If things were as expected, when the ancestral tomb is dug up, Daoist Yizhen should be furious. Yet, in the face of the concern her junior brother showed, she simply couldn't bring herself to appear stern.
What else could she do? She had to temporarily wrong her ancestors. Since her junior brother called it the ruins of Tushan, she would reluctantly take it as such.
Xu Qing imparted the methods of Earth Element Technique, Bewilderment Charm, and Tushan Prayer Technique, and Daoist Yizhen, in a trance, returned to the time when Hu Baosong instructed her before his death.
Only now, it was her junior brother playing Hu Baosong's role.
"Elder sister is endowed with the bloodline of Tushan, her fox spirit body granted by the heavens. Thus, elder sister's cultivation is inevitably intertwined with the Nine-tailed Fox."
Xu Qing approached the desk, wielding the pen while explaining the fundamental legacy of the Fox Race from Tushan.
"The Nine-tailed Fox excels in illusion magic, capable of transformations beyond the mundane; whereas the foxes of Tushan preside over the Love Contract, governing mortal affinities, which is connected to the 'High Priestess' bestowed by the goddess who mended the heavens and is closely tied to the wife of King Yu of Tushan."
"If elder sister wishes to trace the original legacy of the Hu clan, to rebuild the ancient doctrines of Tushan, she could follow this path. Thus, when elder sister discusses her roots with others, having the goddess who mended the heavens as a backing, naturally others would show respect."
"Artifacts like the Fox Light Mirror, Moon Worship Banner, Silk Threaded Double Swords, and Yu King's Zither are true evidences of the Tushan legacy!"
Xu Qing concentrated wholeheartedly, offering Daoist Yizhen comprehensive guidance in her cultivation.
The female crown stood beside Xu Qing, somewhat captivated, viewing her junior brother's strikingly earnest demeanor.
"Elder sister?"
After noticing the silence beside him, with no response, Xu Qing raised his head.
By then, Daoist Yizhen had lowered her gaze, voluntarily preparing the ink.
"Junior brother, please continue, I will remember it with care."
Xu Qing withdrew his questioning gaze and continued:
"The Nine-tailed Fox governs auspicious signs to answer heavenly mandates, performing rituals to harmonize yin and yang. Their way intermingles with the Three Talents, encompassing transformation, emotion, and preservation.
Transformation is the foundation of shapeshifting and shadow evasion, emotion connects to the nexus of cause and future, preservation is the essence of soul steadiness."
The Nine-tailed Fox has always been a beast of auspice.
The "Classic of Filial Piety" states: When virtue reaches birds and beasts, the fox has nine tails.
This means that when a ruler's benevolence extends to all creatures, the Nine-tailed Fox will appear, symbolizing peace throughout the realm and the prosperity of the sovereign.
The "Book of Auspicious Omens" also mentions: If the ruler does not fall to passion, the Nine-tailed Fox will appear.
This implies that when a monarch's virtue is supreme, the Nine-tailed Fox will transform and manifest as an auspicious omen.
In the Tushan lineage, there remains an old folk song from the era of the Ancestral Dragon Emperor, "Tushan Song," still passed down.
The lyrics say: Graceful white fox, nine tails tapering. Our splendid guest, becoming king in time. To establish home and family, I create prosperity...
This ballad describes the Nine-tailed Fox from the Tushan lineage transforming into a Tushan clan to assist King Yu in establishing his kingdom, auguring its thriving.
Thus, the Nine-tailed Fox clan has never favored the path of aggression, instead thriving through transformation, emotion, and preservation techniques.
Daoist Yizhen's eyes shone brightly, as though a beam of light had illuminated her path, granting her sudden clarity.
When the clouds disperse, revealing the daylight, Daoist Yizhen believes herself to be fortunate enough, yet Xu Qing immediately imparts another life cultivation technique of the Nine-tailed Fox clan, and a Visualization Map of the Tushan Fox Ancestor and Tushan Fox Girl.
"Elder sister, do you still remember what I said?"
Without waiting for Daoist Yizhen to respond, Xu Qing answered himself: "Elder sister possesses the Nine-tailed Fox bloodline, just follow the map, envision the divine influence of the ancestral fox, and you can awaken your potential to cultivate the Fox Spirit body and the Nine-tailed gift."
Daoist Yizhen's breath froze, upon seeing the fox ancestor of Tushan transformed into a white fox on the Visualization Map, she felt as though her spirit was being pulled away, with an impulse to immediately sit down and meditate, returning to her true self.
Suppressing the internal tremor, Xu Qing's voice echoed again:
"How many tails can elder sister see in this white fox's sacred image?"
The Visualization Map of the Tushan lineage corresponds to the degree to which the person meditating awakens their bloodline, seeing one tail each time they awaken more of their ancestry.
Upon reaching full mastery, awakening all their lineage, one can see all nine tails, with each awakening unlocking a new level of gifted divine technique.
Between Daoist Yizhen's brows, two rays of white light emerged, the white light like silken threads spun by ice silkworms, encircling the female crown before settling behind her waist.
"I can see two tails, the third tail is faintly blurry and unclear."
Not hearing Xu Qing's reply, Daoist Yizhen looked sideways, seeing her junior brother gazing at her waist and hips.
Following his gaze, she found behind her were two ethereal, milky white fox tails gently swaying.
"..."
Her face blushed immediately, hurriedly gathering her thoughts, causing the tails to vanish.
Xu Qing reluctantly withdrew his gaze, thinking that the legendary Nine-tailed Fox was truly a rare beauty worth the view!
"Elder sister should previously have cultivated for many years, awakening part of her bloodline, hence bearing two tails as apparitions. Should elder sister fully merge with her ancestral heritage one day, she might freely transform her spirit fox physique."
Daoist Yizhen nodded.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Qing couldn't help but ask: "I saw in ancient texts that the Nine-tailed Fox awakens one divine technique per tail. Can elder sister sense any gifted divine abilities after envisioning this image?"
Seeing Daoist Yizhen deep in thought without responding, Xu Qing chuckled: "Elder sister need not worry, I merely asked casually. These are the secrets of the Nine-tailed Fox clan, naturally not meant for casual discussion, I understand."
Considering how to respond, Daoist Yizhen suddenly felt a bit anxious: "Junior brother, do not put me on the spot! You asked me openly, how would I refuse to answer? As elder sister is somewhat slow-witted, not knowing where to begin, it's surely not reluctance!"