Section 13: Ten Years of Cultivation, Heaven's Envy, Demon Tribulation!

Under Chu Yun's expectant gaze, the miniature Heavenly Fox raised its head, opened its tiny mouth, and began to inhale the surrounding primordial energy.

It was as if a whirlwind had been conjured from thin air; the primordial energy in the atmosphere suddenly grew dense. Every variety was present: blue water energy, red fire energy, green wood energy, white metal energy, yellow earth energy, and even lightning, wind, light, and dark energies.

The Heavenly Fox possessed nine attributes: fire, earth, metal, water, wood, wind, lightning, light, and shadow. This first inhalation of primordial energy was equivalent to Foundation Establishment. Consequently, it drew all nine great energies to converge simultaneously within the cave, forming a colorful, brilliant, and dazzling vortex of energy.

The swirling energy whipped Chu Yun's clothes like a great banner in the wind, snapping loudly. His eyes revealed a look of shock mixed with pleasant surprise; the sheer scale and splendor of the energy vortex made him feel as insignificant as an ant. The entire cave was flooded with thick primordial energy, a truly magnificent sight.

Originally, these energies had existed in varying amounts. However, under the regulation of the Earth-Fiend Stones, the most abundant fire energy was converted into the other types, achieving a state where all nine great energies coexisted in equal measure.

One year of cultivation.

Two years of cultivation.

Three years of cultivation.

The Heavenly Fox's cultivation was steadily rising, but the Earth-Fiend Stones were being consumed at a rapid pace!

While ordinary demon beasts possessed a single attribute, the Heavenly Fox had nine, meaning its consumption during Foundation Establishment was roughly ten times that of an ordinary beast.

Chu Yun realized this problem immediately, his face turning pale. In his past life, the Heavenly Fox had only absorbed fire energy. His preconceived notions had left him caught off guard when this situation arose.

Fortunately, he still had plenty of Earth-Fiend Stones on hand. He had the people who had "gifted" him the Earth-Fiend Stone Coins last night to thank for that.

He decisively pulled out a handful of Earth-Fiend Stones and tossed them into the energy vortex. The stones were swept into the air, infused with spiritual energy, and immediately generated different types of primordial energy.

The Earth-Fiend Stones themselves did not contain pure primordial energy, but because they were rich in Sha Qi, they could convert any one type of energy into another.

Thanks to the regulation of the Earth-Fiend Stones, the nine great energies in the cave remained in a state of delicate balance.

The Earth-Fiend Stones were consumed rapidly; before they could even hit the ground, they vanished into the dense, swirling vortex of energy.

Four years of cultivation.

Five years of cultivation.

Chu Yun tossed the Earth-Fiend Stones into the energy vortex handful after handful. The Heavenly Fox's form was vague and indistinct within the energy, but it was growing.

Six years of cultivation.

Seven years of cultivation.

Chu Yun felt a secret thrill. This was the record from his past life, yet he could clearly feel that this was not the limit of a perfect Heavenly Fox!

The cultivation was still increasing!

The primordial energy was dense, rushing in from all directions to fill the entire cave. To Chu Yun, it looked like a great river of colorful energy, rippling with dazzling, magnificent waves.

Eight years of cultivation!

He scattered large handfuls of Earth-Fiend Stones. The black stone coins submerged into the surging river of energy without falling to the floor. Instead, they rode the waves, shrinking continuously until they dissipated entirely.

Nine years of cultivation!

Chu Yun trembled with excitement, barely able to believe it. Although only one year separated eight from nine, it was the difference between heaven and earth. Eight years was rare, one in a thousand. Nine was the ultimate number, even more extraordinary!

Yet, the river of energy in the cave showed no signs of thinning.

Could it be... A thought flashed through Chu Yun's mind, one he dared not imagine, yet desperately hoped for. He did not stop, sparing nothing. He threw the Earth-Fiend Stones as if they were common pebbles.

Ten years of cultivation!

It really was ten years!

Nine was the ultimate number, while ten represented transcendence. The step before was mortal; the step after was to ascend to immortality.

Ten years of cultivation manifested the Heavenly Fox's aptitude, surpassing the limitations of the mortal world. In its future growth, it had the potential to transcend the ordinary and become a saint!

Chu Yun was completely stunned.

In the history of this world, anyone who surpassed ten years of cultivation during Foundation Establishment had achieved remarkable feats. Their brilliance had shone through the ages.

"Unthinkable, truly unthinkable..." Chu Yun muttered to himself, his expression dazed.

Inside the cave, the colorful nine-colored primordial energy finally stopped converging and gradually dissipated. A Heavenly Fox with snow-white fur and an elegant posture appeared in Chu Yun's field of vision.

When it was born, it had been tiny enough to fit in the palm of an adult's hand. But now, it had grown to the size of a normal fox.

Its fur was like snow, resembling silk, giving it a soft and lustrous feel. Its eyes were like black crystals, shining brilliantly. At this moment, however, they revealed a look of grave tension, as if facing a formidable enemy.

In the air, there seemed to be an invisible mountain, heavy and oppressive, making Chu Yun feel as though he were suffocating.

"What is going on?" Chu Yun frowned. Although he had the memories of his past life, the changes this time were too great, leaving him with no point of reference.

He keenly sensed that a great disaster was about to occur. This was the calm before the storm.

"Look, what is that?" In the Salty Salt Fishing Village near the Nameless Volcano, someone with sharp eyes suddenly pointed toward the direction of the forest and shouted.

People looked up one after another, and a sudden uproar broke out.

"That is!" Someone stiffened.

"A tribulation cloud! Which demon beast is undergoing a Demon Tribulation to trigger such a massive formation?!" Someone exclaimed in bewilderment.

"Unbelievable, a Nine-Colored Tribulation Cloud. Did I see that correctly? Is there really a demon beast in this world that possesses nine attributes?" Someone held their forehead, shocked and suspicious.

"That little guy Chu Yun seems to be in that direction? Damn it, which demon beast is undergoing tribulation! I hope it doesn't cause any trouble for that kid..." Old Red Spear stood at the entrance of the salt shop, gazing toward the top of the forest. His face was filled with worry.

He knew that Chu Yun's beast egg was merely an ordinary Fire Fox egg. He never once associated the current situation with the fact that it was Chu Yun who had hatched the egg.

In the forest, herds of beasts stampeded and birds scattered in panic. The sky was dyed in nine different hues, and a crushing pressure blanketed the land. A feeling of palpitations gripped Chu Yun's heart.

"I remember now! To transcend the mundane and ascend to immortality is something Heaven and Earth will not tolerate. Nine is the extreme number of the universe; exceeding nine will trigger the Demon Tribulation!" Chu Yun's face turned pale as he suddenly recalled that every demon beast, upon reaching a certain stage of growth, would attract a Demon Tribulation.

Nine years, ninety-nine years, nine hundred and ninety-nine years, nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years—when a demon beast's cultivation accumulated to these stages, attempting to advance further and break the extreme number would trigger the Demon Tribulation. This was true for all demon beasts in the world; there were no exceptions.

This was common knowledge, and Chu Yun had known it, but his shock had prevented him from reacting immediately.

"That's right, the Heavenly Fox has peerless aptitude. During Foundation Establishment, its cultivation broke through the nine-year mark to reach ten years. It is exactly the right time to trigger the Demon Tribulation." Thinking of this, Chu Yun broke out in a cold sweat.

Anyone undergoing a Demon Tribulation must be extremely cautious and fully prepared. If the tribulation fails, the demon beast perishes, losing its life to the underworld.

Now, Chu Yun was truly unprepared. Could a newborn Heavenly Fox survive this?

Without giving Chu Yun any time to prepare, the Demon Tribulation began.

The nine-colored tribulation cloud hovered over the peak of the Nameless Volcano. It was immensely thick, casting a shadow that stretched a mile wide across the sky.

Even if he wanted to run now, it was too late.

The Heavenly Fox suddenly moved, darting out of the cave like a bolt of white lightning. It tilted its head and let out a long cry, its black, crystal-like eyes burning with a fighting spirit as intense as fire.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a fireball the size of a basket shot down like a cannonball.

A cunning glint flashed in the Heavenly Fox's eyes. Just as the fireball descended, it sprinted rapidly and, with a splash, dove into a nearby stream.

The fireball struck the water, erupting with a deafening roar. A massive amount of steam evaporated and dissipated, revealing the completely dried-up riverbed. The Heavenly Fox, however, stood on the bank upstream, shaking its body to shed the water droplets.

"It's actually unscathed? What a clever Heavenly Fox!" Chu Yun stood at the cave entrance, both shocked and delighted. The Heavenly Fox of his past life definitely did not possess such intelligence. Was this the wisdom inherent to a perfect Heavenly Fox?

It was truly admirable.

A new hope surged in Chu Yun's heart: "There's a chance! Even without preparation, with such intelligence and my experience..."

The Demon Tribulation was a test from Heaven and Earth for demon beasts. Whether by dodging, relying on conventional methods, or diverting the disaster elsewhere, as long as one survived, it was a success.

"The next one is the Earth Tribulation; jump onto that big tree!" Chu Yun shouted to remind the Heavenly Fox. He believed that with the fox's intelligence, even without training, it would surely grasp his meaning.

The Heavenly Fox's ears twitched, clearly having received Chu Yun's warning. A flicker of hesitation crossed its eyes, but it immediately spread its limbs and, in a few swift bounds, scrambled up a towering tree.

"It's so intelligent!" Chu Yun's eyes lit up suddenly.

Once the Fire Tribulation passed, only eight colors remained in the cloud. Among them, the yellow Earth essence suddenly brightened, rapidly condensing into a round, flying stone.

The stone whistled through the air, aimed directly at the Heavenly Fox. The moment the attack was about to land, Chu Yun shouted, "Jump!"

The Heavenly Fox leaped away, and the ancient tree behind it was struck by the stone. With a loud crack, the tree toppled over. However, the flying stone was countered by the wood energy and dissipated into nothingness.

The Heavenly Fox's previous evasion of the fireball had been a desperate, instinctive reaction to dive into the water. By a stroke of luck, it had used water to counter fire and survived the Fire Tribulation. But this time, Chu Yun's command had utilized the vast experience and wisdom of his past life.

Among the Five Elements, fire generates earth, so he deduced that the Earth Tribulation would follow the Fire Tribulation.

And since wood counters earth, he ordered the Heavenly Fox to jump onto the towering ancient tree, using the tree's wood energy to neutralize the Earth Tribulation.

It had worked perfectly.

"After the Earth Tribulation comes the Metal Tribulation. Fire counters metal—Heavenly Fox, go to the volcanic crater!" Chu Yun shouted again.

The Heavenly Fox moved at his call, running with abandon. It was incredibly fast; already halfway up the mountain, it shot toward the summit like an arrow released from a bow. Chu Yun followed closely behind.

A while later, the Metal essence in the tribulation cloud finished brewing. It transformed into a Golden Halberd and thrust toward the Heavenly Fox.

The Heavenly Fox ran circles around the volcanic crater. The Golden Halberd missed its mark and plummeted into the crater, where it was immediately melted away by the intense volcanic heat.

Chu Yun was overjoyed and followed the same pattern. The Heavenly Fox's intelligence was peerless, and he possessed the experience of a past life—both were monsters that could not be judged by common sense. Working together like this, after more than an hour, they had actually survived the Demon Tribulation unscathed!