Chapter 661: Goodbye, Sly Fox

The desert wind, descending from the sky, as if the firmament itself had split open, brought with it an endless storm of sand that engulfed every inch of the vast desert.

It obscured the sky and blocked out the sun.

Everything became blurred. The whimpering sound in his ears was like countless cries converging, forming a mournful wail that seemed to tear at the very soul.

For ordinary people, being in this place would surely make their souls crumble swiftly. Even cultivators would struggle; only those native to the Great Desert could remain unaffected.

Xu Qing walked through the desert, his expression serene. He wore a tall hat and had an ancient artificial sun fastened to his waist, his steps calm and measured.

Though the sand was not firm, he walked across it as if on solid ground, leaving no discernible impression.

He could perfectly control the force of every step, and the wind, influenced by a prior agreement, offered him no resistance.

Several days later, Xu Qing reached the desert's edge. He paused, turning to gaze back at the vast expanse behind him.

"Unconsciously, a year has passed since I arrived here."

Xu Qing murmured to himself. This time, he had only informed the Crown Prince of his departure, choosing not to tell anyone else, including Ling'er. He thought it best not to inform her, to spare her any worry.

"Mud Fox!" Recalling that past encounter, Xu Qing furrowed his brow slightly. After a moment of silence, he took a decisive step, exiting the bounds of the Green Sand Great Desert.

He then proceeded towards the peculiar valley he had once passed through on his way to the Siyin Changhe River.

Three days passed in a flash.

Late on the third night, Xu Qing, who often traversed the sky at high speeds, spotted the mountain gorge in the distance.

From the sky, it appeared as a sprawling gorge, deeply fissured, giving rise to numerous smaller valleys within.

Its true length, however, was unknown; it stretched eastward into a continuous mountain range, making it impossible to discern its full extent at a glance.

As for the name of this mountain range, it had no official designation due to its sparse population, a fact Xu Qing had confirmed on his map.

Under the current sky, bathed in a crimson glow, the great valley appeared like a terrifying, blood-red gully.

Xu Qing cautiously descended, landing within the valley where he had once rested. He stood there, gazing into its depths, waiting in silence.

Silence pervaded the surroundings, broken only by the wind whistling through the gorge. The ground weeds swayed, and Xu Qing's hair fluttered, the cool breeze seeping through his skin, chilling him to the bone.

A sense of eerie malevolence gradually permeated the air, but Xu Qing remained unmoved, continuing his wait.

Based on his and the captain's assessment, the mud fox was extraordinary. Therefore, his arrival would undoubtedly be sensed by it, especially since it had previously told Xu Qing he could visit at any time.

Indeed, no more than the time it takes an incense stick to burn had passed when distant sounds of gongs and drums began to drift over. A sharp suona melody pierced through the wind, shaking the night, growing louder and louder.

Xu Qing looked up, his gaze fixed on the depths of the gorge. Through the spreading mist, a procession of swaying figures emerged.

There were hundreds of them, all mud figures cloaked in robes. Amidst the gongs and drums, they carried a stone shrine. As they advanced, mist trailed them on the ground, and a chilling wind intensified, sweeping through the valley, sending weeds and loose leaves swirling into the air ahead of them.

Xu Qing's gaze sharpened. The mud figures carrying the shrine in the distance seemed to warp space, appearing before him in a few blinks.

Once they halted, the rhythmic thud of their steps ceased, and the sounds of gongs, drums, and suona all came to an abrupt stop.

Amidst the swirling mist and eerie wind, all the mud figures uniformly turned their heads to face Xu Qing. The dozens carrying the shrine even squatted, presenting the shrine towards him as an invitation to enter.

Xu Qing remained expressionless as he observed the mud figures before him, his gaze settling on the interior of the shrine they carried.

There was no mud fox, only a stone prayer cushion.

He understood; it was the entity's intention for him to ride inside the shrine.

After a moment's contemplation, Xu Qing cast a glance at the sky before stepping forward and entering the shrine.

The interior of the shrine was entirely made of mud, yet it boasted a rich array of colors. Numerous vibrant patterns adorned its inner walls.

These patterns varied in style, but all depicted different tribes in worship. The star they bowed before was, astonishingly, a six-pointed star totem.

This star exuded an ancient, weathered aura, imbued with a sacred feeling, as if it were a deity.

Xu Qing examined them closely, his gaze finally resting on the mural directly ahead.

Within that hexagonal shape, a fox totem was visible.

Xu Qing remained silent. He had already decided on his way here to accept whatever came. As he settled cross-legged onto the carved stone cushion, the shrine suddenly dipped. The dozens of mud figures surrounding it visibly shuddered. However, the shrine itself was peculiar; the next instant, it pulsed with a pink light, neutralizing whatever had occurred. The mud figures then stood up and effortlessly lifted the shrine.

As Xu Qing watched this scene with a thoughtful expression, the gongs and drums of the procession resumed. The hundred mud figures changed direction, carrying Xu Qing deeper into the gorge.

They traveled through clouds and mist, the wind howling as if it could pierce metal and shatter stone. Inside the shrine, Xu Qing observed the external environment changing with astounding speed; everything outside seemed to be in rapid flux.

The speed was so immense that everything became blurred. He vaguely perceived the sun, moon, and stars revolving, mountain ranges and vast rivers undulating, and even what seemed like an encroaching world rapidly interweaving.

"We're not heading into the gorge's depths!"

Xu Qing's expression turned solemn. Soon, he felt another change: the world outside grew pitch black, the wind sounds vanished, all noise ceased, and an oppressive aura began to descend.

"Where exactly are we?" Xu Qing meticulously observed his surroundings. He eventually realized he was in an underground cavern, the vast features of which slowly revealed themselves to his eyes.

The cavern was immense, strewn with countless shattered rocks, evoking a feeling of ancient ruins. It exuded an aura of profound age, stirring a sense of vast history within anyone who approached.

And suspended in the mid-air of the cavern was, remarkably, a grand hall.

This hall was not upright but inverted, its material bizarre: a fusion of flesh and mud-stone. Numerous tentacles of varied textures connected its upper and lower sections.

From a distance, it resembled a giant cactus.

The mud figures carrying Xu Qing stopped inside the cavern. They landed heavily, then all of them bowed in worship towards the inverted temple suspended in mid-air, remaining perfectly still.

Xu Qing silently stepped out, looking up to survey the scene. As a wave of emotion stirred within him, the massive doors of the inverted hall silently swung open, seemingly to welcome him.

Through the open doors, Xu Qing clearly saw a ceiling that mirrored the starry sky, pillars shaped like the sun and moon, and towering mud figures standing sentinel. The sheer magnificence of the hall was the greatest he had ever witnessed. There were no offerings within, only a single, colossal mural that immediately caught the eye.

Though everything was inverted along with the hall, Xu Qing could still clearly discern the mural's contents.

The mural depicted a vast ocean. Strangely, the sky in the painting teemed with flying fish and shrimp of all sizes, while the ocean below portrayed countless birds soaring through its depths. It was as if everything was reversed: birds that should be in the sky were in the sea, and fish that should be in the sea had become birds. It was unclear whether they had swapped identities, or if the scene depicted was inherently a strange world.

Between the sea and sky of this depicted world, a divine statue sat cross-legged. It was a massive mud fox, adorned in a red robe with rouge on its face. Suddenly, within the painting, it opened its eyes, looked at Xu Qing, and offered a captivating smile.

It then rose, its graceful steps swaying, emanating endless allure and charm as it slowly walked out from the world of the mural.

The instant it stepped out, its form shifted, transforming into a woman of breathtaking charm and beauty.

The woman's red robe transformed into a delicate gauze, lightly veiling her fair, supple skin, giving the impression that the slightest breeze would cause it to slip from her shoulders.

The interplay of red and the subtle blush beneath hinted at an even more captivating allure.

Her high, shapely bust and the long, straight legs subtly revealed beneath the red gauze made her appear remarkably tall.

As she walked, a tail swayed behind her graceful figure, exuding an endless, varied charm.

Her waist, so slender it seemed one could encircle it with a hand, was accentuated by the red gauze, and her shapely legs, subtly parted, created an indescribable allure.

Combined with the captivating curve of her waist and hips, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman, exuding infinite allure and possessing an innate charm.

In just a few steps, the woman exited the hall and approached Xu Qing within the desolate cavern.

From a distance, the scene possessed a peculiar, stark beauty: the broken earth, desolate ruins, the pitch-black cavern, the inverted temple, and the multitude of worshipping mud figures surrounding it.

Amidst all this, the approaching woman became the sole point of brilliance.

Step by step, she advanced until she stood directly before Xu Qing.

The intoxicating scent of her approach stirred an uncontrollable agitation within Xu Qing, manifesting as currents of heat that surged wildly through his body.

It felt as if countless volatile energies were about to erupt within him.

Xu Qing's breathing quickened. While he had experienced something similar before, this instance was different. He knew it was the influence of her divine presence.

The mud fox paused, her delicate feet still. Her hair and the red gauze on her body lifted and danced in the wind before Xu Qing.

Her phoenix eyes, usually serene as autumn waters, now pulsed with a wild, fiery intensity, making her entire being radiate passion. She stared intently at Xu Qing, then couldn't resist licking her red lips, her voice soft and alluring, echoing all around.

"Young Master," she purred, "it's been a long time."

As she spoke, the mud fox took light, nimble steps, her waist swaying alluringly, and circled behind Xu Qing.

She took a soft sniff, and Xu Qing's face filled with intoxication. The scent grew even more enticing, stirring a deep sense of anticipation within him.