The Ascent of the Fox Immortal and the Wrath of Heaven

Two more years passed, and Su Mo had just turned eighteen.

She had, in a sense, performed what it meant to ‘bloom three times,’ answering her teacher’s old question:

“If youth isn’t for striving, then how many eighteen-year-olds does one life have?”

“Combined, I suppose it’s three now.”

****

“Ohm~” A wave of sound rippled outward, stirring the surrounding forest and sending autumn leaves spiraling.

She floated upward, her ascent graceful. This time, Su Mo had broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm purely through her own diligent cultivation, rather than relying on external augmentations.

“My cultivation of the *Dust Heart Thunder Inquiry* has reached its peak,” Su Mo murmured, her voice barely a whisper. “Next, I will focus on the *Nine-Tailed Fox Love Sutra* and the *Daoist Admonition for Crossing Suffering*.” She then lightly touched down, her toes barely grazing the earth.

On her path of cultivation, Su Mo had reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment. On the Path of Incense Godhood, this very day would also mark a significant occasion.

“The Fox Immortal Temple has accumulated enough incense, and with the consistent recognition from its devotees, the time has come to manifest the Incense Godhood Avatar.”

A faint smile graced her vermillion lips, her heart overflowing with an inexpressible joy.

The more she understood the Path of Incense Godhood, the clearer it became what the Fox Immortal statue represented, and what immense power an Incense Godhood Avatar truly possessed.

It was no exaggeration to say that condensing an Incense Godhood Avatar was the crucial first step in manifesting power from nothing. Countless unique divine arts would take root and flourish, all based on this very avatar.

The Fox Immortal scriptures and other texts personally authored by Su Mo had long since sown the powerful seeds of the Fox Immortal.

Within these texts, it was recorded how many inconceivable divine arts the Fox Immortal wielded, where she resided in the nine heavens, and even numerous ‘great deeds’ and amusing anecdotes from her life.

The clarity of the logic was simply astounding.

How was Su Mo able to achieve this? Simply by modifying the Chinese myths stored in her mind, wasn’t it?

‘What? Stealing? Can a scholar’s actions truly be called stealing?’

‘She was merely drawing inspiration.’

Adjusting her breathing, Su Mo began to summon the incense power according to the prescribed method.

Golden threads extended from the void, gracefully caught by Su Mo’s delicate fingers. They interwove and braided, ultimately coalescing around a miniature replica of the Fox Immortal statue.

Holding it in her palm, Su Mo raised the miniature statue and gently blew upon it.

“Hoo~”

In that instant, her divine consciousness soared heavenward, her gaze sweeping down upon the earth.

The rhythms of all living things unfolded before her eyes, as if she were a deity commanding every creature.

With a mere thought, she inadvertently awakened the cries of all living beings. In a single moment, the entire mountain range surged with the roars of a hundred beasts.

“Hoo-hoo… Awooo… Coo-coo… Da-da…” This sudden, unexpected change left the three villages below the mountain bewildered and anxious.

They looked up, only to see white clouds vaguely forming a face, its gaze cast downwards.

“What is that?” A commoner, uncomprehending, activated a technique, channeling spiritual energy into their eyes.

Upon looking, they saw the sky shimmering with iridescent light, seven-colored halos drifting across the entire expanse.

These halos converged like a whirlpool, flowing like water, and finally surged towards the Fox Immortal Temple.

At this moment, who could possibly remain ignorant?

“The Fox Immortal has manifested! The Fox Immortal is here!” They hurriedly pulled their friends and family, rushing together towards the Fox Immortal Temple.

Upon their urgent arrival, they found a large crowd already gathered around, with some even prostrating themselves in prayer, seeking blessings from the Fox Immortal.

“Ding-a-ling-ling~~” A wind began to stir, carrying with it an ethereal ringing of bells.

Listening, everyone felt refreshed and invigorated, as if all their worries were being swept away by the chimes.

“Coo-coo… Chirp-chirp…”

“Look quickly, so many birds are coming!” A child excitedly raised a hand, pointing towards the sky.

The crowd looked up, only then seeing a vast flock of birds flying joyfully. They descended around the Fox Immortal Temple, bowing their heads in respectful welcome of something.

Their hearts filled with even greater reverence, the villagers understood that the Fox Immortal was certainly no false deity.

Eighteen years prior, before the Fox Immortal Temple was even built, there stood only a compassionate statue of a nine-tailed fox goddess, seated gracefully amidst a gathering of animals.

In her still posture, she resembled both a mother and a teacher, narrating stories to the small creatures.

This scene had been witnessed by everyone in the village, leaving them greatly astonished and utterly convinced.

Yet, this was only part of their burgeoning faith. Before the Fox Immortal statue even appeared, everyone had witnessed the enormous celestial anomaly in the sky.

Over those eighteen years, the worship of the Fox Immortal had become completely ingrained in the local people’s lives.

Even if the Fox Immortal sometimes seemed unresponsive, they would still defend her.

“Perhaps the Fox Immortal is simply busy, and didn’t notice,” an elder would joke playfully.

But today, the Fox Immortal truly seemed to have arrived. All doubts vanished, leaving only clear minds and unwavering belief.

‘…’ Her gaze encompassed everything, and Su Mo’s consciousness drifted towards the statue.

The moment her consciousness merged, a ripple of seven-colored light emanated. Inside and outside the temple, everyone who had ever offered incense to the Fox Immortal Temple sensed the arrival of an Incense God.

“Ohm~” A seven-colored halo ascended from behind the Fox Immortal statue’s head.

People watched as a figure of seven-colored glazed light detached itself from within the statue.

She rose from within the statue, separating herself entirely.

With a casual lift of her hand, all the items within the statue seemed to come alive, one by one emerging from the stone carving.

“Neigh!” The tall, magnificent horse stood up, taking its place beside the glazed figure.

Cute female immortal children ran over, embracing the glazed figure’s legs.

Innumerable ethereal animal figures appeared, frolicking and playing around the glazed form. Large swathes of verdant tree shadows rose, passing through the Fox Immortal Temple, swaying majestically, and covering a portion of the sky to offer protection to everyone.

“It’s the crucial moment,” Su Mo thought from within the distant forest, mentally linked to the Incense Godhood Avatar and sensing its condensation progress.

Taking form was the first step, revealing her countenance was the second, and bestowing blessings was the third.

In other words, she would first condense the glazed figure, then refine its appearance to reveal it to the public, and finally, bestow blessings as part of the process.

“My own avatar, of course, must be as beautiful as myself.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Mo began to delicately sculpt the Incense Godhood Avatar’s features.

Concurrently, those observing the seven-colored glazed figure noticed its transformation.

“Is the Fox Immortal about to reveal her true form?” A commoner who had traveled beyond the village, possessing some cultivation and thus a degree of insight, wondered aloud.

They understood that Incense Gods rarely manifested their true forms, preferring to maintain an air of mystery.

Only at certain pivotal moments would they reveal their divine presence, and simultaneously display their true countenances.

‘Ah? Are you asking if there’s a difference between the statue and the true form? That’s because there are many records of Incense Gods enjoying a bit of ‘contrast.’

If a statue depicted a terrifying giant serpent coiled like mountains and rivers, then upon the revelation of its true form, one might be astonished to discover a graceful and enchanting goddess.

There were also statues that appeared female, only for their true forms to later reveal them as male Incense Gods.

Friends who frequently cultivated the Path of Incense Godhood knew that this was purely due to not clearly considering the future direction of cultivation when initially sculpting the statue, thus creating such an awkward situation.

Often, only powerful Incense Gods would have true forms highly similar to their statues, having fundamentally locked onto a grand path from the very beginning, with everything paving the same way.

Fortunately, Su Mo’s statue had been handled by an experienced individual, Ghost General.

The implicit understanding contained within it astonished Su Mo more and more with each glance.

Thus, she didn’t need to make many alterations. Following the statue’s design, she gradually shaped the Incense Godhood Avatar’s true countenance.

The only modifications she made were to add some of her personal preferences to the finer details.

“Rumble!!” The sky flashed with thunder, and the auspicious scene suddenly transformed into one of immense peril.

The villagers frantically looked up. However, after clearly seeing the Nine-Tailed Fox Immortal’s true form, their hearts settled once more.

Truly, the Fox Immortal at this moment possessed an utterly captivating allure!

“What on earth did little Su Su change?! How could she trigger a Heavenly Tribulation trial?” Ghost General, hidden among the crowd, watched in astonishment as the heavenly lightning gathered.

“…Did you secretly teach her something? You old ghost, you’re too impatient! This isn’t knowledge she can handle!”

“Don’t talk nonsense, old man! Do you think I don’t understand the Path of Incense Godhood? Could it be a coincidence? How could Su Mo’s modifications align with such terrifying grand truths of the Dao?” Ghost General was so anxious, his ghostly heart nearly started beating again.

Regardless of the argument unfolding, Su Mo remained oblivious. She only knew that the details she had added were a bit ‘over the top,’ causing heaven and earth to suspect her.

It was as if they were asking:

“Did you cheat? Do you even know such an optimal solution? Well then, I’ll test you. Is it truly your doing or not?”

“Huh?”

How was she supposed to understand why merely drawing inspiration from the designs of several Chinese immortals had triggered a Heavenly Tribulation trial?

It wasn’t written in any book!

Standing in the sky, beneath the tribulation lightning, Su Mo felt her future plunge into utter darkness.

After all, this lightning tribulation wasn’t merely targeting the Incense Godhood Avatar in the sky; it was also aimed directly at Su Mo’s true body in the forest.

Even if she were to retract the Incense Godhood Avatar with a thought, the tribulation lightning would simply shift its target, completely obliterating her main body.

“I’m done for, I’m surrounded by tribulation lightning!” Su Mo pursed her lips and looked up, her beautiful eyes reflecting the flashing thunder.