— Hey! Stop calling me a demonic fox! — Lin Tong snorted, crossing her arms under her chest and giving him a cold glare. — And forget my name altogether. From now on — call me Master. Got it?
— Can't do that, — Ryuuji shrugged with a cheeky grin. — Just can't.
— What?! — Lin Tong squinted, her ears twitching with irritation. — And why's that, might I ask?!
— Well, you know... "Master" is usually an old gray-bearded man sitting on a mountain, spouting riddles. But you...
He scanned her from head to toe without any embarrassment.
— You're young, beautiful... and way too fiery to be "just a master."
Lin Tong froze for a moment. Her tails flared out like an angry peacock's. But instead of an outburst, she sighed theatrically, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and gave a sly foxish smirk.
— This lady really is too dazzling for a boring title, — she admitted. — Fine then!
She stepped closer, looking him straight in the eyes, slightly raising her chin.
— This lady permits you to call me… the Charming Mentor Lin Tong. Or the Magnificent Fox who Grants Enlightenment. At worst... Your Foxy Mentor. But with respect!
— What if I just say "Foxy"?
— This lady allows it... only if there's reverence in your voice and awe in your heart, — she sang, flicking her tail sharply across his cheek. — And remember: if I teach you, you're my disciple. And a disciple must respect... and admire.
She spun around sharply, her tails arching.
— This lady is commencing training. First lesson: don't argue with a fox. You'll lose anyway. Loudly. With fireworks.
— Alright, little fox, — Ryuuji smirked, completely ignoring the warning.
Lin Tong froze. One eye twitched.
— This lady heard the absence of reverence, — she drawled ominously.
— Exactly. Little fox, — he repeated deliberately, wearing a smug grin.
She silently raised her hand... and snapped her fingers right in front of his nose. The air exploded with a flash and the scent of ozone.
— This lady warned you! — she shrieked. — You asked for it, mortal! Now you'll learn what it's like to be in the claws of a brilliant, enlightened, and extremely irritated immortal fox!
She struck a pose like she was about to hand out scrolls of secret techniques from the heavens.
— This lady grants you great knowledge! The first secret — how to unlock the Star Jade in your mortal body!
— That sounded a bit dramatic, — Ryuuji muttered.
— This lady said be silent! — Lin Tong's eyes flashed fiercely. — A disciple must listen, not shake the air with nonsense!
She crossed her arms and gave him a sharp, squinting look.
— This lady also reminds you: for you humans, walking the path of cultivation is much easier than for us — the noble demons! — she added with a hint of envy.
— Humans have 28 Star Jades in their bodies, which are treasures of immortal cultivation. As for us demons — we have none. If we want to develop, we must use our own demonic powers and absorb the essence of heaven and earth. Only then can we gradually develop our own Star Jade. And you humans already have them. While you practice diligently, you can unlock them one by one and reach the pinnacle!
— Then… how many Star Jades do you have now? — Ryuuji asked.
— Ahem! I'm the great genius of the fox clan, born once every thousand years! This lady has cultivated less than a hundred years but already unlocked four Star Jades and reached the middle Mortal Sphere! — Lin Tong answered proudly.
— What's the middle Mortal Sphere?
— Ahem! Looks like you don't know. Fine, this lady is in a good mood today — allow me to explain! — Lin Tong spun around Ryuuji. — The path of cultivation is divided into three spheres: Mortal, Earth, and Heaven. Each has three stages: lower, middle, and upper. To advance to the next stage, you need to unlock three Star Jades. Unlock one — you enter the lower Mortal Sphere. Unlock all — you become a divine-level being!
She suddenly squinted and added sarcastically:
— For a worthless person like you, just reaching the upper Mortal Sphere will be an achievement. With your talents and temperament — the Earth Sphere is only a dream!
— You're exaggerating, — Ryuuji snorted.
— You think the upper Mortal Sphere is no big deal? — she snapped. — If you ever reach it, no one in the human world can stop you. The Earth Sphere — is for the chosen. And Heaven... that's legends and myths. I've never met anyone like that. All I know is my master reached the Earth Sphere. So walking this lady's path isn't a bad choice. If you get to the third Star Jade, I can count on your help… to finally unseal myself.
The little fox thought to herself:
"Hmph, hmph. Obviously, you won't reach that level. But while you learn the art of cultivation and reach the third Star Jade, I can leave your body. The method I teach you is from the legacy of the fox clan. The outcome of its use by a human is unknown, but one thing's clear: when I exit, I can absorb your essence. Then my power will surge. I might even create two new Jades and enter the upper Mortal Sphere! Let's see how an immortal maiden will stop this lady then!"
Thinking this, the little fox couldn't suppress a proud smile.
— Well then, shall we start? — Ryuuji said.
— Good! We'll begin right now. Your body has twenty-eight Star Jades. The first is called the Corner Star. It's both simple and complex. Repeat after me the chant. Concentrate your life force and start condensing it into demonic energy, — Lin Tong ordered.
Ryuuji sat cross-legged and began repeating the chant after his… Charming Mentor. He focused, striving to open the path to demonic cultivation.
— Listen carefully. Don't rush. Slowly master your breathing. Judging by your innate abilities, if you can concentrate enough life force and transform it into demonic energy to unlock the first Star Jade in a hundred days — that'll be a success. Even this lady, with her divine talent, took a year to form the first Jade… and another month to unlock it. Hey you...
She cut off, staring wide-eyed at Ryuuji sitting in lotus position...