I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 363 The Illusionary Heavenly Array, Like a Dragon's Luck

Quyang County, Yunmeng Mountain.

The Yunmeng Mountain of today is vastly different from what Xu Qing saw more than a decade ago.

At that time, although Yunmeng Mountain had poisonous miasma, it did not have much fog. But the Yunmeng Mountain in front of us is shrouded in thick fog, and you can't see a person within five steps.

Yuan Gong once told Xu Qing that there are four supreme treasures in the upper realm, namely wind, mist, cloud, and air, also known as the Four Mothers.

A thousand years ago, when Yuan Gong was banished to the mortal realm to guard Baiyun Cave, the Heavenly Emperor, out of respect for the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, lent him one of the Four Mothers' magical treasures, the Mist Curtain.

The fog curtain is shaped like a cloth curtain. When it is unfolded, hot fog bursts out. If it is fully stretched, it will spread for hundreds of miles in an instant. Even if a god came, he would have difficulty seeing the world inside the fog.

However, after the White Cloud Cave was sealed, the fog curtain was withdrawn by the Heavenly Emperor.

For thousands of years, the Yunmeng Mountain, which covers an area of ​​hundreds of miles, has no longer been shrouded in thick fog.

Now, a fog that has never appeared in a thousand years has suddenly appeared, which is truly strange.

Something unusual must be going on. Xu Qing frowned slightly and, accompanied by a fortune teller and a young girl, headed straight for Baiyun Cave.

When they reached a secluded spot in the shade of the mountain, they suddenly heard the sound of flowing water breaking through the clouds and mist.

Bai Qiuyu looked in the direction of the sound and discovered that ten steps away there was a deep ravine cutting through the steep cliffs. The water in the ravine was crystal clear. Looking further ahead, there was a waterfall cascading down from a height of ten thousand feet!

Its sound is like jade chimes striking each other, clear and melodious.

Where the water glistens, it looks as if a bright moon hangs upside down, or a jade plate from the sky sinks to the bottom of the water.

Bai Qiuyu had never seen such a peculiar waterscape before. She asked curiously, "What kind of place is this?"

Xu Qing, who was standing to the side with a fox and a cat, explained:
"This place is where Lord Yuan encountered the Five Elements Calamity and was submerged by water; it is called Mingyue Ravine."

Bai Qiuyu peered down into the stream. The air below was chilling, and the emanating watery energy was refreshing. The surrounding stone walls, eroded by the stream for countless years, were as smooth as mirrors, so smooth that one could even see their own reflection.

At this moment, Bai Qiuyu did not use illusion magic to conceal her appearance; she truly possessed fair skin and jade-like bones, naturally alluring!

Xu Qing realized that every nine-tailed fox was exceptionally beautiful!
Unlike that old female fox from White Cloud Cave, whose face had more wrinkles than the banana leaf fan in the hands of the monk Xinyuan.

The reason for this is simply the difference brought about by bloodline inheritance.

Beasts like the nine-tailed fox, which are naturally auspicious, are born to follow the laws of nature. When their cultivation is insufficient, they will never be attached to transformation. Even when their cultivation is sufficient, they will still follow the changes of their original form and be born in their true form.

But ordinary fox spirits are different; they often envy mortals who can indulge in pleasure, drinking and making merry.

Therefore, once they are born with a spirit, these foxes look forward to immediately transforming into human form, mingling in the mortal world, and enjoying the riches and honors of human life.

However, for a fox demon with low cultivation, there is only one way to transform into human form.

That is, relying on the fox demon's innate ability to transform, to find the skull cap of a dead human, take it and put it on his own head, and worship while gazing at the moon.

If it doesn't change, the skullcap will roll off. If it remains firmly on your head and you perform forty-nine prostrations, it will instantly transform into the skull's original appearance.

Moreover, this physical form and appearance will follow the fox demon throughout its life, and even if it cultivates to become a celestial fox, it cannot escape it.

Xu Qing knew without a doubt that the Heavenly Fox of Baiyun Cave was a short-sighted fox who was greedy for pleasure in his early years. Otherwise, he wouldn't have found an old woman's skull in some desolate graveyard and worn it on his forehead.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Bai Qiuyu noticed Xu Qing's gaze and immediately became wary.

Even though you are now my creditor and my boss, you can't have any other ideas, right?

Besides, Xuan Yu is watching over us!
Faced with the fox spirit's question, Xu Qing said with interest, "I'm wondering, in which grave can I find a skull with the same appearance as Fellow Daoist Bai?"

"."

Bai Qiuyu's breath hitched.

That's right! How could she forget that Master Xu only cares about digging up graves and holding funerals, he can't care about anything else.

Her innate charm and allure from the Qingqiu and Tushan fox clans would have absolutely no effect on this person.

Having figured this out, Bai Qiuyu suddenly felt a strange competitive urge rising within her.

To avoid trouble, she changed her appearance every day to make herself unrecognizable. Even when she was divining for people, she would deliberately use the accent of a woman from Northeast China to avoid the accents of Sichuan or the water towns of Jiangnan.

But how come when it comes to someone surnamed Xu, he's not even as good as a skull?
Xu Qing continued walking along Mingyue Stream.

However, along the way, he always saw Bai Qiuyu wearing that divination robe, stretching her body in front of the cliff, sometimes deliberately stretching, revealing the curves of the robe, and intentionally or unintentionally exuding the unique charm of the Qingqiu fox clan.

"Fellow Daoist Bai, are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Qing frowned as he looked at the fox-woman with her delicate eyebrows and shimmering eyes.

Bai Qiuyu raised her jade-like hand and gently touched her temple, speaking in a soft, languid Wu dialect, "I'm sorry for your concern, young master. I abandoned everything to follow you on this long journey, and I am indeed quite tired. My heart is also feeling a little heavy."

At this point, Bai Qiuyu raised her sleeve, half-covering her lips, coughed lightly twice, and said with a flickering gaze:
"It's alright. As long as you're here, I can just lean against this water curtain and rest for a while, and I'll be fine."

"."

Xuan Yu, who was following behind Xu Qing, felt his skin tighten and the hair on his body was about to stand on end!

This fox must be sick, and quite seriously so!

Xu Qing chuckled and said, "It's good that you're alright. I thought you were going to reveal your true form."

"."

Bai Qiuyu's face flushed, unsure whether it was from embarrassment or simply a sense of shame.

For the rest of the journey, the Qingqiu fox girl kept her head down and walked at the very back, like an ostrich.

It looked like a stupid fox that had failed to steal a bite, had its fur plucked by its master, and was ridiculed by its own kind when it returned to the pack.

After leaving Mingyue Ravine, ahead lies a blue stone bridge that is three zhang long but only one chi wide.

The stone bridge was covered with thick moss, and after years of being soaked by the water vapor from the ravine, it was extremely slippery and difficult to walk on!

Standing on it, one sees a bottomless, icy pool below, and a sliver of blue sky above.

At this moment, the mountain wind, carrying icy water mist, rushed towards us, making our clothes flutter and our eyes and ears go blank.

Xu Qing had been here once and knew that this was a stone bridge specially built by Master Yuan to test those who sought immortality and enlightenment.

If one is not bold and meticulous, or possesses the skill to maneuver, this stone bridge alone would be an insurmountable chasm separating immortals from mortals!

Before the stone bridge, Xuan Yu nimbly leaped to the other side, followed closely by Xu Qing who bent his knees and jumped across the deep pool.

Only Bai Qiuyu, who possessed nearly a thousand years of cultivation, remained hesitant and refused to move forward. "Fellow Daoist Xu, is Master Yuan still here?"

A voice could be heard from within the thick fog; this time it was no longer the soft Wu dialect, but proper Mandarin.

Xu Qing thought about it for a moment and then understood why the fortune teller was so cautious.

Yuan Gong had some prejudice against fox demons. As a deity who could imprison a celestial fox in the White Cloud Cave for a thousand years, Bai Qiuyu, who was also a fox, would inevitably be somewhat wary of him.

Moreover, this stone bridge is no ordinary stone bridge; it retains an aura that does not belong to the mundane world.

Xu Qing guessed that this bridge, like the mountain peak blocking the entrance to Baiyun Cave, was probably an artifact crafted by Yuan Gong using a white jade furnace.

“Master Yuan is no longer in this mortal world. More than ten years ago, Xuan Yu and I helped him escape the flood disaster and leave Yunmeng Mountain.”

Bai Qiuyu felt relieved upon hearing this, and immediately broke through the thick fog, moving to the end of the stone bridge.

At this moment, the zombie, the cat, and the fox stood on the opposite bank and could already see the section of mountain peak that had been blocked in front of Baiyun Cave.

That peak was no ordinary mountain; it was the one where Lord Yuan placed the white jade furnace and the fog curtain when he guarded the Heavenly Book.

Before the white jade furnace was taken away, it remained on the mountaintop next to the White Cloud Cave, absorbing the light of the sun and moon to refine elixirs and treasures.

Hundreds and thousands of years have passed, and the true fire in the white jade furnace has burned day and night. The true fire and precious energy emanating from the furnace has been brewing for many years, refining the mountain below to a level that transcends the mortal world.

After the Heavenly Fox stole the Heavenly Book, the Heavenly Emperor retrieved the White Jade Furnace and the Mist Curtain to the Upper Realm. At the same time, he used his powers to cause the refined mountain to collapse and block the entrance to the White Cloud Cave.

In Xu Qing's view, the method of suppressing the Heavenly Fox was somewhat similar to a scaled-down version of the Five Elements Mountain.

But what is certain is that when Xu Qing last came here, this mountain, which was neither gold nor stone, was still a fully functional demon-suppressing artifact.

But now, as he gets closer to look, he finds that the once indestructible and magical mountain is now covered with spider web-like cracks, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Xu Qing opened his Heavenly Eye and Yin Pupil, looking through the layers of cracks towards the entrance of the White Cloud Cave.

The cave was filled with black mist, as if some ferocious creature was gathering strength to emerge.

The mountain wind blew through the crack, making a wailing sound. Xu Qing's mind stirred, and he immediately gestured for silence behind him.

He had previously wondered where the mist on Yunmeng Mountain came from, but now, seeing the half-mountain peak covered in cracks, Xu Qing suddenly understood.

The mountain peak that blocked the entrance to Baiyun Cave, nurtured by the fog, has acquired the ability to absorb fog. However, this mountain peak was originally intended as a consumable for the Heavenly Emperor to suppress the Heavenly Fox.

Once the seal loosens and the peak is damaged, the mist absorbed into the White Cloud Cave will dissipate. Once the mist dissipates and the peak collapses, it signifies that the demons in the cave are about to be born.

However, the presence of these special mists would affect the perception of the White Cloud Cave Celestial Fox, which presented Xu Qing with an opportunity.

He retreated to a distance of twenty feet from Baiyun Cave, then took out the array plate refined by Abbot Jingxu and Senior Sister Yizhen, and began to set up traps outside the cave.

The fox demon's cultivation path integrates the three realms (heaven, earth, and man) and she is skilled in the three methods of illusion, emotion, and defense. Xu Qing, taking advantage of the situation, immediately captured the idle Bai Qiuyu as a laborer and made this fox girl responsible for setting up the Illusionary Heaven Array outside the cave.

"With my limited skills, you expect me to set up the Illusionary Heaven Array?"

Bai Qiuyu looked at Xu Qing in disbelief. "I do owe you a favor, but you can't treat me like a donkey!"
Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and retorted, "That old fox spirit is no ordinary demon. If I lose, don't even think about taking me to meet your elders."

"."

Bai Qiuyu's breathing quickened, and finally she gritted her teeth and said, "Fine! I'll make the arrangements for you!"

The Illusionary Heaven Array is the largest illusion array of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, and this was something that could only be told to Xu Qing by Daoist Yizhen.

Otherwise, the other side would never have suddenly brought up the Illusionary Heaven Formation at this critical juncture.

At this moment, Bai Qiuyu felt as if she had been tricked by the two senior and junior brothers.

She even poured her heart out to Yizhen!

Xu Qing poured the array materials he had obtained from Hu Yangling in front of Bai Qiuyu: the Fox Light Mirror, the Moon Worship Banner, the Illusion Moon Pearl, and various talismans and items used for warding off evil spirits.
Looking at the mountain of array materials, Bai Qiuyu felt suffocated for the first time.

Xu Qing seemed to know that this was too difficult for a fox demon with less than a thousand years of cultivation. After thinking for a moment, he took out some pills and stuffed them into her arms, comforting her:

"Besides Senior Sister Yizhen, only you can set up this illusion array. During the setup process, your cultivation might be damaged, but don't worry, as the sect leader, I will never mistreat you. These pills are compensation, and there are also 100,000 incense offerings here."

"As long as you do your best to set up the formation, when you go to Qingqiu in the future, I will spare no effort to dig out the legacy left by the ancestors of Qingqiu for you, and I will never miss a single inheritance."

What else do you want?

Xu Qing has already said all this, what else can Bai Qiuyu say?
Seeing that the fortune teller had nothing more to say, Xu Qing immediately nodded and said, "Then please, Fellow Daoist Bai, make your move quickly."

The old female fox in Baiyun Cave was also skilled in illusion, but she never imagined that one day she would encounter the orthodox illusion array technique.

In addition to the targeted illusion arrays, Xu Qing also made sure to set up the array plates containing more than a dozen arrays, such as the Golden Light Array, the Nine Luminaries Demon-Subduing Array, and the Five Thunder Evil-Slaying Array, which were refined by Senior Sister Yi Zhen, outside the White Cloud Cave.

Xu Qingming clearly understood the positions of these array plates and where the array eyes were, so he wasn't worried about his zombie body being locked onto by the array plates.

After setting up the array plate, Xu Qing took out various Yin Gate items collected from the Yin River Ancient Road to serve as suppressing objects, and added a Nightmare Suppression Method under the array.

The so-called "using truth to break illusion, using righteousness to overcome evil, using strength to break the law, and using suppression to trap the enemy" refers to the principle of using truth to overcome illusion, using righteousness to overcome evil, using strength to break the law, and using suppression to trap the enemy.
Xu Qing never considered the various arrangements outside Baiyun Cave as his trump card; they were all delaying tactics to prevent the old fox from escaping.

His purpose in coming to Baiyun Cave was always the same: to avenge his old grudges and eliminate any potential threats!

Three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

The day when the demons of Baiyun Cave will be born is just around the corner.

Xu Qing tried to use the Qimen Dunjia divination method again, but found that the secrets of heaven were no longer discernible.

However, judging from the mountain peaks at the entrance of Baiyun Cave, which are covered with glaze cracks, one can roughly determine when the old female fox was born.

On this day, Xu Qing was standing alone in front of Baiyun Cave, conserving his energy, when he suddenly heard strange sounds coming from Yunmeng Mountain, faintly like thunder.

If you listen closely, you'll hear that the marching is so precise and orderly that it sounds like the clanging of metal.

Xu Qing followed the sound and found that it was coming from in front of Baiyun Cave.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Xu Qing looked around and saw banners covering the sky in the distance, with over 100,000 infantrymen in full armor, holding golden spears, gathering towards the foot of the mountain.

The murderous aura emanating from the army formation, along with the dragon-like fortune soaring straight to the heavens, actually tore through the mist, revealing the true face of White Cloud Cave.

Xu Qing looked up and saw that many of the banners in front of the army had the characters "Dingyuan" and "Sixiang" on them.

Dingyuan can only refer to the army led by the Marquis of Dingyuan, as for the Four Symbols...
Xu Qing suddenly remembered a young master surnamed Shang who married into the Gu family, unified the Gu family's Four Symbols Dao Army, and defeated the Nancuo Army.

Quyang County happened to be not far from the Gu family in Huainan.

(End of this chapter)