Chapter 422: Legacy and Hope!
At that moment, Xinqing found it hard to believe—was this truly their Nine-Tails Clan's ancestor standing before her?
Lin Fan smiled gently. "This time… it really is your ancestor."
"So, I've finally broken free of the suppression," the alluring woman murmured as she looked down at her slender hands. A trace of complex emotion passed through her mesmerizing eyes before she turned to Lin Fan and Lin Dong. "Thank you, both of you."
Though her consciousness had long been suppressed, she was clearly aware of everything that had happened outside.
"Ancestor…" Xinqing, now certain, finally let go of her fears. Her eyes reddened once more as she looked at the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox.
"My child…"
The spirit fox descended gently from the air. Her gaze filled with softness and guilt as she pulled Xinqing into her arms, whispering, "Your ancestor has failed you…"
"You saw everything, didn't you?" Lin Fan asked the spirit fox.
A hint of sorrow flickered in her eyes. She nodded. "I once burned my own spirit to seal the three Yimo Kings, intending to perish with them. But I underestimated their tenacity."
"Our physical forms decayed over time, but those three monsters fused their wills and invaded mine. Eventually, they suppressed me…"
Lin Dong spoke up. "Is that why the Nine-Tails Clan has remained stagnant all these years?"
The spirit fox nodded bitterly. She stroked Xinqing's hair gently. "There is a bloodline connection between all members of our clan…"
As she recounted the truth, Xinqing and Lin Dong gradually pieced it all together. It was just as Lin Fan had previously guessed.
The Nine-Tails Clan elders who had entered the Ancestral Soul Hall were indeed devoured by the Yimo. Their bodies had been reduced to blood essence.
This vast sea of blood before them was the result of countless sacrifices from their clan over the past ten thousand years.
There was sorrow in the spirit fox's voice. To be able to see all this, yet remain powerless to stop it… it must have been torture.
Xinqing clenched her lips tightly, tears welling in her eyes.
"I know my people have suffered greatly over the years… and it was because of me," the spirit fox whispered.
"It's not your fault… it's the Yimo's cruelty," Xinqing shook her head firmly.
"Senior, your actions were noble," Lin Dong said, respectfully cupping his fists.
"Noble? Heh… I'm just a woman. I hardly deserve that title," the spirit fox replied with a faint smile, then shared stories from her past—how she once fought side by side with the Devouring Master against the Yimo.
She then turned her gaze toward the blood sea. "This sea is formed from the fallen warriors of the Nine-Tails Clan over thousands of years. It also contains the pure energy of those three Yimo Kings."
"Please inform the clan when you return—activate the formation I left behind and seal this mountain. I will return this energy to the Nine-Tails Clan."
Lin Fan nodded. "You can count on us to deliver your message."
Then he turned to Xinqing and said gently, "From now on, the Nine-Tails Clan will rise again. No more fear, no more begging for protection."
"Lord Lin Fan, you are the Nine-Tails Clan's greatest benefactor. Even if we return to glory one day, we'll serve you just as our ancestor once served the Devouring Master."
Xinqing looked at Lin Fan with deep emotion. Then, suddenly, she turned, lowered her head, and touched her hands to her forehead. Her three fluffy tails gently swayed behind her like a fox bowing beneath the moonlight.
The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox quietly sighed at the scene but said nothing to stop her.
When Xinqing finished the ceremony, the spirit fox looked at her with a warm smile. "Do you wish to accept my legacy?"
She then leaned closer and whispered so only the two of them could hear, "Only by growing strong will you have the right to pursue what you truly desire…"
Xinqing blushed and replied softly, "I'm just a little fox girl. But I want your legacy. If I can become someone like you, I'll do everything I can to help Lord Devouring Master, just as you once did…"
The spirit fox sighed gently and said nothing more. "Then stay here and receive my legacy."
With a wave of her hand, the colossal skeleton of the Nine-Tails Fox began to melt into a pool of thick, dark-red liquid.
"Step in."
Xinqing nodded and stood. She looked at Lin Fan with a radiant smile. "Lord Lin Fan, the next time you see me, I promise… I won't be your burden anymore."
"I never thought of you as a burden," Lin Fan replied with a grin. "But just don't end up thinking I'm one when you come back stronger."
Xinqing giggled and said no more. She turned and stepped into the bone pool.
After that, the spirit fox shared more with Lin Fan and Lin Dong about the Devouring Master's legacy. She also helped Lin Dong restore his Devouring Sky Corpse to the peak of Full Completion of the Death Profound Realm.
Though still not Reincarnation-level, its defense alone could block attacks from some Reincarnation experts.
"Senior, now that everything is settled, we'll take our leave. We'll make sure your message reaches the clan," Lin Fan said respectfully.
"Thank you," the spirit fox smiled.
Lin Fan and Lin Dong bowed once more, then turned and flew out of the plaza, vanishing into the spatial vortex with a few flickers of light.
…
Deep within the Nine-Tails Village, around the ruined altar, the clanspeople had gathered.
They sat cross-legged, silent. All eyes were locked onto the crimson portal above the altar.
Since Lin Fan and the others had entered, eight days had passed.
No one had rested. They waited here for a sign—any sign—that would determine the clan's future.
But as days passed, a creeping despair had begun to spread. Many among them had lost the light in their eyes.
Near the front, Aunt Xin knelt in silence, hands clasped together. Her expression was tired, but she refused to leave or sleep.
Suddenly, she seemed to sense something. Her head snapped up, eyes fixed on the altar.
The long-still crimson portal… had finally begun to ripple.
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