She looked at the black-feathered fox demon, who was curled up in a ball, the life-soul chains on its tailbone breaking one by one.
"What you stole was only the demonic tailbone; the divine inner core has been waiting for the pure-blooded fox clan to awaken it."
The cave began to collapse, and the finger bones in the blood pool turned into specks of light.
I rushed out, gripping the lightning sword.
Xiao Lian placed the inner core into my hand: "Take this! After the cauldron is destroyed, the illusion here will disappear, and people outside will be able to find the remains of the missing..."
She turned to face the gradually dissipating black-feathered fox demon, which was now revealing its true form: a skeleton bound with chains of life and death.
"As for me... I will stay here to see my father and those wronged souls off on their final journey."
"Xiao Lian!"
I grabbed her hand, but what I touched was her fingertips that were gradually becoming transparent.
She turned and smiled, the beauty mark under her left eye shimmering faintly: "Don't worry, the pure-blooded fox clan won't die. We'll become specks of light, scattered throughout the mountains and forests, protecting those who are lost..."
Before she finished speaking, her figure transformed into millions of points of light, merging with the phantom of the True Nine-Tails and illuminating the entire cave.
When I fell out of the tunnel, the downpour had stopped.
The roar of sirens could be heard in the distance, and the search and rescue team at the foot of the mountain was rushing over with lanterns in hand.
Li Jinrong and Xiao Fei's bodies lay beside the ruins of the altar.
Their expressions were no longer silly grins, but rather a relieved peace.
Fragments of the Thousand Soul Cauldron were scattered in the blood pool, each reflecting Xiao Lian's smiling face, as if she had never existed, yet she was omnipresent.
Three months later, I received an anonymous package.
Inside was half a silver hairpin, with tiny fox patterns engraved on the end.
When I placed it under the old locust tree, a gentle breeze blew by, as if someone was whispering in my ear.
"Next time you get lost, remember to follow the scent of locust blossoms..."
In the distance, through the mountain mist, a snow-white fox tail could be vaguely seen, swaying gently in the morning light.
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