Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

On the ruins of Zuixianju, red candles lay fallen among the rubble, their flames still stubbornly licking at the broken beam.

Gu Xiang bent down, picked up the dusty red veil from the ground, and gently patted it off.

Dust flew everywhere.

He folded the veil, tucked it into his bosom, and pressed it against his heart, which had just calmed down.

"Let's go back."

Gu Xiang turned to look at Su Qing.

His face was pale; the battle of magic from afar, along with maintaining his Northern Realm clone, had drained most of his energy.

The only reason I can still stand is because of my stubbornness in not wanting to lose face in front of my wife.

Su Qing didn't move.

Her fox-like eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze passing over Gu Xiang's shoulder, fixed on the night sky north of the capital.

That place was originally filled with the lights of thousands of homes, fireworks set off by the people to celebrate the prime minister's wedding.

Multicolored lights exploded in the sky, it was a beautiful sight.

But now, that light has changed.

"Gu Xiang," Su Qing called out.

His voice was cold, lacking his usual languidness.

Gu Xiang followed her gaze.

Suddenly, some black dots appeared amidst the originally dazzling fireworks.

At first, there were only a few scattered ones, which were not clearly visible in the darkness of the night.

In the blink of an eye, the black dots multiplied, densely packed, covering the sky and the earth.

They didn't fly in from the north.

The space above the capital city cracked open.

It was like a complete painting being torn open in the middle, and countless black things poured out from that opening.

It has no facial features, no limbs, it's just a bunch of wriggling black mud.

They fell into the crowd, into the still-cheering marketplace.

The cheers abruptly stopped.

Instead, screams filled the air.

Gu Xiang's eyelids twitched violently.

He saw a child setting off firecrackers, but before he could cover his ears, he was covered by a clump of falling black mud.

The black mud wriggled twice, and the child disappeared, not even spitting out bone fragments; the black mud, however, had increased in size.

That thing eats people.

It needs more spiritual energy.

They take root wherever they land, and wherever there is spiritual energy, whether it is a cultivator, a spirit pet, or an amulet hanging on the eaves, they are all instantly devoured by them.

"The Strange Spirit."

Su Qing uttered these three words, her fingernails digging deeply into her palms.

These are the most disgusting creatures deep within the Forsaken Land. They have no intelligence, feel no pain, and their only instinct is to devour all living things.

Ten thousand years ago, the Mountain Moving Sect was almost wiped out by this thing.

Unexpectedly, instead of going to the northern border, they were teleported directly to the top of the capital city using great supernatural powers.

"The North is a cover."

Gu Xiang gritted his teeth.

His clone was still guarding the northern border, but his home base was stolen.

"Walk."

Gu Xiang grabbed Su Qing's wrist.

His strength is terrifying.

"Returning to Luofeng Slope".

There are the roots left by the old sycamore tree there, and the patriarch of the Mountain Moving Sect is in charge, making it safer than this imperial city.

He grabbed Su Qing and tried to rush out of the city.

But he stopped as soon as he took a step.

Ahead is Suzaku Avenue.

The once neat bluestone pavement is now covered in blood.

An old man dressed as a night watchman, carrying a gong, stumbled and ran this way. Behind him followed a monster as tall as two people.

"Help...help me..."

The old man saw Gu Xiang.

I saw this prime minister, dressed in a bright red auspicious robe, who had just been receiving the worship of thousands of people.

The old man's eyes lit up.

That's like a drowning person seeing a straw.

Gu Xiang's hand trembled slightly.

puff.

The black mud rolled over.

The old man is gone.

The bronze gong fell to the ground, rolled twice, and came to rest at Gu Xiang's feet. Gu Xiang's pale face was reflected on its bronze surface.

The monster wriggled, a crack appearing on its featureless face, and it hissed at Gu Xiang.

It smelled it; this person smelled wonderful.

It is a righteous spirit.

It also has the flavor of a clever and insightful mind.

Gu Xiang didn't move.

He released his grip on Su Qing's hand.

"You go first."

Gu Xiang lowered his head, his voice muffled.

Su Qing raised an eyebrow: "What?"

"I said you go first!" Gu Xiang suddenly looked up, his eyes frighteningly red. "There's a binding bond between us, like intertwined branches, preventing us from crossing more than ten meters. But I can forcibly sever this connection with my righteous energy. Although it will damage my vital energy, you can leave."

He reached out to push Su Qing.

"Return to Luofeng Slope, and don't look back."

Su Qing was pushed back half a step.

She looked at Gu Xiang without speaking or moving, but a coldness flickered in her beautiful eyes.

"Are you, Grand Chancellor Gu, going to divorce your wife?"

"This is an escape!" Gu Xiang roared. "Look closely! This city is full of monsters, they eat people alive! I am the Prime Minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If I leave, who will care for the people of this city? But I can't let you die here with me!"

He was a scholar.

They read the classics and cultivated a noble spirit.

He might be afraid of death, cowardly, or haggle over fifty taels of silver in ordinary times.

But when the time really comes...

The entire city was watching him.

If he leaves, this brilliant mind will truly be ruined, and his life will be over.

"So you're just going to play the hero all by yourself?"

Su Qing laughed in exasperation.

She stepped forward, grabbed Gu Xiang by the collar, and pulled his righteous face in front of her.

"Gu Xiang, listen to me clearly."

"I am your lawfully wedded wife, we've gone through the wedding ceremony."

"You want to defend the country's borders to the death? Fine. You want to be a great hero? Fine."

"But you think you can just leave me behind? No way!"

Su Qing let go and helped him straighten his disheveled collar.

"We'll see."

She turned around and looked at the monster that was about to pounce on her.

"These bunch of losers think they can cause trouble at my wedding?"

boom!

Nine enormous phantom fox tails suddenly exploded behind her.

It wasn't the illusory shadow from before.

This time, it's for real.

That was the nine-tailed celestial fox that had been reshaped after merging with the vitality of the sacred parasol tree.

Crimson foxfire ignited at the tip of its tail.

That was no ordinary fire.

It is the Heavenly Fox Demon Fire, which is specifically designed to burn away the soul and is especially effective against evil spirits.

Su Qing flipped her wrist.

A folding fan appeared in her hand. It was the same fan she had used to scare the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold when they first met.

"go!"

The folding fan flew out, carrying with it a sea of ​​fire.

The monster that had just swallowed the night watchman hadn't even had a chance to struggle before it was engulfed by foxfire. Hissing black smoke rose, and in the blink of an eye, it was reduced to ashes.

"What are you still standing there for?"

Su Qing turned around and glared at Gu Xiang.

"Activate the formation!"

"With so many monsters, do you think I can fight them all by myself until next year?"

Gu Xiang came to her senses.

Looking at the red-clad figure blocking his way, he felt a mix of bitterness and fervor that burned his heart.

"it is good."

Gu Xiang took a deep breath.

He no longer looked at the people who had died tragically, nor at the blood that covered the ground.

He closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank deep underground into the palace.

There lies the foundation of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The Nine Cauldrons Formation.

This was a contingency plan left behind by the monk when he founded the kingdom, using the fortune of the nine provinces as fuel to protect the capital.

"Prime Minister Gu Xiang of the Great Zhou Dynasty requests the Nine Tripods to be brought to life!"

Gu Xiang suddenly opened his eyes.

He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood into the air.

The blood didn't hit the ground.

Instead, it transformed into a blood-red rune, hovering above its head.

Om-!

The earth began to tremble.

From the direction of the palace, nine golden beams of light shot into the sky, piercing the dark night.

The nine ancient and simple cauldrons rose from the ground and floated in nine directions in the capital city.

Mountains, rivers, birds, beasts, fish, and insects are carved on the body of the cauldron.

That was the land of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"town!"

Gu Xiang formed a hand seal and pressed down.

The nine tripods resounded in unison.

A visible golden ripple spread outwards from the palace in all directions.

The rampaging monsters were instantly slowed down when swept by the golden light.

The death energy within them was suppressed.

But it was merely suppression.

There were simply too many monsters, and they kept falling from the cracks in the sky. Although the Nine Cauldrons Formation was powerful, Gu Xiang's cultivation level was only at the Quasi-Emperor stage, and coupled with the backlash he had suffered earlier, he couldn't unleash the full power of the formation.

"not enough."

Gu Xiang's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

The golden light trembled.

A gigantic, spirit-devouring monster, defying the oppressive golden light, climbed the city wall. It opened its massive jaws and bit off a corner of the eaves of the city tower.

"Lend me some more!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Gu Xiang's eyes.

He took out an official seal from his pocket.

That is the Prime Minister's seal.

"In my name, I borrow the destiny of the Great Three Hundred Years!"

He slammed the seal down hard at the blood-red runes in the air.

hold head high--!

From deep underground, a weak dragon's roar echoed.

The golden dragon of national destiny, whose tail had been severed earlier, struggled to emerge from the ground, its remaining body propelled by its strength. It coiled around the nine cauldrons, channeling the last vestige of national destiny into the grand formation.

The golden light flourishes.

The entire capital was shrouded in a thick golden barrier.

Those spirit monsters still in mid-air crashed into the barrier, making a hissing sound, and were then bounced away.

The monsters inside the city were trapped like turtles in a jar.

"kill!"

Gu Xiang squeezed out the word through gritted teeth.

The constables from the Divine Capital Guard and the Six Doors finally reacted. They formed battle formations and, in coordination with the suppression of the great formation, began to besiege and exterminate the monsters within the city.

But the situation remains difficult.

The Spirit Monsters are too difficult to kill. They can't be cut with a knife, nor burned to death with fire, unless they are completely destroyed.

"Idiot, watch closely."

Su Qing's voice suddenly rang in my ears.

She had retreated to Gu Xiang's side without anyone noticing.

That circle, which only allowed movement within ten meters, had now become the safest fortress.

Su Qing tossed the folding fan in her hand into the air.

The fan unfolds.

The painting doesn't depict landscapes, but rather a lifelike red fox.

"Fire!"

Su Qing made a hand seal with both hands.

The nine tails behind her suddenly grew longer, like a blooming lotus flower, protecting Gu Xiang in the middle.

Pink flames spread along with the golden light of the Nine Cauldrons.

The Golden Light Lord suppressed it.

Foxfire is associated with killing and warfare.

These two completely different forces miraculously merged together at this moment.

Pink-gold flames fell like raindrops.

It accurately struck each and every one of the monsters.

Roar--!

The monsters let out mournful screams.

The foxfire burrowed into their seven orifices and burned from the inside out.

In an instant, flames soared into the sky within the capital city.

But this fire does not harm people or destroy houses; it only burns evil spirits.

The people watched this scene in horror.

They saw the prime minister standing on the ruins, his red robe fluttering in the wind, like a god descending to earth.

They also saw the woman standing next to the prime minister.

Nine tails swayed behind her, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Someone recognized him.

That was the storyteller, Young Master Su, who used to tell stories in the teahouse.

She was also the Su girl who was later rumored to be a demon.

"It's a demon..."

Someone muttered to themselves.

"You son of a bitch!" A butcher nearby slapped her across the face. "That's the Prime Minister's wife! She's a living saint who's saving our lives!"

The butcher held a pig-slaughtering knife in his hand, pointing it at a monster in front of him that was rolling on the ground, burned by foxfire.

"See? That fire only burned the monster, not your house!"

The people fell silent.

They looked at the two figures standing close together.

A grand formation that manipulates the fate of the nation and suppresses all sides.

One who commands a sky full of foxfire to burn away filth.

Is this what Prime Minister Gu meant by "holding up the sky with one hand and leading people with the other"?

"puff!"

Gu Xiang swayed and spat out another mouthful of blood.

Maintaining the Nine Cauldrons Formation consumes not only spiritual energy but also his life essence.

Several strands of his hair turned white at a visible rate.

"If you can't hold on, retreat."

Su Qing supported his waist and continuously channeled her demonic energy into him.

"I can... hold on for a little while longer."

Gu Xiang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He looked at the crack in the sky that was still widening.

There, an even more terrifying atmosphere was brewing.

The "Phoenix" that has taken over the Bhikkhu's body has not yet made a real move.

This is just the beginning.

"My wife."

Gu Xiang suddenly laughed, but it was a rather bleak laugh.

"It seems our wedding night is going to be ruined."

Su Qing rolled her eyes at him.

Stop being so cheeky.

She looked up at the sky.

"Let's fix the hole we made today first, then it won't be too late to go back and drink the nuptial wine."