The moment the larger and smaller fox spirits decided to sneak into Mount Qingcheng to steal the Qingcheng Secret Records, they began exchanging sly, furtive grins.
Su Chan nudged Ao Wushuang with her elbow, giggling wickedly. “Master, I never knew you were such a master thief! What would happen if people found out?”
Saying this, she suddenly grew anxious. “What if Yun Dong finds out?”
Ao Wushuang paused, then quickly snorted. “If he finds out, just tell him it’s a tradition of our Huxan Sect!”
Su Chan’s eyes glazed over. “Stealing is a tradition of the Huxan Sect?”
Ao Wushuang dismissed it airily. “The founding ancestor of our Huxan Sect, Panshi Hulao, learned all his skills through stealing techniques. Why is the Tianji Xuanhu so powerful? Isn't it because she excelled at appropriating the skills of others? Besides, we aren't stealing these cultivation methods to commit evil deeds, so why shouldn't we learn them?”
Seeing her master speak with such conviction, Su Chan stopped worrying about the matter and instead asked excitedly, “Then when are we going?”
Ao Wushuang glanced at the sky and replied, “We’ll go tonight.”
Su Chan jumped up, clapping her hands. “That’s wonderful! That means we can still eat dinner made by Yun Dong!”
Ao Wushuang scolded her crossly, “All you think about is eating!”
Su Chan stuck out her tongue in a playful grimace at Ao Wushuang. “Because Yun Dong cooks so well, unlike you!”
Ao Wushuang was just about to get angry when she saw Su Chan skip merrily out of the room, leaving her to shake her head helplessly.
Upon exiting the room, Su Chan found the younger foxes gathered in the living room, erupting into a deafening cheer.
The little fox startled, covering her ears and asking in bewildered shock, “What happened? What’s going on?”
Ling Yue grabbed Su Chan’s arm in sheer ecstasy, shaking it vigorously. “The Sect Master has decided to teach us the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Art!”
Su Chan couldn't help but gasp, her mouth wide open. “Ah? He’s going to teach us the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Art?”
Liu Yuehong also said to Li Yun Dong, filled with surprise and joy, “Sect Master, why… why are you suddenly going to pass the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Art to us?”
Li Yun Dong smiled gently. “Although this technique was created by Mr. Niwan, Chen Pu, it is one of the legacies left behind by the Tianji Xuanhu. Passing it to you is essentially returning it to its rightful lineage.”
A wave of jubilation swept through the Huxan Sect. Zi Yuan, standing nearby, smiled, yet a hint of confusion and concern shadowed her eyes.
Later, as the two busied themselves in the kitchen, Zi Yuan washed vegetables and asked, “What made you decide to pass on the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Art now?”
Li Yun Dong deftly sliced shredded radish, letting out a soft sigh. “At the Lotus Picking Assembly, the Huxan Sect became the target of everyone’s resentment. Even though the appearance of the Japanese cultivators resolved some of the crisis, Yan Fang’s subsequent arrival once again thrust the Huxan Sect into the crucible. Coupled with my unintentional shattering of the Li Tian Pan Huang Bell, which released many cultivators, I have been constantly pondering what you said. If this great calamity in the cultivation world truly originates from me, I think…”
Pausing, Li Yun Dong stopped his work, his expression deeply worried. “…If this great calamity is indeed my doing, I intend to voluntarily step down as the Sect Master of the Huxan Sect.”
Zi Yuan’s movements also halted, her body stiffening slightly. She turned her head, asking with some surprise, “You fear implicating Su Chan and the others?”
Li Yun Dong nodded. “Precisely. If it were just me, I wouldn’t be afraid. However, almost everyone in the Huxan Sect, from Cao Yi and Liu Yuehong to Su Chan and the little foxes, lacks the means to protect themselves. Fortunately, Ao Wushuang has returned; with her strength, she can guard everyone. But I fear powerful cultivators might come, which is why I decided to pass the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Art to them. No matter which level they manage to cultivate, it will at least provide them with some power for self-preservation.”
Zi Yuan sighed softly. “Actually, concerning this great calamity, have you ever considered why Yan Fang wanted to kill Cao Kefei? Why would Yan Fang rather not retrieve the Sword of Severance, yet insist on finding every way to kill Cao Kefei? Furthermore, why was Cao Yi present the first time she made her move? Was she there to save Cao Kefei? If so, why was she there?”
Li Yun Dong’s expression grew heavy as he replied, “I have considered it, and Cao Yi and I have discussed these things privately. She claimed that she had already grown suspicious of Zhuang Yating and had been closely watching her movements, especially when she discovered Yan Fang sneaking out to try and kill Cao Kefei, at which point she intervened.”
Zi Yuan smiled faintly. “Do you believe her?”
Li Yun Dong gave a noncommittal sound and returned to his chopping. The knife flew through the air, the radish shreds he cut were long and fine, each one looking as if it had been made by a machine. He continued, “Until I can confirm whether Liu Ye is truly alive, or what his true intentions are, I maintain a degree of skepticism.”
Zi Yuan turned back to her own tasks, then suddenly said, “Have you ever considered…”
Noticing Zi Yuan trail off mid-sentence, Li Yun Dong turned with curiosity and chuckled. “What is it? What are you thinking? Why are you stammering today?”
Zi Yuan looked at Li Yun Dong seriously, her gaze unwavering. “Have you ever considered… establishing your own sect?”
Li Yun Dong was stunned. “Starting my own sect? Why?”
Zi Yuan turned around, her face grave. “Li Yun Dong, I know you value loyalty highly, but you must understand that the Huxan Sect is always regarded as the path of the unorthodox and the heretical. No matter how hard you strive, someone will always bring that up. Moreover, the damage and trauma the Tianji Xuanhu inflicted upon the entire cultivation world back then was severe; you cannot possibly imagine! If the Tianji Xuanhu is truly resurrected, the cultivation world will view you as a public enemy. At that point, regardless of whether you are a good person or what great good deeds you have done, they will relentlessly attack you until you, the Sect Master of the Huxan Sect, are eliminated and the Tianji Xuanhu is resealed.”
Li Yun Dong also turned around. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “I can understand their animosity toward the Huxan Sect, but what I don’t understand is why the entire cultivation world harbors such intense hatred and vigilance toward the Tianji Xuanhu. What did she do in the past?”
Zi Yuan hesitated, her eyes filled with indecision. She thought for a moment, then sighed. “Forget it. You should have known these things already.”
Zi Yuan smoothed her hair. “You spent tens of thousands of years in the Small Thousand World, poring over various ancient texts, but did you find any records concerning the Tianji Xuanhu?”
Li Yun Dong exclaimed in surprise, “Now that you mention it, I never noticed! In all the texts in the Small Thousand World, not a single one mentioned the Tianji Xuanhu. Most of what was written about the Huxan Sect was slander, with only a brief, vague reference to its founder, Panshi Hulao.”
Zi Yuan nodded. “Exactly! After Panshi Hulao founded the Huxan Sect, he defeated many skilled cultivators using his Seven Treasures Spirit Fan. Subsequently, these cultivators, feeling deeply humiliated by being defeated by a fox demon, began secretly spreading malicious rumors about the Huxan Sect. The next two generations of Sect Masters were also inadequate, letting the sect descend into chaos. But at that point, the Huxan Sect only had a poor reputation, a slight notoriety; it wasn't yet a demon or monster that everyone dreaded mentioning.”
Li Yun Dong picked up, “Until the Tianji Xuanhu appeared?”
Zi Yuan nodded slightly. “Precisely! The Tianji Xuanhu was the fourth-generation Sect Master of the Huxan Sect. When she first took leadership, the sect was in disarray. Furthermore, ever since Panshi Hulao ascended, the majority of the Huxan Sect members were female, and Panshi Hulao had mainly studied Buddhist techniques. Most female cultivators were unable to learn the powerful and vigorous nature of Buddhist arts, so over two generations, the Huxan Sect’s Buddhist techniques were nearly lost entirely. To change this situation, the Tianji Xuanhu secretly disguised herself as a nun and infiltrated Mount Wutai to steal Buddhist teachings.”
Li Yun Dong asked, “Did she succeed in learning them?”
Zi Yuan nodded. “The Tianji Xuanhu, disguised as a nun, managed to steal the Great Vajra Art. However, because the Great Vajra Art is meant to be cultivated by males, a female body attempting it would cause internal fire to surge. The Tianji Xuanhu consequently suffered qi deviation and fell into a demonic state, but she was later saved by the passing monk, Venerable Huifa, who retained his 'virgin yang' essence. Afterward, the Tianji Xuanhu, grateful for her life being saved, offered herself to him, but Venerable Huifa sternly rebuked her: ‘Saving a life without losing one’s yang essence is a good deed done with evil intent, but if one desires beauty and loses their Buddha-heart, even if they act kindly in repayment, the result is wicked!’”
“Following this, Venerable Huifa banished the Tianji Xuanhu from the mountain. Shame, remorse, hatred, and indignation filled the Tianji Xuanhu; she felt Venerable Huifa scorned her because she was a fox demon, impure of spirit. Thus, the Tianji Xuanhu vowed to cultivate until she achieved immortality and humiliate Venerable Huifa.”
Li Yun Dong listened, captivated, and couldn't help but sigh, “Such a twisted fate?”
Zi Yuan smiled bitterly and shook her head. “That’s not all. Subsequently, the Tianji Xuanhu transformed into a stunning female Daoist and infiltrated the sacred Daoist ground of Mount Longhu to study Daoist techniques. Later, her innate fox charm caused Zhang Guang, the then Patriarch of the Orthodox Unity Sect, to become deeply obsessed and fall in love with her. Zhang Guang’s infatuation with the Tianji Xuanhu reached a frenzied level; for her sake, he even abandoned his fiancée, Mao Jiao, to whom he was betrothed at birth. Zhang Guang’s actions infuriated Mao Kong, Mao Jiao’s father and the Grandmaster of the Maoshan Sect, leading to thunderous rage. From that moment on, Mount Longhu and Maoshan were estranged, beginning more than a decade of conflict that split the Southern Daoist sects.”
Li Yun Dong exclaimed in shock, “There was such a thing? I only knew the Southern Daoist factions were disunited, but I didn't know this was the reason! How have I never heard of it, and I never saw any record of it in the Small Thousand World!”
Zi Yuan sighed. “The two great Daoist sects fell into enmity and grievance over one fox spirit. Both sides suffered heavy losses, viewing the matter as a profound disgrace, and consequently, they maintained a strict silence about it. The Orthodox Unity Sect even deposed Zhang Guang from his position as Patriarch and erased all evidence of his tenure, as if that person had never existed.”
Li Yun Dong paused, stunned, and couldn't help but ask, “And then?”
Zi Yuan continued, “The Tianji Xuanhu alone instigated the great war among the Southern Daoist sects. Afterward, both factions suffered tremendous losses; both Mao Kong and Mao Jiao perished in the ensuing magical combat, their spirits annihilated, and Zhang Guang and his disciples also died tragically. After the war between the Orthodox Unity Sect and the Maoshan Sect, they reached a truce, and both great Daoist sects issued a joint kill order for the Tianji Xuanhu. From then on, most Daoists in the world would ruthlessly attack anyone from the Huxan Sect upon sight!”
“To protect herself and become stronger, the Tianji Xuanhu disguised herself as an old woman and infiltrated the Gezao Sect on Mount Hesa. There, she stole the unparalleled immortal elixir, the Primordial Spirit Elixir, and the Three Elixir Canons, thus integrating both Buddhist teachings and Daoist arts, becoming a great master of dual cultivation. After achieving peak cultivation in both Buddhism and Daoism, the Tianji Xuanhu returned to Mount Wutai and, as she had wished, publicly challenged Venerable Huifa. Venerable Huifa’s essence had been depleted, and his magical power greatly diminished; he was thoroughly defeated in the duel. After humiliating him publicly, the Tianji Xuanhu left triumphantly.”
“Venerable Huifa died three days later due to his severe injuries. His successor, Wu Neng, declared the Tianji Xuanhu the great enemy of Buddhism and began maligning her and her sect, Huxan, at every opportunity. Thus, over time, Huxan became derisively known by the world as 'Wild Fox Zen' (Yehu Chan). Even after reaching the supreme realm of unified Buddhism and Daoism, the Tianji Xuanhu was still unsatisfied. To become even stronger, she committed an act that nearly brought the entire cultivation world to ruin.”
Li Yun Dong’s expression became solemn, and he quickly pressed for details. “What was it?”
Just as Zi Yuan was about to speak, the kitchen door suddenly burst open with a loud swish. Su Chan stood at the entrance, looking astonished. “Yun Dong! We have a visitor!”
Li Yun Dong blinked. “Who is it?”
Su Chan’s face took on a strange look. “Wan Zhenyuan!”
Li Yun Dong and Zi Yuan exchanged a look of mutual bewilderment. “What is he doing here?”