Fear
Yan Jue froze for a moment, not quite sure she’d understood what San Niang had just said.
Lu Yanshuang didn’t find it strange. The little princess had left the Ghost Mansion so young that not knowing was perfectly normal.
Lu Yanshuang patiently explained the fox clan’s biological traits to her.
Like all canines in the world, foxes also had a heat period.
And during heat, all sorts of things would happen...
Yan Jue’s ears turned red at once. No wonder she had been feeling inexplicably sleepy lately; so that was the reason.
She had thought foxes only had an ordinary monthly cycle.
Lu Yanshuang: “In any case, when heat comes around, it’s never pleasant. It’s not unusual to attract a whole pack of male foxes and the like, so be careful.”
Yan Jue frowned, listening very intently. “How is it solved?”
Lu Yanshuang: “Naturally, you find someone with abundant yang energy and properly relieve it.”
As soon as Lu Yanshuang said that, she seemed to remember something and her expression darkened slightly.
“But that’s only something to think about. The situation between the demons and the immortals is tense now, so the demon race should keep its tail tucked as much as possible. It’s best not to provoke any humans, or else the immortal sects will use this matter to make trouble for the fox clan again.”
“Those human cultivators treasure their yang energy more than anything else; of course they won’t give it to you so easily.”
Yan Jue was silent for a long time.
Recently, in her dreams at night, she had kept dreaming of the same person.
Dreaming about Qi Xianqing during a fox demon’s most vulnerable heat period was certainly not a good thing.
Lu San-niang saw her embarrassment and said no more. After all, the princess was still too young.
When the princess was little, she had clung to her very much, but to be honest, after growing up, they really hadn’t had much contact; once a child got older, they gradually became rebellious.
Back then, when Yan Jue had run off with that boy from the Chu family, San Niang had been the first to stand up and object; but in the end the child still ran off with a human.
Lu Yanshuang chatted with Yan Jue for a while longer.
Yan Jue answered while inwardly sighing that the original owner truly had good fortune.
The elders on the Ghost Mansion fox clan side all seemed to dote on her.
It was a pity that the original owner had thrown it all away herself.
Yan Jue barely said anything the whole time, but Lu San-niang seemed used to it and did all the talking.
Then San Niang changed the subject. “What level are you at now?”
Yan Jue: “Fifth realm, Core Formation stage.”
Lu San-niang couldn’t help feeling relieved when she heard that. Who knew Yan Jue had once been such a useless little troublemaker; not to mention making progress, she had barely even recognized a single character before. Yet after leaving home for a trip, she seemed like a completely different fox.
Sometimes, it really was good to let a child go out.
Lu San-niang took something out of her storage ring and handed it to Yan Jue.
Yan Jue was stunned.
It was a beautiful jade emitting strands of cold air.
Under the dim candlelight, the jade took on the pale white of moonlight, and within it, cottony wisps of white mist could faintly be seen drifting.
Resting in her palm, the jade seemed to send a cool, deep chill straight through her hand and into her whole body.
Lu San-niang: “This is called Ice-Glow Jade. Your father asked me to bring it to you. He said that if she doesn’t come back, use this to lure her.”
Yan Jue: “...”
Anyone could tell at a glance that this jade was expensive. Just holding it in her hand, she could already feel the rich spiritual energy inside almost overflowing.
Lu San-niang: “Either way, he dotes on you. Just take it and use it.”
Yan Jue suddenly remembered something and asked, “Last time, when San Niang was at the Myriad Demons Pavilion, you told me not to return to the Ghost Mansion, and to go first to...”
She frowned, hesitating. “Luwu...?”
Lu Yanshuang nodded, her narrow fox eyes naturally squinting in amusement. “Oh, right, you still remember. If you’re going back, don’t return to the Ghost Mansion for now. Your father is angry right now; go to Luwu first, or come take shelter with me first. The point is to irritate your father a little so that he comes looking for you himself.”
“Your father’s temperament is like that; if you go back on your own, he’ll definitely punish you to kneel on a washboard.”
“If you’re going to Luwu, the old matriarch will probably be very happy.” Lu Yanshuang smiled. “Luwu Mountain is in Jiangnan’s waterways, and if you want to go back, it’s not far from here.”
“Mm.” Yan Jue nodded. “I remember.”
Lu Yanshuang sighed. “Juejue, you already know the fox clan’s situation is very urgent. Your father is brave enough, but after all he doesn’t have Nine-Tailed Fox blood; it’s hard for him to command the clan’s respect. There are already many people in the clan who want to replace him.”
“You have pure Nine-Tailed Fox blood. If you can return and cultivate diligently, you’ll certainly be able to lead the fox clan’s remaining forces.”
Before San Niang had even finished speaking, Yan Jue’s pupils suddenly contracted.
The number of tails she had been growing had indeed increased very quickly; Yan Jue had long suspected that the original owner might be a Nine-Tailed Fox.
So it really was true?
-
Inside the inn.
Qi Xianqing knelt on the ground, quietly watching Yun Zhen cast her spell.
Yun Zhen sat cross-legged, hand signs forming as she raised the Soul-Calling Banner.
Beneath the snow-white banner hung dark red ribbons, fluttering in the wind; the intricate inscriptions on the banner gleamed faintly in the candlelight.
Yun Zhen: “Logically speaking, when a body is taken over, the displaced soul shouldn’t vanish so easily. More importantly, the master’s soul is that of an eighth-realm expert; he must have had some life-saving methods. Otherwise, those thousands of years of his would not have been lived for nothing, would they?”
The Soul-Calling Banner stirred without wind.
Qi Xianqing slowly opened her eyes, looking at the rings of blue light surrounding the banner. The blue light swayed up and down like mist, and then, in an instant, abruptly stilled.
The banner’s guidance could detect a living soul, and its results were often accurate beyond doubt.
However, the Soul-Calling Banner had long since been lost to the ages; the only fully intact one that still existed, it was said, was in the hands of the demon race.
Qi Xianqing had admired Master Yun Zhen since childhood, because from the time she could remember, her master had known many renowned experts from different fields.
That had been immensely beneficial to Qi Xianqing’s growth.
Yun Zhen closed her eyes. “The Sect Master’s soul is in the Five Dragons Sect.”
Qi Xianqing froze.
The Sect Master’s living soul was still intact, and it was still in the Five Dragons Sect.
Could it still be in Mu Zhongzi’s body at the Five Dragons Sect?
The Soul-Calling Banner’s result was highly accurate; by rights, there should be no mistake.
The soul Yun Zhen had summoned could not be wrong either.
Could it be that Mu Zhongzi had not actually been taken over?
Yun Zhen reopened her eyes, looking somewhat thoughtful.
The glow of the banner completely faded.
Yun Zhen lazily yawned. “That’s enough for today. Without sufficient evidence, suspecting the Sect Master is just a matter of not liking him. If Xianqing has any evidence, you can bring it to me anytime; I’ve long wanted to knock him down.”
Qi Xianqing lowered her head. “Thank you, Master.”
After saying that, Yun Zhen changed the subject. “There’s something else.”
Qi Xianqing’s expression grew slightly more solemn as she listened closely.
Yun Zhen: “Cloudfall Pavilion just sent word that in the Western Region, many commoners have recently gone missing for no reason.”
The Western Region.
Those two words stabbed hard at Qi Xianqing’s ears.
She frowned slightly, and a thread of extremely gloomy emotion rose in her heart.
“The Five Dragons Sect sent disciples to investigate; at the sites where the commoners went missing, they found obvious bloodstains and signs of a fight.”
Yun Zhen: “The Five Dragons Sect suspects the ones causing trouble this time are tiger demons.”
When Yun Zhen finished speaking, the room fell into silence.
“The two tiger demons who once captured you and imprisoned you in a mountain cave escaped by luck during the encirclement and suppression by the Six Great Immortal Sects; their whereabouts remain unknown to this day.”
“At that time, those two tiger demons were only at the third realm, the Sentience stage, yet they already dominated the entire Western Region. Now that they dare to commit crimes again in defiance of the law, I’m guessing their cultivation has improved yet again.” Yun Zhen narrowed her eyes slightly. “Truly brazen.”
Unknowingly, Qi Xianqing’s fingertips had dug into the flesh of her thigh. “I wonder if the higher-ups intend to send disciples to punish these two tiger demons?”
Yun Zhen: “The higher-ups mean to send you on this mission.”
The room fell quiet again.
“But when I thought of your childhood experience, I suppressed it.”
Qi Xianqing remained silent for a long time.
When she was young, she had been nearly annihilated by tiger demons and spent a full two years in their dark, lightless lair.
That might have been the first time, as an Immortal Spirit Physique, that she truly felt the malice demons held toward her.
From then on, every demon Qi Xianqing had ever seen had wanted her life.
Yun Zhen did not continue the topic, saying lightly, “That little Yan is such a playful one; why is she still out and about at this hour and not back? And she didn’t even call us.”
The master and disciple left the room and sat down at a square table carved from rosewood.
Yun Zhen called for the waiter to bring out all the local specialties. The dishes were delivered quickly, and the table was soon filled with food.
Yun Zhen clicked her tongue in wonder over a piece of pepper-salt peach slice.
Qi Xianqing held the porridge before her and absentmindedly took a few sips.
This place was close to Jiangnan, and even the food was made with greater refinement.
Yun Zhen: “What’s wrong? You don’t seem very happy.”
Qi Xianqing stood up then and asked, “Master, this disciple has something I don’t understand.”
Yun Zhen: “Go on.”
Qi Xianqing asked, “How great is the allure of an Immortal Spirit Physique to demons and evildoers?”
She paused before asking hesitantly, “Is there any demon or evil being in this world who doesn’t covet an Immortal Spirit Physique?”
Yun Zhen mused, “The reason demons covet an Immortal Spirit Physique is that your blood and heart are both great tonics. Eating them can aid cultivation; more than that, to demons, the flesh of an Immortal Spirit Physique is an exceedingly rare delicacy in this world.”
Qi Xianqing: “Would any demon be tempted?”
Because of her Immortal Spirit Physique, she had been favored by the Heavenly Dao since childhood and had received many conveniences in cultivation.
But the troubles this physique had brought her had never lessened.
People like Yan Jue had never, because she was an Immortal Spirit Physique, developed even a trace of covetous desire toward her; yet they would still occasionally show a gluttonous expression because of the scent she unwittingly leaked.
Yun Zhen took a small sip of tea. “One need not ask that she wants to tear your throat out; only that in such a situation, she can restrain her own desire and impulse.”
When Yun Zhen said that, another person appeared in her mind.
“If so, then she possesses extraordinary restraint and affection toward you; she is someone worthy of your lifelong trust.”
-
By the time Yan Jue dragged Zhu He back to the inn, Yun Zhen had already returned to her room to rest.
The room was dimly lit.
Yan Jue looked up and, to her surprise, saw someone seated at the table.
Qi Xianqing sat with her eyes closed, the immortal sword Zhuying laid before her, her fair fingertips lightly tracing the hilt.
Yan Jue paused, then slowly walked over and pulled out a chair to sit across from Qi Xianqing.
Maybe because they had experienced too many things together, Yan Jue and Qi Xianqing had already developed a tacit understanding. Even sitting face-to-face and saying nothing, neither of them would feel awkward.
Qi Xianqing suddenly opened her eyes. In her clear peach blossom eyes, there was a hint of scattered amusement. “I wanted to thank my junior sister for looking after my safety in Springfull Pavilion just now.”
Earlier, in the private room at Springfull Pavilion, Qi Xianqing had also seen the spider silk hanging down from the roof, but she hadn’t acted.
She had a selfish thought; she wanted to see whether Yan Jue’s attention to her was as much as not.
Unexpectedly, when Yan Jue also saw the spider silk carrying poison, her eyes showed an anger and anxiety she had never revealed before.
Qi Xianqing had always been clear-minded and devoted solely to cultivation; she had never liked anyone.
After finally developing a faint, hazy thought toward someone, she naturally tested it a little more.
Yan Jue had never disappointed her.
Yan Jue met Qi Xianqing’s eyes, and her heart gave a hard jump.
She quickly looked away and said lightly, “It was nothing.”
Qi Xianqing asked, “May I ask how you noticed that spider silk so quickly?”
Yan Jue: “I just happened to see it.”
Though Yan Jue said that, her heart was still beating wildly, and her fingertips unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
Luckily, it was dark all around; otherwise Qi Xianqing would probably have seen that her face was already burning red.
This trip to Wanwu Fortress had made Yan Jue fully realize one very serious problem.
She might be... a little fond of Qi Xianqing...
She really was too stubborn. Qi Xianqing thought.
As she was thinking, she suddenly saw Yan Jue push something over.
Qi Xianqing was slightly startled.
It was two gourds and a yellowed ancient manual.
Yan Jue’s eyes darted around. “This bottle of pills was taken off the black-clad men from Gentle Breeze Valley the last time I was by Yuxu Sea.”
“This gourd was taken off the assassin from the Cliff of Severed Malice just now.”
“And this.” Yan Jue pushed the damaged volume over. “This seems to be a sword technique; I can’t use it. See if it’s useful to you.”
Qi Xianqing flipped through the Dragon Shadow Sword Manual and was slightly startled.
“Thank you.”
-
Yun Zhen’s matters had been dealt with. After the three of them wandered around Wanwu Fortress for two days, they set off back up the mountain.
Qi Xianqing had a full mind of concerns and, after returning to Five Dragons Mountain, went directly into Frozen Peach Haven to seclude herself.
Frozen Peach Haven had no one else in it; it was very quiet.
The only companion she had was a little fox baby.
It had been raining these past few days.
The cold rain drizzled down, striking the leaves, then the grass.
Qi Xianqing lay on the bed, eyes shut and brows locked, once again sinking into a deep nightmare.
She did not know how many times she had dreamed herself back into childhood.
She lay in a lightless cellar, eating the bitter medicinal herbs sent over by little demons.
The surroundings were pitch-black; she could not see her hand in front of her face, and there was no hope in sight.
She could only live in the terror of being eaten at any moment. Whenever she closed her eyes, her parents’ figures would rise in her mind.
She thought of the night when the massacre was about to begin; she thought of her mother’s despairing eyes as she hid in the corner.
A drop of water quietly fell from the eaves, and Qi Xianqing suddenly woke from the nightmare, cold sweat soaking through her clothes.
The movement startled the fluffy little fox under the bed. Yan Jue rolled over and sat up, showing a fox head by the bedside as she frowned and looked at her.
Since returning from Wanwu Fortress, about five or six times a night, Qi Xianqing would wake up.
Yan Jue didn’t know what Qi Xianqing had dreamed about.
By rights, someone like Qi Xianqing, a favored daughter of heaven, shouldn’t have had any troubles growing up.
What was it that made her fear like this?
-
The rain kept falling.
Qi Xianqing held an umbrella and came to the front of Yun Zhen’s Qiuli Pavilion, then slowly walked inside.
Everything had returned to the peaceful days before they had left the mountain.
Yun Zhen lay on a beauty couch, eyes closed in repose. Hearing the footsteps, she lifted her eyelids slightly and lazily yawned. “What is it, Xianqing?”
Qi Xianqing knelt on the ground and took two things from her chest.
They were two gourds filled with pills.
Qi Xianqing: “Master, these were accidentally obtained when I went out recently. I don’t know the properties of the pills, so I didn’t dare use them recklessly.”
Yun Zhen lifted her right hand, and the two gourds flew straight into her hands.
She opened the lids and gave them a light sniff before tossing the gourds back to Qi Xianqing.
“These are usable medicinal pills.”
Yun Zhen said lazily, “One Heaven-Subduing Pill, one Dragon Blood Pill.”
Qi Xianqing was slightly startled.
She had always read widely, and she knew the power of Heaven-Subduing Pills.
Pills like Heaven-Subduing Pills were specially produced by Tiangang Shrine; their effect was to increase one’s own strength, and the effect lasted a long time.
If taken daily, over time one’s strength would improve by leaps and bounds.
As for Dragon Blood Pills, they came from the ancient dragon race. Taking one in battle would greatly increase the flow speed of true qi and greatly enhance one’s explosive power and reaction speed.
Both of these were excellent pills.
Qi Xianqing then respectfully handed up the yellowed damaged scroll.
She asked, “I wonder if Master knows the origin of this sword manual? This disciple currently practices the Heavenly Heart Sword Manual; will it conflict with this one?”
This was the damaged sword manual Yan Jue had given Qi Xianqing several days ago. Qi Xianqing had flipped through it in Frozen Peach Haven and felt that the sword techniques inside were extremely powerful, even superior to the Heavenly Heart Sword Manual she currently practiced.
Qi Xianqing wanted to combine the two, but for caution’s sake, she had come to ask Yun Zhen first.
Yun Zhen flipped through several pages of the Dragon Shadow Sword Manual. “Xianqing encountered a dragon-blooded descendant when she went down the mountain this time?”
Qi Xianqing: “This was found on the guadiao demon that tried to assassinate the disciple that day. I do not know whether it counts as dragon-blooded.”
Yun Zhen: “Dragon clan techniques are all peerless arts; they are extremely rare in this world. Since you now have this sword manual, you may certainly cultivate it.”
“Whether you can reach even three-tenths of its level will depend on your own fortune.”
Qi Xianqing’s hand by her side tightened. Still kneeling properly on the ground, she said solemnly, “Master, this disciple has another matter to ask.”
Yun Zhen: “Go ahead.”
Qi Xianqing: “That day in Wanwu Fortress, Master told me and junior sister that tiger demons have recently been harming all living beings in the Western Region. I wish to volunteer to go and punish the demons, and return peace to the people.”
Yun Zhen raised an eyebrow.
Earlier, when the Five Dragons higher-ups had held a meeting, the elders in the sect had unanimously meant for Qi Xianqing to go exterminate the demon.
But Yun Zhen loved her disciple and had suppressed the matter.
She had not expected Qi Xianqing to actively request it now.
This was truly...
When Qi Xianqing had just entered the mountain as a child, she had already displayed astonishing talent for cultivation. After being found to possess the extremely rare Immortal Spirit Physique, the sect had placed great hopes on her.
Perhaps this had something to do with the guidance she had received since childhood.
She lived up to expectations, daring to shoulder responsibility, and willing to save the people of the world from suffering.
Whatever the case, Xianqing had ultimately grown into a pillar and hope of the Five Dragons Sect’s new generation.
After sighing for a long while, Yun Zhen finally said, “The Sect Master has ordered you and little Yan to leave the mountain to find some materials. Among them is one called Azure Immortal Grass.”
“That immortal herb grows in the Western Region. Don’t go charging in publicly to kill demons; you must go under the pretext of searching for materials to ensure your own safety.”
Yun Zhen then took something from the Qiankun pouch at her waist and threw it to Qi Xianqing.
Qi Xianqing caught it and was slightly stunned.
It was a lake-blue jade slip.
A message talisman.
Yun Zhen: “This trip is extremely dangerous.”
“If you encounter danger, crush this message talisman, and I will sense it and come to your side to help.”
Qi Xianqing prostrated herself on the ground and curved her lips in a faint smile. “Thank you, Master.”
-
After seeing the bustle outside, when Yan Jue returned to Five Dragons Mountain and saw the very familiar scenery, she felt especially warm.
After all, this was the place where Yan Jue had been living ever since she transmigrated into the book.
No matter how dangerous the outside world was, Five Dragons Mountain could still provide her with a temporary refuge.
Yan Jue still felt very relaxed after returning.
Today it rained, and the sky was overcast.
Yan Jue sat on the bed in the dormitory and slowly savored what San Niang had told her.
“Princess, you carry Nine-Tailed Fox blood; the entire fox clan is waiting for your return.”
The demon race was constantly pulling in the forces of other monsters, inciting the demon race to become enemies with the immortal sects.
Right now, the only ones not yet drawn in should be the lions, foxes, and turtles.
But since the immortal sects were now striking indiscriminately, it was clearly aimed at demons and evil beings; falling into demonic ways was the general trend, and the three clans being drawn in was only a matter of time.
Yan Jue felt that the original owner had a kind of responsibility, one that she had borrowed the original owner’s body and now had no choice but to help shoulder.
Because she bore Nine-Tailed Fox demon blood, she ought to return there when the demon race was at its most dangerous.
But with Qi Xianqing’s side, Yan Jue still couldn’t feel at ease.
She still had not figured out what methods the Demon Lord would use against Qi Xianqing.
And the repeated assassinations Qi Xianqing had encountered on these outings—what exactly was going on there?
Anyway, leaving was only temporary. So long as she kept her life, she would eventually be able to see Qi Xianqing again.
Sitting on the bed, Yan Jue thought it over from left to right. Since Mu Zhongzi was having them gather five ingredients now, and the merfolk pearl had already been obtained, she would get one more ingredient with Qi Xianqing and then leave. She could also use the opportunity to think more about the Demon Lord’s next move.
After that, Yan Jue took out the materials prepared for this trip to Wanwu Fortress from her Qiankun pouch.
First were five pieces of black carbon.
A small bottle of wall spirit juice.
Yan Jue then took out a crystal from her pocket.
Inside the crystal, a mist-like flame could be seen swirling and drifting.
This was the Chaotic Flame, a fire specially used by the demon race to refine demon cores.
Yan Jue took out another beautiful jade from the Qiankun pouch, one that emitted a pale ice-blue sheen.
This was the Ice-Glow Jade San Niang had given her.
Yan Jue was now at Core Formation stage; after having her bones refined, her body had already fully met the conditions for pill forging. Refining a top-grade demon core would be very beneficial for future cultivation.
Yan Jue decided to refine the demon core right now.
...
But she quickly ran into trouble.
The process of refining a demon core differed somewhat from a human cultivator’s golden core.
Although both began by refining an external pill and then taking it into the body to transform it into an internal core, the materials and heat required were completely different.
For example, the little mass of chaotic flame Lu San-niang had given her was something a human golden core simply did not possess.
She could not possibly take this pile of materials to the Alchemy Pavilion and ask righteous disciples of the Five Dragons Sect to help her refine a demon core.
Yan Jue was staring at the materials on the table, troubled, when the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of the languid white fox lying on the floor.
The white fox’s injuries had almost healed recently, and its fur was shinier than before. It rolled slowly on the ground. “May I ask what troubles the master?”
Yan Jue suddenly had a flash of inspiration. “Can you refine a demon core?”
The white fox jolted upright. She had begged Yan Jue to form a master-servant pact with her, but usually she hadn’t done much for Yan Jue; aside from hiding in Mu Zhongzi’s great hall to monitor that old bastard, she had really been too idle.
This was very unfamiliar to Bai Ying, because all her previous masters had thrown a mountain of tasks at her.
Bai Ying said gently, “This servant is already in the late stage of the fifth realm, Core Formation stage. I once tried refining a top-grade demon core when I was below the mountain. If the master does not mind, this servant can help refine it.”
Yan Jue’s eyes lit up.
Bai Ying: “But I need an alchemy furnace.”
Yan Jue: “...”
But where was she supposed to find an alchemy furnace...
Yan Jue frowned as she sat on the bed for a while, when something suddenly flashed through her mind.
She took out from the Qiankun pouch the alchemy furnace she had retrieved from the guadiao demon during her last trip to Wanwu Fortress’s Springfull Pavilion.
The alchemy furnace found on the guadiao demon was a faint purple-gold all over, carved with intricate inscriptions.
Yan Jue frowned slightly. “Is this an alchemy furnace?”
Bai Ying was stunned, then nodded. “Yes, Master. This is indeed an alchemy furnace. How did you find the alchemy furnace commonly used in the demon world?”
Yan Jue: “Hm? Commonly used in the demon world?”
There was nothing to be done; she was a complete beginner at alchemy and knew nothing at all...
Bai Ying stretched out a fox paw and examined the furnace for a moment. “This is a very common alchemy furnace among demons, called the Nine Heavens Furnace. It is made from nine pieces of black gold stone and is just right for refining demon cores.”
It was a rainy day, perfect for alchemy.
Bai Ying sat before the furnace, first arranging several pieces of black carbon beneath it, then smashing the crystal.
The cloudlike flame drifted out of the crystal and adhered to the black carbon.
As soon as the Chaotic Flame touched the carbon, it blazed up fiercely.
The bottom of the furnace had to be preheated first.
Bai Ying then placed the Ice-Glow Jade inside. The icy jade, upon contacting the searing furnace bottom, instantly turned into a crystal-clear liquid.
Then purple spirit dew was poured in, allowing the ice jade to fuse more fully with the flame.
The Chaotic Flame on the black carbon rose and fell unpredictably, seeming somewhat unstable.
While controlling the heat, Bai Ying poured in the wall spirit juice, stabilizing the temperature inside the furnace.
The final ingredient was the extremely cold herb Snow Herb.
That day in Wanwu Fortress’s market, Qi Xianqing had introduced this herb to Yan Jue; Yan Jue had remembered all of it and later went back to the market specifically to buy some.
Adding this herb to the furnace could not only strengthen the demon core’s ice-attribute power, but also allow the refined demon core to fuse more smoothly with the body.
Bai Ying gently fanned the fire with a round fan, eyes closed as she calculated the timing.
The room was filled with swirling smoke.
Outside, the rain gradually stopped.
The alchemy was soon complete.
Bai Ying took the contents out of the furnace and handed them to Yan Jue. “Master, this is a Demon Void Pill.”
Yan Jue was slightly stunned.
It was a pill of an extremely pale blue color, shimmering with a faint luster under the lamplight.
A pill refined this way really wouldn’t poison her to death, would it?
Though Yan Jue complained in her heart, she still picked up the pill. The pill, refined from raging flames, was unexpectedly icy cold in her palm.
Once she swallowed it, she felt an odd current of spiritual energy spread out from her chest.
In an instant, a tremendous force surged from her chest and gradually filled her entire body.
Yan Jue frowned slightly, suddenly feeling a sharp pain from her dantian, as if something were burning in her sea of qi.
Her body felt like it was about to burst apart from spiritual energy.
Only then did Yan Jue understand why the demon race had to complete bone refinement before refining a demon core.
Because the spiritual energy contained in a demon core was too abundant; if the body did not meet the required conditions, one might not even finish absorbing it before being stuffed to death by the energy.
Yan Jue’s whole body began to heat up, and she could feel the surging spiritual energy wildly circulating inside her.
Sweat rolled down her cheeks.
She forcibly activated the Minor Yin Ice-Soul Manual, sending the spiritual energy that was about to burst her dantian throughout her body.
Seeing her state, the white fox was slightly startled. “If the master forcibly runs her internal art, the sea of qi may shatter.”
Perhaps because she had spent so much time with Qi Xianqing, Yan Jue wasn’t afraid at all. If she didn’t place herself in extreme danger, how could she obtain the effect she wanted?
The circulation of the internal art continued.
No one knew how much time passed before the sky gradually grew dark.
Too painful...
Yan Jue only felt as if her eyes were about to roll back and she was going to faint, yet she still had to force herself to sit on the bed and ease the spiritual energy inside her...
If only someone could help protect her while she was at it.
Yan Jue collapsed onto the bed, only feeling the immense spiritual energy continually battering her sea of qi, as though every bone in her body were about to come apart.
Then she heard a knock at the door.
Yan Jue’s sense of smell, while she was easing her spiritual energy, was especially keen. In an instant, she caught the faint aura of an Immortal Spirit Physique coming from outside the door.
Yan Jue was already quite familiar with this scent, and the nerves in her body instantly loosened, then tightened again.
Qi Xianqing?
What was she doing here at this time?
Lying on the bed, Yan Jue pricked up her ears and listened to the movement outside the window.
Fortunately, after a full day, the alchemy smoke in the room had already dispersed completely.
Otherwise, if Qi Xianqing saw it, she would doubt her again.
Yan Jue couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. She really was too clever.
She composed her expression, pretending nothing was amiss, and ran over in two or three steps to open the door. The instant her fingertips touched the latch, a massive surge of spiritual energy suddenly exploded from her dantian.
Yan Jue’s legs instantly went weak.
The door opened, and in the moonlight was Qi Xianqing in white robes standing at the threshold, her pitch-black peach blossom eyes slightly raised.
As soon as Yan Jue opened the door, her legs gave out and she fell straight to the ground in front of Qi Xianqing, practically bowing low at her feet: “...”
Qi Xianqing was stunned, inexplicably feeling that the scene looked very familiar.
It was as if, long ago, Yan Jue had also really liked kneeling like this in front of her.
Back then she had thought it strange; now that she thought of it, it turned out to be an unavoidable physiological reaction for a demon.
A trace of amusement flickered in Qi Xianqing’s eyes. She bent slightly and supported Yan Jue by the arm. “Junior Sister Yan—there’s really no need to kneel like this.”
Yan Jue did not stand up with Qi Xianqing’s movement.
Her whole body was limp; the spiritual energy in her dantian clearly had not fully been absorbed, and it had unexpectedly erupted at this very moment.
Yan Jue gave a soft grunt. The moment her knees left the ground, she immediately collapsed back down.
Qi Xianqing also sensed that something was wrong. “What’s the matter?”
The girl lowered her eyes to look at her, her gaze seeming almost physical. Yan Jue’s cheeks suddenly burned, and she began making things up again. “I’m a little unwell.”
It didn’t matter. She had already lied to Qi Xianqing more than once anyway.
Seeing her like this, Qi Xianqing’s expression turned slightly serious.
She extended her cool hand, gently grasped Yan Jue’s arm, and helped her up. “It’s all right; I’ll help you inside.”
Yan Jue’s body temperature was very high, as though her entire body were about to burn. The spiritual energy gathered in her dantian was, from this moment on, circulating wildly, and the pressure made it a bit hard for her to bear.
But she couldn’t say anything.
If Qi Xianqing found out she had just fused a demon core, would she still have a life left?
Qi Xianqing helped Yan Jue onto the bed and sat her down, then naturally raised the back of her hand and pressed it to Yan Jue’s forehead.
Qi Xianqing’s hand was cool; Yan Jue shivered all over in comfort, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened on the bedsheet.
Qi Xianqing then stood up to leave. “I’ll have a medical cultivator come take your pulse.”
Before she had even finished speaking, Yan Jue was nearly scared into a cold sweat.
If a demon’s demonic aura didn’t leak out, then it was actually very difficult for cultivators to distinguish a demon from a human.
But taking the pulse could reveal the difference at a glance.
Animal pulses and human pulses were completely different.
If Qi Xianqing invited a medical cultivator to see her, wouldn’t her identity be exposed?
Yan Jue immediately shrank into a ball under the blanket. “No!”
Qi Xianqing: “Why not?”
Yan Jue: “I have trauma with doctors. When I was little, my mother once found a doctor for me; he only made my illness worse. I’d rather not see a doctor at all.”
“And seeing a doctor means taking medicine, too. I hate taking medicine the most.”
Qi Xianqing looked at her and laughed in exasperation, resting a hand on Yan Jue’s blanket and pinching it lightly.
Who was this, anyway?
Lying without even drafting it first?
Yan Jue clutched the blanket tightly, refusing to see a doctor no matter what.
Qi Xianqing stood up. “Then how about this; I’ll go to the medical cultivators and get you a few herbs.”
Yan Jue immediately nodded. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”
“...” Yan Jue belatedly realized that now, hearing Qi Xianqing say she was going to get medicine for her, she had shown such a willing attitude; wouldn’t that make her earlier lie collapse of its own accord?
Forget it; whatever.
Anyway, Qi Xianqing didn’t seem to have noticed.
Qi Xianqing left.
Yan Jue lay on the bed, eyes open, staring up at the ceiling.
Outside, it had begun raining again at some point, the fine drizzle falling one drop at a time, very soporific.
Yan Jue had originally been forcing herself to wait for her, but the Demon Void Pill was still raging and crashing about inside her body, trying to merge with her sea of qi; with so much spiritual energy pressing down on her, Yan Jue felt unbearably drowsy.
Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
...
When Qi Xianqing came back, she happened to see Yan Jue sleeping deeply.
The girl was lying on her side, body slightly curled up, the collar of her white underrobe slightly open, revealing a slender neck.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, and a faint blush spread across Yan Jue’s face.
She didn’t know when the Northern Sea black iron had gone on strike again; it had fallen off Yan Jue’s neck and was coiled around the bottle of wine there.
That was a local specialty wine Yan Jue had brought back from Wanwu Fortress.
There was a faint, elusive demon aura on Yan Jue’s body.
Now Qi Xianqing understood why, after spending so much time with Yan Jue before, she had never felt any demon aura on her.
The golden collar hanging around Yan Jue’s neck was a magical artifact that could absorb the demon aura from her body.
But Yan Jue apparently still hadn’t discovered that this artifact seemed especially fond of the smell of wine.
It would always go on strike whenever there was wine.
The demon aura on Yan Jue’s body floated faintly in the room; Qi Xianqing closed her eyes and suddenly felt a killing intent lurking in the dark from her body.
This was a danger only a demon could have, even stronger than the danger Qi Xianqing had felt last time in the imperial palace at Yuxu Sea.
Qi Xianqing: “...”
Yan Jue had actually secretly formed her core all by herself.
Standing in the darkness, Qi Xianqing didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.
This person truly didn’t take her own body seriously at all.
Core formation was no small matter; a single mistake could shatter the sea of qi.
If no one protected the process, it was extremely dangerous.
That was why when disciples in the sect formed their golden cores, they generally looked for either their master or a senior sister they got along with to protect the process.
Yan Jue had curled up alone in the corner like a little animal licking its wounds by itself.
Qi Xianqing sat in the darkness and held Yan Jue’s hot hand.
A faint stream of spiritual energy flowed into Yan Jue’s body, from her palm all the way through every limb and bone.
Qi Xianqing’s palm pressed tightly against Yan Jue’s.
The pure, crystal-clear spiritual energy belonging to an Immortal Spirit Physique little by little helped disperse the things accumulating in Yan Jue’s body.
Qi Xianqing was helping her guard the process.
Looking at Yan Jue’s peaceful sleeping face, Qi Xianqing thought to herself.
If one day she herself were powerless and collapsed in front of Yan Jue, would Yan Jue have the urge to eat her?
Would Yan Jue do that?
-
Perhaps the materials used this time to refine the demon core were simply too good.
It took Yan Jue a full three days before the spiritual energy inside her was completely dispersed.
Aside from the first day after she swallowed the spirit pill, when she had felt somewhat strained, later on the dispersal of spiritual energy became much smoother.
Yan Jue vaguely felt that something was odd.
But she didn’t know why.
After lying in the dormitory for several days, Yan Jue finally returned to her best condition.
It felt as if her body had been reborn.
On the autumn days of Five Dragons Mountain, the sunlight was warm.
Yan Jue wore a Daoist robe and walked along the forest path, feeling her entire body filled with strength. The demon core in her sea of qi was running wildly, and abundant spiritual energy surged out with every movement she made.
This was the difference between having a demon core and not having one.
The difference between human cultivators and demon cultivators only truly showed itself now.
Only now could she truly be called Core Formation stage.
And only now could her dantian truly be called a real dantian.
Yan Jue closed her eyes, calmed her mind, and felt it carefully. She could sense an ice-blue demon core rising and falling in her dantian sea of qi.
The materials she had used for refining it were excellent; the demon core refined from them was also a top-grade demon core.
Looking at the clear blue sky overhead, Yan Jue couldn’t help thinking that if the original owner had not had such a good background, it might not have been so easy to find these extremely precious alchemy materials.
Precisely because of that, she could not just abandon the Ghost Mansion fox clan.
Yan Jue swept her right hand, and spiritual energy spilled out. A faint, ice-blue stream of spiritual force spread from her fingertips and directly cleaved the tree before her into pieces.
This was the power of a demon core.
The moment Yan Jue withdrew her spiritual energy, she suddenly heard an exclamation from nearby: “It’s Second Senior Sister...”
Yan Jue turned around and saw several girls in Daoist robes standing not far away, pointing at her and whispering among themselves.
“Why didn’t I notice before... that Second Senior Sister was this powerful?”
“And Second Senior Sister is also really beautiful...”
Yan Jue: “...”
She twitched the corners of her stiff lips and looked away.
Sure enough, she couldn’t find a second person by her side.
Although at the last Five-Dragon Summit, she had only placed third, because Jiang Mengchu had not been in good health and she herself had been taken in as an inner sect disciple by Yun Zhen, rumors within the sect had begun that she was Second Senior Sister.
Yan Jue wasn’t someone who cared about empty fame.
As the saying went, a person unworthy of a position would surely bring disaster. As for the title of Second Senior Sister, what kind of responsibility it entailed could be seen by looking at Qi Xianqing.
For the time being, Yan Jue had no way to spare a portion of her attention for the righteous immortal sect.
She stayed here only for Qi Xianqing.
This title was better left alone.
-
Last time in Wanwu Fortress, Yan Jue had very clearly realized that she had a huge deficiency in sword flight.
Because that day at Springfull Pavilion, while chasing that big-winged thing, she had nearly fallen off the speeding flying sword several times.
It was a bright afternoon. Yan Jue carried the immortal sword Drifting Ice and came to Qiwu Peak.
The green mountains were fresh as if washed clean, and white clouds wound among the peaks.
Yan Jue raised the immortal sword Drifting Ice and stepped onto it.
With a whoosh, Drifting Ice shot forward through the wind.
Since cultivators rode swords by stepping directly onto the immortal sword, it was fine for ordinary travel; but if one was purely comparing speed, it was very easy to fall off the sword.
In any case, she had nothing better to do now. Yan Jue had just wanted to test the power of her new demon core, so she rode the flying sword and made lap after lap through the mountain ranges.
Ahead was a massive mountain peak. Yan Jue lowered her body slightly.
True qi surged forth, surrounding her in multicolored clouds.
This was pure spiritual power; if Yan Jue had ever killed a person before, there would not be such a phenomenon.
Drifting Ice flashed across the sky in a streak of ice-blue light, emitting a deafening screech as it suddenly skimmed through the center of the mountain peak.
Yan Jue’s body jolted violently and almost fell off Drifting Ice, barely managing to steady herself.
...
Yan Jue flew around the peaks near Qiwu Peak for several circuits and nearly got smashed into a bruised and battered mess by the mountain peaks rushing at her head-on.
From noon until dusk, her coordination with Drifting Ice became ever more natural without her noticing.
The setting sun bled like blood.
Yan Jue was like someone riding a skateboard, darting back and forth between mountain peaks as the thunderous wind howled past her ears.
Her body tilted slightly, and she made a sharp turn.
Drifting Ice soared into the sky like an eagle.
-
Qi Xianqing had also been in seclusion lately.
Yan Jue knew that Qi Xianqing had worries these days, so while she herself was practicing sword flight at Qiwu Peak, she also took the opportunity to become familiar with the demon core inside her body.
The fusion between her body and the demon core was becoming better and better. At night, when Yan Jue sat on the bed and stretched, she could shrink her body into the form of a red fox and slowly make her way to Cold Pool.
The Frozen Peach Haven by Cold Pool was especially quiet under the moonlight; pink peach blossom petals spun in the wind and silently fell onto the grass.
Yan Jue took two or three steps to Qi Xianqing’s little wooden house and was slightly stunned by the scene before her.
Qi Xianqing wore a plain white inner robe, her pitch-black hair like raven feathers tied behind her. She was hunched over the table, frowning as she held a pen and banged the desk with it over and over.
Her desk was covered in papers filled with writing, and quite a few had drawings on them; they looked like sword manuals or something similar.
Yan Jue, sharp-eyed, noticed the damaged sword manual she herself had given Qi Xianqing the other day beside her arm.
Zhuying lay across in front of Qi Xianqing, listless and weak, the sheen on its body already dimmed quite a bit; clearly, it had been tormented by Qi Xianqing for a long time.
Yan Jue silently watched the scene and suddenly felt the terror of a top student.
Qi Xianqing heard footsteps, pushed back her chair, and stood up. While loosening her body, she walked over and said casually, “Little fox baby, you’re here.”
“Why haven’t you come these last few days?”
When Qi Xianqing was at home, she was mostly very relaxed and didn’t care much about her image, carrying a teacup in her hand as she walked and drank.
Her already rosy lips were damp with water, and under the candlelight they were especially alluring.
Qi Xianqing suddenly noticed something, gave a soft “Hm?” and set the cup aside before gently stroking Yan Jue’s hindquarters.
Yan Jue was displeased, flicking her big tails back and forth as she straightened her chest and looked at her.
Behind her, another tail had grown out at some point. The newly formed tail was still like a little green onion, stiffly standing up behind her.
Only when Qi Xianqing touched her did Yan Jue realize she had grown another tail.
She now had six tails in total; wasn’t that becoming a six-tailed spirit fox like San Niang?
Qi Xianqing helped smooth the fur on its tail and fell into thought.
The more tails a spirit fox had, the purer its bloodline.
This little thing’s tails were growing so fast; could it be...
Qi Xianqing looked at the little fox, whose body had gone rigid while she manipulated its tail, and slowly let out an “oh,” then said leisurely, “So you’ve been growing tails lately. I suppose you were hiding somewhere recovering, which is why you didn’t come.”
Yan Jue had been read perfectly through; she lay on the ground with her eyes closed, pretending not to understand.
Qi Xianqing: “What a coincidence. I just helped my junior sister disperse the spiritual energy in her body recently.”
The words junior sister stabbed hard at Yan Jue’s ears; she instantly became alert and opened her small eyes to glare at Qi Xianqing.
Qi Xianqing slowly stroked the fox’s soft fur while telling her about how she had discovered Yan Jue’s chaotic spiritual energy in the dormitory and helped her channel it.
Yan Jue listened silently, her ears pricking up, and her heart gave a thump.
As expected.
Qi Xianqing curved her lips and then told her about the day in the Yuxu Sea room, when she had discovered Yan Jue’s spiritual energy was in disorder and had helped guard the process and channel it.
Watching the little fox’s face grow increasingly stiff as it pretended to remain calm, Qi Xianqing couldn’t help laughing softly and scratching her chest.
Yan Jue’s whole body went soft, and she flipped over onto her back on the ground, kicking her limbs frantically while a gurgling sound escaped from her throat.
Qi Xianqing rubbed the little fox’s bare pink belly and made it comfortable, and in passing also mentioned how, back in Nanxing Town, in the monkey demon nest, Yan Jue had been overwhelmed by spiritual energy and she had helped open up her meridians throughout her body.
Qi Xianqing: “She has protected me twice as well, but I’ve helped her three times.”
“Opening up the meridians throughout the body is a matter of great importance for cultivators. If the meridians are not open, future cultivation will become exceedingly difficult.”
Qi Xianqing rubbed the little fox’s head, her voice soft and gentle. “Tell me, how should she repay me?”
Yan Jue tilted her head on the ground, not knowing when her face had already gone red. She let out a low whimper and wound her tail around Qi Xianqing’s arm.
It was only the little fox acting spoiled without thinking.
But to some extent, it also carried a bit of Yan Jue’s own intention.
Yan Jue felt that she might be falling deeper and deeper for Qi Xianqing.
Although, regarding these things Qi Xianqing had done, she had also had doubts at first.
But no matter what, hearing Qi Xianqing say it herself had a much greater impact on her.
Yet she didn’t know whether Qi Xianqing minded that she was a demon, and she also didn’t know what Qi Xianqing’s feelings toward her really were.
Yan Jue was afraid.
She was afraid because of this identity of hers.
Naturally, she did not dare show more of her feelings in front of Qi Xianqing.
TL Note:
kneel on a washboard (跪搓衣板) = a joking old-fashioned punishment for being scolded at home.
keep its tail tucked (夹着尾巴) = lay low and stay out of trouble.