The game starts with escaping from the famine and flipping the table

Chapter 998 Qingqiu Ceremony V New Enlightenment of Three Avenues

The dusk was like an overturned inkstone, slowly spreading across the sky in deep indigo, with Qingqiu as its center.

At first, only the pink on the tops of the peach forest had its brightness quietly absorbed. When Su Xiaoya and Bai Ling walked out of the depths of the peach forest, a refined full moon was hanging above their heads.

It is not the hazy silver plate in the human world, but it seems to have been wiped repeatedly by the water of Lingxi River. Even the halo on the edge of the moon is clear blue, illuminating the peach petals all over the mountain like a handful of broken stars. The veins of each petal are glowing with faint silver light. When the wind blows, it seems as if countless tiny moons are dancing on the branches.

Lingxi River winds into a glowing blue ribbon in the distance. The blue light of the river does not come from the moonlight, but from the "Star Sleeping Stone" on the bottom of the water. This mineral is unique to Qingqiu. It absorbs enough sunlight during the day and emits a warm blue at night. Even the water vapor on the surface of the river is wrapped in tiny spots of light, as if the Milky Way was cut into pieces and scattered into the river.

At this time of day in the past, there were always a few fluffy little foxes around the stream, some playing with the water with their claws, and some chasing after the leaves of spiritual herbs in their mouths. But now there was not even a trace of a fox. It seemed that they were called back to the cave by the elders of the tribe to rest, leaving only the gurgling stream flowing over the pebbles at the bottom of the stream.

Occasionally, a few "moon-singing insects" hiding in the cracks of the rocks are startled. The sound of their wings vibrating is weak but crisp. After a few "chirps", they fall silent again, making the tranquility of the night even more profound.

Su Xiaoya walked on a path covered with peach petals. The petals were piled up so thickly that they felt soft when she stepped on them, and even the sound of her footsteps was muffled.

She caught a glimpse of Bai Ling beside her. This little fox, who was usually chirping, now had her head slightly lowered, and her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow in the moonlight.

Su Xiaoya didn't say anything, but just slowed down her pace and kept a distance from Bai Ling.

At this moment, a drop of transparent water slid down from the corner of Bai Ling's eye, rolled down her fair cheek, and dripped onto the fox fur pendant on her chest. The pendant was carved into the shape of a little fox using the "warm jade" specialty of Qingqiu. The water drop fell on it, but did not disperse immediately. Instead, it condensed for a moment before slowly seeping into the jade.

Su Xiaoya paused slightly.

She is a cultivator in the Mahayana stage, and her five senses are sharp enough to catch the trajectory of dust in the wind, let alone a teardrop falling before her eyes?

Bai Ling had already shed a tear just now in the warehouse, and she didn't expect to shed another one now.

But she didn't point it out, and didn't even linger on his gaze.

Just now in the depths of the peach forest, when the two talked about the "Nine-Tailed Order", Bai Ling's voice was obviously weaker, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the fabric of her cuffs - how could Su Xiaoya not understand?

Since this "Nine-Tailed Order" is the token of the Qingqiu clan leader, its use is certainly not as simple as it seems. It may have to endure backlash or pay a price. Bai Ling is unwilling to say it, simply because she doesn't want to make her worry, or perhaps there are secrets of the fox clan behind it that are not convenient to tell outsiders.

Su Xiaoya has never been one to like to poke holes in others. She feels that sometimes silence is more powerful than questioning. Silent companionship is like the water of Lingxi River, which seems calm but can quietly soothe people's hearts.

She raised her hand to brush away a peach petal that had fallen on Bai Ling's shoulder. Her fingertips accidentally touched Bai Ling's sleeve, and she felt her arm was a little cold under the fabric. She thought it was because she had caught a cold from crying just now.

Su Xiaoya calmly circulated the "power of the wood element" in her body. A very faint warmth flowed through her fingertips and passed along the peach petals to Bai Ling's shoulders. The warmth was very light, like the first breeze in spring, which would not be noticed but could quietly dispel the cold.

This was a touch of the Great Way of Wood that Su Xiaoya had once experienced while in the green peach blossom forest. Now that she had tried it out, she had surprisingly found quite a positive effect.

At this moment, there was a slight sound of footsteps coming from the front, accompanied by the crisp sound of magic weapons colliding.

Su Xiaoya looked up and saw several fox monks walking towards the fork in the road not far away. They were wearing Qingqiu's patrol uniforms - ink-colored tights with silver fox patterns embroidered on the cuffs and trouser legs. They had short knives made of "black iron" hanging around their waists, and small fox bells on the handles.

The leading cultivator held a "spiritual mirror" in his hand, with a faint white light on the mirror surface. He was slowly scanning the surrounding peach forest. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and he did not even let go of the moon-singing insects hidden in the branches. The cultivators behind him were also alert, patrolling along the path with steady steps. Every few steps, they would use spiritual power to knock on the peach tree beside them - that was the secret signal of the fox clan patrol. If there was a foreign object hidden in the tree, the sound of the spiritual power collision would change.

"Fellow Daoist Su, Princess Bai Ling." The leading cultivator saw the two and his vigilance eased slightly. He stopped and bowed to Su Xiaoya and Bai Ling, his tone respectful yet serious.

"Patrols have been stepped up outside Qingqiu after nightfall. If you two wish to return to your residence, please take the main road. If you encounter any unusual activity, ring the communication bell at your waist and we will come immediately."

Su Xiaoya nodded in agreement and watched the patrolling monks walk away before she looked away.

She took a deep breath. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms and the freshness of Lingxi River, but she seemed to catch a very faint fishy smell at the tip of her nose - that was the scent left by the mermaid when she escaped. Although most of it had been blown away by the wind, it still allowed her to keenly sense the remnants of danger.

Su Xiaoya tightly grasped the "Evil-Breaking Sword" hidden in her sleeve, and the runes on the scabbard glowed with a faint golden light under the moonlight.

She knew that the mermaid would never give up.

As a powerful member of the Sea Clan, that guy had sneaked into Qingqiu with unknown purposes. Now that she had forced him to retreat, he would definitely look for an opportunity to come back and cause trouble again.

What's more, the Evil God Temple is still lurking in unknown areas. They have probably coveted Qingqiu's "Nine-Tailed Order" for a long time. Maybe they have spies hiding in the dark, watching the direction of the Nine-Tailed Platform...

And Bai Yiyi, the fox clan member who always dressed as an old man with a white beard, is now going to take over the position of clan leader and holding the Nine-tailed Order. He will inevitably become the target of various forces - he is Su Xiaoya's partner and the hope of Qingqiu. Su Xiaoya must not let him fall into danger.

"Haha! It's not a big deal." Su Xiaoya chuckled in her heart, and felt that the spiritual power in her body began to become restless.

She suddenly remembered the "Popeye" cartoon she had seen in her previous life. Those sailors would become extremely strong after eating spinach. At this moment, she was like Popeye who had eaten "spinach", and her whole body was full of fighting spirit.

She looked up at the Jiuwei Terrace in the distance. The high platform was built with "Xuanyu Rock", a specialty of Qingqiu. It was glowing with a faint green light under the moonlight, like a barrier protecting Qingqiu.

The moonlight fell on Su Xiaoya's face, and her originally tense expression gradually relaxed.

The peach forest beside her was quiet, the spiritual stream in the distance was gurgling, and the calls of moon insects could be heard occasionally. These scenes seemed to have magical power, slowly calming her heart.

She suddenly felt that many things were not that scary. As long as she and the people around her were strong enough, and as long as they were willing to fight side by side, no matter how big the danger was, it could be nipped in the bud - just like the water in Lingxi River, which could wash away the mud and sand at the bottom of the river and smooth out the wrinkles on the shore.

"Guixu..." Su Xiaoya whispered these two words, with a hint of fighting spirit in her eyes.

Guixu is one of the most mysterious areas on Qingyuan Star. Legend has it that it contains the inheritance of ancient times, and there are also legends that it is the place where immortals practice.

In fact, there are countless dangers hidden in Guixu.

The bronze coffin, the demon, and the seal were all things Su Xiaoya had experienced personally.

Before, she was still hesitating about when to go out and try again, but at this moment, looking at the peaceful Qingqiu in front of her and thinking about the crises she might face in the future, she suddenly made up her mind - after the Qingqiu Ceremony, she would go to Guixu and try her luck seriously.

This time, I will never turn back until I have a thorough understanding of Guixu.

Su Xiaoya knew that the current calm was only temporary.

The mermaid's escape was only a temporary solution. The lurking presence of the Evil God Temple was even more of a hidden danger. And then there was the rumored demon god and the bronze coffin...

These are like sharp swords hanging over Qingyuan Star, and they may fall down one day.

In the future, the East China Sea, and even the entire Qingyuan Star, may face a huge crisis.

But she was not afraid. Instead, she felt the blood in her body boiling - didn't she travel to this world just to protect the people she wanted to protect and to kill those "villains" who destroyed the peace?

At this moment, the three great powers in Su Xiaoya's body suddenly began to flow quietly.

The warmth of the Wood Avenue, the sharpness of the Gold Avenue, and the gentleness of the Water Avenue, the three forces slowly flowed through her meridians, like three intertwined streams, and finally converged at her dantian, turning into a warm force that spread along the meridians to her limbs and bones.

Ugh! How come I suddenly comprehended two more great ways?

Sure enough, a clear mind is the shortcut to understanding the great truth.

A faint halo appeared on her fingertips, and even her eyes became clearer. Her mood, which was originally heavy due to thinking about the crisis, seemed to be washed away by the moonlight, leaving only determination and calmness.

The two continued walking forward, and before long, they saw the fox tribe's residential area not far away.

It was a wooden house built with "spiritual wood". The roof was covered with thick thatch, and many small fox lanterns were decorated on the thatch. The wicks were made of the wings of "moon-singing insects". When lit, they would emit warm yellow light, making the wooden house warm and bright.

Perhaps it was because she saw the warm little house, or perhaps it was because Bai Ling finally adjusted her mood and remembered her mission as a "tour guide", at this moment she regained her former liveliness.

Pulling on Su Xiaoya's sleeve, Bai Ling chattered about the proceedings of the ceremony: "Sister Su, we must gather by the Spiritual Creek before dawn tomorrow. We must watch the clan leader wash his hands, and then we will go to Jiuweitai together... Oh, and there will be a 'Spirit Offering Ceremony' at the ceremony. The clan elders will present their most precious spiritual objects to the new clan leader. I heard that this year there will be 'Sea Pearls' sent by the Sea Clan!"

Su Xiaoya looked at the light that had rekindled in Bai Ling's eyes, listened to her clear voice, and couldn't help but curl up a warm smile at the corner of her mouth.

She raised her hand and ruffled Bai Ling's hair, then nodded with a smile: "Okay, let's go together early tomorrow, just in time to see how lively the Qingqiu ceremony is."

Bai Ling nodded vigorously, took Su Xiaoya's hand and walked quickly towards the wooden house. The moonlight stretched the shadows of the two people very long, falling on the path covered with peach petals, swaying gently with their footsteps, like two little foxes walking side by side, quietly outlining a warm outline in this quiet night.

The next day.

Before dawn, Qingqiu was already enveloped in flowing light.

The first to awaken were the "Sichen Monks" of the Fox Clan. They stood on the top of the Jiuwei Terrace holding "solar gauges". When the first ray of morning light was still hidden behind the clouds in the east, they rang the "Awakening Bell" of Qingqiu - the bell was made of "black copper" from ancient times and hung on the "Star-Watching Tree" next to the Jiuwei Terrace. The sound of the bell was rich but not harsh, like a call from ancient times, passing through the peach forest and spreading to every corner of Qingqiu.

Uh!

Is this military training?

Su Xiaoya was completely confused. She didn’t expect that the fox tribe had the rule of “blowing the whistle” to wake up?

Do as the locals do.

Su Xiaoya immediately got up and went out to meet Bai Ling.

That night, Su Xiaoya slept exceptionally soundly and comfortably, her entire mind being well relaxed, so she was in exceptionally good spirits today.

When Su Xiaoya followed Bai Ling to the Lingxi River, the bank was already full of fox monks.

Most of them wore robes with cloud patterns, and the colors of the robes were different - young monks wore light pink, middle-aged monks wore lavender, and old monks wore dark blue.