Qidao Nanyue slowly staggered awake. I think I had a bad dream. A terrifying fox crashed into the Divine Dragon Society and-. She focused her eyes ahead of her. And her gaze fell upon a small snow fox, seated with its tail swishing lazily. …And… 

“Hello.” The fox spoke. “Slept well?”

Qidao Nanyue fainted once again.

Qidao Nanyue returned from unconsciousness. What happened? I think I saw a little snow fox and an instinctive fear overcame me. Why would that be? She shook her head and then looked ahead of herself. It was then she came face to face with a small snow fox, seating with its tail swishing lazily.

“Back among the living?” It spoke. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pass out again.”

Suddenly fear overtook her as she backed up, pressing upon something behind her. She looked and it was several legs. She looked up, and there were some of the elders, who helped her up. She slowly got up and looked around, now noticing the aura of the Demi-gods that surrounded them. Their aura was strong, but strangely not oppressive. It just gave instinctive fear.

“What…what do you want from us?” Qidao Nanyue asked. Her mind felt tormented. It wouldn’t be strange if she had a heart demon from this. In fact, she could feel one having formed inside of her, gnawing away at her mind. A heart demon caused by a snow fox.

“Well…before we get to that, let’s ‘break the ice’, shall we?” The fox spoke. “My name is Xing. What’s yours?”

“Qidao Nanyue…leader of the Divine Dragon Society.”

“Good. Miss Qidao. Let me first give you these.” From out of nowhere, several large peaches had appeared in the air. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen storage or spacial rings before. However this fox didn’t seem to be holding any of those things on their person.

“W-what are these?” Qidao Nanyue’s fear rose up some more. These may look like peaches, but these very peaches might be laced with some sort of poison! Does it, no, she, want to poison us?

“These? These are peaches of course. Oh don’t worry, these would be very beneficial to you all. There’s enough peaches that everyone can have a peach.” It was only now she realized that everyone in the Divine Dragon Society that was present were gathered together in the central square of the society.

We’re herded here like animals. Qidao Nanyue thought. It’d be simple to wipe us all out right now. And… She can feel it. Her absorption of qi became sluggish. She didn’t see any changes in her meridians or constitution, which meant one thing. Our dragon vein is somehow gone. We could put up a feeble resistance, but without supplementary qi, any attempt at defending ourselves against these myriads of Demi-gods would be futile… Forget even defending against a few. She inwardly sighed as she reached up to catch the peach in her hand. It wasn’t too large, but it was larger than a normal peach. She looked to the left and the right. Those that she could see were all hesitating to eat it, looking expectantly at her. It falls upon me then. Very well, if I’m going to die then I will march toward it with my head held high!

Qidao Nanyue bit into the peach. She didn’t detect any poisons on the first bite; that didn’t mean there couldn’t be any though. However, she realized immediately something was strange. What…? She looked at her arms. She was old, about 700 years old. Her old skin was wrinkled, though not sagging yet. She however noticed that some wrinkles receded on her arms, and she felt a bit more vitality. What is this? 

She took another bite of the peach. Again, she didn’t detect any poisons. Once more she felt those acute changes, even observing more of her skin losing wrinkles. In fact, she pinched her skin, and it regained some elasticity. What is going on?

She took one more bite. Once more, no poison. She felt more vitality in her. She was about to observe her skin once more, but then she heard an elder speak.

“Leader Qidao! Your hair!”

“Huh?” She looked at the elder who spoke. “What about my hair?”

“At the roots!”

“At the roots?”

“It’s gotten black again!”

“WHAT?!” Decisively she plucked off a strand of her hair. She observed it. It was still white, but not throughout. There, near the root of her hair, she could see it was black. My hair color’s returning?! She stared at the peach. Does this mean?! She suddenly focused on the peach, biting it and eating its flesh ravenously. If her conjecture was correct, when she finishes the peach.

Beside her, she could hear the amazement of the elders. It seems there really WERE observable changes. Changes that to them seemed supernatural; far beyond what qi and cultivation can accomplish.

She finished the peach, and then observed her skin. Her skin was now free of wrinkles. It was also supple and without blemishes. She pinched her arm, and the skin returned without causing a crease. Quickly, she reached into her storage ring and pulled out a mirror, long forgotten inside of it. She grasped it and looked at herself and was shocked! Her face returned to how it looked when she was in her thirties! She put the mirror away and turned to looked at the elders.

“It’s safe! It reverses your time and restores your youth!”

“Well…it doesn’t exactly work that way.” The fox stated. “It just increases your lifespan, naturally increasing your vitality. With your renewed vitality, you naturally de-age.”

No one seemed to have heeded the explanation and instead munched on the peaches. As this was a society where everyone had cultivated to their utmost, everybody was elderly. They all secretly hoped that with the increase in lifespan as they cultivate that they would regain their youth. The feeling of melancholy when you finally achieved that, only to remain an old man or woman was what was left of them.

But now… You could see men and women returning to the time when they were viewed as handsome men and beautiful fairies, full of youth and vigor. Sure, some sacrifices were made along the way, like the sudden loss of magnificent beards, but that was an acceptable loss to all.

Everyone was ecstatic, as if a second spring had come to the society. The instigator of it all, the fox, merely chuckled.

“Anyways, it seems you enjoyed my gift. Well, before we continue, I’m sure there’s some among you that have had some long-standing injuries. I’m sure I have something that can treat you, and my Demi-gods are also quite skilled in healing.” She looked at a few of the floating Demi-gods and those slowly descended and landed close to the fox. “Now then, my consultation office is open. Line up, and let’s get you treated.”

“Really?” Someone asked.

“Elder Ping, now might be the time you can be healed finally!” Qidao Nanyue spoke enthusiastically. She suddenly felt that the fox’s words were credible. After all, with such a gift that was unheard of in this realm, perhaps she has access to things from upper realms to heal him. She was so enthusiastic and trusting of the fox she didn’t realize the newly formed heart demon had vanished completely!

“Okay!” Elder Ping slowly walked forward, bowing his head. He bowed in front of the fox. “It’s like this… I’ve been invaded by qi during my Golden Core years, having fought heroically against spirit beasts. It had left a long-standing problem in me, something I could now ignore, but would occasionally flare up.”

The fox looked at the Demi-god closest, and that Demi-god, a man, took his hand and inspected it. He then spoke. “It was a Frostbane Python. A strong yin poison. It’s invaded the bones.”

“Cureable?” The fox asked.

“A minor trick. Just needs our Man Yang Pill. One pill will suffice.”

“Okay.” A pill bottle materialized out of thin air. Looking at it from a distance, Qidao Nanyue’s eyes widened. It was because the pill bottle was made completely out of spirit stones! And not just any kind of spirit stone, but grade 10 spirit stones! A lavish choice, far more lavish than any kind of pill bottle she had seen before! This lavish pill bottle was taken by the Demi-god who diagnosed and opened it. He tapped it, dropping one pill in his hand. 

“Take this now.” Elder Ping took the pill from his hand and swallowed it. He circulated it in his body, and visibly wisps of blue light escaped him. As it finished, Elder Ping inspected himself.

“I’m…cured? I’m cured!” He exclaimed. Quickly, more people began to walk towards the fox.

“Make an orderly line!” The Demi-god stated. “One at a time!”

…

With all those that needed healing healed, everyone was in festive spirits. Long-standing ailments that would’ve produced problems later on have always been a problem, and being able to be healed from them was a pie from the sky.

“Well, I’m glad you are all healthy and spry now.” The fox spoke. All the Demi-gods that accompanied the fox exerted quiet pressure, quickly stopping them and making them focus again on the fox. “Now then… Let’s talk business.”

“Business?” Qidao Nanyue asked.

“Yes. Business. After all, I came from the Bladesky continent. I wouldn’t just come here without reason now, would I?”

“...I believe so.” Suddenly unease swelled upon Qidao Nanyue.

“You see…” The fox finally got up from its sitting position and walked to the left and right, speaking throughout. “There was a…hiccup that happened.”

“A hiccup?”

“Yes… There was this one idiot who wanted to fight me on life and death terms. I bested him, of course. Well, I was going to deliver the final blow, but someone suddenly interrupted, claiming he shouldn’t be killed. Would they have stopped the fight if it was me who was going to be killed? No. Where’s the justice in that?” The fox turned to look at Qidao Nanyue, asking for an answer.

“Well…yes, there’s no justice in that at all. No one should interfere with a life-and-death battle.”

“You get it, right?” The fox continued its walk. “Then explain to me, why this person, who introduced themselves from the Divine Dragon Society, did that? Well…we’ll never know because I killed the person I was fighting with nonetheless. That should’ve been the end of it. However, the person who came THREATENED me, saying the Divine Dragon Society will come and make me ‘regret it’.” Qidao Nanyue gulped. The silent pressure from the Demi-gods around got stronger. Some people around her had collapsed. “So…being the diligent fox that I am and thinking let’s save the Divine Dragon Society the trouble and come to them directly…I came here.” The fox, Xing, finally stopped walking and turned to her. “So…”

The fox looked at her sternly in the eyes.

“What EXACTLY should I be regretting?”

“Uhh… I…”

“Well…I’m not someone who holds grudges.” Xing stated as she started to walk again. “Well, I actually am, but I’m not really angry right now. I mean, I suppose you thought you were all powerful, and I suppose you thought you were invincible, and thus I suppose you thought your word is law, and I SUPPOSE you thought you were always right, AND I SUPPOSE…” Xing stopped once more. “You thought I didn’t have the capability of retaliating…I suppose.” She gave a foxy grin. “Am I right?”

“Uh…” Qidao Nanyue was caught in a hard place. If she said no, the Xing would ask why the hell they tried to coerce her, and have justification to act against them. And if she said yes, then Xing would have justification to act against them. So the only answer was…to not answer!

“Well, anyways, since I’m here, and I treated you all nicely…” She paused. “I DID treat you nicely, right?”

“Yes! Yes!” Qidao Nanyue shouted. She turned to the elders and everyone started to nod and give affirmations.

“Good!” Xing continued to walk. “I like you all. It would be a shame if you were all suddenly…wiped off the face of Xiaoluxing.” She chuckled. “So, I’ll be generous.” Xing sat down. “I want you to dissolve the Divine Dragon Society and I’ll take you all in. Don’t worry; I’ll treat you all well. See those Demi-gods around? Less than a day ago, most of them weren’t even Demi-gods yet. Some were even at the Golden Core. Can you believe that?” Xing chuckled again. “But I’m not kidding. I DO have the ability to make all of you Demi-gods if I wish. Even Immortal. The only reason they’re not Immortal yet is because I need people to act as my bodyguards. With more people guarding me, then I can safely promote people to become Immortal. Well, what do you say?”

Qidao Nanyue gulped. The conditions that Xing gave were good to people who were utterly subjugated. TOO good even. However the dissolution of the Divine Dragon Society pained her. “Umm… Xing… I mean, MASTER Xing… Is it possible…that the Divine Dragon Society becomes a subsidy under you instead?”

“Hmm?” The smile on Xing’s face faded. “Speak.”

“U-umm… Well… I’m sure you’ve got so many people under you. It would be hard to manage all of them. What if…I, or someone you trust, become your representative and manage the Divine Dragon Society and all the people under it to become utterly loyal to you and be at your beck and call. We’ll be under you, but not directly. That way…you wouldn’t be too burdened with resources. We can get resources ourselves and grow ourselves, bringing in more people who will be loyal to you.”

“So growing without directly being involved?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm…”

“I-if you want, we’ll rename ourselves. Divine Fox Society! Yes! Divine Fox Society, right?” Qidao Nanyue looked around at the elders and everyone nodded and gave voices of affirmation as well.

“Hmm… It does have a ring to it. Fine. I’ll coordinate with several people to give you the resources, and if there’s people who express a desire to serve me directly, I’ll take them under my tail. For now…I’ll leave 10 Demi-gods to supervise you all. Once you’ve restructured yourselves, your upper echelon should come to the Bladesky continent and I’ll help make them Demi-god 10th realms. For your dragon vein… Hmm, let’s do this.” Xing swished her tail. 

Suddenly, the concentration of qi became strong, even better than before. Qidao Nanyue was surprised. This dragon vein was clearly superior to the one they had before!

“And as for you Qidao Nanyue, I’ll appoint you as the representative of the Divine Dragon Society. Come here, and make a soul oath.”

Qidao Nanyue walked towards Xing. From now on, the Divine Fox Society will make its mark on the Leafstar continent.

Sagefox

Sorry for the late chapter. Been severely affected by the typhoons around here. Also ennui happened. Tried forcing myself but the quality that I wanted didn't come out, so I did this chapter slowly.

Anyways, now Xing has a sub-sect whose name has been inspired by her! Yay!

Hope you enjoy the chapter!