Bai Shuo felt frustrated.
It would have been better if she had reincarnated into trash from the Phoenix Clan rather than the Fox Clan.
At least she understood flames and could adapt. Her current form, however, was simply humiliating.
It was one thing to be injured — but why couldn't she transform back into human form like everyone else? Being stuck in this tiny body was inconvenient, disgraceful, and worst of all… she had to be carried around.
"You…" she had asked her fiancé, glaring up at him. "Do you revert into your cub form every time you're injured?"
He went blank for a moment before replying, "No. Only with serious injuries."
Her eyes had lit up. "Then how do I transform back? My injuries are healed."
She had watched his eyelid twitch — and then he stood up, made an excuse, and ran faster than a rabbit.
He was considerate enough to shove Tushan Xin into the room on his way out.
Naturally, her attempt at eavesdropping failed — the room was protected by a sound-isolation array.
Well, at least she had someone else to ask.
Which led to the current situation.
Both fox girls stared at each other without blinking.
After a long moment, Tushan Xin shifted uncomfortably and said, "Well… I think Sister Lin called me."
Bai Shuo glared, her paws clutching tightly onto Tushan Xin's robes. She growled, "Why can't I turn back into human form?"
Tushan Xin gave up and explained softly, "Some clans can transform at different cultivation stages, but for our clan, it happens at the Foundation Establishment realm."
She hesitated before continuing, "The reason you can't transform is because your Foundation Establishment Pill was assimilated with the help of the Matriarch. Without her or someone at her level , you'll remain in cub form."
Bai Shuo blinked. "Foundation Establishment Pill? What does that have to do with me?"
Tushan Xin sighed. "It's because your cultivation was boosted by one."
Boom.
Bai Shuo felt as if she'd been struck by lightning.
Was the original owner really that trashy?
She'd heard Tushan Hui shouting about a Foundation Establishment Pill before but hadn't understood — until now.
From her bone density, she could roughly judge her current body's age.
And that was what truly shook her.
Foundation Establishment at a thousand years old? And even that was pill-assisted?
That meant without the pill, she'd probably still be stuck at Qi Condensation.
No wonder her cultivation felt unstable.
Bai Shuo felt that heavens were mocking her.
In her previous life, she'd reached Foundation Establishment at twenty — and Soul Transformation at a thousand, becoming the youngest of her generation.
What an irony.
She recalled something her master once said and asked, "Aren't Ancestral Clan members born with Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core cultivation?"
Tushan Xin nearly choked.
She lowered her head to hide an embarrassed smile. "That's only for those with high bloodline purity."
Bai Shuo raised an eyebrow.
Tushan Xin continued gently, "Only those born with high bloodline purity have such qualifications. They advance faster than their peers. In our Fox Clan, bloodline purity is measured by the number of tails present at birth."
Bai Shuo's gaze drifted toward her own single tail.
Tushan Xin noticed and coughed lightly before continuing, "Bloodline purity can increase after reaching the Nascent Soul realm. Some grow additional tails."
"Some?" Bai Shuo echoed. "Not all?"
Tushan Xin nodded. "Like Sister Lin and Sister Fei — both were born with five tails and Golden Core cultivation. But only Sister Fei gained another tail after advancing to Soul Transformation."
She added casually, "Tushan Jiao from the Red Fox faction also grew another tail, but he's no match for Sister Fei."
Bai Shuo felt envious. "Golden Core at birth…"
Then she sighed in relief.
Her master had been right. Golden Core at birth and only reaching Soul Transformation after centuries. They didn't cultivate as fast as humans.
She didn't know their exact ages, but they had to be older than she'd been in her past life, where she'd cultivated from Body Refining upward.
Their strength, however, lay in bloodline.
Bai Shuo wondered just how terrifying the Fox Clan truly was.
"Apart from the Ancestral Fox Prince," Tushan Xin continued, "the highest bloodline purity belongs to the Matriarchs and Supreme Elders. They were born with six tails and now possess eight."
Bai Shuo nodded slowly, curling her tail. "How many people in our clan were born with only one tail?"
Tushan Xin paused, then said softly, "Only you."
Bai Shuo's head drooped slightly.
Her bloodline was the lowest.
Her voice came out quietly. "How many tails did the Ancestral Fox Prince have at birth?"
Tushan Xin blinked, clearly startled by the sudden shift, but still replied, "Two."
Bai Shuo's gaze sharpened. Her blood surged.
So what if she only had one tail?
Cultivation was about defying the heavens. If the Ancestral Fox Prince could rise from two tails — then she could too.
The legendary nine-tailed fox.
That was her goal.
If anyone heard her thoughts, they'd probably vomit blood from sheer contempt.
Bai Shuo nearly fainted from anger when her eyelids suddenly grew heavy.
Not that it mattered — this weak fox body had its own opinions.
She tugged weakly at Tushan Xin's sleeve. "Why is this body so fragile?"
Tushan Xin giggled. "It's normal. A cub's body is always weaker than the human form when injured."
Bai Shuo tried to resist sleep — then failed completely as her eyes shut on their own.
Tushan Xin smiled quietly and closed her eyes to meditate.
*****
Bai Shuo woke with a start — and found herself once again in Tushan Xin's arms.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You're awake?" Tushan Xin's excited voice rang above her. "Elder Su is calling us. We're about to enter the Sacred Ground!"
Bai Shuo frowned. "Wasn't that supposed to be tomorrow?"
"Tsk…" Tushan Xin laughed. "You slept for a long time. It's already a new day."
"Long time?" Bai Shuo was skeptical. It had felt like a short nap.
She didn't argue and instead watched as Tushan Xin hurried into Elder Su's hall.
The room was rowdy. Fox youths were loudly arguing over which faction was stronger.
A White Fox youth shouted, face flushed, "You Red Foxes are all bark and no bite. Our White Fox faction won the clan selection competition!"
The Red Foxes erupted in fury.
A beautiful Red Fox woman snapped back, "What are you proud of? It was a narrow win!"
"A narrow win?" The White Fox youth scoffed. "We didn't even need Sister Fei — Sister Lin alone could defeat your strongest warrior."
Bai Shuo found them childish.
Her gaze swept the room, quickly spotting Tushan Fei and Tushan Lin seated quietly in one corner. Tushan Lin looked amused, while Tushan Fei remained expressionless as ever.
Her eyes met Prince Shao's.
He winked at her shamelessly, flashing a cheeky grin.
She twitched.
Suddenly, the chatter died.
Elder Su had entered.
"Elder Su!" the fox youths greeted excitedly.
He nodded faintly and waved his hand.
"This is a rough map of the Qingyu Palace."
A sheet of pale light unfolded in midair. What first appeared to be a flat diagram abruptly expanded — layers stacking upon layers, folding inward and outward like overlapping heavens.
Gasps rang out among the youth.