Chapter 623: Meeting the Seductive Fox Again

The wind of the Great Desert came from the heavens, as if a massive hole had been torn in the firmament, unleashing sand and dust that swept through every corner of this vast expanse.

It blotted out the sun and sky,

blurring everything. The wailing sound in one's ears was like countless cries gathered together, forming a lament that seemed capable of tearing the mind and soul apart.

Ordinary mortals from the outside world would surely find their souls unable to endure this for long, and the same held true for cultivators; only those who cultivated in the Great Desert could remain unaffected.

At this moment, Xu Qing walked through the desert. His expression was calm, he wore a tall hat, a primordial artificial sun was tethered to his waist, and his pace was composed.

Even though the sand was not firm, he walked upon it as if it were flat ground, without sinking in the slightest.

He had already reached the point where he could perfectly control the strength of every step his body took, and under the influence of the agreement, the wind here posed no obstacle to him at all.

Just like this, several days later, Xu Qing arrived at the edge of the Great Desert. Standing there, he turned back to look at the desert behind him.

"Without realizing it, a year has already passed here."

Xu Qing murmured in his heart. This time, he had only told the Heir Apparent about his departure; he had not told anyone else, including Linger. Xu Qing felt that it was better not to say anything, lest she worry.

"Mud Fox!" Recalling that scene from back then, Xu Qing frowned slightly. He remained silent for a moment before taking a step and flickering, stepping out of the range of the Green Sand Great Desert.

He headed toward that strange valley he had passed by on his way to the Sacrifice Yin Changhe that day.

Time flickered by, and three days passed.

Late in the night of the third day, Xu Qing, who had been speeding through the sky, saw that canyon valley from afar.

Looking down from the sky, this was actually a canyon lying horizontally, and there were many fractures near it, which had formed one small valley after another.

But in reality, the true length of this canyon was unknown; it spread eastward into a continuous mountain range, making it difficult to see into its depths at a glance.

As for the name of this mountain range, because the area was sparsely populated, it had no formal name; this was also what Xu Qing had seen on his map.

At this moment, blood-colored light spilled from the firmament. Looking out, the canyon on the ground resembled a blood-colored gully, a shocking sight.

Xu Qing landed with vigilance and caution, walked into the valley where he had rested that day, stood there gazing into the depths, and waited silently.

The surroundings were silent, save for the wind blowing through the canyon. The weeds on the ground swayed, causing Xu Qing's hair to flutter, turning into a chill that seeped through his skin into his entire body.

Gradually, a sense of sinister evil formed. Xu Qing remained unmoved and continued to wait.

According to the judgment of himself and the Captain, this Mud Fox was extraordinary, so the other party would surely be able to sense his arrival—especially since the other party had once said that Xu Qing could come over at any time.

The facts were indeed so. Xu Qing had waited for less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick when the sound of gongs and drums faintly drifted from afar, followed by the sharp, rising sound of a suona, which pierced the wind, shook the night, and grew louder and louder.

Xu Qing looked up. As his gaze swept toward the depths of the canyon, he saw mist spreading there, and a team of figures swaying as they approached.

There were hundreds of them, all wearing robes with mud-man patterns. They carried a stone shrine. Amidst the gongs and drums, the mist on the ground followed wherever they passed, and the sinister wind in the surroundings grew thicker. As it swept through the valley, weeds and fallen leaves rose into the air, tumbling ahead of them.

Xu Qing's gaze sharpened. In the distance, those mud men carrying the shrine seemed to traverse space, and with a few flashes, they appeared in front of Xu Qing.

After stopping there, as the mud men's footsteps ceased, the sound of the gongs, drums, and suona all stopped in unison.

All the mud men, amidst the spreading mist and sinister wind, turned their heads in unison to look at Xu Qing. In particular, the dozens carrying the shrine crouched down, turning the shrine toward Xu Qing to invite him inside.

Xu Qing was expressionless as he looked at the mud men before him, his gaze falling into the shrine they were carrying.

There was no Mud Fox, only a stone meditation cushion.

He understood the other party's intention; this was to have him ride in the shrine.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Qing scanned the firmament, then took a step forward and stepped into the shrine.

Everything inside this shrine was made of mud, but the colors were quite rich—colorful—and at the same time, a large number of patterns were painted inside the shrine.

These patterns were of various shapes, but they all depicted the worship of different tribes, and the object those tribes were kneeling to was actually a six-pointed star totem.

This star carried a sense of vicissitudes and antiquity, and it even contained a feeling of holiness, as if it were a god.

Xu Qing looked very carefully, and finally, his gaze fell on the mural directly in front of him.

Inside the hexagon there, there was also a fox totem.

Xu Qing was silent. He had already thought things through on the way here, and now that he was here, he would accept it. But as he sat cross-legged on the stone cushion, the moment he sat down, the shrine sank abruptly. The dozens of mud men around it all shuddered, but the shrine itself was strange; the next instant, it shone with a pink light, dissolving all the force. Then, all the dozens of mud men stood up and lifted the shrine with ease.

As Xu Qing watched this scene, lost in thought, the sound of the team's gongs and drums spread out again. The hundred-plus mud men changed direction and, carrying Xu Qing, headed straight for the depths of the canyon.

Along the way, they traveled through clouds and mist, the sound of the wind seemingly capable of piercing metal and cracking stone. Inside the shrine, Xu Qing saw the external environment changing rapidly; everything flowed by at an astonishing speed.

Because the speed was too fast, everything became somewhat blurred. He could vaguely see the sun, moon, and stars rotating, mountain ranges and long rivers rising and falling, and even a descending world seemed to be interlaced.

"This isn't going to the depths of the canyon!"

Xu Qing's expression was solemn. Soon, he felt something different again: the outside world turned pitch black, the sound of the wind vanished, all sounds ceased, and a sense of pressure descended from the outside.

"Where exactly is this place?" Xu Qing carefully observed his surroundings and finally determined that he was in a subterranean cavern. Slowly, the appearance of the cavern appeared in Xu Qing's eyes.

This cavern was extremely vast, with scattered rubble, giving one a sense of ruins, and it carried an ancient air of time that made one's heart involuntarily fill with a sense of vicissitudes when approaching.

And in the mid-air of the cavern, there was a palace.

This palace was not normal; it was hanging upside down. Its material was strange, cast from a fusion of flesh, blood, and mud-stone, and there were tentacles of many different materials connecting it to the top and bottom.

Looking at it from afar, it resembled a cactus.

Those mud men who had carried Xu Qing here stopped in the cavern, landed on the ground with a heavy thud, and then all the mud men bowed in worship toward the upside-down palace in mid-air, remaining motionless.

Xu Qing walked out silently and looked up at all of this from afar. Just as waves rose in his heart, the doors of the upside-down palace opened in silence, as if welcoming Xu Qing.

Through the opened doors, Xu Qing could clearly see that the interior of the palace had the starry sky as its ceiling and the sun and moon as its pillars. Tall mud men stood erect; the grandeur of the layout was the pinnacle of what Xu Qing had seen in his life. There were no offerings inside, only a huge mural that was very conspicuous.

Although everything was reversed due to the palace hanging upside down, Xu Qing could still see the content of the mural clearly.

Inside the mural was a vast sea, but what was strange was that in the sky of the painting, a large number of fish and shrimp were actually flying, some big and some small. Below, in the sea, countless birds were depicted; they were flying in the deep sea, as if everything were reversed. The birds that should have been in the sky had become fish in the sea, and the fish in the sea had transformed into birds. It was unknown whether they had exchanged identities or if the scene depicted was simply a strange world.

And between the sea and sky of this painting, a divine statue sat cross-legged. This statue was a huge Mud Fox, wearing a red robe, with rouge applied to its face. In the painting, it suddenly opened its eyes, looked at Xu Qing, and gave a charming smile.

Then it rose, its lotus steps swaying, and with boundless allure and charm, it actually stepped out of the world of the mural step by step.

The moment it stepped out, its appearance changed accordingly, transforming into a woman of a thousand charms.

The red robe on the woman became thin gauze, lightly covering her snow-tender skin, giving the impression that with just a breeze, the gauze would slide off her fragrant shoulders.

The reflection between the red and the pink revealed an even more moving posture.

There was also that towering, soft bosom, and the straight, long legs faintly visible within the red gauze, looking exceptionally tall.

Especially when she walked, the swaying of her delicate body was accompanied by a tail that swung with her posture, full of amorous feelings and ten thousand charms.

There was also the slender waist within the red gauze, and the jade legs that parted lightly, faintly visible and carrying an indescribable temptation.

Coupled with the curves of her waist and hips, all of this made the stunning woman walking toward him full of allure, with charm born in her bones.

After a few steps, the woman walked out of the palace and headed toward Xu Qing within the ruined cavern.

Looking from afar, this scene actually had a sense of tragic beauty: the shattered earth, the desolate ruins, the pitch-black cavern, the upside-down palace, and the large number of mud men worshipping all around.

All of this made the woman walking toward him the only brilliance in this place.

Just like that, step by step, she walked to the front of Xu Qing.

The fragrant wind blowing in his face was an intoxicating sensation that could not be controlled; it rose within Xu Qing's body, turning into streams of heat that rampaged uncontrollably within him.

It was as if a violent aura wanted to erupt from within his body.

Xu Qing's breathing was rapid. Although he had experienced this scene before, this time was different. However, he knew this was the influence of a higher status.

Xu Qing's will was firm. He took a deep breath, stepped back, and said, "Greetings, Senior."

The Mud Fox paused her jade feet, and her hair and the red gauze on her body were lifted by the blowing wind, dancing in front of Xu Qing.

In her phoenix eyes, which contained autumn water, what fluctuated at this moment was not tenderness, but a sea of unbridled fire, making her entire person full of heat. She stared straight at Xu Qing, unable to resist licking her red lips, her voice delicate and soft, echoing in all directions.

"Young Master, long time no see."

As she spoke, the Mud Fox took light, nimble steps, twisting her heart-pounding waist as she circled behind Xu Qing.

She took a light sniff, and Xu Qing was filled with intoxication; the scent had become even more tantalizing, full of anticipation.