Chapter 143: White Fox

Through his conversation with the two cultivators, Jiang Li gained a brand-new understanding of himself.
Turns out, his swordsmanship was profound—capable of slashing heaven and earth with a single strike; his alchemy was peerless—able to casually refine Ninefold Immortal Pills; his formations were the best in the world—able to inscribe formation patterns in the void; his mastery of space surpassed his predecessors—able to manipulate the Nine Provinces at will, stacking the continent into nine layers of heaven; his comprehension of time was unique through the ages—standing at the end of the River of Time, traversing past and future with no match in sight; he even excelled in the Dao of Reincarnation—three lives merged into one, cultivating only the present life…

Though Jiang Li considered himself quite powerful, he still felt that his strength couldn’t keep up with the public’s imagination.

“Jiang the Human Sovereign really is powerful,” Jiang Li said truthfully.

Seeing Jiang Li’s sincere evaluation without pretense, the two cultivators developed a favorable impression of him.

“We’ve talked so long but don’t know your name, fellow Daoist.”

“Qian Li.”

“So it’s Daoist Qian Li. I am Zhang Long, and this is Lu Bucong.”

“With the Sword Tomb opening, the two of us plan to try our luck. What do you think, Daoist Qian Li?”

“I do plan to enter the Sword Tomb,” Jiang Li nodded.

“Perfect, we can go together—it’s always good to have someone watching your back,” Zhang Long said cheerfully, “and we can tell you more about Jiang the Human Sovereign on the way.”

Jiang Li felt that last part was probably their real reason.

Lu Bucong also nodded.

Jiang Li was about to agree but noticed some familiar faces and shook his head to decline politely.

The two didn’t push him and simply said that if they met in the Sword Tomb, they would look out for him.

……

“Master, the Sword Tomb is opening. Should we give it a try?” Qin Luan overheard some passersby talking and paid closer attention—he realized his luck was pretty good, as the Sword Tomb was indeed about to open.

The opening of the Sword Tomb followed no regular schedule—it was only heralded by strange phenomena of sword qi a few days in advance.

“No harm in trying, but I heard only cultivators below the Golden Core stage are allowed in. The two of you may go, but I’ll sit this one out,” Yuan Wuxing nodded. He’d heard of the Sword Tomb as well—only Golden Core cultivators under thirty were eligible.

His age and cultivation level both disqualified him.

Yuan Wuxing said, “Then I’ll take care of this little fox. What’s it saying?”

On Qin Luan’s shoulder sat a snow-white little fox, incredibly cute, waving its little front paws as if trying to communicate something.

Seeing the little fox, Song Ying wasn’t softened by its cuteness—instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of danger and stayed wary of it.

Neither Song Ying nor Yuan Wuxing could understand what the fox was saying. Only Qin Luan seemed to share a connection with it and could understand its meaning.

“Xiao Bai says it wants to go into the Sword Tomb too.”

Yuan Wuxing chuckled, “A little thing that can barely understand human speech wants to go in too? Fine then, take the little guy with you.”

“Eh, someone’s waving at us—is that one of your friends?” Song Ying noticed a cultivator sitting under a tea stall nearby waving at them.

Qin Luan and the little fox shook their heads in unison, indicating they didn’t know the person.

Yuan Wuxing walked over cautiously and asked, “Are you a Dao Sect Envoy?”

“Nice instincts.”

Seeing Jiang Li admit it, Yuan Wuxing knew he hadn’t mistaken the person and called Qin Luan and Song Ying over.

“To meet again—it really is fate,” Jiang Li said with a smile.

It was fate indeed. Jiang Li had changed his appearance, and even acquaintances couldn’t recognize him face-to-face. If they saw him but didn’t recognize him, then it meant they weren’t fated.

He had greeted the three to see if any of them could recognize him.

Yuan Wuxing didn’t disappoint—he recognized Jiang Li.

That was fate.

“Your cultivation’s coming along nicely—no slacking, and no deviation.”

The trio had used various means to conceal their true strength while traveling the world, but Jiang Li only needed a glance to see their current cultivation.

Time flowed differently in the apocalypse world. Calculated by Nine Provinces time, over four years had passed since Jiang Li last saw the three of them.

Yuan Wuxing had reached mid-Nascent Soul Stage, with signs of breaking through at any moment.
Qin Luan had reached late Golden Core Stage.
Song Ying had reached mid-Golden Core Stage.

Their cultivation speeds had all exceeded Jiang Li’s expectations—they must’ve had their own encounters.

Receiving praise from the Human Sovereign left all three a little giddy.

“This white fox isn’t bad—perfect for warming hands in winter.” Jiang Li glanced at the sleek and soft fur of the little fox. What a pity—it was too small, not even enough to make a collar.

The little fox understood human speech and bared its teeth at Jiang Li.

“Where’d you pick it up?”

Qin Luan answered honestly, “A year ago on the mountain. Xiao Bai was being chased by a wild boar. I wanted to eat pork, so I killed the boar and saved Xiao Bai.”

“Back then Xiao Bai was filthy, you couldn’t even tell its color. Master accidentally dropped it into the pot, and only then did we find out it wasn’t a gray fox, but a white one.”

“Since then, I’ve been raising Xiao Bai. It’s very talented at treasure hunting—can find heavenly materials and earthly treasures hidden in very obscure places.”

Song Ying cut in, “One night I saw a strange fox girl bathing by the lake—white ears, white tail, with an innate seductive charm. When she turned and saw me, she screamed and vanished instantly. White foxes are already rare—I don’t believe I just happened to run into one. That had to be Xiao Bai transformed!”

“You were dreaming,” Qin Luan firmly shook his head, “Master even checked Xiao Bai’s bone age—barely over a year old. How could it possibly be the fox girl you described? It hasn’t even reached the stage to take human form.”

The little white fox looked smug and cast a provocative glance at Song Ying.

“Was that look just now… a challenge?” Song Ying sharply sensed the little fox’s gaze.

“Where? You must be mistaken,” Qin Luan denied.

“Mr. Jiang, what do you think?” Song Ying turned to Jiang Li for help.

“I heard the Fox Queen of Qingqiu has a special talent called Rebirth. I used to think she triggered it during some mortal danger, preserving her memories to start a new life,” Jiang Li said with a grin.

The previously smug little fox was now on high alert, staring cautiously at Jiang Li, unsure what kind of figure this Mr. Jiang really was…

Jiang Li grabbed the scruff of Xiao Bai’s neck, examined her for a moment, then placed her back on Qin Luan’s shoulder.

“But then I thought again—how proud is the Qingqiu Queen, a white fox who’s always looked down on humans. How could she possibly rest quietly on your shoulder? I must’ve been mistaken.”

Since she didn’t want to reveal her identity, Jiang Li didn’t expose her.

The three knew Jiang Li didn’t want to reveal his identity, so they never addressed him as the Human Sovereign. As a result, the little white fox remained unaware of who Jiang Li really was, assuming he was just an old acquaintance of Yuan Wuxing or Qin Luan.

“Hahaha, Mr. Jiang really likes to joke,” Qin Luan didn’t believe for a second that the random fox he picked up was anything special.

Qin Luan had heard of Qingqiu. Though not one of the Nine Great Dynasties, it was a major nation occupying its own territory. Its ruler was a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox—pureblood immortal beast with terrifying cultivation and few equals.

No way that could be Xiao Bai.

Qin Luan spotted a familiar face in the street.