Qin Renhuang just became an immortal, and you told me this is the prehistoric time

"...That means the decline of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is irreversible, and my Qingqiu will eventually wither away like other ancient beasts. At that time, what use will those traditions and treasures be? They will only accompany us as we turn into the dust of history."

These words are extremely insightful, and also extremely cruel.

But it was this harsh reality that silenced all the fox clan leaders, and a do-or-die mentality rose in their hearts.

"I will obey the clan chief's command!"

The machine of Qingqiu, which had been dormant for a long time, began to operate at full speed in order to seize Ying Shaoyang, the "last chance for immortality in the human world".

……

More than ten days later, in the territory of Guangping County.

Ying Shaoyang stood on a hillside of moderate height, his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly fixed on the direction of the county town.

His divine sense, like invisible mercury, spread silently and quickly covered the entire county and surrounding areas.

The bustling town, a vibrant tapestry of life, unfolded within the flow of his thoughts. Soon, his divine sense stopped at a rather grand yet somewhat old and eerie mansion on the outskirts of the town.

"Oh? This is it..."

Ying Shaoyang's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

In his divine sense, this seemingly ordinary residence actually contained a hidden universe. Beneath the residence, there appeared to be a sizable earth vein space, where demonic energy mingled, and hundreds of fox spirits of varying cultivation levels resided! This power was far stronger than the so-called collateral lineage of Qingqiu he had encountered at the Geng family's old residence.

However, when his divine sense carefully swept across the ley line space, especially focusing on the fox women who had successfully transformed into human form, his brows furrowed slightly.

"The quantity is quite large, but unfortunately... the quality is worrying."

He thought to himself.

Of these hundreds of fox demons, about a dozen can transform into human form.

Of them, only about ten or so were considered to have decent looks.

Even these dozen or so women, in Ying Shaoyang's eyes, were merely a few times more pretty than ordinary human women, with a slight allure. Not to mention compared to Qingfeng and Caifeng, whom he had carefully nurtured and whose temperament and appearance had become extraordinary, they were also quite inferior to Lianxiang, who was just beginning to show her spirituality.

This immediately reminded him of the story of Xin Shisi Niang in the original "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio".

In that story, a scholar, seemingly with the help of a powerful underworld official, forced the fox spirit Xin Shisi Niang to marry him, only to abandon her shortly after the marriage.

The story's ending, seemingly depicting Xin Shisi Niang seeing through the scholar's mediocrity, leaving under some pretext, and ultimately "becoming an immortal," is actually a mockery, in the original context, of the so-called "becoming an immortal" as a reflection of the low level of mortal cultivators and their inability to comprehend higher realms. The real Xin Shisi Niang, in terms of her background and potential, probably only reached this point.

"It seems that this so-called 'fox demon family' has become mediocre in terms of bloodline and has no truly outstanding talents."

Ying Shaoyang had already made his judgment.

He completely lost interest in Xin Shisi Niang, whom he had never met, and her entire den of vixens.

Having lost interest, he was too lazy to waste any more effort. With a thought, the powerful divine sense enveloping the entire fox mansion suddenly intensified!

It was no longer a silent investigation, but a tangible pressure, like a towering mountain, that crashed down upon the mansion and the earth's vein space beneath it!

"Om-!"

Inside the courtyard, whether it was the little foxes playing, the old foxes in seclusion cultivating, or the fox girls who considered themselves beautiful and were dressing up in front of the mirror, at this moment, all of them felt their souls shake violently. A fear from the very source of life instantly seized them!

"what happened?!"

"What a terrifying aura!"

"Are they natural enemies? Or have those damned Taoist priests come knocking on our door?!"

"Run! Run away!"

Screams, cries, and the sounds of collisions erupted instantly. Hundreds of fox spirits, regardless of their cultivation level, scattered like sparrows from their nest, desperately trying to escape this terrifying pressure.

Some revealed their true forms, transforming into streaks of light of various colors as they attempted to break through doors and windows; others instinctively tried to burrow deeper into the earth...

However, everything is in vain.

Ying Shaoyang's divine sense was like an invisible cage, completely sealing off the entire space.

They crashed into the barrier of divine consciousness as if they were hitting an impenetrable wall, and were bounced back, leaving them dazed and confused.

That vast, ocean-like, and awe-inspiring divine consciousness clearly told them a cruel truth—there was nowhere to escape!
Driven by extreme fear, one fox spirit after another was forced to reveal their true forms.

Inside and outside the courtyard, and throughout the earth's vein space, there were shivering, furry foxes huddled together in a ball. Red, white, gray, black... all sorts of colors. They huddled together, emitting low, fearful whimpers, not daring to even raise their heads.

Ying Shaoyang's figure had appeared in the sky above the courtyard at some point. He stood in mid-air, his clothes fluttering, looking down indifferently at the scene of "a chaotic dance of foxes" below.

His gaze, sharp as a sword, slowly swept over the dozen or so fox spirits in the courtyard who, in their panic, still managed to maintain their human form, but were now pale-faced and limp on the ground.

After taking a closer look, the last glimmer of hope in Ying Shaoyang's eyes completely vanished.

Sure enough, the most beautiful among them only met the standard of ordinary human beauties, possessing a certain allure unique to the fox clan. However, in terms of natural talent, spiritual brilliance, and inner charm, they were worlds apart from Qingfeng, Caifeng, Lianxiang, and the others behind him. Although Lianxiang was a wild demon, her purity and resilience, as well as the increasingly apparent intelligence she displayed after his guidance, far surpassed that of these seemingly exquisite but ultimately empty fox women.

"It seems I had too high expectations."

So-called fox demon families are nothing special.

Ying Shaoyang shook his head slightly and muttered something to himself. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every fox demon below, making them tremble even more violently.

He was quite disappointed with the result. He had hoped to encounter some interesting "material," but instead, he found only a bunch of ordinary women. It seemed that the plan to find high-quality fox spirits needed to be adjusted. Perhaps the Qingqiu clan could give him some surprises? But for now, he should deal with the matters in Guangping County first before considering the next step.

With a thought, his figure vanished from mid-air, and in the next instant, he appeared silently in the center of the chaotic fox mansion courtyard, like a ghost.

He didn't deliberately conceal his aura. Although his vast, ocean-like divine sense was no longer offensive, it still enveloped the entire courtyard like an invisible canopy. The foxes on the ground, who had revealed their true forms and were trembling, along with the few fox girls who barely maintained their human forms but were pale and limp on the ground, dared not even breathe. Ying Shaoyang's gaze swept calmly across the entire area, finally landing on the few fox girls who had transformed. He asked, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of every fox demon.

Who is Xin Shisi Niang?

The courtyard was deathly silent, save for the faint whimpers of the foxes in fear. After a moment, among the fox-women who had taken human form, a petite woman dressed in a light blue dress bit her bloodless lower lip, mustered the greatest courage she could muster, and took a small, trembling step forward, her head bowed, her voice barely audible.

"This...this humble woman is Xin Shisi Niang...I was unaware of the arrival of the celestial being. What...what are your orders?"

Ying Shaoyang glanced at her.

Xin Shisi Niang was indeed pretty, with a touch of the fox clan's unique charm. However, just as his divine sense had revealed, her physical attributes were ordinary, and her spiritual brilliance was dim. Not to mention compared to Qing Feng and Cai Feng, she was even less charming than Lian Xiang, that wild girl, when they first met. She completely failed to meet his standards for taking in maids.

Once he realized that this woman was not the one he needed, Ying Shaoyang completely lost interest.

He didn't say anything more, not even bothering to utter a polite word. His figure blurred again, like a gentle breeze, and he disappeared without a trace from the courtyard.

As he left, the terrifying pressure that had enveloped the mansion and suffocated all the fox demons vanished instantly like a receding tide.

In the courtyard, the Xin family foxes, who had narrowly escaped death, took a long time to slowly raise their heads, looking at each other with expressions of surprise, uncertainty, and lingering fear.

"They...they left?"

"That...that terrifying being, just left like that?"

"Why is he looking for Fourteenth Sister?"

"I don't know... but judging from their appearance, they seem to have no ill intentions towards us... or rather, they simply wouldn't bother to have any ill intentions towards us..."

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

Xin Shisi Niang stood there, her pretty face still pale, her heart filled with confusion and a trace of indescribable loss.

That mysterious and powerful being specifically sought her out by name, but only glanced at her before leaving, as if she were merely an insignificant or even unworthy object.

This feeling of being completely ignored made her feel a strange sense of frustration, even more so than a direct threat.

……

In the blink of an eye, Ying Shaoyang appeared in a desolate mountain range hundreds of miles away. He paid no attention to the Xin family fox demon's subsequent reaction.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the mountaintop, letting the mountain wind flutter his clothes, leisurely planning his next journey.

"With the matter of Guangping County settled, the next target is the Shangqing Palace on Mount Qingcheng."

He thought to himself.

"The purpose of going there is twofold: first, to exchange for that divine position and a suitable top-tier magic weapon; second, to seek a suitable fundamental cultivation technique for Qingfeng and the others. The trip to Maoshan has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. As a major sect of Taoism, Shangqing Palace has a profound foundation and should be able to provide superior cultivation techniques suitable for demons or women."

As for the original plan to visit some of the famous female ghosts rumored to be in Jinhua, he has now completely crossed it off his list.

This world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio seems too different from the stories and legends he knew in his previous life, and many things cannot be directly applied to his previous understanding.

Moreover, the abnormal situation of the continuous decline of spiritual energy in this world made him instinctively wary, and he was unwilling to waste too much time and energy on unimportant matters.

He subconsciously touched the jade pendant at his waist that swayed gently with his steps; the cool touch made his thoughts drift slightly away.

In other worlds, he tends to act more directly, even to the point of being domineering, and is accustomed to seizing the greatest benefits at the fastest speed, sweeping away all obstacles.

However, in this realm, he had to be more cautious. The order of the three realms in this world was mixed, and the judges and Yama, the righteous gods in the underworld, seemed to be able to interfere in human affairs at a relatively free pace. In fact, there were even records in the original work of them altering the fortunes and destinies of mortals. Although he was not afraid, he did not want to invite trouble for nothing.

What alarmed him even more was that, due to the depletion of spiritual energy in the world, the cultivators of this realm seemed to have collectively embarked on a strange path that focused on cultivating their spiritual souls.

Moreover, after these cultivators die, their souls do not simply dissipate or enter reincarnation as usual. Instead, they nourish the world in a peculiar way, enhancing a certain strange "spirituality" of this realm.

This cycle, with its indescribable eeriness, made him hesitant to bind his core primordial spirit too deeply to this world.

Nevertheless, in order to adapt to the rules of this world and to improve his strength, he still tried to temper his primordial spirit with the local "spirituality".

The effects were remarkable. Not only did the various supernatural powers he cultivated become more "spiritual," like living things, but the hundreds of thousands of spiritual herbs he carried with him also benefited greatly. Some of the older ones even began to develop into intelligent life forms like ginseng dolls.

He looked inward at himself and saw that the number of star runes evolved from the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Formation had increased dramatically, shining brightly. Not only had their power increased significantly, but they also seemed to possess the potential to give birth to a "star god".

He had a premonition that if he returned to the Qin Dynasty world where he was born, maintaining and fully activating the power of this great formation would no longer be difficult, given the relatively abundant global spiritual energy that he could mobilize.

This ability to mobilize the spiritual energy of an entire realm for one's own use is absolutely impossible in this world of Liaozhai, where spiritual energy is depleted and rules are bizarre.

Just as his thoughts were racing, Cai Feng, who was standing beside him, seemed to have received a message. She stepped forward and whispered her report.

"Master, we have received a message from Qingqiu that their selected maid team is about to arrive in our current area."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Ying Shaoyang's eyes. Qingqiu's actions were much faster than he had anticipated.

"Oh? In that case, let's find a quiet place to meet."

He nodded, then without further delay, with a flick of his sleeve, an invisible force swept up the five maids beside him, including Lianxiang, Qingfeng, and Caifeng, and used his supernatural powers to teleport them away in an instant.

The next moment, they appeared in a more desolate, yet more spiritually rich, primeval mountain area.

Ying Shaoyang raised his hand and summoned the mysterious scroll. The scroll grew longer in the wind, quickly unfurling into a huge light screen that covered a large area of ​​mountains and forests below. Within the light screen, the phantom images of pavilions, towers, and rare herbs and flowers appeared and quickly solidified, transforming into a giant complex of buildings large enough to accommodate thousands of people, blending seamlessly with the surrounding mountains and forests.

This is precisely the manifestation of the interior space of the painting.

The flower fairies, who had previously been confined to the small area of ​​the painting, sensed the familiar yet unfamiliar atmosphere of the surrounding mountains and forests. They flew out of the buildings, their joyful laughter echoing as they flitted and danced among the trees and along the streams. After this period of adaptation to the outside world and with Ying Shaoyang's intentional and unintentional guidance, these flower fairies' spirituality had significantly improved. No longer as ignorant as before, their movements now possessed a greater sense of liveliness and vitality. (End of Chapter)