Bai Shuo's eyes fluttered open.
She squinted, adjusting to the darkness of the cave. The pounding headache that had plagued her earlier had subsided, leaving behind only a faint, lingering throb.
She must have fallen asleep.
Tch… what a weak body.
Her gaze drifted toward the fire crackling at the center of the cave, its warm glow illuminating the rocky walls.
It was night.
Only then did she realize—night in the Primordial Abyss was completely different from night in the human realm.
During the day, the Primordial Abyss looked no different from the Human World. Dense forests thrummed with exuberant life, filled with an overwhelming vitality.
The only distinction was the energy.
The Human Realm was saturated with spiritual qi.
The Primordial Abyss, however, was filled with primal qi.
But nighttime was a different story altogether.
Two Crimson Moons hung high in the sky.
Their blood-red light seeped through the cracks in the cave, casting an eerie glow across the forest beyond.
Everything was unnervingly quiet.
No chirping insects.
No nocturnal birds.
No rustling leaves.
Absolute silence.
And yet, a fire burned openly within the cave.
In the Human Realm, lighting a fire in the middle of a forest at night was tantamount to courting death. It was an open invitation for spiritual beasts to feast.
But this was the Primordial Abyss.
There were no wild spiritual beasts roaming freely here.
Unlike the human territories—where borders between cultivators and beasts were blurred—the demon realm within the Primordial Abyss was a domain of its own.
There were no beast tides.
No constant battles over resources.
Powerful demons even ventured into the human realm to capture spiritual beasts and tame them as mounts.
To human cultivators, most spiritual beasts,barring those with rare bloodlines that had gained sentience,were nothing more than walking resources.
But demons were different.
At least, that was what humans called them.
Demons.
The so-called demons believed themselves to be the Ancestral Clans.
And humans couldn't even refute it.
They were favored by the heavens—born with strong bloodlines, long lifespans, and terrifying physiques.
Even without active cultivation, they could still advance, albeit slowly.
In battles within the same realm, they were nearly undefeatable.
No wonder humans call them demons.
Heaven is been blatantly unfair.
Heaven's darling. Tch.
Unlike spiritual beasts that relied solely on brute force, demons possessed unique techniques, just like humans.
Through the flickering firelight, Bai Shuo saw the Tushan sisters seated in meditation. They had changed into fresh clothes, even Tushan Xin's bloodstained garments were gone.
Then—
Rumble.
Fox Bai Shuo froze, staring dazedly at her stomach.
…What?
Before she could process it, a sharp pang twisted in her belly again.
Hunger.
Her fox ears twitched as she slowly lifted her head.
The Tushan sisters were staring at her blankly.
"Pfft…"
A clear, melodious laugh broke the awkward silence.
Tushan Lin covered her lips, though the amusement in her curved eyes was impossible to hide.
"Have you forgotten?" she said gently. "You're injured—and in your fox form. Your body needs more spiritual energy than usual."
Realization dawned on the others.
"Don't worry," Tushan Lin continued. "I accounted for that and prepared something for you."
Tushan Xin turned toward her, eyes shining with admiration.
"Sister Lin is still the most meticulous."
This is so embarrassing…
When was the last time Bai Shuo had felt hunger?
As a high-level cultivator in her previous life, she had long transcended the need for food. Eating had merely been for taste—or ceremony.
She lowered her gaze to her small fox body.
The fragility of this body is so humiliating …
Alive or not, she wasn't sure whether reincarnating into this fragile form was a blessing or a curse.
Tushan Lin retrieved a plate of glistening crimson berries from a silk pouch. Their sweet fragrance filled the cave, and Bai Shuo's fox nose twitched involuntarily.
She stared at the plate hesitantly.
How was she even supposed to eat like this?
"Just eat," Tushan Lin coaxed softly. "I knew you'd be hungry. They contain moon dew essence—excellent for your recovery."
Reluctantly, Bai Shuo nibbled at a berry. Juice burst across her tongue, sweetness flooding her senses.
A gentle warmth spread through her body, soothing her meridians as the hunger slowly melted away.
She tried to maintain some dignity.
Unfortunately, her tiny sounds of enjoyment betrayed her.
Tushan Xin chuckled.
Bai Shuo shot her a sharp glare.
This is all because of this fox body.
Yes. That had to be the reason.
"So…" Bai Shuo finally spoke, fixing her gaze on her so-called best friend.
"What happened?"
"We were attacked."
The answer came from Tushan Lin, not Tushan Xin.
"Of course we were attacked" Bai Shuo thought irritably. "I'm injured, not blind."
Tushan Xin clenched her fists, fury flashing in her eyes.
"It must've been those ugly wolves!"
Tushan Hui sneered. "Obviously. The wolf clan doesn't have any geniuses capable of entering the Qingyu Competition, so they wanted to cripple our clan's candidate."
The Qingyu Competition?
Bai Shuo frowned inwardly.
The fox clan was a major power in the Primordial Abyss. Why would the wolf clan dare provoke them?
But she couldn't ask directly—not while pretending to have lost her memories.
Instead, she raised a brow.
"Qingyu Competition?"
"Yes," Tushan Xin said, lifting Bai Shuo into her arms. Bai Shuo wanted to protest.
Please little girl can you not carry her like that,it's staining her dignity okay.
She was however stunned by her next words.
"The Qingyu Competition is an internal contest among the Ancestral Clans. It selects promising seeds to be trained by the Ancestral Princes for the upcoming Battlefield Tournament."
"Upcoming?" Bai Shuo echoed.
"Yes! In ten years!"
Tushan Xin paused, then hurriedly added, "Oh—right. You don't remember. The battlefield tournament determines the slots for entering the Ancient Battlefield Realm. It's between the Human Realm and the Primordial Abyss."
Bai Shuo's mind went blank.
Battlefield Tournament.
Of course she knew it.
In her previous life,she was the most talented genius of the Lingli sect. No,even across the whole human realm,it was hard to find a match amongst her peers.
She had the highest hope of representing the human realm in the soul transformation stage.
The Ancient Battlefield Realm is a secret realm that opens every thousand years and only have 100 slots of entry. After the human realm and the Ancestral clans made a peaceful pact ,they started using the Battlefield Tournament to determine the slots.
The Ancient Battlefield Realm is divided into three battlefield for three different realms.
Nascent Soul realm battlefield.
Soul transformation realm battlefield.
And Dao and Law realm battlefield .
The Ancient Realm also places an age restriction.
Now that's where the problem lies.
In her previous life,there was still 50 years before the tournament . She was confident of advancing to the Dao and Law Realm as she was at the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm at a very young age of 150 years.
But now…only ten years is remaining to the competition.
Bai Shuo was so agitated."How's that possible? How..how could it be? Forty years has passed already?"
Tushan Xin's voice rang out again,now shy and bashful,oblivious to her internal thoughts.
" Even if we don't succeed in the Qingyu Competition, if the Ancestral princes can notice us,it will be a great credit to our clan."
Bai Shuo felt dizzy but she still asked "Then is it a thousand years already?"
"Yes."
Her heart sank.
Forty years.
Mo Xuan must have grown terrifyingly strong. His talent was not less than hers.
And Bai Yu.
Her Spiritual Root was upgraded by Mo Xuan with a divine herb,she would be stronger too.
How could she get her revenge while her enemies are so strong and she's stuck in this weak body.
"You should rest," Tushan Lin said softly, noticing her agitation. "You're still injured."
But Tushan Hui scoffed.
"What are you excited about? A mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator like you wouldn't survive the Qingyu Competition, let alone the Battlefield Tournament."
Tushan Xin exploded.
"You—! What's so great about you? You only just reached the Nascent Soul Realm!"
"Hah. Then try catching up."
"You…"
The world spun.
Sounds faded.
Before Bai Shuo could ask anything else, darkness swallowed her whole.
Tushan Xin stared at the limp fox in her arms, worry creasing her brows.
"Sister Fei… Sister Lin… is she alright?"
"She's just exhausted," Tushan Lin replied softly. "The moon dew essence is already taking effect."
Tushan Xin let out a small sigh of relief.
But Tushan Lin did not look away.
Her gaze lingered on the unconscious fox for a moment longer, sharp and thoughtful.
The agitation earlier—the way Bai Shuo had reacted upon hearing about the Battlefield Tournament, it hadn't been normal.
Not for a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator that supposedly lost her memories.
Tushan Lin's brows furrowed slightly.
Under the twin Crimson Moons, Bai Shou lay quietly in Tushan Xin's arms, her breathing shallow but steady.
"Did she really lose her memories?" She muttered softly under her breath.