In Chu Yun's expectant gaze, the tiny Heavenly Fox lifted its head, opened its little mouth, and began drawing in the surrounding essence.
As if a whirlwind had sprung up out of nowhere, the essence in the air suddenly grew dense. There was every kind of essence: blue water essence, red fire essence, green wood essence, white metal essence, yellow earth essence, and even lightning, wind, light, and darkness essence.
The Heavenly Fox had nine attributes: fire, earth, metal, water, wood, wind, lightning, light, and shadow. Its first absorption of essence was equivalent to Foundation Establishment. Thus, it drew all nine kinds of essence into the cave, where they gathered into a colorful, dazzling vortex.
The essence whipped Chu Yun's clothes like a great flag in the wind, snapping and fluttering. Shock and delight showed in his eyes. The enormous, radiant vortex made him feel as small as an ant. Dense essence filled the entire cave, creating a truly magnificent sight.
The different kinds of essence had originally varied in quantity. But under the influence of the Baleful Earth Stones, the most abundant fire essence transformed into the other kinds, bringing all nine kinds of essence into equilibrium.
One year of cultivation.
Two years of cultivation.
Three years of cultivation.
The Heavenly Fox's cultivation steadily increased. But the Baleful Earth Stones were being used up at an alarming rate!
Ordinary Demon Beasts had only one attribute, while the Heavenly Fox had nine. As a result, its Foundation Establishment consumed roughly ten times as much essence as that of an ordinary Demon Beast.
Chu Yun noticed the problem at once, and his face paled. The Heavenly Fox in his previous life had absorbed only fire essence. His preconceived notions had left him at a loss when things went differently.
Fortunately, he still had plenty of Baleful Earth Stones. He had last night's "gift" of Earth-Fiend Stone Coins to thank for that.
He decisively took out a handful of Baleful Earth Stones and tossed them into the vortex. They were swept into the air and infused with spiritual energy, then produced different kinds of essence.
The Baleful Earth Stones did not contain pure essence themselves. But because they were rich in baleful earth energy, they could transform any kind of essence into another.
Thanks to the Baleful Earth Stones, the nine kinds of essence in the cave remained in a delicate balance.
The Baleful Earth Stones were rapidly consumed. Before they could hit the ground, they vanished into the dense currents of essence.
Four years of cultivation.
Five years of cultivation.
Handful after handful, Chu Yun tossed the Baleful Earth Stones into the vortex. The Heavenly Fox's figure was faintly visible in the essence, growing larger by the moment.
Six years of cultivation.
Seven years of cultivation.
Chu Yun was secretly thrilled. These were the records from his previous life, yet he could clearly feel that this was not the limit of a perfect Heavenly Fox!
Its cultivation was still increasing!
Essence surged in from every direction, filling the entire cave. To Chu Yun, it was like a great river of colored light, rolling with dazzling, majestic waves.
Eight years of cultivation!
He scattered handfuls upon handfuls of Baleful Earth Stones. The black stone coins sank into the raging river of essence without falling to the ground. Instead, they rode the currents, shrinking until they finally disappeared completely.
Nine years of cultivation!
Chu Yun trembled with excitement, almost unable to believe it. There was only a year between eight and nine, but the gulf between them was as wide as heaven and earth. Eight years was rare, one in a thousand. Nine was the ultimate number, rarer still!
And yet the river of essence in the cave showed no sign of slowing.
Could it be... A thought flashed through Chu Yun's mind. He hardly dared imagine it, but he was filled with anticipation. His hands never stopped, and he spared no expense, tossing Baleful Earth Stones as though they were ordinary pebbles.
Ten years of cultivation!
It was really ten years!
Nine was the ultimate number; ten meant transcendence. One step beyond was the mortal realm, the next, ascension to immortality.
Ten years of cultivation revealed the Heavenly Fox's talent, surpassing the limits of the mortal world. As it grew, it might one day transcend the ordinary and become a saint!
Chu Yun was utterly stunned.
Throughout the history of this world, all those who had surpassed ten years of cultivation during Foundation Establishment had achieved outstanding accomplishments. Their brilliance had shone through the ages.
"I never imagined... I never imagined..." Chu Yun murmured, dazed.
At last, the nine-colored essence in the cave stopped converging and gradually dispersed. A Heavenly Fox with snow-white fur and an elegant figure came into view.
When it was born, it had been tiny enough to sit in an adult's palm. Now it had grown to the size of an ordinary fox.
Its fur was white as snow, with the smooth, glossy sheen of silk. Its eyes gleamed like black crystals. Now, however, they held the solemn, tense look of one facing a formidable enemy.
The air seemed to press down like an invisible mountain, so oppressive that Chu Yun could hardly breathe.
"What's going on?" Chu Yun furrowed his brow. Though he had memories of his previous life, things had changed so much that he had no point of reference.
His keen senses told him a great calamity was about to strike. It was the calm before the storm.
"Look, what's that?" In Salty Salt Fishing Village, near the Nameless Volcano, someone with sharp eyes suddenly pointed toward the forest and shouted.
People looked up, and an uproar broke out at once.
"That's—!" Someone froze stiff.
"Tribulation clouds! Which Demon Beast is undergoing a Demon Tribulation? How could it cause such a tremendous spectacle?!" someone exclaimed in astonishment.
"Unbelievable, nine-colored tribulation clouds. Am I seeing things? Is there really a Demon Beast in this world with nine attributes?" Someone pressed a hand to their forehead, both shocked and doubtful.
"That little fellow Chu Yun seems to be in that direction? Damn it, which Demon Beast is undergoing tribulation? I hope it doesn't cause that kid any trouble..." Old Red Spear stood in the doorway of the salt shop, gazing toward the sky above the forest. His face was full of worry.
He knew that Chu Yun's Demon Beast egg was an ordinary Fire Fox egg. It had never occurred to him that Chu Yun hatching it was what had caused the spectacle before them.
Beasts raced through the forest, and startled birds scattered into flight. Nine colors spread across the sky, and overwhelming pressure blanketed the land. A feeling of dread gripped Chu Yun's heart.
"I remember now! Transcending the ordinary to ascend to immortality is forbidden by heaven and earth. Nine is the ultimate number of heaven and earth. Exceeding nine will trigger a Demon Tribulation!" Chu Yun suddenly went pale. Only now did he remember that every Demon Beast would face a Demon Tribulation upon reaching a certain stage of growth.
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 one of these thresholds, trying to advance further would break past the ultimate number and trigger a Demon Tribulation. This was true of every Demon Beast in the world, without exception.
It was common knowledge, and Chu Yun had known it too. But he had been too shaken to realize it right away.
"That's right. The Heavenly Fox's talent is Peerless. It surpassed nine years of cultivation during Foundation Establishment and reached ten. It was bound to trigger a Demon Tribulation." At the thought, Chu Yun broke out in a cold sweat.
A Demon Tribulation had to be faced with the utmost care and thorough preparation. Failure meant the Demon Beast would perish and meet its end.
Chu Yun had made no preparations at all. Could a newborn Heavenly Fox survive it?
The Demon Tribulation began, giving Chu Yun no time to prepare.
The tribulation clouds, gathered in nine colors, shrouded the peak of the Nameless Volcano. They were immense, casting a shadow a full li wide.
Even if they tried to run now, it was already too late.
The Heavenly Fox suddenly sprang into motion, racing out of the cave like a bolt of white lightning. It raised its head and let out a long cry. Its black-crystal eyes blazed with fighting spirit.
Boom!
Suddenly, a fireball the size of a bushel basket shot down like a cannonball.
A sly glint flashed in the Heavenly Fox's eyes. As the fireball plunged toward it, it bolted. With a splash, it leaped into a stream.
The fireball struck the water, erupting with a deafening boom. A great cloud of steam rose and dispersed, revealing a completely dried-up riverbed. But the Heavenly Fox was already on the bank upstream, shaking itself and flinging off droplets of water.
"It's unharmed? What a clever Heavenly Fox!" Chu Yun stood at the cave entrance, both startled and delighted. The Heavenly Fox in his previous life had never been so perceptive. Was this the intelligence of a perfect Heavenly Fox?
It was astounding.
A fresh hope suddenly stirred in Chu Yun's heart. There's a chance! We made no preparations, but with such intelligence, combined with my experience...
A Demon Tribulation was heaven and earth's test for a Demon Beast. Any method would do—dodging, relying on ordinary means, or redirecting the danger elsewhere. As long as it survived, it had passed.
"The next one is an Earth Tribulation. Jump into a tree!" Chu Yun shouted, warning the Heavenly Fox. He trusted that, with its intelligence, it would understand him even without prior training.
The Heavenly Fox's ears twitched, clearly catching Chu Yun's warning. A hint of hesitation flashed in its eyes, but then it spread its legs and scampered up a towering tree in just a few bounds.
"So perceptive!" Chu Yun's eyes suddenly lit up.
Once the Fire Tribulation had passed, only eight colors remained in the tribulation clouds. The yellow earth essence suddenly brightened and quickly gathered into a round flying stone.
The stone hurtled toward the Heavenly Fox. At the instant the attack was about to hit, Chu Yun suddenly shouted, "Jump!"
The Heavenly Fox leaped away. The ancient tree behind it was struck by the flying stone. With a loud crack, it toppled over. The stone, however, was countered by the wood energy and vanished.
The Heavenly Fox had only avoided the fireball by reacting in the heat of the moment, diving into the water in its haste to escape. By chance, water overcame fire, and it survived the Fire Tribulation. But this time, Chu Yun had directed it using the wealth of experience and wisdom from his previous life.
Among the five elements, fire produced earth. So he reasoned that the Earth Tribulation would come after the Fire Tribulation.
And wood overcame earth, so he had ordered the Heavenly Fox to leap onto a towering tree, using its wood energy to counter the Earth Tribulation.
And it had worked.
"After the Earth Tribulation comes the Metal Tribulation. Fire overcomes metal, so the Heavenly Fox should head to the volcano's crater!" Chu Yun shouted again.
The Heavenly Fox sprang into action, tearing off at a run. It was incredibly fast, and already halfway up the mountainside; like an arrow loosed from a bow, it raced up the mountain. Chu Yun followed close behind.
Some time later, the metal essence in the tribulation clouds finished gathering. It transformed into a Golden Halberd and thrust toward the Heavenly Fox.
The Heavenly Fox raced around the volcano's crater. The Golden Halberd missed, plunging into the crater, where it was quickly melted by the dense fire energy.
Chu Yun was overjoyed and continued with the same strategy. The Heavenly Fox was exceptionally perceptive, and he had the experience of his previous life. Neither of them could be measured by ordinary standards. Working together, they truly managed to survive this Demon Tribulation safely in just over an hour!