Chapter 580: Inevitable Bonds

This was why the Celestial Wolf Ancestor had the courage and confidence to believe Jiang Qiu’s group was heading to Tai Lake—a place that never welcomed outsiders from the Demon Race. He could even sense that the Tai Python was about to meet its doom.

Even at his current True Body Realm, he was still terrified of the Tai Python. After all, it was one of the most powerful beings in existence, on par with the Chaos City Lord!

Their cultivation Realms weren’t even in the same league. The Celestial Wolf Ancestor himself couldn’t possibly hope to challenge the Tai Python, but the Nine-tailed Fox God certainly could. That was the real reason he wasn’t surprised when Jiang Qiu announced their destination was Tai Lake.

What followed was a demonstration of his loyalty. He gave Jiang Qiu and his companions the finest residence in Celestial Wolf City, provided them with the best of everything, and even offered up an incredible amount of resources, going so far as to voluntarily part with some of his Magical Treasures.

When he noticed the Magical Treasure—a Little Bell clearly forged in Celestial Wolf City—tied to an ankle, he went a step further, specifically ordering more similar items to be crafted for Jiang Qiu’s group as offerings.

Furthermore, that very day was declared the Day of the Nine-tailed Fox God’s Descent in Celestial Wolf City. Henceforth, they would hold a special ceremony to worship the Nine-tailed Fox God every year, and a grand statue was already being carved.

But the most extravagant gesture of all was that Celestial Wolf City was to be renamed Nine-tailed Fox City. That’s right—this city, which had no population from the Nine-tailed Fox Race, would now be known as Nine-tailed Fox City.

Jiang Qiu wanted to refuse all of this, but then he thought, ‘It doesn’t really have anything to do with me. Let them do as they please.’ So, he didn’t interfere. He did, however, end up staying in Nine-tailed Fox City for the next several months.

This was because the Nine-tailed Fox and One-tailed were still absorbing the changes from their post-Thunder Tribulation metamorphosis and wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. Ah Xiong, however, under Jiang Qiu’s guidance, successfully broke through beyond the Transformation Realm, becoming a being of the Super True Dominator Level.

This meant that if Ah Xiong so desired, she could now establish her own city in a Middle-Rank region. By sharing her path of Cultivation, countless members of the Demon Race would flock to her, and she would become a Super True Dominator in her own right.

Much like how the Celestial Wolf Ancestor had founded Celestial Wolf City in his time, Ah Xiong could quickly establish a similar city if she wished. Then, with the Nine-tailed Fox’s influence and the support of Nine-tailed Fox City, it would only be a matter of time before her city ranked among the strongest in the Middle-Rank regions.

But Ah Xiong had no such intentions. From start to finish, her only wish was to carry Jiang Qiu to the Second Celestial Realm. Even if she ultimately couldn’t make it there herself, she felt their journey should have a destination, and she wanted to accompany him all the way to the end.

Therefore, Ah Xiong was naturally unwilling to stay behind. The Squirrel Demon, however, was a different story. As she was originally from this area, she did not continue with Jiang Qiu’s group. Instead, she assumed the role of the Nine-tailed Fox Chief Priest, becoming the Nine-tailed Fox’s most devout follower and presiding over the worship of the Nine-tailed Fox God in Nine-tailed Fox City.

She was the person in the city who understood the Nine-tailed Fox best—though, in truth, her understanding was limited. But the One-tailed she held in her heart was the god of her life.

She could never forget the image of a girl who looked fifteen or sixteen, sitting on the edge of a cliff. Her hands were propped on the stone slab, her fair feet dangling in midair. When the breeze swept by, the wisps of white hair by her cheeks would flutter like fresh snow.

This girl with such a serene face had eyes like red jade, like faint crimson mirrors that could reflect the entire world. They could dye the clouds and the heavens red, yet it did nothing to diminish One-tailed’s inherent indifference.

To the Squirrel Demon, One-tailed was a god with an aloof personality but a flamboyant soul. Every part of her body was utterly flawless.

And so, she propagated the image of One-tailed throughout Nine-tailed Fox City as the official depiction of the Nine-tailed Fox God. Jiang Qiu didn’t concern himself with this matter, and since the Nine-tailed Fox and One-tailed were still in a deep sleep, they were unable to intervene.

But in the unseen workings of fate, some mechanism seemed to be managing all of this. It was as if the birth of faith would inevitably create a certain connection. The names ‘Nine-tailed Fox City’ and ‘Nine-tailed Fox God’ were not merely illusions; one day, they too would receive a blessing…

It was for this very reason that Jiang Qiu sensed a faint, almost imperceptible connection. It seemed his own cultivation Realm was beginning to transform, fueled by that intangible faith.

Indeed, as the image of the Nine-tailed Fox took deeper root in the hearts of the people of Nine-tailed Fox City, Jiang Qiu’s own Realm began to grow steadily. In fact, the rate of progress wasn’t slow at all—it was remarkably fast. It seemed he would soon break through beyond the Transformation Realm.

Of course, this speed was only ‘fast’ relative to his previous rate of Cultivation. It would still take a significant amount of time; this was not something that could be accomplished in a matter of days.

But Jiang Qiu was in no rush. He would wait for the Nine-tailed Fox to awaken before leaving Nine-tailed Fox City. The bond between them could no longer be severed; the two had become an almost inseparable, coexisting entity.

This sense of oneness wasn’t like the Path of Fusion he had practiced with Snow in the past. It was more of a deep, karmic bond. After all, Jiang Qiu had originally occupied the place of the Nine-tailed Fox’s second avatar, and later, he had participated in the creation of her third. How could they not be considered intertwined?

They had created the third avatar with their own hands, and it was deeply imbued with the traits of both their souls. Moreover, from a certain perspective, its creation had been witnessed and forged by the Thunder Tribulation itself. The two of them were now profoundly bound together.

If the Nine-tailed Fox were ever harmed in the future, he would likely sense it and react in kind, not like some indifferent stranger.

Such was the state of their current relationship. Of course, it came with benefits. Jiang Qiu could now share many things with the Nine-tailed Fox, such as their Cultivation progress, insights into Secret Techniques, and even the authority to summon the third avatar—the Nine-tailed Fox God.

These were all abilities now at Jiang Qiu’s disposal. He was slowly beginning to accept his connection to the Nine-tailed Fox God, and even the fact that this god was being worshipped.

Gazing at the Nine-tailed Fox and One-tailed, still deep in slumber on the bed, he couldn’t help but sigh. “I wonder when you two will finally wake up.”

In the past, he hadn’t felt particularly close to One-tailed. While the Nine-tailed Fox’s original self might have cared deeply for her, as the second avatar, he hadn’t paid much attention to One-tailed’s condition. But things were different now.

In order to help them endure the Thunder Tribulation, One-tailed’s soul had been extinguished and revived, over and over, until it was tempered and fused into both of their souls. In other words, the three were now one entity, and they could sense one another.

His newfound closeness with One-tailed reminded him of the beginning of his relationship with Snow. His closeness with the Nine-tailed Fox, on the other hand, felt like his relationship with Snow after it had fully blossomed.

This transformation left Jiang Qiu feeling deeply moved. He had never intended to form any emotional attachments in the First Celestial Realm. Everything was supposed to be just a part of his journey. His final destination wasn’t in the First Celestial Realm—it might not even be the Dragon Emperor’s legacy, or anywhere within the Primordial world cluster.

This situation made him suddenly recall his time in the Northern Boundary. Back then, he was still a Chosen One, and he hadn’t initially wanted to stay with the North Snow Tribe. But he had gradually fallen for Flower and felt that he had let her down, leaving an unresolved emotional attachment behind.

Even now, he still hadn’t found any trace of Flower. He had once thought Snow was Flower, but it appeared that wasn’t the case.

He truly didn’t want another regret like that, so he had hoped to remain as detached as possible. But things rarely go as planned. From the moment he began helping the Nine-tailed Fox cultivate her Nine-tailed Form, that cold indifference started to melt away.

Having come this far, he was once again burdened with debts he could no longer easily cast aside…