After the breakthrough, Bai Heng did not rush to leave.
Her realm was not yet stable.
Especially that newly grown second tail always felt somewhat unruly.
It swayed left and right, as if it possessed its own consciousness.
She stayed in the valley for another half month.
Every day she absorbed the spiritual spring, tempered her demonic power, and guided that cool stream to circulate slowly through her meridians.
The second tail gradually became tamed.
It could now sway gently according to her will, just as freely as the first one.
Her realm stabilized.
Next, she could try it.
The Mirror Moon Art.
The secret technique recorded in the Heavenly Fox Moon-Drawing Art.
It required reaching the two-tail realm before one could cultivate it.
Using the power of moonlight as its foundation, it temporarily manifested a half-demon body—human form while retaining fox ears and fox tail.
Bai Heng squatted on the green rock by the pool and closed her eyes to recall.
The incantation was already memorized by heart.
How moonlight power should circulate, how demonic power should coordinate, how bones should change, how flesh and blood should be reshaped—every step had been rehearsed countless times in her mind.
Now, she could finally try it.
She took a deep breath and began circulating the art.
Moonlight power surged from her dantian and spread along her meridians toward her limbs and bones.
Demonic power followed closely behind, intertwining with the moonlight and turning into a warm current that seeped into every inch of her flesh and blood.
Her bones began to itch.
It was not an uncomfortable itch.
It was the vibrant, lively itch of growth.
She could feel the bones inside her lengthening, reorganizing, and changing shape.
Her flesh and blood were also trembling.
Every inch of skin and every meridian shook slightly, as if something was about to burst forth from the earth.
Bai Heng gritted her teeth and endured.
The art stated that the first transformation would bring some discomfort.
It had not mentioned it would itch this intensely.
The itch made her want to roll around.
Yet she held back.
She did not know how much time passed before the itching gradually faded.
Bai Heng opened her eyes.
The world before her suddenly seemed different.
Higher.
She looked down.
This glance made her freeze.
She was standing.
Standing on two legs.
Yet this was not what stunned her the most.
At this moment, her clothes had torn into several pieces and scattered at her feet.
Bai Heng looked down at those scraps of cloth for a long while before reacting.
During the transformation, her figure had suddenly grown taller and larger.
That moon-white spring shirt could not withstand it.
She instinctively bent down, wanting to pick up the scraps.
But as she bent, the night wind blew past, and her body felt cool.
Bai Heng froze.
She slowly straightened up and looked down at herself.
Under the moonlight, a fair body came into view.
She could not even see her feet, blocked by two round, full things.
She moved her gaze away, then could not help looking back.
Full, soft, rising and falling slightly with her breath.
Shifting her gaze and posture a little further down revealed a flat lower abdomen, a slender waist, long legs, and delicate feet.
Fair like jade, glowing with a faint luster under the moonlight.
Bai Heng looked for a long while before slowly withdrawing her gaze.
She squatted down and picked up the scraps of cloth one by one.
Moon-white, embroidered with orchids.
Handmade by Lin Lan, the spring shirt.
What a pity.
She said softly.
She stored the scraps into her sea of consciousness.
To keep as a memento.
After finishing this, she stood up again.
Cool.
The night wind blew past, and every inch of her skin could feel the thread of coolness.
Discomfort.
This was the first feeling.
This human-shaped body was far more sensitive than the true fox body she was accustomed to.
She tried walking two steps.
Unsteady, like a child learning to walk.
Walking on two legs was completely different from four.
She had to re-find her center of gravity and re-practice her balance.
She supported herself on the nearby tree trunk and slowly walked a few steps.
Better.
She walked a few more steps.
Much better.
She let go and slowly walked to the edge of the pool.
Moonlight spilled across the water surface, sparkling.
Her reflection appeared in the water, yet it was somewhat blurry, and she could not clearly see the eyebrows and eyes.
Bai Heng thought for a moment and raised her hand.
Demonic power surged from her fingertips, forming a water mirror that hung before her.
The mirror reflected a face.
She froze.
Those eyebrows and eyes, that contour—it was her, yet not her.
The features were delicate.
Between the brows and eyes lingered a hint of coldness, along with an indescribable softness and charm.
A pair of eyes were pale gold, glowing with aå¹½ light under the moonlight.
Between the silver hair atop her head stood two fluffy ears, exactly the same as in her fox form.
Bai Heng looked at herself in the mirror for a long time without speaking.
She blinked again.
The beauty in the mirror also smiled.
The beauty in the mirror also blinked.
Then she tried smiling.
She also raised her hand and touched her own face.
Warm, soft, the sensation of being alive.
Bai Heng looked at the beauty in the mirror and said softly, “Hello.”
The beauty’s lips moved slightly, silently saying the same words.
She watched for a while, then suddenly smiled.
Her smile curved her eyebrows, adding a touch more worldly warmth compared to the cold appearance from before.
Then she raised her hand and scattered the water mirror.
Under the moonlight, that fair body stood quietly.
Bai Heng stepped forward and walked toward the spiritual spring.
The pool water was slightly cool.
It covered her ankles, then her calves, then her waist.
She slowly walked in until the water reached her chest before stopping.
She squatted down, letting her entire body immerse in the water.
Then she began to bathe.
Actually, there was no need to wash.
This body had just transformed and was very clean.
Yet she still washed seriously and carefully.
She felt it should be done this way, like a sense of ritual.
Her fingers slid over her arms, then over her shoulders, then over those full and soft parts.
Tender, soft, alive.
She closed her eyes and felt every trace of sensation transmitted from her fingertips.
Then she continued downward.
Every inch of skin, over her lower abdomen, over her waist, she touched gently.
Over her legs, over her private areas.
Not for cleaning.
Just to feel.
To feel that this body was still alive.
To feel that she once again possessed a human form after more than three thousand years.
The last time she had possessed a human body was in her previous life.
It had been a male body.
Those memories had already grown blurry.
This female body now also felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Yet the sensations from her fingertips were incredibly real.
When she touched some sensitive places, her body trembled lightly.
Not out of desire.
Just because this body was truly alive.
She opened her eyes and gazed at the moonlight reflected on the water surface.
She continued washing, one stroke at a time, gentle and patient.
Only when the moon had slanted west did she rise from the pool.
She walked ashore and used demonic power to evaporate the water droplets on her body.
Amid the misty vapor, a moment later that fair body reappeared under the moonlight.
Next came clothing.
The Mirror Moon Art recorded that she could manifest garments using the power of moonlight.
Bai Heng activated the art.
Moonlight power surged from her dantian and circulated across the surface of her body, turning into faint silver light.
That silver light gradually solidified.
First came close-fitting undergarments, then outer garments.
Finally the skirt hem and waist belt.
A moment later, a moon-white dress clothed her body.
Light, thin, soft, no different from real clothing.
She looked down.
What about her hair?
She raised her hand and touched it.
A head of silver hair hung down, draped over her shoulders and reaching straight to her waist and abdomen.
She thought for a moment and activated the art again.
Moonlight turned into a jade hairpin and a ribbon.
She raised her hand, gathered her hair, and simply tied it into a bun.
Done.
She looked down at her feet.
Barefoot.
Stepping on the grass felt a bit cool, a bit itchy.
She thought for a moment and did not manifest shoes with moonlight.
Just like this, then.
She was already used to it.
Anyway, with demonic power protecting her body, it would not get dirty or injured.
She looked up at the sky.
The moon had already sunk west.
Dawn was approaching.
For the next two months, Bai Heng did not leave the valley.
She cultivated every day, familiarized herself with this newly acquired body, practiced the Mirror Moon Art, and also practiced those techniques that could only be cast at the Foundation Establishment stage.
In human form, casting techniques was faster, more accurate, and more powerful than before.
Those techniques requiring complex hand seals were no longer as awkward as before.
Techniques like the Heavenly Fox Seal, when cast with human hands, became faster and more accurate.
Her understanding and precision regarding the techniques were also higher.
Cultivating in human form was indeed twice the result with half the effort.
However, it consumed more moonlight power and demonic power than in fox form.
No wonder demon clans all risked everything to transform.
This night, the moon was round like a disk.
Bai Heng cultivated by the pool as usual.
She absorbed moonlight, replenished her consumption, and made the demonic power within her body circulate more harmoniously.
After her moonlight power was full, she stood up and tried activating the Mirror Moon Art to switch into human form.
Her bones made a light sound.
Her flesh trembled slightly.
One breath later, she was already sitting upright on the green rock.
Silver hair hung down.
Fox ears moved lightly.
Her appearance was pure and stunning.
The moon-white dress wrapped around her exquisite figure, glowing with a soft, clear light under the moonlight.
Much faster than the first time.
Now it was accomplished with a single thought.
She stood up and walked to the edge of the pool.
Moonlight spilled across the water surface, reflecting her figure.
She looked at that face, those pale golden eyes, those two gently trembling fox ears.
On her forehead, an additional red mark had appeared.
Faint, like a small cluster of flame, or like a drop of blood about to fall but not yet fallen.
She raised her hand and touched it.
Warm.
That was where her sea of consciousness resided, and also where her origin essence blood was located.
Over these two months, as the Mirror Moon Art grew more proficient, she gradually discovered the wonderful use of this red mark.
It could summon the power of vitality.
That power full of vitality, originating from her essence blood, could greatly reduce the consumption of demonic power and moonlight power while in human form.
However, vitality power recovered slowly.
Use a bit, and a bit was gone.
It could only recover naturally.
It could only be used as a trump card.
Yet if she encountered a critical situation and fully activated the red mark, she could unleash killing moves far surpassing her current realm.
Bai Heng looked at her reflection in the water for a long time.
Then she suddenly squatted down.
She reached out into the water and stirred gently.
Ripples spread across the water surface.
The reflection shattered into fragments, then slowly gathered again.
She remained squatting by the pool like this, stirring the water stroke by stroke.
Watching her reflection shatter and gather, gather and shatter.
Like a playful little kitten.
She did not know how much time passed before she stopped her movements.
She stood up and looked up at the sky.
The full moon hung high, its clear radiance spilling down.
She suddenly thought of Qingxi Village.
She thought of that little girl with goat-horn braids.
She thought of that youth who always chattered whenever he brought food.
She thought of those spring shirts she took turns wearing.
She thought of that rock she often squatted upon.
From spring to autumn.
She had been away for nearly half a year.
She withdrew her gaze.
It was time to return.
She walked to the green rock by the pool, took out the array disk from the soil, and stored it into her sea of consciousness.
The invisible barrier disappeared.
Night wind blew in from outside the valley, carrying the scent of the mountain forest.
She took one final look at this spiritual spring, this valley where she had stayed for half a year.
Then she turned and left.
Under the moonlight, a moon-white figure lightly leapt up the mountain slope and soon disappeared into the night.