Chapter Nineteen: The Power of the Celestial Fox

Seeing the subtle change in Shen Chang’an’s expression, Zheng Xin couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Priest, what’s wrong with you now?”

Shen Chang’an took a deep breath, shook his head, and replied, “It’s nothing. I’m just a bit tired. You should go back for now.”

Although she was quite curious about what Shen Chang’an was thinking, Zheng Xin saw that he was unwilling to say more, so she didn’t press further and returned to her room.

Shen Chang’an, meanwhile, took out the ancient book bound in beast hide and quickly flipped to the page marked with Little Fox Yiyi’s image.

“What happened?”

He scrutinized the page, but its contents hadn’t changed much—only a faint warmth emanated from it, making it slightly hot to the touch. Occasionally, a subtle, almost imperceptible sense would pulse from the book.

“Could it be…”

Shen Chang’an’s heart stirred. Whenever the ancient book emitted warmth, it meant he was nearing his target. Was Little Fox Yiyi somewhere nearby?

He became excited; ever since he entered the world within the book, he had searched tirelessly for Yiyi, but she seemed to have vanished, leaving him with no clues.

Now, Little Fox Yiyi had come to Fang City—was it because she heard of his reputation as the Taoist Lingxiao, or did she arrive by chance?

Just as Shen Chang’an was caught up in his excitement, the page suddenly cooled, the heat dissipating entirely, leaving no further change.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

He felt a growing sense of confusion. The ancient book’s sign—was it not indicating that Little Fox was nearby?

While he pondered, the contents on the page finally began to alter.

“…Transformation complete, strength greatly increased…”

Shen Chang’an frowned as he read the new words, “She broke through? But what does that have to do with me…”

No sooner had he spoken than he felt a mysterious force stirring within his abdomen. A torrent of magical power surged through his body, washing over him in an instant. On his back, three dark shadowy totems quickly formed, knotted and twisted in strange patterns.

“This is…”

Shen Chang’an was stunned, and using a bronze mirror, he looked at his back. The three shadows wrapped around him like tails.

“The power of the Celestial Fox…”

He didn’t need to think further; instinct told him the name of this power.

Only now did he recall swallowing Little Fox Yiyi’s inner core, binding them together in an inexplicable way—hence Yiyi’s name was recorded in the ancient beast-skin book.

What Shen Chang’an hadn’t expected was the marvel of this connection: Little Fox’s breakthrough in cultivation actually increased his own strength.

The three shadowy tails of the Celestial Fox’s power represented its three divine abilities: Shifting Form, Illusory Eyes, and Evil Dispelling.

Shifting Form was an art of swift transformation within short distances; Illusory Eyes, an enchantment to confuse the mind; Evil Dispelling protected against malignant energies and poisonous curses.

Evil Dispelling was a passive ability, while the other two were actively used, with a maximum of three uses per day—three in total, not three each. Each use erased one of the shadow totems from his back, and when all three faded, only Evil Dispelling remained in effect. After twelve hours, the totems would regenerate, granting another three uses.

After all, these were not Shen Chang’an’s own divine arts, but Little Fox’s. If he wished to wield them, there were bound to be limitations. Even Evil Dispelling was not without end; though it could ward off evil and poison, it still required him to expend magical force.

Despite these restrictions, Shen Chang’an had gained immensely.

He had swallowed Little Fox Yiyi’s inner core—the loss was hers, not his. Now, with her breakthrough, he could use her divine abilities and claim part of her power; whichever way one looked at it, Shen Chang’an had come out ahead.

“Since Little Fox has broken through, she should be safe. I wonder how Master is faring… Ah, I hope this time I can acquire the arts of Divination and Star Calculation, so I can find them…”

Divination and Star Calculation were abilities for fortune-telling and prophecy; mastered to perfection, one could even glimpse destiny. If Shen Chang’an could learn them, finding Little Fox and Master Wu Youzi would be effortless.

Unfortunately, the ancient beast-skin book granted abilities at random each time. If he could choose, Shen Chang’an would immediately study the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang, the art of manipulating fate.

But then again, such a technique would demand a terrifying amount of magical force—he’d be drained dry before he could cast it. Perhaps the book’s selections weren’t entirely random after all.

“Ah, may Little Fox and Master both be safe; Celestial Treasure Lord above, please bless your disciple to find them soon…”

Shen Chang’an offered a half-hearted prayer to his ancestral master, then headed downstairs.

His bed was shattered; he wouldn’t be able to sleep here tonight…

At the very moment Shen Chang’an obtained the Celestial Fox’s power, far away in Jizhou, Yiyi took a deep breath, suppressing the restless stirrings in her blood. With a single movement, she crushed the skull of a black bear.

“Huh, over at Brother Shen’s…”

Yiyi felt the mysterious pull of power, immediately recognizing it as a signal from Shen Chang’an.

Shen Chang’an believed he’d gained an advantage, claiming Little Fox’s power and feeling a pang of guilt. Yet, since the ancient beast-skin book had recorded her name, how could it bring no change at all?

Most directly, Little Fox could also, to some extent, benefit from two of Shen Chang’an’s divine abilities.

Naturally, these two were the Nine-Breath Energy and Fasting.

Now, even when Little Fox slept motionless, she could sense her magical energy steadily growing within. The rate of growth was slower than Shen Chang’an’s original abilities, but it was continuous—every moment accumulating, and over time, the total would become substantial.

The Nine-Breath Energy was evident when Little Fox actively cultivated; each breath and exhale allowed her to feel the shifts in the primal energy of heaven and earth with greater precision.

Yes, it was a simple function—not as domineering as Shen Chang’an’s ability to effortlessly seize any desired energy—but it made Little Fox’s cultivation smoother and more efficient.

Shen Chang’an was unaware of how difficult it was for ordinary cultivators to catch even a single strand of primal energy during their breathing exercises. Simply discerning it was enough to discourage most.

But Little Fox, with her ability to precisely sense the fluctuations of heaven and earth’s primal energy, could truly be considered a genius among cultivators.