It turns out, they were the main characters.

The Demon Queen is on the same level as the Azure Emperor. She is the type who never reveals her thoughts on her face. Mu Zhian doesn't know what she is thinking at the moment, but with Sister Mengrou beside him, he can't ask.

Let's just pretend we don't know anything about this...

……

That afternoon, the four people and a bird were flying in the air when they unknowingly saw a desolate plain in front of them.

Mu Zhian checked the map and confirmed that the desolate plain was where the fox clan used to live, and that's where he landed on the plain while riding the dragon sparrow.

In the field of vision, a staircase that seemed to have no end appeared.

The steps were covered with moss, the sides were covered with bushes, and all around were tall and slender ancient trees.

"The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox once set up an array here, and without a fox clan member to lead the way, one cannot set foot here," said the Demon Queen.

Whoosh!

Just then, a sword aura slashed down from the end of the stairs, pointing directly at Mu Zhi'an.

The Demon Queen raised her alluring and seductive eyes and said calmly, "Insolence."

The sword energy was forcibly split in front of Mu Zhian and blasted to both sides, causing a tremor.

At the end of the steps stood several women with fox ears on their heads, each of whom was exceptionally beautiful.

Not far from these women, two old men stood before the steps, their cloudy eyes revealing a hint of wariness: "Who are you, and why have you dared to trespass into the fox clan's territory?"

"They are fox demons who chose to stay here even when the fox clan was in decline. Don't be nervous, I'll just tell them."

The Demon Queen explained softly to Mu Zhi'an, then looked up and calmly surveyed the wary little demon cultivators and fox clan elders not far ahead.

The fox clan elder, dressed in a simple robe, stood on the steps with wary eyes and said, "Who exactly are you? My fox clan has been at peace with the world for thousands of years. If you do not explain your reasons, I am afraid I will have no choice but to ask you to leave this place."

The Demon Queen was taken aback.

Mu Zhian was also stunned for a moment, and subconsciously glanced at the elegantly dressed demon empress.

Ok?

This isn't what we agreed on; they don't seem to recognize you...

Logically speaking, when the Demon Queen raised her head, these people should have recognized her identity.

However, given the current situation, it's clear that none of these fox demons recognize the Demon Queen.

"Don't you even recognize me?" The Demon Queen said calmly, surveying the group with an indifferent expression.

"Who are you?" a fox demon on the steps asked warily.

Before the steps, a number of fox demons gathered, totaling less than a hundred.

It seems these people don't have internet access in their village, and their information is not very advanced... Mu Zhian tried his best to suppress his laughter so as not to incur the wrath of the demon queen, whose expression was not very pleasant at the moment.

Several fox clan elders who remained steadfastly in their place frowned as they stared at the uninvited guests.

The fox demons around them also turned their heads and secretly sized up the four of them, their eyes filled with curiosity, friendliness, or hostility.

The Grand Elder frowned slightly, glanced at the Demon Queen, and said in a deep voice, "You have the aura of a demon, but the girl in the yellow dress and the young man beside her are cultivators from the Eastern Continent, right? Why did you bring them here to disturb our peaceful cultivation?"

They really haven't left the Fox Clan's territory for a long time, they don't even recognize the Demon Queen... Mu Zhian raised his hand and bowed, saying, "I am Mu Zhian, a disciple of the Liangyi Sect, greetings to the elders."

These days, everyone in the Nine Provinces knows Mu Zhi'an's name. After all, he is the husband recognized by the Azure Emperor, and the Azure Emperor recently held a grand wedding in the Holy King City, inviting people from all over the Nine Provinces. His reputation is extremely high.

However, the fox clan elder on the steps shook his head and said, "I don't recognize him."

The fox clan elders standing nearby also showed no interest in Mu Zhi'an, but instead remained wary of these people.

On the contrary, the fox-clan female cultivators beside them lit up their beautiful eyes when they saw Mu Zhi'an.

Mu Zhian exuded an extremely attractive aura, which was an irresistible temptation for them.

The Grand Elder's gaze fell upon the Demon Queen, and he slowly asked, "May I ask which demon clan you belong to?"

“She is the current ruler of the demon realm,” Mu Zhian explained.

A fox demon nearby scoffed, "How could that be? His Majesty the Demon Emperor's Heavenly Phoenix Technique is awe-inspiring throughout the Nine Provinces. Are you implying that someone has replaced him and become the new ruler of the Demon Realm?"

The fox demon cultivators around him stared at Mu Zhi'an warily, becoming even more vigilant.

The Demon Queen replaced the first Demon Emperor as the ruler a thousand years ago. Does your village have no recent news at all? There are too many things to complain about, and Mu Zhian doesn't know where to start.

The elder surveyed the four people and said calmly, "The Fox Clan's territory has fallen to such a state. There are no rare treasures here. Please leave. I will refrain from killing anyone since I am in a good mood today."

The Demon Queen raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

In this vast Northern Continent, there must be no one who hasn't heard of the Demon Queen, yet none of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox's descendants know her identity.

"Why waste words with the elders? Since they refuse to leave, let's just make them get lost."

Bai Zhan, a fox-clan youth standing to the side, spoke impatiently, showing absolutely no goodwill towards the cultivators from the Eastern Continent.

In the past, only one or two cultivators would occasionally pass through this plain of the fox clan every few years. There were also cultivators who were curious about this place, but without exception, they were all driven away by the clan elders.

Logically, the same approach should be taken towards these people right now.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Bai Zhan noticed that the elders around him remained silent, staring blankly at the young cultivator from the Eastern Continent below the steps. Their expressions were extremely solemn, as if they had encountered a powerful enemy of the same realm as them.

This shouldn't happen under normal circumstances. The aura emanating from this young man is at most at the Refining Spirit Realm, but the three female cultivators beside him have no discernible realm. It seems they must be using special magical artifacts to conceal their realms.

But why haven't the elders made a move yet?

Just as Bai Zhan was about to speak, a vast, ocean-like demonic aura nearly enveloped the entire fox clan territory. That terrifying demonic aura hung over the hearts of every fox demon like a dark cloud.

This demonic aura actually emanated from a cultivator from the Eastern Continent!

Nine phantom fox tails silently unfurled behind Mu Zhi'an, and pink demonic mist enveloped him, exuding an indescribable alluring charm that drew the attention of the female fox cultivators.

Mu Zhian slowly withdrew the wisp of pink light that had been dancing on his sword finger, looked up and smiled, "Don't you recognize the Demon Queen..."

"You must know a nine-tailed celestial fox, right?"

……

A nine-tailed celestial fox? A cultivator from the Eastern Continent is actually a nine-tailed celestial fox?!

Upon seeing the nine phantom fox tails behind Mu Zhian, the fox clan members fell silent almost instantly. Then, the old monsters on the steps, breathing rapidly and seemingly losing their minds, rushed down the steps together.

"How do you, a cultivator from the Eastern Continent, possess the strongest physique of my Fox Clan?"

"Where exactly did you find the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox's body?"

One by one, the elders excitedly surrounded him, their eyes filled with astonishment as they stared at Mu Zhian.

"I made a promise with the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox to revive her in the future, and that's why I'm here today," Mu Zhi'an explained.

If Mu Zhian had spoken like that from the beginning, naturally no one would have believed him, and he would have been regarded as an enemy.

But the nine phantom fox tails that are now appearing behind him make it impossible not to believe this fact.

Seeing the doubts in the eyes of the elders, Mu Zhian explained the whole story in detail.

After a stick of incense had burned, the fox demon cultivators, who had previously been wary of everyone, suddenly became incredibly enthusiastic and invited everyone to go to the village together.

"I'm going to the ancestral land of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox to offer sacrifices. Please wait for me for a while," Mu Zhi'an said to the three people behind him.

"I will go with you," the Demon Queen said calmly.

She was worried about Mu Zhian being alone.

Mu Zhian glanced at the Grand Elder beside him, and seeing that he had no objections, he nodded.

Bai Ruoxi glanced at the alluring figure of the Demon Queen, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

The Demon Queen had been staring at Mu Lang intently throughout the journey, her gaze as if she were eyeing prey...

The thought of having the Demon Queen protect Mu Zhi'an at this moment makes one inexplicably uneasy.

……

The trip to the Fox Clan's territory will go smoothly, which was actually within Mu Zhi'an's expectations.

Mu Zhian's only surprise was that the people here didn't even know that the demon realm had changed masters, let alone recognize the demon realm's queen.

Fortunately, Her Majesty the Empress did not hold it against them... Mu Zhian sighed inwardly, and before he knew it, he had followed the Great Elder of the Fox Clan to an ancient ancestral hall.

"Young friend Mu, if you can truly revive my fox clan's ancestor, then you will be a great benefactor to my fox clan. In the future, whatever needs we may have, as long as you give the order, we will do our utmost and even die a thousand deaths to repay your kindness today." The Grand Elder spoke from the bottom of his heart.

Mu Zhian shook his head and said, "I was just fulfilling my promise to her; I can hardly be considered a great benefactor of the fox clan."

"The agreement is one thing, but for us, as long as the Queen can be reborn, our fox clan will surely be able to regain its past glory. This is the greatest favor we can ask for." The Grand Elder's face was ruddy, and his tone was somewhat excited.

The fox clan has declined to such a state that even the younger generation of foxes has extremely scarce resources for cultivation. Over the past thousand years, the fox clan has developed into several branches, all of which are dependent on the various demon clans in the demon realm.

Only the purest lineage of the fox clan chose to remain in this place.

If Mu Zhian hadn't come today, perhaps they would have just drifted through their lives in a daze.

I wonder if, in the future, when I look back on my life as a demon, I will regret spending my entire life in such a barren place.

"Logically speaking, you are also a terrestrial immortal in the Void Returning Realm. If you wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult for you to live in a secluded corner of the Demon Realm and obtain some resources. Why do you insist on staying here?" Mu Zhian finally couldn't help but ask on the way.

The Grand Elder sighed softly: "Young friend, you may not know this, but the Demon Emperor once declared war on the Eastern Continent. With the Eastern Continent's fighting strength, it would probably take a thousand years to finish this war. If we leave the Fox Clan's territory, we will probably be forced to go to the Abyss Battlefield to fight against the Eastern Continent's cultivators."

"That battle was never fought, because the first Demon Emperor had already been suppressed by the Azure Emperor before that, and has now perished." The Demon Queen finally couldn't help but speak.

"And who are you?" the elder asked suspiciously.

“She is now the new ruler of the demon realm,” Mu Zhian explained. “I just mentioned this to you.”

The elder was taken aback. He had intended to use his spiritual sense to scan the simply dressed yet naturally alluring demon cultivator, but the moment he looked up and met her gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly raised his hand in a bow and said respectfully, "I am truly sorry for my rudeness in front of you earlier."

Having cultivated for thousands of years, his experience told him that this woman's strength and lineage far surpassed his.

It seemed that Mu Zhian had not lied to him; the demon realm had long since changed its masters… The fox clan elder, who had just connected to the 2G network, was filled with emotion.

The Demon Queen waved her hand dismissively, too lazy to bother with the matter.

More important than that is something else right now...

—What exactly did Mu Zhian and Gong Lianyue do last night?

Seemingly recalling what she had heard during her mind-reading, the Demon Queen looked at the boy walking not far ahead and couldn't help but lick her lips lightly.

...He really knows how to have fun.

……

Nearly half an hour later, Mu Zhian successfully found the bronze bell placed in the ancestral hall in this abandoned ancestral land.