A hundred-zhang-high stone gate stood before them, carved with a majestic crouching nine-tailed demon fox. On either side of the gate, walls far thicker and sturdier than those of Martial Soul City stretched endlessly, disappearing from sight.
Wang Zhong stood before the stone gate, as insignificant as an ant. He gently touched the stone, and a sense of ancient time and immemorial age transmitted from his fingertips to his soul. The profound antiquity of countless years made him shiver violently.
“How long has this place existed?”
Unbidden, Wang Zhong felt a deep sense of awe regarding the age of this place.
“Such a colossal stone gate, what lies behind it?”
“The little fox brought me here, but how do I get in?”
As Wang Zhong furrowed his brow, pondering these two questions, the little fox raised its right paw and lightly pressed it onto the stone gate. Without any apparent effort, the immense stone gate rumbled and shook. Accompanied by falling dust, the heavy gate slowly opened on both sides, revealing a passage wide enough for a person.
As the stone gate opened, the little fox entered first, followed by Wang Zhong. He surveyed the passage, his heart filled with shock. They walked one hundred and eight steps before emerging from the passage.
And this was merely the thickness of one gate!
“What could possibly be within here, for a single stone gate to be so formidable?”
Wang Zhong felt a twinge of unease, but the little fox continued forward, leaving him no choice but to follow. He could not stop here. He could only gather his spirits and press on.
Beyond the great gate, the space opened into a vast expanse. Towering stone pillars, adorned with bas-reliefs, stood in their hundreds—exactly one hundred and eight of them. The ground beneath their feet was paved with massive white jade slabs, exuding an aura of grandeur and magnificence.
Grasping the faint light emanating from the stone slabs, Wang Zhong tilted his head upwards. There, on the ceiling, he saw another bas-relief of a nine-tailed demon fox.
This was the grand hall of a palace!
Shifting his gaze from the relief above, Wang Zhong looked directly ahead. His spiritual sense detected, nearly a thousand meters away, a path of over a thousand steps, culminating in a supremely dignified throne at the very top.
The image of this throne was identical to the one that stood at the highest point in the grand plaza of the Martial Soul Hall Academy, symbolizing the supreme authority of the Pope.
Within Wang Zhong’s spiritual perception, he sensed something upon the highest throne.
At the very instant he felt this presence, the little fox suddenly transformed into a flash of crimson lightning and darted forward. In mere moments, it reached the throne from the bottom of the steps.
An overwhelming sense of sorrow and excitement simultaneously emanated from the little fox.
Wang Zhong felt both pain and joy, the conflicting emotions leaving him in a complex state.
Suppressing this complex feeling, Wang Zhong hurried to the little fox’s side, and together they gazed at the coffin, or rather, the sarcophagus, floating in mid-air above the throne.
The entire sarcophagus was crafted from crimson crystal, approximately three meters long and one meter wide. It was flawless and transparent, and within it lay a set of bones.
The sharp canine teeth, the elongated arm and leg bones, the straight spine, and the nine tails fanned out behind like a screen, all clearly identified its owner: a nine-tailed demon fox!
If the appearance of the nine-tailed demon fox skeleton filled Wang Zhong with disbelief, then another discovery truly sent his spirit reeling, beyond his control.
To his senses, the skeleton preserved within the crimson crystal was a complete set of spirit bones!
A head spirit bone, a body spirit bone, a left arm bone, a right arm bone, a left leg bone, a right leg bone – six spirit bones in total, all clearly sealed within the crystal.
Yet, this was only part of it. If Wang Zhong’s senses were correct, the jawbone, the left forepaw, the right forepaw, the left hind paw, the right hind paw, and the nine tails behind were also spirit bones!
Furthermore, they were the rarest kind of spirit bones: external spirit bones!
In the understanding of soul masters, if one managed to hunt a spirit beast and obtain even one spirit bone, it was considered an incredible stroke of luck. If two spirit bones appeared, it was an event that would shake the entire soul master world.
A single spirit beast possessing a total of twelve spirit bones, six of which were external spirit bones—such a thing had never been encountered, heard of, or even dared to be spoken of, even in jest, by any soul master.
Yet, before Wang Zhong’s eyes, an unimaginable reality unfolded!
His body trembled.
Wang Zhong’s body shook, unsure if it was from excitement or something else.
But soon, the excitement was abruptly overshadowed by another emotion.
Sorrow, pain, helplessness, rage, ferocity, malice, hatred… These negative emotions surged like a tidal wave, nearly overwhelming Wang Zhong’s consciousness.
Shaking his head, Wang Zhong tried to suppress these negative feelings, but it was futile. This emotion was being transmitted by the little fox.
Tears, pure as molten crystal, fell from the little fox’s eyes. It gazed at the skeleton sealed within the crimson crystal, emitting sorrowful cries and whimpers, its voice low and mournful.
The mournful cries echoed through the vast hall, capable of tearing at one’s heart and soul.
Holding the little fox in his arms, Wang Zhong gently stroked its soft fur and whispered, “It’s okay, don’t cry, don’t cry.”
“Good, I’m here, I’m here, I’ll always be with you!”
“It’s all in the past now, it’s all in the past!”
He offered his comforting words incoherently, unsure why he was saying them.
Under Wang Zhong’s comfort, the little fox’s whimpering gradually subsided, and it gently nudged his cheek.
With a leap, it jumped from Wang Zhong’s arms. Under his watchful gaze, the little fox suddenly opened its mouth wide, and a powerful suction erupted. The crimson crystal, containing the entire set of spirit bones, was gradually drawn towards its mouth.
Wang Zhong’s eyebrows twitched. The little fox’s actions seemed as though it intended to swallow the entire skeleton and sarcophagus.
Could it swallow something so large?
Compared to the little fox’s tiny body, the sarcophagus could easily fit more than ten of them.
But a surprising sight unfolded. As the sarcophagus drew nearer, it began to shrink. By the time it reached the little fox’s mouth, it was no larger than a palm!
Like a piece of meat, the little fox’s teeth closed together, it tilted its head back and swallowed. The entire thing vanished into its belly.
Seeing the little fox swallow the sarcophagus, Wang Zhong stepped forward and gently rubbed its soft fox head, chuckling, “Alright, this must be what attracted you.”
“Now that you’ve eaten it, we should go!”
The complete set of spirit bones, though rare and incredibly precious, was far less important to Wang Zhong than making the little fox happy.
Moreover, this was something belonging to its kin. Returning it to its rightful owner was the best outcome.
He thought the matter was concluded, but to Wang Zhong’s surprise, the little fox suddenly bit his pant leg and tugged.
Wang Zhong was very familiar with this gesture.
“You want to take me somewhere else?”