Chapter 381: Monkey Takes Office and Performs Duties: The Nine-Tailed Fox Hu Qiuyue

Let us speak of the Wood Virtue Star Lord leading Sun Wukong out of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and under the Monkey's wide-eyed gaze, sending him to the duty station at the East Tianmen.

At this moment, it happened to be the turn of the Guangmu Heavenly King to stand guard.

The Wood Virtue Star Lord immediately announced the decree of the Great Heavenly Venerable to the Guangmu Heavenly King, and after handing the Monkey over to the Guangmu Heavenly King and finishing his errand, he hurried away.

For no other reason,

he did not want to have too much involvement with this monkey head.

In the eyes of the Wood Virtue Star Lord, the Monkey, who had just ascended to heaven, did not know the rules and was unruly by nature; if he stayed in the Heavenly Court for long, he would definitely cause trouble, and having too much contact with him would inevitably lead to disaster.

Perhaps the mysterious Monkey had a deep background and would not be affected by causing trouble.

But "when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer"; he himself had neither background nor backing, nor strength or prospects, neither high nor low, and his small frame truly could not withstand it.

Sun Wukong naturally did not know the thoughts of the Wood Virtue Star Lord; he only cared about going with the Guangmu Heavenly King to the camp next to the East Tianmen, how could he care about anything else—"Lingyou Marshal,"

The Guangmu Heavenly King took Sun Wukong all the way to the camp where countless Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were stationed, summoned a Guardian Marshal, and instructed: "This is a newly arrived Guardian Marshal, called Sun Wukong. You help him get familiar with the place and explain the daily duties he needs to complete—"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

The Lingyou Marshal, dressed in silver helmet and silver armor, holding a halberd and hanging a whip, performed a salute and accepted the order.

After the Guangmu Heavenly King left, the Lingyou Marshal glanced at the Monkey who was still looking around, and could not help but sigh in his heart, saying:

"Another connection hire—"

Ostentatious, unrestrained, liking to be the center of attention; this Monkey had the exact same personality and traits as some of the second-generation heirs he had seen.

Do not look at how Fang Longye looked down on this Guardian Marshal position earlier; in reality, being able to become a Guardian Marshal who guards the gate already counts as the middle-to-lower level of the Heavenly Court—

The Lingyou Marshal did not know how much effort he had spent, or how many personal connections he had invested, to climb to this position and even have his own title.

And precisely because of this,

there would still be many second-generation heirs in the Heavenly Court with insufficient foundation who would come to take this position.

Either to gild themselves, or as a transition—

And for those second-generation heirs, this official position that the Lingyou Marshal had sought with such great difficulty was nothing more than a matter of them just opening their mouths—

The Lingyou Marshal had seen such things too often.

Therefore,

seeing Sun Wukong's sloppy appearance, he was already unfazed—

"Let's go!"

The Lingyou Marshal greeted Sun Wukong: "I will take you around to get familiar with things—"

This place was not far from the East Tianmen, but as a camp for stationing Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, it was exceptionally vast, having been opened into a separate realm by someone using the method of Mustard Seed Containing Sumeru.

Walking along the way, one could hear the sound of horns, the sound wailing and long, intermingled with the murderous intent of metal and iron; it was these Heavenly Soldiers and Generals drilling in formation.

The entire camp was filled with a great aura of slaughter, with gold and water colors blurring together, stirring up thousands of spear forests and arrow rains.

Sun Wukong followed the Lingyou Marshal, walking through the camp; looking at it, all he saw were groups of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

Spread out like stars in the sky, very orderly.

Each one was armored and armed, fully equipped, changing formations and arranging combinations in an orderly manner.

Their Aura surged into the sky, connecting together and linking with the void, evolving into all sorts of strange phenomena.

As the heavenly light shone down, sometimes springs gushed like pearls, sometimes the aura condensed into precious banners, sometimes swords and blades rang in unison, or immortal music played.

Up and down, left and right, changing at every moment, containing power, manifesting a formidable might.

Orderly and disciplined, with orders followed and prohibitions observed.

Compared to the monkeys and grandchildren of his Huaguo Mountain, and the demon soldiers of the Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings, it was simply a world of difference; there was no way to compare them together.

This was no wonder; the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain were demons after all, emphasizing the law of the jungle, and with the monkey nature being what it was, how could it be so orderly.

As for the demon soldiers under those Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings, it went without saying; they were always a mess—"Good, good, good!"

Sun Wukong had always been warlike; seeing such stern and imposing Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, he could not help but be overjoyed and dance with excitement—

"This is much more imposing than my lads from Huaguo Mountain!" the Monkey could not help but exclaim.

The Lingyou Marshal on the side heard this,

and could not help but complain in his heart: where did this bumpkin come from? He had originally thought this Monkey would be some family's second-generation heir!

Now it seemed it did not look like it—

These Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were all refined and selected by the Heavenly Court using the Dao Soldier Method; they always followed orders and observed prohibitions, and whatever the superiors commanded, the subordinates would surely obey.

How could they be compared to the demon soldiers and generals under some demon kings of the lower realm? Just like that, the Lingyou Marshal took Sun Wukong for a tour around the camp, explaining the specific work a Guardian Marshal needed to do from time to time along the way.

After this,

he took the Monkey to register, helped him complete the entry procedures, and handed the Talisman Order, official robes, armor, and sword of the Guardian Marshal to the Monkey.

Having completed the errand entrusted by the Guangmu Heavenly King without any discount, he turned and left.

Leaving the Monkey to familiarize himself with everything—Sun Wukong did not care about the indifference of the Lingyou Marshal; he was a new official taking office, full of enthusiasm, and busy going to inspect the team of men he was to lead.

Thus,

the Monkey was considered to have settled down in the Heavenly Court.

Cangmang Mountain, Longying Cave.

Everywhere were delicate palaces and golden towers with jade terraces.

Rare birds wandered under precious trees, and precious trees grew on the sunny side; shimmering light haloed upon them, like little stars, exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

In the center of the courtyard,

pines and bamboos were sparse, interspersed with wooden tables and stone stools, jade tables and small stands, on which were placed seasonal fresh fruits, exquisite small dishes, plain wine and clear tea,... and so on and so forth.

It could be described as dazzling.

Groups of three or five maidservants, draped in gauze skirts, with figures like swallows, went back and forth, adding tea and pouring wine.

Fang Longye's true body was sitting beneath a pine tree, its branches and leaves like a canopy, lush and verdant; he had only just returned from Monkey's Huaguo Mountain. "Guardian Marshal—"

Fang Longye's gaze was heavy as he pondered in secret.

That Monkey had not become the Protector of the Horses as in the original trajectory was indeed somewhat beyond his expectations.

He also wondered how long Monkey could hold this position of Guardian Marshal, and for what reason he would rebel and return to the lower realms.

"The butterfly effect—"

Fang Longye sighed. As his cultivation and strength grew, his influence on this world became increasingly apparent, and the future became ever more unpredictable.

Thinking of this,

he felt an even greater yearning to attain the Dao of Daluo. At the very least, a Daluo could overlook the long river of time and space; the grasp one had on the future was incomparable to any method of calculation.

"Take it one step at a time!"

Fang Longye shook his head. At present, he had not even perfected the Taiyi True Immortal realm, let alone reached Daluo; there was no use in being anxious.

Of course,

with the Merit and Luck he had previously shared, he was nearing the end of the Taiyi True Immortal realm and was not far from perfection. "Monkey has just ascended to heaven, and the Guardian Marshal position must be held for some time. There are no major events occurring right now, which is just right for closed-door cultivation—"

As these thoughts turned in his mind, Fang Longye was about to rise to begin his period of cultivation when he suddenly sensed the aura of thunder appearing above Cangmang Mountain.

"Heavenly Tribulation?"

Fang Longye shifted his gaze toward a palace in the south, and understanding dawned on him instantly. He saw Hu Qiuyue walk out, dressed in a cyan-white cinched-waist long dress. Her skirt fluttered as she walked with hurried steps, and in the void above her head, tribulation clouds flickered in and out of existence.

"Is this little fox, Qiuyue, going to transform into a Nine-tailed Fox so soon?" He saw it clearly; this Heavenly Tribulation was the result of Hu Qiuyue's Bloodline undergoing a transformation.

As a member of the Qingqiu lineage, Hu Qiuyue naturally inherited the bloodline of the ancient Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox, but her cultivation had been shallow before, so the bloodline had not manifested. Now that her bloodline had leaped forward and transformed into that of a Nine-tailed Fox, it naturally invited the baptism of the Heavenly Tribulation.

After all, a Nine-tailed Fox is not ordinary. Although it cannot compare to the primordial Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox, which had an Innate foundation, it is still considered a divine beast in terms of its origin.

It is in no way inferior to some of the exotic beasts of the Honghuang. Such a foundation and bloodline, achieved through postnatal evolution, although not requiring the same Calamity that Yun Ting faced during her self-transformation, was still not without its trials.

Of course,

she was only undergoing a bloodline leap, not a transformation from nothing into a Honghuang exotic beast like Yun Ting had in the past. She did not need to resist it entirely with her own body and could use Spirit Treasures and arrays to defend herself. The difficulty and danger were worlds apart from what Yun Ting had faced when she transformed her foundation.

"Master—"

Fang Longye moved and arrived before Hu Qiuyue. The little fox hurriedly bowed gracefully.

"You little girl certainly managed to wheedle quite a few good things out of Miaojun," Fang Longye teased.

It was because Hu Qiuyue had truly listened to her ancestor, Su Daji. Ever since Yang Chan joined the sect, she had been fawning over her, calling her 'First Madam' at every turn.

Her little mouth was as sweet as if it had been smeared with honey; she was so ingratiating that she coaxed Yang Chan into treating her like her own daughter, bestowing many good things upon her. If not for this, she would not have been able to advance her bloodline to the level of a Nine-tailed Fox so quickly.

Hu Qiuyue rose gracefully, feigning a tearful expression, and said, "Master, I don't have any powerful Spirit Treasures in my hands. What should I do?"

Fang Longye couldn't help but roll his eyes. He took out the Heavenly Fox Mirror, tossed it to her, and said crossly, "You've just been eyeing the Heavenly Fox Mirror in my hands, haven't you?"

"Hehe!"

Hu Qiuyue scrambled to catch the Heavenly Fox Mirror. She held this treasure of the Qingqiu lineage in her arms, looking like a fox that had stolen a roasted chicken, giggling foolishly.

"Many thanks, Master!"

She bowed again.

"Alright, hurry up and go undergo your tribulation!" Seeing she was about to say more, Fang Longye waved his hand.

Hu Qiuyue nodded, went straight out of Longying Cave, arrived outside Cangmang Mountain, drew a cyan-white immortal sword, and looked at the churning tribulation clouds above.

Fang Longye returned to his original spot and sat down, watching Hu Qiuyue under the lightning tribulation with great interest.

He was not worried that Hu Qiuyue would fail the tribulation. The Heavenly Fox Mirror was a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure; even if it wasn't a defensive treasure, it was enough to help her survive the lightning tribulation.

"Boom!"

The tribulation clouds brewed in the void for a moment, and a bolt of long-fermented lightning crashed down! The lightning was brilliant, and the world turned white.

Hu Qiuyue waved the immortal sword in her hand.

"Crack—"

The sword tip tore through the void, meeting the descending tribulation lightning. It collided with the lightning, instantly slicing the massive bolt into countless pieces.

The tribulation lightning fell bolt after bolt, each one more powerful than the last. Gradually, Hu Qiuyue began to struggle, and she became somewhat breathless.

She rested for a moment, then took out the Heavenly Fox Mirror that Fang Longye had tossed to her. She poured her Dharma power into it continuously and silently recited the incantation.

This 'Heavenly Fox Mirror' was indeed the long-inherited clan-protecting treasure of the Qingqiu lineage.

As Hu Qiuyue silently recited the incantation,

even though she had not refined this Innate Spiritual Treasure, she was still able to activate it.

The treasure mirror gave a slight tremor, its antique bronze color deepening. A mysterious murmuring sound emerged, like layers of celestial music, causing one's mind to sway and become intoxicated.

However,

there were no enemies at the moment that required the use of the Heavenly Fox Mirror's soul-bewitching ability. Hu Qiuyue held the mirror directly and aimed it at the tribulation lightning brewing in the void.

A dim, heavy beam of mirror light shot out and landed on the brewing tribulation lightning.

It was swift, secretive, and impossible to guard against.

However, the tribulation lightning did not shatter with a boom, nor did it turn to ash; it was as if nothing had happened at all, without even the slightest change.

Of course, it only *seemed* that way. If one focused their attention on the Heavenly Fox Mirror, one could see a reflection of the tribulation lightning appearing on the surface of the mirror.

After the mirror light left its mark,

Hu Qiuyue did not hesitate. She immediately swiped her right hand across the surface of the mirror, and the surface rippled like water.

The reflection of the tribulation lightning, which had been captured on the mirror's surface, shattered into pieces.

At the same time,

the actual tribulation lightning in reality also shattered, looking exactly the same as the reflection in the mirror when it broke.

"It really is as useful as the ancestor said!"

Hu Qiuyue thought to herself.

Following that,

she reached out her hand once more, and as if wiping away dust, she completely erased the reflection of the Calamity lightning within the mirror surface—sure enough,

in the void, that bolt of Calamity lightning immediately dissipated—

……

Just like that, relying on the Heavenly Fox Mirror that Fang Longye had tossed to her, Hu Qiuyue quickly passed through the Heavenly Calamity—as the Calamity clouds dispersed,

five-colored divine light suddenly descended from the heavens and earth, enveloping Hu Qiuyue entirely.

"Ah!"

With a cry of surprise,

she could not help but reveal her original form, which was a blue-white divine fox about a thousand zhang in size, with nine tails behind her spreading out like flower petals.

Even though she had already revealed her fox original form, she still gave people a feeling of being charming and graceful; as her tails swayed casually, there was a sense of infinite allure.

Watching from within Longying Cave, Fang Longye felt his appetite whetted, and he could not help but let romantic thoughts arise in the depths of his heart.

It could not help but make him wonder if he had once again awakened some unspeakable fetish—

A short while later,

Hu Qiuyue's Bloodline transformation concluded.

Maintaining her true form, her eyelashes trembled lightly, and her slender fox eyes slowly opened, brilliant as the stars, carrying a heart-breaking charm.

In that instant, the world seemed to brighten, possessing a clarity like wiping dust off a bronze mirror.

"Master!"

Hu Qiuyue shook her body and transformed back into human form; with a movement, she returned from outside Cangmang Mountain to Longying Cave, bowing gracefully toward her master.

Immediately, she stroked the Heavenly Fox Mirror with lingering affection before holding it up with both hands and presenting it to Fang Longye, saying, "Many thanks to Master for bestowing this treasure to assist me!"

Fang Longye reached out to take the Heavenly Fox Mirror and put it away, then raised his eyes to look at Hu Qiuyue and smiled:

"Not bad, not bad!"

Seeing that with her Bloodline leap and her true form transforming into a Nine-tailed Fox, not to mention her strength and potential, her appearance had become even more charming and moving—this charm was not the gaudy kind, but a charm that combined pure loveliness and sexy allure into one.

To use words from his past life, it was that "pure-desire" style, where every frown and smile tugged at the heartstrings.

In any case, the more Fang Longye looked, the more his appetite was whetted.

Facing Hu Qiuyue, who was like his Dual Cultivation cauldron, he did not hide his desires, directly dismissing everyone else and pulling her over to vent his animalistic urges.

(End of this chapter)