The little fox's figure turned into a bolt of lightning ahead, running rapidly, with Wang Zhong following closely behind.
After passing through dozens of corridors and turning countless corners, the little fox led Wang Zhong to a place that resembled a courtyard.
The courtyard was vast. In the center stood a withered, towering tree. Its trunk was so thick that even dozens of people embracing it could not encircle it fully.
The little fox gestured for Wang Zhong to stop, then with a few leaps, as if walking on flat ground, it ran up the tree trunk.
After dozens of breaths, a whistling sound of heavy objects falling towards Wang Zhong. He reached out to catch it, expecting it to be the little fox, but to his surprise, he caught an extremely large scroll.
Just as he was about to examine the scroll, the little fox had already scurried down the tree. It tugged at Wang Zhong's trouser leg, pulling him outwards with intense urgency.
Wang Zhong's heart pounded. For some reason, he felt an immense fear enveloping him, as if some extremely terrifying existence had fixated on him.
Without bothering to check the scroll, Wang Zhong quickly stored it in his soul tool and ran out with the little fox.
The little fox was running with extreme haste, bordering on panic. Wang Zhong felt this emotion and simultaneously activated the Eight Inner Gates and Bajiquan's Sky.
"Eight Inner Gates, Third Gate Open!"
"Bajiquan Sky Furious Foot!"
His figure suddenly vanished from its spot, instantly covering nearly a hundred meters forward. He swept up the little fox into his arms and, continuously using Furious Foot, the two disappeared in the blink of an eye.
He wanted to recall the little fox into his body, but since he didn't know the way here, he had no choice but to hold it.
Guided by the little fox, Wang Zhong saw the entrance he had come through about fifteen minutes later. Although the gate showed no signs of closing, a bone-chilling coldness continuously lingered in his heart, refusing to dissipate.
Without daring to linger, Wang Zhong's figure, amplified by Furious Foot, became a series of afterimages as he rapidly vanished.
He sped along without any pause, traversing the vast space. As he passed through the cave-like area, he glanced back at the colossal magma nine-tailed fox illustration.
Horrifically, the once prostrate, lifelike nine-tailed demon fox was now headless, its limbs torn apart, and its nine tails discarded carelessly like rubbish.
On the immense fox head, there were a pair of red eyes that seemed to be weeping blood.
This bizarre and terrifying change sent shivers down Wang Zhong's spine, filling him with dread.
He increased his speed even further, arriving at the outside of the chasm. Following the little fox's directions, he found the enormous crevice they had descended into. Using the remaining sharp spikes, he leaped repeatedly, desperately fleeing towards the top of the chasm.
Yes, fleeing!
Wang Zhong felt an extreme sense of terror, as if death itself was casting a gaze from the deepest reaches of hell. That cold, indifferent stare, imbued with blood and slaughter, was enough to annihilate a soul with a single glance.
Without a moment's pause, when Wang Zhong finally leaped out of the chasm's depths and landed on the sun-drenched ground, he sprawled out, utterly spent, gasping for air. Sweat trickled down his face like a small stream.
Wang Zhong's entire body was drenched, his hair and clothes soaked through. Even his lips were tinged with paleness.
Sensing Wang Zhong's terror, the little fox nudged its fluffy head against his cheek, attempting to offer a touch of warmth to soothe his trembling heart.
After a long, long while, Wang Zhong finally recovered from his state of panic. He struggled to his feet and approached the chasm, gazing into its bottomless darkness. He shivered violently.
"That scared me to death!"
"What on earth happened? I didn't feel anything, yet that fear and terror, originating not from my heart, no, from my very soul and life, kept stimulating my instincts and body, urging me to flee."
"This is truly wicked!"
Wang Zhong took a deep, ragged breath and left without looking back.
This place was peculiar and harbored great terror. He lacked the qualifications to investigate or explore it now.
"When I become stronger in the future, I will definitely explore this place thoroughly. I won't rest until I find the source of that feeling."
Deep within the chasm's darkness, at the throne where the little fox had swallowed a soul bone, a slender dark figure had appeared at some unknown time.
He was seated askew, propping his face with one hand. His blood-red lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
Even under the illumination of the white jade light, his face remained obscured.
"Nine-Tails, I never imagined you would dare to return!"
"And to brazenly take my collection? Have you forgotten who it was that forcibly extracted those beast bones from your body back then?"
"Your screams of agony back then, I savored them for years! Melodious, truly melodious!"
"Ten thousand beasts weeping, blood raining from the heavens, that captivating spectacle, I truly wish to witness it again."
His hoarse voice was so faint it was almost inaudible, yet the words he spoke sent chills down one's spine.
"Sigh..."
A sigh, tinged with confusion.
"I am not surprised that Nine-Tails would come here, but why did you come here as well?"
"Our meeting was not supposed to be this early!"
"And why has Nine-Tails become your second martial soul?"
"In my memory, I do not recall ever gifting you such a thing!"
A pair of blood-red eyes suddenly opened in the darkness, emitting a chilling red glow, filled with astonishing killing intent, bloodlust, and a profound, eerie allure.
"Something has changed within you, changes far beyond my expectations!"
"Who brought about this change in you?"
"I am very curious!"
"Your bloodline, Nine-Tails, I am familiar with both. But your strange way of unleashing soul power and burst of speed, though I don't know what it is, gives me a strong sense of déjà vu."
"It feels like ages ago, in the distant past, I saw it! But time has passed, and I truly can't recall."
The blood-red eyes held a hint of confusion before slowly closing. A voice, filled with contemplation and a touch of madness, quietly echoed.
"The changes within you have truly piqued my limited interest!"
"I am eager to know!"
"Should I let the Holy Spirit Cult return to the earth?"
"No! No! No! I cannot be so impulsive! Finally, something interesting is happening. If I learn of it prematurely, where will the fun be?"
"Wait a bit longer, just a bit longer! No rush! He is only eight years old now, no rush!"
He was desperately trying to persuade himself, suppressing the emotions that boiled within him like boiling water.
"The most delicious flesh and blood, of course, must be cooked to perfection."
Sounds of swallowing echoed, carrying a skin-crawling sense of hunger within the empty space.
Cruel, bloodthirsty, and savagely fierce.
He truly desired to consume people, or rather, to devour the being now known as Wang Zhong!
He was the greatest evil in this world, the most ferocious fiend, the most terrifying vengeful spirit, and the most bloodthirsty demon god!
His name had long been forgotten, and his followers called him, the Holy Lord!
His enemies, however, called him the Leader of the Holy Spirit Cult!