Chapter 364: The Rise and Fall of Qingqiu: The Heavenly Demon's Soul-Hooking Cord

"'Heavenly Fox Mirror'—"

Fang Longye stroked this precious mirror, looking as if he could not bear to put it down, and said, "I finally have an Innate Spiritual Treasure in my hands that is worth showing off—"

This is a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure! Even if it only has thirty-seven Innate Divine Prohibitions, barely crossing the threshold of a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, it is still a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure—

What's more, under the meticulous refinement of its original owner, the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox, the Heavenly Fox Mirror has compensated for a large part of what were not quite defects, making it quite easy to use.

In terms of value alone, it is by no means inferior to some Innate Spiritual Treasures with around forty divine prohibitions.

"Still have to thank the brother-in-law!"

Oh, I should say the second brother-in-law—that's right, this Innate Spiritual Treasure was brought over as part of Yang Chan's dowry; no need to guess, it definitely came from the hands of the second brother-in-law, Yang Jian.

It came from the spoils of war at the end of the Conferring of Gods.

"In that case, I also have to thank someone else." Fang Longye fiddled with the Heavenly Fox Mirror, muttering to himself.

That Xinyue Fox Star Lord, the Nine-Tailed Fox Daji.

If not for her, the second brother-in-law Yang Jian would not have been able to obtain this treasure of the Qingqiu lineage, and now, it would not have reached his, Fang Longye's, hands—

"I wonder if she will come running over to demand this 'Heavenly Fox Mirror' from me—"

Fang Longye thought to himself.

Hmm, probably not.

For one, that would be unreasonable. You say this thing is your ancestral heirloom, so it should be yours? That's nonsense! It's just being obstinate and unreasonable—secondly, this "Lady Daji" is someone who knows how to read the situation; she wouldn't dare offend him at all.

Of course, the most important thing is that for this "Lady Daji," having Hu Qiuyue is enough! Does she really think he doesn't know the purpose of this Xinyue Fox Star Lord secretly finding the little fox to teach her the Dao?

Besides wanting to be on good terms with him, isn't it just thinking about getting some benefits from him?

For example—

Having him help re-establish the Qingqiu lineage—he just doesn't care!

She is a Star Lord, a Half-step Daluo existence, and was once the Queen of Great Shang, yet she comes over to teach her descendant how to serve him.

He, Fang, can just lie back and enjoy it—as long as it doesn't involve anything else, he will just pretend he didn't see it, turning a blind eye—

"I'm afraid she is already urging the little fox to work hard at her cultivation and techniques, striving to one day obtain the Heavenly Fox Mirror from my hands, a roundabout way to save the nation!"

Fang Longye chuckled softly, his gaze deep as he looked toward a spot in Cangmang Mountain, where a beauty with a human body and a fox tail was fast asleep.

"If you, little girl, have some ability in the future, I won't ask you to attain the Daluo Dao, as long as you can reach the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, this Heavenly Fox Mirror will be yours!"

Fang Longye's eyes held a smile as he spoke to himself.

Of course, this will only be considered for passing on to Hu Qiuyue after the 'Heavenly Fox Mirror', this Innate Spiritual Treasure, no longer provides a boost to his combat power—

And,

It must also have Yang Chan's consent.

After all, when all is said and done, this Heavenly Fox Mirror was Yang Chan's dowry—even though it was given to him, he must show her respect.

Especially since it would be gifted to another woman—...

The mansion where Hu Qiuyue resided had pavilions, flowers, and trees that complemented each other, with winding corridors and a secluded, exquisite atmosphere.

In front of a pavilion, it was full of lush bamboo leaves. And Hu Qiuyue, just as Fang Longye had seen before, was lying on a soft couch in the pavilion, fast asleep.

Green light fell from all around, washing the branches and leaves with frost, blurring light and shadow, and landing on her tall, slender body, wrapped in her skirt, revealing only her fair, clean calves.

As she slept soundly, a pair of furry fox ears appeared amidst her cloud-like hair, twitching non-stop.

Three furry blue-white fox tails also emerged from beneath her skirt, and together with her bare feet, they swayed back and forth, exceptionally cute—

In her dream, she was in a precious land.

All around were silver flowers and jade trees, pavilions and towers, with sparse flowers and trees, and in the very center was a shimmering spiritual lake.

By the side of the spiritual lake, pavilions were intertwined.

Hu Qiuyue was sitting opposite a woman who looked even more charming and graceful than her.

This woman was none other than the Nine-Tailed Fox Su Daji, famous for bringing disaster to the country and the people, and now one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Xinyue Fox Star Lord.

"Ancestor, don't be anxious yet, being anxious is useless." Hu Qiuyue poured a cup of tea for Su Daji and said, "Master hasn't even had the Heavenly Fox Mirror for a few days!"

Hu Qiuyue wore a helpless expression on her face.

She had only mentioned to this ancestor by chance the contents of the gift list her master received upon their marriage; she never expected the ancestor to be so excited upon hearing it—but seeing Su Daji, this Nine-Tailed Fox, had long since lost her usual laziness and ease, her eyes filled with inexplicable excitement—after hearing Hu Qiuyue's consolation,

She let out a sigh, restraining the excitement she could barely suppress, and said, "I lost my composure! You are right, Qiuyue, it is useless for me to be anxious now—"

Of course, that was what she said, but her heart was still surging like a tide; this was the 'Heavenly Fox Mirror' after all!

The treasure of their Qingqiu lineage! Most importantly, this treasure was lost while in her hands.

Back then, she was favored by Lady Wa Huang and ordered to participate in the Conferring of Gods, and the clan, in order to support her, specially passed this treasure of the clan to her.

Hoping that she could find a place for herself in the great calamity, successfully survive it, and attain the Daluo Dao.

Unfortunately,

She ultimately failed the expectations of the clan elders.

With her heart blinded by the calamity energy, not only did she fail to survive the Conferring of Gods and attain the Daluo Dao to hold up the sky for the Qingqiu lineage—

She also dragged the Qingqiu clan down, becoming the culprit behind the destruction of the Qingqiu lineage—

This was the eternal pain in her heart! She even kept thinking, if the 'Heavenly Fox Mirror', this treasure of the clan, had not been taken out of Qingqiu by her back then, and subsequently lost in the Conferring of Gods due to her death.

Would the Qingqiu not have been so easily destroyed after the Conferring of Gods? Or perhaps, would they not have been left without even a shred of inheritance or a backup plan?

She did not know, but she was filled with guilt.

Therefore, now that she heard of this Heavenly Fox Mirror, how could she not be excited? How could she not lose her composure? Unfortunately, as her descendant said, it was useless for her to be anxious now—

Wanting to have this Heavenly Fox Mirror return to the hands of their Qingqiu clan was not that easy.

Even if what she sought was only for Qiuyue, a descendant who was already the Dual Cultivation vessel for the Yuanlong Lord, to wield the Heavenly Fox Mirror, it was not that easy.

For one, the preciousness of a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure is rare in the world; how could it be easily relinquished by this Yuanlong Lord? Just thinking about it, one knows how difficult it is!

Secondly,

This Heavenly Fox Mirror was only obtained by this Yuanlong Lord as part of the dowry for that Third Holy Mother.

On this point alone, for this little girl Hu Qiuyue to want to obtain this Heavenly Fox Mirror, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven!

"Like this,"

Su Daji raised her head and said earnestly:

"Qiuyue, from now on you must be respectful to that Third Holy Mother and treat her as your mistress. You are not allowed to play any tricks in front of that Third Holy Mother~"

Hu Qiuyue blinked her eyes and asked in confusion:

"Old Ancestor, didn't you say that the first thing we fox spirits must learn is how to seduce men, even if this man has a family..."

"Ouch!" Before she could finish speaking, she was struck on the head by a green bamboo pole snatched up by Su Daji.

Su Daji said, hating that she could not turn her into steel: "Stupid as an ox! How could I, Su Daji, have a dull descendant like you~"

She took a light breath and continued to scold:

"I must have lost my mind to worry about you playing any tricks on that Third Holy Mother!"

"With that brain of yours, if I really let you play palace intrigue or use some beauty schemes against others, I'm afraid your fur would be peeled off and made into a fox fur coat!"

"Old Ancestor~"

Hu Qiuyue looked aggrieved and muttered to herself, always calling me stupid, who can compare to you in playing tricks? If this were outside, I would already be very cunning, wouldn't I~

However, she dared not say this out loud, otherwise her fur would really be peeled off to make a fox fur coat.

Seeing that her Old Ancestor was relentless, she quickly changed her expression, looking enlightened, and said:

"Old Ancestor, I understand! There is only one mistress in Cangmang Mountain, and that is Sister Third Holy Mother."

"In the future, I will definitely follow the mistress's lead. As for other vixen sluts, whichever one the mistress tells me to play palace intrigue with, I will play palace intrigue with that vixen slut!"

Su Daji nodded upon hearing this, with an expression of "the child is teachable," which made Hu Qiuyue breathe a sigh of relief, but she did not expect another green pole shadow before her eyes.

"Ouch!"

Hu Qiuyue rubbed her head and looked at Su Daji, once again looking aggrieved.

Su Daji said crossly: "What vixen sluts? Watch your words and conduct, otherwise even I cannot protect you~"

The implication was that the principle is the principle, and one can think so in one's heart and do so, but don't say it out loud, or the fox will die! "By the way!"

Su Daji reached out and pointed at Hu Qiuyue, and a scripture of thousands of words, every word a gem, surged into her heart.

Without waiting for her to ask, Su Daji explained: "This Heavenly Fox Mirror is the treasure of my Qingqiu lineage and has its own mysteries~ Some methods still require the secret techniques of my Qingqiu lineage."

She paused and continued: "If you offer this secret technique to your master, it will at least show a bit of sincerity~"

Hu Qiuyue understood; she was familiar with this routine.

"And~"

Su Daji's face turned slightly cold, and she said: "From today on, if you dare to be lazy again and do not cultivate properly, I will not spare you!"

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.

With this little girl's current cultivation of only a Golden Immortal, even if that Yuanlong Lord and the Third Holy Mother were willing to give her the Heavenly Fox Mirror, could she hold onto it?

A top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, in the hands of a mere Golden Immortal, who is also a furnace and a slave—wouldn't it be too hot to handle?

Of course, I fear this day is a very, very long time away! Even for a Great Golden Immortal, the Heavenly Fox Mirror is an extraordinary Spirit Treasure~

To really wait for that Yuanlong Lord to part with it, I fear one must wait until that Yuanlong Lord becomes a master of Great Divine Ability!

But it is still necessary to take precautions~

Otherwise, when this Heavenly Fox Mirror is placed in front of this little girl, but she does not have enough Daoist cultivation to possess this Innate Spiritual Treasure—she, as the Old Ancestor, could be angered into illness.

Actually, if the person who obtained the Heavenly Fox Mirror were not this Yuanlong Lord, but someone else, she would never count on her descendant to obtain this precious mirror by currying favor with the other party.

A top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure that is not outdated even for a Great Golden Immortal—to really wait until the other party becomes a master of Great Divine Ability and no longer needs it, and then parts with it to give to someone else—it is not even certain if such a day will come!

Not everyone has the potential to become a master of Great Divine Ability, and even if they have this potential, it will be many years before they become one.

It is only because of this Yuanlong Lord, whose background, aptitude, and potential have all reached an incredible level, that she has this hope.

Hoping that her descendant can rely on the other party's favor to obtain this Heavenly Fox Mirror in the future, and even re-establish the Qingqiu lineage in the future—why was the Tushan lineage so arrogant? Why could a single word destroy the Qingqiu lineage? Wasn't it because there was a vixen slut in the clan who latched onto Yu Huang, a master among masters of Great Divine Ability? Thinking back to before the near-ancient times, the Tushan lineage was ruined to the extreme during the Lich Calamity and was almost swallowed by their Qingqiu lineage! As a result, after latching onto Yu Huang, they quickly stood tall, and that Tushan Niangniang even became a figure who held the reins of the fox clan~

The Tushan lineage can do this, and their Qingqiu lineage can too!

Sipping her tea, Su Daji smoothed her hanging black hair with her hand, her eyes deep, and she glanced at Hu Qiuyue, who was drooping her little head, thinking to herself:

"Do not blame me, your Old Ancestor, for being strict with you; the rise or fall of my Qingqiu lineage depends on you!"

In Wanling Palace, Fang Longye sat upright on the Cloud Couch, dark light blooming all around, layered with halos, accompanied by demonic sounds, appearing like dark flames falling onto a hook in his hand.

Below it, an iron chain dragged for a zhang.

The entire hook, along with the iron chain, was pitch black, with dark red marks on it, looking like patches of rust.

The hook, when held, seemed both real and illusory, difficult to describe.

"Heavenly Demon Soul-Hooking Rope~"

Fang Longye held this Innate Spiritual Treasure that he had initially refined, but his face was a mix of laughter and tears.

"No, does my cheap father-in-law want me to convert to the Demon path that much?"

Like Yang Chan, the dowry of Iron Fan Princess naturally included Innate Spiritual Treasures for him.

This iron chain with a hook was one of them.

It was a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure with thirty-six divine prohibitions, called the 'Heavenly Demon Soul-Hooking Cable'~ Just hearing the name, one knows it is a demonic treasure born for the Demon path, and its use is self-evident.

Capturing people and objects, seizing souls and taking spirits, especially for those of the Xuanmen Immortal Dao, it has a great restraining effect~ Logically speaking, given the path he follows in his cultivation, even if he fully refined this treasure, using it would feel obscure, difficult, and very unhandy.

But unexpectedly, even though he does not follow the Demon path and has only initially refined it, there is a feeling of bloodline connection.

He just tested it, and this treasure is very compatible with him, operating as he wishes, responding to his thoughts, and even changing at will, with incredible weirdness.

For a moment, it made him think that his cheap father-in-law had played a dark trick on him!

But after careful inspection, even moving out the Golden Finger Equivalent Balance, no hidden dangers were found.

He shook his head.

He put this Innate Spiritual Treasure away, having made up his mind that it would be best not to use this treasure in the future.

After all, a person's name is like the shadow of a tree; the reputation of his convenient father-in-law, Bojun Mozhu, is far too resounding!

If it were not for the fact that every Innate Spiritual Treasure is uniquely endowed by nature and receives the attention of the Primordial World, making them impossible to move lightly, he would have already traded it away using his Golden Finger.

It was just that when he had tried to operate it a moment ago, a sense of terror had surged from his sea of consciousness; he knew in the dark that if he were to trade away an Innate Spiritual Treasure, heavenly punishment would surely descend upon him.

Thinking about it, that makes sense.

In the eyes of heaven and earth, how is his operation any different from completely destroying an Innate Spiritual Treasure? It would be strange if he were not targeted and struck by heavenly punishment—for now,

he had only been struck by heavenly punishment because he had destroyed a scrap piece of a Dinghai Divine Pearl back then.

But that had been reduced to a negligible degree; the true heavenly punishment had long since been borne by Burning Lamp Buddha, who had completely destroyed the Dinghai Divine Pearl in the beginning.

And this "Heavenly Demon Soul-Hooking Rope," even if it is not as good as the Dinghai Divine Pearl, is still a complete Innate Spiritual Treasure.

If he were to "completely destroy" it, the heavenly punishment he would have to face would definitely not be small.

For the moment, he does not want to face it—

(End of this chapter)