“Why did you stop! Keep on doing Alchemy!”
The Nine-Tailed Sky Fox looked at Li Mu, who had suddenly stopped doing Alchemy, in surprise and urged him anxiously.
Li Mu glanced at her unhappily, and the Five Elements Spiritual Fire in his hand gathered again, forming a vortex of flames that swallowed one Spirit Medicine after another.
Li Mu controlled the Five Elements Spiritual Fire with one hand and formed Pill Incantations with the other, injecting powerful spiritual energy into the spiritual fire vortex to promote the refining of Spirit Pills, the tempering of Spirit Medicine, and the Fusion of medicinal power… a series of complex and precise Alchemy processes.
After Li Mu elevated his Alchemy to Level 6, he acquired exquisite Alchemy skills. He didn't even need to use a Pill Furnace to refine the fifth-order Blood Fusion Pill; he could do Alchemy with his bare hands, relying on his powerful fire control ability.
In less than two quarters of an hour, with a "whoosh" of flame, the flame vortex formed by the Five Elements Spiritual Fire suddenly disappeared, and a round, dark Spirit Pill, emitting a warm aura and a strong medicinal fragrance, appeared as if by magic.
“Oh!”
Seeing the Spirit Pill, the little fox's eyes lit up. She raised her head and opened her small mouth impatiently, waiting to be fed.
Li Mu smiled slightly, waved his right hand gently, and the Blood Fusion Pill drew an arc in the air before falling into the little fox's mouth.
The little fox took the Spirit Pill in one bite and swallowed it. A satisfied expression appeared on her small face, and she narrowed her eyes, enjoying the comfort brought by the Spirit Pill in a trance. The powerful medicinal power expanded, and her Bloodline power was refined and enhanced. This comfortable feeling made her addicted, lost, and unable to extricate herself.
Watching the little fox refine the Spirit Pill in a dazed state, Li Mu smiled meaningfully. The Five Elements Spiritual Fire in his hand gathered again, and he continued to refine the next Blood Fusion Pill for her.
The fifth-order Blood Fusion Pill has the effect of purifying and fusing Bloodline, which has a fatal and irresistible attraction to the altered personality formed by the Heavenly Fox Bloodline.
Li Mu refined one, and she ate one, without paying any attention or knowing what negative reactions eating too many of these Spirit Pills would cause her.
Half a month passed in a flash. During this time, Li Mu spent almost all his time doing Alchemy, except for occasionally taking time to tend to the spiritual plants.
After eating about a hundred Blood Fusion Pills, the little fox was unable to continue, overwhelmed by the massive medicinal power of the Blood Fusion Pills. She lay beside Li Mu and fell into a deep sleep.
Li Mu continued doing Alchemy, refining all the Spirit Medicine he had collected during this period into Medicinal Pills. Besides Blood Fusion Pill and Spirit Transformation Pill, there were also various fifth-order Spirit Pills for other uses.
With a "bang," Li Mu felt an unusual sound coming from the little fox beside him. He diverted his Divine Sense to check and was immediately stunned. With a "whoosh," the Spirit Pill he was refining and the spiritual fire vortex swallowed all the Spirit Medicine, and a puff of black smoke rose.
“Lord Li!” A surprised cry followed, the voice sweet and clear, with a hint of charm that stirred one's heart and soul.
Li Mu reacted immediately, his dazed eyes regaining clarity, and he casually extinguished the Five Elements Spiritual Fire.
“Xue'er?” Li Mu looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and called out, still unsure.
The little white fox with nine illusory fox tails was gone. A beautiful woman appeared beside him, somewhat resembling Xue'er. Her features were exquisite, with a high nose bridge, rosy lips, a melon-seed-shaped face, and fair, flawless skin. She had large eyes with long eyelashes, two white fox ears, and five small fox tails behind her. At this moment, her willow-like brows were slightly furrowed, as if startled, and every expression made one feel pity for her.
The inherent Bloodline characteristics of the Snow Fox Clan allowed them to master the ability to transform without first undergoing the Lightning Tribulation of Transformation from a young age. The higher the Bloodline, the more human-like the appearance of their transformed human form.
Previously, Xue'er's transformed human form, besides having a pair of fox ears, also had a pair of fox whiskers on her face, and her small nose also had some fox clan features.
Now, besides still having a pair of white fox ears, Xue'er had completely transformed into a human woman of breathtaking beauty, which made Li Mu somewhat unable to recognize her.
Li Mu stared intently, involuntarily captivated by Xue'er's stunning beauty, which led to his Alchemy failure.
“Yes! Lord Li, don't you recognize me? Oh! What's wrong with me?” Seeing Li Mu staring at her, Xue'er replied strangely. Immediately, she also reacted, realizing that her body had undergone a huge change. A pair of large bumps had appeared on her chest, feeling very heavy, and she had grown taller, able to look at Lord Li eye to eye.
“Oh! What's wrong with me!” Xue'er confirmed the changes in her body and couldn't help but exclaim, her hands exploring all over her body.
Watching Xue'er, still wearing the thin gauze dress of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, which had become extremely ill-fitting, her jade-like hands exploring all over her body, exposing large areas of skin… the scene was extremely alluring.
Coupled with Xue'er's innocent, surprised little eyes, and the unintentional charm and seductive aura she exuded… Li Mu couldn't help but gasp, his eyes couldn't help but stare 'straight'.
The previous Xue'er was just a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. Although her appearance was beautiful and moving, coupled with the fox clan's inherent beauty enhancement, her looks were outstanding. However, her body had not yet matured, and after spending a long time with her, Li Mu only regarded her as a cute younger sister, with no other thoughts.
Now, Xue'er had successfully digested the Heavenly Fox Bloodline and suddenly matured by eight or nine years. Her body had become mature, and in terms of appearance, a woman changes greatly at eighteen. Her already impeccable appearance in childhood became even more beautiful, growing into a graceful and enchanting beauty. Coupled with her innocent big eyes and the charming, seductive aura inherent in the Heavenly Fox Bloodline, Li Mu could not suppress the unrest in his heart and couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
Li Mu realized something and quickly used the Ink Cloud Star River Observation Method to maintain clarity.
“Cough! Xue'er, you've grown taller due to the sharp transformation of your Heavenly Fox Bloodline. This set of clothes doesn't fit anymore. Hurry and go change into another set in the house!” After Li Mu regained clarity, he quickly turned his head to look at Xue'er and waved his hand, signaling.
“But I don't have any clothes that big!” Xue'er looked at Li Mu with distress and replied.
Meeting Xue'er's pitiful gaze, Li Mu almost lost his composure. Helplessly, he summoned a set of his own magic robes from the nine storage spiritual pearl and threw them to her, saying, “Wear mine first. I'll buy you a set another day when I leave the valley.”
“Oh!” Xue'er took the magic robe and began to change in front of Li Mu.
Li Mu coughed dryly, turned his head, and condensed the Five Elements Spiritual Fire to continue refining the Spirit Pill.
With a "bang," the Five Elements Spiritual Fire vortex suddenly burst into flames, and the fire temperature went out of control, burning all the Spirit Medicine Li Mu had put in.
Li Mu sighed. Xue'er's special transformation made it difficult for him to calm his mind at this moment. He couldn't refine the Pill.
“Lord Li, I've changed!” Xue'er put on the loose magic robe and looked at Li Mu with a smile, spreading her hands to show him.
Li Mu looked back and nodded with a wry smile. Even though Xue'er had changed into a magic robe that covered her whole body, her beautiful face, coupled with the charming aura of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Bloodline, presented another kind of charm, enough to captivate all beings.
“Lord Li, what's wrong with you? Is there a problem?” Xue'er felt something was off from Li Mu's expression and looked down at her attire.
After speaking, Xue'er took a step forward, reached out and grabbed Li Mu's arm, asking playfully.
“No, no problem. About Senior Jin Ling, you should be more open-minded.” Li Mu waved his hand and looked at Xue'er, comforting her.
Upon hearing this, the smile on Xue'er's face vanished, revealing a coldness. The light of hatred brewed in her eyes, and her beautiful face showed another kind of charm, bone-chilling and terrifying.
“Lord Li, you know who did it, right?” Xue'er looked at Li Mu and asked with concern.
“Hmm! The Nine Demon Sect, and the forces behind them, intend to seize control of the entire Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain. The Snow Fox Clan's tragedy is just one part of it. Now, Human Race Cultivators are fighting them fiercely. I'm afraid it won't be long before the flames of war spread throughout the entire Southern Wilderness. Facing such a grand trend, if you want revenge, your personal strength is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot… Try to be more open-minded, and Cultivate diligently. Once your Cultivation Realm improves, then we can talk about revenge!” Li Mu sighed, comforting Xue'er.
“Hmm! Xue'er understands!”
After listening to Li Mu's explanation, the fire of hatred in Xue'er's eyes gradually faded, her expression softened, and she responded obediently.
“Lord Li, I'm going back to my room to Cultivate and adapt to the current changes.” Xue'er looked at Li Mu and said, requesting permission. Not only had her body grown, but her Cultivation had also exploded, her strength dozens, even hundreds of times greater than before. She needed some time to adapt.
“Hmm! Go ahead!” Li Mu was more than happy to agree, nodding and watching her leave. With Xue'er's current appearance and the seductive aura that emanated from her Heavenly Fox Bloodline at all times, he also needed some time to adapt.
After the sharp transformation of her Heavenly Fox Bloodline, Xue'er's sensitivity to emotions became self-taught. Noticing Li Mu's unusual emotions, a hint of joy couldn't help but appear in her eyes.
...
Time flew by, and another month passed in a blink of an eye.
During this time, Li Mu was a bit troubled. After Xue'er's Bloodline underwent a sharp transformation, her personality and temperament changed drastically. She was no longer the obedient little girl who occasionally threw small tantrums but was easy to fool and listen to. Instead, she had become a big girl whose temperament was ever-changing, sometimes charming and mature, sometimes innocent and cute, sometimes mischievous, sometimes understanding and incredibly gentle, and sometimes feigning pitifulness to evoke affection… Her volatile temperament was a headache.
“Lord Li, take me with you out of the valley! Don't leave Xue'er behind!”
At this moment, Xue'er was tugging at Li Mu's arm, looking pitiful and teary-eyed, which gave him a headache and made him reluctant to refuse.
However, the situation in Barren Ancient City was tense right now. Taking Xue'er, this troublesome person, might cause some trouble. Li Mu suppressed his restless feelings and kindly advised, “Barren Ancient City is too chaotic. It’s not convenient to take you. You stay in the valley for two days. I’ll meet Manager Lin and be back soon.”
“Take me with you! These clothes are too ugly. You can take me to buy some clothes! Lord Li, please be kind and take me with you!” Xue'er clung tightly to Li Mu's arm, refusing to let go and not listening to his advice.
“I'll buy the clothes for you, just stay in the valley obediently.” Li Mu gave a wry smile, really not wanting to take Xue'er to Barren Ancient City.
“Do you know how to choose the clothes I like? Just take me! I'll be very obedient and promise not to cause you any trouble.” Xue'er's dark eyes rolled, and she asked.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu couldn't help but feel troubled. He really didn't know how to buy women's clothes.
Li Mu thought for a moment and made a decision. He took out a mask from the nine storage spiritual pearl, infused it with spiritual energy, and erased the Divine Sense he had attached to it.
Li Mu handed the Spirit Fox Mask to Xue'er and instructed, “You can come, but you must refine this mask and change your appearance!”
“Okay! But this mask is Lord Li's Spiritual Artifact. If I use it, what will you use?” Xue'er happily took the Spirit Fox Mask and asked Li Mu with concern.
“Just take it and use it. If I need one, I'll refine another.” Li Mu replied unhappily.
Xue'er nodded, injected demonic power into the Spirit Fox Mask, and attached her Divine Sense. In a short while, she had refined it. She put it on her face, and her appearance changed, transforming into a twelve or thirteen-year-old human girl, somewhat resembling her childhood self.
Seeing this scene, Li Mu's eyes lit up slightly, and he contentedly pulled Xue'er's hand, feeling a cool, tender, and smooth touch that made his heart flutter.
Li Mu quickly composed himself, pulled Xue'er, and soared into the air. Then, he summoned the Earth Element Spirit Ship and flew into its interior.
A powerful Magnetic Force surged from the Earth Element Spirit Ship. With a "whoosh," in the blink of an eye, their figures disappeared above Yin Yang Valley.
That afternoon, Li Mu and Xue'er appeared inside the Wanbao Pavilion at Barren Ancient City - Floating Air Port.
After collecting the pre-ordered spiritual items from Manager Lin of Wanbao Pavilion and completing the Spiritual Artifact refining commission, Li Mu took Xue'er to stroll through the market of Barren Ancient City. While buying clothes and enjoying delicacies, he learned about the movements of the war between Xuantian Sword Sect, Taiyi Sect, and Nine Demon Sect from the conversations of passersby.
“Right now, Barren Ancient City has become a bridgehead against the Nine Demon Sect. If they continue to advance in this direction, perhaps by the end of the year, they will be at the gates of Barren Ancient City.”
“No way! Isn't Xuantian Sword Sect fighting pretty well! In the Battle of Wantian Peak, they killed quite a few Demonic Lords!”
“You don't know this! The Cultivation Technique of the Nine Demon Sect advances extremely quickly, and they have plenty of Demonic Lords.”
“The situation is indeed not optimistic, but Xuantian Sword Sect's reinforcements have arrived. They haven't made a move these days, possibly waiting for an opportunity.”
“Barren Ancient City is no longer safe. Brother Chen, do you have a way to get to Central Province?”
“Brother Bai, you're worrying too much. Many are rushing towards Barren Ancient City, preparing to fight for merit… If you leave now, you won't find such a good opportunity again.”
“Yes! Taiyi Sect has offered many Legacy rewards. If you make a great contribution, you can even exchange for a Spirit Treasure. Such an opportunity only comes once in a lifetime…”
...
The streets of Barren Ancient City were bustling. The conversations among Cultivators, in groups of two or three, were almost all about the great war between the Nine Demon Sect and Xuantian Sword Sect.
“Lord Li, what are they selling up ahead? It's so lively, let's go take a look too!” Xue'er pulled Li Mu's hand and excitedly pleaded.
“Okay!” Li Mu nodded, withdrew his Divine Sense used for eavesdropping, and was pulled by Xue'er towards the crowded stall.
“Oh!” Li Mu was slightly startled, discovering something good. (End of this chapter)