouble.”

Bai Shuixian hesitated, feeling a bit disheartened. “Oh, that boy… Fine, the second spot will do.”

Taiyi Peak immediately occupied the best spot closest to Zhuiyun Peak. Among Kun-Lai’s Seven Talents, the talisman was the head, and with their eldest senior brother, they dared to defy anyone except the Sect Leader.

They also sent messages to all the peaks, warning anyone who dared to compete with them to expect their flying peak to be unable to fly.

On Taiyi Peak, a young man with long, slender fingers played with talisman seal, speaking softly, “Just get close enough, no need to interfere with anything else.”

The cultivator beside him nodded and left to convey the orders.

The residence became quiet, and after a moment of silence, the young man calmly put down the Net Charm.

“Qiu Yuansheng is up to something again,” the young man marked dozens of talisman seals on a diagram, muttering to himself, “The Net Charm converts characters into Yin-Yang talisman seals, then transforms them back into characters. Previously, I discovered that Zhuiyun Peak had special seal vibrations and influenced them with similar vibrations, which is why I told him. And now, he’s directly asking about it.”

“If only I had joined the construction of Zhuiyun Peak back then,” he added a few more talisman seals, feeling that there were numerous troubles ahead, habitually talking to himself, “The Yuntian Domain is vast, known as the Cloudy Sky Hundred Realms. Soon we will head to the nearest Ziyun Dao Realm of Yuntian Domain. Wenjian Peak Master An Xian has been guarding this place for a century, investigating events from a hundred years ago. I wonder if she has the items I want.”

“An opportunity is approaching. My spiritual ward detected a divine soul fluctuation just before, intercepting a small creature. I don’t know who wanted to snatch it, but I ended up saving it.” He held a piece of amber with a transparent little fox figure inside. He had always despised soul-summoning techniques and directly snatched it when he saw someone performing such an evil art.

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“I’m at the ninth level of talismanic seal mastery, at the peak, but lacking certain things to break through. Managing the expedition is always a hassle,” the young man put down the talisman ward and began calculating the next step. “Xiao Qiu will evade me, but one day he won’t be able to escape.”

“You’d better not let me catch you,” the young man said softly, looking at the little fox.

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On the third day, the big fox soaking in the water woke up. Qingnu checked it over, nodded, and lifted the fox out, placing it on a table nearby. The liquid in the tank slid off completely, like water droplets on a lotus leaf, leaving behind a smooth and clean big fox.

Guan Yuli simultaneously handed a bill to Feng Qingxiu. Feng Qingxiu glanced at the numbers, remained expressionless, and then placed it in front of the big fox.

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The big fox weakly looked at it, closed its eyes, and seemed to want to pass out again.

The little fox darted up to take a look, initially not believing it, but after a second look, it raised its head towards Qingnu: “So expensive?”

“That’s the price. You can ask any disciple in Kun-Lai. The fees are absolutely the same for everyone, regardless of being a spirit demon or human.” Qingnu answered lightly, “Will it be a one-time payment or in installments?”

“But this is a spirit demon you people from Kun-Lai injured!” The fox said incredulously. “Shouldn’t you be responsible?”

“Then you need to find the Kun-Lai cultivator who injured him. Kun-Lai disciples never take responsibility for others’ affairs,” Qingnu said coldly. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t pay. My Qingnu Peak has many ways to settle debts. He can work it off for two hundred years to roughly pay it back.”

“Do you know whose spirit demon he is?” The little fox’s voice carried a hint of coldness.

“If it’s Su Wan, she can use a bottle of spirit demon blood to settle the debt.” Qingnu took out a small bottle. “Give it to your mother; fill it up and you can take the fox back. If you want further treatment, that’s extra.”

The little fox’s divine consciousness swept over the bottle’s volume and felt like biting this woman to death, but remembering the terrifying suppression last night, it thought to itself that there was no rush.

So, it took the bottle and left.

As a vengeful fox, it glared at them as it walked away.

Seeing the little fox leave, Qingnu glanced at the big fox and said calmly, “Speak, you know what we want to ask.”

The big fox was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, “I didn’t see. I was in extreme pain, thinking of returning home, but the one who hurt me was in human form, at least. I didn’t smell anything and didn’t see how they attacked before I was immobilized. It should be someone from one of the three peaks specializing in medicine, poisons, or pills, but it’s also possible that someone else obtained such powerful drugs.”

“Your cultivation is at the Seven-Tail level, equivalent to our Nascent Soul stage,” Qingnu tapped her finger on the table, contemplating the implications. “At that level, there are 271 kinds of drugs that could affect you. These are all regulated in Kun-Lai, but outside, tracking is very difficult. Whoever subdued you clearly knows you well. Do you have any close acquaintances in Kun-Lai?”

“I’ve always kept a low profile in Kun-Lai, with no close ties. I don’t even know how anyone could know my identity. After all, Qingqiu and Kun-Lai are separated by the Ghost Ruins, and few foxes come here. If there is anyone, it might be someone I conflicted with while trying to sell more supplies.” The big fox pondered carefully. “It was on Taiyi Peak. I saw a small talisman that suited my child and wanted to buy it, but I got into a fight with a spirit demon, a snow wolf from Yuntian Domain, who has always been at odds with Qingqiu. We exchanged a few blows.”

“How does it relate to Yuntian Domain?” Qingnu frowned. That place was a sore spot for their peak, often avoided unless necessary for gathering earth materials. Moreover, the situation there was too complex.

“Is there a problem with Yuntian Domain?” Feng Qingxiu asked Qingnu quietly.

“Don’t you remember the Great Xuan’s expulsion of all cultivation sects in the world?” Qingnu explained patiently to Feng Qingxiu, who had been cultivating for a short time and only knew parts of the history. “Ten thousand years ago, the Great Xuan Empire sought to dominate all cultivation sects, killing those who resisted. Among the four great sects in the Central Continent, three saw the Great Xuan as favored by the heavens and chose to relocate to the outer regions rather than resist.”

“You’re saying that the three great sects moved to Yuntian Domain?” Feng Qingxiu quickly grasped her point.

“Yes. The Yuntian Domain is vast. The relocated human race settled in the southern area near Qingqiu, with three Human Immortals guarding them. Over ten thousand years, they grew to a population of millions and established several countries. After the Great Xuan Empire collapsed, they used their resources amassed from the outer regions to return to the Central Continent and re-establish their sects. Other sects that migrated with them also preserved their lineages but did not abandon their influence in Yuntian Domain,” Guan Yuli added, having more knowledge on the matter as his master had studied it.

“So, in addition to the two great sages, there are also branches of the three great sects in Yuntian Domain. When the Qingdi Peak incident occurred, several flying peaks were supposed to assist but were entangled in other matters, nearly being defeated separately. However, Qingdi Peak held out,” Qingnu said bitterly. “So the situation back then was undoubtedly complex. Unfortunately, we have no power here to investigate further.”

“It was someone from Yuntian Domain colluding with a traitor of Kun-Lai back then,” Guan Yuli walked over to comfort Qingnu, massaging her shoulders. “But after the traitor was exposed, he committed suicide out of fear, leaving no clues. Peak Master Bai was severely injured, and Qingdi Peak’s top soul healers were already dead, making it impossible to find out if he had accomplices.”

“This incident is very similar to the previous one, aiming to incite hostility between the Great Sages of the spirit demon clans and Kun-Lai. This person won’t stop at one attempt. We must inform the other peak masters,” Qingnu frowned, feeling her cultivation level was still too low to handle the situation involving great sages, which only the Sect Leader could counter.

“I’ll go,” Feng Qingxiu nodded, then thought of another question. “You mentioned three great sects migrated, but weren’t there four back then?”

“One sect supposedly joined the Great Xuan Empire. There are no records of it anywhere. Maybe the three great sects know, but I’ve never heard anyone mention it,” Guan Yuli said after searching his memory for any related information.

***

Feng Qingxiu quickly spread the news, and Qiu Yuansheng, as the master of Danding Peak, naturally received it. 

It didn’t surprise him that the big fox wasn’t dead. But one piece of information from Feng Qingxiu caught his attention. A little fox was guarding the big fox on the flying peak. This didn’t fit Su Wan’s character, who loved her offspring too much to let them take such risks. Given his methods, when she came to her senses, she would definitely retaliate twice as hard. Celestial Fox Su Wan was never one to swallow her pride—except when dealing with the Sect Leader.

“Su Wan, this spirit demon, has the nine tails and nine lives divine power, making her extremely hard to kill. Her transformations are endless, and without revealing her demonic essence, even peers at the Human Immortal level find it hard to see through her disguises. She can endure anything. When she entered the Great Xuan’s harem, she didn’t see the emperor for the first ten years, and despite her status as a great sage, she endured all kinds of insults from the palace maids. If you meet her, be prepared for her to appear by your side,” Qiu Yuansheng thought about what the High Priest had told him about Su Wan’s ways, pondering her next move.

“As for plans, it’s best to respond to all changes with no change,” he considered the key points. “If the fox she sent disguised itself as the little fox, it would make sense.”

So, she had a weakness. But there was no rush; it would be better to make plans when the flying peaks left. There was plenty of time.

He thought this and then met with the black snake and nightingale who had come to buy discounted pills from him. Out of friendship, they were very willing to trade with him. Qiu Yuansheng felt the same.

“Today’s earnings are good,” the black snake picked a few pills and casually chatted about the day’s events, “That little fox, it should be from Su Wan’s family. It looks just like her.”

Qiu Yuansheng had never seen Su Wan, but he had the information he needed and was satisfied, sending them off with some nearly expired pills and chatting a bit more. Of course, knowing everything that happened on the flying peak was just a side benefit. He wasn’t worried about being found out; he wasn’t one to leave loose ends.

“By the way, you two know a lot about Great Xuan’s history. Do you know what the fourth great sect was back then?” Qiu Yuansheng remembered Feng Qingxiu asking Bai Shuixian and asked.

“That was ten thousand years ago. We’re not too clear on that. Do you remember, brother?” the black snake turned to ask the nightingale.

“Dumb,” the nightingale sneered, “The last great sect was the one with the High Priest’s inheritance. The story is carved on the Great Ancestor Stele. That sect split into two due to internal strife. One branch was captured by the Great Ancestor of that time, set with a soul-binding curse, and used by the royal family. The remaining members scattered and were hunted down, with the sect’s name erased.”

“I see.” Qiu Yuansheng nodded, understanding more about the High Priest’s subsequent plans. But this was a reconcilable conflict; why didn’t the High Priest just go to the Sect Leader? What a hassle.

***

In the following days, the big fox’s fur and wounds healed. The little fox came to play with the big fox daily, the two of them adorably curling up together.

Qingnu received a bottle of a great sage’s blood and excitedly went back to her room to research its uses.

As the big fox’s fur grew back, its looks returned. Senior Sister Tu often came to see it, only to sigh and leave after everytime.

A month passed quickly, and it was time for the flying peaks to leave. The trades had mostly stopped, and Qingqiu’s century-long accumulation was nearly exhausted.

When Feng Qingxiu returned in the evening, he saw a man draped in fur, with hair as white as snow, gentle as a poem, sitting under a tree, tenderly gazing at the little fox sleeping on his lap. 

Feng Qingxiu instantly felt that Senior Sister Tu’s taste was indeed exceptional. Even he felt a bit strange seeing such a man.

“You’re here. Thank you for saving us.” The man looked up, carrying the little fox in his arms as he approached Feng Qingxiu, his gentle eyes looking at him. “I have nothing to repay you with. This is my child; let it stay with you as a spiritual pet.”

Feng Qingxiu shook his head, refusing, “It was Qingnu who saved you. Besides, this child is too young.”

“Do you want me then?” the man joked.

Feng Qingxiu frowned, about to speak, when the fox in the man’s arms suddenly jumped up like it had its tail set on fire and bolted like lightning.

The man was startled, apologized, and hurried after the fox.

Feng Qingxiu shook his head, returned to his room, and resumed his routine of writing to his master, rubbing against his master’s paper figure, and then meditating.

Tomorrow they would leave Qingqiu and head to the Yuntian Domain. His master would awaken from the paper figure, and he could see him again.

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Just the thought made Feng Qingxiu’s heart race. It took him half a day to calm down enough to meditate.

After he began his meditation, the paper figure on his chest shook. That fox ran too fast. Earlier, he had intended to strike it down with a sword.

You little demons, don’t even think about getting close to my apprentice!

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When Yan Ling entered the flying peak with his little fox, he was required to undergo a check. After proving with a blood sample that the fox was just an ordinary fox spirit demon under a blood contract, it was tagged and allowed through.

The little fox wagged its three tails, curiously looking around, finding everything novel. Passing by the cafeteria, it saw the red and white blood-colored rice on the counter and stopped there, gazing longingly at the serving cultivator.

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The cultivator was charmed but was only a Foundation Establishment stage disciple—although the expedition mainly consisted of Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, many Foundation Establishment disciples came along to handle logistics. They rarely left the flying peak, but such expeditions could earn them a lot of resources.

So, he couldn’t give the fox anything expensive and instead gave it a cheap spiritual grain bun. The little fox carried it back to Yan Ling’s shoulder, happily eating it bit by bit.

Yan Ling recalled the days when he used to have a big bowl of Yin-Yang Blood Rice every day and knew that now, all his possessions combined couldn’t buy even a cup of that rice.

“Wait until I dominate the world, and I’ll make sure you eat until you can’t eat anymore,” Yan Ling snorted, speaking to the little fox. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“My name is Xiao Su,” the fox said while nibbling. “The food here is really good.”

Yan Ling turned his head, saying nothing. He once despised Bai Liu for his weak character and inability to manage Qingdi Peak properly, but without Bai Liu’s support these past two months, he realized how tough life was for an unaffiliated cultivator.

The blood and flesh these days were far from enough for his ancient cultivation method to advance. It was all Bai Liu’s fault; if he could consume Bai Liu’s last drop of blood and flesh, he could definitely advance to the Demigod stage.

Even though Bai Liu was a waste, he was still a great cultivator in the Synthesis stage. If not for his severe heart demons, his future would have been limitless.

And all Yan Ling got was a drop of his slaying demon heart’s blood. Ridiculous. The way of heaven is infinite; if something seems wrong to you, does it mean it’s demonic?

Unfortunately, Kun-Lai’s resources were beyond his means now.

It seemed he had to go outside to devour a few fox spirit demons to replenish his strength and seize some wealth.

He planned to go out at night to try.

With so many spirit demons here, he could definitely advance. If he could incite a war between Kun-Lai and Qingqiu, he could benefit from it.

He thought this and returned to his room to meditate, preparing for the evening.

Not even two hours had passed when the little fox brought back a bag containing spiritual rice and pills, all good stuff.

Yan Ling couldn’t help but praise it.

Another hour later, the little fox returned in terror, hiding behind him and trembling. The door opened, and a black snake slithered in, looking at the fox with a strange expression.

“It’s you.” The black snake looked at Yan Ling disdainfully. It remembered this guy who accused him of selling watered-down blood, but fighting was not allowed on the flying peak, so it let the past go. “That fox looks a lot like an old acquaintance of mine. I’ll give you a hundred spiritual stones for it.”

“A hundred spiritual stones for a high-level spirit demon beast?” Yan Ling sneered. “Maybe for that bird, I might consider it.”

The black snake, not having much money, laughed scornfully and slithered away when Yan Ling refused.

The fox was clearly from Su Wan’s family. If this kid liked to be deceived, he wouldn’t be kind enough to warn him. After he got cheated out of everything, it wouldn’t be too late to deal with both the man and the fox.

Yan Ling calmed himself to meditate, but his hunger grew. His ancient cultivation technique required consuming blood and spiritual energy for cultivation.

However, the flying peaks had only stopped at the Ghost Ruins for a few days this month and hadn’t stayed anywhere else.

He was starving.

Finally, as dusk approached, he locked the fox in a spiritual beast cage and left the flying peak.

The market at the foot of the peak was as lively as during the day, with spiritual fire for lighting. Foxes and humans were still chatting animatedly.

He eyed a fox dragging a heavy bag and began to follow it.

This fox had moderate cultivation, and its bag was heavy, making it a perfect target.

***

In the morning, the black snake and the nightingale, having exchanged many spiritual stones, happily counted their loot.

Then they saw a little fox trotting back to the flying peak’s gate.

“Fox!” The black snake and the nightingale simultaneously blocked the fox, looking at it suspiciously. “What bad thing have you been up to?”

“I did something good,” the little fox proudly declared, squatting down. “Your tiny brains can’t understand what I’m trying to do! Move aside, I need to see my father.”

“Father?” The black snake and the nightingale exchanged glances. “Could it be?”

“Didn’t Feng Qingxiu bring my father back to heal him? Take me to see him!” the little fox shrieked. “Don’t try to bully me, or I’ll call my mother.”

“Perfect,” the black snake hissed. “We were just about to settle things with your mother!”

“Yeah, who’s afraid of her? We’ll eat her up,” the nightingale sneered. “I’ll eat you first.”

“Come on then, if you don’t eat, you’re not a spirit demon!” the little fox shouted angrily.

“Stop it.” A slender arm picked up the little fox. Senior Sister Tu stroked its smooth fur. “Such a cute little fox, are you better now?”

“Dumb bunny, let go,” the fox struggled in her arms. “Don’t think I won’t eat you!”

“I’ll take you to see Big Fox,” Senior Sister Tu comforted it. “Only I can take you in.”

The little fox stopped struggling.

The black snake and the nightingale grudgingly backed off but followed them, dissatisfied.

Following the mountain path, they soon reached Qingnu’s courtyard. The big fox was still in the green liquid tank, but it was breathing now. Its skin was wrinkled from soaking, and it had lost its fur, making it look almost hideous.

“Ai, a fox without fur isn’t beautiful at all,” Senior Sister Tu sighed, feeling her affection for the fox fading with its beauty. “I originally wanted to propose with a warehouse of Azure Rice.”

Her casual remark made the fox’s ears twitch, and it looked up at the big fox, shouting, “Propose? A warehouse? Azure Rice?”

“Yes, about five thousand catties,” Senior Sister Tu sighed. “I proposed with half a warehouse last time, but he refused, so this time I prepared a whole warehouse. Didn’t expect this to happen…”

Similarly, it was one warehouse of Azure Rice but in their case it almost drained half of Qingqiu’s savings. The remaining were exchanged for pills and artifacts. Basically, their fox clan spent the past century finding spiritual stones and herbs for Kun-Lai, but a Kun-Lai rabbit could offer a warehouse by itself!

Su Wan felt like she’d been hit with a heavy blow, almost wanting to spit fire.

This is simply too much. What Kun-Lai is doing is no different from robbery!

“If he is willing to marry me, not only would he have Kun-Lai residency, but I could also have my father plant a year’s worth of Azure Rice just for him. His spiritual fields cover thousands of acres. Harvesting three seasons a year is no problem.” Senior Sister was still regretful.

“Your father is?” the little fox probed.

“The Peak Master of Shennong Peak. But many of our family’s bunnies have large fields, so a bit of rice is no big deal,” Senior Sister Tu said dispiritedly. “It’s rare to meet a fox who isn’t interested in my money.”

“Well…” The little fox snuggled into the softness of her embrace, stretched comfortably, nuzzled a bit, and said in a seductive tone, “Little bunny, if you’re looking for a fox, what do you think of me?”

The black snake and nightingale mocked her for being shameless from the side, as expected of one from the Su Wan family. 

This almost erupted into a fight.

Senior Sister Tu petted the fox but still shook her head. “You’re too young. If it were your mother, that would be different.”

Thinking of the beautiful and handsome fox who had once scared her into fainting, Senior Sister Tu’s eyes almost sparkled. A great sage, a god of the spirit demon race—

The little fox in her arms made a sound, then lay down peacefully.

Feng Qingxiu watched the little fox from the side, feeling that something was off.

Watching a rabbit, a snake, a bird, and a fox quarrel all day, he felt like his flying peak had turned into a beast garden of Yushou Peak, worthy of charging people to visit.

As night fell, the spirit demons went their separate ways, and Qingnu returned. Only then did he return to his residence.

He snuggled up to his master’s paper figure, recounting today’s events in detail. He wrote it down and sent it into the Net Charm, receiving a caring reply from his master.

Feeling supremely satisfied, he began meditating and resting, practicing his cultivation technique.

Cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you fall back. There can be no relaxation every day.

After a full cycle, his mind felt complete, and he began to meditate.

The paper figure in his arms glowed faintly.

Then suddenly disappeared.

***

On the mountain, the little fox was worriedly watching the big fox in the water tank when a gentle breeze passed by.

The sword energy from her old wounds almost instantly vibrated, causing such pain that she stumbled to the ground.

“You better give me a good reason,” a calm voice sounded, carrying a touch of gentleness yet undeniable killing intent, instantly evoking her deepest fear from back then. He said, “A reason for infiltrating at my apprentice’s side.”

The little fox steadily recounted her reasons for coming.

Finally, she added some additional reasons: “I saw that Yan Ling’s cultivation method was very bloody, gathering a lot of resentment, so I stayed by his side. Yesterday, he wanted to use both cultivators and spirit demons for food. I had a few powerful spirit demons deal with him. He won’t be returning until the flying peaks leave.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The other was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “Reason accepted.”

Then the voice disappeared.

Su Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Only a few years had passed, yet the pressure from that person had grown even greater.

What a monster!

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Qing knew he was a Great Celestial Demon, a significant threat to humans, so Yun always restrained him, not giving him any chance to escape. 

Qing thought about what Yun would do if, one day, he could no longer contain him. Without a doubt, Yun would probably stab him to pieces, right?

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

But thinking about how he had accompanied Yun for so many years, Qing felt that if Yun were to stab him, he might as well let him do it. 

Yet, despite so many years, Yun had never stabbed him. 

Yun, who wasn’t even willing to connect spiritually with him… How could he treat me this way? Qing felt a sense of grievance almost growing within him.

While Yun was in the Sea of Consciousness divining the mysteries of the heavens, Qing quietly went online.

The gossip forums were always full of helpful people.

Everyone eagerly offered suggestions.

“Boyfriend cold and frigid? You need to understand seduction. Often walk around without clothes in front of him, say some sweet words frequently, create the right atmosphere, and then you can push him down.” -Yang Puyin-

“Yeah, you can take him to the hot springs at Qingdi Peak, add a full-body massage to relax body and mind, preventing heart demons. Soak in a beauty-enhancing medicinal bath, come out with a rosy complexion, full of vitality, looking healthy and beautiful, and he won’t be able to resist.” -Bai Cha’er-

“Is there a tanning service? When one’s cultivation level is high, they become so pale. I want a handsome tan, but it’s so difficult~” -You Jia-

“Of course there is. You can customize the shade, though it’s a bit pricey, but Top Headline You can definitely manage it. There’s also tattoo and manicure services. Even the bunnies from Shennong Peak come to us for teeth whitening.” -Bai Cha’er-

“I’ve been banned recently, spent all my money on internet hours. Our Nascent Soul stage internet time is more expensive than blood rice. Forget it, a pale complexion is good too.” -You Jia-

“But he doesn’t seem to like hot springs.” -Qing-

“That’s your problem then. If you want to push him down, the first thing is to take off his clothes.” -You Jia-

“Push him down?” Qing was a bit puzzled and continued to ask, “How to push him down?”

“The gossip forum has articles. I’ll give you the link, but you need a subscription. These articles are subtle and well-written. You’ll understand what the right atmosphere means after reading.” -You Jia-

Following the directions, Qing went ahead.

After reading through, Qing felt as if his eyes had been opened, his heart fluttering as if stroked by white camellia flowers.

It seemed not that difficult. Humans seem to be easily pushed down, moaning after a few touches, then after a few more touches, they can get it up, allowing themselves to be stabbed. He liked this feeling, both sides would be very happy~

But the environment seemed important. What kind of setting would be good?

Qing recalled the first time he met Yun. Back then, Yun was covered in wounds, but his eyes shone brightly, piercing Qing’s eyes.

At that time, Yun was bent on vengeance against someone named Li Xianjing, capturing many celestial demons, even refining himself into a sword. After revenge, he encountered many things, and Qing felt heartache for Yun even just watching from the side.

Later, learning more about the world, Qing even felt a bit relieved that Yun had no emotions. Otherwise, he would have been terribly sad.

Especially when Yun met his uncle, Luo Qingxiao, Qing could feel how much Yun wanted to cry, but he couldn’t anymore.

Qing knew even more clearly that Yun re-established Kun-Lai not to guard the Western Continent or out of ambition, but because a crazy old man in his memory had insisted that Kun-Lai must not perish. Yun had promised that it wouldn’t, and only then did the old man, bloodied and almost eviscerated, finally close his eyes.

Yun had no desires. Qing felt that if it weren’t for that promise, Yun wouldn’t even want to live.

Having followed Yun for many years, Qing couldn’t think of any place Yun was nostalgic about; all the places he’d lived were ones he didn’t want to remember.

So, he would have to make do with the current place.

Yun didn’t seem to have any objections to the room Qing had arranged. As for the hot spring pool water, well, in the Sea of Consciousness, anything could be used.

Qing was very action-oriented.

He immediately returned to the Sea of Consciousness, where Yun had set up a grand hall, imprisoning many celestial demons.

Yun usually sat in the yin-yang fish symbol at the center of the hall, looking noble and beautiful, a grace unmatched by anyone Qing had seen.

Qing snapped his fingers, causing a ripple to spread, transforming the Sea of Consciousness into an endless water domain, vast and misty. Sharing the Sea of Consciousness, it could certainly be altered according to his will.

Yun sat on the water surface, opening his eyes to look at him.

Qing walked slowly to his side, and recalling the strategies from the articles, he knelt on one knee and kissed Yun’s lips.

Soft and sweet, like the petals of white camellias, with a slight coolness. Qing’s tongue teased Yun’s lips and teeth. Qing had never thought kissing could be so wonderful, almost making him float~

Ji Yunlai patiently let him kiss for a day, and he was still sucking.

Then, without mercy, he locked Qing in a small black room. That damn fool.

***

After being released from the small black room, Qing started demanding more.

One day, still in the grand hall, before he could kiss, Ji Yunlai opened his eyes and said calmly, “Let me finish my divinations first. Don’t interrupt.”

So Qing squatted at the side and waited.

After an unknown number of days, Ji Yunlai finally opened his eyes, and Qing pounced on him.

With too much force, he knocked Yun down onto the large yin-yang fish symbol below.

Underneath, Yun’s white hair spread out, his eyes quietly gazing at him, his robes neat and tidy, seeming as if in wait for him to kiss.

Qing swallowed non-existent saliva, lowered himself, and kissed Yun’s neck, nibbling and sucking, naturally moving downward.

Ji Yunlai, seeing his earnest and diligent effort, suddenly didn’t want to push him away.

Forget it, let him do as he likes.

The fool was a complete novice; everything he knew was from those articles.

His movements were rough, even failing to find the entrance.

Ji Yunlai, seeing his anxious and somewhat aggrieved look, guided him into himself.

Finally, Qing lay on top of him, exhausted, sleeping like a child, his brows and eyes hinting at satisfied joy.

Ji Yunlai stroked his head, staring at the ceiling indifferently, waiting for him to wake up.

Just a dream, he told himself.

***

When Qing woke up, he was very happy, feeling that the world had cleared up.

Wanting to cling to Yun, but he was ruthlessly thrown off.

“Yun, are we married?” After writing many romantic poems on little stones, Qing finally couldn’t hold back and shyly asked.

“No,” Yun replied definitively.

“But we did things only married couples do!” Qing couldn’t accept this answer.

“Friends with benefits do those things too,” Ji Yunlai said flatly. “Moreover, it was just a dream, a spiritual connection.”

“But it was still doing it!” Qing felt almost like crying from grievance.

“So what?” Ji Yunlai turned to him. “Do you want to keep doing it, or do you want to argue about titles, make me angry, and never let you do it again?”

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“You clearly had my body, but you dismiss it as a dream…” Qing felt Yun was too heartless.

“Do you expect me to marry you?” Ji Yunlai looked down and continued his work. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What would it take for you to marry me?” Qing asked sadly.

“In the next life,” Ji Yunlai replied casually.

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The fox’s injuries were too severe, and Qingnu had little experience treating such external wounds. First, she scraped the fur off the fox skin, then soaked and washed it in a specially prepared medicinal liquid. After examining the condition of the skin, Qingnu and Guan Yuli exchanged a glance and both nodded.

“A thousand-year-old fox’s skin is indeed different. If it were an ordinary fox, the skin would have dried out by now. This skin still retains its vitality even after nearly two hours,” Qingnu said, picking up the clean fox skin and pondering. “Do you think large patches or small patches are better? Grafting small patches can lead to wrinkles, but if large patches shrink in the middle, we would need to clean it again. However, large patches have their advantages…”

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“Small patches are safer, but you clearly want to graft large patches, don’t you?” Guan Yuli said indifferently. “Go ahead, I’ll help you.”

Qingnu smiled with satisfaction and nodded. “Your precision in controlling blood flow is far superior to mine. Let’s begin.”

They had collaborated countless times before, but it had been a while since they last worked together as their skills had advanced. Their Qingque spiritual technique involved fine control, with spiritual energy condensed into threads that could be both tangible and intangible, capable of penetrating the finest meridians of the patient, and even controlling the blood flow externally to force the heart to beat again. Therefore, grafting the skin back was not too difficult.

It was just very tedious. After all, the fox was about a meter long, skinned from head to tail. Every tiny blood vessel in the skin needed to be reconnected and activated with spiritual energy, and its supply and recovery had to be maintained with spiritual liquid. Qingnu alone couldn’t handle the operation.

Not far away, Feng Qingxiu was watching anxiously. After all, this big fox was Su Wan’s mate. 

She was a great sage, and it would be unwise to provoke her here.

A snake and a bird were also watching nearby.

“Su Wan, that thousand-year-old fox, has found another mate,” the black snake flicked its tongue, coiled around a pillar, and watched the fox closely. “Do you see that bloody fox?”

“Eh, what are you thinking?” The nightingale glanced at him, sensing something off. “We killed her mate back then, and you want to kill another one? I advise you to let it go. If she turns into a beauty and seduces some high-ranking Kun-Lai member, we’ll be the ones getting skinned.”

“True, but this fox is so tender and well-proportioned. If it had fur, it would look quite attractive.” The black snake flicked its tongue, stretching its body almost to touch the purification ward set by Qingnu. “Looks like it’s barely older than a thousand years old.”

In spirit demon cultivation, it takes hundreds of years to take human form, so a thousand-year-old fox isn’t considered old.

“Su Wan, that ten-thousand-year-old fox, sleeping with young foxes,” the nightingale sneered. “And making them work to support the family.”

“I heard there are fox cubs, too.” The black snake lowered its head in disappointment. “Feels like we are such failures now.”

Feng Qingxiu listened silently, waiting on the side. Over two hours later, Qingnu and Guan Yuli simultaneously released the ward. The fox looked like a torn rag doll, with several stitches on its body, soaking in a blue-green liquid, appearing almost dead.

“There’s nothing particularly unusual. The flaying was done professionally,” Qingnu answered Feng Qingxiu’s unasked question. “This fox shows signs of being drugged, with no significant struggle marks, suggesting it was skinned while under control. The professional technique allowed it to escape with a breath of life.”

“We have no idea when the skin was slipped into the stall. There were too many coming and going today,” You Jia added. “So now, we just have to wait for the fox to wake up, though I doubt it knows much. It looks like a pawn being used.”

“Not necessarily. The fox tribe is known for their intelligence. It might have noticed something,” Feng Qingxiu sighed and asked Qingnu, “How long until it wakes up?”

“Three days,” Qingnu confidently replied, fully trusting her skills.

“Then we’ll wait.” Feng Qingxiu walked over to the fox, quietly leaving an invisible sword energy.

If the person who hurt the fox came to silence it, his sword energy would leave a trace, revealing any intruders.

He stationed himself on a nearby cliff, watching the mountain below.

At the foot of the flying peak, the trading with Qingqiu continued. Various foxes carried different items, exchanging them for what they desired.

The awakened Senior Sister Tu also came to find Feng Qingxiu, saying she had found her pouch.

The pouch had been on her all along; she hadn’t noticed it during her frantic search and naturally assumed the fox had taken it.

She hadn’t anticipated such danger. If Feng Qingxiu hadn’t been with her, and if Su Wan hadn’t controlled her instincts, she might have been devoured by the big fox.

“Turns out Big Fox really has a wife and kids,” Senior Sister Tu said dejectedly, looking at the injured big fox. “And it’s Great Sage Su Wan. He hadn’t gone back for a hundred years and always used having a wife as an excuse to turn down other spirit demons. I thought it was just an excuse so I followed him to see for myself. Now I’m truly heartbroken.”

“Senior Sister, you’re a rabbit. Why do you like raising snakes and dating foxes?” Feng Qingxiu asked, unable to understand.

“Well…” Senior Sister Tu blushed, covering her face as her long ears drooped. “Isn’t it impressive? I have money…”

So Senior Sister Tu, flaunting her wealth, started pampering snakes and foxes as a sugar mama. Such an idea… truly arrogant!

“I didn’t expect this from you, Senior Sister,” Feng Qingxiu felt his worldview collapsing.

“But that fox was so kind and gentle, good at making money and supporting the family,” Senior Sister Tu defended weakly. “But since he has kids, I won’t look for him again. Next time, I’ll try finding a wolf. Rabbit men are too lazy and soft! I want a man who stands out and can be taken out proudly. Actually, you’re not bad either, Junior Brother. How about we try it?”

“Get lost!” Feng Qingxiu turned and left.

Back in his room, Feng Qingxiu took out his master’s paper figurine and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Today had been too intense: Great Sage Su Wan, a skinned fox case, and his senior sister causing trouble. He desperately needed to seek comfort from his master.

Having his master was enough; he didn’t need those little demons! The paper figure of his master would occasionally turn red as it nuzzled, and after a while, it would return to its white color.

Feng Qingxiu played with it for a while before carefully placing his master back inside his clothes. He started to transmit today’s events to his master over the network and check for his master’s messages.

His master reminded him to be cautious, not to stray too far from the flying peak, and to stay safe.

Then, his master also mentioned that he missed him very much and suggested developing a recording function so that Xiao Qing could share recordings with him at any time.

Feng Qingxiu felt a warm sensation in his heart, thinking that no one could be better to him than his master.

“If only Master were here,” Feng Qingxiu muttered as he took out the paper figure and nuzzled it against his face. He thought that if his master were here, he would certainly throw himself into his arms to express his excitement.

Out of Feng Qingxiu’s sight, the paper figure shifted its head a bit unnaturally.

The little apprentice was too enthusiastic, almost overwhelming.

But I still like it…

***

Below the flying peak, the fluffy, highly attractive foxes continued to bargain with the Kun-Lai cultivators. Everywhere, there were foxes rolling around, wagging their tails, and looking pitifully at people. Many female cultivators fell for it, and even some male cultivators were charmed into giving discounts.

Su Wan listened to the countless voices outside from within the cave, breathing a slight sigh of relief.

She turned back to lick the wound on her lower back. Hidden under her white fur was a deep, bone-revealing injury that had never healed.

It was a wound inflicted by the Supreme Nine Heavens Calamity Sword when she entered the Western Continent centuries ago. She still remembered the other’s casual strike that directly severed her body doubles, which her nine tails had transformed into. During the Great Xuan Twelve Immortal expedition, she had only lost three tails, meaning three lives. But that strike took all nine lives!

For centuries, she had been severely weakened. The tails that regrew couldn’t act as extra lives anymore, only used to confuse others into thinking she still had nine lives.

The Xing Dao Master Ji Yunlai—High Priest, just what kind of monster have you unleashed?

His Celestial Demon Sword energy will one day cut you down.

But thinking about today’s events ignited anger within her. If it weren’t for sensing the clear trace of divine consciousness in that young man, she might have devoured the two Kun-Lai disciples who came to her in her fury.

Given how well the High Priest knew her character, today’s events were surely due to his machinations.

If she had eaten that Xing Dao Master’s disciple, it would certainly have enraged him, prompting him to come personally. With his abilities, it would be hard for her to escape.

Even if she did escape, she would be gravely injured, unable to harm him. His power was far beyond what a Human Immortal should possess.

The High Priest didn’t set this up to have her and the Xing Dao Master mutually harm each other but to draw the Xing Dao Master out.

Could it be that the High Priest had something he needed from the Xing Dao Master?

Very likely. She clearly remembered when she was a consort in the Great Xuan harem, she tried every way to persuade the Xuan Emperor to expel the ever-intrusive High Priest.

But the Xuan Emperor trusted him completely, saying that the High Priest had the endless fortune and karma of the Great Xuan as a natural shackle and blade. If he rebelled against the royal family, he would surely meet a terrible end.

Eventually, she persuaded the Xuan Emperor to poison the High Priest, but the High Priest endured the backlash of the human race’s fortune, killing the Xuan Emperor and using secret techniques to delay the curse that should have fallen on him, almost killing her as well—if not for her nine lives.

The ancient curse of the Great Xuan was intricate. The High Priest was destined to die by the hands of the royal family. He must have done something to transfer the curse to the then-weak Ji Yunlai, ending the vendetta and karma between the Great Xuan and himself.

Since then, no one pursued him for the destruction of the Great Xuan.

How he transferred the curse remained a mystery. That was the curse formed by the fortune of the Great Xuan amassed over ten thousand years—it must be something special. Now, he’s targeting the Xing Dao Master with various schemes. If this attempt fails, there will surely be more!

I must not let him succeed! She suddenly stood up and paced around the cave. If she could protect the Xing Dao Master’s disciple and thwart the High Priest’s plot, perhaps the Xing Dao Master would spare her, heal the Supreme Nine Heavens Calamity Sword wound, and provide resources for the Qingqiu Fox clan to recuperate.

…That’s it!

“Xiao Mi,” Su Wan gently licked her child and called softly.

“En?” The little fox looked up at her.

“I need to do something. Stay home and don’t run around,” Su Wan said gently.

The little fox nodded obediently, indicating it would listen.

Su Wan glanced at her, then ran out of the cave.

At dusk, Su Wan leaped into the air, landing as a stunningly beautiful little fox. She walked up to a human unaffiliated cultivator (those without Kun-Lai uniforms were unaffiliated cultivators) and tilted her head curiously, “Human, can you take me to the flying peak? I’ll give you spiritual fruits.”

Yan Ling looked down at the extraordinarily lovely little fox, clearly a high-level cub, and felt a surge of excitement. “Of course, but let’s sign a contract first so I can take you up.”

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“Sure, sure!” With a glint in her eyes, Su Wan, in her little fox form, nodded eagerly, her three fluffy tails swaying adorably.

Yan Ling quickly bit his finger and drew a blood contract on the fox’s head. “Alright, let’s go.”

The little fox happily jumped onto his shoulder. “Human, you’re so nice.”

“Call me master!” Yan Ling said proudly.

“En, master, you’re so nice!”

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As Xiao Qing led Senior Sister Tu outside to find the fox, Ji Yunlai gently pressed his forehead. An inexplicable premonition lingered in his mind. 

He was now merely a wisp of divine consciousness, with limited power left in the talisman paper. While he could still sense the outside world to some extent, he couldn’t interact with it. 

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Although he didn’t possess his full strength, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. He couldn’t help but speed up the process of reviewing his old manuscripts, racking his brains. 

Celestial divination relies on a flash of insight within the mind, with the divine soul connecting to the world’s principles and comprehending the past and future. 

Simply put, the soul acts like a signal tower, capable of receiving signals from all things in the world, and naturally, it can also receive signals from other people’s souls. 

The ancient laws of cultivation were the results of great ancient beings sensing the world, summarizing its rules, and using those rules to evolve themselves, achieving transcendence. 

Although the divine soul can comprehend the world’s principles, it is still limited by the individual’s capacity. Legends say that great ancient beings could easily sense everything in the world, but Ji Yunlai couldn’t imagine the extent of their abilities. His divine consciousness could only cover tens of thousands of miles around Kun-Lai Mountain, which was already his limit. 

If the world’s principles were compared to signals, the great ancient beings would be like signal towers over 600 meters high, while he was like a mobile phone’s reception range, unable to extend beyond the city. 

Everyone’s soul causes ripples in the world, and divination involves sensing the good and evil in people’s hearts. Any bit of good or evil thought toward Kun-Lai would trigger a flash of insight in him, which is the greatest ability of a celestial divination master. 

Foreseeing crises.

Even though he was just a wisp of divine consciousness, he should still be able to sense what was happening around Xiao Qing, given the close proximity. 

However, he felt no malice affecting Xiao Qing’s abilities. 

This was too inconsistent with his inner premonition.

Could it be that the person who might bring trouble to Xiao Qing was not malicious?

Was it unintentional trouble, or was this person so detached that they saw everything they did was just an indifferent task, without any emotional burden?

If it was the former, it would be fine, but if it was the latter, it would be troublesome. 

Ordinary people have emotional fluctuations; their actions are always driven by emotions, whether out of jealousy, love, ambition, or revenge. These emotions could be detected by his keen Human Immortal spiritual sense.

However, if it was the latter, it meant the person who might trouble Xiao Qing had no respect for any life. Their actions were devoid of any significant emotion.

This would make it impossible for him to sense anything; the insight would lack direction, leading to inexplicable premonitions.

It would be much better if his true form were here; the sensing would be clearer.

He continued to remain hidden inside Xiao Qing’s clothes, quietly observing.

Following the tracking butterflies, Xiao Qing and Tu Rabbit arrived at a small hill, with a cave entrance hidden among the grass not far ahead.

“It’s just up ahead,” he heard Xiao Qing say.

Feng Qingxiu glanced at Senior Sister Tu, already faintly smelling a hint of blood.

“Should we call for some elders?” Senior Sister Tu patted the small snake in her arms. The rabbit’s natural caution made her hesitant to enter.

She was still in the Foundation Establishment stage and shouldn’t have participated in the expedition. This time, she just wanted to help the fox and gain some experience, so she followed along, not traveling on the Yushou Peak’s flying peak but on her father’s Shennong Peak.

Although both liked living in caves, foxes and snakes didn’t usually dig their own; they would take over rabbit or mouse burrows, eating the owners and making the burrows theirs.

Feng Qingxiu shared this caution. Although he felt confident in his ability to protect himself, he agreed with her suggestion.

He took out a talisman, intending to send a message to his flying peak.

At that moment, a white light flashed, shattering the talisman in Feng Qingxiu’s hand with a speed almost too fast to see.

Feng Qingxiu was startled, his body automatically shielded by sword light, transforming into countless sword energies, attacking the white light.

With a scream, an injured little fox fell heavily to the ground, covered in blood with barely any intact fur. Feng Qingxiu had controlled his power; otherwise, his invisible sword energy could have shredded the fox into pieces.

Simultaneously, a powerful intent locked onto him, causing his invisible sword energy to tremble in the air, forcibly restrained and unable to break free.

Beside him, Senior Sister Tu had reverted to her original form, a white-furred rabbit huddling with the small snake, shivering and curled into a ball.

A fox with snow-white fur and nine tails slowly walked out of the cave, gently licking the blood-covered fox. Its deep, dark eyes were full of motherly love and tenderness. As it licked, the wounds on the small fox closed up one by one. The small fox whined softly, licking its mother back. Only then did the nine-tailed fox look deeply at Feng Qingxiu, baring its sharp fangs.

“If you don’t stay calm, we’ll both be in trouble.” Although unable to move, Feng Qingxiu spoke with a very calm expression. “I didn’t see clearly just now; it moved too fast, so my sword energy automatically protected me. I apologize to you.”

The fox stared at him for a long time. The immense pressure it exerted seemed to have no effect on him. Finally, it retracted its fangs and sat down, withdrawing its terrifying aura.

It slowly spoke, “This sword energy was given to you by Ji Yunlai. But sending you to kill me is a bit overconfident of him.”

The voice was very soft and beautiful, naturally alluring, as if it encompassed all the beauty in the world. Just hearing it was like listening to a song that only exists in dreams, making one want to lie down and sleep at its feet.

Feng Qingxiu was startled.

There was too much heavy information in those words, making him feel immense pressure.

Could it be—

“Although my wounds are not healed, if you want to kill me, he must come in person.” The fox said faintly. “I, Su Wan, still have that much confidence.”

Su Wan?? Great Sage Su Wan? Celestial Fox Su Wan!??

The little rabbit senior sister immediately fainted with all four feet up in the air from fright. Feng Qingxiu’s heartbeat also instantly sped up tenfold, but fortunately, with his master’s backing, he quickly explained to the great sage about helping his senior sister find the fox, expressing that this was really just a misunderstanding.

However, he finally understood why the small fox was so fast. As the child of a great sage, it was naturally extraordinary.

After hearing them, the nine-tailed fox lowered its head and sighed: “Follow me.”

It picked up the small fox by the scruff of its neck and walked into the cave.

Calculating his chances of escape, Feng Qingxiu held his rabbit senior sister and the snake in his arms, carefully following.

Walking through a deep but dry cave, they came to a huge space. A pool of water reflected the sky from above, illuminating the entire space brightly.

However, a large fox lay by the pool, its fur color indiscernible because its skin had been completely peeled off. Yet, it still had a faint breath, still alive. The bloody smell they had detected earlier came from it.

Even though Feng Qingxiu had eaten countless meats, he was still shocked.

“Over a thousand years ago, my Qingqiu tribe nearly faced extinction,” the nine-tailed fox carefully approached it and whispered, “After thousands of years of recovery, we have regained less than one-tenth of our original numbers. He heard Kun-Lai had a lot of spiritual rice that could increase the intelligence of my fox tribe, so he went. For hundreds of years, he only came back a few times, and this time, he came back like this.”

Feng Qingxiu knew that the “he” in the nine-tailed fox’s mouth referred to this skinned fox.

“He has always been very careful. No one knew he was my new mate, and he was very clever. The things he brought back were even better than those sold at high prices.” The Celestial Fox Su Wan transferred some demonic energy into him with her mouth, then looked up at Feng Qingxiu, with a hint of viciousness in her words, “But he is in great pain. Do you think I should kill him to relieve his suffering?”

“I think you should take him to the flying peaks. Senior Sister Qingnu should be able to save him.” Feng Qingxiu said calmly.

He could see that Su Wan was already very restrained. After seeing his invisible sword energy, she had been showing weakness. Otherwise, with her ability, she could have easily eaten him.

She wasn’t afraid of him, but of his master, who almost killed her with a single sword strike back then.

But there was no need for conflict. The priority was to save the fox first.

Su Wan licked the large fox, then looked up: “Take him and bring him back intact. I hope you can do it.”

Feng Qingxiu nodded, picked up the skinned fox, and turned to walk out of the cave.

The little fox tried to follow but was caught by Su Wan.

“Mother, you can’t trust them! Humans are the worst!” The small fox screamed.

“There’s no other way.” Su Wan nuzzled its head and whispered, “He left a trace of divine consciousness on him. I can’t keep him here; otherwise, it would anger the Xing Dao Master. Qingqiu can’t withstand his wrath.”

The small fox whimpered and cried in her arms.

***

“Save him?” Qingnu looked at the skinned fox and frowned, turning to Guan Yuli.

“You at least need to give me its skin so we can sew it back.” Guan Yuli said calmly, “Before its skin is processed.”

“Yes, from the looks of it, the skinning happened about an hour ago. If we wait another hour, it will be useless.” Qingnu said lightly, “Of course, there are ways to live without skin. We could also steal other foxes’ skins.”

Feng Qingxiu nodded and released the tracking butterflies again. This time, they quickly found a blood-soaked fox skin placed among the traded goods.

Feng Qingxiu lifted the trembling rabbit so she could see: “Is this it?”

The rabbit glanced at it, sniffed it, nodded, and then fainted again.

Feng Qingxiu could only helplessly take the skin.

As he turned, he saw Qiu Yuansheng inspecting the income of his flying peak in the distance.

“What’s this?” Qiu Yuansheng looked puzzled, seeing him holding a rabbit, a snake, and a fox skin. “Making a coat?”

Feng Qingxiu smiled wryly and shook his head: “I’ll explain next time.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

He quickly left, as the severely injured fox was still waiting for treatment. Only after saving it could they understand what had happened.

Watching Feng Qingxiu’s swiftly departing figure, Qiu Yuansheng lowered his head, thinking that this Senior Brother Feng was quite formidable.

Su Wan hadn’t detained him; his hidden abilities must be greater than anticipated.

Let’s see.

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