Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person.

Chapter 12 Life and Death, and the Control of Spirits

As the threads of fate pulled, the golden treasure slip emitted a hazy glow, and for the first time, the magic that returned to Chen Ruoan branched out.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Ruoan discovered that the first option could quickly grant him a human form, but the price was that he would have to abandon his fox body and live and cultivate as a spirit.

It seems similar to the "corpse liberation" practiced in human cultivation.

The superior person ascends to the heavens and is called a celestial immortal; the average person travels to famous mountains and is called an earth immortal; the inferior person dies first and then sheds their skin and is called a corpse-dissolving immortal.

If the Great Dao can be achieved, "corpse liberation" is considered one of the lowest grades among the methods of becoming an immortal. The cultivation method of foxes that abandon their physical bodies is almost the same.

Having both body and life is the complete form of life. If one is lacking, no matter how fast one cultivates, it is probably difficult to achieve perfection in the end.

Moreover, for elves, there exists a method in this world that is almost like poison—

One of the "Eight Extraordinary Skills" is "Spirit Binding and General Command"!

The ability to bind spirits and command generals allows one to exploit the incompleteness of a spirit's life, find its hidden weaknesses, and use these weaknesses to make the spirit obey unconditionally.

Regardless of the sorcerer's cultivation level or the strength of the spirit itself, as long as the spirit is released in front of the "Spirit Binding and Commanding" technique, the Spirit Binding technique can forcibly snatch the spirit from the sorcerer's hands, ignoring the spirit's will and forcibly making it obey.

If Chen Ruoan chooses the cultivation method commonly used by elves today, it means that if he encounters "Spirit Binding and Commanding" in the future, he will have no room for resistance.

We, the spirits, have cultivated for a hundred years to attain human form, only to end up as playthings in the hands of wizards, at their beck and call?

This kind of thing...

Chen Ruoan decisively chose the second option.

The other method outlined in the precious document is to continue cultivating based on the fox form.

Foxes can condense a bright white pill in their dantian by absorbing incense and drinking moonlight. Afterward, they can shed their greed, anger, and wildness, allowing the pill to generate flesh and blood and spiritual energy, thus laying a solid foundation for their transformation into human form.

Once the foundation is laid, the next step is to learn "how to be a person".

Eat grains instead of raw meat, follow the natural rhythm of day and night instead of being nocturnal, learn the intonation and rhythm of human speech, and discern right from wrong in human relationships...

Over time, the fox's body will naturally show signs of "understanding human ways".

···

As Chen Ruoan pondered the information revealed on the precious document, he discovered that the second method was extremely difficult for ordinary foxes, but for him, it was a smooth path that came at just the right time.

Although he was an unknown little fox, he still had the support of nearly a hundred people in Jinxi Village. Not to mention the scholars, even if they degraded themselves to cattle or horses, they could not change the fact that they were human in their previous life.

When it comes to experience in life, Chen Ruoan is far more knowledgeable than any of those cunning foxes.

Continuing on, you'll find the "Moon Worship Method," a reward from the Wishing Tree, which teaches foxes to worship the moon in order to absorb its essence and better cultivate themselves.

In this way, Chen Ruoan lacked nothing in terms of the prerequisites of becoming a human being and understanding human nature.

Thanks.

Chen Ruoan tried to return to his senses, but the thread of the wishing tree hooked onto the fox's tail, and the treasure tablet, which was now suspended in mid-air, flashed frequently, as if reminding him of something.

"You mean I've already used up my future good karma, so when we meet again in the future, I must be extremely careful and sincere in my dealings with people and things?"

The watchful scroll on the branch stopped flashing.

It has a bit of a "loan-based spiritual practice" feel to it...

I don't think the wishing tree has any interest or anything like that, right?

Chen Ruoan regained her composure, opened her narrow fox eyes, and exhaled a breath of foxfire to clear the stagnant air in the cave.

With the oppressive gloom gone, the babies in the bamboo basket gradually calmed down. Perhaps they were tired from crying, because they huddled together and fell asleep.

Chen Ruoan greeted Zhang Zhiwei outside the cave entrance, and the Taoist priest lifted the green vines and entered, protecting the bamboo basket with golden light, and then holding it high above his head.

Alone, the fox and the man returned to Andong City in such a flamboyant manner.

In front of the Xu family mansion, the police officers who came to handle the case chatted briefly before leaving, seemingly too busy to care about this trivial case of a missing baby.

Madam Xu, holding her son, knelt down to express her gratitude. The entire mansion still retained feudal remnants; when the master of the house knelt, the maids and servants would also kneel down with a "thump," creating a spectacular scene.

"Go and fetch some money for the Taoist priest, and have the kitchen prepare some good food to properly thank the Taoist priest and the fox spirit," Madam Xu instructed those behind her.

“You should get up first. I feel quite uncomfortable kneeling here,” Zhang Zhiwei said.

"Thank you, Daoist Master."

Madam Xu wanted to go to the hospital with some people to check on the child's condition, so she sent her servants to entertain the two benefactors.

A banquet was set up in the main room, with plenty of fish and meat.

As Zhang Zhiwei ate, he started chatting again: "An Fox, to be honest, when Madam Xu mentioned money, I was actually secretly pleased for such a trivial matter."

"After a journey through the mortal world, one becomes worldly."

Chen Ruoan tore at a chicken leg with her sharp beak, paying no attention to anything else. She had been eating very little bird eggs and grasshoppers these past few days, and she simply couldn't resist the temptation of the delicious food.

Zhang Zhiwei said to himself, "Speaking of which, I thought you hated being held, but you seem quite close to Madam Xu."

"Could it be that you, you fox, have a penchant for women?"

Ok?

Chen Ruoan had no intention of speaking, but her words completely violated the fox's right to reputation.

"I'll say it again, I am male."

Sometimes, the taboo against physical contact between men is more important than that between men and women.

It wasn't that Chen Ruoan was being pretentious, but the thought of nestling in the arms of some grown man gave her the illusion of filming a Sichuan opera.

Besides, a martial artist's chest is thick and hard, which is nowhere near as soft and fragrant as a noblewoman's.

This has absolutely nothing to do with whether it's erotic or not.

Zhang Zhiwei stopped talking and quietly ate his meal. After he had finished eating, he noticed the altar set up in a corner of the main room.

"Will you erect a memorial tablet at the Xu family mansion?"

Chen Ruoan thought about it and decided against it.

"why?"

"Cooperating with a powerful family is never as reassuring as dealing with honest and simple farmers. What we need the Xu family to do this time is nothing more than to gain fame. But if you and I parade around in public, our deeds will be spread by the storytellers on Tianqiao in a few days."

"so···"

"I'm full, it's time to get going."

"Aren't you going to wait for Madam Xu to return?"

"Do you really think I'm some kind of lecherous vixen?"

Even if she were a lecherous fox, she wouldn't be one with the spirit of the Jian'an era, the legacy of Cao Cao, or the demeanor of a ruthless hero!

Chen Ruoan got up and left, and Zhang Zhiwei, ignoring the well-intentioned advice of the Xu family servants, also left the mansion.

Pedestrians hurried along the cobblestone street, and occasionally armed groups would pass through the crowd, as if a battle was about to break out somewhere.

With the political situation turbulent and local officials changing several times a year, it's no wonder that the police officers are not paying much attention to some cases. No matter how neat and determined the marching troops are, they can't figure out the unknown road ahead.

"Taoist priest, how many bullets can you catch?" Chen Ruoan stared at the gun on the soldier's back and suddenly asked.

Zhang Zhiwei, with his hands in his sleeves, replied, "Are you kidding me?"

This fox always manages to ask some strange questions. What kind of eccentric would practice catching bullets with their bare hands when they have nothing better to do?

Chapter 13 Mysterious Fox Worships the Moon

As the team assembling the guns drove far away, Chen Ruoan withdrew his gaze, but his wandering thoughts did not follow.

The confrontation between superhumans and modern technology, especially the battle between Zhang Zhiwei and the Dongfeng missile, has always been a topic of great interest to fans of the original manga.

With the superior weaponry of later generations, it wouldn't be surprising at all that the extraordinary individuals were riddled with bullets in a hail of bullets.

But now it was the Republic of China era, and local warlords generally used the Hanyang Type 88 rifle, which had an outdated design, poor ejection, and could penetrate a 6mm steel plate at 100 meters.

Beyond 100 meters, its penetrating power decreases significantly, and it can only penetrate wooden boards or some thin earthen walls.

By maintaining a certain distance, Zhang Zhiwei's protective golden light should be able to traverse through the hail of bullets for a period of time.

"An Fox, what wicked idea are you hatching?"

Perhaps Zhang Zhiwei, who was imagining himself crossing a fire line, was tired, so the real Zhang Zhiwei began to express his dissatisfaction.

Chen Ruoan shook his head and continued walking towards the northeast exit of the city.

Standing atop the weathered city wall, gazing into the distance, the fox began to plan its path forward—

After leaving Andong, we traveled for a while to reach Tongcheng, then passed through Hefei, traversed the entire Anhui province, and arrived in Shandong.

"Taoist, you travel wherever fate dictates. In that case, why not go to Mount Tai in Shandong?"

"Mount Tai?"

"Yes."

Mount Tai has the Mount Tai Taoist Temple, which is known as "the ancestor of all mountains, the progenitor of the Five Sacred Mountains, the god of heaven and earth, and the abode of the spirits". It is the second minor grotto-heaven, one of the thirty-six grotto-heavens of Taoism.

Zhang Zhiwei guessed what the fox was thinking.

The belief in fox spirits is strong in Shandong, and the Taoist temples on Mount Tai even enshrine a female immortal deity, Bixia Yuanjun, the Jade Maiden of Mount Tai, also known as the Goddess of Mount Tai.

Legend has it that the Goddess of Mount Tai governs all foxes in the world. If a fox wants to cultivate into an immortal, it must pass her strict examination. Only those who pass can obtain the title of immortal and become a "fox immortal".

Those who are unqualified, without official positions, can barely be considered second-rate "wild fox spirits".

"Are you trying to curry favor with the Holy Mother Bixia Yuanjun of Mount Tai?"

The fox nodded.

Who knows if gods and immortals exist in this world? But there is no doubt that shamans who cultivate "divine masks" can steal the faith of gods. If they really happen to encounter a god appearing, it would be good to cling to the leg of the Goddess of Mount Tai.

Mount Tai, a place of great virtue of heaven and earth, and a place where emperors soared to great heights.

If Chen Ruoan could choose a place in Mount Tai for cultivation, he wouldn't need to travel a long way to Changbai Mountain.

"Going to the Taoist temple on Mount Tai to exchange ideas and discuss Taoism seems like a good idea."

Traveling from Andong in Anhui to Mount Tai, even with the fastest pace, takes only about a month.