Chapter 576 - 467: 3 Avatars

Most interestingly, her calves dangled from the crook of Ah Xiong’s arms, swinging like a little pendulum with every movement. It made her look even more graceful, especially her insteps, which were naturally extended. Each of her toes curled slightly, like tiny pearls, and you could even see a hint of pink on their pads and on the soles of her feet.

At some point, a pair of bells had been tied around her ankles. Fastened with a red string, they weren’t too tight, hanging a little loosely. When they swayed, they made an incredibly clear and crisp sound, one that seemed capable of calming the soul.

In this state, One-tailed looked just like a cute, sleeping girl, her usual cold and indifferent aura somewhat diluted.

However, when he sensed that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with One-tailed’s body—that despite her weakened aura, she was still alive and well—Jiang Qiu relaxed. "One-tailed is fine. She just needs some rest. Come here, I’ll get her dressed."

"Okay, Master..."

Ah Xiong wiped away her tears and carried One-tailed closer.

One-tailed was, of course, unclothed. She had been at the very core of the Thunder Tribulation, a force that could obliterate anything. How could a mere dress woven from vines possibly have survived?

Thus, one could now clearly see her flat, fair stomach. Her delicate shoulders, arms, and fingers were all on display, as smooth and flawless as white jade as she was cradled in Ah Xiong’s embrace.

It was a shame Ah Xiong was a bit short, making it difficult for her to support the now-taller One-tailed. The scene was rather amusing. Jiang Qiu didn’t mind, though. With a casual wave of his hand, he dressed One-tailed in a red dress, similar in style to those worn by the Nine-tailed Fox, giving her a more festive, lively, and cute appearance. At the same time, he effortlessly styled her hair into two buns, tied them with red string, and let them float with a vibrant, nimble grace.

She looked adorable, very much like a young Nine-tailed Fox, yet she possessed her own unique charm. It wasn’t quite the same aura.

Having done all this, Jiang Qiu asked about the situation in the mining area over the past year and whether Celestial Wolf City had sent any experts to cause trouble.

Ah Xiong recounted the events of the past year in detail. Although she had been in seclusion for her Cultivation, it hadn’t been a complete one. Her senses weren’t sealed off, so she was aware of what was happening outside and knew that Sister One-tailed had handled every crisis.

In fact, over the past year, it was only during the first month that a pair of Great Demons from the Celestial Wolf Race had come. Sister One-tailed instantly killed them, and that was how she had acquired a Spatial Ring. Learning this, Jiang Qiu glanced at the Red String Bell on One-tailed’s ankle. "So that’s how it was."

He observed her for a moment and made a rough assessment of Celestial Wolf City’s capabilities. To his surprise, Celestial Wolf City was far more advanced than he had imagined—at least, it was far too advanced for the Primitive Ancient Forest of the First Celestial Realm.

While the other branches of the Demon Race were still struggling to survive, hunting for meat, and not even knowing how to form proper clans, Celestial Wolf City was already capable of smithing Magical Artifacts. They were even using ores to create Arrays and had established a trade system.

Compared to those in the Middle Rank, the Demon Race tribes on the periphery were like cavemen stumbling into a metropolis. The disparity was truly staggering.

’But given the current situation, it feels like there’s some hidden reason behind Celestial Wolf City’s actions. Otherwise, why has so much time passed without them coming to reclaim the mining area?’

In Jiang Qiu’s judgment, the scale of this mining area was considerable. Plus, it had a Spirit Vein, which was incredibly rare. ’And Celestial Wolf City has only come here once?’

Despite his doubts, Jiang Qiu wasn’t particularly worried. He had recently unlocked another portion of the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance, granting him the Dragon Race’s internal spatial dimension. He could now store a vast number of items within it and even allow them to be nurtured over time.

At present, it couldn’t hold living creatures, but it was still an incredibly convenient portable grotto-heaven. It could constantly absorb massive amounts of Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm, making it a relentless Spirit Charm vacuum in this world.

With a casual wave of his hand, he moved all the Spirit Stones that had been excavated from the area into his Dragon Race’s internal space. Indeed, even the Spiritual Ore, which was as tall as a mountain, fit inside with ease. The disappearance of such a massive Spirit Stone Mountain certainly startled Ah Xiong and the Squirrel Demon.

As for the other miners?

They had long since pissed themselves in terror. Now they were just twitching on the ground, barely conscious. Another group had been too close and was blasted to ash.

The vast majority of the Demon Race here had died. Only a tiny fraction survived, and for them, living was little different from being dead. In that situation, Ah Xiong had also suffered significant internal injuries. But at the critical moment, Sister One-tailed had absorbed the vast majority of the Thunder, doing her utmost to protect the area. That was why Ah Xiong had avoided any serious harm. The Squirrel Demon had also managed to survive.

The Squirrel Demon, however, was still trembling. She was curled into a ball in a corner, staring blankly as the dark clouds in the sky slowly dissipated. Seeing the enormous Spirit Stone Mountain vanish with a mere wave of a hand, tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.

Yes, she was crying. The scene she had just witnessed replayed in her mind: Lord One-tailed, the one she had depended on, being obliterated into ash by the Thunder, only to reform again and again. It was as if she had descended into Hell—a terrifying sight the squirrel would never forget.

But what was even more unforgettable was that, even in the midst of such an ordeal, her protector had truly shielded her. She had shouldered the brunt of the Thunder from the core of the tribulation, allowing someone as weak as herself to survive within that deadly zone.

Her tears wouldn’t stop. Suddenly, she saw the figures of Jiang Qiu and Ah Xiong, and One-tailed cradled in Ah Xiong’s arms. She scrambled to her feet and ran stumbling toward them. As if her mind had lost its sense of balance, she carelessly tripped and fell, then continued forward in a desperate scramble, half-crawling and half-running. The commotion caught Jiang Qiu’s attention. He turned his head, puzzled. "Who is she?"

’I can sense this Squirrel Demon is no threat to me,’ he thought. ’She’s a typical weakling, but her emotions are running high. That’s worth paying attention to.’

Without a second thought, Ah Xiong blurted out, "She’s one of the miners who was here before. She helped excavate a lot of the Spiritual Ore. While I was in seclusion for my Cultivation, she was always with Sister One-tailed. It seems Sister One-tailed promised to protect her as long as she stayed in the mining area. She’s also the one who told Sister One-tailed all about Celestial Wolf City—its customs, its culture, everything. Actually, Sister One-tailed really wanted to go visit Celestial Wolf City afterward, but she had to guard the mining area, so she never went."

After Ah Xiong explained the situation, Jiang Qiu understood. With a wave of his hand, the stumbling Squirrel Demon was lifted off the ground by an invisible current of wind and brought before him, where she knelt. "My Lord... My Lord, thank you for saving my life."

She was still weeping, as if she had just witnessed the death of her savior. An aura of despair emanated from her, so potent that even Jiang Qiu was slightly moved. "One-tailed isn’t dead," he said. "She’s just resting."

Hearing this, her eyes flew open. Glistening with tears, they shone with a dazzling starlight. "R-Really?"

"It’s true." Jiang Qiu nodded. He looked her over for a moment, then gave a slight shake of his head. ’Her Talent is too poor,’ he thought, ’there’s no value in training her.’ He then spoke aloud, "Do you know the way to Celestial Wolf City? Take us there."

Upon learning that One-tailed wasn’t dead, the Squirrel Demon was overjoyed. She bounced around gleefully, a comical sight as her legs were still trembling so much they could barely support her. "Yes, my Lord! I know the way to Celestial Wolf City!"

Of course she knew the way. Her emotions were just a little wild at the moment, perhaps due to the aftereffects of the Thunder Tribulation. But as long as she could accompany One-tailed for a little while longer, as long as she could still be of some small help, she felt that her humble life had finally found some meaning.

’I was saved because I have some small value,’ she thought. ’I’m not completely worthless after all...’