The Superintendent's Gift

The butterfly, formed from a thin mist, gracefully circled and hovered above Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox for a few nimble circles before transforming into the image of an old man with a long beard and hair, and flowing sleeves, right in front of them.

Superintendent!

Xu Qi'an was both surprised and not surprised. He quickly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled:

"It's been half a year since we last met. How have you been, Superintendent?"

"I'm worried about how to rescue you, or how to bypass the wilderness and communicate with you."

He was very humble. Although the Superintendent was now just a "merely Heavenly Mandate Master", respecting the elderly and caring for the young was Silver Gong Xu's nature, just like getting something for free.

The Superintendent capsizing in the ditch occurred in early winter, and now it is late spring of the following year, approaching early summer, which is almost half a year ago.

The Superintendent and uttered a harsh sound:

"Can't you see I'm at my wit's end? How can you say I'm unharmed!"

I was just being polite. Xu Qi'an habitually cursed the old silver coin in his heart, but his respect remained unchanged:

What brings you here?

When Xu Qi'an asked that question, he had a feeling of being confronted. He had a premonition that the Superintendent would confront him on this island.

As for the content of the showdown, it will mostly be related to gods and Gods and Devils, and to a great calamity to come.

And the subsequent arrangements and plans for the old silver coins, etc.

The Superintendent sighed:

Do you know what kind of place this island is?

"The ancient battlefield of Gods and Devils is a forbidden land formed after the fall of Gods and Devils, filled with remnants of Spiritual Essence."

The Nine-Tailed Fox answered on Xu Qi'an's behalf.

The Superintendent nodded. "To be precise, this place is the final battlefield where Gods and Devils met their end, and also the beginning of Gods and Devils demise. The true reason for the fall of Gods and Devils lies in the center of the island."

"Huang came to the island this time for one particular item."

Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox asked subconsciously:

What is that?

The Superintendent shook his head slightly and said:

"Things that cannot be described in words, once you see them, you will naturally know what they are."

The secret to the fall of Gods and Devils lies in the center of the island. Is it something? Wait, the descendant of Gods and Devils on Silkworm Island told me that the ancient Gods and Devils were wiped out because they suddenly went mad, fought each other, and finally ended the era of Gods and Devils.

"It didn't say it was to fight over something," Xu Qi'an frowned.

"Dragon came here not to return to his peak, to restore his Transcendent Rank strength, or perhaps, because that thing could allow him to return to his peak?"

This was not quite what he had expected.

I originally thought that Huang had traveled all the way to Gods and Devils Island to return to his peak, accumulate capital, and contend with the three Transcendent Rank of the Nine Provinces Continent.

Unexpectedly, it involved an even bigger secret.

"Returning to his peak condition is one of His goals, and it doesn't contradict taking that item." The Superintendent looked around.

"Huang was one of the most powerful Gods and Devils in ancient times, possessing Transcendent Rank combat power. During the war Gods and Devils, he made too many enemies and became the target of attacks by Gods and Devils."

"Although he survived by sheer luck, his Spiritual Essence was damaged, and he never regained his peak."

"He disguised himself as a descendant of Gods and Devils, slaughtering in all directions. Later, he was driven out of the Nine Provinces by the Dao Venerable, but he never stopped slaughtering the descendants of Gods and Devils, all in order to repair the damage to his Spiritual Essence and return to the Transcendent Rank."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox asked:

"Can absorbing different Spiritual Essence repair one's own Spiritual Essence?"

She wasn't too surprised; she already knew that Huang's true form had problems and that he was constantly killing the descendants of Gods and Devils.

"That's His innate divine ability. The Spiritual Essence He devours can be transformed into Spiritual Essence own, thus repairing what is damaged. In a sense, the essence of Spiritual Essence is the same." The Superintendent looked at Xu Qi'an and smiled.

"Unfortunately, the descendants of Gods and Devils are of little use to Him. Just like you, an ordinary Third Rank expert is of no benefit to you. And you only want to advance to Half-Step Martial God, but what He wants is to return to the Transcendent Rank."

Xu Qi'an's heart stirred:

"You just reminded me that you threw out that bone to force Him to absorb Spiritual Essence?"

The Superintendent nodded.

"After entering the island, He gradually absorbed a certain amount of Spiritual Essence, reaching a bottleneck. If He were to continue absorbing it, He would need to go into a deep sleep to digest the Spiritual Essence. Since He did not want to go into a deep sleep, He had no choice but to stop absorbing it."

"So that's how it is. No wonder those bones couldn't suppress the desolation." Xu Qi'an then steered the conversation back on track, asking:

"What's the deal with this Gods and Devils Island? Why was it hidden in the Ruins of Return, and what caused it to Fuxian recently?"

The Silver-Haired Enchantress's two pointed ears perked up instinctively, but she didn't notice it herself, as she stared intently at the Superintendent.

"I cannot answer your first question!" The Superintendent shook his head first, then said:

"As for the reason for its Fuxian, you should already know that the fall of Gods and Devils was the first great calamity, and now the second great calamity is about to arrive, and the reason for the former's destruction is related to it."

The Superintendent spoke in a calm and composed tone.

Upon hearing such a shocking secret, both Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox felt their hearts race and even experience palpitations.

Xu Qi'an lowered his voice, his expression more serious than ever before:

"That thing, is that what they call the Great Calamity?!"

He had never been so close to the truth!

At the same time, a strong sense of curiosity welled up inside me, and I wanted to know immediately what exactly was on the island.

The Superintendent pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded:

"You could say that."

Xu Qi'an felt that the Superintendent hadn't finished speaking, but wisely refrained from pressing for an answer.

"Impossible!"

The Nine-Tailed Fox shook her head and retorted:

"If what's on the island is the so-called great calamity, then the Gu God, the Witch God, and the Buddha wouldn't sit idly by and remain completely unresponsive."

Xu Qi'an looked at the Superintendent, who remained silent for a moment before smiling:

"The two great calamities are different. The thing on the island is indeed the core and key of the calamity, but it belongs to the first calamity. Moreover, in the era of Gods and Devils, no Gatekeeper appeared."

"What is Gatekeeper, and what does he guard?" The Nine-Tailed Fox asked, voicing the question that had been on Xu Qi'an's mind.

"Once you reach the center of this island and see it, you will naturally understand," the Superintendent said.

Xu Qi'an looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox and saw a blue vein bulging on the fox spirit's smooth forehead. He was very unhappy but forced himself to endure it.

"You'll get used to it. Warlocks are just that annoying," he thought to himself.

This includes the Superintendent and his disciples, excluding the mascot, the glutton, and the unlucky fellow.

"The key and core of the second great calamity is Fate!" Xu Qi'an stared at the Superintendent.

"That's right."

This time, the old silver coin gave an affirmative answer.

"So, the three Transcendent Rank — Buddha, the Shaman God, and the Gu God —didn't send anyone overseas?" the Nine-Tailed Fox asked, suddenly realizing.

If the Superintendent to keep her in suspense, she will burn down the Star Observation Tower once she returns to Nine Provinces.

The Superintendent shook his head:

"Apart from the Gu God, the other two were unaware of the island's existence; it's a secret known only to Gods and Devils."

I thought Transcendent Rank- Know-It-All... Xu Qi'an probed:

"Superintendent, is this why you deliberately allowed yourself to be sealed by the Desolate One? Is your true motive also that thing at the center of the island?"

The Superintendent sighed:

"I was truly caught off guard and completely off guard. Sigh, I'm getting old."

I don't believe you for a second!

Xu Qi'an knew the taboos of the Heavenly Mandate Master, so he didn't pry. He glanced at the Nine-Tailed Fox and said:

"You came to me hoping I would stop Ara's plan and seize that thing on the island."

The Superintendent nodded.

"If that thing falls into Huang's hands, everything will be over."

"Didn't you say that thing was a product of the first great calamity and had nothing to do with the second great calamity?" the Nine-Tailed Fox retorted.

The Superintendent calmly explained:

"It was key to the first great calamity, but that doesn't mean it was useless. Whether it's the first or the second great calamity, the essence is the same; only the method has changed."

In other words, we must fight to the bitter end. The essence of the two great calamities is the same, so why is there a difference between the two? Is it because of the appearance of the Gatekeeper? Xu Qi'an said helplessly:

"But you saw what happened just now; even if the king and I joined forces, we were no match for Him."

The Superintendent spoke in a calm and unhurried tone:

"What do you think is the most important thing in fighting Ara?"

Xu Qi'an didn't even think about it:

"It was the power to smash him to pieces."

The Superintendent said:

"It's the skill of escaping!"

"A crude brute."

"A crude brute," the Nine-Tailed Fox beside him mouthed in agreement.

"With your current combat strength, you are not enough to contend with Desolation. Your goal isn't to defeat Him, but to snatch that item from Him. Therefore, surprise attacks and escapes are extremely important."

The Superintendent paused, looked around, and smiled:

You need the power of this space.

The space they inhabited was filled with fragmented, constantly shifting spatial forces.

"First, I want to give you a magical artifact!"

After saying that, Superintendent stretched out his right hand and grabbed into the void, causing visible ripples to appear in the space, as if the calm surface of water had been broken.

After groping around for a moment, the Superintendent pulled something out of thin air.

This thing looks like a crystal-clear glass ball, with a jet-black vertical pupil inside, and twisted blood vessels extending from the edges of the pupil.

"An eyeball?"

Xu Qi'an guessed that it was formed from the Spiritual Essence of that Gods and Devils, and was of the same nature as the fire-attribute spine.

The Superintendent ignored him and turned to look at the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, his free left hand reaching out to grab something.

The Nine-Tailed Fox felt a sharp pain in her head, as if her hair had been pulled forcefully.

Then, she saw a tuft of her white hair being plucked off by the Superintendent and float lightly towards the old man.

A small wisp of silvery-white hair drifted toward the glass ball. The moment it touched the glass ball, a blinding, scorching flame erupted from the Superintendent's palm, and the two objects twisted rapidly, as if an iron ingot had melted.

They blended together, intertwined, and finally became a bracelet.

The bracelet was woven from silvery-white hair and strung with a glass bead the size of a thumbnail. Inside the bead was a jet-black vertical pupil, but without any bloodshot veins.

The Superintendent threw the rope to Xu Qi'an and said:

"Let's bind our master with a drop of blood!"

Any magical artifact that requires blood to bind it to its master must at least be an unparalleled divine weapon. Ordinary magical artifacts fall into the category of tools, which anyone can use and do not require binding.

Thus, an unparalleled divine weapon was born.

If Senior Brother Song were to see the Superintendent's Alchemy, would he be so envious he'd cry? Well, he might also look down on it, thinking that such Alchemy lacks soul. Xu Qi'an took the bracelet, squeezed a bead of blood from his fingertip, and, with curiosity and anticipation, smeared the blood on the glass bead.

A few seconds later, he successfully "connected" with the magical artifact and mastered its functions.

This is a magical artifact with a single function; it has only one ability: spatial manipulation.

Of course, being simple does not mean being uncomplicated. Spatial transformation involves various operations, such as teleportation, spatial cutting, and retrieving objects from a distance.

Spatial cutting cannot harm Huang, but Xu Qi'an can teleport Him to a distant place by cutting through the space He is in.

However, this move can only be executed through a sneak attack. Once the opponent is on guard, a quick movement will break the tactic.

"With it, our chances of snatching food from the tiger's mouth have indeed increased significantly," Xu Qi'an said.

The Superintendent shook his head:

"No, it's difficult for you to snatch food from His mouth in a normal situation; you'll need a powerful enough helper to create the opportunity for you."

He looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox.

The latter frowned repeatedly and snorted:

"I can't do it."

She had a premonition that, after the lesson she had just learned, the next time she saw Huang, He would kill her first and get rid of this eyesore.

The Superintendent a smile:

"The Qingqiu Fox perished on this very island."

This means that the incomplete Spiritual Essence of the Qingqiu Fox will also exist.

I remember that the Spiritual Essence of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox can be inherited, and members of the same clan can plunder each other's Spiritual Essence. The opportunity for the fox spirit to advance to the First Rank rank has come. Xu Qi'an was overjoyed and turned his head to look at the Nine-Tailed Fox.

The Silver-Haired Enchantress's eyes suddenly shone brightly.

The Superintendent asked with a smile:

Are you satisfied with this deal?

The Nine-Tailed Fox took a deep breath, calming her agitated emotions, and pondered:

"If I can advance to the First Rank and master the innate divine abilities of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage, my chances of success will indeed be much greater."

Xu Qi'an asked:

"What are the innate supernatural abilities of your lineage?"

What kind of innate supernatural power requires reaching the First Rank Realm to master?

"The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, as the name suggests, is naturally related to tails." The Silver-Haired Enchantress's smile suddenly became somewhat complicated as she said:

"My mother was also Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, and she had nine elders by her side, but none of them survived. Do you know why?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head, looking at the complicated expression on the Nine-Tailed Fox, and instinctively felt that there was something fishy going on.

The Silver-Haired Enchantress enchantress paused for a moment, then whispered:

"Because foxes have nine lives! My mother died after all nine elders died. When Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox reaches adulthood, it splits into nine separate souls, which merge into its nine tails. This is the prototype of its innate supernatural power."

"Once I reach the First Rank Realm, my nine tails will advance further, transforming from clones into substitutes. The substitute's purpose is to die in place of the original. In other words, at the First Rank Realm, I possess nine lives."

The tail took the fall for the main body. Xu Qi'an's joy vanished suddenly, and he said in a deep voice:

"That dead tail."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox said calmly:

"Naturally, it dies, but as long as the original body is not destroyed, a new tail can grow every hundred years. However, the new tail has no connection with the previous one; in relation to the previous tail, it is truly dead."

That's why I address the nine tails as master and servant, not as sisters.

"If they are sisters, then there will inevitably be feelings involved. Once feelings develop, they will be heartbroken and create their own troubles."

Xu Qi'an remained silent for a long time before saying:

"It cannot be Yeji, Baiji, Qingji, or Xueji."

He knew all four of the concubines. He didn't need to talk about the first two, but he also had some feelings for the latter two. If the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox was "inevitably going to die," Xu Qi'an could only ensure that these four concubines were safe and sound.

"Alright!" the Silver-Haired Enchantress promised.

She was expressionless and appeared extremely cold, but Xu Qi'an, who was familiar with her cunning nature, knew that the Nine-Tailed Fox was not truly without feelings for her nine sisters, and that they were not just master and servant, but also shared other affections.

"That's really cruel," he slowly exhaled, then suddenly remembered something and said:

"By the way, Superintendent Imperial Observatory, the Directorate of Astronomy has a new Superintendent."

"As expected, Junior Sister Caiwei has taken over your position."

The Superintendent's expression suddenly fell.

The Imperial Palace.

Imperial Garden, pavilion.

Huaiqing, dressed in a plum-colored palace dress, sat at a round table, a white chess piece between her slender, jade-like fingers, her brows furrowed and silent.

After a long while, she reluctantly resigned herself to defeat.

"I have lost."

"It's all Xu Ningyan's fault. Playing chess with him for too long has severely weakened my skills. It's true what they say, you become like those you associate with."

Wei Yuan, sitting opposite him, smiled gently.

Wasn't His Majesty quite happy those few days?

"He neglects his duties, spending all his time thinking about playing chess with Xu Ningyan. I thought that Xu Ningyan's chess skills were so superb that Your Majesty was tempted and became competitive."

He glanced at Huaiqing's dress without making a sound; it was after that period that Huaiqing started wearing dresses again.

The changes in my state of mind involved are not something I can Way of Humanity.

Huaiqing, being such a clever man, naturally understood Wei Yuan's teasing and joking, and said calmly:

"Duke Wei should take his mother out of the palace as soon as possible, lest the truth come out and the historians record it in history: 'The powerful eunuch Wei Yuan brought chaos to the palace.'"

Wei Yuan said without changing his expression:

"Your Majesty, Zhu Jiu of the Northern Territory Demon Race gave his answer the day before yesterday: he is unwilling to participate in the so-called Great Calamity. If we continue to pressure him, he will lead the demon barbarians to the bitterly cold Arctic."

Huaiqing knew when to stop, and instead of continuing to hurt each other, he said with a cold smile:

"He does have self-awareness."

The demons and barbarians have completely withdrawn from the power stage of Nine Provinces, adopting a subdued attitude and losing their will to contend.

Wei Yuan put down the chess piece, picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and said:

"Actually, while Third Rank Transcendent being is an extremely powerful fighting force, it doesn't benefit the overall situation. If he doesn't want to get involved, let him be. Just obediently make up for the money and provisions he Great Feng."

Huaiqing nodded in agreement and asked:

What's the latest news from the Shaman God Cult?

"There's been no movement; they're waiting for the Shaman God to break free of the seal. Until then, they shouldn't make any moves," Wei Yuan said.

"What about the Western Regions?" Huaiqing asked again.

"According to intelligence sent back by our spies, most of the wealthy and powerful nobles in the Western Regions have already set off for Aranda. They believe that the Buddha's appearance in the world is to save all sentient beings and enable everyone to attain enlightenment."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Wei Yuan laughed:

"If we are to send troops to suppress Buddhism, now is the perfect opportunity."

"It's meaningless." Huaiqing shook his head. "What is Duke Wei's opinion on this matter?"

Wei Yuan said without hesitation:

"Now that Shenshu's head has been recovered, Buddhist Order no longer needs to devote its energy to suppressing him. Coincidentally, a great calamity is approaching. Your Majesty, what do you think the Buddha will do next?"

Huaiqing also didn't think about it:

"Layout."

Wei Yuan then said:

Therefore, this Dharma Assembly was part of the Buddha's plan.

Huaiqing had already thought of this, and took the opportunity to ask:

"Therefore, we must find a way to disrupt the Dharma Assembly?"

This is what's troubling her.

With Xu Ningyan absent from Central Plains and the pillar of the nation, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, the fighting strength of Great Feng and the Southern Frontier is greatly diminished. Even if Shenshu recovers to his peak condition and leads the Transcendent experts of Great Feng, it will be impossible for him to defeat the three Bodhisattva led by the Buddha.

Wei Yuan laughed:

"Sometimes, you don't necessarily have to confront an enemy head-on to defeat them. Cutting off their supplies and reinforcements can also drive them to their doom. Your Majesty should learn to look at problems from different perspectives."

"We can set aside the Dharma Assembly and only think about the Buddha, or what the Transcendent Rank desires."

Huaiqing's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out:

"Fate!"

Wei Yuan's smile widened:

"Then, can we boldly speculate that the Dharma Assembly is a way and means to consolidate Fate?"

Seeing Huaiqing frown and nod, Wei Yuan continued:

"Once we know this enemy force's weakness, we can cut off their supplies."

Huaiqing's eyes lit up:

"How do you cut it off!"

Wei Yuan's gaze suddenly sharpened:

"The Buddhist Order monks is limited, and they cannot govern the Western Regions or the common people. Meanwhile, the rule of various countries and cities will inevitably weaken during the time when the noble class is in Aranda."

"What the court should do is not to stop the Dharma Assembly, but to seize this opportunity to secretly support Mahayana Dharma, divide the faith of the people in the Western Regions, and expand its scale. Then, it should encourage the people of the Western Regions to migrate to the Central Plains."

"To weaken the Fate of the Western Regions."

Huaiqing sighed:

"A good strategist should plan for the world."

"I will fully support Duke Wei, sparing no effort whatsoever."

Wei Yuan laughed:

"Although Your Majesty is a woman, your courage and determination far surpass those of all previous emperors."

Somewhere on Gods and Devils Island.

Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox stood at the edge of a forbidden area. Looking at the illusory, naked beauties swaying their hips before him, he earnestly said:

Please allow me to accompany you.

The Silver-Haired Enchantress, surrounded by seductive music, frowned and said:

"No, I'll go in by myself. If I go in with you, my lord's five-hundred-year-old virginity will be in danger."

Xu Qi'an said irritably:

"Look at what you're saying, everyone's a virgin."

"A mere alluring Charm cannot seduce this Silver Gong."

"Shameless." The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox rolled her eyes and said:

I'm afraid you'll take this opportunity to molest my sovereign.

The two bickered as they walked side by side into the area where the Qingqiu Fox had perished.