Chapter 51

Wang Qi, of course, was reluctant to part with the pearl. Originally, he didn't mind much when the pearl was still covered in dust, but now that his senior brother had revealed its true nature as a spiritual treasure, it was a different story.

To let it slip away from his hands would be heart-wrenching. He looked at Xuan Kong, who was holding the turtle pearl between two fingers, with a piteous expression, almost on the verge of tears. Wang Jun, who had a kind heart, tried to persuade him, "Master, this pearl is Uncle's family heirloom. I've heard that a gentleman does not take what others love."

"If it's something Uncle cherishes, I wouldn't dare to take it," Wang Qi nodded, but then argued, "But..."

Xuan Kong didn't give him a chance to speak, asking instead, "Are we brothers, good little brother?" Wang Qi nodded, but then argued, "But..."

Xuan Kong didn't let him finish, asking again, "How did the senior brother treat you on the mountain?" Wang Qi nodded again, at least the senior brother didn't bully him like the other disciples, and even took him down the mountain to travel. He had learned a lot from Xuan Kong during this time. Thinking about this, his heart softened, and he shook his head with a sigh.

He knew that the turtle pearl, which he had just recognized, was about to say "goodbye" to him.

"Hehe, the senior brother won't let you down!" Xuan Kong blocked his disciple's view, secretly slipping a small booklet into Wang Qi's hand. Wang Qi's eyes were sharp, and in the faint light, he saw the four large characters "Secrets of Sword Mastery" on the cover.

Guessing it was the new sword technique the senior brother had recently mastered, Wang Qi quickly tucked it away in his sleeve and patted his chest, saying loudly, "Of course, Senior Brother, you will always be my beloved senior brother. My disciples are your disciples, and your disciples are mine..."

Feeling the murderous aura in Xuan Kong's eyes, Wang Qi quickly corrected himself, "Your disciples are still your disciples. This pearl isn't worth much, and when we reach my hometown by the Northern Sea, I'll have a gift for you!"

Hearing Wang Qi's words, Xuan Kong smiled and put the turtle pearl away, gesturing for Wang Jun to come over.

"This turtle pearl, though good, cannot be worn by mortals for long. Mortals lack magical power and can only sustain it with their own life essence, which shortens their lifespan. I suspect the Feng family declined over a hundred years because of this."

Wang Qi slapped his thigh, "Senior Brother is right. The Feng family indeed had few male descendants, and only a daughter was left to struggle on."

Xuan Kong said, "This is a human custom of passing down to sons but not daughters. Otherwise, the Feng family would have been extinct long ago."

Wang Qi widened his eyes in anger, "How cruel, this is a way to exterminate a family."

He wondered why the Eighth King was so kind, giving the thousand-year-old turtle pearl to the Feng family, but it turned out he had ulterior motives. Xuan Kong shook his head and smiled, "It's not what you think. The Eighth King later found Feng Sheng and removed the turtle pearl from his body."

"However, since it had already been given, the Eighth King didn't take it back, and it became a family heirloom of the Feng family, passed down through generations. It's unclear how it ended up in its current form."

Wang Jun asked, "Master, this turtle pearl is like a dragon pearl, a manifestation of a demon's entire cultivation. How could it be willing to give such a vital item to someone else?" Wang Qi nodded, "That's right."

He still didn't believe that there could be a demon with a sense of gratitude and righteousness.

Xuan Kong explained, "I know a bit about this. According to what Qing Tong once said, the allure of worldly power and wealth is the most tempting. Many promising cultivators can't resist the allure of the mortal world and end up losing their path."

"The Eighth King met the same fate. He was enchanted by the illusory power and wanted to be a high official in the human world. When the three calamities came, he realized his mistake. Knowing he couldn't escape, he transformed his essence into the turtle pearl and gave it to Feng Sheng as a way to repay his life-saving grace."

Wang Qi nodded, "So that's how it is!"

It seemed that even among demons, there were those who could be kind and benevolent. Seeing his junior brother nodding, Xuan Kong suddenly felt a flash of clarity, and many previously confusing thoughts became clear.

Xuan Kong didn't understand what had happened, but he was greatly surprised. He quickly calculated with his fingers but found no anomalies.

There was a saying that Xuan Kong didn't know he was the main character in this great calamity, and every action he took was in line with the will of heaven. The main cause of this great calamity was the conflict between humans and demons.

Xuan Kong recounted a moving story from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" that he had memorized, and it deeply moved his junior brother Wang Qi, teaching him that there was another way for humans and demons to coexist in this world.

This event, though small, had significant meaning.

To quote a saying from Xuan Kong's predecessors, this was a small step for Xuan Kong but a giant leap for the harmony between humans and demons in the world.

It was a great virtue, but since the great calamity hadn't ended, only a small amount of virtue descended upon Xuan Kong, making his mind clearer and solving many of his puzzles. However, since the world of Pangu had passed through countless eons, and much of the golden light of virtue had been used, only a faint trace descended upon him, which Xuan Kong couldn't detect.

Since there were no anomalies, Xuan Kong put his mind at ease and was about to call his disciple Zixu to help him refine the turtle pearl. But when he opened his eyes, his hand felt light, and he looked up to see that the turtle pearl had already fallen into the paws of the yellow-furred little fox.

They say fox spirits are the most cunning of all spirits!

She had just gained intelligence and, sensing the aura of spiritual energy around Wang Qi, circled him once, though she didn't know what the pearl was. Despite her keen senses, she wasn't as knowledgeable as Xuan Kong and didn't notice the pearl in Wang Qi's sleeve.

But when Xuan Kong took the pearl from Wang Qi and told the story of the Eighth King's gratitude, the little fox's attention shifted to the turtle pearl.

She didn't know how to use the turtle pearl, but she sensed it was valuable.

If Xuan Kong had taken it for himself, the little fox wouldn't have coveted it. If Xuan Kong had returned it to Wang Qi, it would eventually be hers. But when she heard Xuan Kong was about to help his new disciple refine the pearl, she took the risk and snatched it when Xuan Kong was distracted.

The little fox had been cultivating for a long time but couldn't break through the final barrier to transform her throat bone and take human form.

The thousand-year cultivation of the Eighth King had transformed into this turtle pearl, which was exactly what she, a yin spirit not yet transformed into yang, needed. With this pearl, she could use the residual true qi to refine her yin spirit and transform into a human.

In the little fox's view, giving the turtle pearl to Xuan Kong's new disciple Wang Jun for his foundation was a waste. "Heavenly treasures belong to those with virtue." This saying, deeply ingrained in the lineage of the Blue Fox Clan, came to mind.