Inside Bai Shuo's chamber, frost qi clashed violently with burning heat.
Her mother stood beside the bed, her expression glacial, her aura suffocating enough to freeze the air itself.
Across from her, the Bai Clan's chief healer knelt, sweat dripping down his temples as he withdrew his spiritual sense from Bai Shuo's dantian.
"…It's a Gu."
Silence.
"A devouring Gu," he continued grimly. "From the Evil Gu Sect."
Her mother's eyes darkened.
"The Gu was designed to hollow out her dantian and harvest her Heavenly Spiritual Root," the healer said . "But whoever planted it underestimated the power of a Heavenly Spiritual Root. Her root resisted… violently."
Her mother's fingers tightened.
"Can it be removed?"
"Yes." His voice now had a hint of disbelief. "In fact, there's no need for us to intervene, her Heavenly Spiritual Root itself is devouring the Gu."
A killing aura flooded the room as the matriarch appeared without warning.
Then she spoke coldly, her voice cutting through the tension. "Seal this matter."
Everyone stiffened before bowing.
"Matriarch!"
"We will pretend Shuo'er' condition is critical," she continued calmly. "Prohibit all visits and lock down her courtyard. I want to see who grows restless."
"The Evil Gu Sect!" Her gaze sharpened. "Seems like they are tired of living."
Her mother nodded without hesitation.
"Do as you wish, Sister."
"And you," The matriarch turned to Bai Shuo. "You are not allowed to see or tell anyone about you situation even your maid and your best friend."
Bai Shuo nodded reluctantly.
Outside Bai Shuo's courtyard, snow fell quietly.
"Let me in!"
Bai Yu's voice rang out, trembling with emotion. "I just want to see my sister! Please!"
The guards remained unmoved.
"Miss Bai Yu, the matriarch has forbidden all visitors."
"But she's injured!" Bai Yu cried. "She almost died! How can you stop me from seeing her?!"
Her eyes were red, tears clinging to her lashes.
Anyone watching would have been moved by her sincerity.
The guards hesitated then hardened again."No exceptions."
Bai Yu stood there long after, fists clenched at her sides, shoulders trembling — until finally, she turned away.
Inside the courtyard, Bai Shuo lay lazily on her bed, tossing a spirit crystal into the air and catching it again.
"Its so boring. Can I at least cultivate?" she muttered, her complexion was pale, her qi unstable — at least, that's what everyone believed but in truth, her dantian had already stabilized.
Her mother cast her a cold glance. "You have always been impatient."
With a flick of her sleeve, dozens of books appeared midair. "These are manuals on formations. Since you despise alchemy so much, use these to pass time."
Bai Shuo's lips twitched, but she still picked them up and soon, she was captivated.
Her mother provided materials while Bai Shuo passed the days practicing.
Within several days, she completed a tiny formation array beneath her bed. From it emerged a translucent insect no larger than a fingernail — wings shimmering faintly, eyes glowing with strange light.
A mimic mayfly.
A rare spirit insect capable of reproducing voices and transmitting sound.
Of course, this one was constructed using formation arrays.
"Go," Bai Shuo inserted a mid-grade spirit stone and whispered.
The mayfly vanished into the air.
Through its senses, Bai Shuo listened.
She heard whispers in corridors.
It was fun how the insect mimiced others voice . She couldn't recognize some voices but she could hear their conversations.
Apparently, the whole sect was gloating on her misfortune.
She heard disciples gossiping.
"Hey, have you heard? That fire girl has lost her cultivation."
"Hmph, serves her right."
"Wow, what happened?"
"Who knows but I would like to see her face."
"Tsk…tsk.. I can't wait to beat her up."
She carefully manuevered the Mayfly insect to avoid the elder's courtyard because without doubts, her crude creation would surely collapse in contact with the powerful array guiding their courtyards.
Little Bai Shuo was curious to see what her sister had been up to so she entered her courtyard and she heard Bai Yu.
"That jade pendant… I have one myself. The elder from the outer sect said it would weaken her qi. I didn't know it would be that severe."
A maid said disapprovingly. "I think it would be better if she died."
" Die?" Bai Yu laughed lightly. "Don't be ridiculous. I only wanted her slowed down."
Silence.
"But Young Miss, aren't you tired?" the maid asked hesitantly. "Aren't you tired of hiding behind her shadows, aren't you tired of being compared to her. I don't think she's any better than you. Even Elder Lin commended your talent in alchemy."
"Die." The word rolled off Bai Yu's lips as if savoring the taste. "No, she can't die yet. Who would be my shield against those mad sisters of mine?"
"You are right, but," The maids whispered worriedly. "Are you sure she won't find out about the jade pendant?"
"She won't." Bai Yu smiled and touched the jade pendant on her clothes directly. "They won't suspect me firstly, my sister trusts me so much and secondly, both of us have the same pendant."
The maid gasped. "Why were you not attacked then."
"I don't know."Bai Yu laughed softly. "But, the elder assured me that I would be fine."
Inside her room, Bai Shuo's fingers tightened until blood seeped from her palm.
"So it was you."
Her chest burned, with rage and something colder.
Disgust.
Betrayal.
She rose from the bed and stepped toward the courtyard gate, ignoring the guards' startled protests as she stormed toward Bai Yu's residence.
Fox Bai Shuo watched calmly.
She had lived through this before.
Still… a faint anticipation stirred within her heart, remembering the brutal beating Bai Yu had received from her younger self.
But a cold wind blew and then darkness engulfed her.
Pain.
Excruciating pain.
It felt as though every bone in her body shattered at once.
"Wait…" Her eyes flew open."Body?"
She inhaled sharply, relief flooding her chest when she realized she had escaped the mysterious realm.
Then weakness struck. That familiar yet foreign weakness surged through her limbs.
She was back in her fox body which was humiliating and strangely gratifying.
Gratifying — because she was still drenched in cold sweat, shaken by how close she'd come to losing control inside the illusion.
Ironically, it was this fragile body that saved her.
She glanced down at herself, broken bones, disjointed meridians.
So that was it. Her fox body simply couldn't endure the illusion any longer.
Elder Su had warned her.
Bai Shuo clicked her tongue softly in self-reproach.
Still… there was one thing she was endlessly grateful for about this body.
Its insane healing speed.
She could feel primal qi circulating through her warped meridians, numbing her shattered bones.
Exhilarating and excruciating.
Yet Bai Shuo hadn't forgotten what she'd seen before being dragged into the illusion.
A ten-tailed fox.
She searched her memories — had Tushan Xin ever mentioned the current Ancestral Fox Prince possessing ten tails? No.
She only remembered that Tushan Xin only mentioned about his two tails when he was just born just like her own single tail. The little fox girl hadn't mentioned his bloodline purity after ascending to the Dao and Law Realm.
That assumption had been hers.
Just like how she'd assumed the Fox Clan was a Major Clan based on her previous life's standards.
Was that phantom the current Ancestral Fox Prince?
Or a fox prince from ancient times?
After all, Elder Su had said the Sacred Ground existed since the Great War.
As these thoughts churned, another urgency rose.
Where was she?