qiáng rú táo jī ， jū rán yī shùn jiān jiù bèi miè shā diào le 。
强如梼机，居然一瞬间就被灭杀掉了。
Even Zhuang Ji, formidable as he was, had been utterly annihilated in an instant.
zhè yàng lìng rén zhèn hàn de yí mù ， ruò fēi qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， bù lùn shuí shuō yǔ tā tīng ， lín xuān dōu bú huì xiāng xìn 。
这样令人震撼的一幕，若非亲眼目睹，不论谁说与他听，林轩都不会相信。
Such a shocking scene would have been impossible for Lin Xuan to believe if not witnessed firsthand.
méi cuò ， zhè bú shì táo háng de běn tǐ ， jǐn jǐn shì yī jù huà shēn ér yǐ ， dàn huà shēn yě shì dù jié qī ， zhè yì diǎn bù róng zhì yí 。
没错，这不是梼杭的本体，仅仅是一具化身而已，但化身也是渡劫期，这一点不容置疑。
Indeed, this wasn't the true form of Zhuang Heng; it was merely an avatar. But that avatar was at the Tribulation Transcending stage—this was beyond doubt.
huàn jù huà shuō ， yī dù jié qī qiáng zhě ， jū rán yí gè zhào miàn jiù bèi miè shā diào le ， zài nà shén mì nǚ zǐ de shǒu lǐ ， tā de biǎo xiàn ， bìng bù bǐ yī zhī lóu yǐ qiáng tài duō 。
换句话说，一渡劫期强者，居然一个罩面就被灭杀掉了，在那神秘女子的手里，他的表现，并不比一只蝼蚁强太多。
In other words, one Tribulation Transcending powerhouse had just been wiped out in a single blow by this mysterious woman. His performance in her hands did not fare much better than a mere ant.
zhè shì hé děng lìng rén zhèn hàn de yí mù 。
这是何等令人震撼的一幕。
This was truly a breathtaking scene.
rán ér piān piān tā jiù fā shēng le 。
然而偏偏它就发生了。
Yet it happened right before his eyes.
lín xuān zhǐ jué zì jǐ de nǎo dài yī piàn jiāng hú ， dàn hěn kuài ， líng guāng shǎn guò 。
林轩只觉自己的脑袋一片浆糊，但很快，灵光闪过。
Lin Xuan felt as if his mind was muddled, but soon, a flash of insight struck him. Such formidable strength could not belong to an unknown nobody. Could this woman's identity be so hard to guess?
rú cǐ qiáng de shí lì ， zì rán bù kě néng shì wú míng xiǎo zú ， yòu měi dào jiāng hóng yán huò shuǐ jí de měi nǚ shuǎi chū shí qī bā tiáo jiē de dì bù ， zhè nǚ zǐ de shēn fèn hěn nán cāi me ？
如此强的实力，自然不可能是无名小卒，又美到将红颜祸水级的美女甩出十七八条街的地步，这女子的身份很难猜么？
At least Lin Xuan had his own conjectures.
zhì shǎo lín xuān yǐ yǒu le zì jǐ de chuǎi mó 。
至少林轩已有了自己的揣摩。
Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox!
jiǔ wěi tiān hú ！
九尾天狐！
One of the three legendary demon kings in legend, the sovereign of the mysterious Qingqiu Kingdom—only she met both these conditions.
chuán shuō zhōng de sān dà yāo wáng zhī yī ， yǐ shén mì zhù chēng de qīng qiū guó zhǔ ， wéi yǒu tā ， cái tóng shí mǎn zú zhè liǎng gè tiáo jiàn de 。
传说中的三大妖王之一，以神秘著称的青丘国主，唯有她，才同时满足这两个条件的。
Was it really her?
zhēn de shì tā me ？
真的是她么？
But a sovereign from the Qingqiu Kingdom was already a true top-tier figure in the Spirit Realm. Even Tribulation Transcending sages found it hard to meet her casually.
zhǐ shì ， táng táng qīng qiū guó zhǔ ， zài líng jiè yǐ shì zhēn zhèng dǐng ér jiān ér de rén wù ， jí biàn shì dù jié qī dà néng ， děng xián yě nán yǒu jī huì jiàn tā yí miàn 。
只是，堂堂青丘国主，在灵界已是真正顶儿尖儿的人物，即便是渡劫期大能，等闲也难有机会见她一面。
Why would she come here?
tā lái zhè lǐ zuò shén me ？
她来这里做什么？
For Zhuang Ji?
yīn wèi táo jī ？
因为梼机？
A joke.
kāi wán xiào 。
开玩笑。
Even if Zhuang Ji had arrived in the Spirit Realm, he was merely an avatar. The original form wouldn't be worth her attention either.
bié shuō táo jī lái dào líng jiè de ， jǐn jǐn shì qū qū yī jù huà shēn ér yǐ ， jiù suàn shì běn tǐ ， yě bù zhí dé tā dòng shǒu de 。
别说梼机来到灵界的，仅仅是区区一具化身而已，就算是本体，也不值得她动手的。
Chaos Beast, the primordial being of the four great evils, was Ice Soul Saint Ancestor's pet.
sì xiōng zhī hùn dùn ， nǎi shì bīng pò shèng zǔ de chǒng wù 。
四凶之混沌，乃是冰魄圣祖的宠物。
By comparison, Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox was no less formidable or prestigious than Ice Soul Saint Ancestor. This alone showed that she and Zhuang Ji were not on the same level.
ér jiǔ wěi tiān hú jiù shí lì shēn fèn lái shuō ， yì diǎn yě bù xùn sè yú bīng pò shèng zǔ ， cóng zhè yì diǎn ， jiù kě yǐ kàn chū tā yǔ táo jī ， gēn běn jiù bú shì yí gè céng miàn de 。
而九尾天狐就实力身份来说，一点也不逊色于冰魄圣祖，从这一点，就可以看出她与梼机，根本就不是一个层面的。
She came here for Zhuang Heng? No...
tā lái zhè lǐ ， bú shì wèi le dǎo háng ， nà ……，
她来这里，不是为了祷杭，那……，
Thinking this way, a chill ran down Lin Xuan's spine. Could it be that she had discovered the secrets of Blue Star Sea or the Five Dragon Seal?
xiǎng dào cǐ chù ， yī gǔ hán yì ， yóu lín xuān de bèi hòu mào qǐ ， nán dào cǐ nǚ fā xiàn le lán sè xīng hǎi huò zhě shì wǔ lóng xǐ de mì mì ……
想到此处，一股寒意，由林轩的背后冒起，难道此女发现了蓝色星海或者是五龙玺的秘密……
Impossible, he hadn't seen Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox before. But it was also hard to say if he truly hadn't met her. Such high-level experts might possess some inexplicable abilities.
bù kě néng a ， zì jǐ zài zhè zhī qián ， cóng wèi jiàn guò jiǔ wěi tiān hú ， bù guò yě hěn nán shuō ， zì jǐ shì méi yǒu jiàn guò ， dàn zhè zhǒng céng miàn de gāo shǒu wàn yī yǒu yī xiē bù kě sī yì de néng lì ne ？
不可能啊，自己在这之前，从未见过九尾天狐，不过也很难说，自己是没有见过，但这种层面的高手万一有一些不可思议的能力呢？
For a moment, Lin Xuan felt extremely wary but quickly relaxed his body.
yī shí jiān ， lín xuān dà wèi jiè jù ， dàn tā hěn kuài ， jiù fàng sōng le zì jǐ de shēn tǐ 。
一时间，林轩大为戒惧，但他很快，就放松了自己的身体。
It's better to be safe than sorry. Fear serves no purpose; he wouldn’t stand much of a chance against Zhuang Ji’s avatar in front of this Qingqiu Kingdom sovereign.
shì fú bú shì huò ， shì huò duǒ bù guò 。
是福不是祸，是祸躲不过。
Since resistance was futile, he might as well go with the flow.
hài pà yòu yǒu shén me yòng tú ， zì jǐ lián táo jī de huà shēn dōu dǎ bù guò ， zài zhè wèi qīng qiū guó zhǔ de miàn qián ， kǒng pà jiù yǔ yī zhī lóu yǐ chà bu duō 。
害怕又有什么用途，自己连梼机的化身都打不过，在这位青丘国主的面前，恐怕就与一只蝼蚁差不多。
Moreover, it was just his conjecture. Maybe it was all for naught?
jì rán fǎn kàng méi yǒu yòng tú ， nà shùn qí zì rán jiù hǎo le 。
既然反抗没有用途，那顺其自然就好了。
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Lin Xuan regained some composure. He had seen many storms before; even though facing a Qingqiu Kingdom sovereign now, he wouldn't show too much fear or unease. He didn’t want to expose any vulnerabilities due to his paranoia.
ér qiě zhè jǐn jǐn shì zì jǐ de chuǎi mó ， shuō bù dìng shì qǐ rén yōu tiān ne ？
而且这仅仅是自己的揣摩，说不定是杞人忧天呢？
On the other side, Shang'er was even more shocked than Lin Xuan.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān liǎn shàng huī fù le xiē xǔ zhèn dìng zhī sè ， dà fēng dà làng tā jiàn dé duō le ， yǎn qián suī rán miàn duì de shì qīng qiū guó zhǔ ， dàn lín xuān yě bú huì biǎo xiàn chū tài duō de hài pà yǔ jú cù ， tā kě bù xiǎng yīn wèi zì jǐ de yí shén yí guǐ ， ér lù chū pò zhàn shén me 。
脑海中念头转过，林轩脸上恢复了些许镇定之色，大风大浪他见得多了，眼前虽然面对的是青丘国主，但林轩也不会表现出太多的害怕与局促，他可不想因为自己的疑神疑鬼，而露出破绽什么。
Initially, she had prepared to sacrifice herself and was ready for her soul to be obliterated. She hadn’t expected Zhuang Ji, who was so invincible, to collapse, while she remained unscathed.
zài shuō lìng yī biān ， xiāng ér suǒ gǎn shòu dào de zhèn hàn ， gèng shì yuǎn yuǎn shèng guò le lín xuān 。
再说另一边，香儿所感受到的震撼，更是远远胜过了林轩。
Was this a dream?
yuán běn tā shě shēn xiāng jiù ， yǐ shì zuò hǎo shén hún jù miè de zhǔn bèi le ， méi xiǎng guò yì biàn tū qǐ ， nà bù kě yī shì de táo jī yǔn luò ， ér zì jǐ ， yī jiù hǎo hǎo de huó zhe 。
原本她舍身相救，已是做好神魂俱灭的准备了，没想过异变突起，那不可一世的梼机陨落，而自己，依旧好好的活着。
Shang'er's eyes flickered with a hint of dizziness, but the figure in front of her seemed incredibly real. There was an inexplicable sense of closeness that felt almost spiritual and deeply rooted.
zhè shì zài zuò mèng me ？
这是在做梦么？
The feeling of closeness was peculiar; it was hard to describe. It seemed to come from deep within her soul, from the most profound memories.
xiāng ér yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī mí lí zhī sè ， ér qián fāng de rén yǐng duì tā lái shuō ， piān piān yòu shì wú bǐ de zhēn shí ， ér qiě mò míng qí miào yǒu yī zhǒng hěn qīn jìn de gǎn jué 。
香儿眼中闪过一丝迷离之色，而前方的人影对她来说，偏偏又是无比的真实，而且莫名其妙有一种很亲近的感觉。
Shang'er's eyes were blurry as she couldn’t quite grasp what she was thinking. At this moment, the mysterious woman turned towards her.
nà qīn jìn zhī yì hěn shì qí tè ， shuō bù qīng ， dào bù míng ， fǎng fú lái zì líng hún shēn chù ， lái zì xuè mài zuì shēn de jì yì shì de 。
那亲近之意很是奇特，说不清，道不明，仿佛来自灵魂深处，来自血脉最深的记忆似的。
Her features were shrouded in a misty veil, even Lin Xuan struggled to make out details. But even with this hazy vision, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
xiāng ér yǎn zhōng yī piàn mí hū ， zì jǐ dōu bù qīng chǔ zì jǐ jiū jìng zài xiǎng shén me ， rán ér jiù zài cǐ kè ， nà shén mì de nǚ zǐ jiāng jiāo qū zhuǎn guò lái le 。
香儿眼中一片迷糊，自己都不清楚自己究竟在想什么，然而就在此刻，那神秘的女子将娇躯转过来了。
Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox!
tā de wǔ guān ， lǒng zhào zài yī piàn mí wù zhī zhōng ， jí biàn yǐ lín xuān de yǎn lì ， yě kàn bù qīng chǔ ， rán ér jí biàn shì méng méng lóng lóng de ， yī jiù shì měi dào wú yǐ fù jiā de dì bù 。
她的五官，笼罩在一片迷雾之中，即便以林轩的眼力，也看不清楚，然而即便是朦朦胧胧的，依旧是美到无以复加的地步。
Legend had it that her beauty rivaled that of the ancient Arhats.
jiǔ wěi tiān hú ！
九尾天狐！
The high and mighty sovereign of Qingqiu Kingdom now appeared extremely gentle. Her gaze swept over Shang'er’s face before she smiled: "Little sister, what's your name?"
chuán shuō ， tā de měi lì bǐ zhī xī rì de ā xiū luó wáng yě bù xùn sè 。
传说，她的美丽比之昔日的阿修罗王也不逊色。
"Shang'er."
gāo gāo zài shàng de qīng qiū guó zhǔ ， cǐ kè kàn xiàng shàng qù ， què shì wēn róu dào jí chù ， tā de mù guāng ， zài xiāng ér de liǎn shàng huá guò ， xiào le ：“ xiǎo mèi mèi ， nǐ jiào shén me ？”
高高在上的青丘国主，此刻看像上去，却是温柔到极处，她的目光，在香儿的脸上划过，笑了：“小妹妹，你叫什么？”
Her voice seemed to carry a certain magic; Shang'er couldn't help but answer her question.
“ xiāng ér 。”
“香儿。”
Actually, it wasn’t entirely involuntary—she had just been saved by this woman. Shang'er knew gratitude and didn’t see any reason to hide her name after such a rescue.
duì fāng de shēng yīn ， fǎng fú dài zhe yī gǔ mó lì ， xiāng ér bù yóu zì zhǔ de huí dá le duì fāng de wèn tí 。
对方的声音，仿佛带着一股魔力，香儿不由自主的回答了对方的问题。
"Mm, Shang'er is a lovely name... Would you be willing to take me as your teacher?"
qí shí yě tán bù shàng shén me bù yóu zì zhǔ ， duì fāng gāng gāng kě shì jiù le zì jǐ de mìng lái zhe ， xiāng ér bú shì bù zhī dào zhī ēn tú bào de rén wù ， hé kuàng jǐn jǐn wèn wèn míng zì ， tā yòu yǒu shén me bì yào yǐn mán ne ？
其实也谈不上什么不由自主，对方刚刚可是救了自己的命来着，香儿不是不知道知恩图报的人物，何况仅仅问问名字，她又有什么必要隐瞒呢？
Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox seemed to smile, but the next words left everyone in shock.
“ ń ， xiāng ér ， hěn hǎo tīng de míng zì ， de …… kě yuàn yì bài wǒ wèi shī ？”
“嗯，香儿，很好听的名字，的……可愿意拜我为师？”
Becoming a disciple?
jiǔ wěi tiān hú fǎng fú xiào le yī xià ， rán ér suǒ shuō de xià yī jù huà què ràng zài chǎng de rén dōu jīng dāi le 。
九尾天狐仿佛笑了一下，然而所说的下一句话却让在场的人都惊呆了。
Could it be that this Qingqiu Kingdom sovereign, a top-tier figure in the Spirit Realm, had come here not because she discovered his secret or intended to deal with Zhuang Heng, but for Shang'er’s sake?
bài shī ？
拜师？
This was too strange.
nán dào zhè wèi qīng qiū guó zhǔ ， líng jiè dǐng ér jiān ér de rén wù lái dào cǐ chù ， jì bú shì yīn wèi fā xiàn le zì jǐ de mì mì ， yě bú shì wèi le duì fù táo háng ， ér shì yīn wèi xiāng ér de yuán gù 。
难道这位青丘国主，灵界顶儿尖儿的人物来到此处，既不是因为发现了自己的秘密，也不是为了对付梼杭，而是因为香儿的缘故。
Shang'er, though also a demon fox, belonged to the same lineage as Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox. However, their strength levels were incomparable.
dàn zhè jiù tài qí guài le 。
但这就太奇怪了。
At the Soul Formation stage in Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox's eyes, Shang'er was like an ant.
xiāng ér suī rán yě shǔ yú yāo hú ， yǔ zhè wèi qīng qiū guó zhǔ cóng mǒu zhǒng yì yì lái shuō ， suàn shì tóng zú ， rán ér liǎng zhě de shí lì ， gēn běn jiù bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ 。
香儿虽然也属于妖狐，与这位青丘国主从某种意义来说，算是同族，然而两者的实力，根本就不可同日而语。
For someone of her status, even Tribulation Transcending existences would vie for her attention. Could a high-profile Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox personally visit just to find a disciple?
fēn shén qī ， zài jiǔ wěi tiān hú de yǎn zhōng ， jiù fǎng fú lóu yǐ 。
分神期，在九尾天狐的眼中，就仿佛蝼蚁。
Such a claim wouldn’t be believed by anyone.
yǐ tā de shēn fèn ruò xiǎng shōu tú ， jiù suàn shì dù jié qī cún zài kǒng pà yě yào qū zhī ruò wù ， táng táng de jiǔ wěi tiān hú ， qīn shēn jià lín cǐ chù jū rán shì wèi le xún zhǎo tú dì me ？
以她的身份若想收徒，就算是渡劫期存在恐怕也要趋之若鹜，堂堂的九尾天狐，亲身驾临此处居然是为了寻找徒弟么？
But the facts were there; how could they be denied?
zhè zhǒng shì qíng shuō chū qù yě bú huì yǒu rén xiāng xìn de 。
这种事情说出去也不会有人相信的。
The only possibility was that Shang'er’s potential had caught her eye.
rán ér shì shí bǎi zài yǎn qián yòu zěn me kě néng jiǎ dé le ne ？
然而事实摆在眼前又怎么可能假得了呢？
After all, being born with three tails was unprecedented in both the mortal and Spirit Realms. Such talent hadn't appeared for millions of years.
nà me wéi yī de kě néng jiù shì xiāng ér de zī zhì ràng duì fāng dòng xīn le 。
那么唯一的可能就是香儿的资质让对方动心了。
Was it because of this reason?
bì jìng yī chū shēng jiù yōng yǒu sān tiáo wěi ba ， zhè yàng de zī zhì ， bié shuō xià jiè le ， jiù suàn shì líng jiè yě jīng shì hài sú ， shàng bǎi wàn nián yě bú jiàn de néng chū xiàn yí gè 。
毕竟一出生就拥有三条尾巴，这样的资质，别说下界了，就算是灵界也惊世骇俗，上百万年也不见得能出现一个。
Lin Xuan's eyes flashed with determination as he maintained his calm demeanor. Deep down, a sigh of relief washed over him; just now, he had been extremely anxious.
shì yīn wèi zhè ge yuán gù me ？
是因为这个缘故么？
Fortunately, worry was unnecessary. She came here for Shang'er.
lín xuān yǎn zhōng jīng máng shǎn guò ， biǎo qíng yī jiù shì dàn dìng cóng róng ， rán ér nèi xīn shēn chù ， què shì qiāo qiāo sòng le yì kǒu qì le ， zhǐ yǒu tā zì jǐ cái xiǎo de ， gāng gāng ， zì jǐ qí shí shì yǒu duō me jǐn zhāng de 。
林轩眼中精芒闪过，表情依旧是淡定从容，然而内心深处，却是悄悄送了一口气了，只有他自己才晓得，刚刚，自己其实是有多么紧张的。
For Shang'er, this was an unimaginable opportunity to gain the favor of one of the three legendary demon kings in the Spirit Realm. With Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox’s approval, her path would be smooth sailing. Even Zhuang Heng himself wouldn’t dare harm her with such a formidable teacher.
hǎo zài dān xīn shì duō yú ， duì fāng shì yīn wèi xiāng ér lái dào zhè lǐ 。
好在担心是多余，对方是因为香儿来到这里。
Lin Xuan's reaction was lackluster; the princess was still dazed. Such an invitation was too unexpected. For a moment, she thought she had misheard and stammered: "Y-You said...?"
ér qiě duì xiāng ér lái shuō ， zhè shì nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng de xiān yuán ， dé dào líng jiè sān dà yāo wáng zhī yī de jiǔ wěi tiān hú de qīng yǎn ， xiāng ér jīn hòu de xiān lù ， jiāng yī piàn tǎn tú ， yǒu zhè me yī wèi bù dé qǐ de shī fù ， jiù suàn shì táo háng běn tǐ jià lín cǐ chù ， yě xiū xiǎng zài shāng hài dào tā le 。
而且对香儿来说，这是难以想象的仙缘，得到灵界三大妖王之一的九尾天狐的青眼，香儿今后的仙路，将一片坦途，有这么一位不得起的师傅，就算是梼杭本体驾临此处，也休想再伤害到她了。
"Would you be willing to take me as your teacher?" Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox’s smile remained unchanged.
lín xuān de fǎn yìng shí fēn xùn sè ， ér xiǎo gōng zhǔ hái zài nà lǐ mí mí hū hū ， zhè yàng de yāo qǐng ， shí zài tài chū rén yì liào le ， yī shùn jiān ， tā jī hū yǐ wéi zì jǐ tīng cuò ， chī chī de kāi kǒu le ：“ nín …… nín shuō shén me ？”
林轩的反应十分逊色，而小公主还在那里迷迷糊糊，这样的邀请，实在太出人意料了，一瞬间，她几乎以为自己听错，吃吃的开口了：“您……您说什么？”
This time, Shang'er finally heard clearly but looked incredulous. Her eyes weren’t as perceptive as Lin Xuan's, nor was her experience as rich. But Shang'er wasn't stupid; she had just witnessed the mysterious woman decimate Zhuang Ji with a single move.
“ nǐ yuàn yì bài wǒ wèi shī me ？” jiǔ wěi tiān hú liǎn shàng de xiào róng ， méi yǒu fēn háo jiǎn ruò 。
“你愿意拜我为师么？”九尾天狐脸上的笑容，没有分毫减弱。
Even though it was an avatar, it was still at the Tribulation Transcending stage. In her eyes, it seemed like a clay figure or paper doll—just one gesture and both soul and body were annihilated.
zhè yī cì ， xiāng ér zhōng yú tīng qīng chǔ ， dàn liǎn shàng què liú lù chū bù kě sī yì zhī sè ， tā de yǎn guāng méi yǒu lín xuān dú ， jiàn shí yě bù jí tā fēng fù ， rán ér xiāng ér bù shǎ ， gāng cái tā kě shì qīn yǎn kàn jiàn zhè wèi shén mì de nǚ zǐ yī zhāo jiù miè shā le táo jī 。
这一次，香儿终于听清楚，但脸上却流露出不可思议之色，她的眼光没有林轩毒，见识也不及他丰富，然而香儿不傻，刚才她可是亲眼看见这位神秘的女子一招就灭杀了梼机。
Such power wanted to take her as a disciple; Shang'er knew she had stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Collapse!
Even Zhuang Ji, formidable as he was, had been utterly annihilated in an instant.
Such a shocking scene would have been impossible for Lin Xuan to believe if not witnessed firsthand.
Indeed, this wasn't the true form of Zhuang Heng; it was merely an avatar. But that avatar was at the Tribulation Transcending stage—this was beyond doubt.
In other words, one Tribulation Transcending powerhouse had just been wiped out in a single blow by this mysterious woman. His performance in her hands did not fare much better than a mere ant.
This was truly a breathtaking scene.
Yet it happened right before his eyes.
Lin Xuan felt as if his mind was muddled, but soon, a flash of insight struck him. Such formidable strength could not belong to an unknown nobody. Could this woman's identity be so hard to guess?
At least Lin Xuan had his own conjectures.
Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox!
One of the three legendary demon kings in legend, the sovereign of the mysterious Qingqiu Kingdom—only she met both these conditions.
Was it really her?
But a sovereign from the Qingqiu Kingdom was already a true top-tier figure in the Spirit Realm. Even Tribulation Transcending sages found it hard to meet her casually.
Why would she come here?
For Zhuang Ji?
A joke.
Even if Zhuang Ji had arrived in the Spirit Realm, he was merely an avatar. The original form wouldn't be worth her attention either.
Chaos Beast, the primordial being of the four great evils, was Ice Soul Saint Ancestor's pet.
By comparison, Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox was no less formidable or prestigious than Ice Soul Saint Ancestor. This alone showed that she and Zhuang Ji were not on the same level.
She came here for Zhuang Heng? No...
Thinking this way, a chill ran down Lin Xuan's spine. Could it be that she had discovered the secrets of Blue Star Sea or the Five Dragon Seal?
Impossible, he hadn't seen Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox before. But it was also hard to say if he truly hadn't met her. Such high-level experts might possess some inexplicable abilities.
For a moment, Lin Xuan felt extremely wary but quickly relaxed his body.
It's better to be safe than sorry. Fear serves no purpose; he wouldn’t stand much of a chance against Zhuang Ji’s avatar in front of this Qingqiu Kingdom sovereign.
Since resistance was futile, he might as well go with the flow.
Moreover, it was just his conjecture. Maybe it was all for naught?
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Lin Xuan regained some composure. He had seen many storms before; even though facing a Qingqiu Kingdom sovereign now, he wouldn't show too much fear or unease. He didn’t want to expose any vulnerabilities due to his paranoia.
On the other side, Shang'er was even more shocked than Lin Xuan.
Initially, she had prepared to sacrifice herself and was ready for her soul to be obliterated. She hadn’t expected Zhuang Ji, who was so invincible, to collapse, while she remained unscathed.
Was this a dream?
Shang'er's eyes flickered with a hint of dizziness, but the figure in front of her seemed incredibly real. There was an inexplicable sense of closeness that felt almost spiritual and deeply rooted.
The feeling of closeness was peculiar; it was hard to describe. It seemed to come from deep within her soul, from the most profound memories.
Shang'er's eyes were blurry as she couldn’t quite grasp what she was thinking. At this moment, the mysterious woman turned towards her.
Her features were shrouded in a misty veil, even Lin Xuan struggled to make out details. But even with this hazy vision, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox!
Legend had it that her beauty rivaled that of the ancient Arhats.
The high and mighty sovereign of Qingqiu Kingdom now appeared extremely gentle. Her gaze swept over Shang'er’s face before she smiled: "Little sister, what's your name?"
"Shang'er."
Her voice seemed to carry a certain magic; Shang'er couldn't help but answer her question.
Actually, it wasn’t entirely involuntary—she had just been saved by this woman. Shang'er knew gratitude and didn’t see any reason to hide her name after such a rescue.
"Mm, Shang'er is a lovely name... Would you be willing to take me as your teacher?"
Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox seemed to smile, but the next words left everyone in shock.
Becoming a disciple?
Could it be that this Qingqiu Kingdom sovereign, a top-tier figure in the Spirit Realm, had come here not because she discovered his secret or intended to deal with Zhuang Heng, but for Shang'er’s sake?
This was too strange.
Shang'er, though also a demon fox, belonged to the same lineage as Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox. However, their strength levels were incomparable.
At the Soul Formation stage in Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox's eyes, Shang'er was like an ant.
For someone of her status, even Tribulation Transcending existences would vie for her attention. Could a high-profile Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox personally visit just to find a disciple?
Such a claim wouldn’t be believed by anyone.
But the facts were there; how could they be denied?
The only possibility was that Shang'er’s potential had caught her eye.
After all, being born with three tails was unprecedented in both the mortal and Spirit Realms. Such talent hadn't appeared for millions of years.
Was it because of this reason?
Lin Xuan's eyes flashed with determination as he maintained his calm demeanor. Deep down, a sigh of relief washed over him; just now, he had been extremely anxious.
Fortunately, worry was unnecessary. She came here for Shang'er.
For Shang'er, this was an unimaginable opportunity to gain the favor of one of the three legendary demon kings in the Spirit Realm. With Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox’s approval, her path would be smooth sailing. Even Zhuang Heng himself wouldn’t dare harm her with such a formidable teacher.
Lin Xuan's reaction was lackluster; the princess was still dazed. Such an invitation was too unexpected. For a moment, she thought she had misheard and stammered: "Y-You said...?"
"Would you be willing to take me as your teacher?" Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox’s smile remained unchanged.
This time, Shang'er finally heard clearly but looked incredulous. Her eyes weren’t as perceptive as Lin Xuan's, nor was her experience as rich. But Shang'er wasn't stupid; she had just witnessed the mysterious woman decimate Zhuang Ji with a single move.
Even though it was an avatar, it was still at the Tribulation Transcending stage. In her eyes, it seemed like a clay figure or paper doll—just one gesture and both soul and body were annihilated.
Such power wanted to take her as a disciple; Shang'er knew she had stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.