You said you would practice martial arts. Have you mastered the Tiangang Dharma?

My name is A Li, and I am the most ordinary little fox demon in Qingqiu Village. At least, I always thought so before today.

As night fell, I sat alone on the cliff behind the village, staring at the bright moon in the sky. I have been having strange dreams recently. In my dreams, there is a huge nine-tailed fox, whose eyes are like two bright moons, staring at me. Every time I wake up from a dream, I feel a strange power surging in my body.

The moon was exceptionally bright tonight, and the silver light shone on my body, making my skin feel a little hot. I looked down and was surprised to find faint silver lines on my arm, like patterns condensed by moonlight. I reached out to touch them, and the lines suddenly lit up, and a warm current flowed from my fingertips to my whole body.

"This is..." I stood up in surprise and found that my shadow became blurred in the moonlight, and I could vaguely see the outline of nine tails. My heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and an inexplicable premonition came to my mind.

Just then, a breeze blew by, bringing a familiar breath. I turned around and saw the village chief standing not far away. His eyes fell on the lines on my arm, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

"Ari, come with me." The village chief's voice was soft, but it carried unquestionable majesty.

I followed him through the village and came to an ancient ancestral hall. This was a place I had never been allowed to enter. It was said that only the oldest elders in the village could enter. The door of the ancestral hall was engraved with intricate runes, which glowed faintly in the moonlight.

The village chief raised his hand and drew a complex symbol on the door, and the door opened silently. I followed him in and found a different world inside. The interior of the ancestral hall was much larger than it looked from the outside, and the walls were covered with murals telling ancient stories.

"This is..." My eyes were drawn to a mural. In the painting was a giant nine-tailed fox, its nine tails dancing in the night sky like nine galaxies. Around it, countless fox demons knelt down, as if on a pilgrimage.

The village chief walked up to me and whispered, "This is our ancestor, the Nine-tailed Sky Fox. It is the most powerful being in the fox clan and protects the entire Qingqiu."

I felt the lines on my arms starting to get hot again, and looked up at the village chief: "What about these..."

"You are the heir of the nine-tailed fox bloodline." The village chief's voice trembled a little. "We have waited for this day for too long."

I was stunned, unable to digest this information for a moment. I am just an ordinary little fox demon, how could I be the bloodline of the legendary nine-tailed fox?
The village chief took me to the depths of the ancestral hall, where there was an altar with a crystal clear bead on it. Moonlight seemed to be flowing inside the bead, emitting a soft glow.

"This is the Moonlight Pearl, a token left by the Nine-Tailed Fox." The village chief said, "Only the true heir of the Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline can awaken its power."

I hesitated for a moment, then reached out to touch the Moonlight Pearl. The moment my fingers touched the pearl, a powerful force surged out of the pearl, flowing through my arm and into my entire body. I felt the blood in my body boiling, and an unprecedented power awakened in my body.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain and something was about to burst out of my body. I fell to my knees in pain and heard the anxious voice of the village chief: "Hold on, A-li! This is the process of blood awakening!"

I felt my consciousness begin to blur, and countless images flashed before my eyes. I saw a huge nine-tailed fox soaring in the clouds, and saw countless fox demons multiplying and thriving under its protection.
When I woke up again, I found myself lying on the ground, soaked in sweat. I tried to move, and was surprised to find something behind me. I turned around and saw nine silver-white tails swaying gently in the moonlight.

"This..." I was so surprised that I couldn't speak.

The village chief looked at me with relief: "Ari, you have finally awakened. From today on, you are the guardian of Qingqiu."

I stood up, feeling the surging power in my body. Nine tails danced behind me, each containing powerful demonic power. I looked up at the dome of the ancestral hall, and the moonlight poured down through the skylight, coating my body with a layer of silver light.

At this moment, a rapid bell sounded. The village chief's face changed: "Oh no, it's the alarm bell at the entrance of the village!"

We rushed out of the ancestral hall and saw flames rising from the village entrance. I spread my nine-tailed dragon, leaped up, and flew toward the village entrance. In the air, I saw a group of men in black attacking the barrier, and their attack was more fierce than last time.

I landed in front of the barrier, and nine tails spread out behind me, emitting powerful demonic power. The men in black were obviously stunned when they saw me. I felt the power in my body surge, raised my hand and shot out a silver light, repelling several men in black.

"Nine-tailed fox!" The leading man in black exclaimed, "I didn't expect it to really exist!"

I ignored their surprise and continued to attack. The nine tails were like nine silver dragons dancing in the night sky, and every swing brought a powerful demonic power fluctuation. The men in black were defeated step by step and finally had to retreat.

The villagers cheered, but I didn't feel relieved. I knew this was just the beginning. The awakening of the nine-tailed fox bloodline meant greater responsibilities and challenges were waiting for me.

I stood at the entrance of the village, looking in the direction where the man in black disappeared, with nine tails swaying gently behind me. The moonlight shone on me, casting a long shadow on the ground. I knew that from today on, my life would change completely.

But I have no regrets. Because I am the heir of the nine-tailed fox bloodline and the protector of Qingqiu. No matter what is waiting for me ahead, I will face it bravely.

The moment he passed through the barrier, a strong demonic aura hit him in the face. Jiang Qiu stood at the entrance of Qingqiu Village, looking at the demon village hidden in the mountains. Dusk fell, and the sunset in the sky dyed the whole village a light orange-red. The mountains in the distance were looming in the twilight, like an ink painting.

At the entrance of the village stood a huge ancient locust tree, its trunk so thick that it required ten people to hug it, and its canopy was like an umbrella that blocked out the sun. Green vines were entwined around the trunk, and the vines were dotted with tiny fireflies, flickering in the twilight. Many red silks were hung on the branches of the ancient locust tree, swaying gently in the wind, and the ribbons were embroidered with ancient demon characters in gold thread, glowing in the sunset.

Walking along the path paved with bluestone, there are houses scattered on both sides. These buildings are very different from human houses. Most of them are wooden structures with upturned eaves and carved with totems of various demon tribes. Some houses are built between tall tree crowns and connected by suspension bridges woven with vines; others are built against the mountain and integrated with the rocks.

There was a faint fragrance floating in the air, which was the evening primrose that the fox demons used to fumigate their clothes. Jiang Qiu saw several fox demon girls sitting on the stone steps in front of the door. They had pointed ears and furry tails, and were weaving something with their nimble fingers. Their fingertips glowed with a faint fluorescence, and the silk threads flew in the air, weaving into a piece of exquisite cloth in the blink of an eye.

Going further in, there is an open square. In the center of the square is an ancient well, the wellhead is made of bluestone, with complex runes carved on it. The water in the well is clear and reflects the sunset in the sky. Several little demons are drawing water from the well. They have emerald green hair and vine-like arms. They are tree demons. They pour the water they draw into wooden buckets, then carry them on their shoulders and walk home with brisk steps.

There were all kinds of shops around the square, selling herbs, magic tools, and cloth. A wine shop was emitting the aroma of wine brewed with laurel and ganoderma. Jiang Qiu saw a boss with deer horns greeting guests. With a light touch of his finger, the wine pot flew up automatically and filled the guests' glasses.

As the dusk deepened, lights lit up in the village. These lights were not ordinary candles, but were made of fireflies and moonstones. They floated in the air, adorning the entire village like stars. Jiang Qiu saw several little demons chasing these lights, and their laughter was crisp and melodious, echoing in the night sky.

Suddenly, a melodious flute sound came. Jiang Qiu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a high platform at the other end of the square. On the platform, a fox demon in white was playing a bamboo flute. His flute sounded ethereal and far-reaching, as if it could penetrate a person's soul. Following the sound of the flute, more demons gathered in the square. Some of them danced gracefully, while others sang in a low voice. The whole square suddenly became lively.

Jiang Qiu noticed that there was a particularly tall old tree at the edge of the square, with a door on its trunk. That was the village chief's residence, and the most important place in the entire village. Many wind chimes were hung between the branches of the old tree, and whenever the wind blew, they would make a crisp sound. It was said that these wind chimes were made of special materials and could warn of danger.

The night was getting darker, but the bustle of the village did not diminish. Jiang Qiu saw several little demons setting off Kongming lanterns in the square, with totems of various demon tribes painted on them. These lanterns slowly rose into the sky and merged with the stars in the sky. The air was filled with various aromas, including the aroma of barbecue, the mellow aroma of fruit wine, and the fragrance of various flowers and plants.

Jiang Qiu stood at the edge of the square, feeling the unique atmosphere of this demon village. Everything here was so harmonious and natural, as if it had merged with the heaven and earth. The demon aura here was not a frightening existence, but was as natural as breathing. Jiang Qiu took a deep breath, letting the rich demon aura fill his lungs.

Suddenly, a clear bell rang. Jiang Qiu saw a blue flame rising in the center of the square, which was the signal for the start of the celebration. The demons gathered in the center of the square and began to dance the ancient dance. Their movements were elegant and mysterious, as if they were telling some ancient legend.

Jiang Qiu stood in the crowd, feeling this unique atmosphere. The moonlight sprinkled on everyone's face, reflecting their happy smiles. At this moment, Jiang Qiu seemed to have become a part of this demon village, and had a wonderful connection with every tree, every stone, and every trace of demonic energy here.

The first rays of sunlight in the morning penetrated the mist and sprinkled on the bluestone road of Qingqiu Village. Jiang Qiu stood under the ancient locust tree at the entrance of the village, watching the morning dew dripping from the leaves. Usually at this time, the wind chimes on the ancient locust tree would make crisp sounds with the morning breeze, but today it was unusually quiet.

There was a hint of uneasiness in the air.

Jiang Qiu reached out and touched the rough bark of the ancient locust tree, and felt a faint tremor. This was not right. The ancient locust tree was one of the cores of the barrier, and its tremor meant that there was something wrong with the barrier. Jiang Qiu looked up at the sky, and the originally clear morning light seemed to be mixed with a hint of turbidity.

"Jiang Qiu!" A crisp voice came from behind. Jiang Qiu turned around and saw the fox demon A'li. She was wearing a light blue dress with silver runes embroidered on the hem, which was faintly visible in the morning light. But at this moment, there was a trace of anxiety on her delicate face, "Do you feel that there is something wrong with the barrier?"

Jiang Qiu nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a crisp cracking sound. The sound was very light, like the sound of glass breaking, but it made Jiang Qiu's heart tighten suddenly. Jiang Qiu and A'li looked up at the same time and saw that a leaf on the ancient locust tree suddenly cracked open, and a faint black gas seeped out from between the veins of the leaf.

"Go find the elders!" Ah Li's voice was trembling. Jiang Qiu noticed that her tail was swaying restlessly, which was the instinctive reaction of a fox demon when it was nervous.

Running along the bluestone road towards the center of the village, Jiang Qiu saw several tree demons doing morning exercises as they passed the square. Their vine arms drew graceful arcs in the air. But today, these arcs seemed a little disordered, and the tips of the vines trembled slightly.

"There's something wrong with the barrier!" Ah Li shouted as she ran. Her voice echoed in the morning air, waking up the villagers who were still sleeping. Jiang Qiu saw wooden windows being pushed open, and various monsters poked their heads out.

When we ran to the village chief's residence, many villagers had already gathered there. The old tree at the village chief's residence looked older than usual, with deep grooves on the bark, like wrinkles on an old man's face. The wind chimes on the trunk rang without wind, making rapid sounds.

"The elders are already inside." A deer demon guard stopped us, "You can't go in."

At this moment, Jiang Qiu heard a low roar, as if it came from deep underground. The ground beneath his feet began to shake slightly, and the wind chimes on the ancient tree rang more rapidly. Jiang Qiu saw a faint golden light emerging on the bark, which was the power of the barrier flowing.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the sky. Jiang Qiu looked up and saw a long crack in the sky, like a piece of transparent glass being cut. Black mist seeped out of the crack, and the mist twisted in the air, forming strange shapes.

"That's..." Ah Li grabbed Jiang Qiu's arm, her nails almost digging into Jiang Qiu's flesh. Jiang Qiu saw her pupils shrink into a thin line, which was the reaction of a fox demon when it was extremely scared.

"The barrier cracks." Jiang Qiu muttered. Jiang Qiu had seen this scene described in ancient books, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. The crack was like an ugly scar, tearing apart the clear sky. (End of this chapter)