I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

Just when the Taoist thought that Sister Hu's transformation would go smoothly, the once clear night sky suddenly became cloudy and obscured the moon.

Shen Yuan was slightly surprised, and straightened up, looking up at the sky.

Several dark clouds were rapidly gathering in this direction from the previously star-studded night sky.

Sand flew everywhere, and the wind bent the grass, as if an indescribable grand and majestic force was slowly gathering above the Taoist temple.

Hu Xiaomei was the first to react. Her fox fur bristled, making several sharp "chirping" sounds. A sense of instinctive fear arose in her heart, and she ran to hide behind the Taoist priest.

"Snap!"

A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, almost tearing the night sky in two, and a thunderclap descended with a devastating force.

The lightning bolt's target was Sister Hu, who was taking human form on the ground.

"Big sister!"

When Hu Xiaomei saw that the lightning had struck her elder sister, she panicked and forgot her fear. With a "whoosh," she rushed towards her elder sister.

Its speed was extremely fast. Before the Taoist could react, he reached out to grab it, but the fox had already rushed above Sister Hu and steadily blocked the falling lightning.

"Chirp chirp—"

Thunder is the nemesis of all spirits and monsters in the world. Despite having the bloodline of the Gengjin Fox, Hu Xiaomei is still utterly vulnerable when she comes into contact with this lightning.

Not only was his magical power completely shattered by the impact, making it impossible to regroup, but he also couldn't withstand the heavenly lightning with his physical body. He was almost instantly electrocuted and his soul nearly left his body.

If it hadn't had its constitution altered by the Taoist priest tonight, making its bones and muscles far stronger than before, it would probably have died on the spot by now.

Although the lightning strike was not fatal, it caused Hu Xiaomei to collapse to the ground, spitting blood, and the fox appeared extremely weak.

"Big sister..."

Although Hu Xiaomei was seriously injured, she still couldn't stop thinking about her eldest sister. Seeing that the thunderclouds hadn't dissipated, she was worried and stared at her sister without blinking.

"Why do you do this, fellow Daoist? Heaven is impartial. Although you are a fox demon, you have never done evil. Your purity remains unblemished and your spiritual light is undying. I believe you will be able to turn misfortune into good fortune and safely pass through the tribulation."

The Taoist exhaled a breath of "Transformation" essence. Although it no longer contained the power of creation that it had in the first wisp and could not change a person's physique, it was still enough to help Hu Xiaomei's injuries gradually recover.

Hu Xiaomei felt weak and sore all over, her eyes glistening with tears. She said, "Master Dao, you don't understand. My sister is terrified of thunder. She used to be too scared to sleep when it thundered, and Grandma and I always had to stay with her..."

"Ugh!"

The Taoist sighed softly, gazing in the direction of Sister Hu with a somewhat complicated expression.

He never expected that Sister Hu's ordinary transformation into a spirit would attract a heavenly tribulation.

But he understood even more clearly that the greater the fear, the more he needed to confront his inner self.

There are no fixed rules for calamities. If what Sister Hu fears is fire, then this time she might have to be burned by fire instead.

Who knows, tonight's heavenly thunder might be a test of Sister Hu's Dao heart by the heavens.

"It is both the thunder of the heavens and the thunder of the heart, fellow Daoist. This is Fellow Daoist Hu's good fortune. As long as he survives this tribulation, he will be able to face the future with fearlessness!"

"Big sister..." Hu Xiaomei called out weakly, but she didn't think of moving forward anymore.

With a "click," the world suddenly turned white.

The thunder came fiercely and violently, carrying a faint purple light, and struck Sister Hu's head in an instant.

"Chirp chirp—"

The blue aura around Sister Hu's body was forcibly torn open, revealing a hideous and painful face beneath, and screams of agony emanated from her throat.

It was naturally afraid of thunder, and lacked Hu Xiaomei's strong physique. A flash of lightning almost shattered its courage, and it managed to hold it in and not urinate.

Before it could recover, a thunderbolt struck it, the intense pain reaching the depths of its soul almost causing it to lose consciousness on the spot.

In a hazy, indistinct state, it felt as if it had been transformed into a stone blank, with thunder becoming an axe and chisel, and heaven becoming a craftsman, carving its body with each stroke of the hammer.

This is different from the previous request for a title. It is not a simple change in physical form, but rather a change from the inside out, tracing back to the origin, and directly altering one's innate constitution.

The reason why demons all want to become human is because humans are born with both fortune and prosperity, and are protected by auspicious stars. Apart from birth, old age, sickness and death, they rarely suffer calamities.

Unlike animals, which are born to guard against predators and hunters and have to struggle for food all day long, most of them live their lives in a daze, and very few of them can attain enlightenment.

But everything in this world is predetermined; if you want to gain something, you must first give something in return.

These bolts of lightning are the price Sister Hu has to pay for this.

If you can endure it, you'll rise to the top; if you can't, you'll vanish like smoke.

"It hurts! It hurts so much!"

Sister Hu was extremely weak, and only this one thought remained in her mind. Yet, amidst the pain, she also felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration!

I've been diligently practicing every day, and this is the moment I've been waiting for!

Then, thinking that both the Taoist priest and his younger sister had received great fortune, while he was still stuck in the same place, a deep sense of resentment welled up from the depths of his timid heart.

"I want to be a human being!"

The moment the thought arose, Sister Hu completely overcame her fear of the heavenly lightning. Instead of retreating, she faced it head-on.

In an instant, its dantian suddenly warmed, and it inexplicably gained some strength. Thinking of the "yin-yang balance" principle that the Taoist had just mentioned, it actually began to actively absorb the yang energy of thunder around its body to cultivate.

Demons are inherently yin in nature, so they often hide during the day and come out at night. They are also skilled at cultivating by breathing out the moon. If they do not have a spark of spiritual light to enlighten their yang potential and transform yin into yang, they will probably never achieve enlightenment in this lifetime.

Now, it had a sudden inspiration and absorbed the thunder energy. By sheer luck, its demonic aura, though scattered, became orderly and began to slowly transform into lesser yang energy under the influence of the thunder power.

When Yin and Yang are in harmony, the Great Dao is achieved!

The Taoist priest stared intently and saw that the power of the thunder was terrifying; the ground around Sister Hu was already scorched black. But along with it came a vibrant life force, poised to unleash its power.

The Taoist priest could foresee that the backyard would be lush with vegetation next year!

……

Amidst the lightning, a shadow shifted constantly between the forms of a human and a fox.

After an unknown amount of time, the lightning gradually weakened, and the clouds above began to disperse.

The moonlight tore through the clouds once more, pouring down.

Where Sister Hu had been standing, a tall and pretty figure had appeared.

Surrounded by a blue mist, the few glimpses of white skin visible beneath her figure were enough to spark countless fantasies in onlookers.

Upon closer inspection, the person's face constantly shifted between a fox's and a human face. Finally, when the person opened their eyes, lightning flashed in their pupils, gradually disappearing, and the human face finally solidified.

"Sister, you've successfully transformed!" Hu Xiaomei exclaimed in surprise.

"Hehe." Sister Hu was overjoyed and giggled, "Yes, little sister, I've finally become a human."

The Taoist priest smiled and offered his congratulations, bowing respectfully: "Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on achieving your wish. What are your thoughts at this moment?"

"Thank you so much, Daoist Master!" Sister Hu's long-cherished wish had come true in one day. Overwhelmed with emotion, she choked up and said, "It truly feels like a dream, I dare not think too deeply about it."

"Whether you think it through or not, these are all facts. Fellow Daoist, you are already a human being," the Daoist reassured him.

"Yes, I'm a person now!" Thinking of this, Sister Hu became happy again.

She gently raised her hand, admiring her own body. Her arm stretched out from the blue mist, and in the hazy moonlight, a stunning expanse of white came into view.

Knowing that she was completely naked, the Taoist priest subtly averted his gaze.

Suddenly, a voice cried out, "Big sister, be careful!" The Taoist priest turned around and saw a silent bolt of lightning striking down from the clear night sky.

The lightning tribulation returned before anyone could react, and by the time they tried to stop it, it was clearly too late.

At this critical moment, suddenly the spiritual energy of heaven and earth arose, forming an arc that completely enveloped the Yiyuan Temple.

With a soft "pop," the lightning struck the arc formed by the spiritual energy and vanished instantly.

The Taoist priest looked up at the sky, a profound mystery rising in his eyes. He remained unmoved by the eight winds blowing against him. After a long while, he came back to his senses and said calmly, "There should be nothing to worry about."

Sister Hu's face remained blank with astonishment until she heard the Taoist's voice, at which point she asked, "Master Taoist, were you the one who made the move just now?"

The Taoist priest simply smiled and shook his head: "This humble Taoist dares not take credit; fellow Taoist should thank the patriarch."

Sister Hu looked towards the main hall, feeling a surge of emotion. She thought to herself that the wisest thing she had ever done in her life was probably joining the Yiyuan Temple.

"Thank you for your grace, Master. Sister Hu bows in gratitude!" After everything settled down, she silently and sincerely bowed.

"Sister, sister!"

Hu Xiaomei then rushed forward, laughing as she lunged at Hu Dajie.

"Little sister, no!"

Sister Hu couldn't keep up with Little Sister Hu's vigor, and since she was completely naked and afraid of exposing herself, she immediately tried to stop her.

Fortunately, Hu Xiaomei wasn't that kind of arrogant and rude person. She stopped halfway through her charge, leaving long marks on the ground with her claws.

It tilted its head back and asked, "Big sister, now that you've turned into a human, don't you want to hug me?"

Sister Hu blushed, seemingly remembering something, and said, "What do you mean by hugging me? I'm not available right now!"

Hu Xiaomei tilted her head, not understanding what was wrong with the other person, when suddenly the Taoist's voice sounded behind her.

"Fellow Daoist, would you like some clothes?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Hu blushed again and shook her head, saying, "Master, there's no need to worry. I have my own way, but..."

She hesitated, as if to speak, and the Taoist asked, "Fellow Daoist, is there anything troubling you?"

Sister Hu paused for a moment before saying, "Please turn your back for a moment, Taoist priest."

The Taoist chuckled and turned around gracefully.

Sister Hu glanced at the Taoist's back, and as her gaze shifted, she suddenly exhaled a cloud of blue mist.

The blue mist lingered in the air, gradually transforming into a blue gauze dress. It looked very elegant, with silk flowers embroidered with red and gold threads, which added a touch of vibrancy.

"So beautiful!" Hu Xiaomei exclaimed, her eyes wide. Her older sister had never had such skill before.

Upon hearing this, Sister Hu covered her mouth and smiled. With a gentle stretch of her hand, the gauze skirt automatically appeared on her body, and her cascading black hair flowed down, giving her an indescribable ethereal and otherworldly aura.

"Master Dao, that's enough."

The lightning tribulation just now not only helped her transform into human form, but also removed the transverse bone in her throat. Now, her voice is clear and melodious, like the tinkling of jade pendants, no longer as high-pitched and delicate as before.

The Taoist turned around and finally got a full look at Sister Hu. He couldn't help but admire her after just one glance.

No wonder people say that fox spirits bewitch people; with such beauty before them, few could resist their charms.

Sister Hu blushed under his gaze and asked, "Master Daoist, now that I have successfully transformed into human form, may I come out to greet worshippers in the future?"

"Then won't the threshold of my Taoist temple be trampled to pieces?"

Sister Hu smiled, her lips pursed. When she was a beast, she could not distinguish between the beauty and ugliness of people. Now that she had cultivated into a human body, she looked at the Taoist priest again and could not help but say, "Taoist priest, your appearance and demeanor are also extraordinary."

The Taoist smiled and did not refute.

If we were to say what the original owner of this body had to offer most, it would probably be her face.

His face certainly played a part in his ability to get first place in the exam.

Unfortunately, when his duties were being assigned, the first thing he said was about loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, and that he was dedicated to serving the nation. The examiner immediately turned pale and said that this person was sent by the court to brainwash people. He was sentenced to death and assigned to the Yiyuan Temple.

The two stopped exchanging pleasantries, and the Taoist suddenly asked, "Do you know the cause of that strange lightning strike just now?"

Sister Hu thought for a moment, then gently shook her head: "Could it be because I stole the thunder energy, and Heaven was displeased, so it sent thunder to strike me?"

"Absorbing the Thunder Qi?"

The Taoist priest looked at Sister Hu with a strange expression.

Good heavens, this is truly a slide from one extreme to another; ignorance is bliss.

Even human cultivators of thunder magic wouldn't dare to be so reckless, yet this demon dared to summon thunder? She's practically courting death!

Sister Hu belatedly realized her mistake and felt somewhat embarrassed, so she changed the subject: "Master Daoist, I did gain something from my successful transformation this time."

"Oh?" The Taoist was indeed curious.

Sister Hu chuckled and held out her hand, saying, "Please take a look, Daoist Master!"

A wisp of green mist drifted out from her sleeve, transforming in the air into a spirit fox, head held high and hooves kicking, lifelike and vivid.

Then, the fox curled up, its eyes gleaming, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing, sometimes large, sometimes small, running and pausing, more vivid than the 3D movies the Taoist had seen in his previous life.

The Taoist clapped his hands and laughed, about to praise the wonder of the transformation, when he saw Sister Hu flick her wrist, and the spirit fox leaped down from the sky, suddenly splitting into three, turning into three miniature foxes.

Seeing the man and the fox so engrossed in watching, Sister Hu felt smug. She opened her mouth and blew, and the three miniature foxes instantly transformed into three little Taoist boys.

These three young Taoist boys looked to be only seven or eight years old. They all looked very much like Sister Hu, but one had inherited her charm, one her beauty, and one her allure. Each of them was unique and had their own innocence, yet they were also lively, clever, and adorable...

Sister Hu smiled and said, "Master Daoist, may I add three more young boys to the temple?"

Her best skill used to be "spitting mist to create illusions," and now that she has successfully transformed into human form, her supernatural powers have greatly increased, and all her talents have been devoted to illusion techniques.

However, from the Taoist's perspective, this illusion technique is extraordinary. When cultivated to its highest level, it is not impossible to create illusions that are indistinguishable from reality and to conceal the secrets of heaven.

"Why not?" the Taoist laughed. "I observe that these three boys have form but no substance. Let me show you my method of creation."

He suddenly turned to the osmanthus tree behind him, bowed deeply, and said, "Brother Osmanthus, please lend me your flowers."

The osmanthus tree also received thunder energy tonight, its vitality greatly increased, and several small flowers bloomed on its branches. Upon hearing the Taoist's words, a gentle breeze blew, the tree trunk trembled, and three petals indeed fell.

He blew on the petals, and they drifted away, landing on the foreheads of the three children.

In a daze, the three boys seemed to have gained some kind of divine inspiration, and suddenly they came to life with flesh and blood.

"The fake Taoist boy has become a real Taoist boy, that's more like it!" The Taoist smiled.

The two worked together seamlessly, and for some reason, they felt a mutual respect for each other. They looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Later that night, the two sat on the mountain and performed rituals, verifying each other's understanding. They both gained something and were very happy.

Little did they know, at this very moment, the entire county town below the mountain was already in an uproar because of that small amount of ill-gotten silver…