Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Lu Yun had just woken up when he felt himself tightly encircled by several fluffy tails.

Sure enough, as soon as he opened his eyes, the little fox lay sprawled like a ball of cloud-like fluff on his lap, tiny claws hooked onto his sleeve, exposing a soft, pinkish-white belly as it slept soundly. The corners of its mouth bore faint traces of glistening droplets, and its pink nose still glistened with a bead of wine.

"..." Lu Yun glanced at the golden goblet—now empty—and pressed his fingers to his forehead, sighing in mild exasperation.

This little one sure had good timing. Normally, under Qing Yue's watch, it wouldn’t have had a chance to touch any wine. But Qing Yue knew that during this time, Lu Yun’s mood was always low. Whenever he drank alone in the corridor, no Divine Servant dared approach. With no one to restrain it, the little fox had even dared to sip from his cup.

Fortunately, the goblet hadn’t contained Wanyinong [a potent spirit] but Ganlindu [sweet dew wine]. Had the little fox drunk Wanyinong, it might have fallen into a ten-thousand-year slumber before waking.

Ganlindu, however, was a brew once crafted by the ancient God of Wine. Typically, with the fall of sweet dew, the drinker would awaken naturally. If Lu Yun wished for the little fox to wake immediately, he could simply alter the course of the sun and moon, summoning sweet dew across the Ancient Realm with a mere wave of his hand.

Yet the divine wine was infused with the essence of thousands of ancient spiritual plants, each tens of thousands of years old, containing vast amounts of Primordial Qi. Even if the little fox woke now, it would struggle to digest such an overwhelming surge of energy, leaving it whimpering pitifully.

Better to let it sleep and slowly absorb the Primordial Qi within.

Of course, Lu Yun could assist in guiding the energy, but external aid paled in comparison to natural assimilation. As the little fox gradually learned to channel the Primordial Qi on its own, its cultivation would grow even more stable.

Gently stroking the little fox’s forehead, he infused a wisp of divine light into its brow. Primordial Qi was ferocious and untamable, but the divine light he imparted would help the little fox guide it more smoothly.

They say even the gods cannot outwit fate... Lu Yun had initially thought it would take the little one at least another thousand years to cultivate its fifth tail. Yet now, after greedily lapping up half a goblet of Ganlindu, the fifth tail seemed within easy reach...

Carrying the fluffy white bundle in his arms, Lu Yun stepped out of the corridor, where the Divine Servants waiting at the entrance bowed at the waist.

"Store away all the wine in the divine palace."

"As you command."

He softly caressed the snow-white tail still stubbornly coiled around him.

Now that he had the little fox, perhaps he no longer needed those fine wines.

***

Luo Ci found herself trapped in a strange, drowsy dream. The world around her was blurred, as if caught in the liminal space between day and night. In the distance stood a towering golden tree, its leaves shimmering like precious metal, so vast that even a hundred people linking arms couldn’t encircle its trunk.

Curious, she pattered closer on her short legs. At first, her body felt heavy, but gradually, she grew lighter. When she glanced back, she saw five magnificent snow-white tails swaying behind her.

"...Squeak?"

Thinking her eyes deceived her, she carefully counted with a tiny paw—yes, there were indeed five tails!

Excited, she wanted to share the good news with Lu Yun immediately. She pattered around, only to find the world eerily empty—nothing but endless white, the sky and ground devoid of anything except that colossal golden tree.

She grew frantic, her little mouth trembling as tears welled up. Then, suddenly, a beam of divine light appeared before her. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly pushed herself up and toddled toward the light.

While the little fox slept, Lu Yun remained by its side, quietly reading an ancient tome by the window. Any Divine Servant present would have noticed, however, that though the ancient god held the book, he hadn’t turned a page in a long while.

Sensing that the Primordial Qi within the little fox was nearly fully absorbed, and hearing its whimpers while pawing weakly, Lu Yun infused another strand of divine light to guide it out of the dream.

Luo Ci blinked her round eyes dazedly, realizing at last that it had all been a dream. With a plaintive whimper, she buried her face into the familiar warmth of Lu Yun’s chest.

"...Squeak." Lu Yun...

Lu Yun stroked the little fox’s head. "Did you dream?"

"Squeak..." Luo Ci lifted her chin, puckering her little mouth.

Lu Yun gently pushed aside the little fox, who was nuzzling into his arms for comfort: "Lift the blanket and take a look at your tail."

"Huh?" Luo Ci turned her head in confusion and realized she had actually grown an extra tail. Though her size hadn’t changed much, the five tails now danced spiritedly, with Primordial Qi dispersing gently amid the radiant glow of the twilight sky, stunningly beautiful.

With a light flick of her snow-white five tails, a grand immortal domain appeared like a mirage above the divine palace before slowly fading away—a sign that her cultivation had advanced yet another level.

"Squeak!" My tail! Luo Ci happily played with her newly grown tail. Even with five now, each one swayed according to her will.

She instinctively wrapped herself around Lu Yun, tilting her head up to both fawn and seek praise: "Ji…" Lu Yun, am I amazing?

Seeing the little fox brimming with pride, Lu Yun looked down at her: "Do you know what you drank?"

Her fox ears twitched slightly as Luo Ci finally remembered sneaking a sip from the cup. Her sudden leap in cultivation must be related to that. She let out a guilty "Ji."

Lu Yun: "And do you know how long you were drunk?"

The little fox blinked her watery eyes, playing innocent.

"You slept for 391 years."

Luo Ci’s eyes widened instantly. She had guessed she might have slept for a long time, given how heavy her body felt upon waking, but never imagined it would be nearly four centuries.

Transforming into human form, she sat in Lu Yun’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling affectionately: "Are you mad at me?"

In human form, the little fox’s hair was as white as snow, bathed in golden osmanthus light. Her face had matured slightly, with round eyes that slanted upward at the corners, blending innocence with a hint of a fox’s natural allure—unmatched even among deities.

Not only was her hair snow-white, but her skin also resembled glowing white glaze, with faint pink hues at her joints. The way she clung to his neck revealed two delicate dimples at her waist.

Lu Yun sighed, averting his gaze as a thick blanket materialized in his palm. He draped it over the little fox’s shoulders: "Go wash up first. You reek of alcohol."

Luo Ci sniffed herself in confusion: "Do I still smell?"

She couldn’t detect anything.

Lu Yun grunted in reply.

Only then did Luo Ci slide down from his lap, the blanket dangling from her shoulders, her fluffy tails propping it up in a half-circle. Her small, rounded toes tapped against the floor as she dashed off to the bath.

Lu Yun sat by the window for a long time, but the little fox didn’t return.

Just as he was about to extend his spiritual senses, he heard a soft whimper from the bath: "Lu Yun…"

He walked over to find the little fox with her arms resting on the edge of the pool, her snow-white face nestled against them, flushed from the steam. Exhausted from digesting the Primordial Qi, she had fallen asleep again, murmuring his name.

Lu Yun bent down and lifted her. Luo Ci cracked open her eyes, recognizing him before relaxing into his hold, mumbling: "So sleepy…"

Seeing her hazy eyes, Lu Yun gently rubbed her ears: "Sleep a little longer."

This time, Luo Ci slept for two more days before finally feeling fully rested.

Upon waking, she wandered around the divine palace, slowly realizing just how long she had been asleep.

The little celestial lotus by the golden pond was gone. She asked the Pale Hornless Dragon and learned that three hundred years ago, it had gained consciousness and descended to the mortal realm to train.

She also couldn’t find the little furball in the palace. When she asked a Divine Servant—who was speaking to the Little Fox Lord for the first time—the servant’s face slowly reddened under her bright, beautiful blue gaze. *The Little Fox Lord is truly stunning…*

Luo Ci caught his thoughts. At first, she would feel a little shy, but after hearing such remarks often—even catching Wild Beasts sneaking glances—she had gotten used to it. Cocking her head, she asked: "Do you know where the little furball went?"

"Forgive me, Little Fox Lord, I’m not sure…" The Divine Servant hesitated before shaking his head. Since the little furball had been brought from the mortal realm by the Little Fox Lord and didn’t belong to the divine palace, where it went was unknown to them.

"Okay..." Luo Ci nodded.

The changes in the Divine Palace weren't major, but the descent of the little immortal lotus and the disappearance of the little fluffball still left him feeling off. It was like he had merely taken a nap, yet so many familiar things had changed.

He couldn't help but wonder if Lu Yun often felt this way each time he awoke from his slumber.

As if what seemed like a fleeting moment to him was, in reality, ages of change around him.

He had heard Qing Yue mention that the ancient deities chose to perish for no other reason than watching the ones they cared about and knew well leave them one by one.

Even the sun, which lights up everything, will one day burn out. Same goes for deities—those who shine their light upon the mortal realm will also grow weary.

Even deities have their own desires...

Lu Yun must also want someone to last, right?

His thoughts were always erratic, yet they inevitably circled back to Lu Yun.

Sitting on a branch of the golden osmanthus, he rested his chin in his hand, staring at the far-off mountains and pondering things he had never considered before.

Qing Yue happened to pass by and asked curiously, "Little Fox Lord, what are you doing up there?"

"Thinking about some things," Luo Ci replied.

After a moment of contemplation, as if reaching a decision, he leaped down from the branch. His snowy hair fell over his shoulders, and the sleeves of his Divine Garment glowed with holy light at the slightest movement. His fluffy, snow-white tail was both stunning and impossible to miss—enough to make the immortals freak out at the sight.

"The Little Fox Lord is truly the most beautiful being in all six realms," Qing Yue remarked sincerely.

The six realms were full of plants and trees, and they served as his eyes and ears. Every word Qing Yue spoke was the truth.

Though the little fox appeared calm on the surface, his tail betrayed his thoughts, giving a little twitch upward.

"Where is Lu Yun?"

Qing Yue replied, "The Ancient Deity is in the Scripture Pavilion."

"Then I'll go find him."

He dashed all the way to the Scripture Pavilion.

This was also a place he often visited with the little clay figure. The pavilion was filled with misty dimness, with countless shelves and categories of books—more than the droplets in the vast ocean. He had never even considered the possibility of reading them all one day.

Luo Ci skipped over to the familiar figure and hugged him, resting his head on the familiar shoulder. His watery eyes showed confusion. "Why are there even more scrolls here than the last time I visited?"

Lu Yun glanced at him. "From chaos comes the infinite, and from the infinite comes all things. As long as the world continues to evolve, the books in the Scripture Pavilion will multiply alongside it."

Luo Ci sort of got it, tilting his head with a faint smile. "Lu Yun, I've grown five tails now. You said five tails mean adulthood, so... can you promise me something?"

"Go on."

Lu Yun closed the scroll.

He assumed the little fox would bring up becoming cultivation partners. Though his feelings weren't yet clear, as a deity, once he had given his word, there was no turning back.

Luo Ci burrowed into his chest, blinking his eyes. "Now that I have five tails, I haven't really had the chance to explore much..."

Lu Yun replied, "And?" This wasn't what he had expected.

The little fox's eyes shone with excitement. "So I was thinking of visiting the mortal world for a while—to see the sights. Can I?"

Lu Yun looked down at him. After a long pause, just as Luo Ci began to think he wouldn't agree, he heard a sigh. "Go ahead."