Chapter 11

The Azure Lotus God looked quietly at the little fox, his pupils like a blood-red sunset embedded in the icy lake.

He said softly, "Yaoyao, come here."

The little fox clenched its fist, its fingertips digging into its palm.

He realized that Qinglian was originally dressed in white, but the reason she was covered in scarlet was because she was covered in blood.

It turns out that those magical artifacts that blocked him from coming out were not entirely useless.

But why bother?

The snowflakes, like light cotton, drifted gently and landed in my palm, melting before I could even close my hand.

Just then, the Fox King leaped down, his long sword like the moon, and stood in front of the little fox and the prince.

"My Lord, although Qingqiu is a remote and small place, are you trying to cause a complete falling out between the Heavenly Court and Qingqiu?"

As the Fox King spoke, he engaged in combat with Qinglian.

The latter did not attack, but simply dodged with its hands behind its back. Then, countless ice peaks rose from the ground, gradually blocking all the fox kings' paths.

Countless fox soldiers surged in from all directions, but Qinglian merely tilted her head, raised her wide sleeves, and flicked her prayer beads. In an instant, countless ice peaks blocked everyone's path, and even the feet of foxes with lower cultivation levels were frozen in place by frost.

He soared into the air, standing atop the clouds.

Clad in crimson like maple leaves, with a face as cold as jade, she was like a blood-red dagger embedded in the sky, threatening to tear even the heavens apart.

His left eye was scarlet like a bodhi seed, while his right pupil was clear and cold like a crescent moon.

Resembling both god and Buddha, both demon and monster.

Everyone who saw him like this couldn't help but gasp.

Suddenly, a rustling sound rang out in the air, and countless ice needles condensed and hung in mid-air. Then, like arrows released from a bow, they swiftly attacked the fox prince!

"Azure Lotus!"

The little fox could no longer bear it. He no longer cared about concealing his cultivation. With a flick of his right hand, countless peach petals scattered across the sky. Each petal blocked the ice needles and then shattered in an instant.

However, there were even more ice needles, and the little fox's magic was weaker than Qinglian's, so she could only fly sideways to block the fox clan's prince: "Don't hurt the others!"

Countless ice needles flew towards the little fox, but peach petals suddenly formed a protective shield, weaving a light pink shawl that draped over his body.

He closed his eyes, but the pain he had imagined did not come.

The moment the ice needles touched his clothes, they suddenly exploded into ice crystals and frost flowers.

The Azure Lotus God groaned, his body twitched, and a trace of blood spilled from his lips.

Despite his powerful magic, he suffered a backlash, and his already pale face became ashen.

The deity remained expressionless, but his voice was low and hoarse: "You risked your life to protect Du Hengzhi?"

The little fox closed its eyes briefly and gazed quietly at the other: "Why does the red thread burn out automatically no matter how many times it's tied?"

He chuckled softly: "Because even if I forget, I still won't want to."

“You didn’t come when I was in jail.”

“You didn’t come when I was being struck by lightning and my mouth was full of blood.”

“When I was starving and on the verge of death, surviving on snow, with my hands and feet covered in frostbite, you didn’t come.”

Visibility blurred, and the light snow fell like broken wings in the sky, a flurry of soft down.

"And as my heart was breaking, I crossed out my name again and again on the Stone of Three Lives."

The little fox took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"You are becoming a Daoist couple with Immortal Lord Chongyun."

"Now," the little fox paused, "doesn't the Divine Lord think it's too late?"

The Azure Lotus Divine Lord swayed, like a mural whose colors had been corroded, leaving only dim lines.

"Yaoyao," he said softly, "it's not like that, I've lost many memories—"

It turns out he forgot too.

The little fox mocked himself. As soon as he unleashed his magic, golden light shot like an arrow and pierced the brow of the Azure Lotus God.

Memories overwhelmed the Azure Lotus God.

————

The Ming Snake was an ancient and powerful demon, and Chongyun's cultivation was not good enough to deal with it.

When Qinglian Shenjun entered the secret realm, he encountered a spacetime vortex and was delayed in reaching the mountain where Mingshe was located.

When they arrived, they saw the remains of the serpent scattered everywhere, and Chongyun had transformed into a snow ferret, lying unconscious in front of them.

This shows how fierce the battle was at the time.

Qinglian Shenjun never expected that the opponent could actually defeat Ming She.

My surprise was mixed with a hint of admiration.

Feeling guilty that his colleagues should offer their full support, he took the ferret with him to care for it.

Although they were both celestial officials in the past, they were not actually familiar with each other.

Immortal Lord Chongyun also tried to befriend him, but the two had nothing in common.

But this time, the ferret that took care of him seemed quite different.

It is not only clingy, but also lively and mischievous, often getting its hands and feet covered in ink, and it also likes to steal spirit fruits.

Once, when someone came to visit him, the ferret, which was clearly in the back hall, secretly slipped under the table, its fluffy tail constantly tugging at his calves.

Of course, the Azure Lotus God knew what it wanted, so he took some snacks and reached under the table to feed it.

He felt a fluffy little mouth pecking at crumbs of pastry, and then something soft as flower petals gently licking his palm.

If the fishing hook is lowered into the lake, it will shatter the ripples on the water.

For the first time, the Azure Lotus God felt a slight stirring in his heart.

He should have withdrawn his hand, but he couldn't help taking out another piece and placing it under the table.

From that day on, he called the ferret Little Snow.

He was transformed from a blue lotus in the ancient Heavenly Pool, and his so-called birthday is merely the day he formed his spiritual consciousness.

The ferret took it very seriously. Although it was blind and its original form was unable to speak, it still insisted on gesturing to indicate that it wanted to give him a gift.

The Azure Lotus God had no choice but to let him go.

Qinglian practices water-based magic, hence there is a snow-covered courtyard in the mansion, with a lake beneath the snow where fish swim.

The fluffy little thing volunteered to go fishing, so it leaped into the air and plunged its head into the snow, with only its furry parts sticking out, shaking from side to side.

Azure Lotus God:

For the first time in thousands of years, he couldn't help but chuckle.

We pulled the snow-white furball out like pulling a radish. The ferret's nose was red from the cold, its ears drooped, and pearly tears fell from its agate-like eyes.

"Don't be naughty." The Azure Lotus God made a gesture as if to pat the other's head, but instead it landed as a gentle pat. "I'll just fish."

Later on, he not only caught the fish, but also cooked them.

Little Snowball excitedly wagged its tail beside him, while the Azure Lotus God carefully removed the bone spurs and fed it to him little by little with a spoon.

When the little furball is happy with its food, it will snuggle into his arms and gently brush his chest with its tail in a flattering manner.

Perhaps because they were in beast form, even the Azure Lotus God Lord didn't realize that the two of them were getting too close.

He held the other person, applied medicine to their wounds, and occasionally couldn't resist gently touching their delicate palms and ears.

The Azure Lotus God further refined a magical artifact and rode a fire phoenix with Little Snowball.

That time, the little snowball transformed into a human form in the water, its light and shadow like shattered glass. He only glanced at its back from afar before a nightmare struck him.

Countless times, as he fell asleep holding Little Snowball, he would dream of a boy with a blurry face.

Her skin was as white as snow, her fingertips as slender as jade, and her dark hair cascaded over his shoulders before she took the initiative to kiss his lips.

The Azure Lotus God knew that his Dao heart had been stirred and that he had developed feelings for someone.

So before going to the Great Wilderness to hunt demons, he wanted to tell the other person his feelings, but he hesitated.

One can only give the other person their natal magic weapon, which is connected to their primordial spirit, as a token of their affection.

The journey was perilous, and he was seriously injured. When he woke up, he found that his body seemed to have formed an inner core, and Chongyun had transformed into human form, taking care of him without taking off his clothes.

Longing, affection, guilt, and emotion reached their peak in an instant.

He asked almost without hesitation, "Chongyun, would you be willing to become my Daoist partner?"

The other person paused for a moment, but quickly their eyes reddened, and they nodded silently.

The ceremony was prepared quickly, but Chongyun was very different from when he was with the ferret.

Silent and gentle, cautious and careful.

Qinglian Shenjun felt that Chongyun was very different from the lively and cute Xiaoxue, but then he thought that perhaps it was because the beast form was more free and unrestrained.

I felt a vague unease, but I didn't know why.

The two were about to make their vows amidst a sky full of fireworks.

The Azure Lotus God Lord gently took Chongyun's hand: "Xiaoxue, may I take out the Buddhist beads that I gave you before I left?"

"I will use the primordial spirit Buddhist beads to form a pact, and I will never betray you for the rest of my life."

Chongyun paused, his eyes darting around in panic: "I...I didn't bring it with me."

That's simply impossible.

Because the Azure Lotus God had placed a primordial spirit binding spell on it, as long as Chongyun was more than a few feet away from the bead, the bead would automatically fly into Chongyun's sleeve.

Qinglian used magic to probe Chongyun's aura—there was no bead.

Chongyun is lying.

How could the Buddha beads be bound to Chongyun's primordial spirit?

The Azure Lotus God's heart pounded. He immediately activated his magic, using only a small amount of his Soul Searching Technique to see Chongyun's memories.

That ferret wasn't Chongyun.

It wasn't him.

Instead, she was a little fox with dimples like peach blossoms, always smiling and playful.

It was the little fox who dug out his inner core and saved him.

The person who saved him was imprisoned and tortured.

The Azure Lotus God felt a metallic taste rise in his throat. He pushed Chongyun away, and ice spread beneath his feet, forming frost and snow.

A chill surged around him, and even the fireworks in the air froze into ice, instantly turning into dust.

How could Chongyun remain silent, pretend to be a little fox, and shamelessly form a pact with him?

With a single palm strike, Chongyun was sent flying several feet away, instantly kneeling on one knee and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

This action startled all the immortals, and the Heavenly Emperor was furious, so he flew up to block Chongyun's path.

He said, "Qinglian, are you trying to rebel?"

The Star Lord of Greed ran over and showed the water mirror from his sleeve to Qinglian. She saw the little fox on Wumeng Mountain, scratching the Three Lives Stone with each stroke, her eyes filled with tears of blood.

Greedy Wolf said, "Don't delay, that child isn't right, take him away quickly!"

The Azure Lotus God only glanced at it, yet he felt as if a layer of his soul's outer shell had been torn away, causing him pain everywhere.

He didn't linger any longer and rode the fire phoenix to Wumeng Mountain.

Just as they got close, a figure fell from mid-air.

Like glistening teardrops sliding down the moon's cheek, the boy was so pale he was almost transparent.

His robes fluttered, like a night-blooming cereus.

The light and shadow around it were like scales scraped off the sky, shining brightly with a hint of blood.

As if his heart had been ripped open, the Azure Lotus God swooped down and finally caught the other.

That was the first time he had ever truly seen the little fox's face.

Her eyes were bright and her skin was like snow, and the mole under her eye was like a faint red fragrance, burning into the heart with just one glance.

Her beauty was exquisite and unparalleled.

The little fox had a face that could terrify anyone who saw it.

He was even more handsome than the Azure Lotus God had imagined.

But I never imagined that our first meeting would become our final farewell.

When the little fox saw him, it suddenly laughed.

Blood and tears spread from the corners of his eyes, like some kind of gorgeous totem, outlining him as a beautiful ghost.

The Azure Lotus God held him tightly: "I'm sorry, Xiaoxue, the only person I want to be my Daoist partner is you."

The little fox looked at him quietly: "What else do I have that I can use?"

"My cultivation is destroyed, is that not enough? Is it only when I die that the people of the Heavenly Realm will be at ease?"

The little fox pushed the other person away and retreated to the tail of the fire phoenix: "Don't touch me with your dirty hands."

Blood and tears spread from the corners of her eyes, like some kind of gorgeous totem, outlining the little fox as a beautiful ghost.

He suddenly laughed: "I'd rather be scattered to the winds than have any more entanglements with you."

As soon as she finished speaking, the little fox took out a dagger and plunged it into her own chest.

Blood splattered, covering the god's face.

The fire phoenix cried out incessantly, and from afar, there was a sound like the booming of a golden bell, as if the heavens and earth were about to collapse.

The moonlight, like wings of the sky, crashed against the mountaintop, shattering into pieces.

The Azure Lotus God couldn't help but touch his chest.

Even though nothing was piercing my skin, the pain was so intense I couldn't breathe.

He carried the blood-covered fox cub back to the mansion and used a forbidden spell—rewind.

The longsword carved out seven immortal bones from the body, using them as a medium to tear apart half of the primordial spirit, forcibly reversing time to restore the little fox's injuries, and even condensing half of its inner core.

This spell also erodes memories, so the two of them forgot everything from the past and became the most familiar strangers.

While the little fox was unconscious, the greedy wolf sent it back to the fox clan.

As for the Azure Lotus God, he was so exhausted that he could not even maintain his divine position. He had to descend to the mortal realm to cultivate again in order to restore his magical power to its peak.

The Azure Lotus God had previously searched the soul, and most of the memories had been restored.

He forgot that the little fox, in order to leave him, had personally plunged a dagger into her chest.

————

In the blink of an eye, the Azure Lotus God Lord seemed to have lived out his entire life.

The little fox looked at the other.

The light, like a reverse scale, was gouged out from the man's eyes, leaving his pupils as deep as blood holes.

"Are you going to force me to my death again?" the little fox laughed. "Azure Lotus God, I, Su Yao, will never turn back."

"I will protect you." The Azure Lotus God's voice was low and hoarse, and the blood on his body fell like crimson lotus petals. "I will definitely do it in the future."

He gently told the little fox that he had been mistaking Chongyun for him, and that he had been unconscious for too long.

When I woke up, it was already too late.

Being late almost meant spending my life with the wrong person; being late only meant I caught him from mid-air.

The little fox closed its eyes.

Even if the heart is scabbed over, it will still hurt when touched.

What Qinglian said was different from what Tanlang said—that person clearly implied that Qinglian was conspiring with the Heavenly Emperor to trick him into offering his inner core.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

Through a series of unforeseen events and setbacks, things took an unexpected turn.

Whether the other party's actions were intentional or unintentional, it only proves one thing.

They were destined to meet but not to be together.

He couldn't afford to be hurt again.

The little fox lowered its eyes and said softly, "You may be innocent, but my harm has not diminished in the slightest."

He took the crown prince's hand: "I don't need your protection."

The Azure Lotus God only glanced at the two clasped hands, and his eyes turned bloodshot as if he had been stabbed.

He slightly raised his fingertips, and a gust of wind lifted the other person's wide sleeves.

The jade lotus-patterned prayer beads on the little fox's white wrist shone brightly.

"In that case..."

The Azure Lotus God looked at the little fox; the light reflected in his pupils was like a jagged cliff, seemingly about to collapse.

Why are you wearing it?

The little fox gasped for breath.

He took off his prayer beads and held them in his hand, smiling nonchalantly: "You mean this? I'd forgotten, you gave it to me."

The Azure Lotus God Lord's eyebrows twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but his eyes widened slightly at the little fox's next move.

The little fox held the prayer beads in its palm and gently tightened its grip.

Thus, both jade and stone were burned, turning into sand and gravel.

His red robes fluttered like butterflies as he scattered all the jade sand in his hand: "Does this prove it?"

"I no longer love you, and I don't want to see you again."