Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 26

[Vol. 5] Chapter 26: The Shelter of the Fox God, Tribe of Immortals

In the eastern part of this world lies the sea, known as the Eastern Sea.

The sea stretches endlessly, vast and expansive, a new frontier largely unknown to most beings on land.

Above the Eastern Sea, there are islands.

One of them is named “Spirit Veil”.

The Spirit Veil Tribe is a reclusive group, long dwelling beyond the seas, indifferent to worldly conflicts, uninterested in fame or profit, living peacefully day by day.

The Spirit Veil Tribe is also a tribe of immortals, possessing countless treasures, wealth comparable to nations, and they revere the great deity known as the Supreme Sacred Fox God. Under its protection, the tribe members possess extraordinary powers, neither aging nor dying.

Those who have heard of Spirit Veil along the shores of the Eastern Sea have spared no expense to build ships, sailing tens of thousands of miles across the outer seas, enduring countless hardships to finally behold Spirit Veil.

Impressed by their sincerity, the Spirit Veil Tribe granted permission for these individuals and those who held their tokens to travel between the mainland and Spirit Veil Island, exchanging rare treasures between the two lands. Later, they dispatched tribe members to assist the heirs in establishing a guild.

Thus began the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild.

Countless words, infinite mysteries, all trace back to the deity revered by Spirit Veil, the Fox God.

It is said that the Fox God has nine tails. Wherever it passes, light fades from the sky, and the sun and moon lose their radiance. When angered, the Fox God can burn mountains and boil seas, possessing the immense power to reach the heavens.

It is also said that the “Supreme Sacred Fox God” often appears in human form in the world. When it manifests, it wears a white fox mask, its ears hidden, resembling an ordinary person yet elusive and unreachable.

It is also said that the great deity, the Fox God, is not a mortal being and cannot be understood by human logic. It comes and goes without a trace, often traveling through auroras, its presence as bright as the midday sun and as brilliant as the stars, making it impossible for any living being to look directly at it.

There are countless legends about the Fox God, but none can be entirely believed by everyone. Even among the Spirit Veil Tribe, who are under its protection, most have only seen the divine traces and sacred relics it left behind, and they speak of the deity itself with great reverence.

To better worship the great deity, the Fox God, the Spirit Veil Tribe, following its command, selects the woman within the tribe who most closely resembles the legendary form of the Fox God and is also outstanding in her own right. She wears the sacred artifact left by the Fox God, the [Dominion of the Fox Mask], and is known as the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden].

“So… you’re saying that I am the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden named Dawn, the one who possesses the [Dominion of the Fox Mask]?”

Faced with Miss White Fox’s question, Ming Lan nodded in strong agreement.

“Isn’t that so? Miss, you said your name is Dawn, which is quite rare without a surname, especially in the ordinary world. Not to mention the existence of the [Dominion of the Fox Mask], and your appearance, voice, and clothing have hardly changed since then… That’s why I was so eager to follow you, wanting to find an opportunity to recognize you. I thought you deliberately sought a secluded place with the same intention.”

“……”

After a moment of silence, Violet did not confirm or deny it and continued to ask.

“If you’re so certain, then how did the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden Dawn disappear back then? Why didn’t you search for her?”

In response to this question, Ming Lan, who had been forthcoming until now, did not immediately speak. Instead, he glanced somewhat warily at the small dragon girl standing behind the white fox girl, as well as the two winged girls and Theresa sitting on the sofa nearby, listening in.

“Miss, your companions…”

“They are trustworthy. Unless it involves top-secret matters, there’s no need to hide anything.”

Ming Lan’s eyes, clear and distinct, flashed with a hint of nostalgia and sentiment before he gave a bitter smile.

“After all this time, you are still as assertive and confident as ever. Since you assure me, I have no reason to hold back… Do you remember the disaster from a thousand years ago?”

“The disaster from a thousand years ago?”

The white fox girl was slightly taken aback, then quickly realized.

“Are you referring to the Divine Catastrophe?”

With a serious expression, the fox-eared man nodded slightly.

“Exactly.”

“Ah…”

Though she maintained a composed exterior, Violet was inwardly quite surprised.

Spirit Veil… It truly is extraordinary. To think that even a randomly selected tribe member could casually recount such a significant secret from a thousand years ago?

Even Violet herself had only learned snippets of this information after much inquiry during her travels and after meeting many beings, some of whom were of divine rank or higher.

Curious, she quickly pressed on.

“Do you know the details of that disaster? What kind of enemy brought about the Twilight of the Gods?”

However, Ming Lan could only shake his head helplessly.

“I don’t know. The true reasons are probably only known to the great deity, the Supreme Sacred Fox God, and the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden Dawn. Even the four elders of the tribe are said to only have a partial understanding. Of course, they might know but choose to play dumb. After all, the Fox God once said, ‘Do not utter its name, do not seek its origin.’ Some things are so dangerous that merely speaking of them can bring disaster and destruction. Those old foxes are quite cunning.”

It seemed Ming Lan did not hold the same respect for those four elders as he did for Dawn, speaking about them in a casual, almost gossipy tone.

“The power that transcends time and space… the force of causality…”

Violet felt a twinge of disappointment. She had hoped this unexpected encounter would finally yield a breakthrough.

But it made sense. If even demons could transcend the river of time to manifest their thoughts in the present, then something even more powerful, something that even gods could not defeat, would not be something that mortals could easily speak of.

“Hmm, although we ordinary tribe members aren’t privy to such matters, it seems you, Miss, were involved in that war and stood alongside the gods. Moreover, it is said that even the great deity, the Fox God, intervened in the conflict.”

“These are just rumors, but at that time, you did leave Spirit Veil Island alone and vanished with the [Dominion of the Fox Mask].”

“And now, over a thousand years later, we meet again here?”

The fox-eared man nodded silently.

Violet, under her mask, raised an eyebrow slightly and suddenly thought of a question.

“Just out of curiosity, Ming Lan, how old are you?”

In response, the self-proclaimed member of the Spirit Veil Tribe simply smiled.

“Miss, didn’t I mention before? Since receiving the blessing of the Fox God, age has lost its meaning for us Spirit Veil Tribe members. We are immortal. Unless we choose to die, even if we fall into the Well of the Dead and our souls dissipate, we can still be resurrected.

“Though the price is that we cannot easily have new offspring, and our population remains constant. This is why we believe that Miss Dawn did not and could not have perished in the war, she only disappeared. If I were to count, after a few resurrections, I would be over thirty thousand years old.”

“I see…*cough* Wait! How, how many?!”

“Uh?”

“Sister, did he just say… thirty thousand? Is that really his age? Did I hear that right?”

Violet was dumbfounded.

This guy, calling the Holy Knight Clatius “big brother” so familiarly, had led the priestess to believe they were around the same age. Turns out, he’s practically a living fossil!

This even outdoes Lady Edith of the Human United Kingdom’s royal family by a factor of thirty!

Not even Tiyelu, a relic from the mythic era, has likely lived thirty thousand years, probably only true deities like Sethlin surpass that. Could he be bluffing?

Sensing the varying degrees of astonishment in the girls before him, Ming Lan awkwardly scratched his nose.

“No need to be so shocked… If you really are the young lady, you’ve lived even longer than that. That said, I’ve only been out of the island for about a century. This time, I just happened to come to Sacred Star City on business, so I’m still unfamiliar with this world and trying to find my way.”

Looking at the seemingly stunned white-fox girl, Ming Lan suddenly appeared surprised.

“Uh… Miss, you don’t think that you…”

“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!!”