The wind from the desert came from the sky, as though a huge hole had been revealed in the sky. Endless sandstorms swept through every inch of the desert.
It covered the sky, shrouding everything in a blur.
The wailing sounds, akin to countless cries, gathered and formed a lamentation that seemed capable of tearing apart the soul.
If ordinary people that were not native to this place were here, their souls would undoubtedly struggle to endure for too long. Even cultivators faced the same challenge. Only those native to the desert could remain unaffected.
At that moment, Xu Qing was walking in the desert. His expression was calm. He wore a tall hat and there was an ancient artificial sun tied to his waist. His footsteps were relaxed.
Even though the sand was soft, he walked on it like he was walking on a flat ground, and there was no dent.
He could already perfectly control the strength of every step his body took. Due to the agreement, the wind here didn't obstruct him at all.
Just like that, a few days later, Xu Qing arrived at the edge of the desert.
Standing there, he turned his head and looked at the desert behind him.
"Unknowingly, I've been here for more than a year…"
Xu Qing mumbled to himself. This time around, he had only told the heir before departing. He didn't say anything to the others. As for Ling'er… Xu Qing felt that it was better not to say anything to prevent her from worrying.
"Clay fox…"
Recalling the scene back then, Xu Qing frowned slightly. He fell silent for a while before taking a step out of the desert range.
He headed toward the strange valley he had passed by on the way to the Sacrificial Yin River.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the third night, under the starry sky, the swiftly speeding Xu Qing saw the valley in the distance.
When viewed from the sky, it was actually a canyon running east to west. Many fractures existed near the western end, forming one small valley after another.
However, in reality, the true length of this canyon was unknown. It extended eastward into a range of continuous black mountains, making it difficult to see the depths at a glance.
As for the name of this mountain range, due to the sparse population in this area, there was no official name. Xu Qing observed the same when looking at the map.
At that moment, the sky was dark red and blood light splattered down. The canyon looked like a blood-colored ravine
Xu Qing was vigilant and cautiously landed. He walked to the valley where he had rested that day and stood there, staring into the depths as he waited silently.
The surroundings were silent. Only the wind blew through the canyon and the grass on the ground swayed, causing Xu Qing's hair to flutter. It then turned into a hint of coldness that seeped through his skin and into his entire body.
Gradually, it formed a sinister feeling.
Xu Qing was unmoved and continued to wait.
According to his and the captain's judgment, this clay fox was extraordinary. Hence, the other party would definitely be able to sense his arrival, especially since the other party had also said back then that Xu Qing could come over at any time.
Xu Qing didn't have to wait long. In just ten minutes or so, the faint sound of gongs and drums could be heard coming from afar. There was also the sharp sound of suona, breaking through the wind and shaking the night.
The sound grew louder.
Xu Qing looked into the depths of the canyon. He saw a group of figures swaying over in the fog-filled world.
There were over a hundred of them, and they were all clay figures.
They carried a stone shrine. Wherever they passed, the fog would follow. The cold wind in the surroundings became even stronger. As it swept across the valley, weeds and leaves rose into the air.
Xu Qing had only looked for a few moments, and the clay figures carrying the shrine in the distance seemed to have shuttled through space. After a few flashes, they appeared in front of Xu Qing.
They stopped before him.
As the clay figures stopped in their tracks, the sound of the gongs, drums, and suona also stopped in unison.
All the clay figures turned their heads in unison amidst the spreading fog and the cold wind and looked at Xu Qing. The dozens of figures carrying the shrine even squatted down and brought the shrine to Xu Qing, inviting him in.
Xu Qing was expressionless as he looked at the clay figures in front of him. His gaze then landed on the shrine they were carrying.
There was no clay fox there, only a stone futon.
He understood what the other party meant. The other party wanted him to ride on the shrine.
After pondering for a while, Xu Qing glanced at the sky before stepping into the shrine.
Everything inside this shrine was made of clay, but the colors were much more vibrant. There were also all kinds of drawings on the interior of the shrine.
These drawings had different shapes but what they portrayed was the worship of different races. What those races were worshiping was a hexagonal star totem..
This star carried a sense of ancientness and sacredness, as if it were a god.
Xu Qing observed carefully. In the end, his gaze landed on the mural in front of him.
There was a fox totem in the hexagon there.
Xu Qing remained silent. He had already thought about it on the way here. Since he was here, he might as well take things as they came. He sat cross-legged on the stone futon.
The moment he sat down, the shrine suddenly sank.
The bodies of the dozens of clay figures in the surroundings shook, but in the next moment, the peculiar shrine itself shimmered with a pink light, neutralizing all the weight. Following that, all the clay figures effortlessly lifted the shrine.
When Xu Qing saw this scene, he fell into deep thought. Just then, the sounds of gongs and drums rang out again. The direction of these hundred clay figures changed, and they carried Xu Qing straight into the depths of the canyon.
They moved through the fog all the way. The sound of the wind accompanying them seemed to be able to pierce and shatter anything. As for Xu Qing, who was in the shrine, he saw his surroundings changing rapidly due to the astonishing speed.
In fact, because the speed was too fast, everything became blurry, and vaguely, one could see the sun, moon, and stars rotating, the mountain ranges and rivers undulating, and numerous worlds seemingly intersecting.
"We aren't going to the depths of the canyon!"
Xu Qing's expression turned serious, and soon he sensed a difference again. The outside world became pitch black, the sound of the wind disappeared, all noises ceased, and a pressure descended upon the surroundings.
"Is this the underground?"
After careful observation, Xu Qing confirmed his analysis, and a vast underground cavern appeared in his sight.
The underground cavern was vast, scattered with countless pieces of rubble, giving it a sense of ruins. It exuded an ancient aura, making one feel the weight of the years and a profound sense of antiquity upon approaching.
Suspended in mid-air within the cavern was a temple.
This temple was anything but ordinary. It was hanging upside-down, it was constructed from the bizarre fusion of flesh, mud, and stone, with numerous tentacle-like structures of similar material extending in all directions, connecting the upper and lower parts.
From afar, it looked like a ball cactus.
The clay figures that brought Xu Qing here came to a halt. The shrine sank and landed on the ground. Subsequently, all the clay figures bowed in worship towards the inverted temple, remaining still.
Xu Qing silently walked forward, gazing at everything. As ripples surged in his heart, the inverted temple's doors opened without a sound, seemingly welcoming him.
Through the opened doors, Xu Qing could clearly see the starry sky forming the ceiling, the sun and moon serving as pillars. Tall clay figures stood inside the grand hall, and the grandeur of the scenario surpassed anything Xu Qing had witnessed in his entire life.
Inside, there were no offerings, only a massive mural that caught the eye.
Despite everything being inverted due to the suspended temple, Xu Qing could still discern the mural's content.
In the mural was a sea.
Strangely, in the sky of the painting, there were numerous fish and shrimp, varying in size.
Below in the deep sea, countless birds were portrayed flying underwater.
It seemed as if everything was reversed, with birds that should have been in the sky now turned into fish in the sea, and the fish transformed into birds. It was unclear whether they had exchanged roles or if the scenario depicted was inherently a bizarre world.
Between the sea and the sky, there was a statue sitting cross-legged.
This statue was of a gigantic clay fox, dressed in a red robe and with rouge applied to its face. In the depiction, the statue opened its eyes and looked at Xu Qing, giving a charming smile.
After that, it stood up and walked out of the world on the murals step by step.
The instant it stepped out, its appearance changed, transforming into a bewitching woman.
The red robe on the woman turned into a veil, gently covering her snow-white skin, giving the impression that a light breeze could make the veil slide down her fragrant shoulders.
The contrast between the red and pink accentuated her alluring figure.
The towering bosom, the straight and slender legs faintly visible through the red veil, and the tail swaying with her movements all added to her charm.
Her slender waist, barely graspable, and the seductive curves of her hips and buttocks, combined with the graceful sway of her body, created an irresistible allure.
With a few steps, the woman walked out of the shrine and walked toward Xu Qing in this cavern that looked like ruins.
From a distance, this scenario surprisingly carried a sense of beauty—broken land, desolate ruins, pitch-black cavern, the suspended temple, and numerous worshiping clay statues in the surroundings.
All of this caused the woman who was strolling over to become the only dazzling light in this place.
Just like that, she walked step by step to Xu Qing.
The fragrant wind blew into his face and an uncontrollable restlessness rose in Xu Qing's body, transforming into streams of heat that ran amok uncontrollably in his body. It was like countless violent wild beasts wanted to erupt in his body.
Xu Qing's breathing was hurried. Although he had experienced such scenes before, it was different this time.
However, he knew that this was the influence of level.
"It must be the level!"
Xu Qing's will was firm. He took a deep breath and took a few steps back before bowing.
"Greetings, Senior."
The clay fox's jade-like feet paused slightly. Her hair and the red veil on her body were lifted by the wind and fluttered in front of Xu Qing.
At that moment, the fluctuations in her limpid phoenix eyes weren't gentle but a wild sea of fire, causing her entire person to radiate heat. She gazed directly at Xu Qing, unable to resist licking her moist, red lips.
Her voice, tender and soft, echoed in all directions.
"Young Master, long time no see."
As she spoke, the clay sly walked with graceful steps and circled around Xu Qing while swaying her enchanting waist.
She took a light sniff and her face was filled with intoxication.
"The smell has become even more tempting. I'm really gazing forward to it."
