“This trip to the Yao Race… I really have to circulate the cultivation technique and change back…”
At night, after finishing his bath in the hot spring, Lu Li habitually sat down in front of the mirror again.
He stared blankly for a moment before realizing his hand was already reaching for the rouge and foundation that Liu Qingxi had sent him earlier.
“The good news is that every time I wield the Spirit Armor, my Charm Spiritual Root absorbs more Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, making my cultivation much faster.” Lu Li clenched his fist.
The feeling of being filled with power while wearing the Spirit Armor was something he truly missed.
“Alright, it’s about time I take the Celestial Fox Sacred Blood and see if it can strengthen my body.” After thinking it over, Lu Li took out the porcelain bottle from his Storage Bracelet and held it in his palm.
“If I’m going to fight Demon Beasts, their skin is far thicker than one might imagine. A normal Sword Technique can’t break through it… In contrast, human skin is much more fragile.”
He twisted off the cork and gave it a light sniff.
The scent inside wasn’t the metallic smell of blood he had expected.
Instead, it was a scent he missed.
“The Celestial Fox Bloodline, huh…” Lost in thought, Lu Li raised his head and drank it down. The moment that tiny sip of blood entered his mouth, it spread instantly.
“Hm?!” Before he could even circulate his True Yuan, the spirit pattern of the Nine-Tailed Fox in his Dantian activated instantly, and nine fox tails burst forth from Lu Li’s waist.
The originally translucent tails now seemed as solid as the real thing.
“Is this what Celestial Fox Sacred Blood is like?!” Lu Li realized that the Celestial Fox Sacred Blood needed no guidance—it was as if it naturally knew where to go.
The spirit pattern at his throat for the Enchanting Sound quickly soaked up the blood, then became even more dazzling.
At that moment, the blood also rapidly divided. Part of it surged upward and settled peacefully in Lu Li’s eyes.
This sensation—Lu Li felt one of his eyes turn cold and the other hot. His vision blurred briefly before becoming crystal clear in an instant.
“This!” He was about to focus his gaze when he discovered that his eyes could faintly pierce through the walls and see the Wondrous Flowers and Herbs in the courtyard.
The changes weren’t over yet.
The sacred blood coursed through his limbs and meridians, quickly widening the acupoints that were already filled with True Yuan.
But when the power of the sacred blood reached his fingertips, something different happened.
His originally slender fingers seemed to be polished again with soft jade—the knuckles smoothed out, the pads of his fingers plumped up.
“Wait, something’s wrong!” Lu Li watched helplessly as his nails began to grow slowly.
From their original rounded, square shape, they became almond-shaped.
Then, as if dyed by impatiens flowers, the nails took on a faint rosy dawn hue.
When he spread his hand, it looked like peach petals blooming.
But the changes weren’t over. The edges, which had become slightly rough from long hours of sword practice, also became delicate.
They took on a pearlescent, mother-of-pearl sheen.
Instinctively, Lu Li rubbed his nails with his fingertip.
Can’t rub it off?!
The only consolation was that when the sacred blood flowed to his waist and abdomen, a large amount surged into the semi-transparent Dharma Aspect, making it more solid.
The last bit of power seeped into his thighs and toes.
Lu Li didn’t bother sensing it with his Divine Sense.
Because the changes to his fingers had already told him what was happening.
“Hmm… ah…” For a moment, Lu Li felt nothing but helplessness.
If he had known he would never be able to change back in this life, it would have been easier.
The most painful part was knowing he had only about forty days left to return to his male form.
“Tomorrow, Liu Qingxi is probably going to make fun of me.” Lu Li looked at his hands—now so soft and delicate, with nails like peach blossoms.
“Tch. This just makes it harder to explain.”
“But at least my Peach Blossom Eyes gained the ability to see through walls. Is that good or bad?” Lu Li blinked and used his hand to brush aside the strands of hair that had fallen.
He should have been used to this kind of gesture by now.
But now, the young girl in the mirror revealed a charm that hadn’t been there before.
“Let me think calmly first. Celestial Fox Sacred Blood shouldn’t give such meaningless changes.” Lu Li closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment, then took out a piece of mineral from his Storage Bracelet and gently scraped it with his nail.
The nail sliced through the mineral like a sharp blade.
True Yuan slowly infused into his fingertip, then slid down smoothly.
Snap.
The several-inch-thick piece of mineral split into two halves.
“Just as I thought… For the Fox Clan, every part of the body is a weapon.” At that thought, a sudden inspiration struck Lu Li.
His figure flickered, and he arrived at the underground training room.
The Ascending Heavenly Palace was very thorough in its design.
Since Holy Sons and Holy Daughters from different sects always needed time to cultivate, doing so in their courtyards might disturb others or even damage their residences.
The underground training room, however, was built extremely sturdy, layered with multiple tough minerals.
“If my guess is correct…” Lu Li extended his seemingly soft hands and pressed them flat against the stone wall.
“Mountain Breaker.”
Boom!
A dull, thunderous sound rang out as Lu Li’s nails sank deep into the stone.
Sharp True Yuan exploded instantly, shattering the stone wall in front of him.
“Just as I thought. If my claws can be blades, then Sword Techniques can be released this way too.” Watching the rubble fall, Lu Li’s mood improved considerably.
“And the True Yuan consumption is far less than using a sword, while the force can reach about fifty percent of a sword strike.”
He pressed a Spirit Stone against the wall, and the peeled stone slowly mended itself.
When he returned to his room, Lu Li looked at his fingertips again and didn’t feel as bad about them anymore.
The night was filled with dreams. Lu Li dreamed he was wearing the Spirit Armor, cutting through Demon Beasts unstoppably.
Even when the Spirit Armor temporarily failed, he simply retracted it, then flicked his ten fingers, letting Sword Qi run rampant in all directions.
But as the great battle ended, Lu Li returned to his house, sat before the bronze mirror again, carefully straightened his clothes and skirt, examined his nine fox tails, and even reached out to gently stroke them, feeling their fluffy texture.
Then, instinctively, he chose a sleeping posture he had never used before and drifted into slumber.
In the dream, he found himself in a place of tender beauty, humming softly in a low voice.
“Wrong!!”
Lu Li jolted awake. When he sat up from the bed, he realized it was already the next morning.
The fox tails around his waist had slowly retracted into his body.
But his fingertips… still seemed to be the same delicate, changed pink.
With a sigh, his attention fell on the unfamiliar colors.
“Should I get used to this or not?” Sighing, Lu Li washed up briefly. Just as he was about to go out, he saw two figures standing outside his small courtyard.
It was Xiu Popo and Xiao Li.
Xiu Popo looked full of apologies, while Xiao Li was clutching her rough hand, pursing her lips, gritting her teeth, and looking up at Lu Li as if holding something back.
“Forgive the intrusion at such an early hour, Saintess Lu.” Xiu Popo carried a bag of gifts. “But Xiao Li said…”
“Mother’s scent…” Xiao Li took a step forward but wasn’t used to the threshold of a human courtyard and almost tripped.
Lu Li immediately crouched down and caught Xiao Li.
“Are you alright?” Lu Li looked at the child’s faint peach blossom pupils—they really did look somewhat similar to his own.
“Mm… I’m fine.” Xiao Li said that, but her body trembled uncontrollably. Then she directly hugged Lu Li, tears falling like pearls.
“Xiu Popo?” Lu Li could only sigh at this scene.
This image reminded Lu Li of his own childhood.
His mother had died early. Whenever he was in pain or bullied by other children—asked why he had no mother—he would also throw himself into his father’s arms.
But his father’s way of comforting him was awkward; he would just pat his back and sigh softly.
Lu Li applied a little force with his arms, cradling Xiao Li, and walked into the small courtyard.
“Forgive me, Saintess Lu. Because the Fox Clan is in decline… Xiao Li’s mother, the previous Holy Maiden, gave birth to her, but a few years later…” Xiu Popo trailed off.
Because Xiao Li, nestled in Lu Li’s arms, had actually fallen asleep.
“I understand.” Lu Li patted Xiao Li’s back gently.
Hadn’t he been the same once?
“Last night, Xiao Li sensed a slight fluctuation in the bloodline and kept insisting on coming.” Xiu Popo explained softly.
“But I thought nighttime was when you, Saintess, were cultivating, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Yes…” Lu Li felt the weight of the child in his arms. Amidst the heavy emotions, he sensed a peculiar warmth.
“Oh, the gift was something Xiao Li picked out at the market this morning.” Xiu Popo carefully took out a green jade hairpin from her Storage Bag.
“Don’t worry. I don’t think Xiao Li is confusing you, Saintess, with her mother. But to this child…”
“I understand.” Lu Li nodded.
“Then I’ll take my leave for now. Before the Holy Sons and Holy Daughters set out, I think Xiao Li will come looking for you often.” After saying that, Xiu Popo silently left under Lu Li’s silent gaze.
When she opened the door, she brushed past Liu Qingxi, who had come to visit.
“Oh?” Liu Qingxi glanced at Xiu Popo’s stooped back and couldn’t help sighing.
Then, looking into the courtyard at Lu Li holding Xiao Li, the smile returned to her face.
But now, there was an extra trace of warmth.
Strolling over, Liu Qingxi didn’t say much. She silently sat down beside Lu Li.
“If your arms get tired,” she said, studying the jade hairpin that had just been placed on the table, “I can help hold her.”