"This?" Ye Xiu stared at the scene just witnessed, disbelief clouding his eyes. He composed himself, turning to look around, yet found no trace of Yaoying Qiannian. Suddenly, the sound of splashing water erupted from the cliff face. He jerked his head up and saw, with startling clarity, the very droplets he had aimed to strike Yaoying Qiannian with moments before.

"Isn't this the exact predicament Yaoying Qiannian faced?" Ye Xiu knew his own limits; right now, he couldn't even invoke the power of the Hundred Insects, let alone achieve the speed he had just observed. To pass through a sky full of water droplets without dampening his collar—what an impossible feat that seemed.

"Whoosh..." A green light suddenly enveloped Ye Xiu's form. He looked up at the cascading water, feeling as if its speed had instantaneously slowed.

He moved with an almost bewildered agility. Those tiny drops, those slender streams of water, seemed to glide past his path of movement. In that brief span, he had traversed nearly the entire valley floor, and not a single droplet had yet reached the ground.

"As my successor, the day you accepted my demonic arts, you were simultaneously gifted with a Fox Eye. What you need to do now is grasp this feeling and, under my guidance, push it to its absolute limit." At this critical juncture, Yaoying Qiannian's voice echoed again in Ye Xiu's mind. It turned out this was all just a small test. That Fox Eye, a rarity even among the Fox Royal Clan, had long been taking root and sprouting within Ye Xiu’s very sockets.

"What did you say, an eye!" Ye Xiu shook his head, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. He clutched his face, trying desperately to recall that recent sensation, only to feel, vaguely, a massive and bizarre fox eye fixed upon him from the shadows. "That feeling vanished in a flash; how could I possibly retrieve it now?"

In truth, the preceding event had transpired in an infinitesimal fraction of time. Ye Xiu racked his brain, wondering if that strange light had emanated from the Fox Eye, or if his own speed had instantaneously increased, causing the falling water to appear slower.

"Don't assume the Fox Eye is merely for piercing through the trajectory of all attacks. It also holds the power that the Nine-Tailed Fox prided herself on." As the words fell, Yaoying Qiannian’s magnificent figure materialized in Ye Xiu's mind. A phantom space unfolded again, leaving Ye Xiu dizzy and disoriented.

Sky and earth, or the secluded Shadow Valley; Yaoying Qiannian alone, or the rain of countless droplets—this time, Yaoying Qiannian showed no intention of dodging the water. Instead, an infinite, menacing aura radiated from his gaze.

When every last droplet had struck the ground, he simply turned his body slightly, instantly transforming into countless shadowy duplicates. Every shadow held a slender sword, and with identical motions and speeds, they lightly sliced toward the fallen water. The once smiling droplets were cleaved in two by these ethereal blades, then dissolved into nothingness.

"What swift swordsmanship!" The illusion shattered, reality snapped back, and Ye Xiu shuddered, realizing he hadn't moved at all, and neither had Yaoying Qiannian.

"Swish, swish..." With two rapid motions, Yaoying Qiannian's form pressed impossibly close to Ye Xiu's face. His lips parted again, speaking with conviction: "The Fox Eye is a unique form of ocular cultivation. It manifests different functions according to its color. This Biyan Huarong concentrates the entirety of my lifelong cultivation; it is the limit of illusion and speed."

"Biyan Huarong, is that the green glare?" Ye Xiu suddenly recalled the blue strange light in Jun Bugu's eyes. He wanted to press for an answer, but unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, his body slowly began to dissolve into the surrounding mist. "Senior Yaoying, I haven't retained a single one of those feelings."

"Crack!" Following a burst of lightning, that emerald-green intense light struck Ye Xiu once more. When he regained awareness, he found the Demon Queen standing beside him, and he was back at the location of that previous door.

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu gasped heavily, feeling as if he had plummeted from the heavens. "What Fox Eye? I clearly didn't understand any of it."

The Demon Queen looked intently and immediately noticed the distinctiveness in Ye Xiu's gaze: "It seems you have obtained the Fox Eye. From this day forward, you are counted among the people of my Fox Palace."

"The Fox Palace? I'm still accustomed to being a carefree person." Ye Xiu struggled to recall the functions of the Fox Eye, but the sensation seemed utterly lost, like a forgotten dream. "I wonder what use this Fox Eye will be to me."

"Then let's test it!" Upon hearing this, the Demon Queen suddenly raised both hands, aiming the blue ring on her finger at Ye Xiu. Instantly, several sharp projectiles shot toward him.

Ye Xiu felt a wave of killing intent but was completely unprepared. He habitually tried to counter the danger using the Heaven’s Scorn Sword Intent, but under the light of that blue ring, his movements were agonizingly slow. Seeing the endless needles about to pierce his life force, he cried out, "Demon Queen, you..."

"Hmph, test your Fox Eye!" The Demon Queen clearly saw the scars within Ye Xiu's body; no matter what, the current Ye Xiu was no match for her.

In that emergency, Ye Xiu desperately retreated and dodged, but those flying needles seemed to have anticipated his next move and were already positioned at his intended landing spot. In that split second, the Fox Eye in his right eye flashed with a brilliant green light, striking the projectiles. In that very moment, Ye Xiu felt the speed of the entire space slow down. Looking closely, even though the needles were densely packed, there were numerous gaps. With a few measured steps and pauses, he had circled directly in front of the Demon Queen.

"Heh heh, it seems the Strategist's Fox Eye can see beyond the flow of demonic arts; it can also slow down certain things." The Demon Queen withdrew her hand, and the needles dissipated. She looked at Ye Xiu beside her and instructed, "Did you know the Fox Eye is actually a type of weapon? Depending on the level of cultivation achieved, the color dictates its different effects."

Ye Xiu managed a steady smile. It seemed the Fox Eye was much like the Soul Stones of the God of Death, each possessing unique virtues. "Senior Yaoying only left behind a recording in the Shadow Valley. He told me this specific Fox Eye is named Biyan Huarong."

"Biyan Huarong?" The Demon Queen frowned slightly. "The origin of the Fox Eye lies in the Heavenly Emperor's Cycle. Besides the innate abilities of the Fox Clan, others can obtain it through inheritance, just like you. Legend says the most formidable Fox Eye is the Guijue Lanyou (Ghost Perception Blue Pupil), which can emit a powerful blue light to instantly enhance combat strength. Next is the Moyan Zizhu (Demon Word Purple Bead), which can weave illusions with purple light. Biyan Huarong only ranks third."

"Heavenly Emperor's Cycle—isn't that the battlefield for the Heaven Ranking Saint War?" Ye Xiu had certainly heard of that place. He never imagined the Fox Eye originated from that very conflict. "But how are Guijue Lanyou and Moyan Zizhu obtained? By cultivating the ordinary Fox Eye?"

The Demon Queen lowered her head, her fingers tracing her hair bun. "The secrets of the Fox Eye are unknown to anyone. Or rather, from ancient times until now, I have only witnessed Biyan Huarong. As for the other two high-level Fox Eyes, it seems they have never appeared in the world."

"Guijue Lanyou..." Mentioning blue light reminded Ye Xiu of Jun Bugu. That fellow always possessed a blue light mixed with green vitality in his eyes before battle. Given his extremely mysterious identity, could he also be a member of the Fox Palace?

"Since the Heaven Ranking Saint War has been mentioned, the Fox Palace has always been represented by the Strategist, Yaoying Qiannian. Now that the Strategist is gone, our Fox Palace still..." The Heaven Ranking Saint War was an absolute honor for any clan in the Boundless Realm. The Demon Queen’s expression shifted, suggesting she was making plans. "I know Ye Xiu, you are already a hall master in the Demon Insect Sect, but you do not belong to the insect race. I knew your identity as a God of Death from the beginning. Why not join my Fox Palace?"

Ye Xiu understood the terrifying power of the Fox Eye; it wasn't surprising that the Demon Queen could see his God of Death cultivation level through it. However, having multiple identities now, every step had to be cautious. "Demon Queen, you don't know—the chaotic mix of powers within my body is already endangering my life. Joining the Demon Insect Sect was solely to bring Qi'er back. Now that Qi'er is safe, what I must do is find the Life-Reaping Celestial Needle and save myself."

"I see. It seems you have already met the Celestial Needle Master of our Fox Clan." The Demon Queen pointed to Ye Xiu's abdomen. "The chaos in your body must be countered by the Three Primordial Needles. Currently, only the Life-Extending Celestial Needle offers temporary relief to prevent eruption. But the Life-Reaping Celestial Needle has been extinct for many years; finding it will not be easy."

Thinking of this, Ye Xiu also sighed. The uncertainty of life and death was the most unbearable feeling. If he were just a pure God of Death, how carefree life would be! Instead, this Three-Transformations Anomaly, this Daoist power mixed with demonic arts, left him utterly uncomfortable.

"Reporting to the Demon Queen, a blood letter has descended from the heavens for your perusal." A Bi's voice was delicate as she called out from the palace balcony, clearly indicating an urgent matter.

"Enough, I already know!" The Demon Queen walked ahead of Ye Xiu up the winding staircase. She ascended into the palace, took the blood letter, and stated grimly before even reading it, "It has finally arrived. This blood letter foretells the future of the entire Boundless Realm."

"What could be inside?" Ye Xiu gave the nearby A Bi a sharp look; that fox’s eyes always held hostility toward him. "Can the Demon Queen already know the contents without even looking?"

The Demon Queen smiled slightly at Ye Xiu, her demeanor easing a fraction. She drawled lazily, "I should have realized this day would come the moment I understood your identity. There is an Ancient Bone Testament in Desolate Bone City that seems to have recorded this arrival long ago."

"The content of this blood letter is..." Ye Xiu recognized Garuda, the Third Master of the Bone Sect, and was somewhat familiar with that Ancient Bone Testament, but he wouldn't reveal his own hand because of it. "I don't understand what you mean, Demon Queen."

The Demon Queen waved A Bi away and sighed. "This blood letter comes from the Mortal Realm. The Demon Realm’s Lord, Sha Jun Tianxia, is arrogant and overbearing. The tragedy of Death sweeping through, laying waste to living beings, is about to repeat itself."

"Sha Jun Tianxia." Those four words meant too much to Ye Xiu: the Demon Tyrant reborn after shattering the Great Vow Relic Seal of the Earth Store; the Sovereign who purged all demonic sins of the Demon Realm with his own strength; the Blade Maniac whose single strike broke the Netherworld Twin Saint Sword, Yuantu, which he held. "What does he want? Does he intend to use the Boundless Realm as a stage to reignite the fires of border war?"

"Well said: 'Those who yield to me shall live as slaves forever; those who fight me shall suffer damnation for ten thousand ages!'" The Demon Queen took a few steps, showing no fear of Sha Jun despite being a woman. "How could the Corpse Demon Lin Royal Clan bow to outsiders? I wish to see just how strong Sha Jun Tianxia truly is!"

"I fought Sha Jun once, and I was miserably defeated with a broken blade!" Ye Xiu shook his head. Within his current understanding, it seemed no one could withstand the might of Sha Jun upon his rebirth—it was a pressure that bred absolute despair.

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