Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

Lu Jin carefully tucked the straw fox pendant into his clothes and bowed again to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your generous gift, Brother Chen. I will treasure it and perhaps pass it on to my descendants in the future."

Chen Ruoan chuckled softly upon hearing this, her fox-like eyes curving slightly as she said in a light tone, "It's just a trivial trinket; there's no need to treat it with such care."

Are you really going to keep this little fox-woven item as a family heirloom?

After laughing, Chen Ruoan raised his hand to indicate that he was introducing the mansion one by one.

The first floor of Yaoyuelou has a guest hall and tea room, where spring water is used to brew tea, and wild fruits from the mountains are often placed on the wooden table for guests.

The second floor is the medicine shed, where herbs are dried and stored.

Several quiet rooms have been set up on the third floor, with futons laid out, where one can meditate or discuss philosophy.

The fifth floor is where the fox usually climbs to enjoy the view and also has a desk for studying classics. The top floor is where the shrine of the Goddess of Mount Tai is enshrined.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ruoan climbed the steps, leading the guests on a tour while going up to the top floor to offer incense to the Goddess of Mount Tai.

After offering incense and descending the stairs, Fang Dongtian looked up at the window on the fifth floor. The pages of paper spread out on the desk were clearly visible; they were the Taoist classics he had been punished to copy.

"Are you still looking at these?"

"Master Fang's punishment of copying contains many insightful observations, and reading it is quite beneficial," Chen Ruoan replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Fang Dongtian sighed softly, a hint of melancholy creeping across his brow.

"Forget it, what's the use of just having these thoughts? After all this time, I'm still stuck in the same place, unable to make any further progress."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ruoan felt a pang in her heart. She recalled how Fang Dongtian had guarded Baiyun Temple until his death, yet he had never truly cultivated the Yang Spirit. A sense of regret for not being able to attain the Dao lingered in her sigh.

"Your ability to let your soul wander outside is already astonishing enough," Lu Jin said.

"It's different. A Yin spirit is still a Yin spirit. Its Yin energy is exposed and it will cause trouble sooner or later. It's better to give up this method, continue to hone your life, and behave properly. You can't go wrong that way."

Fang Dongtian leaned against the vermilion wooden railing, gazing out of the building.

Under the inky sky, the layered mountains are shrouded in deep tranquility. The mountain breeze sweeps through the treetops, bringing a chill that can truly ease some of the stagnation in one's heart.

He sighed softly, a clarity and melancholy beyond his years:

"Only when one can cultivate the Yang Spirit can one be considered to have truly mastered the art of sexual cultivation. The remaining effort is simply to refine this physical body. Once the body is refined to a high level, the subsequent realms are beyond the comprehension of these extraordinary individuals."

Chen Ruoan strolled to his side and casually posed the question that had been on her mind: "If one were to use a divine position to draw down a trace of divine will, how would such a manifestation of the divine soul compare to that of a Yin spirit?"

Fang Dongtian withdrew his gaze and replied, "It is of secondary importance."

The divine will entrusted to a divine position is ultimately born from faith; it is a tiny wisp separated from the soul, supported by the power of the believers' thoughts. Compared to a fully formed and condensed Yin spirit, it is naturally far inferior.

"So that's how it is."

Chen Ruoan also understands the method of "sexual cultivation", but in his previous life he was a college student and then a corporate slave. Even though he lived for twenty more years, he only followed the rules and lived according to the worldly track for twenty years. Where was there any opportunity to ask himself questions?

Now a fox, I've enjoyed a carefree life for over a year, and I'm able to calmly think about what I want, but that's about it.

There's still something missing before I reach a state of complete mental fulfillment.

However, when it comes to the realm of Yang Shen, Chen Ruoan could guess a thing or two from some stories and classics. The most famous of these is probably "Zhang Ziyang Picks Qionghua from a Thousand Miles Away".

Legend has it that Zhang Boduan, a hermit of Ziyang Mountain, became close friends with a high-ranking monk who practiced Zen Buddhism. One day, when they talked about the blooming of the magnolia flowers in Yangzhou, the two agreed to travel to Yangzhou in spirit to enjoy the flowers together. They went into a clean room, sat facing each other with their eyes closed, and both of them entered a state of spiritual reverie.

When Zhang Ziyang arrived in Yangzhou, the monks had already arrived.

The two circled the flower three times, and Zhang Boduan suggested that they each pick a flower to take back as a souvenir.

After the spiritual journey ended, Zhang Ziyang took out a real Qionghua flower from his sleeve, while the monk's sleeve was empty.

The disciple was puzzled as to why, despite both being in a state of spiritual travel, the results differed in terms of existence and non-existence. Zhang Boduan replied:

"My Golden Elixir Path cultivates both nature and life. Therefore, when gathered, it takes form; when dispersed, it becomes Qi. Wherever it goes, the true spirit manifests, which is called the Yang Spirit. Those who cultivate want to see results quickly, so they no longer cultivate life but directly cultivate nature. Therefore, wherever they go, no one can see their form or shadow, which is called the Yin Spirit."

···

There were legendary extraordinary individuals at the "Yang Shen" realm, but in the future, only one such person appeared: Liu Zhenguo, Senior Brother Liu.

Chen Ruoan thought to himself, if he could really cultivate a Yang spirit, travel thousands of miles in spirit, travel freely without hindrance, and even condense it into a physical form, he would save himself so much trouble.

For example, he could follow Zhang Zhiwei's travel route and thoroughly interrogate that Taoist priest, asking why, after so long, not a single incense offering or memorial tablet had appeared.

Zhang Zhiwei is very good at complaining and being arrogant, but he is not even a fraction as good at lying and deceiving as Zhang Huaiyi.

The fox and Fang Dongtian were having such a good time that they seemed to have neglected Lu Jin.

Chen Ruoan abruptly changed the subject, asking, "May I ask which school of thought Brother Lu studied under?"

"Trinity Gate".

A glint of light appeared in Lu Jin's eyes, his tone revealing undisguised pride, yet maintaining the humility befitting a scion of a noble family: "I am a disciple of the Great Ying Immortal, Zuo Ruotong."

Chen Ruoan's fox-like eyes curved slightly: "The Sanyi Sect is known as the number one Xuan Sect in the world. Even I, a fox living in seclusion in the mountains, often hear strange people passing by mention it."

The Three-One Ultimate Technique, "Triple Rebirth," is unparalleled in the world. I wonder what level Brother Lu has cultivated it to?

"To my shame, it's only the first level."

The first level of Reverse Life allows true Qi to fill the entire body, transforming the skin and flesh into Qi. Those who master this level not only possess powerful physical attributes, but also exude the strength of a dragon and tiger in every movement, and their recovery ability is greatly enhanced.

Lu Jin said with embarrassment, "The senior brother Zhang who is traveling with you has sparred with me before. He said that reversing the cycle of rebirth is too complicated and is destined to be less robust than simple things. I have been thinking about this issue recently."

"Following the natural order leads to mortal life, defying it leads to immortality; it's all in the middle, a reversal of the truth. The path of defying fate isn't wrong, perhaps the method is flawed?"

"If the path left by our predecessors is wrong, it is not easy to correct it."

Lu Jin lowered his head in thought, but as he continued to think about what the fox had said, a chilling fear crept over him.

The method must be correct!

If the method is wrong, then the path of reversing life is a dead end, and the foundation of the sect's cultivation will be completely destroyed.

"Nothing is impossible," the fox declared.

Once they started talking, the two discussed cultivation at length.

Chen Ruoan suddenly felt that this atmosphere was not bad. Outside the building was the tranquility of Mount Tai at night, with the dark mountains lying in the moonlight. Inside the building, however, it was not deserted. The fox and the two people made up a room full of quiet joy.

The peaceful and leisurely atmosphere didn't last long. Lu Jin suddenly said, "We've talked too much about theory. Let's have some practical exercises instead."

Upon hearing the suggestion, Fang Dongtian replied, "Very well. In the exchange of skills among cultivators, every move and stance should be meaningful and substantive."

"Brother Chen, what about you?" Lu Jin asked Chen Ruoan with great interest. "I have never witnessed the mysterious and wondrous techniques of fox cultivators before."