A Troubled Disciple and a Pink Fox’s Plight

“It’s done. Let’s head back.”

“Mm.”

The figure of white light dissipated before Zhuang Xun, who then stretched lazily.

He leapt to his feet, soaring into the sky on his sword.

“Sigh…”

‘Raising this disciple is going to lead to trouble.’

A moment later, corpses of varying shapes and sizes floated up from beneath the withered tree.

Some had bestial heads on human bodies, others had monstrous faces on beastly forms.

There were also skeletal figures in human shapes. All of them emanated a chilling and terrifying resentment.

Yet, in the very next moment.

Bursts of green light shimmered on the withered tree branches, and numerous demon-suppressing talismans materialized.

A wave of righteous energy surged forth, suppressing both the resentment and the corpses deep beneath the swamp, where they vanished without a trace.

****

Twenty li outside the forest.

*Whoosh, whoosh!* A pink and white flying fox darted along a small path with incredible speed, startling the roadside weeds.

Above it, a group of sect cultivators pursued on their swords, each wearing an ancient bronze plaque inscribed with ‘Yulin’ at their waist.

“Quick, chase it! Don’t let this demonic beast escape!”

“This is a big prize, worth five hundred spirit stones!”

“How dare this demonic beast wreak havoc among humans? Surrender now!”

“Bullshit! You just want to swallow it whole and claim the bounty for yourself!”

“What’s the use of such high-sounding words? Whoever catches it, it’s theirs!”

A grey-robed man, riding his sword at an astonishing speed, quickly overtook the others. He was now barely a hundred meters from the pink and white flying fox.

“Haha… You’re mine!”

Yet, in the very next second, the pink and white flying fox suddenly halted, turning to let out a sharp cry.

“Ying~!”

The grey-robed man froze for a moment, then immediately clutched his ears, channeling his spiritual energy to resist the sudden sonic wave.

The other cultivators in pursuit, seeing this, also circulated their spiritual energy to defend themselves.

Only the flying fox, its speed undiminished, seized the opportunity. It gathered its strength for a leap, intending to plunge into the shadowy swamp forest not far away.

****

Zhuang Xun stood poised on his spirit sword, soaring through the air, contemplating his next move.

‘As for what’s next…’

‘According to the original plot, Prince Pingliang, Qin Yong, dissatisfied with the current sovereign Qin Min’s governance, intended to raise an army and seize the throne.’

‘Qin Zhaoyu, a cultivator experiencing the mortal world, also planned to settle the old grievances with her father, Qin Min.’

‘Their objectives were largely aligned.’

‘Furthermore, Prince Pingliang knew that Qin Min was backed by a mysterious cultivation sect, and feared his own strength might be insufficient.’

‘Thus, he began recruiting talented individuals, widely enlisting rogue cultivators who roamed mountains and temples, preparing for any eventuality.’

‘Therefore, Qin Zhaoyu, being a high-level rogue cultivator, immediately found common ground with Prince Pingliang.’

‘Given the current timeline, the two should be plotting a grand scheme to force the emperor’s abdication.’

‘This plan would require a Ghost Resentment Flower, which grew in an extremely yin-rich location, to create a poison.’

At the mention of the Ghost Resentment Flower, Zhuang Xun’s face took on the helpless expression of an old father.

‘That girl is truly audacious, daring to venture into even a land of the undead.’

‘It’s a good thing I’m following her. Otherwise, who knows what kind of chaos her actions would stir up along this border.’

As the author of this novel’s world, Zhuang Xun was intimately familiar with the settings of certain special locations.

Such as this swamp forest. Deep within it, a Nascent Soul stage venomous python lay hidden.

If it were disturbed inadvertently, not a single living creature would remain within a hundred-li radius.

‘Originally, this was meant to be a phased elite monster for her to gain experience. But now, she’s arrived early and even entered the deep zone.’

‘Isn’t she just courting death? If I hadn’t suppressed the resentment from behind, that venomous beast would have awakened by now.’

“Sigh…”

‘This girl truly gives me endless worries…’

As his thoughts concluded, a pink object shot upwards, rapidly assailing Zhuang Xun.

“Hm? What in the world is that?”

Zhuang Xun slightly shifted his body, and the pink object instantly streaked past him.

“…”

He paused mid-air, turning his head to look at the pink figure. “A fox… and it’s pink,” he mused, a hint of confusion in his voice.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!* Several more afterimages swiftly darted past him, accompanied by increasingly distant shouts and curses.

“Don’t run! You cunning fox demon!”

“Demon, don’t even think of escaping!”

“That’s a month’s worth of cultivation resources! Don’t let it get away!”

“…”

“…”

Zhuang Xun watched them disappear into the distance, momentarily stunned, before blurting out a rather crude expletive: “Damn it, are they here to cause me trouble?!”

‘I just finished suppressing the resentment, and now a few troublemakers show up. They truly offer no peace of mind!’

****

In an instant.

The pink flying fox, spotting the shadowy swamp forest from the air, believed it could finally escape the human cultivators’ pursuit.

Yet, in the very next moment.

A force seized it by the scruff of its neck, leaving its body suspended in mid-air.

Then, a clear, steady young man’s voice reached its ears.

“Everyone stop. This place is not to be entered.”

With one hand, Zhuang Xun held the pink fox by the scruff of its neck, and with the other, he wielded his sword, blocking the Foundation Establishment stage disciples of the Yulin Sect who intended to continue their chase.

“Could it be that Your Excellency is here to snatch this demonic beast?”

“Even if Your Excellency wishes to contend for it, shouldn’t there be an order of arrival?”

“Perhaps Your Excellency also wishes to claim a share?”

“…”

“How dull.”

Zhuang Xun’s expression subtly hardened, and a wave of righteous sword intent swept forth, making the Foundation Establishment disciples before him tremble to their core.

“I’ve already stated that this place is forbidden; a great ominous creature resides within.”

“If you refuse to listen, then I shall cut you all down.”

Zhuang Xun’s tone was calm and chilling, laced with a biting cold.

“…”

“Run! This person is invincible!”

The Foundation Establishment disciples were not so foolish as to be ignorant of the situation.

Seeing that the opponent’s cultivation realm was clearly superior to theirs, and possessed such a formidable sword intent and aura, they immediately concluded that this person’s background was extraordinary and not to be trifled with.

As for the fox, they could simply take another sect bounty; there was no need to get severely injured over five hundred spirit stones.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!* The few cultivators immediately soared away on their swords, not daring to look back.

“…”

Watching their figures gradually disappear into the distance, Zhuang Xun let out a slight sigh of relief.

‘Thankfully, they didn’t venture too deep.’

However, as he lifted the culprit and examined it closely, a look of confusion appeared on his face.

‘Do the fox tribes even have pink variants? Never mind. I’ll take it back and study it later.’

Zhuang Xun turned his head slightly, glanced at the swamp forest he had suppressed with his talismans, then departed, carrying the fox by the scruff of its neck.

It was as if he were carrying a pet dog.

The pink fox, meanwhile, dared not struggle in the slightest.

Even though that sword intent hadn’t been directed at it, its acute, instinctual perception of danger still allowed it to clearly sense the immense threat that sword intent posed to its life.

‘Its cultivation was low, and it only had one fox life. At a time like this, it absolutely could not rashly provoke this man.’

****

The Ancient God Domain of Demons.

Within an ancient and mysterious sacred mountain, a woman sat cross-legged atop a towering ancient altar.

Her body possessed graceful curves, and the slightly open collar of her dress revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her fair, alluring cleavage.

Her naturally enchanting spiritual eyes were gently closed, and her silver hair cascaded down her back like a snowy waterfall, resembling a scattered constellation.

Nine soft, fluffy fox tails hung naturally in the void, tranquil as still water.

Beneath her exquisite and elegant countenance, her alluring physique, clad in simple ancient robes, emanated a faint aura of the Dao of Reincarnation.

Ancient, mysterious, and eternally enduring.

In her hand, she clutched a fragmented dragon-shaped ancient jade, murmuring to herself.

“This final life…”

“Soon…”

“I shall reach the Minor Consummation Realm of Three Lives…”

“And find Master’s true body.”