Chapter 637: Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox

Deep in the mountain forest.

A scene of utter devastation.

Signs of burning could be seen everywhere.

There were even flames raging several zhang high, with a continuous sea of fire.

"I was originally a monk of Tianyin Temple; logically speaking, I should under no circumstances hold the position of Fenxiang Valley Master." Yu Liancheng wore a look of hesitation, as if making an extremely difficult choice, before his expression finally turned firm: "Of course, as I have now returned to secular life and am only considered a Lay Disciple of Tianyin Temple, if Brother Yun truly insists I become the Valley Master, it is not entirely unacceptable."

Bi Yao covered her mouth and chuckled; causing such a ruckus in Fenxiang Valley and then wanting to be the Valley Master of Fenxiang Valley really did suit Uncle Yu's style.

The rest of the Elders and disciples were still immersed in the shocking fact of the Sect Leader's defeat, and Li Xun shouted angrily: "Puzhen, you are so presumptuous, do you truly think there is no one left in my Fenxiang Valley?"

If Yu Liancheng were truly allowed to sit in the position of Fenxiang Valley Master, perhaps for the other disciples and Elders, it would merely be a change of Valley Master.

But he, Li Xun, was the personal disciple of Valley Master Yun and the person most likely to sit in the Valley Master's position in the future; how could he be willing?

"This person stole our Fenxiang Valley's divine artifact, the Mysterious Fire Mirror, severely injured a group of Elders, and even harmed the Valley Master; he is truly an irreconcilable enemy of our Fenxiang Valley."

While speaking, Li Xun had already taken out a token engraved with "Mysterious Fire" from his bosom; this token had been passed to him by Yun Yilan and could be used to temporarily exercise the authority of the Valley Master: "All disciples, obey the order: form the 'Mysterious Fire Burning Heaven Array'."

The 'Mysterious Fire Burning Heaven Array' was the strongest array in the entire Fenxiang Valley, second only to the 'Eight Desolations Mysterious Fire Array'. It required one hundred and seven disciples who practiced the Burning Incense Jade Tome and possessed equivalent internal energy, plus one person with profound internal energy to act as the 'Mysterious Fire Heart', to echo one another and summon the Nine Nether Mysterious Fire to burn the blue sky and firmament.

And Li Xun was precisely the 'Mysterious Fire Heart' for the second generation of disciples.

The disciples hesitated for a moment, but upon seeing the Mysterious Fire Token in Li Xun's hand, they finally summoned their magic treasures one after another, stood in their respective positions, and channeled their power to form the Mysterious Fire Array.

As the prototype of the array was completed, a scorching aura whistled out, and Yu Liancheng felt as if he were placed in a sea of fire, which could burn him to ashes at any moment.

Li Xun, acting as the 'Mysterious Fire Heart', also sacrificed his magic treasure, the Nine Yang Ruler. His robes fluttered, and he looked at Yu Liancheng with a cold, murderous gaze.

He did not believe that after Yu Liancheng fought the group of Elders and then fought Valley Master Yun, he could have no depletion at all and still be able to withstand this 'Mysterious Fire Burning Heaven Array'.

"You all had better think clearly. If you use the 'Mysterious Fire Burning Heaven Array' against me today, and I truly become the Valley Master, be careful that I don't make things difficult for you in the future." Yu Liancheng chuckled, his demeanor calm and composed; it did not look at all like the behavior of someone whose magic power was exhausted and trapped in an array, but rather like someone touring their own territory, inspecting their subjects with a scrutinizing gaze.

Li Xun snorted coldly, the Nine Yang Ruler rotating slowly in the air, accumulating a scorching and terrifying power that could erupt with overwhelming force at any moment.

"Xun'er, enough!"

Just as the atmosphere was extremely tense and at a critical juncture, a voice that sounded extremely aged rang out.

"Master." Li Xun's expression was agitated as he looked toward Yun Yilan.

Yun Yilan sat cross-legged, his head of white hair like frost; anyone could see he was an old man like a candle in the wind.

But he had been the Valley Master for hundreds of years, and his prestige was so heavy that just sitting there, he gave people a pressure as heavy as a mountain.

"Master, Puzhen said you passed the position of Valley Master to him..." Li Xun's face showed indignation.

But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Yun Yilan, who said coldly: "That is correct. From now on, the Divine Monk Puzhen is the Valley Master of my Fenxiang Valley."

Li Xun froze.

Not only did his expression freeze.

His entire body had frozen.

The rest of the disciples and Elders were no better off than Li Xun.

"Those who know the times are heroes." Yu Liancheng chuckled.

Among the three pillars of the righteous path—Puhong Shangren, Daoxuan Zhenren, and Yun Yilan—the other two possessed vast righteous energy and were upright and unyielding. To maintain the righteous path, they would not hesitate to sacrifice their own lives at any time. If they encountered a situation similar to the one before them, they would likely not hesitate to fight Yu Liancheng to the death, perishing together.

But Yun Yilan was an ambitious, ruthless figure, and thus more likely to submit.

Yun Yilan had already stepped half a foot into the 'Jade Sun Realm', boasting that even if he were not invincible in the world, he would be hard to find an opponent.

But in the previous exchange, Yu Liancheng had stood with his hands behind his back, sweeping through the air, and all the brilliance of the universe seemed to be absorbed by him alone. He was like a great sun hanging high in the sky, eternal and inextinguishable for hundreds of millions of years. Even just using one's eyes to probe him was enough to make one's vision go white and one's head spin. And any person or object that approached him would be burned to ashes in an instant.

Yun Yilan had launched attacks and exhausted all his means, yet could not harm the other party in the slightest. It was not until he used his life's cultivation to summon the 'Mysterious Heaven Fire Dragon' that Yu Liancheng finally revealed a hint of interest, a Dharma image of a Bodhisattva appearing across the sky, emitting bursts of Sanskrit sounds, and finally easily suppressing the 'Mysterious Heaven Fire Dragon'.

The gap between the two sides was too great.

It seemed that the previous fight with the group of Elders was merely to draw him out.

If Yu Liancheng were truly allowed to slaughter wantonly, the entire Fenxiang Valley would likely suffer heavy casualties and lose any possibility of becoming the world's number one righteous sect.

Therefore, Yun Yilan simply went along with Yu Liancheng's words; if he wanted to be the Valley Master, then let him be. He had no confidants in the entire Fenxiang Valley, so even if he really became the Valley Master, it would just be a title without any real power.

Fenxiang Valley.

In the Library Pavilion.

Yu Liancheng was browsing the Fenxiang Valley's sect-protecting secret classic, the 'Burning Incense Jade Tome'.

The Burning Incense Jade Tome, along with Tianyin Temple's Great Brahma Prajna and Qingyun Sect's Taiji Mysterious Clear Dao, was ranked as one of the world's supreme cultivation arts.

His gaze swept across the Burning Incense Jade Tome, and a moment later, he revealed a look of realization.

"Sure enough, this world is not just the five volumes of the Heavenly Book; the inheritance of this Fenxiang Valley also evolved from a volume of the Heavenly Book."

From the Burning Incense Jade Tome, Yu Liancheng saw the shadow of the Heavenly Book, but unlike the four volumes of the Heavenly Book in his hands, and having no connection to the Qingyun Sect's arts, he figured it must be a new volume of the Heavenly Book.

The Burning Incense Jade Tome originated from the 'Mysterious Fire Altar', a ruin of the Ancient Witch Tribe in the Southern Border, and the Mysterious Fire Mirror was a treasure left behind by Linglong in the past.

I fear that the reason why that last witch of the Southern Border could possess heaven-reaching cultivation and even create an existence like the Beast God cannot be explained by mere talent alone.

The Heavenly Book, another volume of the Heavenly Book.

"Perhaps I should find a time to go and see that witch."

As for Fenxiang Valley.

That was also very easy to solve.

It was nothing more than winning over one faction and suppressing another.

Once the Changsheng Tower is established in the future and Fenxiang Valley becomes the Burning Incense Helm, there will be even less to worry about.

A few days later.

Yu Liancheng handled the affairs of Fenxiang Valley and integrated the Burning Incense Jade Tome into his Heavenly Phenomenon Dao before heading deep into the Southern Border. Bi Yao needed to help handle the affairs of Fenxiang Valley and also digest the Heavenly Book she had obtained from the Heavenly Emperor Treasury, so she did not come along this time.

The sun shone in the sky, reflecting on the stream, sparkling and brilliant.

Yu Liancheng walked past the creek and through an endless stretch of dense forest, only to hear the sound of water roaring like rolling thunder coming from ahead.

Before he came, he had looked at a map of the Southern Border and knew there was a waterfall not far away, with cliffs standing a thousand fathoms high, the Milky Way pouring backward, and flying pearls and splashing jade—it was extremely spectacular.

Yu Liancheng's expression stirred; a waterfall was naturally nothing special, but he clearly heard a charming and graceful singing voice, which was very pleasant to the ear. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation; the waterfall roared like thunder, and even if an ordinary person were to shout at the top of their lungs, they would be drowned out by the sound of the water, but this singing voice was able to pierce through all the noise, lingering and clear.

At once, he couldn't help but feel a bit of curiosity in his heart.

If he were to release his God-sense, he could instantly reflect every blade of grass and every tree within a hundred-zhang radius into his mind, but that would inevitably lack a bit of interest.

So he tapped his toes, as nimble as a flying swallow and as swift as lightning, instantly sweeping onto a tree branch more than ten zhang away.

Looking through the dense foliage, he immediately saw a scene that was heart-stirring and unforgettable.

There was indeed a waterfall ahead, like the Milky Way pouring backward, cascading down from above into the pool water, splashing up countless droplets.

On the pool water sat a large rock, which had been pounded by the waterfall for years, making it extremely smooth and difficult to stand on.

Moreover, the force of the waterfall crashing down was more than a thousand jun; it was feared that it could instantly blow a strong man away, and having one's tendons snapped and bones broken would be considered a stroke of luck.

But at this moment, on that smooth large rock was a stunningly beautiful figure, bathing with ease and grace; her plump body was faintly visible in the water mist, and her skin, white as satin, was actually somewhat dazzling. Droplets of crystal-clear water rolled along her long, perfect, and flawless neck onto those high, jade-like peaks.

Her singing voice was like pearls falling onto a jade plate, and she herself carried a dreamlike beauty.

This scene was enough to make any man's heart race.

Yu Liancheng did not deliberately restrain his aura, and the woman seemed to sense something; her bright, charming eyes swept across, suddenly turning toward Yu Liancheng's side, and the singing stopped abruptly.

If other women discovered they were being spied upon, they would certainly cover themselves and hide, crying out in alarm.

But after this woman's eyes turned, she walked gracefully out of the waterfall like a lotus rising from the water, completely revealing her stunningly beautiful body.

Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, it was enough to be breathtaking.

The next moment, the woman transformed into a giant white fox two people tall, bringing with it a fierce gale as it lunged toward Yu Liancheng. Although it was full of killing intent, that charm and elegance were not diminished in the slightest.

Yu Liancheng's expression remained unchanged; just as the white fox was about to pounce in front of him, his figure swayed lightly, and he dodged it.

The white fox turned and leaped, about to pounce again.

"I helped you escape the Mysterious Fire Altar, and this is how you repay me?"

Yu Liancheng stood with his hands behind his back, his figure neither dodging nor evading, watching the giant white figure with a smile.

The fox finally stopped, its nine fox tails swaying slowly behind it, appearing as if they could cover the sky and sun; it was precisely the fox Yu Liancheng had released from the Mysterious Fire Altar a few days ago.

A pair of charming eyes looked at Yu Liancheng, and although its fur was still soaking wet, it gave off a feeling of infinite charm, and its tone carried a bit of surprise: "You actually didn't die, and you weren't imprisoned by Fenxiang Valley?"

"You still have the nerve to say that, you disloyal creature." Yu Liancheng shook his head.

"This... I was imprisoned for three hundred years, and my strength hadn't fully recovered at the time. I had intended to go look for you after some time, but I didn't expect today..." The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox also felt a bit ashamed facing this question. It shook its body, which was two people tall, and the water droplets on its smooth fur immediately splashed in all directions: "Back to the point, you peeked at me bathing, do you know your crime?"

Yu Liancheng frowned, puzzled: "Why should I know my crime? That waterfall isn't yours. At the very least, you should have put up a wooden sign to tell passersby that someone was bathing inside, or used a gauze curtain to enclose it."

That pair of slightly slanted fox eyes widened, and it said angrily: "So, it's my fault then?" Although it sounded angry, it gave people the feeling of a beauty acting coquettishly and feigning anger.

"We are both at fault, so why not each take a step back and pretend it never happened." Yu Liancheng laughed: "If that doesn't work, I'll take off my clothes and go bathe too. You can watch as long as you want and however you want; I won't mind at all."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's eyes widened again: "Who wants to watch a stinky man like you bathe."

"You have no taste; there are plenty of people who want to watch me bathe, enough to line up from Fenxiang Valley to Qilidong." Yu Liancheng muttered softly, and anyone who understood the popularity of the White-Clad Wonderful Monk could testify that this statement was not false in the slightest.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's expression turned solemn: "By the way, where did you get the Mysterious Fire Mirror? Do you know my son?"

Yu Liancheng waved his sleeve and opened an energy shield: "Can you stop shaking off water? Transform into human form and put on some clothes first."

"Hmph, you are not allowed to peek, or I will dig out your eyes." The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox leaped to the other side and disappeared in an instant.

"Hey, who would peek at a big white fox." Yu Liancheng shrugged and pulled back the step he had taken.

"I'm finished changing."

Before long, a graceful figure appeared before Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng looked the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox up and down; previously it was just a fleeting glimpse, but now he finally saw the specific appearance of this Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox after transforming into human form.

Her lips were soft, her eyes were charming, her nose was delicate, her brows were graceful, and her dark hair draped over her fragrant shoulders like a waterfall.

The snow-white clothes she wore were stolen from somewhere; they didn't fit well and appeared somewhat oversized. Draped over her body and tied at the collar, they still couldn't hide the faint, fair skin exposed in the gaps. But even so, one could see that her chest was extremely full, rising and falling with her steady breathing.

Because she had just bathed and changed, there were still crystal-clear water droplets on her skin, making her look even more alluring.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox felt the other's gaze as if it were physical; her pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but say: "Hey, have you seen enough?"

"No." Yu Liancheng said righteously, then suddenly sighed softly: "I was wrong before."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox said: "Hmph, so you finally know it's wrong to peek at others bathing?"

"No." Yu Liancheng shook his head: "If I had known earlier that a beauty like you was bathing here, I would have rushed over long ago. And I would have held my breath and stayed quiet, so you would never have discovered me."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox was stunned.

This guy looked like a decent person, so how could he have such thick skin.

She should have been angry, but she wasn't really, and suddenly she "puffed" out a laugh; her beautiful face was like a flower, her brows filled with charm, and the faint sunlight shone on her fair, smooth face, with a faint blush spreading to her earlobes, looking indescribably charming and moving.

"You really are a wicked guy."