Chapter 126

Chapter 126

A massive, pitch-black calamity beast charged through the valley, its head part leopard, part tiger, with ferocious fangs and glaring eyes. Its muscular limbs were coiled with power, and mystical markings flickered like patterns across its fur.

The wild beasts scattered in unison, hiding within the clouds or retreating into mountain caves.

This calamity beast had come up from the lower realm, possessing only a hint of wild beast ancestry. Yet, after absorbing the Primordial Qi, it grew increasingly savage and ruthless.

When it first arrived in the ancient realm, even a mere sneeze from the wild beasts could leave it at death's door. But this calamity beast was like a beast possessed, its power growing at an astonishing speed. Now, the wild beasts could only flee at the sight of it—if they couldn’t win, wasn’t hiding the only option?

Perched atop the calamity beast’s towering head was a tiny, snow-white bundle, utterly minuscule compared to the beast’s colossal form.

Snow fell thick as goose down, obscuring the view. The calamity beast stood at the peak of the cliff, surveying the entire valley.

There was a time when the ancient realm had neither sun nor moon, nor the cycle of seasons. But because the little fox loved them, now the realm boasted summers and winters, wind, frost, rain, and snow.

The ancient gods clearly spoiled the little fox.

Luo Ci perched securely atop the calamity beast’s head. Unlike his furry companion, who loved coming to the valley to fight the wild beasts, he seldom ventured from the sacred halls. Now, he peered about with childlike wonder, looking left and right.

The towering mountain peak already offered a perfect lookout, and standing atop the beast’s head, he could easily drink in the whole valley.

Dotted along the cliff faces were numerous caves, where snow-white Snow Spirit Beasts and Flame Spirit Beasts with fire-tipped tails curled up together. Outside the caves, winds howled through the snow, but inside, a cozy intimacy filled the air.

A Snow Spirit Beast rolled over, baring its underside, while the Flame Spirit Beast mounted it, its fire-tipped tail gently entwining with the other’s snowy one, its tongue licking the Snow Spirit Beast’s lips.

Luo Ci watched intently. At first, he thought they were just playing, but their amorous positioning soon hinted at something more.

Having always been sheltered, he had never laid eyes on such scenes before. It was both novel and strange to him, his wide, round eyes brimming with questions.

"Peep?"

What are they doing?

The little furball cast a disinterested glance. He had no interest in romantic entanglements—battles and fights excited him far more. But being more worldly than the little fox, he answered, "Showing their love, I suppose."

"Peep?"

Like when I kiss Lu Yun?

Luo Ci cocked his head.

"...It’s different."

The little furball was just as clueless. His massive paw raked through his mane in frustration as he explained, "Those two wild beasts are together because they like each other and are mated."

Luo Ci’s ear twitched, and he twirled his tail absently. "I like Lu Yun too. I’ve lived with him since I was born, and I’ll keep living with him forever."

The little furball: "Still not the same. They’re cultivation partners."

Luo Ci’s cheeks puffed out in a pout. He wasn’t entirely ignorant of romantic relationships—there were plenty of stories about devoted cultivation partners in books. But he had always assumed his relationship with Lu Yun was the same.

He only liked Lu Yun, and Lu Yun had never given anyone else a second glance. Clearly, he liked him too. They had even experienced so many worlds together. So, naturally, he thought they were the same. Yet the little furball insisted otherwise.

Luo Ci’s little head spun with confusion, especially as he watched the two wild beasts’ affectionate display. A strange, subtle emotion stirred within him.

He dimly perceived that something was different.

But he couldn’t find the words for it.

……

Returning to the divine palace from the valley, Luo Ci went to the golden pond as usual to check on the little immortal lotus he had planted.

Under his diligent care, the lotus, once no larger than a thumb, had now grown to the size of a palm.

The golden pond’s surface was glass-still, reflecting the azure sky. Beneath the water, the ghostly outline of a Pale Hornless Dragon could be seen swimming.

Luo Ci remembered his earlier conversation with the dragon, who had told him that the lotus, bathed in the divine light of the palace, would one day awaken to consciousness. Only by facing trials in the mortal world could it achieve enlightenment.

Luo Ci hadn’t expected the little lotus to also need trials in the mortal world. The idea tugged at his heart.

But the dragon explained that all beings born in the lower realm must eventually return there. Trials were necessary for enlightenment—so ruled the heavens.

Luo Ci sighed.

Sliding off the little furball’s back, he approached the pond.

As if sensing the little fox’s presence, the lotus, which had been tightly closed, slowly began to bloom.

Its petals, fine as spun crystal, shimmered with radiant light, spilling prismatic light across the pond’s surface. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful.

In the immortal realm, such a lotus, bathed in divine light, would surely spark a war among celestials. A single petal would be enough to elevate one to the status of an Immortal.

Luo Ci worriedly touched a petal with his finger.

Though he was happy the lotus recognized him, it also meant it had developed spiritual awareness. The time for its descent to the mortal realm was drawing near.

Resting his chin in his palms, he sighed again. "Ah..."

Even within the divine palace, the little fox was not free from worries.

"Grr..."

The little furball shook his fierce head. He didn’t understand the little fox’s concerns. To him, the lotus and the clay figure were nothing more than rivals for the fox’s attention. The sooner they disappeared, the better.

He slowly lay down by the pond. Whenever the little fox visited the lotus, he liked to lean against him. Rolling onto his side, he exposed his soft belly—warm and comfortable, perfect for the little fox to snuggle against.

But Luo Ci only glanced at him. "Your fur is too rough."

With that, he ran off to play in the snow.

The little furball: "..."

As he grew larger, his mane had become even thicker—a symbol of majesty and ferocity, in his eyes.

He spent extra time grooming it every day, only to be rejected by the little fox. His supposedly indestructible heart shattered into pieces.

Just then, a splash of water hit his back. Turning, he saw the Pale Hornless Dragon, submerged in the pond, shaking with silent laughter—clearly mocking him.

Furious, the little furball clawed at the dragon’s scales, sending it darting away in panic. Chasing after it, he thought miserably:

Was his fur really that rough?

……

Luo Ci ran into the divine palace, clutching a small snowball he had made.

As usual, he climbed into Lu Yun’s lap, his bushy tail coiling possessively around the man’s waist. Pressing his lips together, he held up the snowball. "Lu Yun, look! Isn’t my snowball perfectly round?"

Lu Yun looked at the little fox's face the size of a palm, pale from the cold, with a nose tinged pink. He reached out to take the snowball and handed it to Qing Yue, then cupped the little fox's paws in his palms. "How long have you been playing in the snow again?"

"Not long, less than an hour."

Luo Ci's little hands were icy cold but quickly warmed up after being held for a while. He pushed another paw forward. "This one needs warming too."

The chill soon faded entirely, and the little fox clung to him, nuzzling and being clingy for a while before squinting his round eyes and tilting his little face up. "Lu Yun, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Lu Yun gently stroked the little fox's back.

The little fox usually was most protective of his tail, yet whenever he was with Lu Yun, he instinctively coiled it around him—around his arm or waist.

It was a sign of intimacy, an instinctive reliance on him.

When Luo Ci hesitated, he unconsciously tightened his tail a little more before finally mumbled, "Today in the valley, I saw two wild beasts with their tails entwined. Little one said they were Dao companions."

Lu Yun understood what the little fox was hesitating about.

He hummed. "And then?"

Luo Ci bolted upright, blinking his shining round eyes. "The tales say that as long as two people like each other and promise to stay together forever, they can be Dao companions. So... are we Dao companions too?"

To Lu Yun, the little fox's question was both innocent and endearing. For an ancient god who had lived countless millennia, love was too insignificant to matter. He knew many mortals were troubled and bound by love, yet he couldn’t comprehend such worries. Even though he gave no thought to romantic love, he didn’t choose to deceive the little fox either. Instead, he answered honestly, "We are not Dao companions."

The little fox's ears fell instantly.

When the little one had pointed this out earlier, he hadn’t felt so strongly upset. But hearing it from Lu Yun made him feel profoundly disappointed.

"But I like you, Lu Yun," Luo Ci huffed, wrapping his tail tightly around Lu Yun’s waist, pouting in protest. "Don’t you like me?"

Seeing the little one so aggrieved, Lu Yun found it endearing. "Have you ever seen me indulge anyone else the way I do you?"

The little fox tilted his head, thinking. He had never seen Lu Yun care for anyone else the way he did for him.

He flung himself into Lu Yun’s arms, whimpering and being needy. He knew Lu Yun acted indifferent, but secretly loved it when he acted spoiled—every time he did, Lu Yun couldn’t resist him. "Then just become Dao companions with me!"

Lu Yun tsked. "You’re so shameless."

"Shameless, shameless!" Luo Ci rubbed against him while continuing to act spoiled.

Lu Yun had never considered becoming Dao companions with the little fox. When he first brought the tiny kit home, the little fox had been smaller than a fist. His affection for the little fox was both fate and his own volition.

Fate meant he had long known they would meet one day—their connection was destined, intertwined in countless ways.

If fate had brought them together at first, then his later doting on the little fox was entirely his own heart’s choice.

Now, as he searched his heart, the idea of becoming Dao companions with the little fox... wasn't unappealing. Generally, forming Dao companions didn’t necessarily require romantic love. Often, immortals who found mutual benefit in cultivation would join as Dao companions. Since the little fox had this wish, and he himself was amenable, agreeing wouldn’t be unreasonable.

But when it came to the little fox, he couldn’t help but be cautious. Becoming Dao companions was a significant matter even for gods. First, he hadn’t fully examined his own feelings—he feared carelessly agreeing might hurt the little fox. Second, the little fox was still young, not yet a five-tailed fox. Nine-tailed foxes were only considered adults upon growing five tails, and the little fox still knew little of love, remaining childlike in nature... There was no telling if he would still feel the same upon reaching adulthood.

Lu Yun frowned slightly, ignoring the flicker of discontent in his heart.

No matter what, it was still too early to respond to the little fox’s wish.

He said, "Let me think about it."

Luo Ci pouted, his tail tightening stubbornly. "How long do you need to think?"

"Once you grow five tails, you’ll be an adult. If you still feel the same then..."

The little fox perked up his ears. "Then you’ll say yes!"

He buried his face against Lu Yun’s chest, nestling. "You have to wait for me. I’ll grow up fast—you can’t like anyone else, okay?"

Lu Yun felt the tail around him loosen slightly, leaving him strangely bereft. "Alright."

Luo Ci, lulled by the petting, slowly drifted into sleep.

The little fox curled into a ball on his lap, drifting off at some point. Even in sleep, his tail still hooked around Lu Yun’s arm, refusing to let go.

Despite having four large tails now, the little fox remained a tiny, snow-white bundle, pure as new snow. He loved rolling around in the flower garden, so his fur carried a faint scent of golden osmanthus. As he breathed, he nuzzled deeper into Lu Yun’s embrace, his scent enfolding him.

"Little fox..."

Lu Yun murmured softly, "How are you so adorable?"

At that moment, the sky outside darkened abruptly—an absolute, unbroken darkness, as if the world had returned to the primordial chaos before light.

In the courtyard, only the golden osmanthus branches cast a faint glow, the sole color in the encroaching darkness.

The Divine Servants gazed up at the sky, where the roiling black void resembled a suffocating tide, ominous and stifling.

Lu Yun turned his gaze beyond the palace.

The mortal realm was merging with another unfamiliar continent.