Its fur was different from that of an ordinary red fox, containing more red tones, vibrant as fire.
Its snout was pointed, its ears long.
It also had mismatched eyes—one blue, one gold—a pair of heterochromatic orbs.
When it spoke, its whiskers trembled on either side.
Su Tangxing blinked.
The fox glanced at her, its eyes naturally upturned at the corners with an innate eyeliner-like effect, its expression carrying a hint of mocking amusement. For some reason, it was hard to look away.
“So this is the little girl?”
The fox’s tone had a peculiar quality distinct from a human’s, its voice carrying the clarity of a youth, yet its tail end slightly drawn out, as if someone had tickled one’s ears with a fox’s tail—itchy.
The Sect Leader nodded in confirmation. The fox beckoned: “Come closer.”
Its hands were not those of a normal human either—the fingertips were black, long, and hooked, like claws.
Su Tangxing stepped forward, and it rose from its seat as well, dragging its eight tails as it circled her once before crouching down in front of her.
Su Tangxing looked at its black nose, now so close she could almost touch it.
It was clearly healthy, its nose moist and glistening.
“…Interesting.” After observing for a long while, the fox turned back to the misty figure and said, “Brother, what do you think?”
“Somewhat unusual. But it’s of no consequence.”
Even through the mist, Su Tangxing could feel something watching her.
That figure also stood up. Beneath the overly long hem of its robe were nine crimson tails, spread out like a fan.
Unlike its sibling, whose tails occasionally flicked, these nine tails were dignified and sleek, their fur smooth and glossy, not directly touching the ground but hovering half an inch above it.
It passed by her and approached Lin Xiangqing, raising a hand to press against his shoulder.
Lin Xiangqing’s complexion visibly improved, and the Sect Leader’s face lit up with joy: “Ancestor, is there a way to save Xiangqing?”
However, the rosy hue only lasted for a moment. After Tian Zhao withdrew his hand, Lin Xiangqing’s cheeks slowly paled again.
“One medicinal ingredient is missing.”
Ancestor Tian Zhao, with his nine tails, said: “Find Phoenix Blood, and the cracks in his Spiritual Platform can be repaired, his Nascent Soul reshaped. He can cultivate anew.”
Phoenix… The Sect Leader let out a long sigh.
Phoenixes had hidden away in ethereal realms a thousand years ago and had not reappeared since. Even an ancestor who had cultivated to nine tails couldn’t find one—where could they possibly search?
“It may not be impossible.” Tian Zhao turned around, his gaze likely falling on the Sect Leader again. “Once you and your disciples have achieved sufficient cultivation, go and summon a phoenix to obtain its blood.”
Hearing this, the Sect Leader smiled bitterly.
Even the highest-ranking elder in the sect couldn’t summon a phoenix, let alone obtain its blood.
If they truly encountered a phoenix, no one would dare ask—a single breath of phoenix fire could reduce them to ashes, truly ending both body and cultivation.
Su Tangxing listened to the entire exchange, recalling Lin Xiangqing’s fate as described on the official website.
He probably died.
“Until then, I can ensure his safety for a hundred years. If you cannot obtain it, then such is his lifespan—do not force it. I will continue my seclusion. Do not disturb me unless necessary.”
After speaking to the Sect Leader, Ancestor Tian Zhao turned to his brother: “Will you join me?”
“No, I won’t go for now.”
Receiving the answer, he gave a slight nod, and his figure dissipated within the hall.
The remaining Ancestor Tiankuang had long since returned to his chair. He twitched his nose, thoughtfully looking outward: “I smell an unfamiliar scent. Has an outsider come to the sect?”
“It’s a junior from Tongqi Mountain. Have you forgotten? At the beginning of the year, he made a mistake, and you lightly punished him. Now he’s here to apologize.”
“Oh—that’s right.”
Tiankuang remembered.
Some demon cultivators of the same clan enshrined statues of him and his elder brother. At the beginning of the year, while his physical body was in seclusion in a cave, his spirit left to wander outside.
Just as he had possessed his own statue, someone smashed it to pieces.
Tiankuang was furious and decided to teach that arrogant brat a lesson.
Besides making his appearance ugly and repulsive, he also sealed one of his Spirit Roots.
“Has someone from Tongqi Mountain come looking for you?”
“They have,” the Sect Leader replied. “Their elders came, but I turned them away.”
Who didn’t know what this one was like? It was best to come in person and apologize properly—otherwise, no one else would be of any use.
The Rong family understood this too. They didn’t come again afterward, but instead sent many gifts, asking him to put in a good word.
The Sect Leader reported all of this truthfully.
The Fox Master let out a derisive snort, crossed his legs, poured fine wine into a cup on the table, took a sip, and then said, “Take it if you’ve accepted it. Keep it for the children to use.”
“Yes.”
After drinking one cup and finding it unsatisfying, he refilled it, then pointed a sharp claw at Su Tangxing and asked, “Where do you plan to place this child?”
The Sect Leader replied, “Her talent is exceptional and shouldn’t be wasted. Several elders in the sect are capable of teaching her. I intend to let her choose whom she prefers. That way, they’ll get along better in the future.”
The fox nodded, noticing Su Tangxing staring at his head, and asked, “I’ve never taken a disciple before. How about I teach her?”
The Sect Leader was taken aback. “This…”
He wanted to ask, “Do you even know how to teach a disciple?”
But it wasn’t appropriate to say it outright. While he was still hesitating about how to phrase it more tactfully, Tiankuang had already leaned closer to Su Tangxing. “Are you afraid of me? How about I become your Master? You’d instantly rise in seniority—even this guy would have to call you grand-teacher.”
The fox pointed at the Sect Leader.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Su Tangxing thought for a moment and happily agreed. “Alright.”
From the lowest-ranking disciple to an elder even senior to the Sect Leader and the elders…
For this urgent matter, the Sect Leader quickly summoned all the elders in the sect who were neither traveling nor in seclusion to witness the event. No matter how astonished they were, meeting gifts were still in order.
Su Tangxing collected them all into her Storage Ring, then promptly served tea to her Fox Master, afraid that if she delayed, he might change his mind.
The Fox Master didn’t care for tea.
He only loved wine.
But since this was the first offering from his disciple, he smacked his lips and drank it all in one gulp.
Watching his bold motion of tilting his head back to pour the tea into his mouth, Su Tangxing’s gaze lingered on the fur around the corners of his mouth.
When a fox drinks water like this… doesn’t it leak out?
The teacup was just the right size for his snout to dip into, so his nose was submerged in the tea too?
Was he drinking water that had washed his nose…
The Master clearly didn’t mind any of this. He even stuck out his tongue to lick his nose.
His heterochromatic eyes narrowed as he looked over. “Since you’ve become my disciple, you’ll naturally have what others have. Do you have a place to stay now?”
Hearing she didn’t, he gave a hum, stood up, and said, “Follow me.”
He took Su Tangxing to the fox-headed mountain peak.
Left behind, the group of elders exchanged bewildered glances, with Guanlan Yuanjun feeling particularly conflicted.
The disciple she had wanted to take had suddenly become her grand-teacher…
Facing Su Tangxing, they couldn’t bring themselves to address her as such.
The fox-headed mountain was called Carefree Mountain, inhabited only by Tiankuang and his elder brother.
Yet it was far from desolate. Within the lush forests lived many Spirit Beasts, leisurely roaming and dwelling there.
Domesticated, yet wild.
Between the main peak and Wushi Mountain lies a cliff waterfall. The towering cliff appears almost toppling, with bizarrely shaped rocks interspersed among vibrant, colorful plants. The waterfall cascades down, its rushing waters plunging into a deep pool, the sound echoing through the air.
Walking along the elevated walkway above, a cool mist brushes against the face.
Birds dart past, and snakes slither through the grass, rustling the stems.
In the deep pool, a massive dark shadow slowly swims by.
Su Tangxing spotted a spider as large as a human head in the grass on the way here and couldn’t help but remark on how excellent the ecological environment of this place was.
The scenery is breathtaking, surpassing even a 5A-rated scenic area in its splendor.