Little Sorcerer, Divine Doctor Chapter 1214 - 41: Legend of the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox
A declaration was made by the Candidate Saintess from Fengdu, causing a wave of shock throughout the assembled crowd.
As the woman emerged, Yun Sheng overheard Hua Yanluo and Qin Yue seething with curses under their breath, identifying her as someone they both knew. The woman revealed herself to be Liu Xueyu, the daughter of Fengdu's Liu Family, currently serving as its head. Furthermore, she held the esteemed position of an elder within the Sky Fox Tribe, thereby elevating the Liu Family to a status of nobility within the tribe.
For an individual of Liu Xueyu's stature, the prospect of merely securing a few coveted upper rooms would hardly seem significant.
Her agreement to Cangdu's wager was twofold: to humiliate the ragtag Candidate Saintesses from Cangdu and to pursue a more personal objective.
"Liu Xueyu, what is the meaning of this?" Hua Yanluo demanded, her gaze fixed on the woman. The presence of this 'foxy girl' seemed to steal the spotlight that was rightfully hers.
"Are you deaf? I've stated my intentions quite clearly. The competition may proceed, but we must augment the stakes. In addition to forfeiting the upper rooms, another wager must be presented. To demonstrate our sincerity, Fengdu will provide this additional stake, and my wager shall be a form of Sky Fox inheritance." Liu Xueyu directed her words towards Hua Yanluo and Qin Yue, completely disregarding Yun Sheng.
A form of Sky Fox inheritance?
From her inconspicuous corner seat, Yun Sheng's attention was instantly captured by the mention of Liu Xueyu's proposed wager.
This was the very first time she had ever heard of a Sky Fox inheritance being offered as a stake in a competition.
Liu Xueyu's audacious proposal ignited even greater astonishment among the onlookers.
However, the expressions of those around her hinted that everyone, with the sole exception of the bewildered Yun Sheng, was already aware that Sky Fox inheritances could indeed be used in such wagers.
Within the inn's upper chambers, the elder from the Jiuluan Tribe, who had been observing the proceedings with a detached air, stirred subtly upon hearing this revelation.
"To wager a Sky Fox inheritance… if the Candidate Saintesses from Cangdu agree to this, the competition will certainly become far more intriguing. I do wonder what kind of expression Hu Qianqiu will wear when he witnesses these Candidate Saintesses gambling with a Sky Fox inheritance," the elder mused, his earlier disinterest giving way to a flicker of amusement. While he generally found the women's squabbles tiresome, this particular development had piqued his interest.
His aged eyes, which had seemed on the verge of closing, now held a spark of engagement.
"Wouldn't this escalate the situation excessively? After all, the wager is a Sky Fox inheritance. I doubt those women from Cangdu will dare to accept," two of the elder's subordinates voiced their concerns, shaking their heads.
It was clear why the Sky Fox Tribe occupied the lowest rank among the Eight Desolate Beast Clans.
Within the younger generation of the Sky Fox Tribe, covert rivalries and acts of suppression were even more rampant than in the other Seven Desolate Beast Clans.
Every member of the Eight Desolate Beast Clans, particularly the pureblood Sky Foxes, understood the profound importance of the Eight Desolate inheritances.
The sheer number of inheritances an individual possessed directly correlated with their strength as an Eight Desolate descendant; more inheritances meant greater power.
These inheritances could be awakened naturally from birth or acquired through diligent cultivation later in life.
For certain ancient lineages within the Bahuang tribe, these later-acquired inheritances often held even greater value than life itself. They were not readily shared, with opportunities to learn them extended only to a select few exceptionally talented descendants within each family.
The recklessness of these Candidate Saintesses from the Sky Fox Tribe in using such a crucial asset as an inheritance as a public wager was astonishing.
Upon learning that their opponents intended to wager a Sky Fox inheritance, Qin Yue quickly pulled Hua Yanluo aside.
"Sister Hua, I believe we should reconsider. They are all pureblood Sky Foxes. Liu Xueyu, by virtue of her family's standing, speaks so boldly, she must possess a Sky Fox inheritance, and we stand no chance against that." Qin Yue, being of mixed blood and only half a beast, possessed no Sky Fox inheritance herself.
Her subdued tone, however, only served to intensify Hua Yanluo's resolve to win.
"We are at a critical juncture, and to concede now would be even more disgraceful. If we refuse, this entire affair will undoubtedly become a source of ridicule, rendering our participation in the upcoming selections utterly pointless and leaving us to face unending mockery," Hua Yanluo declared, her pride evident.
She clenched her jaw, casting a defiant glance at the smug Candidate Saintesses representing Fengdu.
Hua Yanluo fully grasped the manipulative intent behind Qin Yue's words; Liu Xueyu's intentions were far from benevolent.
Yet, conversely, if Hua Yanluo and her group emerged victorious, they would not only secure the few upper rooms but also gain possession of a new Sky Fox inheritance—an asset of immeasurable value.
Within the Sky Fox Tribe's domain, every family guarded its Sky Fox inheritance as a closely guarded secret, a practice adhered to by both the Hua and Liu families.
Hua Yanluo had not yet disclosed to Qin Yue a prevailing belief among the pureblood Sky Foxes: that the more Sky Fox inheritances a Sky Fox possessed, the more potent they would become. A legend, yet to be definitively proven among the elder generation of Sky Foxes, suggested...
...that if a Sky Fox were to master nine distinct Sky Fox inheritances, they might ascend to become the most powerful Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox in the tribe's recorded history.
In such a scenario, not only the Sky Fox Tribe itself but potentially even the clan leaders of the other Eight Desolate Beast Clans would be unable to match the might of such a Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox.
The notion is largely legendary, though. Historically, even the renowned Hu Yan, acclaimed as the most potent clan leader among the Sky Foxes, supposedly mastered merely eight Sky Fox inheritances, falling a single step short of becoming the ultimate Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox. To acquire nine Sky Fox inheritances is deemed an insurmountable feat. Yet, Hua Yanluo is certain that Liu Xueyu is privy to this very legend. Both women are fueled by the potential advantage of securing an additional Sky Fox inheritance in the impending Sky Fox selection. Thus, after careful consideration, Hua Yanluo resolved to accept Liu Xueyu's amplified wager. Despite her status as a lesser daughter within the Hua Family, her mother's considerable favor ensured her father's clandestine permission to study the Sky Fox inheritance. As Hua Yanluo wavered, Yun Sheng interjected with a question. "Miss Yanluo, are not the Sky Fox inheritances innate abilities? How then can they be offered as a wager?" "Foolishness! While Sky Fox inheritances are innate, there's no rule stating they cannot be memorized or transcribed once obtained. Put simply, a recorded Sky Fox inheritance functions similarly to magical combat skills, enabling mutual teaching. However, acquiring an inheritance is exponentially more arduous than mastering magical combat skills," Hua Yanluo retorted, irritation coloring her tone, not even bothering to see who had spoken. Upon realizing it was Yun Sheng who had posed the query, she cast a sharp, scrutinizing glance. "Why the excessive questioning? Are you perhaps intrigued by the Sky Fox inheritance yourself? Let me be candid with you: an individual like you, who hasn't even reached half the bloodline of a Heavenly Fox, existing as a mere half-beast Fox-man, wouldn't be able to learn a Sky Fox inheritance even if you possessed it," Hua Yanluo stated with palpable vexation. This clueless woman harbors delusions of obtaining a Sky Fox inheritance, oblivious to the fact that she lacks even the basic eligibility to compete, merely a bystander in the unfolding events.