novelapdf Chapter 185 Changes in the North
Chapter 185 Changes in the North
The days of seclusion were long but fulfilling.
Every day, Zhou Ning would place the Heavenly Fox Sword across his lap, sit cross-legged on a boulder in the back mountain, close his eyes, concentrate, and communicate with the Heavenly Fox spirit within the sword.
The morning mist enveloped the pine forest, and dewdrops slid off the pine needles, dripping onto the bluestone slabs with a crisp sound.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting dappled shadows on him.
A mountain breeze caresses the face, carrying the fresh scent of pine resin and the delicate fragrance of distant wildflowers.
He focused his divine sense into the sword. In that blue void, the white fox was still curled up, its fur as white as snow, its tail bushy, and its breathing even.
"Senior," Zhou Ning called out softly using his divine sense.
The white fox's ears twitched, and it slowly opened its eyes.
His amber eyes were clear and deep, as if they could see through all the illusions of the world.
It looked at Zhou Ning, tilted its head, and seemed somewhat curious.
"Human, don't you get tired of coming here every day?"
Zhou Ning smiled slightly: "It's no trouble at all. It's an honor for this disciple to exchange ideas with a senior."
The white fox snorted and said, "You're quite the talker. However, to achieve the state of oneness between man and sword, words alone are not enough."
"You need to share your Daoist heart, sword intent, and insights with me without reservation."
"Me too. Only in this way can we truly trust each other."
Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."
He closed his eyes and recounted his cultivation journey, from becoming a disciple at Lanruo Temple, to eliminating the Painted Skin Demon in Qingshan Town, to defeating the Corpse King in Baihe Village, to slaying the Mountain Demon in Heifeng Village, to fighting Lu Pan in Guobei County, to battling the Black Mountain Demon in the North, to sealing the rift in the South, and to sealing the Demon Cave in the Western Regions.
Every detail, every choice, every moment of life and death was transformed into divine thoughts and transmitted to the white fox.
The white fox listened and watched quietly, without interrupting him.
In its eyes, a hint of surprise would sometimes flash, a hint of approval would sometimes flash, and a hint of heartache would sometimes flash.
When Zhou Ning recounted his bloody battle with the Heavenly Demon's clone in the Northern Wasteland, nearly losing his life, a flash of anger crossed the white fox's eyes.
"The Heavenly Demons... I hate them."
The white fox's voice trembled slightly.
"The ancestors of the Celestial Fox Clan were killed by the Celestial Demon. The reason I was sealed in the sword was to escape the Celestial Demon's pursuit."
Zhou Ning asked, "Senior, what exactly is the grudge between the Celestial Fox Clan and the Celestial Demons?"
The white fox was silent for a moment, then said, "In ancient times, the Celestial Fox Clan was one of the strongest demon clans in the human world."
"Our ancestors once joined forces with the gods and immortals to fight against the demons."
"In that battle, countless warriors of the Sky Fox Clan died, and even the clan chief perished."
"The secret realm of the Celestial Fox Clan was sealed during that great battle in order to contain a strange creature from beyond the heavens."
It paused, then continued, "The reason I'm willing to help you is because the righteous spirit you possess reminds me of the ancestors of the Celestial Fox Clan."
"They are the same; they are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect humanity."
Zhou Ning solemnly replied, "Senior, rest assured, this disciple will certainly not let down the expectations of the Heavenly Fox Clan. This disciple will use the Heavenly Fox Sword to completely annihilate the Heavenly Demon."
The white fox nodded and closed its eyes.
The days passed by.
Zhou Ning and the white fox's communication became increasingly in-depth and their understanding of each other grew stronger.
He no longer needed to deliberately call out to the white fox; he could sense the white fox's consciousness simply by placing his hand on the sword.
The white fox no longer guarded against him and shared her Dao heart, sword intent, and insights with him without reservation.
On this day, Zhou Ning was meditating on the back mountain when he suddenly felt the Heavenly Fox Sword vibrate violently.
He opened his eyes and saw the runes on the sword glow with a dazzling blue light. From the blue gem on the hilt, the white fox stood up and howled to the sky.
Although the sound was silent, Zhou Ning could sense that it contained extremely powerful energy and resonated with his Dao Integration Power.
"The opportunity for man and sword to become one has arrived." Zhou Ning thought to himself.
He closed his eyes and poured all his Dao-merging power into the Heavenly Fox Sword.
Blue light and purple-gold light intertwined, illuminating the entire back mountain as if it were daytime.
He could feel himself becoming one with the Heavenly Fox Sword; the sword was him, and he was the sword.
Man and sword become one, accomplished!
Zhou Ning opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. He stood up, gripped the Heavenly Fox Sword, and gently swung it.
A streak of purple-gold sword energy shot out from the tip of the sword, silently slicing a boulder in the distance in two.
The cut was as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been sliced by a sharp blade, and even the texture of the stone was clearly visible.
Its power is several times stronger than before.
"The unity of man and sword is truly extraordinary." Zhou Ning nodded in satisfaction.
Yan Chixia emerged from the pine forest and stood before him with his hands behind his back.
His gaze fell on the Heavenly Fox Sword, and he nodded slightly.
"You've achieved perfect harmony between man and sword."
"Next, we must wait for the Heavenly Demon to break through the seal once more. That will be the time for your final battle against the Heavenly Demon."
Zhou Ning nodded: "Disciple understands. Master, when will the Heavenly Demon attempt to break the seal again?"
Yan Chixia shook his head: "I don't know. Maybe a few days, maybe a few months. But it won't be long. It can't wait any longer."
He took out a jade talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning. "This is an even stronger 'Supreme Boundary-Breaking Talisman,' which can temporarily open the seal. As always, don't use it unless absolutely necessary."
Zhou Ning accepted the jade talisman and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."
In the days that followed, Zhou Ning cultivated in the back mountain every day to solidify his state of unity with the sword.
He fused the "Demon Slayer Technique" with the sword intent of the Heavenly Fox Sword to create a new sword move.
"Heavenly Fox Demon-Slaying Technique".
This sword strike incorporated all his life's learning, including the last six moves of the Demon-Slaying Sword Technique that he hadn't yet had time to learn. It was extremely powerful, but also consumed a great deal of energy.
With his current cultivation level, he can only use it three times at most.
His cultivation level is also steadily improving.
The initial stage of the Dao Integration realm has been completely stabilized, and the bottleneck in the middle stage of the Dao Integration realm has begun to loosen.
He knew that if he had more time, he could break through to the mid-stage of the Dao Integration Realm.
But he didn't have time.
On this day, he was meditating on the back mountain when he suddenly felt the communication jade talisman in his arms become intensely hot.
He took out the jade talisman and infused it with a wisp of true essence.
Han Wei's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with despair.
"Young Master Zhou, the seal in the North has collapsed, completely collapsed! The Heavenly Demon is about to emerge. Immortal Master Yan led us in resisting a portion of it, but we need manpower now. Immortal Master Yan requests your immediate arrival!"
Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine, put away the jade talisman, and stood up.
He returned to his residence, retrieved the Heavenly Fox Sword and the Azure Edge Sword, packed the talismans, and soared into the sky, speeding northwards.
Han Wei's desperate voice still echoed in his ears from the communication jade talisman, and Zhou Ning had already rushed out of the mountain gate of Lanruo Temple.
The sky over the North has completely changed.
The sky, which was originally just gloomy and gray, was now stained with an eerie dark red, as if it had been soaked in blood.
The clouds hung low, almost pressing down on the treetops, and black lightning bolts occasionally struck through the gaps in the clouds, blasting deep craters into the ground.
The stench in the air was so strong it was suffocating; even a single breath made your internal organs feel like they were churning.