As Ding Nan personally executed Zheng Yuan, Li Yundong was arduously pushing through the most crucial threshold in cultivation.

At this moment, Li Yundong was immersed in the deepest state of meditation, enveloped by a dazzling, seven-colored radiance that shimmered, fading and strengthening intermittently.

Ao Wushuang watched him from the side, her gaze sharp and her expression quite tense.

Ao Wushuang knew that Foundation Establishment separated ordinary people from cultivators; Divine Abilities marked the line between an ordinary cultivator and a master; and the Golden Body distinguished a common cultivator from a Great Cultivator.

Since ancient times, the number of cultivators in the Chinese cultivation world has been as countless as ox hairs, yet those who truly attained the Golden Body realm were exceedingly few.

Throughout the dynasties, any cultivator who reached the Golden Body realm was invariably revered as a Great Cultivator, earning a significant nod of respect even from the Emperor.

During the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, the emperors would issue edicts honoring the successive sect leaders of the Zhengyi and Quanzhen Schools as "Great True Men"!

The Chinese people are fond of grandeur, favoring the character for "Great" in almost everything. However, in the cultivation world, while those calling each other "True Man" or "Cultivator" were as numerous as carp crossing a river, those who could prefix their title with "Great" were rare as phoenix feathers and horns.

There is a saying in the cultivation world that combining the character for "One" and the character for "Great" forms the character for "Heaven," implying that when a cultivator reaches the Great Cultivator realm, they gain the power to contend with the Heavens themselves.

Foundation Establishment involves cultivating an inner elixir within the body, completing the transformation from ordinary person to cultivator; Divine Abilities grant the cultivator special power to cast spells; the Yang Spirit bestows the ability to transcend life and death; and the Golden Body signifies that the cultivator begins to stand tall against the heavens, possessing the power to challenge the divine order.

"I truly didn't expect... someone who has only cultivated for half a year is already about to break through to the Golden Body realm!" Ao Wushuang observed Li Yundong with deep emotion. After staring at him for a while, her gaze shifted to Su Chan beside her.

Su Chan had long since revealed her true fox form. She lay quietly curled up in a small corner, her massive, fiery-red tail concealing almost her entire body. At the tip of her tail, a slow growth was occurring—from three tails to four, and from four tails to five.

Ao Wushuang knew that although fox cultivation also had Nine Heavens, due to the unique constitution of the fox demon body, the number of tails did not align precisely with the cultivator’s realm.

For foxes, the most difficult hurdles were at the three-tail and eight-tail stages. Evolving from a two-tailed fox spirit into a three-tailed demon fox meant the fox could now transform into human shape and proceed with further cultivation using a human physique.

For any species to cultivate to a higher realm, they must first practice transforming into human form, because among all born things, humanity is the spiritual apex, making cultivation progress twice as fast with half the effort.

A fox that breaks through to three tails is equivalent to a cultivator at the Divine Abilities realm, capable of using various spells or demon arts. Breaking through to four tails signifies reaching the initial stage of the cultivator’s Yin Spirit realm; five tails is equivalent to the peak of the Yin Spirit realm; and six tails corresponds to the initial stage of the Yang Spirit realm, while seven tails is the peak of the Yang Spirit realm.

The major difference from human cultivators is that the later stages of fox cultivation slow down considerably. The leap from seven tails to eight tails involves a massive surge in power, bypassing the Golden Body realm entirely and breaking through directly to the initial stage of the Thunder Tribulation realm.

For a fox, the gap between seven and eight tails is as vast as the difference between the Yang Spirit and Golden Body masters—a world apart. However, while the gap between the Golden Body and Thunder Tribulation realms is large, it is not as immense or insurmountable as that between the Yang Spirit and Golden Body stages.

Just as Su Chan's tail tip was slowly sprouting a seventh tail, Ao Wushuang instantly grew tense. Her eyes were fixed on the tail, watching for any sign of an eighth growing, but after waiting a moment, she saw Su Chan’s fiery-red fur slowly begin to shed, gradually reverting to human form.

Ao Wushuang sighed inwardly and shook her head subtly.

After a short while, Su Chan let out a soft moan and was the first to awaken from her meditative slumber.

When Su Chan opened her eyes, she surveyed her surroundings only to find herself back in her former home on Qili Shantang in Dongwu City, with Ao Wushuang standing nearby, wearing a gentle smile.

"Master?" Su Chan exclaimed, a mixture of shock and joy in her voice. "It really is you! I thought I was dreaming back then! Did you save us?"

Ao Wushuang shook her head, smiling faintly. "No, it was the former Sect Leader Martial Uncle who saved you."

Su Chan froze. "Sect Leader Ancestor? Liu Ye?" The young girl recalled the magical bolt of lightning that struck down at the last moment. She gasped, "Sect Leader Ancestor really isn't dead? Is he a Thunder Tribulation expert? No, that can't be right?"

Ao Wushuang smiled subtly. "Is that so strange? He was already a Seven-Tailed Divine Fox many years ago. What’s strange about him becoming an Eight-Tailed Earth Fox after more than a decade?"

Su Chan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "But... if he is a Thunder Tribulation expert, why did he pretend to be dead when the Fox Zen Sect was besieged, choosing to watch so many fellow senior sisters die?"

The smile on Ao Wushuang's face softened. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Chan'er, there are some things it is better for you not to know..."

Su Chan's expression became anxious. She hurried to Ao Wushuang’s side and argued, "But Master, I may not need to know, but Yundong has been dragged into this! It was precisely because the Sect Leader Ancestor feigned death that he inherited the position of Fox Zen Sect Leader. Do you know how much he has sacrificed to be a good leader? Do you know how many worries he shoulders for the sect every day?"

Ao Wushuang looked steadily at Su Chan, then suddenly smiled. "Indeed, a girl whose heart is outward. You don't care at all for your own sect members, only for Li Yundong?"

Su Chan said somewhat displeased, "I never grew up in the Fox Zen Sect. Whether I am a member or not... I truly don't care. I only care about Yundong! Where is the Sect Leader Ancestor? I must see him. Why did he feign death? By doing that, he essentially caused the deaths of so many fellow senior sisters! And he implicated Yundong! How many times has he been criticized for being the leader of our Fox Zen Sect? If he weren't the leader... think how respected he would be now!"

Ao Wushuang sighed lightly and said, "Silly girl, don't be foolish! Even if he didn't take on the role of sect leader, as long as he is with you, he would still be criticized. Do you think many of those who paired up with us fox spirits throughout history ended well?"

Su Chan pouted sullenly. "In any case, I must go ask the Sect Leader Ancestor. Even if he owes the Fox Zen Sect nothing, he owes Yundong an explanation." With that, she was eager to leave.

Ao Wushuang, however, glared at her with distinct displeasure and commanded quietly, "Where are you going? Where will you find him? Do you even know?"

"I... I don't know!" Su Chan opened her mouth, the words ready on her tongue, but swallowed them back in frustration. Yet, she quickly brightened. "Master, you must know, right?"

Ao Wushuang shook her head. "No, I don't. He is being watched daily by the bald monks of Xiyuan Temple and Jinshan Temple, constantly leading them in circles. Unless he contacts me, I cannot find him."

Su Chan paused. "Xiyuan Temple and Jinshan Temple? Why are they watching the Sect Leader Ancestor?"

Ao Wushuang sneered, "Hmph! An Eight-Tailed Earth Fox, how dare they not watch him? With the precedent of Ao Wushuang being a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, how could they dare be careless? What if Liu Ye cultivates to the realm of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox?"

Su Chan asked in confusion, "But... I've met the abbot of Xiyuan Temple; Master Puren is an eminent monk. He shouldn't be someone who confuses good and evil, should he? Did... did the Sect Leader Ancestor do something?"

Ao Wushuang immediately shook her head. "Chan'er, stop pressing for details. The Sect Leader Ancestor has his own difficulties; his pretense of death was also a last resort. Furthermore, even if you don't trust him, shouldn't you trust your Master? Don't worry, he will not harm you. Stop asking. All you need to know is that the Sect Leader Ancestor is alive, and he saved you."

Su Chan lowered her head. After hesitating for quite some time, she suddenly looked up and asked, "Master, then can we tell Yundong about this?"

Ao Wushuang stated firmly, "Absolutely not!"

Su Chan immediately jumped up, crying out, "Why not! What happened on Qingcheng Mountain last time was aimed at Yundong, but you wouldn't let me tell him. Why can't I tell him this time either?"

Ao Wushuang shook her head like a rattle drum. "Chan'er, you must believe me. I will not harm you, and he is your beloved—I will not harm him either. If he knew, it would bring disaster, not fortune; nothing good would come of it."

Su Chan cried out in anger, "But by hiding this from him, if something happens, how is he supposed to deal with it?"

Ao Wushuang explained, "He has already broken through the biggest chasm for a cultivator, reaching the Golden Body realm. Although it is only the initial 'Indestructible' Golden Body, he possesses the Dharmakaya of the King Ming Reincarnation, the Great Hand Seal of True Words, and other powerful magical artifacts. His Golden Body power will multiply, giving him the strength to fight even a peak 'Imperishable' Golden Body master. When he cultivates to the intermediate 'Immortal' Golden Body realm, he can even contend with a Thunder Tribulation expert. Hey, since ancient times, it has been an iron law that the Yang Spirit cannot defeat the Golden Body. But there has never been a rule that the Golden Body absolutely cannot defeat the Thunder Tribulation."

Ao Wushuang's expression gradually softened, and she spoke gently to Su Chan, "So, rest assured. Your Yundong will be fine. The reason Master is doing this is entirely for your own good."

Su Chan stared blankly at Ao Wushuang, asking confusedly, "But Master... why is not telling Yundong these things for my own good?"

Ao Wushuang gently stroked Su Chan's hair and smiled faintly. "You will know in the future. For now, it is best you don't know. The only thing you need to know is this: Master will absolutely never harm you."

Su Chan gazed fixedly at Ao Wushuang, seeing only deep compassion and affection in her eyes. After all, Ao Wushuang had raised her since childhood, and her trust and reliance upon her master were almost instinctual. Though her heart was filled with suspicion, she slowly nodded, yet still added with lingering concern, "Master, you must absolutely not harm Yundong!"

Ao Wushuang chuckled, about to reply, when she saw Li Yundong suddenly exhale and awaken peacefully. The seven-colored light swirling around him gradually condensed into a ball of golden radiance that enveloped him, as if his entire body had been plated in gold.

Ao Wushuang smiled faintly and said, "Your Golden Body beloved has awoken."

Seeing Li Yundong wake up, Su Chan immediately cast all her pressing questions aside. She let out a joyous cry and rushed over, laughing, "Yundong! You're awake!"

Li Yundong saw the bright-eyed, charming Su Chan pouncing toward him like a swallow returning to its nest. He caught the young girl and looked around in astonishment, then looked even more surprisedly at Ao Wushuang not far away. "Senior Ao Wushuang? What are you doing here? And where am I? Did you save us?"

Ao Wushuang smiled enigmatically. "I never expected that you would turn misfortune into fortune, shattering the three Earth Origin Spirit Pills and sharing the spiritual essence with others. Although the medicinal power decreased somewhat, it resulted in several Golden Body experts being created simultaneously—a true anomaly, an aberration!"

Li Yundong smiled, commenting with some emotion himself, "I never expected this either; fate plays strange games!"

Saying this, Li Yundong couldn't help but press further, "Senior Ao Wushuang, was it you who drove away Xu Ling with Heavenly Thunder?"

Ao Wushuang smiled, about to answer, when Zi Yuan and Zhou Qin beside them began to stir and wake up one after another.

Su Chan was overjoyed. "Ah! Sister Zi Yuan and Sister Zhou Qin are awake too! Have they also reached the Golden Body realm?"

As she spoke, the nearby Chris also let out a soft moan, a layer of white mist swirling above her head, refusing to dissipate as it steamed up from her Baihui acupoint.

Seeing them all waking up, Li Yundong temporarily set aside his question. He looked concernedly at Zi Yuan and Zhou Qin, then shifted his gaze to Chris.

Facing this blonde, blue-eyed foreign girl who had always vowed to become his disciple, Li Yundong suddenly felt conflicted.

The present Chris had clearly absorbed the immortal essence from the spiritual pills as well. Though the amount was small, it had completely transformed her constitution, akin to how he had his meridians cleansed and marrow washed by the Primeval Golden Pill.

If she could cultivate, her progress would likely be meteoric, allowing her to quickly break through to Foundation Establishment, Yang Spirit, and even aim directly for the Golden Body realm!

Such a promising seed, so eager to cultivate... Should he really take her as a disciple?

Li Yundong fell into hesitation.