At the moment Xu Qing released his hold on the beauty in his arms upon seeing the great tomb.
He looked around, and saw before him graveyards like streets and houses, arranged clearly like an imperial city.
In the center of the multitude of tombs, Xu Qing saw an imposing enormous tomb, resembling the Imperial City.
Even from five or six miles away, Xu Qing could feel the ancient aura emanating from within.
Obviously, it was a prehistoric mausoleum from tens of thousands of years ago.
Xu Qing proceeded along the path, the Jade Pendant hanging from his waist emitting a lustrous glow.
Along the way, the stone tablets Xu Qing encountered were all different, some inscribed with human names, and even records of the origins of their parents on some steles.
Others were purely surnames from the Fox Race.
Bai Qiuyu said to Xu Qing: "Fox Demons with low cultivation often have the surnames Bai or Kang; those with advanced cultivation often have the surnames Zhao or Zhang, while Hu is the general surname for all Foxes. When the Sect Leader encounters any Foxes in the future, you can listen to their names to roughly gauge their cultivation."
Xu Qing was puzzled: "You have a thousand years of cultivation, yet you still bear the surname Bai?"
Bai Qiuyu said with a sly look: "The world is full of danger, so I must keep a low profile. If I used another surname, wouldn't it be too conventional?"
"..."
Xu Qing had already decided in his heart that whenever he encounters an enemy Fox Demon in the future, regardless of their surname, he must exert his full strength during a magical duel!
The human and the fox continued deeper, during which Xu Qing opened coffins to seek scattered inherited treasures, while not forgetting to perform exorcisms under the pretense of arranging the appearance of the deceased.
The Qingqiu Foxes liked to bond with humans, therefore nearly half of the remains in the tombs were born of such bonds.
While performing transitions all the way through, Xu Qing discovered that these half-demon Fox Demons looked no different from humans before their deaths.
At most, they had one or more fluffy tails, or a pair of fox ears.
Upon learning these details, Xu Qing revisited these tombstones, which besides inscriptions like "member of a certain clan" and "beloved wife of the Hu family", also had notes like "Tail One", "Tail Three", "Tail Five", and "Ear Spirit".
For the following three days, Xu Qing, in addition to transitioning the remains that couldn't pass on due to the barrier of the mortal realm, established an altar in the center of the cemetery, dedicated to a ritual for those malicious spirits suffering from calamity and pent-up grievances.
Xu Qing gently shook the Dharma artifact, stepping through constellations, chanting mystical scriptures.
His incantations were not just Life-saving Scripture, but also included impromptu use of ancient Fox Race sacrificial languages for a more localized exorcism ceremony in Qingqiu.
Deep within the Fox Tomb, incense-stick talismans burned with curling pale smoke, winding atop new and old graves like the webs of spirit serpents, compelling all aggrieving spirits before the tombs to emerge.
Faintly, there seemed to be subtle illusions rising from the piled tombs among the forest of steles.
There were scholars in long robes with fox tails faintly visible behind them; women in plain clothes with fox ears; and children with topknots, laughing as usual...
Illusory shadows flitted about, all grudged spirits unable to transcend were drawn by the green smoke, drifting toward the altar.
Upon seeing Xu Qing, adorned with symbols of their race and performing the fox rituals, the multitude of souls nodded in greeting.
At this moment, although the Qingqiu Ruins were still windswept and eerie, all resentment had faded, leaving only endless fondness and peace.
Upon reaching the main burial chamber and lifting the final coffin lid, a seven-tailed half-demon human fox suddenly sat up in shock!
There was a large hole punched through the person's chest by some unknown Dharma Artifact; upon reanimation, Xu Qing could even see the scenery through the hole in the other's chest.
Bai Qiuyu felt both amazed and frightened. She was astonished by her ancestor's potent aura even after death, yet fearful that her ancestor might censure her for bringing a strange man to desecrate their ancestral tomb.
However, just when Bai Qiuyu thought she would be punished by her ancestor, she saw her Sect Leader suddenly reach out and stroke the ancestor's head.
The Sect Leader softly whispered as he caressed the ancestor's fox ears: "The bond arises and dissipates, life and death share the same tomb. With a single thought, the Netherworld may be traversed..."
"A new destiny lies ahead, it's time for you to set out, elder."
Bai Qiuyu watched her ancestor close their eyes, more obedient than a dog, yet remained dazed for quite a while.
Seven days later, outside the Qingqiu Ruins.
As Xu Qing took the funeral horse for the return journey, he recounted the sights of the Qingqiu Ruins to the Xuan Yu that had been waiting on the horse's back.
The red-tailed monkey still carried the dragon-curbing staff, swaggering ahead to clear the path.
Behind Xu Qing, Bai Qiuyu still looked back at her homeland from time to time.
At this moment, the solitary lights of Qingqiu were like beans, only accompanied by the mountain winds and bright moon, eternally guarding this refuge from the mundane world.