A cage of dark iron, covered by a black cloth.
As the covering cloth slowly fell, the four walls of the cage opened.
The fragrance of udumbara, as if from a hundred thousand years ago, instantly swept across the entire venue!
The blood-jade dome cracked, star-marks appeared, and a rain of light sprinkled down from the sky.
Amidst the rain of light, a snow-white maiden sat quietly, kneeling.
Snow-white fox ears, adorned with gilded bells, drooped down.
Her bare ankles were bound by Soul Devouring Chains.
Her nine fox tails were cruelly pierced by nine bone-eroding nails!
From the nail heads, silver blood slowly flowed, winding across the star-steel ground to form a hauntingly beautiful Qingqiu totem.
"Lift your head."
Tao Yao, who was hosting the auction, extended a jade finger, pinched the maiden's delicate chin, and slowly lifted it.
The moment her true face was revealed, the entire venue fell silent.
Everyone's gaze was drawn to this peerless countenance.
Even fatigue and dust could not conceal its slightest charm.
On her exquisitely beautiful face, were a pair of heterochromatic pupils.
Her left pupil flowed with molten-gold sunfire, while her right eye held the silver glow of a cold moon.
Her gaze was more shimmering than the Kunlun Jade Pond.
A cinnabar mole at the corner of her eye gently rose and fell with the maiden's breathing, like a flickering spark on a snowy plain, exotic and alluring.
However, the clinking of the chains on her ankles pulled everyone back from their trance.
Tao Yao released her hand and began to introduce:
"From the Ruins of Qingqiu, the last pure-blooded Sky Fox, a peerless Cauldron with all nine tails intact!"
Her fingertip sliced through the Void Realm, and a projection appeared.
The projection displayed the fox clan's secret scroll, "Yin and Yang Creation Record."
"The number of a Sky Fox's tails signifies its destiny; each tail conceals a layer of Yin and Yang creation."
"From ancient times until now, Cultivators who Dual Cultivate with a three-tailed Sky Fox can break through the Nascent Soul shackles; six tails allow one to glimpse the Immortal's profound mysteries..."
The scene switched, revealing blood-red characters that were shocking to behold.
"Nine tails grant the power to seize the creation of heaven and earth, and reverse the Reincarnation of life and death!"
"This woman has been verified by Tianzhen Pavilion..."
Tao Yao lifted a corner of the maiden's clothing, revealing the Qingqiu Seal clearly visible beneath her collarbone.
"Starting bid — thirty million Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"Fifty million!"
The Young Lord of the Heavenly Demon Palace tore through the Void Realm and stepped out.
Golden pupils on his forehead flowed with primeval Yao Race blood.
"This woman must enter my Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda to conceive a holy fetus for my Yao Race!"
Ninety-nine great demon Dharma Idols roared behind him, shaking the heavens with their might.
The bronze ghost palanquin of the Underworld Hall followed closely, flashing into the dome.
Thousands of resentful souls carried a blood-red marriage contract.
"Eighty million! My Nine Nether Ghost Palanquin happens to be missing a main Soul!"
"One hundred million Spirit Stones!"
A child wearing a crying and laughing mask spoke in a crisp voice.
In his hand, a primeval beast egg resonated with the Sky Fox's blood.
"This Lord will gouge out her nine tails to refine a Nine-Revolutions Golden Core!"
The beast egg cracked with fine lines, and an unseeing cub poked its head out.
"Two hundred million."
From a private room on the top floor, a languid female voice drifted down.
A woman wearing a fox mask gently swirled her wine glass.
Nine strands of Soul Emergence Stage Cultivator remnants of Divine Soul floated in the wine.
"This Empress needs a maid to comb her hair."
The fox-shaped pendant on her earlobe was actually somewhat similar to the Sky Fox!
"Four hundred million!"
"Seven hundred million!"
"Eight hundred fifty million!"
"Nine hundred sixty million!"
Various major forces joined the bidding one after another.
Just as the bid was about to exceed one billion, the dome suddenly burst open with nine-colored auspicious light!
Nine streaks of fox-fire meteors, wrapped in ten thousand years of frost, tore through the Void Realm.
The leading old woman, with a single arm holding the qingqiu imperial seal, shattered the star-tracks.
Beneath her tattered imperial robe, exposed were stark white bones.
From her severed arm, an ice-crystal fox tail had grown!
Every single hair on the tip of the tail was engraved with curses of vengeance.
Three hundred Qingqiu survivors followed closely.
A natal fox-fire burned on each person's brow, illuminating the night sky as if it were day.
"The Qingqiu Fox Clan has come to greet their sovereign!"
"Grandmother...!"
The Nine-tailed Sky Fox, Su Meier, her beautiful eyes trembled violently, and tears streamed down her face.
The old woman's single eye burst forth with green light, and the emperor seal smashed towards the auction platform.
The star-steel platform instantly exploded into stardust!
The Soul Devouring Chains on Su Meier's ankles shattered inch by inch.
The bone-eroding nails on her nine tails were pulled out one by one.
The silver blood in the air condensed into a nine-tailed Dharma Idol.
With a palm strike, the old woman infused the Dragon Qi into the Dharma Idol, which let out a heaven-shaking roar, causing the eight-armed Asura reliefs to crumble and fall.
The golden pupils of the Heavenly Demon Palace's Young Lord streamed with demon blood.
Behind him, the ninety-nine great demon Dharma Idols were all shaken back!
"You old fox, you still dare to show yourself?"
The black-robed man from the Underworld Hall threw out three thousand Ghost marriage Talismans.
The phantom of the Bridge of Helplessness instantly coiled around Su Meier's waist.
"This woman should have been the main Soul of my ghost palanquin long ago!"
The Talisman's shadow transformed into a blood-red silk ribbon, but it ignited with green flames upon touching the maiden's skin.
The old woman's ice-crystal fox tail swept across, its tip carrying half a charred arm.
"Three hundred years ago, the severed palm this old one sent to your Hall Master's daughter, is it still hanging on the lintel of the Underworld Hall?"
The Flying Sword of the Myriad Sword Sect Elder was fully unsheathed.
Sword Qi condensed into a Sky Fox cage.
"Qingqiu remnants, you must be executed!"
The sword light shot directly at Su Meier's brow!
The old woman was spread too thin; it seemed the sword light was about to harm Su Meier.
At this critical moment!
Ling Tian's eyes blazed with sharp light, and the Flame Dragon Power within his body surged wildly!
He abruptly threw the Thunderfire Talisman he had been clutching tightly!
The Talisman transformed into a crimson streak of light in the air, accurately colliding with the sword light.
"Boom!"
The sword light and thunderfire collided, erupting in a blinding flash.
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
"Swish!"
The Ghost Claw of the Ghost King Sect's Young Lord tore through space.
Nine pitch-black claw marks condensed into a primeval cage.
"This Young Lord's Ten Thousand Demon Lock, refined from the essence blood of one hundred thousand demon soldiers, is specifically for dealing with you..."
Before he could finish, the old woman's emperor seal suddenly expanded a thousandfold.
From its knob, nine ice-crystal Sky Foxes emerged, freezing the one hundred thousand demon souls into ice sculptures!
The old woman's gaze swept across the entire venue.
Finally, it landed on Ling Tian.
Only this young man looked at Su Meier without evil intent.
Only this young man, for Su Meier, did not hesitate to put himself in danger.
With one hand, she grabbed Su Meier, who was still kneeling on the platform, and flung her towards Ling Tian.
Su Meier stumbled and fell into Ling Tian's arms.
The profound ice pendant around her neck suddenly trembled violently.
The extreme cold Qi, colliding with the Flame Dragon Breath within Ling Tian, actually condensed into an ice and fire Taiji diagram!
Beneath Su Meier's torn gauze dress, profound ice meridian patterns emerged.
Ling Tian's exposed arms ignited with Dragon scale fire patterns.
As the two forces intertwined, the area within a hundred meters instantly froze.
Then, lava erupted!
"Don't come near me... The profound ice Qi within me will hurt you..."
The maiden gasped, trying to retreat.
Just then, the Dragon's roar within Ling Tian grew louder.
His pupils turned from black to gold.
His consciousness gradually blurred.
It was as if something was Awakening.
The phantom Flame Dragon within Ling Tian gently coiled around Su Meier's nine tails.
When the Dragon's head lightly brushed her blood-stained cheek, Su Meier's Divine Soul trembled violently.
A scene of Chaos's beginning exploded in her Sea of Consciousness.
An Ice Phoenix and a Flame Dragon embraced and slept in the Great Void, and where their tail feathers intertwined, the Qingqiu Fox Clan was born!
"So... you and I..."
Su Meier's fingertips gently traced the Dragon pattern on Ling Tian's brow.
Profound ice Qi spontaneously surged into his Meridians.
She looked around at the wild and greedy eyes, as if they wanted to devour her.
A trace of resolve flashed in Su Meier's eyes.
She knew she could not fall into the hands of these people.
Otherwise, the Qingqiu clan would never rise again.
Then she bit her tongue and sealed a blood pact on Ling Tian's lips.
"Qingqiu Sky Fox Su Meier, with my natal Soul as a covenant, entrust myself to your heart."
The moment the blood pact was formed, Ling Tian's aura surged upwards!
Golden Core Minor Achievement!
Golden Core Major Achievement!
It only stopped when he reached Golden Core Great Perfection.
Between their brows, Ling Tian's Dragon pattern gained a hint of ice-blue.
Su Meier's Qingqiu pattern gained a faint trace of crimson.
"Beast! How dare you!!!"
Around them, furious roars erupted!
"...It seems the Young Clan Chief's natal Soul pact is already connected to you..."
"Then Meier, from now on, I entrust her to you..."
The old woman murmured, a trace of relief and determination flashing in her eyes.
Suddenly, her single eye burst open, and blood painted a giant Qingqiu totem in the air.
Three hundred survivors simultaneously crushed their natal fox cores.
From the exploding blood mist, a phantom of Qingqiu Sacred Mountain emerged.
"With my broken body, I forge the heavenly path; with my Bloodline, I build the star-bridge — heaven and earth contend, reversing Yin and Yang! Activate!"
As the Qingqiu clan's forbidden art was cast, an ice-blue barrier instantly enveloped Su Meier and Ling Tian.
Just then, the Ghost Claw of the Ghost King Sect's Young Lord pierced through the old woman's chest, but could not be pulled out.
"Old hag, let go of me!!!"
The old woman cackled, freezing the ghost claw within her body.
She flung her hand, embedding the shattered emperor seal into Su Meier's brow.
"Remember, in the extreme northern ice fields, beneath ten thousand zhang of profound ice, lies the Legacy of my Qingqiu clan..."
"Grandmother!!!"
Su Meier held Ling Tian, and the scene before her eyes began to blur.
The last thing she saw was the Myriad Sword Sect Elder's Sword Qi slashing at the old woman's throat.
The flying head was still roaring.
"Live on! Carry the hope of Qingqiu..."
The teleportation light dissipated.
In the extreme north, the cold wind howled.
Su Meier looked at Ling Tian, who had just regained consciousness in her arms, and tears streamed down her face like rain.
The maiden's eyelashes were covered in ice crystals.
Yet, blood-tears continued to seep out.
"Grandmother... everyone... because of me... they all died..."
Ling Tian gently stroked Su Meier's hair, words on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't know how to speak.
He wanted to comfort her, but found any words seemed pale and powerless at this moment.
On top of a thousand-meter-high ice peak, the young man silently piled up a snowdrift.
In front of the snowdrift, a wooden board was carefully inserted.
The maiden's trembling hand slowly wrote on the board: "Tomb of Qingqiu Ancestor Susan and Qingqiu Clan Members."
Every word seemed to be weeping blood.
"My world, from now on... only has you."
Su Meier looked up, her eyes misty with tears, gazing at the young man before her.
In those eyes, there was endless sorrow and helplessness.
"Ling Tian will surely protect Miss Su for a lifetime without harm!"
Ling Tian spoke no grand words, only a firm promise.
After speaking, the two walked side by side, stepping into the vast ice field to search for the ten thousand zhang profound ice Susan had spoken of.
Five days later, the night in the far north was bone-chilling.
Three ice moons hung high in the night sky, and the azure aurora stretched across the heavens like a Dragon's spine, emitting an eerie blue light.
With every step Ling Tian took, the ice beneath his feet cracked like a spiderweb.
He activated his Flame Dragon Body, and white mist steamed around him.
These white mists, upon touching Su Meier, condensed into a curtain of ice crystals, encircling her.
The maiden walked barefoot on the ice surface.
Her silver hair and fox tails trailed, kicking up fine ice dust, which, under the moonlight, resembled a galaxy falling to the mortal world.
"Grandmother said the location should be over there."
Su Meier raised her slender jade finger and gently traced the air.
Profound ice Qi condensed at her fingertip, forming a Qingqiu star map.
Where the star-track pointed, a ten-thousand-zhang cold current suddenly erupted, as if to freeze the air.
As the two approached, an ice abyss gradually appeared.
Auroras coiled like specters among the rugged ice peaks, and deep within the dark blue ice layers, tens of thousands of years of frost marrow had settled.
The solidified cold currents coiled into grotesque patterns within the ice walls, like the frozen blood vessels of ancient behemoths.
Whenever the cold wind swept by, millions of inverted ice stalactites emitted a sound like shattering jade.
Accompanied by a phosphorescent, eerie blue glow, it seemed to play a welcoming anthem for a king.
At the bottom of the abyss, an altar constructed from ice Dragon spines floated.
In the center of the altar stood a giant ice sculpture of a Nine-tailed Sky Fox.
Its hollow eye sockets gazed into the depths of the abyss, as if waiting for something.
"Let's rest in a nearby ice cave tonight; tomorrow we'll go in together."
Ling Tian suggested.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
Su Meier responded softly, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible tremor... A bonfire flickered against the stone wall of the ice cave.
Su Meier hugged her knees, curled up in a hollow of the ice rock.
Although possessing a Profound Ice Body meant she wasn't afraid of the cold, she habitually wrapped herself into a cocoon with her nine fox tails, as if only this could give her a sense of security.
"Thump."
Ling Tian added wood to the bonfire for the third time.
Sparks crackled, startling the tip of Su Meier's tail into a slight tremor.
Tiny ice crystals fell into the space between them, like an invisible barrier.
"Are you cold?"
Ling Tian pushed a token towards Su Meier; it was the Flame Dragon Token his father had given him when he was six.
"This... can be used as a hand warmer."
The Flame Dragon pattern on the token cast flickering firelight onto the ice surface.
Su Meier stared at the dancing light and shadow, and the tip of her tail quietly coiled around the token.
"I just... miss them..."
Her voice was very soft, with a hint of a choke.
Ling Tian lowered his head, poking at the fire, his ear tips slightly reddened by the firelight.
"I'm sorry, my strength is too weak... I couldn't help at all."
His tone was full of self-reproach.
"No, it's not! I don't blame you!"
Su Meier quickly looked up, her voice urgent.
"On the contrary, I am very grateful that you acted to save me then. Otherwise, I would probably have died under that sword light..."
The tip of her tail unconsciously traced something on the ice surface.
Suddenly, she looked up, the firelight illuminating her delicate profile.
"Brother Ling Tian, in the future... can I call you that?"
Her voice carried a hint of anticipation.
"Of course!"
Ling Tian replied without hesitation.
"Then... then you can call me Meier from now on..."
After Su Meier finished speaking, she buried her slightly reddened small face into her soft fox tails.
"Rumble!"
The ice cave suddenly shook.
Ling Tian subconsciously raised his Flame Dragon Shield, wanting to protect Su Meier.
But Su Meier's fox tail had already coiled around his wrist a step ahead.
Ice and fire collided at this moment.
Both of them let go at the same time.
Ling Tian's cuffs were covered in frost flowers, while the tip of Su Meier's tail had a small charred mark.
"I'm, I'm sorry..."
Both apologized in unison, and the moment their gazes met, they awkwardly turned their faces away.
Su Meier used the tip of her tail to cover her flushed ear tips.
Ling Tian, meanwhile, stared absently at the melting ice crystals beside the fire.
"That... the mark between your brows, it feels somewhat similar to mine."
He suddenly spoke.
Su Meier raised her hand, gently stroking the Qingqiu pattern between her brows, which carried a faint trace of crimson.
"Brother Ling Tian... do you still remember what happened before we were teleported here?"
She asked softly.
Ling Tian scratched his head.
"I only remember that I caught you, and then... you seemed to say something. When I opened my eyes again, we were already here."
He tried hard to recall, but still couldn't remember that most crucial moment.
"So... what exactly happened then?"
Ling Tian frowned,
"Also, how did I suddenly Breakthrough to Golden Core Great Perfection?"
This was a question that had puzzled him ever since he woke up.
At Ling Tian's question, Su Meier's cheeks turned even redder.
She picked up a stick and randomly poked at the snow.
Then, she scooped up a handful of snow with the tip of her tail and sprinkled it onto the bonfire.
"I won't tell you!"
The splashing sparks, upon touching her gauze dress, instantly condensed into strings of crystal-clear ice beads, tinkling as they fell onto the hems of their clothes.
Su Meier looked at Ling Tian's dumbfounded expression and suddenly let out a giggle.
"Rumble! Rumble!"
A thousand miles away, the roar of cracking ice layers occasionally echoed.
Su Meier's tail tip unconsciously coiled around Ling Tian's sleeve.
"Tomorrow, if we find the Legacy Grandmother spoke of..."
She lowered her eyes, pushing the Flame Dragon Token back to the space between them.
"The Flame Dragon Qi on your body might... be the key to opening the Legacy."
Ling Tian gently touched the tip of her tail with his finger.
"Then tonight..."
He unfastened his Dragon-embroidered cloak and spread it flat on the ice.
"Can I... borrow a tail as a blanket?"
He asked somewhat awkwardly.
Su Meier's nine tails all "whoosh" exploded open, illuminating half the ice cave in a silvery white.
"Dream on!"
She pouted and turned away.
But very quickly, a wisp of her tail tip still quietly reached over, covering his reddened face.
Under the firelight, that wisp of tail tip melted into a gentle, warm jade color.