Her gaze shifted from the little fox, and Bibi Dong hurried to Wang Zhong's side, helped him up, and held him in her arms, calling out anxiously, "Little Wang Zhong, how are you, are you alright?"
But Wang Zhong did not respond, his eyes still closed, his expression extremely pained.
Injecting her soul power, Bibi Dong finally sensed the extent of Wang Zhong's physical damage. His meridians were torn, his flesh and blood dissolved, and his bones were covered with dense cracks.
Such injuries left him almost indistinguishable from a dead man. Even if Wang Zhong miraculously survived, he was destined to be crippled.
Bibi Dong was instantly stunned. It was the same, just the same, nothing would change.
The powerless were destined to be powerless, and the tragic were destined to be tragic.
"The ending is the same!"
Bibi Dong's wine-red eyes drooped. She had tried her best, knowing that Wang Zhong was devouring her soul power, and she had not given up at all. She persisted in sending out almost the last wisp of her soul power, responding to that cry for help, hoping only to see a different outcome.
Because she had once cried out for help like this. Her response to this expectation was to prove that she was no longer as powerless as before, and could erase all tragedies.
But she had failed!
The past Bibi Dong had died, and the current Wang Zhong was also going to die.
Mist gathered in her wine-red eyes, and the past, which had been temporarily sealed, surged in like a tide.
The dark basement, the girl's pleading cries, the man's excited and ferocious roars—all sorts of chaotic and humiliating sounds rushed in, tearing apart her gentleness, kindness, and innocence.
Tears flowed down her smooth, jade-like cheeks, dripping onto Wang Zhong's face, chilling to the bone.
"Everything in this world, in the end, it's best for it all to be destroyed."
Her red lips parted slightly, and Bibi Dong's low murmur was filled with madness, bloodlust, and obsession.
But just then, a soft, furry little head reached out in front of her, gently nuzzling her tear-streaked cheek. The fiery red fur, carrying warmth, traveled from her face straight to her heart, gently soothing her wounded soul.
The madness halted at that moment. Bibi Dong looked at the little fox in front of her. Within its body, she sensed soul power that was of the same origin as her own.
"You were the one calling for help, weren't you?"
The little fox tilted its head, looking curious.
"But, it's no use. Your master is going to die, and you will soon disappear too." Bibi Dong gently stroked the little fox's furry head, causing it to squint its long, narrow eyes in comfort.
Shaking its head, it flung Bibi Dong's hand away. With its front paws, under her surprised gaze, it patted Wang Zhong's right hand. Not only did it pat, but it also kept scratching at it with its claws.
After several attempts, the right hand still showed no reaction. A very human-like anger appeared on the little fox's face. Fiery red soul power appeared on its claws, and it pressed a paw onto Wang Zhong's right hand. The soul power instantly burned in through the meridians from the right hand.
Just as Bibi Dong was about to stop it, a dazzling emerald green light bloomed from Wang Zhong's right hand. It not only repelled the little fox's paw but also enveloped Wang Zhong's entire body.
"This is Wang Zhong's tree martial soul!" Bibi Dong was bewildered by the scene that was unfolding completely contrary to expectations.
But what happened next made her eyes tremble violently.
Under her gaze, that tiny sapling began to grow at a visible speed. Countless tree roots extended downwards in the air like snakes. The straight trunk swelled as if inflated, becoming thicker.
Lush branches and leaves continuously expanded, and the crown also grew larger and larger, until finally, the sapling had grown into a sturdy, towering tree.
The great tree stood in the void, its roots and leaves abundant, its trunk thick—a tree that had grown strong.
"The martial soul has grown!"
"No, this feeling is also like a martial soul awakening!"
"Martial souls can have a second awakening!"
Bibi Dong exclaimed in astonishment.
As the great tree grew to its limit, all the plants in the entire forest moved without wind. Trees, grass, flowers, and vines swayed their green leaves as if dancing.
Dots of green energy rose like starlight and converged at Wang Zhong's tree martial soul. They were absorbed from the crown and then diffused from the roots, completely enveloping him.
Bathed in such green energy, Bibi Dong clearly felt her soul power, which had been depleted, replenished once more. The previous fatigue completely disappeared, and even the frantic emotions of before were calmed by this power.
And Wang Zhong, whom she held in her arms, was recovering at a visible speed. His furrowed brow smoothed out, his dissolved flesh and blood regrew, firm and resilient, his cracked bones joined together, emitting a jade-like luster, becoming even harder.
His breathing began to grow strong, and this power surged into Wang Zhong's sea of consciousness, pulling back his soul, which was on the verge of shattering, and continuously nourishing and repairing it, restoring it to its original state.
Wang Zhong did not die in the end. Through the efforts of certain individuals, he ultimately survived.
A great joy filled Bibi Dong's heart. She held Wang Zhong tightly, murmuring, "You're alright, that's great, you're alright, that's great!"
Joy, excitement, happiness, and even a faint sense of contentment enveloped Bibi Dong.
Was it him who was alright, or was it her? It was difficult to say which feeling was stronger.
When faced with the same powerlessness, the same plea for help, in almost identical circumstances, someone had avoided the most tragic outcome.
Would such a scene bring some solace to a heart full of wounds?
Wang Zhong did not know, and Bibi Dong did not know. Such things could only be proven by the passage of time.
They had known each other for less than a year and a half, and there was still much time ahead.
In his daze, Wang Zhong felt an unprecedented warmth. That warmth was hot and scorching, making him feel as comfortable as if he were by a furnace.
His eyes opened in a haze. He couldn't see the person in front of him clearly, but the tight embrace and the sincere, passionate emotions almost melted Wang Zhong at that moment.
Such purity and passion were comparable to selfless maternal love!
"Mom!"
Unconsciously, Wang Zhong blurted out these two words.
Bibi Dong's thoughts were struck as if by a heavy hammer, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Her heart trembled like a spiderweb in the wind at this cry, swaying unsteadily.
She did not answer, nor did she respond. She simply held Wang Zhong tightly in her arms, silent.
Her face held a smile, and also tears.
Glancing at the two of them, the little fellow, who had grown somewhat impatient waiting by the side, walked to the edge of the canyon and once again gazed at the center of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Suddenly, the little fox let out a fierce roar.
"ROAR!"
Although it was just a small fox, it now let out a roar like that of a king of beasts, a lion or tiger. Its majesty was immense, its ferocity terrifying, its sound so fearsome it pierced the heavens and echoed throughout the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
It was proclaiming its arrival as king to all soul beasts!