Inside the earthen den was a litter of newborn fox kits.
The mother fox had grown much thinner during the nursing period. She had caught a mouse and was chewing it leisurely outside the den.
In the nest, the kits with moist eyes still covered by a blue film whimpered softly.
Tiankuang crouched there, reaching in with one hand to scoop out a kit. Round and plump, with sparse fur, it looked like a meatball filled with the scent of milk.
After playing with it for a moment, he handed the dusty, puppy-like fox kit to Su Tangxing.
It felt heavy in her hands, a testament to how well the mother had fed it.
Too young to show any beauty or cuteness, it only seemed fragile.
Su Tangxing cradled it carefully and reached out to touch it. The little fox opened its mouth to suck on her finger.
Su Tangxing pushed the little fox’s mouth away and took out a book from her robe to compare.
Tiankuang looked at the illustrations on the page and the large characters on the cover: “Complete Guide to Spirit Beasts.”
“What’s this?”
Su Tangxing flipped to the page about foxes. “Lin Xiangqing gave it to me. All disciples in the sect have to study this.”
A phantom fox shadow leaped out from the page, accompanied by explanations of its habits and biological characteristics.
Tiankuang had never seen anything like it and watched with interest, poking the phantom with his black fingertip.
Cultivation could cleanse the meridians and marrow, making one’s thoughts clear and granting a photographic memory.
Su Tangxing felt her memory had improved.
Specifically, it manifested as suddenly recalling embarrassing events from her past while sleeping at night.
The Fox Master let out an “oh” and said, “Alright, go ahead and study. If you want to see any Spirit Beasts, just tell me. Your Master will catch them for you.”
Su Tangxing nodded. “Master, when can I open the Myriad Beast Sect to summon my own Spirit Beast?”
The Master pondered. “No need to rush. Tomorrow, I’ll teach you the incantations and hand seals. If you like Spirit Beasts, just pick a few from the mountains to raise for now. If you lose interest, you can send them back.” The Fox Master grabbed the scruff of the fox kit in her arms and lifted it into the air. “My disciple will take this kit.”
This was a female fox, just an ordinary animal, but having lived in the Spiritual Qi-rich mountains for so long, it had developed some cleverness. When Tiankuang arrived earlier, it had even tried to offer him the mouse, wagging its tail left and right in a fawning manner.
Tiankuang only waved it away disdainfully. “Eat it yourself.”
Now that its kit was being taken away, it didn’t dare to fight back, just lay on the ground whimpering.
The kit dangled in his hand, tail tucked between its legs, crying out.
Su Tangxing said, “Master, I don’t know how to raise something this small. What if it dies? Wouldn’t that be pitiful?”
“Survival of the fittest, adaptation is key.”
Even as he said this, the Fox Master placed the kit back in the nest.
“Alright, you’ve seen it and touched it. Time to go cultivate. I’ve prepared a Medicinal Bath for you.”
The Fox Master stood up.
Today, he was also dressed in black, paired with fiery red fur, like a cold flame.
His overly long nails revealed sharpness, the veins on the back of his hands winding around, with a small mole on his wrist bone.
He walked ahead, his fox tail swaying left and right, restless and often moving wildly as if ready to pounce.
Su Tangxing followed behind, dodging left and right to avoid being hit squarely.
The Fox Master glanced back and said:
“Your Human Cultivator bodies are too fragile. Even though you can contract Spirit Beasts to fight for you, my disciple must also be strong and healthy. This is my first time taking a disciple. You must live a long, long life.”
“I have no shortage of rare treasures here.” Fox Master glanced at her and declared proudly, “Forget about becoming an immortal or a god—living for tens of thousands of years is no problem at all.”
What a thick, golden thigh.
And it came knocking on her door willingly.
Su Tangxing sighed with emotion, “Master, you’re truly amazing. This disciple will follow your every word.”
Fox Master was satisfied and tapped her forehead with his fingertip.
He didn’t dare use much force—it could hardly even be called a poke.
After all, his disciple was still too fragile.
Tiankuang led her into the grand hall at the mountain peak. Passing through layers of shelves laden with treasures, they descended a staircase and arrived at an underground space.
It was empty and vast, containing only a pool of pale, viscous liquid.
He pointed into it and said, “Get in. Soak for half an incense stick’s time, then come out and practice the blade, swing the sword, wield the spear, swing the hammer, and crack the whip—each a hundred times. I’ll give you the corresponding foundational techniques.”
Su Tangxing approached the pool and first caught a strange odor.
She tentatively dipped a finger in.
After three seconds, she sucked in a breath and pulled it back out.
It stung a little.
“Master, what if I can’t last half an incense stick?”
Tiankuang extended a finger, hooked it into her collar, and lowered her into the pool.
As he did so, he said, “You can.”
Su Tangxing: …I can’t.
She was placed inside.
She stayed in there for several dozen seconds.
She tried to climb out.
“Master, everything should be done step by step. We shouldn’t rush things.”
Before her hand could emerge, her head was pressed down.
A large tail with a white tip settled over her head.
The fluffy tail now felt heavy and oppressive, pinning her in place.
Fox Master stood at the edge of the pool, baring his sharp teeth in a grin. “It does hurt a bit, but it’s beneficial and harmless to your body. Just half an incense stick, my good disciple. Your master will keep an eye on you.”
Su Tangxing tried to push upward but couldn’t budge it.
She simply stopped struggling.
It really did hurt.
But upon reflection, it was still far better than attending meetings for hours after work without overtime pay.
At least her spirit wasn’t being tormented.
Su Tangxing: Finally learned to gaslight herself after countless bouts of suffering.
She shifted her focus and chatted with Fox Master.
“Master, you mentioned the Primal God. Can you tell me more about it?”
In the game, the highest level was 99. Max-level players were considered top-tier in the Cultivation World, but none were ever called “gods.”
There were rumors that the game’s max level would be raised to 100, simultaneously introducing “godhood” to increase playability.
But before Su Tangxing arrived, this speculation hadn’t been confirmed.
“You don’t know?” Tiankuang raised an eyebrow.
Su Tangxing shook her head.
She never touched romance plots, skipped all storylines, and never looked at community discussions…
As a result, even though she had grinded her way to max level, there were still some things she genuinely didn’t understand well.
Fox Master had no choice but to patiently explain to his disciple, “There has only ever been one Primal God throughout all these years. Legend says it perished while sealing the Demonic Abyss Ravine.”
Su Tangxing: “The Demonic Abyss Ravine…”
“It’s the Nest where Demonic Creatures are born.”
This much Su Tangxing did know.
She had killed plenty of Demonic Creatures while playing the game. After reaching max level, she had even ventured deep into the Demonic Abyss Ravine for a look.
It was pitch-black and gloomy, devoid of light day and night. Demonic Creatures spawned without any discernible pattern—grotesque in shape, bloodthirsty, and warlike, feeding on humans.
Ten thousand years ago, when the Demonic Abyss Ravine appeared in the world, Demonic Creatures rampaged and slaughtered humans. The great cultivators of that time fought their way in and out several times, joining forces to cleanse the Demonic Abyss Ravine.
However, they discovered that the Demonic Creatures reproduced at an astonishingly rapid pace, almost as if they were undergoing mitosis—the more they killed, the more they multiplied exponentially.
In the end, with no other choice, someone discovered a method to summon the Primal God.