- “Essence blood sacrifice?” Elder Longbrow asked, puzzled. “What does that mean?”
Yun Xi explained, “The demon race has a strange technique called essence blood sacrifice. To put it simply, a demon offers its own essence blood to obtain something in return.”
“This method is actually quite similar to certain secret arts of human cultivators. Some techniques can multiply one’s combat power several times in a short period, but the price is steep—once the technique ends, one is completely drained and extremely weakened.”
“But for demons, if an essence blood sacrifice succeeds, the demon will die.”
“In other words, essence blood is a demon’s life!”
Ye Qiu understood. It was very similar to when the young qilin had used its essence blood to activate the Qiankun Cauldron.
Back then, the qilin cub had nearly died from losing its essence blood. Fortunately, during this trip into the Undying Mountain, Ye Qiu had found a million-year-old divine medicine and healed it.
“Fairy, that emerald-green blood bead—is it the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox’s essence blood?” Elder Longbrow asked again.
Yun Xi nodded. “Yes.”
Ye Qiu said, “Then… is it about to die?”
“Though I desire the supreme opportunity, if obtaining it requires its life, then I’d rather not have it.”
With that, Ye Qiu prepared to stop the little white fox.
“Wait.” Yun Xi grabbed his arm. “If I’m not mistaken, it is doing this to repay you for saving its life.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t die.”
Ye Qiu asked, “Didn’t you just say essence blood is a demon’s life? By sacrificing its essence blood now, isn’t it giving away its life?”
Yun Xi smiled. “I did say that, but it is no ordinary demon. It is a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox.”
“The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox is demon royalty. When fully grown, it has nine tails.”
“Each tail contains one drop of essence blood, representing one life.”
“Thus, a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox has nine lives.”
Elder Longbrow found this unbelievable. “It has five tails—does that mean it has five lives?”
Yun Xi nodded. “Correct.”
“With five tails, it has five lives. Losing one drop of essence blood means it will still have four lives left, so it will not die.”
“However…”
“However what?” Ye Qiu pressed.
Yun Xi continued, “Losing one drop of essence blood will cause its cultivation to drop a realm.”
“It is currently at the early Cave Heaven stage. Losing a drop will cause it to fall one entire realm.”
“I’ve heard that each tail of a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox not only holds a drop of essence blood and represents one life, but also corresponds to one cultivation realm.”
“A fully grown Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox with nine tails is comparable to a human saint.”
“What a pity it is not yet mature.”
The little white fox heard Yun Xi’s words and curled its lips in extreme disdain.
“Ignorant junior. Who says this Empress is not yet mature?”
“Hmph. If this weren’t the Undying Mountain, this Empress would show you just how powerful I truly am.”
If Yun Xi and the others could hear the little fox’s inner thoughts, they would be utterly horrified.
Ye Qiu thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, stop. I don’t want the opportunity anymore.”
His words stunned everyone present.
“Little monster, what are you playing at?” Elder Longbrow asked.
The little white fox turned to look at Ye Qiu. “Why?”
“I just heard Xi’er say that by sacrificing your essence blood, you lose one life and your cultivation will drop a realm,” Ye Qiu said. “I may not understand demon cultivation, but I imagine it is even harder for demons than for humans.”
“To gain an opportunity at the cost of one of your lives and a drop in realm feels far too great a price.”
“Let’s just forget it!”
Ye Qiu meant well. He pitied how difficult demon cultivation was and didn’t want the little fox to lose a life and fall a realm. Who would have thought the fox would not appreciate it at all?
“Are you insane?”
The little white fox snapped, “Do you even know what the opportunity here is?”
“Do you know how many people covet it?”
“Do you know what obtaining this opportunity means for you?”
“If not for the fact that you saved my life, do you think I would give it to you?”
“Ye Changsheng, don’t be ungrateful!”
Ye Qiu stared at the little white fox in shock, thinking: Has it lost its mind?
I’m trying to be kind!
Not only does it not appreciate it, it’s scolding me? Is there any justice?
Fine, I won’t stoop to its level. After all, I’m a higher being, and it’s just a fox.
Ye Qiu continued, “Opportunities are about fate and affinity.”
“If it is fated, I will naturally encounter it. If not, forcing it is useless.”
“Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, you’re doing this to repay my saving your life, aren’t you?”
“There’s no need. Saving you was merely a small effort. I never expected repayment.”
Idiot!
The little white fox roared inwardly: “Do you not realize how rare an opportunity this is?”
“Countless people in this world dream of this Empress helping them, yet I wouldn’t even glance at them.”
“Let alone a mere little cultivator like you—even a saint would not refuse me!”
“And yet you want to throw it away when it’s right in front of you? Utterly foolish!”
With that in mind, the little white fox declared, “I dislike owing favors, especially to humans.”
Ye Qiu smiled. “I already told you, saving you was nothing. You don’t need to keep it in mind.”
The little white fox said coldly, “I said I dislike owing favors. Therefore, I will help you obtain this opportunity. Whether you can claim it will depend on your own ability.”
“No, absolutely not,” Ye Qiu insisted. “Human cultivators see demons as mortal enemies to be slain on sight.”
“Many human cultivators have entered the Undying Mountain this time, and among them are experts. Yao Meng of the Primordial Sacred Land has already attacked you. If the others see you, they definitely won’t let you go.”
“Quickly take back your essence blood and preserve your strength.”
“Ye Changsheng, you really are a blockhead, an idiot, a colossal idiot…” The little white fox was so angry it suddenly swatted the essence blood bead with its paw.
In an instant, the bead of essence blood plummeted into the ten-thousand-zhang abyss below the cliff.
Then the little white fox began chanting an incantation.
Moments later.
CLANG!
A heaven-shaking sword cry erupted from the abyss below. Thick black mist billowed upward like rolling storm clouds, accompanied by a suffocating pressure that blanketed the sky.
Everyone present felt as though some god or demon was about to emerge.
A little longer…
Suddenly, within the roiling black mist, a dazzling golden light appeared—like a blazing sun, so bright that no one could keep their eyes open.
Ye Qiu immediately activated his Heavenly Eye and stared into the golden light. The next second, his pupils violently contracted.
