Chapter 113: Celestial Fox

The flame beast raised its head, gazing up at Xiao Hui—encircled in golden light midair. After a long moment, it suddenly roared, and instantly the temperature inside the grand hall surged, blazing like an inferno.

With that thunderous bellow, its attention visibly shifted from Gui Li to Xiao Hui. Its four limbs slammed into the ground, and it launched itself upward, hurtling straight toward Xiao Hui. Flames blazed fiercely around its body—even the mysterious, ever-rotating flame-totem halo behind it now burned with incandescent brilliance, as if ignited by the beast’s own fury.

Under this overwhelming wave of fire, Xiao Hui’s golden radiance dimmed within moments. Wildfire surged forward, threatening to swallow him whole.

At that critical instant, a figure stepped before Xiao Hui—Gui Li himself. He rose effortlessly into the air, hovering directly in front of Xiao Hui. In his grasp, the black Soul-Devourer staff glowed brightly under his spiritual energy, emitting deep azure light streaked faintly with crimson threads.

In the blink of an eye, the beast’s massive head lunged toward Gui Li. Facing such a ferocious, monstrous creature, Gui Li could even clearly see the razor-sharp fangs gleaming within its blood-red maw.

A deep, steady breath.

Amidst the swirling sparks filling the air, a single Buddhist mantra—“Om”—suddenly manifested three chi before Gui Li, blazing with golden light. A moment later, a flash of verdant qi flickered across Gui Li’s face. Just as the beast’s colossal claw struck the mantra, the golden light shimmered with a faint green hue.

For the first time since the founding of Qingyun Sect and Tianyin Temple, the “Great Fan Prajna” and “Taiji Xuanqing Dao” cultivation methods were simultaneously activated.

Flames filled the sky—mountainous, oceanic!

The flame beast shrieked and brought down its massive paw. The sheer force of its fiery power slammed directly into the mantra—and at the point of impact, an unparalleled brilliance erupted. The mountainous wall of flame rebounded violently, hurling the beast backward despite its immense size. The entire hall trembled under an invisible shockwave.

The flame beast landed heavily on the floor, momentarily stunned. It jerked its head up sharply, its twin eyes—burning with living fire—locking onto the lone figure standing before it.

The golden light of the mantra gradually faded, then dissolved entirely, vanishing into thin air. Gui Li descended, his feet barely touching the ground before he staggered, his face instantly draining of color.

Soul-Devourer drifted slowly downward, hovering silently before its master. Across the sea of fire, it continued to emit its eerie, profound azure glow.

Gui Li’s lips twitched faintly—then stilled. But seconds later, they twitched again. Finally, his shoulders shuddered, and with a sharp gasp, he spat out a mouthful of fresh, scarlet blood. The crimson droplets hung suspended before him like mist.

Just like that sorrowful, mournful rain years ago—

Drop by drop, the blood coated the black staff—the once-ordinary “firewood stick”—which lay still and silent, quietly absorbing every drop, swallowing them without trace.

The Blood-Devouring Pearl pulsed brighter, redder.

An icy chill swept through Gui Li’s entire body.

The violent rage he’d suppressed for so long finally broke free. Gui Li threw back his head and let out a piercing, guttural howl. His eyes turned blood-red. In that instant, countless thoughts tore through his mind—endless rivers of blood, mountains of corpses, haunting nightmares wrapping tightly around him. His trembling hands clenched tighter and tighter, as though unable to bear the boiling, blood-fueled heat surging through his veins.

Across from him, the eight fierce deities carved into the flame-totem behind the beast began to glow faintly—as if resonating with the slaughter-laden aura radiating from Gui Li’s body.

At that moment, Gui Li seemed transformed—no longer human, but a savage, merciless beast locked in silent confrontation with the flame beast before him. The hall burned with unbearable heat; even the very air appeared to ignite.

“Roooar!”

Suddenly, the flame beast emitted a low, guttural growl—its first sign of unease.

Xiao Hui descended from midair, landing gently before Gui Li.

His third eye—centered on his forehead—shone with brilliant gold. Simultaneously, from countless points across Xiao Hui’s body came sharp, rapid cracking sounds—bones grinding, joints snapping violently. Then, under Gui Li’s and the flame beast’s watchful gaze, Xiao Hui began to transform.

His slender frame swelled with thick, corded muscle. With each crack of bone and joint, his body grew larger—rapidly, visibly. Within moments, the monkey—once barely half a man’s height—had ballooned past Gui Li’s own stature.

Muscles bulged across Xiao Hui’s arms, chest, and abdomen. His skull expanded; long, sharp fangs—gleaming white and cold—protruded from his gaping maw. Even his hands—once gentle fruit-pickers—now sprouted vicious, razor-edged claws.

Finally, when the transformation ceased, Xiao Hui stood nearly equal in height and ferocity to the flame beast itself. Slowly, he opened his eyes—the pair beneath his third eye.

Blood-red, bloodthirsty—yet blazing with golden light—they pierced forth, dazzling and terrifying.

The vast sacrificial hall, once spacious, now felt cramped and claustrophobic with two such colossal beasts occupying it. Xiao Hui’s eyes blazed with murderous intent as he glared at the flame beast, roaring continuously.

The flame beast slowly turned its massive head. Its eyes held only fire—no expression, no emotion—but even so, it was clear: facing this newly transformed, monstrous ape, it felt wary.

Then—without warning—Xiao Hui roared again. His third eye flared with blinding gold light, and a searing golden beam shot forth. The flame beast snarled and dodged aside.

The beam struck the floor with a thunderous boom, blasting a huge crater into the hard, crimson rock.

Before the flame beast could react, Gui Li—who had been standing silently behind Xiao Hui—launched himself into the air. A strange, otherworldly radiance enveloped him. Before him, Soul-Devourer shot forward like a bolt of lightning, aimed straight at the flame beast.

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Hui charged.

The flame beast’s eyes blazed with incandescent fury—

Suddenly, just as Gui Li—his heart flooded with slaughter and bloodlust—prepared to strike the beast full-force, the Mysterious Fire Mirror strapped to his right arm jolted awake. An overwhelming surge of pure yang energy erupted from it—far stronger than ever before—rushing headlong into Gui Li’s meridians, clashing violently with the Blood-Devouring Pearl’s savage, yin-cold malevolence.

Gui Li convulsed violently. His face went deathly pale. Mid-leap, his body felt as though struck by an invisible titan—every inch of flesh and bone pierced simultaneously by ten thousand blades. That pure yang force, agitated by the Blood-Devouring Pearl’s dark, violent essence, inexplicably transmuted into scorching, all-consuming fire, flooding every meridian in his body, warring relentlessly against the Pearl’s icy, corrupting influence.

His entire body collapsed. He plummeted helplessly from the air, crashing hard onto the floor. Soul-Devourer—deprived of its master’s spiritual command—immediately reversed course, flying back with uncanny intelligence and slamming onto Gui Li’s chest with a heavy thud.

“Zhi-hou!” Xiao Hui’s three eyes snapped toward Gui Li, his furious roar echoing through the hall—clearly bewildered by Gui Li’s sudden collapse.

But almost instantly, the flame beast moved. One of the eight fierce deities circling behind it flared brilliantly. With a deafening roar, the deity-image surged forward—alive, sentient, claws bared and jaws wide, racing alongside its master.

Xiao Hui roared in fury and hurled his massive body forward. The two titans collided midair with a cataclysmic crash—then crashed down together, shaking the entire hall.

Blazing fire surged like a tidal wave, igniting multiple spots on Xiao Hui’s powerful frame—but he ignored the pain entirely. With one mighty swipe, his claw slammed into the flame beast’s skull. Yet almost instantly, his own abdomen took a devastating blow from the beast’s counterattack.

Both monsters howled in agony—then immediately resumed their brutal, grueling struggle. Their colossal bodies became living volcanoes of terror—each crushing blow sending torrents of blood spraying into the air.

Gui Li lay helpless on the floor, wracked by excruciating pain, unable to move. His vision swam red—but strangely, his mind suddenly cleared.

All battle sounds receded into distant echoes; the searing flames seemed far away, beyond the horizon. Pain gnawed relentlessly at every inch of his skin. And yet—through the crimson haze—he clearly saw the fierce deity-image, manipulated by some eerie force, bearing down upon him with a grotesque, leering grin.

Yet—he felt no fear.

How long is an instant?

At the edge of life and death—what do you recall?

That night of drizzling bamboo-mountain rain, years ago? Or the pale, fading figure beside him as they fell into the endless abyss?

Faintly, memories surfaced—the first time he’d seen her, that gentle, fleeting smile…

Slowly, he closed his eyes.

So… I’m going to die? Then let me die.

This life… has been so exhausting.

The next moment, boundless darkness—cold, cruel, suffocating—engulfed him.

“Bang!”

A tremendous force hurled Gui Li’s body from the floor into the air, sending him flying backward. The fierce deity-image clung to him, grinning wickedly, tearing open his tattered clothes with a sharp rip—then opened its blood-drenched maw, aiming straight for his throat.

Xiao Hui, locked in combat with the flame beast, heard the sound and whirled around. Instantly, his eyes widened—blood vessels burst at the corners, crimson tears streaming down his cheeks, staining his face like a demon risen from the Ninth Netherworld. A shrill, agonized shriek tore from his throat.

Some unknown surge of strength erupted within him. His eyes blazed red—so vivid it seemed blood would drip from them. With a deafening bellow, he physically flung the flame beast aside. But almost instantly, the beast’s claws slashed open a massive wound across Xiao Hui’s abdomen—blood gushed forth like a raging river.

Yet Xiao Hui didn’t glance down—not once. Ignoring his own injury, he launched himself back toward Gui Li with desperate, all-consuming speed.

That man—entangled with the monstrous deity!

Now reflected in Xiao Hui’s blood-red eyes…

Could a distance within arm’s reach truly become the end of the world?

…

Wind howled.

Malevolence surged.

The deity’s fangs sank into Gui Li’s neck. From several zhang away, Xiao Hui let out a despairing wail and roar.

Then—a faint red light suddenly glowed from beneath Gui Li’s torn clothing.

Without warning, the fierce deity-image froze completely—rigid, motionless.

The Mysterious Fire Mirror!

The ancient flame-totem—cradled in its emerald jade ring—began to glow softly, casting a crimson beam directly onto the deity-image.

Without resistance—*shhh!*—the once-fierce, snarling image was sucked into the mirror like water drawn by a whale, vanishing in an instant.

Moments later, Xiao Hui crashed beside Gui Li—but before he could examine his master’s injuries, a fierce wind roared behind him. The flame beast attacked again.

Blood poured freely from Xiao Hui’s abdominal wound. His movements were clearly labored now—but instinctively, he still stepped in front of the unconscious Gui Li.

Yet the flame beast abruptly halted. Its massive head turned slowly. Its fiery eyes settled upon the Mysterious Fire Mirror bound to Gui Li’s right arm.

The ancient flame-totem shimmered with elusive crimson light—as if whispering forgotten truths.

Xiao Hui watched the beast warily.

But the beast behaved strangely—almost disbelieving. It glanced between the Mysterious Fire Mirror, Gui Li, and Xiao Hui, its great head turning restlessly, emitting low, frustrated growls.

After a pause, as if yielding to some irresistible force, the flame beast lowered its front legs, sinking to the ground. Its enormous head bowed slowly—three times—toward the Mysterious Fire Mirror. Then, with a final, deep-throated roar, the flames covering its body dimmed and vanished one by one—until even its massive form dissolved into nothingness. The eight-deity flame-totem hovering in midair likewise faded away, bereft of its host.

Silence fell over the hall.

All fire and fury disappeared. Once more, the chamber was bathed in the soft, faint crimson light emanating from the volcanic well below—except directly overhead, where the flame beast had appeared, now hung a circular opening leading to the second level.

Xiao Hui let out a soft, low cry, then sat down beside Gui Li, gazing silently at his master—and then at the huge wound staining his own belly.

He waited, quietly.

Pain receded. Instinct pulled him back from the void.

Gui Li slowly opened his eyes.

The immense agony felt like invisible wildfire—scorching every inch of his flesh, leaving no mark, yet utterly exhausting him.

He drew a deep breath. His fingers brushed something cool—the “firewood stick” still lay beside him, faithful as ever.

Firewood stick…

A faint, bitter smile touched his lips. A soft “zhi-zhi” chirp sounded nearby. Gui Li turned his head—Xiao Hui lay curled beside him, watching him. His enormous, transformed body had shrunk back to its usual small, monkey form, nestling close to Gui Li’s hand. Yet the blood-soaked wound across his belly—and the third eye on his forehead, now glowing with soft golden light—were stark reminders of what had just occurred.

Gui Li smiled gently at Xiao Hui, slowly sitting up and reaching out to stroke his head. Xiao Hui grinned, chittered twice, and scratched his own head with a tiny hand.

The hall’s crimson light flowed softly, bathing them both.

Gui Li examined his body inwardly—exhausted, yes, but his meridians, though battered by that impossible internal clash, showed no serious damage. Yet he couldn’t fathom why the Mysterious Fire Mirror—normally so serene and pure—had suddenly erupted with such violent force. After pondering, he suspected it had something to do with this Mysterious Fire Altar—and perhaps that strange Eight-Fierce-Deities Formation.

Gui Li adjusted his torn robes, then tore off a strip of cloth. Gently lifting Xiao Hui, he carefully bandaged the wound across his belly. Xiao Hui lowered his head, blinking his three eyes curiously at the new “belt” wrapped around his waist, chittering twice and poking at it with his little hands.

Gradually regaining strength, Gui Li stood, holding Xiao Hui in his arms, and surveyed the hall. Everywhere bore scars of fierce combat—though oddly, most damage was concentrated on the floor, with few marks on the walls. The stone-carved circle of fierce deities beneath his feet now lay still and lifelike once more.

He paused, thinking. He had no idea how long he’d been inside the Mysterious Fire Altar—but clearly, the elderly guardian, Shangguan, had not yet returned. Most likely, he’d dared to leave precisely because he knew the flame beast guarded this place.

Gui Li’s gaze lifted to the circular opening above.

A faint crimson glow drifted upward from the hall—but from below, only a sliver of the opening was visible, surrounded by darkness.

Gui Li stared into that darkness—then suddenly said to Xiao Hui, “Let’s go up and take a look. What do you say?”

Xiao Hui grinned widely in his arms.

Gui Li gently stroked his head, then placed him on his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he floated upward—slowly, cautiously—rising toward the opening.

He ascended deliberately, wary—no one knew what other guardians might lurk within this unfathomable altar. Yet silence reigned. No attack came—not even as he floated up into the second-level altar.

Aside from the faint crimson light filtering up from the circular entrance, the second level was pitch-black. Yet deep within the darkness, something faintly glowed.

Gui Li walked toward it.

It was a cylindrical stone platform, over half a person’s height. Unlike the surrounding crimson rock, this stone felt cool to the touch—and emitted a soft, shifting light—sometimes faintly red, sometimes pale violet, sometimes goose-egg yellow, sometimes emerald green—beautiful and mesmerizing.

On its flat surface rested a circular groove—and beside it, three characters were carved:

Mysterious Fire Mirror!

Gui Li’s gaze drifted unconsciously to his right arm—where, beneath his tattered sleeve, the ancient flame-totem of the Mysterious Fire Mirror glinted dully.

He carefully unfastened the artifact, held it for a moment in quiet contemplation—then placed it into the groove. It fit perfectly—seamless, exact.

Instantly, a deep, rumbling sound echoed from above. Gui Li and Xiao Hui both looked up—just as the ceiling slab groaned and slowly slid aside, revealing a stone passage leading upward.

Almost simultaneously, the temperature plummeted—unbelievably, impossibly—from scorching heat to bone-chilling cold. Against the weak crimson light, wisps of frosty white vapor drifted down from the circular opening leading to the third level.

Extreme heat and extreme cold—coexisting within the same Mysterious Fire Altar!

A faint smile touched Gui Li’s lips. He retrieved the Mysterious Fire Mirror from the platform, tucked it safely into his robes—and without another word, soared upward once more, toward the highest level.

The air grew steadily colder. The volcanic heat rising from below seemed utterly incapable of penetrating here—so that when Gui Li stepped onto the third-level floor, he found it thickly encased in solid ice.

No light sources existed here—but as Gui Li’s eyes gradually adjusted to the gloom, he noticed faint, ethereal blue glows emanating softly from every corner.

Ancient ice—frozen for untold centuries—seemed to whisper forgotten stories.

He walked forward slowly. His footsteps echoed hollowly across the frozen expanse, breaking the hall’s ageless silence.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice—low, faintly surprised, gentle yet tinged with melancholy—drifted from the deepest darkness:

“You are not Shangguan Ce.”

Gui Li froze instantly. After a pause, his eyes locked onto the darkest recess ahead as he replied slowly:

“I am not?”

The voice fell silent for a moment—then spoke again, softly:

“Who are you?”

Gui Li countered:

“And who are you?”

The faint blue light emanating from the ancient ice flickered—then dimmed. The woman’s voice fell silent once more. Moments later, two faint, luminous orbs—like infinitely deep, ancient eyes—flashed once, then again, from the deepest shadows, fixed intently upon Gui Li—and upon Xiao Hui perched on his shoulder.

Finally, those eyes settled upon Soul-Devourer in his hand.

“The monkey on your shoulder—is it the Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey?”

Gui Li stiffened inwardly—but said nothing. Xiao Hui, however, bared his teeth and snarled defiantly toward the darkness.

The woman paid no heed. Her voice continued calmly:

“The artifact in your hand—it was forged using the Blood-Devouring Pearl and the spirit ‘Soul-Capturing Essence,’ fused together via the Demon Sect’s ‘Blood-Refining Great Art,’ was it not?”

Gui Li’s body tensed. His pupils contracted sharply.

The woman’s voice seemed to chuckle softly—then murmured:

“Soul-Capturing Essence and the Blood-Devouring Pearl are both among the most vicious, most evil artifacts in existence—especially the Blood-Devouring Pearl. Its savage, corrupting energy invades the soul invisibly. Though your cultivation is formidable, that evil energy has already deeply penetrated your body. Sooner or later, you will lose your mind—and die.”

Gui Li’s voice turned icy:

“Who *are* you?”

The woman ignored him, continuing as if speaking to herself:

“That monkey beside you—though hailed as the ‘Spirit of All Creation,’ and now possessing the Celestial Eye—still bears a faint crimson, murderous gleam beneath its golden light. Clearly, it too has been tainted by the Blood-Devouring Pearl’s evil energy, simply by staying near you. Given time, it will become a slaughterous beast itself. Perhaps ‘Three-Eyed Murder-Monkey’ would suit it better.”

Gui Li’s heart lurched violently—words failed him. He’d begun noticing Xiao Hui’s strange transformations himself—but hearing this mysterious woman articulate them so clearly left him stunned, adrift in confusion.

Xiao Hui, meanwhile, bared his fangs and shrieked furiously into the darkness.

The woman’s voice chuckled again—soft, eerie:

“You’re angry? Hmph—why bother? We are both born spirits. You understand me—I understand you. Why cling so desperately to mortal attachments and worldly emotions?”

Gui Li steadied his mind, his gaze growing colder. Soul-Devourer beside him shimmered with deep azure light as he declared coldly:

“If you don’t show yourself now—I won’t hesitate to act.”

The woman scoffed.

“You’re no disciple of the Burning Incense Valley—yet you’ve reached the third level of the Mysterious Fire Altar. Impressive. Has old Shangguan died? Even without him, you somehow breached the ‘Eight-Fierce-Deities Mysterious Fire Formation,’ guarded by the ‘Crimson Flame Beast’…”

“Wait!”

Her voice suddenly sharpened—sharp with sudden realization, edged with unmistakable excitement.

“No—that’s impossible! Even with supreme cultivation, only *one* thing can open the third level of this altar—besides old Shangguan himself. Only the Mysterious Fire Mirror! *You* have the Mysterious Fire Mirror?”

As her voice rose in crescendo, the nearby ancient ice flared with brilliant blue light.

Gui Li frowned—but before he could react, those two ghostly eyes in the darkness had already locked onto the corner of the Mysterious Fire Mirror peeking from his robes.

The ancient flame-totem seemed to burn—slowly, steadily.

“Mysterious Fire Mirror!”

A piercing, prolonged shriek tore from the darkness—high-pitched, raw with anguish, shock, sorrow, despair—and a deep, ancient sorrow.

“Why—*why* does the Mysterious Fire Mirror lie in *your* hands? Where is Xiao Liu? Where is Xiao Liu—?”

Her shriek spiraled into madness. In the mysterious third level of the Mysterious Fire Altar, blue light exploded from the darkness. Countless shadowy forms darted wildly through the pale-blue luminescence—restless, unstable, caught between light and shadow.

A figure emerged—flying from the abyssal dark, stepping forth from timeless desolation—its silhouette monstrous, demonic, dancing wildly through the space.

Gui Li froze.

Even after witnessing horrors beyond imagining, he’d braced himself. Yet—when he finally saw the figure before him—he froze anew.

Ancient memories surged violently into his mind, flooding his consciousness—so completely that even Xiao Hui’s frantic, high-pitched cries from his shoulder went unheard.

Behind that figure—like nightmare wings—nine shadowy tails fluttered.

Slowly—agonizingly—he whispered:

“Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox…”

…

Next Episode Preview

Gui Li, having infiltrated the Burning Incense Valley’s mysterious Mysterious Fire Altar, battles its guardian beast—only to discover the legendary fox demon queen, sealed away for three hundred years: the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox. Fate weaves intricate threads—those two fox demons who sacrificed themselves before him in the Fire Dragon Cave long ago turn out to be intimately linked to this peerless demonic sovereign. As if guided by unseen cosmic forces, the Burning Incense Valley’s ancient sacred artifact—the Mysterious Fire Mirror—reappears before the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox… thanks to Gui Li.

The narrative also details Xiao Hui’s transformation…