Man in Black

For several days, the little fox and Li Jiusheng maintained a special understanding. She lingered daily at the place where her mother had ascended and dispersed her Dao, never leaving. Missing her mother terribly, she would let out a few mournful cries. Being newly born, her voice was still milky, and her cries sounded particularly tragic. Each time, Li Jiusheng, who was cultivating nearby, would stop and sigh helplessly. He could only use his True Qi to send her food, water, and various nourishing Pills.

Since Li Jiusheng himself didn't appear, the little fox wasn't too wary. After a few times, she knew it was Li Jiusheng feeding her.

The little fox had high aspirations and initially didn't want to eat. She was a Nine-tailed Demonic Fox, though her small head didn't yet understand what that meant. She was very proud and wouldn't eat a single bite unless she was starving.

But those Pills smelled so good...

The proud little fox looked left and right, unable to resist the temptation. She took a few steps forward, but the next second, she retreated, warily scanning her surroundings, wanting to know if Li Jiusheng was watching her.

She couldn't let anyone see her gluttonous state.

After a few such tests, the day passed. It wasn't until late at night, when everything was quiet, that the little fox sneakily finished her food and then began to chew on the Pills.

As the Pills went down, a warm, gentle energy flowed through her body. The little fox's eyes narrowed comfortably. This was the moment she cherished most each day.

The things that bad guy sent were actually quite delicious.

If he kept sending them like this, without showing himself, how happy would life be? After finishing the Pills, the little fox curled into a ball. Compared to a few days ago, she had already grown by a whole size, developing well.

Alas, Mother was gone...

Full and satisfied, the little fox began to miss her mother, her mood sinking. She wandered around the place where her mother had spent her last days, occasionally letting out soft whimpers that could make the listener weep and the hearer grieve.

On a large bluestone not far away, Li Jiusheng, who had been cultivating under the moonlight, opened his eyes. He sighed silently, feeling a moment of pity for the little fox. With a wave of his sleeve, his True Qi flowed like a gentle breeze over the little fox, carrying a warm drowsiness that lulled her into a deep sleep.

In her dreams, the little fox saw her mother and played joyfully.

In the forest, Li Jiusheng held the sleeping little fox, skillfully cleaning her fur, washing the corners of her eyes, and using his True Qi to stretch her muscles and bones, enhancing her future potential.

Li Jiusheng did these things every night. The little fox slept soundly and had no idea. She only knew that she slept very well every night, unaware of Li Jiusheng's efforts behind the scenes.

Of course, Li Jiusheng didn't want her to know. His goal was simple: for the little fox to grow up healthy, fulfilling his promise and the trust of the Sword God from a thousand years ago.

To this end, Li Jiusheng even went to find Li Qingshan and asked him to arrange for people to deliver a batch of basic Pills periodically, as he had a use for them.

Li Qingshan didn't ask for the reason and arranged for disciples to deliver them. This was the origin of the Pills the little fox ate.

Time flew by, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.

The season turned to winter. Last night, a sudden heavy snow covered the mountains and wilderness. The pine and cypress trees were dyed white, and the air exhaled could freeze into frost.

In the morning, the snow was still falling heavily. Li Jiusheng gazed into that special patch of forest and saw the little fox warming herself alone.

Months had passed, and she had grown well. She had shed her initial immaturity and ignorance, gradually unlocked her inherited memories, and had begun to cultivate. That was why she could still stay in the forest as the harsh winter arrived.

Over these past few months, she hadn't seen Li Jiusheng. She was no longer confined to the woods where her mother had died. She had explored various nearby mountain peaks but ultimately couldn't bear to leave this place.

Of course, the main reason was that it held her mother's scent.

She absolutely wasn't staying because of Li Jiusheng's daily feedings or the Pills.

She was a Nine-tailed Demonic Fox, after all. What hadn't she eaten?

Just then, a gentle breeze blew past. It was Li Jiusheng's True Qi, delivering food and Pills. The little fox's thoughts immediately ceased their wandering. She got up, ran to a nearby spot, rested for a moment, and then began to eat.

Outside the wilderness, within the Scripture Repository Pavilion, Li Jiusheng, clad in a black robe, smiled dotingly.

Over these past few months, the little fox had overcome her initial difficulties and survived here. Recently, Li Jiusheng had seen her sleep soundly after eating her fill and begin to absorb Spiritual Energy on her own, crossing the threshold of cultivation. It made him envious. Was this top-tier talent?

The little fox had entered the realm of cultivation while sleeping. It wouldn't be long before she reached the Houtian Realm.

This was a cultivation level he had only achieved in his hundreds after decades of effort.

"Fortunately, my cultivation is not low now." Over these past few months of cultivation, Li Jiusheng had stabilized his Grandmaster realm and was steadily improving. His domain, which had spanned ten li, had expanded by half, now covering twenty li.

With this, Li Jiusheng could rest assured that the little fox could play within the area of the Scripture Repository Pavilion without worrying about her getting lost.

To keep a close eye on the little fox, Li Jiusheng maintained his domain at full capacity at all times, daring not to relax. This also served as training for his domain abilities.

"Wait, someone has secretly entered the Scripture Repository Pavilion." Suddenly, Li Jiusheng's brow furrowed. Within his domain's perception range, two figures in black had, under the cover of night, silently slipped into the Scripture Repository Pavilion.

If it weren't for watching the little fox, Li Jiusheng's domain wouldn't have been at full capacity, and he might not have noticed.

Both of the black-clothed figures were at the Grandmaster realm, with profound auras. Their own domains were also ready to be deployed at any moment; one covered ten li, the other nearly twenty li. They were not weak.

On the roof of the Scripture Repository Pavilion, Li Jiusheng's expression was unreadable. With a wave of his sleeve, a gentle breeze extinguished the candlelight. His figure vanished into the darkness, not a trace of his aura leaking out.

He wanted to see what these two Grandmasters were trying to do, sneaking around so suspiciously in the dead of night.

On the small path outside the Scripture Repository Pavilion, the two black-clothed figures had been cautious for a long time. When they found the Scripture Repository Pavilion apparently unguarded, they immediately relaxed.

"Shangqing Palace's defenses are too lax. Is this a sect that produced a Grandmaster? They let us brothers sneak in so easily. It's far inferior to those first-rate major sects," one of the black-clothed men said disdainfully.

The other nodded, "Shangqing Palace's defenses don't befit a top-tier sect. The disciples are lax, and the elders are negligent. Such a grand Scripture Repository Pavilion, and yet no one is guarding it. It's unbelievable. In all our years of raiding major sects in the old land, we've never encountered anything this absurd. No wonder the old land is isolated and doesn't interact with the outside world. If these people were to go out, they'd surely be enslaved."

"Historical records state that a thousand years ago, the old land fought a war with other civilizations. The Grandmaster of Shangqing Palace was incredibly brilliant, his Shangqing Sword Technique striking fear into the hearts of Grandmasters from beyond the domain. He also seized the most important Visionary Diagram. Yet, we've examined Shangqing Palace's development history over the years, and no cultivator has achieved great success. Even if there were, they followed the path of self-enlightenment. The Visionary Diagram he seized back then has no news whatsoever. This is not normal," the black-clothed man said gravely, recounting a past event.