Li Yundong finished speaking, and Feng Na laughed and chided, "Your mouth really doesn't spare anyone! How can you stop the Vice Mayor from coming if he wants to? By the way, this is a great opportunity; it counts toward scholarship evaluations. Don't even think about refusing, it's a political task! I just became Student Union President; you have to support my work, right?"

Li Yundong laughed, "See, the beginning was good, but you gave away your little fox tail in the last sentence!"

Su Chan, not far away, heard the word 'fox' and her ears twitched. She immediately scurried over, eagerly asking, "What what? Did you mention me?"

Li Yundong playfully smacked the little girl on the forehead, "Go on, I wasn't talking about you, don't confess yourself!"

Su Chan shrieked, clutched her forehead, took two steps back, and then made a face at Li Yundong.

Feng Na only then noticed Su Chan and exclaimed in surprise, "Su Chan is back?"

Li Yundong looked at Su Chan with doting affection and said with a smile, "Yes, she is."

A flicker of wistfulness swiftly crossed Feng Na’s eyes, but she quickly smiled again, "Hey, I’ve made up my mind now, remember that!"

Li Yundong gave a wry smile, "Hey, this is brute force! You’ve become so domineering just because you're the Student Union President, even assigning political tasks!"

Feng Na giggled, "Just one word: are you helping or not!"

Li Yundong spread his hands, "How can I not help? You've put it that way!"

Feng Na slapped Li Yundong on the shoulder and said heartily, "Good, you're a true bro! Just as I thought, my idol! Perform well then; I have high hopes for you!"

After the slap, she shook her hand, baring her teeth, "Ow, that hurt! Did you hide iron in your body? What the heck, that stings so much?"

Saying that, she shook her hand and prepared to leave.

Li Yundong called out to stop her, "Hey, what am I supposed to say then? You have to tell me!"

Feng Na slapped her forehead, "Don't worry, I’ll give you the draft tomorrow morning; you just read what’s written..." She grabbed Li Yundong's arm and said seriously, "You absolutely cannot pull any tricks like last time; if anything goes wrong this time, I’ll be the one in trouble!"

Li Yundong made a gesture, "Relax, there won't be any issues."

Feng Na smiled, "Then I’ll be going first. See your performance tomorrow."

Just as Li Yundong returned to the campus, Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling also arrived at Tianlong Mountain. However, the two dared not openly visit the mountain, as that would immediately confirm Zou Ping's words and give others grounds for gossip.

Ziyuan told Ruan Hongling to wait at the foot of the mountain, while she secretly infiltrated the Fox Zen Sect. Inside, she observed that the disciples were practicing or cultivating in an orderly fashion, showing none of the desolation or sorrow one might expect after a severe blow.

Ziyuan secretly sighed in admiration: No wonder the Fox Zen Sect has maintained its lineage for thousands of years; there is truly a reason for it.

The Fox Zen Sect had just endured another great battle. Ao Wushuang had been sealed and captured; the Sect Master Liu Ye and Ye Yu had perished in battle; and the Eldest Senior Sister Mo Ashi had been killed nine years prior. In essence, all the masters were gone. Although the remaining elders of the Fox Zen Sect possessed high cultivation, their divine abilities and techniques were quite limited, falling short of Ziyuan's level. Furthermore, many had died in the battle, leaving the temple grounds sparsely populated. Thus, Ziyuan’s infiltration went completely unnoticed.

After scouting the area, Ziyuan slipped out of the Fox Zen Sect and shook her head at Ruan Hongling, who was waiting at the foot of the mountain, "He is not here. Let’s go back to Tiannan City and check there."

With that, the two transformed into streaks of green light and departed.

Meanwhile, Cao Yi and the others within the Fox Zen Sect were completely unaware that Ziyuan had visited and thoroughly surveyed the entire sect grounds.

Cao Yi was currently pacing the rear courtyard of the Daoist temple with a heavy, thoughtful expression, veiled worry etched onto her brow.

Zhuang Yating, Changsun Hong, and Liu Yuehong, passing by from nearby, saw her. Zhuang Yating immediately laughed, "Sixth Junior Sister is here! Sixth Junior Sister, what are you doing?"

Seeing the three of them, Cao Yi smiled and replied, "Ah, it’s Third Senior Sister. I'm not doing anything much. Is there something you three are up to together?"

Within the Fox Zen Sect, Eldest Senior Sister Mo Ashi was dead, and Second Senior Brother Gu Feng was also gone. Zhuang Yating, being third in line, now held the highest seniority. She spoke, "We couldn't find the Sect Master all last night, and this morning he left early. I've pondered it over and over, and I just can't shake this feeling of unease. So, I went to discuss it with Fourth Junior Sister Changsun Hong, and it turned out Fifth Junior Sister Liu Yuehong was at her residence as well. Our worries align, so we decided to come find you. You are the most decisive among us; we want to hear your thoughts."

Cao Yi chuckled, "It's fortunate timing, I was just worrying about the same thing. Senior Sisters, please come inside and sit."

Saying this, she ushered the three Senior Sisters into her room.

The layout of Cao Yi’s room was not vastly different from those of Liu Ye, Ao Wushuang, and others; however, Ao Wushuang and Liu Ye primarily used square tables and benches, whereas Cao Yi preferred round ones.

The group settled around the table. Cao Yi poured tea for everyone and said with a smile, "Before you Senior Sisters arrived, I was just contemplating this matter. After this major upheaval, our Fox Zen Sect has lost both its arms and crippled its legs; we are practically useless. Ten years ago, although Ao Wushuang left the sect, greatly weakening our power, we still had Sect Master Liu Ye, Ye Yu, and Eldest Senior Sister Mo Ashi to hold the fort. While we weren't comparable to the major sects, we weren't weak either."

The three Senior Sisters nodded and sighed upon hearing this. Cao Yi continued, "Although most of us are Six-Tailed Spirit Foxes, our techniques and divine powers are mostly illusionary arts, demonic enchantments, and charm magic—useless in direct combat. We can handle a few inexperienced younglings we can seduce and bewitch, no problem. But against a firm, iron-willed, orthodox Xuanmen practitioner like Zhang Tianhe, whose mental fortitude and internal cultivation are extremely solid, it would be a death sentence for us. Never mind the Six Great Sects coming together; even if just the Jinshan Sect showed up, we couldn't handle it and would have to tuck our tails and flee."

The three Senior Sisters sighed in unison, "That's right, that's right!"

Zhuang Yating, tall with a neutral voice, said, "Sixth Junior Sister, what do you think we should do now? The new Sect Master seems very uninterested in taking on the role of the Fox Zen Sect Master. He only assumed the position during a time of crisis. I predict he won't stay in the position for long before resigning himself."

Cao Yi also sighed, "That is precisely what worries me."

Liu Yuehong added, "Yes, that's what worries me too."

Liu Yuehong was petite, barely reaching 1.55 meters, but possessed a delicate, enchanting figure and a soft, gentle voice. She said, "Li Yundong, a human, succeeding as the Master of our Fox Zen Sect is inherently something that causes tremendous ripples and taboos in the cultivation world. I worry he won't be able to withstand the pressure from the various sects later on and will ultimately abandon us."

Zhuang Yating concurred, "Exactly! If the major sects continue to exert pressure over this matter, our Fox Zen Sect cannot withstand such suppression! While True Master Li is good and powerful, he cannot stand against the combined forces of so many sects. This time it was only the younger generation of cultivators; what if next time it’s their elders and masters? How would we resist? But if he doesn't become our Master, then any petty sect can bully us. This is truly a dilemma!"

Cao Yi interjected, "What you see is that whether Li Yundong accepts the position of Fox Zen Sect Master or not, we face annihilation. But what I see is that if he can continue as our Sect Master, our Fox Zen Sect has the hope and possibility of revival."

The other three looked at her, asking, "What's the difference between those two scenarios?"

Cao Yi countered with a question instead of an answer, "First, let's reach a consensus: do we or do we not hope for True Master Li to succeed as our Fox Zen Sect Master?"

The other three answered in unison, "Of course we hope so."

Zhuang Yating smiled, "True Master Li is a rare talent in cultivation in recent years—young, accomplished, and possessing a chivalrous heart. What's most commendable is that he harbors no slight disdain for us because we are fox demons."

Liu Yuehong chimed in, "I think the most valuable part is that he has true affection for our disciple Su Chan, and they are deeply in love. That is truly precious."

Cao Yi sighed at this point, "Whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. Didn't Ao Wushuang's romance with Wang Yuanshan, the Master of Linggong Sect, cause such an uproar that both sects declined?"

Cao Yi suddenly shifted the topic, saying, "Since we all hope True Master Li will be our Master, let me say this: since ancient times, in the cultivation world, which sect hasn't become famous because a single genius emerged to elevate it? The Quanzhen Longmen Sect gained fame because of Qiu Chuji; the Xianfo Hezong Sect became widely known because of Wu Shouyang and Liu Huayang; the Donghua Sect became known throughout the world because of Ning Quanzhen. Our Fox Zen Sect only became known to the world because of Ancestor Panshi and the Heavenly Secret Profound Fox."

"It's clear that, apart from major sects with deep roots spanning centuries like the Zhengyi Sect, the fundamental key to the revitalization of smaller sects lies in people—whether there is an exceptionally brilliant figure who can bring glory to the sect!"

Cao Yi spoke fluently. At this point, she paused, then stated deliberately, word by word, "I believe that True Master Li Yundong is precisely such an astonishingly brilliant figure! Even when compared to grand masters like Qiu Chuji of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect, Wu and Liu of Xianfo Hezong, or Ning Quanzhen of the Donghua Sect, he is in no way inferior!"

Zhuang Yating, Liu Yuehong, and Changsun Hong were surprised by how highly Cao Yi evaluated Li Yundong. But when they recalled the scene of Li Yundong fighting against the various major sects that day, they couldn't help but nod inwardly.

Liu Yuehong praised, "Indeed, True Master Li's talent in combat is truly rare!"

Zhuang Yating commented, "I believe his steadfast willpower is rarely seen in this era. To fight steadfastly against the encirclement of all the major sects without a trace of fear—that is truly remarkable!"

Even the usually silent Changsun Hong spoke up, "Agreed. True Master Li’s Inner Elixir is robust and refined, and his True Essence is vast and boundless. Among the younger generation, he is unparalleled! Even compared to many older cultivators who only have a reputation, he surpasses them."

Cao Yi picked up the thread again, "Therefore, I have great hope for Li Yundong's future. Once he becomes one of the foremost great cultivators in the cultivation world, even if sects from all over the world come to oppose us, we will have nothing to fear."

The other three nodded together.

Cao Yi's tone suddenly shifted, "However, what worries me is this: while we desperately want True Master Li to become our Sect Master, based on my few interactions with him, his words and expressions always hint that he views our Fox Zen Sect as a great burden. Or rather, what does our Fox Zen Sect possess that can attract him and make him want to keep the position of Sect Master?"

At these words, the other three looked at each other in consternation.

If it had been anyone else, they might have resorted to using the timeless, universally effective ultimate technique: seduction!

This was the fox demons' specialty—why else were wicked women often metaphorically called fox spirits?

But when the target was Li Yundong, they wouldn't dare attempt it even with ten times the courage. These refined spirits, though inexperienced in the mortal world, were not fools. Li Yundong dared to challenge the major sects alone for Su Chan’s sake, accepting siege without regard for his own safety—what profound, unwavering devotion that showed! They feared that before any seduction could succeed, they would only fall short, arouse Li Yundong’s disgust, and suffer a loss greater than the gain.

Liu Yuehong pondered for a moment and suggested, "Since he and Su Chan are deeply in love, why not appeal to his emotions and reason?"

Cao Yi replied, "I thought of that too, but Su Chan left our Fox Zen Sect when she was very young. We don't know how strong her sense of belonging to the sect is. Moreover, her master Ao Wushuang was captured by Yan Fang, causing her anxiety that is understandable. Whether she has the inclination to ask Li Yundong to manage us is still unknown."

This statement made the other three furrow their brows.

Changsun Hong asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Cao Yi smiled slightly and spoke a sentence that, in the future, would make Li Yundong cough up three liters of blood upon remembering it.

====================================== My wife went back to her parents' home, and I saw her off, so the update is late, apologies~ Also, groups 123456 are all full, please stop adding. Group 7 is now officially open: 1564874. F