Chapter 1167: The Past of the Celestial Fox Clan

"Daoist Liqima, it seems your identity is far from simple! Back then, we parted ways, and you said you wouldn't come to your Savage Wastes domain. Yet, after all these twists and turns, you've ended up here after all." Han Li smiled and cupped his fist in salute.

"The reason I left you the Transformation Feather Scale back then was that I thought someday when you came to the Savage Wastes, it would come in handy. Now it seems my intuition was right. Daoist Han, you are fated to be connected with our Savage Wastes." Liqima laughed heartily.

"Speaking of the Transformation Feather Scale, it doesn't seem to be very useful. When I took it out just now, I was falsely accused of having a fake, and I nearly became a shameless fraudster, attacked by everyone." Han Li glanced at Qingdian and said meaningfully.

Liqima frowned slightly upon hearing this, then smiled and said, "I think there must be some misunderstanding in this. What do you think, Daoist Qingdian?"

"The Young Master is right. It's all... all a misunderstanding." Qingdian, holding his cheek where the broken tusk had been, said hurriedly.

"Since it's a misunderstanding, now that it's cleared up, it's fine. You should go retrieve your broken tusk first. Your clan's ancestor should have a way to remedy it." Liqima said with a smile.

"Yes." A trace of unwillingness flashed in Qingdian's eyes as he replied.

Then, he turned and went to the city wall, pulled out his broken tusk, and left.

"Back then, I invited you to come, but you didn't agree. Today, you've come on your own initiative, so there must be something you need. If there's anything I can help with, please speak frankly, and don't stand on ceremony." Liqima withdrew his gaze and said to Han Li.

Han Li hesitated for a moment, then told Liqima about Xiao Bai.

Upon hearing this, Liqima's expression changed slightly, his eyes full of surprise and excitement. He said emotionally, "He actually possesses the bloodline of the Ink-Eyed Pixiu... If that's really the case, saving him wouldn't mean you owe us a favor, but rather that our Savage Wastes owe you a great debt of gratitude."

"Xiao Bai and I share an extraordinary bond. As long as he can be saved, that's all that matters. Favors and debts are trivial." Han Li's gaze sharpened as he said solemnly.

"Good, good, good... In that case, Daoist Han, come with me into the city immediately. I'll take you to the Eight Desolations Mountain to meet the True Spirit King." Liqima thought for a moment and said.

Han Li, however, seemed hesitant.

"What's the matter, Daoist Han? Do you have any other concerns?" Liqima asked.

"Meeting the True Spirit King is no small matter. I've come here travel-worn, and today I've caused such a commotion at the town's desolate city gate. I'm really a bit flustered. How about we go another day?" Han Li said with a smile, noncommittally.

"That's fine. Then you can stay at my residence first. When you're ready, I'll take you to meet the True Spirit King." Liqima sensed the reluctance in Han Li's words and said.

"Young Master, my brother and I have been reunited after a long separation. I've already invited him to our Celestial Fox clan." At this moment, Liu Le'er, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up.

"Kid, you're even an old acquaintance of the Celestial Fox clan's fairy. Quite the romantic fortune you have..." Liqima looked at Han Li in surprise, first laughing heartily, then lowering his voice and whispering.

"Daoist, you misunderstand. We're just..."

Before Han Li could finish, Liqima waved his hand to interrupt him and gave him a look that said, 'I understand everything, no need to explain.'

Han Li could only feel helpless, while Liu Le'er covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"By the way, the Silver-Horned Rhinoceros and Cloud-Striped Tiger tribes, though they are remote and small, were the ones who first discovered Xiao Bai and escorted us all the way here. They have both merit and toil..." Han Li pointed to the convoy behind and said.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of their arrangements. They won't lack for tribal territories and resource privileges in the future." Liqima glanced at the distant convoy and smiled.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Han Li cupped his fist slightly and said.

Afterward, he went to give Sangtu and the others some instructions, then had them follow Liqima.

Having gone through the initial ups and downs, the latter now felt a turn of fortune. Knowing that both their tribes were on the verge of rapid advancement, they became even more grateful to Han Li, enduring their pain to kneel and kowtow.

Before parting, Han Li took out the Transformation Feather Scale and handed it to Liqima, saying, "Returning it to its rightful owner."

"Keep it. I'll announce later that this item was personally gifted by me, so such unpleasantness won't happen again in the future." Liqima said with a hint of apology.

Han Li thought for a moment and didn't refuse, putting it away again.

After they had all left, Han Li and Liu Le'er, under the envious gazes of the crowd, slowly walked into the city.

"Brother, why did you just send me a voice transmission to say those things? Aren't you an old acquaintance of the Young Lord? Why refuse his kindness?" Liu Le'er walked beside Han Li, somewhat puzzled.

"Although I know him, I don't know his background thoroughly. Besides, his identity is special, and I suspect his purpose for giving me the Feather-Shedding Scale back then, so naturally I can't fully trust him." Han Li shook his head and said.

He didn't say everything. He was also uneasy about the True Spirit King, and planned to inquire about him after arriving at the Fox Clan, before deciding whether to meet him.

"Brother, by the way, how did you come to know the Young Lord?" Liu Le'er asked again.

"That's a long story... By the way, why do you call him the Young Lord?" Han Li countered.

"He is a descendant of the True Spirit King Bai Ze, so naturally he is our Young Lord. It is said that he wandered outside before and only returned to the Wildlands about a hundred years ago. But upon his return, he was highly valued, and even the clan leader addresses him as Young Lord." Liu Le'er explained.

"I see... I really misjudged him before." Han Li nodded and murmured.

"Brother, over the years, the clan leader has deliberately kept your news from me. But I always found ways to secretly find out. I know you've traveled through many immortal domains and stirred up quite a few big events. I was both worried and truly envious..." Liu Le'er gave a sly smile and said softly.

"There were few times of ease and comfort along the way; more often I was being chased and fleeing for my life. What's there to envy?" Han Li frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled.

"Freedom... Staying in the clan is safe, but it's really boring. Every day besides cultivation, it's just listening to the clan leader's nagging and preaching. I miss the days when we roamed together." Liu Le'er said wistfully.

"If one can have stability, it's better to be stable... Immortal cultivation, cultivating the immortal path, seeking longevity, not a life of wandering and constant fear." Han Li also felt a touch of melancholy and said slowly.

Liu Le'er tilted her head, listening to Han Li's words, and nodded as if she understood but not quite.

Thus, the two chatted as they made their way toward the Fox Clan's settlement.

The orange-red sunset had already dipped below the city walls, and the sky gradually darkened.

...

That night.

Han Li followed Liu Le'er to a tall building at the foot of the Bāhuāng Mountains.

The architecture here was quite different from that black stone city, built with a dark cyan material and entirely different in style, with spirit beast patterns or reliefs visible everywhere.

At the highest point of this cyan building stood a towering white statue of a nine-tailed giant fox, taller than the surrounding structures, its head raised to the sky in a long howl.

Han Li looked at the white nine-tailed giant fox statue, his brow slightly furrowed.

An inexplicably vast aura emanated from the white giant fox statue, suppressing the flow of the many true spirit bloodlines within his body, causing some obstruction.

"Stone brother, this is our Celestial Fox clan's outpost in the Eight Desolate Mountains. This statue is the sacred image of the Celestial Fox Ancestor, containing a trace of the Ancestor's true spirit bloodline. It exerts a suppressive effect on the bloodline power of other races. You should withdraw the true spirit bloodlines within you," Liu Le'er noticed Han Li's change in expression and quickly said.

Upon hearing this, Han Li silently circulated the "Heavenly Execution Prison Suppression Art," withdrawing the other true spirit bloodlines within him, leaving only the Thunder Roc bloodline power, and the feeling of obstruction immediately diminished by more than half.

"Celestial Fox Ancestor? Is he called Liu Qi?" Han Li's expression shifted as he asked.

"Brother, how do you know of Patriarch Liuqi? Even within the Tianhu clan, few now know of his existence?" Liu Le'er asked, a look of surprise appearing on her pretty face.

"I happened to hear about him from someone," Han Li said lightly, his mind stirred by Liu Le'er's expression, but he did not tell her the truth.

"Patriarch Liuqi is not the Tianhu Holy Ancestor. The Holy Ancestor was once one of the eight True Spirit Kings, but later disappeared for no reason. Patriarch Liuqi was a peerless genius of the Tianhu clan in his time, expected to inherit all the bloodline power of the Tianhu Holy Ancestor and become the new Tianhu True Spirit King. Unfortunately, he also disappeared without a trace, and that is why our Tianhu clan has declined to this day." Liu Le'er sighed as she spoke.

Han Li listened to these words with a calm expression, but within his mind, various thoughts raced rapidly.

He had encountered Patriarch Liuqi in the Gray Realm, spent considerable time with Hu San, and seen and heard much.

He had always thought he had a fairly thorough understanding of the Celestial Fox clan, which was why he and Liu Le'er had come to inquire about them. Now it seemed that what he knew was still very one-sided.

"Look at me, why am I telling my brother all this? Come on, I'll take you to meet the clan leader. You've met him before. He is extremely powerful and very kind to the younger generation, but he places great importance on seniority and hierarchy. Brother, if you speak respectfully, you might even gain some fortune." Liu Le'er, seeing Han Li's expressionless face, thought he was uninterested in the Celestial Fox clan's affairs. She immediately changed the subject, winking at him mysteriously.

Han Li's heart stirred, and the image of a middle-aged man in white robes surfaced in his mind—the one who had saved him in the Barbarian Realm but strictly ordered him not to have any further contact with Liu Le'er.

Their encounter back then had not been pleasant, but the man had saved his life, so it was only proper to go pay his respects. Thus, he nodded.