"Three hundred years ago, our fox demon clan attempted to retrieve the Mysterious Fire Mirror from the clutches of the Incense Valley monks, a task that nearly wiped my entire line from existence. Only Xiao Liu managed to escape; I was the unfortunate soul who survived, only to be imprisoned here in the heart of the Mysterious Fire Altar."
The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox—magnificent, despairing, and now utterly captivated by the tiny, golden pig—spoke with a voice that echoed with the sorrow of three long centuries. She turned slightly, displaying the terrifying black shackles that bound her.
"I endure the ceaseless agony of the 'Mysterious Fire Chain' day and night. This chain, combined with the power of the 'Eight Evil Mysterious Fire Formation' beneath the Altar, completely suppresses my accumulated magic power. I am utterly defenseless. The only reason I still draw breath is that the masters of Fenxiang Valley believe they can still wring information about the Mirror's whereabouts from my dying spirit."
She sighed, a sound like dry desert wind passing over ancient bones, before continuing to instruct Lord Pig. "This chain is no common prison. It is a rare material, forged with the most extreme masculine and fiery essence. Once it has locked onto its target, it cannot be physically destroyed. It can only be opened if one possesses the secret key-spell of the Fenxiang Valley, or, ironically, if one is able to wield the Mysterious Fire Mirror itself."
She presented the facts as immovable laws of nature.
"That… may not be entirely accurate, sister!"
Lord Pig stared intently at the black fire chain—a thick, obsidian link that pulsed with faint red heat, burrowed deep into the fox's spiritual body, locking down her formidable power. His tone was dismissive, carrying the confidence of an entity that viewed the world's most complex spiritual constraints as merely tangled string.
To the fox, it was an article of absolute spiritual authority. To Lord Pig, it was an arrogant challenge to the superiority of overwhelming power.
"You are welcome to attempt it," the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox replied, a faint, condescending humor in her voice. This small creature is mighty, but all demon slayers believe they can cut through anything. He will learn the limits of brute force soon enough.
"A Mysterious Fire Chain that cannot be severed? Lord Pig finds that claim highly suspect! Let us test the properties of your precious chain against Lord Pig's most trusted friend: the Immortal Execution Sword!"
CRACKLE!
Lord Pig whipped out the Zhu Xian Sword. The plain, unadorned surface of the miniature blade suddenly seemed to drink up every photon of light and every trace of sound in the chamber. An invisible, crushing spiritual pressure descended upon the fox, causing her millennia-old soul to shiver in primal dread.
"This… this is truly the Zhu Xian Sword of the Qingyun Sect?" the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox gasped, her eyes widening to their limit. The sacred weapon of the righteous path, the very symbol of ultimate divine power, was not only present but was being nonchalantly wielded by a ridiculously small, golden beast. It was a sight beyond absurdity, a miracle of the absurd.
"Of course! Lord Pig is the honorary—and frankly, superior—boss of the Qingyun Patriarch himself!" Lord Pig announced with an arrogant toss of his head.
Without further ceremony or effort, he brought the tiny blade down in a swift, clean arc against the thickest part of the obsidian chain.
SHNNKK!
There was no clang of metal, no shriek of protesting energy, no residual spark. The collision produced a noise softer than falling silk—a crisp snap. The impossibly strong, hyper-masculine black fire chain parted instantly, cleanly severed as though it were nothing more than a brittle thread of dry straw. It simply fell away, dissolving into harmless black ash upon hitting the ice floor.
"See? Everything in this world can be cut if one's sword is sharp enough! The key is not the spell; the key is being Lord Pig!"
The Black Fire Chain was gone. The overwhelming spiritual suppression that had caged the fox for three centuries vanished.
"As expected of the Immortal Execution Sword… it is indeed formidable," the fox whispered, feeling the tidal wave of her true, thousand-year-old magic power surging back into her body. Her eyes were flooded with ecstasy—she was free!
"Now that the boring part is over, let's get to the fun part! You pledged yourself, remember? So, Lord Pig must have his ride!" Lord Pig put the Zhu Xian Sword back behind his back, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I have never ridden a nine-tailed fox before! I imagine it's far superior to an ordinary horse!"
The fox, moments ago an image of ancient sorrow and then divine relief, suddenly felt a fresh burst of indignation—the first real, non-tortured emotion she'd felt in centuries.
"Lord Pig! You are truly too impatient! I have just been freed from three hundred years of torment, and you insist on riding me before we even manage to escape the enemy's Altar?" she hissed, though her protest lacked real force.
"Why delay? It is precisely the perfect time to make my grand exit upon your majestic form!"
Before she could form another protest, Lord Pig executed a perfect, effortless leap, landing securely on the junction of her snowy neck and massive shoulder. The fox's fur, pure white and a foot long, was as soft and luxurious as the finest silk known to man. Lord Pig buried his fat face deep into the luxurious fluff, almost disappearing completely.
"Hahaha! This is perfect! The best kind of transportation! The long fur completely shields Lord Pig from view! Those puny Fenxiang Valley monks won't even see who is in charge of this chaotic departure!"
He laughed triumphantly and patted the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox's neck with a commanding paw. "Now! Run! Show these fools why you are the Heavenly Fox!"
"You utterly obnoxious pig!" The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox snarled, her resentment palpable. To be ridden like a common beast of burden—in the enemy's lair, no less—by this audacious spiritual creature!
But the fury of three hundred years was a terrible, beautiful force. It was no longer suppressed. The terrifying strength of her millennia-old cultivation burst forth, vented in a glorious, terrifying roar.
The mournful, echoing sound of her ancient fury reverberated through the silent, frozen core of the Xuanhuo Altar. Wind and shadows changed instantly; the ice floor cracked; the Mysterious Fire Altar, which had stood for countless generations, began to violently shake and crumble piece by magnificent piece.
The colossal, snow-white figure of the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox, with Lord Pig nestled comfortably in her neck fur, rocketed into the sky. She was a white blur of astounding speed and terrifying, unrestrained demonic power.
"Oh, damnation! It was a feint! The Nine-Tailed Fox has escaped!"
Outside, Elder Shangguan Ce, having rushed back from the still-raging fire Lord Pig had set, saw the catastrophic collapse of his Altar and the emergence of his prisoner. He was shocked, his face a mask of furious rage and sudden panic. He rushed to intercept the enormous creature.
"Shangguan Ce! Die!"
The Nine-Tailed Fox let out a bloodcurdling, echoing shriek of pure vengeance. Her nine enormous tails, each thicker than a tree trunk, lashed out simultaneously like colossal, living pillars, generating a shockwave that tore through the very air.
CRASH!
Shangguan Ce was caught entirely off guard. The combined force of the nine tails struck him like a celestial hammer. He was sent flying backwards, spiraling out of control with a pained, guttural shout.
Before he could recover, the Fox's magic power condensed into a terrifying, concentrated orb of dazzling light, which she slammed down with overwhelming force to suppress his retreat.
"Go! Lord Pig is satisfied with this level of revenge! We have more important errands!" Lord Pig commanded, clutching her neck for dear life, despite his claim of being shielded from view.
"Hmph. I shall grant him his miserable life for now!" The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox snarled, relishing the look of impotent rage on the elder's face. She instantly ceased her attack and tore through the sky, carrying Lord Pig at unimaginable speed, a vengeful white meteor streaking toward the horizon.
BOOM!
A furious, earth-shattering roar from the recovering Shangguan Ce echoed miles behind them, promising retribution that the fox happily ignored.
Thousands of miles away from the desolate, smoking ruins of the Fenxiang Valley Altar, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox finally slowed her pace. A shimmering, hazy halo of magic power enveloped her massive form, and in a silent, breathtaking instant, she transformed.
The colossal white fox vanished, replaced by a woman of such staggering, peerless beauty that she appeared to be an ethereal spirit of the mountains.
She was perfectly poised, a figure of mature, intellectual charm and captivating grace. Her skin was whiter than newly fallen snow, her form exquisitely sculpted. Her eyes, still bearing the depth of centuries, were like pools of pure autumn water, radiating a subtle, irresistible allure that could bewitch nations.
And, of course, she was completely and utterly naked.
Lord Pig, still clinging to her neck—now a magnificent, swan-like curve of white skin—found himself dangling directly upon her incredibly generous chest like a golden ornament.
"Oh my! What a truly magnificent view!" Lord Pig exclaimed, his voice betraying genuine awe. He quickly recovered, his fat face adopting an absurdly stern expression. "You fiend! Are you attempting to seduce Lord Pig? Absolutely not allowed! Lord Pig is a creature of impeccable virtue and unwavering moral fiber!"
He released her immediately, pulling a silk-lined robe from his space ring. He averted his gaze, though not before taking a rapid, detailed assessment of the full, breathtaking majesty of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's true form. A creature of virtue must remain informed of all potential moral threats.
"Is that so? Your eyes seemed quite determined to leave your sockets, little golden friend," the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox teased, her escape and her son's safety lending her a buoyant, flirtatious demeanor. She took the offered robe and draped it around her graceful figure. "I am in a remarkably good mood, thanks to you."
"Nonsense. Lord Pig was merely observing the structural integrity of your internal skeleton. Now, focus. We are headed to Tianyin Temple!" Lord Pig commanded, settling comfortably back into her arms.
"Tianyin Temple?" The fox was genuinely perplexed. "Is the boss of the Qingyun Patriarch planning to raid the great Buddhist mountain as well?"
"You will know soon enough," Lord Pig said, his voice dropping to a theatrical whisper of suspense. "What is your name, sister?"
"My name has long been lost to time and torment. Just call me Xiaobai," the Nine-Tailed Fox said with a wave of her hand.
"Xiaobai? Hmmm. Lord Pig already knows a friend named Xiaobai. Since you are considerably larger than she is, we shall call you Dabai!" Lord Pig declared decisively, twisting his body slightly to better appreciate the majestic mountains she held him against.
"Whatever you wish," Dabai conceded easily. A name was meaningless compared to freedom and the knowledge of her son's survival.
"Excellent! Then let us proceed! To the holy mountain! Dabai, drive!"
Lord Pig pointed with a tiny, imperious paw, and his newly acquired, magnificent, supersonic carrier, Dabai, accelerated rapidly toward the distant, serene peaks of Mount Xumi.
Three days later, the chaotic journey of the golden pig and the liberated fox reached its spectacular climax.
Mount Xumi—the sacred seat of Tianyin Temple, the second pillar of the righteous path.
The air was still cool, the early morning mist clinging lazily to the towering peaks. The long, resonant peal of the temple's great bell drifted across the valleys, solemn and peaceful, announcing the start of a new, tranquil day.
The rising sun, a faint halo of gold peeking over the eastern horizon, cast the first gentle rays of light onto the world. Along the ancient mountain paths, streams of pious devotees made their ascent, their faces serene, clutching offerings of incense and candles. Even children, free of weariness, scampered ahead, thrilled by the sacred pilgrimage. The scene was one of utmost piety, peace, and spiritual purity.
A hundred miles outside this oasis of Buddhist serenity, Dabai paused in the high void, holding Lord Pig in her arms, looking down at the majestic temple.
"Ready, Dabai?" Lord Pig inquired, his voice low and serious for once.
"As ready as I have been in three hundred years," Dabai confirmed, her lips thinning into a fierce, predatory line.
In an instant, Dabai reverted to her colossal, nine-tailed original form. The sheer size of her presence was enough to tear a hole in the sky.
RRROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!
A terrifying, monstrous roar—not of pain, but of raw, unbridled demonic malice—shattered the peaceful dawn. The wind instantly turned into a furious gale, the clouds above Mount Xumi surged into a monstrous vortex, and an overwhelming, chilling evil spirit descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the entire Tianyin Temple.
The tranquility of the early morning was brutally and instantaneously broken, replaced by the crushing weight of pure, ancient demonic power. The silent morning had ended. The raid had begun