Chapter 36

After a serious illness, Mei Xue’s perspective on the world had changed; everything in the world seemed to have become more radiant in his eyes.

During the battle with the Nine-Yin Seed, he could not think of anything else, so time seemed to pass in a flash.

However, this illness seemed particularly long, especially when he was falling into the infinite abyss. Mei Xue even felt as if he had lived through several lifetimes, so when he woke up, it felt like a whole new world.

In the end, even with the acquisition of the incredible Heavenly Book, the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, he was still essentially a sixteen-year-old boy. He had not turned into a thousand-year-old monster, nor had he achieved enlightenment and entered the monastic life.

He was still Mei Xue, the young man who was striving to chase his dreams, but he no longer fell in love. Instead, he had a grander ideal, one that would take his entire life to accomplish.

After severing nine hundred and ninety-nine romantic ties, he saw a more magnificent world, a world of countless mountains and seas, an infinitely vast world.

However, this illness led him to make a decision that was not in his plan.

It was a decision that required deep consideration, but after a night, Mei Xue finally made this decision.

The sun rose again, casting thousands of golden rays. Today was the day Mei Xue would bid farewell to Tianqing and set off for Qinglong Mountain.

"Little one, come here." Mei Xue waved to the little fox who was still sleeping in his bed.

"Awo?" The proud little fox turned over, pretending not to hear Mei Xue’s call.

Since she had a clone, she had handed over all her studies and exercises to her clone.

With this clone that could be given any command, Qingqiu Jiuyue found it to be a perfect fit for her, so convenient that it couldn’t get any better.

The clone was perfect; she was very capable and could do anything that Qingqiu Jiuyue couldn’t. She would have a lot of time and energy to beautifully complete the tasks that Qingqiu Jiuyue disliked.

She would do everything that Qingqiu Jiuyue disliked and couldn’t do. She wouldn’t feel tired or sleepy, and she could memorize a book in half an hour that Qingqiu Jiuyue couldn’t finish in an hour.

She had perfect self-control, never complained, never got distracted, and never made mistakes. She did everything meticulously, even the usually picky Black Fox Elder praised her, considering her the epitome of a lady.

She could overcome all of Qingqiu Jiuyue’s weaknesses, endure all pressures, and never procrastinate, diligently completing all the tasks of the Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox Princess.

Even the cultivation of demon power was the same. Initially, it was only one-tenth of the amount, but in just two days, it increased by half, and even Qingqiu Jiuyue, as the original, benefited greatly.

Qingqiu Jiuyue absolutely loved this clone. Because of this clone, which she could trust with everything and leave alone without any problems, she could fully enjoy the happiness of sleeping until she naturally woke up and staying by the side of the person she liked.

"Really, there’s nothing I can do with you." Seeing the little fox snoring, Mei Xue ultimately didn’t wake her up but gently held her in his arms, allowing this happy little one to continue enjoying her sweet dreams.

Walking out of the room, Mei Xue saw Huang Fei, full of spirit, leading his group of friends away from Tianqing. Huang Fei had a white headband tied around his head, with the words "King of Fighters '97" written in large letters.

"King of Fighters, invincible!"

"Long live '97!"

"Our leader Huang Fei is the man who will punch the Azure Dragon in the North Sea and kick the Flying Serpent in the East Sea!"

"Brother Huang Fei, show us a big move!"

The graduates of the Tian Tai Mountain初级仙法学院 (Primary Immortal Law Academy) were also in high spirits, clearly knowing that Huang Fei had obtained the Azure Dragon Jade.

Huang Fei raised his right hand high, and a tyrannical aura instantly burst forth. Then, his fat body, defying logic, instantly punched forward hundreds of times, the impact of the heavy punches even creating a column of air.

"See, this is the punch of the King of Fighters, the punch of '97!" Huang Fei shouted, his voice full of the air of invincibility.

"Oh, see how powerful that punch is!"

"Of course, our leader is a man with the power of '97.'"

"If this continues, even Wu Shi won’t be a problem."

"Brother Fei, use your fists to create the world!"

Having witnessed the once-in-a-century Azure Dragon’s roar and discovering that their leader was the owner of the Dragon Jade, the friends in Huang Fei’s group had thoroughly acknowledged his leadership and began to build momentum for him.

"Let’s go! Qinglong Academy, here we come!" Leading his friends, Huang Fei put on a suit with the emblem of the blazing sun and set off with a bold and spirited demeanor.

"Good luck, Huang Fei." Mei Xue shouted to the departing Huang Fei, offering his support to this not-so-bad Huang Fei.

"Hey, wait for me to become famous, Casanova." Huang Fei turned his back to Mei Xue, gave a thumbs-up, and walked away gracefully, leaving Mei Xue with the heroic back view of a man bearing the emblem of blazing flames.

"Then, I should go too." Holding the still sleeping little fox and checking his preparations, Mei Xue turned and headed towards the highest point of Fushan.

Perhaps because he was about to leave Tianqing, Mei Xue felt an unexpected sense of reluctance towards this Fushan, which had once saved his life, as if he were saying goodbye to a friend.

The battle using the Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox transformation to activate Tianqing was still vivid in his mind. Because of the perfect fusion with Tianqing, Mei Xue clearly knew every inch of Tianqing’s land and the function of every mechanism.

For example, that artificial hill contained a weapon for aerial attacks.

That pavilion could transform into a large umbrella in emergencies to defend against immortal attacks.

That small path hid a one-time explosive mechanism, part of Tianqing’s final self-destruction program.

The palace at the top of Fushan was not just for decoration; it was the core of "Qingliu," the most heavily defended place in the entire Fushan.

That was where Mei Xue was heading.

He knew who lived there. It was the true owner of Fushan "Tianqing," a noble princess, the only Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox of the demon fox clan.

Just as he approached the palace, a terrifying killing intent locked onto Mei Xue.

The defense mechanisms were not activated because there was a more terrifying guardian here.

One of the three Black Fox Elders of the demon fox clan, the top demon of the mountains and seas—Qingqiu Xuanming.

"This is not a place for mortals to approach. Leave." Qingqiu Xuanming’s voice penetrated the palace walls, intimidating Mei Xue. Just a hint of his demon power made Mei Xue unable to move.

Feeling a fatal threat, Mei Xue’s hair began to change color, the cold silver gradually appearing.

" Elder, it’s someone I know." Qingqiu Jiuyue’s voice stopped Qingqiu Xuanming’s pressure, but Mei Xue found it strange that this voice was different from the one he remembered of the Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox princess.

The Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox princess he had first met on Tian Tai Mountain seemed more lively and playful.

"Princess, that’s just a mortal boy." Qingqiu Xuanming clearly disliked Mei Xue’s arrival. If it weren’t for Qingqiu Jiuyue’s recent good performance, he would have given Mei Xue a lesson he would never forget, teaching him about the difference in status.

In Qingqiu Xuanming’s eyes, the Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox princess of their clan was the most noble bloodline in the mountains and seas, and would never have any interaction with an outsider.

However, things did not develop as he imagined.

Qingqiu Jiuyue walked out of the palace, her steps graceful, and her cute face had changed slightly from Mei Xue’s memory.

How to describe it? The first time they met, Qingqiu Jiuyue felt like a red apple, full of vitality and playfulness; now, she was mysterious and elegant, like a lotus blooming in the mist.

Clearly, the current Qingqiu Jiuyue was more like a princess, while the Qingqiu Jiuyue in Mei Xue’s memory was more like a childhood friend.

"Awo..." The little fox in Mei Xue’s arms stretched and finally woke up, and her first sight was of herself.

Hmm, this... Looking at the girl who looked exactly like her, Qingqiu Jiuyue felt something was off. After just one night, this clone seemed even more "ladylike," and less like her.

"Hello, Mei Xue." Qingqiu Jiuyue smiled, looking at Mei Xue holding the little fox, and smiled charmingly.

It was a smile the little fox had never imagined would appear on her face, elegant and captivating, the smile of a true lady.

"Hello, Princess Qingqiu." Mei Xue hesitated for a moment. Having once borrowed the power of the Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox, he noticed that the current Qingqiu Jiuyue was different from the Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox princess he knew.

However, he hadn’t spent much time with the Golden-Haired Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox princess, so perhaps this was her true self.

The Black Fox Elder appeared behind Qingqiu Jiuyue like a ghost, staring at Mei Xue with a "if you don’t leave quickly, I won’t be polite" look.

Mei Xue clearly felt the terrifying presence of the Black Fox Elder Qingqiu Xuanming. Given his lack of skill in such situations, he decided to get to the point quickly.

"Princess Qingqiu, is this a little one from your clan?" Mei Xue pointed to the little fox in his arms and asked.

"Yes." Qingqiu Jiuyue smiled, her lips curving into a mysterious arc.

"Of course, this is a young fox from our clan. How could it be in the hands of a human? Give it back quickly." Qingqiu Xuanming glanced and immediately confirmed it was a young fox from their demon fox clan.

At this stage, young foxes should absolutely not venture into the human world. Weak and unable to transform into human form, they would face unimaginable consequences if captured by humans. This was a lesson learned through the blood of the demon fox clan.

"Princess, this is a little one I brought with me." Qingqiu Jiuyue waved to stop Qingqiu Xuanming’s action, taking responsibility.

"Princess!" Qingqiu Xuanming looked at Qingqiu Jiuyue in confusion.

Mei Xue looked at the little fox in his arms, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, he had made up his mind:

"Princess Qingqiu, can I take care of this little one?"