All the Foxes Gather, Dispute

Hearing Tushan Jinci's words, not to mention Guang Ling and Azure Luan—even Cen Yu himself was stunned.

He raised a hand and watched the power coursing through his palm, muttering, "That can't be..."

How was that possible? So he wasn't human, but a nine-tailed fox? And one doomed to die?

No way... Was his luck really that bad? He'd finally gotten a second chance at life after transmigrating, only to hit the jackpot again.

"What if I become a god? Will this limitation still apply after I ascend?"

"..."

"It will." Tushan Jinci sighed and pointed at himself. "Look at me, and at most of the foxes you've met. Is there even one who isn't at the god level?"

"Before our king was sealed, even the so-called God Kings were nothing but ants."

"And yet, even someone as powerful as our king would be at a disadvantage before the Chaos Sky Fox in its complete form."

What a shame... At last, a turning point had come: a nine-tailed fox had returned to Tushan, but he was a Chaos Sky Fox...

What if he weren't a Chaos Sky Fox? Could he then rescue their king and lead Tushan out of its predicament?

Tushan Zhaoli said, "Still... it isn't entirely impossible."

"The Great Dao has fifty paths, yet Heaven's evolution gives rise to only forty-nine. Everything has its reason for existing. As long as something exists, there will always be that one glimmer of opportunity."

"Otherwise, why would the Heavenly Dao allow a Chaos Sky Fox to be born?"

"The most likely explanation is that the Chaos Sky Fox's existence defies the heavens too greatly, so the Heavenly Dao has given it an even harsher trial."

If becoming a Chaos Sky Fox were that easy, wouldn't the world belong to their fox clan?

One could only say that this was the balance imposed by the Heavenly Dao, right?

"Never mind. There's no need to rush. We still have some time. Let's awaken your bloodline first."

At that, Tushan Jinci cupped his hands toward Tushan Zhaoli. "Then, Your Majesty, shall I issue a decree summoning all foxes with seven or more tails to the ancestral grounds?"

"By custom, whenever a Chaos Sky Fox awakens its bloodline, a Blessing Ceremony must be held."

Tushan Zhaoli had just nodded when Guang Ling asked in confusion, "A blessing?"

Just then, a huge golden-furred fox with eight tails walked in.

"The so-called blessing means that every clan member attending the ceremony must offer a portion of their power to the Chaos Sky Fox, to help him grow as quickly as possible."

"After all, compared with the long lives of most of our fox clan, a Chaos Sky Fox lives a mere hundred years."

"As for how to tell whether someone is a Chaos Sky Fox, it's simple. The only being in the world who can wield both holy and evil powers at once is Chaos."

"That's how the king and Aci were able to determine on the spot that Cen Yu was a Chaos Sky Fox."

As he spoke, he bowed slightly to Cen Yu. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Tushan Mingheng, an astrologer."

While Cen Yu was still dazed, Tushan Mingheng began examining the Chaos Sky Fox he had just met.

A fox that had existed only in the clan's legends—he'd never imagined he would see one in his lifetime.

After all, the last time a Chaos Sky Fox appeared in the world was in the previous era.

That was why Tushan Mingheng had been so excited that he'd taken a bath and spent quite a while getting dressed up before coming here late.

Now his eight fluffy tails swayed back and forth behind him, shimmering with a dazzling glow.

Seeing this, Tushan Jinci's expression immediately darkened.

Wasn't Lord Mingheng usually so aloof? Had someone possessed him?

Damn it, he'd been in such a hurry to come meet his kin that he'd forgotten to tidy himself up.

After a brief silence, Cen Yu nodded. "Thank you all for telling me the truth. A curse that means certain death... It sounds pretty terrifying."

"But... I think I'm pretty lucky, too."

"Even the gods of the Douluo Continent can live almost forever. I have such a noble Martial Soul and bloodline—why shouldn't I be able to?"

He was a transmigrator. This little tribulation couldn't be the end of the road. There would always be a turning point.

Hearing this, Tushan Zhaoli nodded with relief. "It's best if you can think of it that way. Only with hope can you have a chance."

"If someone has lost all hope, then even if an opportunity is right before them, they won't be able to seize it."

Soon, with Tushan Zhaoli's permission, Tushan Jinci went to notify the foxes in every corner.

Every fox with seven or more tails—even those in secluded cultivation—had to leave seclusion and hurry to the ancestral grounds when they heard news as momentous as the return of a Chaos Sky Fox.

Tushan Lingyi said with a sigh, "You really can't judge a book by its cover. I never would've guessed he was a Chaos Sky Fox."

"A fox who vanished long ago has returned. What will his coming bring to Tushan?"

At that, Tushan Mingheng smiled. "He's a nine-tailed fox. Once his bloodline awakens, he'll be terrifying even without merging his powers."

"Besides, the stars are especially bright tonight."

"Indeed." As the two spoke, a green fox with eight tails tore through space and appeared before them.

She took human form and greeted them with a light laugh. "Ayi, Aheng, long time no see~"

"Huh?!" Tushan Lingyi stared at the person before her in surprise. "Mingxi? You've come out of seclusion?"

If she remembered correctly, it had been over a thousand years since she'd last seen her. What a rare sight.

Tushan Mingxi nodded. "How could I miss an important event like the awakening of a Chaos Sky Fox's bloodline?"

"Besides, I'll be offering a blessing to Lord Sky Fox soon."

Just then, another fox-person with seven tails, this one yellow, came over.

"But I heard that Lord Sky Fox was stranded in the Douluo Continent and only returned to Tushan by chance?"

"And... he was born to a fox whose bloodline had yet to awaken and a human?"

"Marrying a human—doesn't that sully the bloodline of our Tushan clan? It was humans who caused us to—"

"Silence!"

Tushan Mingheng looked coldly at the newcomer. "Tushan Chengyang, don't make me take action on a day like this."

"How could someone as noble as the Chaos Sky Fox be insulted by the likes of you?!"

At that, Tushan Chengyang gave a cold snort. "Lord Mingheng, I know I can't beat you, but are the things I said not true?"

"So what if his bloodline is noble? He still needs our blessing, and he's fated not to live past a hundred!"

What right did a fox born of a liaison with a human have to return to the ancestral grounds?

"If that Asura God hadn't colluded with the Abyss and the humans of the Douluo Continent, how could Ayuan have died in that great battle?!"

"All these years, I've been in seclusion, building up my strength so that one day I can fight my way back and avenge my Ayuan!"

"And you're bringing back the child of a human from the Douluo Continent?!"

At that, everyone fell silent.

They couldn't refute Tushan Chengyang's words.

After all, in that great battle, his closest brother had been killed by a human's betrayal...

Tushan Lingyi sighed. "But Cen Yu is different. He was also persecuted by the Asura God."

"Setting aside his identity as a Chaos Sky Fox, you can't condemn all humans with a single stroke."

"Have you forgotten? Although some humans betrayed us, far more of them fought to the death."