After confronting a void beast, Song Wen watched Feng Youyou flee and decided not to pursue her. He then witnessed Yan Tong fighting for his life and, after taking Yan Tong's special Spirit Beast Pouch for his own use, Song Wen caught up to Manager Yin and Bu Ren. Bu Ren used his glowing eyes to track the Beauty Serpent's path, and Song Wen learned Bu Ren served a "Lord Yingwu." Bu Ren, Manager Yin, and Song Wen followed the Beauty Serpent's trail, but Bu Ren's boosted speed caused him to pull ahead with Manager Yin. Song Wen abandoned his pretense and, using his shadow void, swiftly attacked and knocked out the Beauty Serpent, which was then snatched by his Nether Fox and taken to the Six Fiends Hall.
Manager Yin and Bu Ren made their appearance shortly after the Nether Fox's departure.
Bu Ren abruptly halted, his countenance growing serious. "A different entity was here moments ago, and it didn't appear to be a void fiend..." His eyes flared with a startling green luminescence as he surveyed the vicinity. After a pause, he added, "It was most likely a Nether Fox. However, there are no indications of a conflict; they departed amicably. Since when did Nether Foxes and the Void Clan find common ground?"
"Fellow Daoist Bu, are you aware of the Nether Fox's power level?" Manager Yin inquired, his voice laced with concern. Their pursuit of the Beauty Serpent was nearing its conclusion when this unforeseen complication arose.
"It was probably a fifth-tier Nether Fox at best," Bu Ren responded. "Were it a sixth-tier, it would not have fled; it would have stood its ground against us." Manager Yin nodded, his apprehension subsiding.
His gaze suddenly flickered back. "We have lingered here for ten breaths. Why has Ji Lin not yet caught up?"
"Pay him no mind," Bu Ren stated. "Let us concentrate on apprehending the Beauty Serpent first."
The pair promptly resumed their chase, their flight speed increasing dramatically.
After venturing tens of thousands of miles, the Beauty Serpent remained elusive, yet they could sense her proximity, just ahead. The surrounding Primordial Qi swirled unnaturally, a clear sign of the Beauty Serpent's desperate flight. This, however, was not a simple rebirth, but a malformed metamorphosis.
"Wooo..." A piercing howl, akin to steel needles piercing the Seas of Consciousness, tore through the air. A resentful spirit, at the late fifth-tier, erupted from the dense Primordial Qi. Their expressions shifted subtly as they swiftly activated their Divine Soul Defense Spirit Treasures. Despite being caught off guard by the abrupt onslaught, they quickly stabilized, confronting the lone adversary with their united might. After an intense engagement, they finally vanquished the resentful spirit. Without further deliberation, they continued their pursuit of the Beauty Serpent.
Meanwhile, a dozen miles to their left, Song Wen gleaned this information from the shadow void and expelled a quiet sigh of relief. His intervention had been precisely timed to prevent the duo from apprehending the Nether Fox. The resentful spirit they had just confronted had been weaponized by Song Wen himself; two of the nine tendrils extending from his head still clutched fifth-tier resentful spirits.
"Master, a peak fifth-tier void fiend has materialized in the Nether Fox's path. If it maintains its current trajectory, a direct collision is inevitable," the shadow void suddenly cautioned.
"Guide me to it," Song Wen commanded. Under the shadow void's guidance, Song Wen rapidly reached a location several thousand miles ahead of the Nether Fox and discovered the void fiend—a colossal, piscine entity. He unleashed the Focused Spirit Stab, terminating the fiend instantly. After stowing the carcass within his storage ring, Song Wen prepared to depart. He maneuvered to the Nether Fox's left flank and telepathically instructed it to deviate from the current path, thereby preventing any lingering spiritual energy from alerting Manager Yin and Bu Ren.
As he concluded his directive, the shadow void's voice resonated within his Sea of Consciousness. "Master, a sixth-tier resentful spirit has appeared behind the two humans. It has likely detected their residual energy signature and is rapidly approaching them."
Song Wen sighed, lamenting his inescapable destiny. Earlier, when he and his companions had pursued the Beauty Serpent deep into the Primordial Qi Death Zone—a distance exceeding a million miles—they had encountered neither formidable resentful spirits nor void fiends. Yet now, they manifested in rapid succession. With a swift movement, Song Wen retreated towards Manager Yin and Bu Ren. The resentful spirit, only at the early stage of the sixth tier, presented no significant threat. Song Wen dispatched it with practiced ease.
Could this be construed as saving their lives? If so, their reconnaissance of the Six Fiends Hall's mountain valley on my behalf would constitute a fitting recompense.
Following Song Wen's persistent guidance, the Nether Fox eventually led them to a place over 20,000 miles distant from the Six Fiends Hall. "Shadow Void, enshroud me with your tendrils and bear me onward," Song Wen instructed. As his words dissipated, the Shadow Void's nine tendrils coalesced into a spherical form, completely enveloping Song Wen and masking his aura. Now that they neared the Six Fiends Hall, the sudden appearance of a Void Refinement Stage cultivator would undoubtedly raise suspicions. However, the emergence of a void fiend would appear entirely natural. The sphere pierced the Primordial Qi, arriving less than 10,000 miles from the mountain valley, preceding the Nether Fox.
Within the Primordial Qi Death Zone, Shadow Void's perceptive capabilities spanned a vast 10,000 miles, enabling it to observe everything within the confines of the valley. At the behest of Song Wen, Shadow Void located an underground cavern and swiftly descended into its depths. Shortly thereafter, the Nether Fox was observed rapidly approaching the burrow from a considerable distance. "Nether Fox, I require you to sever one of the Beauty Serpent's tentacles and present it to me. Following that, you shall carry the detached limb onward. Ahead, approximately 9,000 miles away, lies a mountain valley. Upon your arrival, you are to circle the valley several times before concealing the tentacle in a secluded location," Song Wen communicated via telepathy.
Upon receiving these instructions, the Nether Fox's speed noticeably decreased, its gaze flickering around with apprehension. "Master, may I inquire as to the reason for this particular task?" The Nether Fox was fully cognizant of the two human cultivators trailing behind, though it remained ignorant of the Six Fiends Hall's involvement. "Cease your questioning and execute my command without delay," Song Wen sternly replied. The Nether Fox, inherently shrewd and intensely self-preserving, would never have ventured near the mountain valley had it known it served as the Six Fiends Hall's hidden stronghold. Song Wen, however, had no intention of disclosing the actual motive. In reality, the Nether Fox was highly unlikely to encounter any peril within the mountain valley. The Divine Blood Gate had, after all, imposed strict prohibitions against the hunting or capture of Nether Foxes. Consequently, even if encountered by members of the Six Fiends Hall, the creature would remain unharmed.
Observing the Nether Fox's continued reluctance to increase its pace, Song Wen issued another prompt. "Hurry! Those two are gaining on us." The Nether Fox rolled its dark eyes, an evident display of displeasure. Nevertheless, it dared not defy Song Wen's directive. Its lips contorted, revealing sharp fangs as it bit down, severing one of the tentacles. The incapacitated Beauty Serpent appeared to register the pain, its scaled visage twitching uncontrollably. Skimming the ground, the Nether Fox passed by Song Wen's earthen refuge. With a decisive clamp of its jaws, it deposited the tentacle-less Beauty Serpent before Song Wen.
In his hand, Song Wen held a black cloth pouch – the very item he had confiscated from Yan Tong. He had utilized the intervening travel time to refine it. Even before the refinement process could commence in earnest, Yan Tong's spiritual imprint upon the pouch had already dissipated, serving as confirmation of Yan Tong's demise. A mysterious luminescence emanated from the black pouch, enveloping the descending Beauty Serpent and drawing it within. Immediately after, Song Wen manipulated the surrounding earth, burying himself and suppressing his aura to remain utterly motionless. Within his right grasp, he tightly held an Earth Evasion Talisman, poised for immediate escape should any unforeseen complications arise.
"Master, now that I have fulfilled your instructions, what is my next course of action?" the Nether Fox telepathically inquired from a distance. "Retreat far from this mountain valley and seek a secure hiding place. I shall locate you at a later time," Song Wen responded.
