I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 203

Chapter 203: Celestial Fox

A fox over fifty years old can transform into a woman, and upon reaching a hundred years, it is said they can transform into a beautiful woman or a mysterious shaman.

They can see events happening a thousand leagues away, command poisonous creatures and ghosts, and beguile humans. When a fox lives for a thousand years, it transcends and becomes a celestial fox (천호).

Hyunjunggi

Celestial fox.

Where was I supposed to look?

I had encountered many energy pouches before, but this one was exceptional.

It was overwhelmingly grand, surpassing even my teacher and the Snake Queen.

It even exuded a power superior to that of Baek Seolhwa.

Witnessing it momentarily left me dazed—it was inevitable.

“Gerororong…”

Unintentionally, a ridiculous sound escaped from me.

While it was pitiful to make such a sound just by managing to move, it wasn’t entirely my fault; the other party was too overwhelming.

If it had just been large, it might’ve been manageable, but other aspects were equally overbearing.

Its appearance seemed perfectly optimized to enthrall others.

It was enough to disorient even a spiritual being like me.

Look at those garters—or something similar—contrasting so strangely with the surroundings.

They made her already dangerous thighs even more pronounced, radiating an almost demonic allure.

How nice it would be to rest on those soft, plush spots…

…

Why am I even thinking about this?

I couldn’t deny having some interest in such things.

But not to this degree.

I was confident I wouldn’t be distracted in such a ridiculous way, especially in a situation where I didn’t even know if this being was friend or foe.

Right.

There are legends of foxes enchanting their prey.

Unknowingly, I had succumbed to that power.

This was indeed no ordinary opponent.

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

The celestial fox gave a slight smile.

…As if I could believe that.

Could this be due to the influence of the Gecko’s Bedroom Arts?

Yes, that had to be it.

There was no way I would act this way otherwise.

‘Krororo…’

Good timing.

This was the perfect chance to break free from the situation.

“Krugh!”

By envisioning my inner demon, I barely managed to regain my sanity.

“You have remarkable mental strength. Although it seems contradictory, considering you were briefly enthralled without me doing much, I commend your resilience for moving within this space.”

So, it was an enchantment.

I needed to keep my guard up.

Her face was beautiful, her chest ample, her skin flawless, her body soft, her voice enchanting, and her clothing provocative, but that was all.

There was no reason for the being before me to show me any goodwill.

I needed to assess the situation.

The fox bead had acted as though it intended to attack me.

Immediately afterward, this woman appeared, calling herself the celestial fox.

A celestial fox is a fox that has cultivated for a thousand years.

The fox bead was hostile toward me; would this woman possibly be friendly?

Of course not.

Moreover, this woman possessed overwhelming abilities.

Her power seemed akin to stopping time itself, an ability whose mechanics I couldn’t even begin to fathom.

The snowflakes were suspended mid-air, and the Cheoldu Dragon couldn’t even react.

Creaaak.

I needed to escape this restraint somehow.

A slight movement wasn’t enough.

If she decided to reveal killing intent, I wouldn’t even be able to resist before dying.

It was then.

Wooong.

The fox bead reacted.

The purple-tinted bead floated into the air and began spinning in place.

Its movements seemed unaffected by the celestial fox’s power, moving freely.

“The more I see it, the more fascinating it becomes.”

The celestial fox raised a finger, and the fox bead flew straight to her.

The bead rubbed against her finger as if acting affectionately.

The celestial fox watched it for a moment before turning her gaze toward me.

“This little one is showing affection toward another race.”

What?

Affection?

It was trying to kill me just moments ago!

“I see why you were able to move here. For a mere spiritual being to possess such divinity is extraordinary.”

Her eyes, close to white-gold in color, flashed.

They were beautiful but equally dangerous.

“You have the trust of the greatest snake and the smallest juvenile dragon.”

Just as I could view the status window, she seemed to see something beyond me.

The Cheoldu Dragon, empowered by the fox bead, couldn’t see these things, but it wasn’t surprising that the celestial fox could.

“Even your followers are extraordinary. A child who wields frost, a red spiritual beast from the west, and ten descendants of a horse expelled from the heavens.”

…A horse expelled from the heavens?

Does she mean the Igaksus?

I thought they were odd, but they’re even more extraordinary than I imagined.

“One young snake and three spiders… These beings hold potential even I cannot measure.”

Something felt a bit strange.

Although she also mentioned the Red Dragon, White Wolf, and the Snake Queen, she didn’t use such grand expressions for them.

The power of Shikshik and the spiders was far too weak even to compare to the White Wolf, the weakest among them.

Yet she says she cannot fathom these beings’ potential?

“Since the weakest among them has been accompanied by the lingering aura of an ancient, tailed death, even my omniscient eyes cannot see the outcome.”

I didn’t completely understand, but I could somewhat grasp it.

Even within the same species, the experiences they undergo shape the results of their evolution.

The followers who have accompanied me, a mid-tier dragon species, would have more diverse choices for evolution.

Just like my own unique evolutions.

While the cases of the White Wolf and Red Dragon may be similar, they are creatures that have already undergone multiple evolutions.

On the other hand, Tus, Pus, Nephila, and Shikshik have, at most, evolved only once.

Spiders and snakes that accompanied Paryong.

Given the unprecedented nature of the situation, it made some sense for a being like the Celestial Fox to make such remarks.

“And there is also a human. Her name is… Tang… Whatever, let’s skip that.”

Why mention So-yeong?

Still, I won’t argue about it.

“To summarize, you possess divinity that no mere spiritual being could ever have.”

Gulp.

I swallowed my saliva.

“Enough for me to place my hopes on you.”

Place her hopes?

It was a positive comment, but I couldn’t let my guard down.

She might suddenly roll her eyes and pounce at me to stave off boredom.

I let out a sigh.

The Celestial Fox exhaled smoke from her long pipe.

It wasn’t overly pungent, but it carried a mystical scent I had never encountered before.

“I am a divine beast connected to the heavens, called the Celestial Fox.”

A divine beast connected to the heavens.

Hearing the name “Celestial Fox,” I had roughly expected this.

The disparity in our status was immeasurable.

I couldn’t fully gauge the difference in power, but her technique, which seemed to stop time, was ridiculously tricky.

If I couldn’t find a way to counter it, I had no chance of winning.

“I must retrieve the fox bead that lost its physical form and soothe other lingering spirits. Despite having only one body, there is so much to do.”

There’s a lot to do.

She certainly looked the part.

Her voice was tinged with weariness, and dark circles were visible under her eyes.

Moreover, her chain-smoking of the pipe evoked the image of an overworked office worker pulling an all-nighter.

“And to think that even part of Taese’s form has descended… Can you imagine how busy I am?”

The descent of Taese’s form.

If she’s connected to the heavens, it made sense that she’d have to deal with that as well.

“Therefore, I shall entrust this child to you.”

Her words were unexpected.

“This child desires you. She’s a mischievous one, and I was at a loss, but meeting you is fortunate.”

…The fox bead desires me?

Why?

You were trying to kill me just a moment ago.

Or… was it not trying to kill me?

Why would that be?

What did I do to warrant this?

…Wait. Now that I think about it, I defeated the Cheoldu Dragon, and the bead emerged from its body.

Could it be that the bead thought I saved it?

Was its rampage not an attempt to kill me but to protect me from the Cheoldu Dragon that had consumed it?

Wooong.

The fox bead trembled lightly.

“Will you take care of this child?”

I couldn’t think of a reason to refuse.

The idea of obtaining the fox bead legitimately was appealing, but there was a bigger reason.

I had a hunch that the Celestial Fox was showing me goodwill specifically to entrust the bead to me.

Look at that exasperated expression of hers.

Taking the fox bead with me wouldn’t be a simple task.

She was already busy, and the descent of Taese had made her even busier.

Without stopping time, even holding this conversation would’ve been impossible.

…Though, of course, this likely wasn’t actual time-stopping.

Considering I could still move slightly, it seemed to be a technique functioning on principles different from stopping time.

Perhaps she had put everyone to sleep and entered their dreams.

I couldn’t be sure of the specifics, but I could tell that the Celestial Fox was extremely busy and eager to entrust the fox bead to me.

“Geh-geek!”

When I gave a bold answer, the Celestial Fox’s lips curled upward.

“You certainly have the makings of a dragon.”

The Celestial Fox gazed at me with an enigmatic expression.

Why is she staring at my lower half?

…She’s looking at my tail, right?

“The dragon of the previous era was as promiscuous as you.”

“Promiscuous?”

Excuse me, you’ve misunderstood me, or rather, this lizard.

Still, let’s listen closely.

It’s information about dragons, after all.

If someone of the Celestial Fox’s rank is saying this, it must be about a true dragon.

“That dragon swung its lower half so recklessly. While I wasn’t close to it, explaining its deeds would take two full moons.”

So the story of the Yongsaengguja was true.

Apparently, dragons are incredibly lecherous creatures.

Though they are noble and mystical beings, their promiscuity has resulted in countless offspring.

It seems I still have a long way to go to become a true dragon.

We’re completely opposite in nature, after all.

“Even so, that creature likely wasn’t like that at your current stage.”

The Celestial Fox stared at me intently.

“Perhaps you are superior in certain aspects.”

What does that mean?

“It seems I can place my hopes on you.”

…Should I take that as a compliment, implying I have greater talent than a true dragon?

Wooong.

The fox bead trembled once more and flew into my embrace.

Woong.

Wooong.

It vibrated as if trying to communicate something, but I couldn’t understand its intentions.

“She’s a willful and mischievous one, so take good care of her.”

She certainly seemed that way.

But what exactly is a fox bead for it to act like this?

It felt as though it had its own consciousness.

“Normally, a fox bead is never entrusted to another species.”

Come to think of it, where is the Celestial Fox’s own bead?

I see two large orbs, but the fox bead isn’t among them.

“Unless one overcomes the trials, they cannot claim the bead.”

Wooong.

The bead trembled lightly.

Trials?

Wait, didn’t you just say you’d give it to me for free?

“Of course, there are no trials for you.”

I thought someone who’s lived for a thousand years would be rigid, but she’s quite accommodating.

Truly broad-minded.

“Possessing both the Dragon Gate and the fox bead is a trial in itself.”

“Geh… Geh-geek?”

The Celestial Fox’s expression suddenly changed.

She lightly bit her lower lip and wore a mischievous look.

“You moved without permission, answered, and even questioned me.”

Her nine tails swayed gently.

“There is sufficient reason for me to place my bets on you.”

Step.

The Celestial Fox walked toward me.

With every step, her surreal figure swayed, making it awkward to keep my eyes on her.

But I couldn’t move my body freely, so I had no choice but to watch her movements.

Reaching right in front of me, the Celestial Fox gave a faint smile.

“Hm… What’s so fascinating about this aged body?”

Her pink lips drew closer.

Gulp.

Don’t tell me she’s about to do something inappropriate with someone she’s just met?

I really wanted to move, but I couldn’t.

Unfortunately, my body was paralyzed in this situation.

Shrrrrk.

But what I anticipated didn’t happen.

Instead, her body passed through mine, almost like a ghost.

“Uhuhu.”

She showed a playful smile, as if finding it amusing.

It wasn’t the weary expression she had earlier—it might’ve been her genuine smile.

“Hundreds, thousands of challengers will attempt to dethrone you.”

My vision gradually blurred.

“The tailed ancient death… I have placed my bet on you.”

Her words became more cryptic.

The only part I understood was this:

“If you prove your worth, you will finish what I could not….”

…Why is that the only part I understood?

When I opened my eyes again, the Celestial Fox was gone without a trace.

The halted snowflakes resumed their descent.

“Ugh! The bead! …Huh?”

The Cheoldu Dragon also resumed moving.

The only difference was that the fox bead had nestled snugly among my fur.