Zhang Fei - The Abandoned Son

Chapter 678: Evil Ten-Tailed Fox

Upon sensing Zhang Fei [5]ʼs beast aura, the beast immediately opened his eyes and shifted to a standing position. He possessed three serpent heads, each adorned with fish gills, and the purplish-black scales covered his entire body.

ʼScan the beast, Mei.ʼ

===

Name: Jiu Shui

Gender: Male

Age: 5000+

Race: Nine-Headed Serpent

Rank: Quasi-Divine Beast

Cultivation: 5-Moon Divine Expansion

Elements: Water + Poison

Core: Advanced-Rank Water Core, Advanced-Rank Poison Core

Physique: Serpent Beast

Abilities: Regeneration, Venomous Bite, Toxic Breath, Poisonous Blood, Water Control, and so on.

Strong: Water + Poison

Weak: Earth + Fire

===

ʼAnother serpent! I already have three serpents by my side!ʼ Zhang Fei [5] stared at the beast with a faint grin. ”In my home realm, hydras are creatures from myths, and they donʼt exist, but I didnʼt expect to meet a real one here. Moreover, he is not yet perfect because he only has three heads, and he will become perfect after reaching nine heads.”

”Nine heads?” Aqua and Yuhe were surprised to hear that.

Zhang Fei [5] nodded to them. ”According to mythology, hydras are one of the strongest sea beasts, and they can have nine heads. Their heads will continue to regenerate every time we behead them, and their ninth head can never be destroyed, so they can never die.”

”Doesnʼt that mean this beast is immortal?” Yuhe asked in shock.

”Yes and no.” Zhang Fei [5]ʼs answer confused Aqua and Yuhe. ”Hydrasʼ ninth head is indeed indestructible, but we can still cut it off. Separating the head from the body prevents it from reconnecting, killing the beast. As for this guy, he can still die because he doesnʼt have his ninth head yet.”

*Roar... Roar... Roar...*

Jiu Shuiʼs three heads let out an angry roar after he said all that, and he immediately spat out his poison from his three mouths toward him. Zhang Fei [5] immediately bounced Aqua and Yuhe backward right before the beastʼs poison hit him.

Yuhe and Aqua panicked and screamed. ”Zhang Fei!”

”Haha!” Zhang Fei [5] laughed as he expelled the poison from his body without being affected in the slightest by its effects, leaving Jiu Shui and the two women dumbfounded. ”Hey! I didnʼt come here to find trouble with you, but I will beat you to a pulp if you dare attack me one more time. Besides, your poison does not affect me, so you donʼt need to waste your energy attacking me and go back to sleep.”

Instead, one of Jiu Shuiʼs heads shot toward him, eager to devour him alive, but Zhang Fei [5] instantly vanished from his position, causing his head to slam into the ground.

*Boom*

Jiu Shuiʼs other two heads looked up after he sensed Zhang Fei [5]ʼs presence there, but both heads immediately fell to the ground as soon as he released his heavenly fox aura.

*Bam... Bam...*

”I admit that you are powerful, especially since your cultivation has already reached the 5-Moon Divine Expansion. However, we are both beasts, and our bloodlines significantly influence our level of power.” Zhang Fei [5] immediately transformed into his full fox form and released his aura further, causing Jiu Shu to tremble. ”Do you think a mere quasi-divine rank beast like you can fight a mythical rank beast like me?”

Zhang Fei [5] immediately summoned the demon extermination sword. He also took out the moonlit whisper sword and the abyss demon halberd. Wasting no time, he threw the three of them toward Jiu Shu, pierced his three serpent mouths, and nailed them to the ground.

Zhang Fei [5] didnʼt stop there. He took out the heaven creation furnace, enlarged it as big as possible, and threw it at the beastʼs body.

*Roar... Roar... Roar...*

Jiu Shu roared in pain because of the wounds on his three mouths, but the pressure of Zhang Fei [5]ʼs heavenly fox aura plus the weight of the heaven creation furnace rendered him unable to move an inch.

Zhang Fei [5]ʼs actions caused Aqua to fall dumbstruck, especially since Jiu Shu was much stronger than him, yet he managed to immobilize the beast in a matter of seconds. Moreover, the Undine could see that the moonlit whisper sword and the Heaven Creation furnace were divine-grade equipment, and the demon extermination sword was a heaven-grade soul weapon. ʼWhere did he get so much extraordinary equipment?ʼ

When Zhang Fei [5] floated down in front of Jiu Shui and returned to his human form, Yuhe spoke to Aqua. ”Sister, it seems this city will lose one of its guardians.”

Aqua nodded. ”Itʼs fine as long as Zhang Fei [5] doesnʼt kill him.”

[Are you going to contract this beast forcibly, Master?]

ʼDo you really need to ask that question, Mei? This beast is much stronger than all the beasts by my side, and he will become much stronger after he evolves into nine heads, so it will be a waste if I kill him. Unfortunately, he is a male beast, which means I cannot give him to Huaʼer.ʼ Mei laughed out loud inside Zhang Fei [5]ʼs mind after he said that, especially since he was too possessive regarding all his women. ”If you were an ordinary beast, I would have killed you by now. Fortunately, you are a quasi-divine beast, and you are also a powerful beast, so I will force you to follow me forever.”

*Roar... Roar... Roar...*

Jiu Shui roared and struggled as Zhang Fei [5] touched one of his heads, but his struggle was in vain because of all the pressure pressing down on his body and bloodline.

With Meiʼs help, Zhang Fei [5] made a forced contract with Jiu Shui, and three fox symbols quickly appeared on the beastʼs three heads.

[Ding]

[The host obtained the third beast contract.]

[The Beast Feature has been upgraded to level 3.]

After the notification appeared, Zhang Fei [5] stored the furnace and the two weapons in the system inventory. The demon extermination sword then entered his forehead, transforming into a tattoo.

Zhang Fei [5] smirked faintly before sending the helpless Jiu Shui into the beast space, shocking all the beasts inside, including Boitata. He then spoke to Aqua and Yuhe. ”You guys wait here, and Iʼll go inside myself, especially since the thing inside is truly evil.”

”What exactly is inside, Zhang Fei?” Yuhe and Aqua asked in unison.

Zhang Fei [5] shook his head at them. ”I canʼt check it from here, but I can feel its evil aura. You guys better not follow me lest you guys be affected by it, and it will only bring trouble to the three of us.”

”All right! We will wait here, but you have to be careful because we donʼt know whatʼs inside.”

”Yeah.”

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.

.

After entering the forbidden area, Zhang Fei [5] found himself on a narrow path with countless rainbow coral reefs on both sides. He could sense the evil aura, which originated at the end of the place, getting stronger.

Zhang Fei [5] could feel that his heavenly fox bloodline was trembling in fear due to the pressure of the evil aura, and he had never felt such a thing before, making him certain that it was indeed related to the ten-tailed fox.

As he walked deeper, Zhang Fei [5] could not help but wonder about the evil aura. After all, the soul of the ten-tailed fox he had met in the fairy forest did not have the slightest evil aura, and his aura was soothing.

A while later, Zhang Fei [5] arrived at the end of the forbidden place, but he froze with wide eyes, staring at the figure in front of him. ʼWhat the hell is this? A black ten-tailed fox? Why didnʼt the old fox inform me about it?ʼ

Unlike the soul of the ten-tailed fox he met in the fairy forest, the soul of the ten-tailed fox in front of him was completely black, except for his blood-red eyes. His evil aura caused the temperature within the place to become extremely cold, and Zhang Fei [5] continued to feel a chill down his spine, even suffocating him.

Ever since he walked into the world of cultivation, Zhang Fei [5] had never felt such overwhelming fear in his heart, causing cold sweat to begin to wet his body.

Even when he faced the heavenly foxes, Hun Di, or other cultivators from the upper realms, Zhang Fei [5] had never felt that kind of fear, and he felt that he could die at any moment if he had to face the black ten-tailed fox.

[Master, this black ten-tailed fox is only a soul and does not have a real body, but his soul is intact and not divided like the old fox. His soul is in a weak condition, especially since he has not had a body for long. Despite this, his soul power remains significantly greater than yours, so you should exercise caution if he uses soul techniques to attack you.]

Naturally, Zhang Fei [5] wouldnʼt dare take Meiʼs warning lightly, especially since she and the system had helped him advance in the cultivation world this far.

Zhang Fei [5] didnʼt dare approach the black ten-tailed fox and kept his distance from him. He also summoned the demon extermination sword, gripping the hilt very tightly.

Ma Kuangyu, residing within Zhang Fei [5]ʼs soul space, sensed his fear and immediately warned him. ʼKid! Donʼt ever approach that fox soul with your current soul power! Iʼve never met a ten-tailed fox before, and I donʼt know how he got confined here, but heʼs truly powerful. If his soul manages to possess you, he will destroy your soul and take over your body. If that happens, the people closest to you and all living creatures from the lower to upper realms will be in danger.ʼ

ʼYeah, youʼre right.ʼ Zhang Fei [5] responded with a nod before turning to leave.

”Hey, brat! Are you that scared of me?” The black ten-tailed fox suddenly asked. ”I didnʼt expect that a heavenly fox would come to this place today, and you already got a little soul from my other half.”

Zhang Fei [5] immediately stopped and faced the black ten-tailed fox. ”What do you mean by your other half?”

”Hahahaha.” The black ten-tailed fox laughed heartily before replying. ”If you want to know everything, you can release me from this prison, and I will tell you everything afterward.”

”Do you really think Iʼm naive and innocent?” Zhang Fei [5] shook his head in question. ”Since you mentioned your other half, I have one guess about you.”

The black ten-tailed fox smirked in response. ”Whatʼs your guess, Brat?”

”You and the old fox are one, but you are his evil side, and he deliberately discarded you and imprisoned you in this place because you were too evil.” After Zhang Fei [5] said that, the black ten-tailed fox became serious, and his blood-red eyes turned vicious. ”Heh! My guess is right on target, right? Honestly, I wanted to absorb your soul to strengthen mine, but I wouldnʼt be foolish enough to approach you at this time. Once my soul power reaches the divine soul level, I will return to see you again, and your soul will become mine.”

”Hey, Brat! Release me! I promise! I wonʼt do anything to you! I just want to be free from this place!” The black ten-tailed foxʼs words naturally wouldnʼt fool Zhang Fei [5], so he ignored him and continued to walk away from that place. ”Tch! That brat may still be young, but he is not naive. Since he already got a little soul from my other half, he is destined to become the next nine-tailed fox. If he succeeds in becoming one, he will surely devour my soul, and I will disappear forever. Fortunately, this wonʼt happen anytime soon because he still needs to gather the souls of my other half and the hearts of those two heavenly foxes, giving me ample time to escape from this place. Once I manage to escape, I will hunt him down and take over his body. But how can I escape? Only he or the other heavenly foxes can free me.”

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”How did it go? Did you manage to find the source of the evil aura?” Yuhe and Aqua immediately asked as soon as Zhang Fei [5] came out.

Zhang Fei [5] exhaled heavily. ”The source of the evil aura is the soul of the ten-tailed fox.”

”What?” Both women cried out in shock.

Yuhe then asked. ”Isnʼt the soul of the ten-tailed fox residing in the fairy forest? Moreover, his soul has merged with yours, right?”

”You are wrong, Yuhe.” Zhang Fei [5] replied with a shake of his head. ”The soul of the ten-tailed fox in their fairy forest is only a fragment of his soul, and some of his other soul fragments are scattered out there. As for the soul in this place, it was half of his original soul, but it was his evil soul.”

”The evil soul of the ten-tailed fox?”

”Yes.” Zhang Fei [5] nodded to the two women. ”The ten-tailed fox didnʼt want his evil soul to influence him, so he deliberately discarded it and locked him up here. Fortunately, no one could free him except the members of the heavenly fox races, so Iʼm sure everything will be fine. However, we still have to monitor this place and not let anyone come here, especially since his evil aura will affect everyone who gets close to him.”

Aqua nodded in understanding. ”Since you have taken the guardian beast away, I will order my people to capture anyone who dares to approach this place.”

”No need.” Zhang Fei [5] immediately summoned Jiu Shui out of the Beast Space. ”Guard this place well and kill anyone who intends to enter it.”

Jiu Shui nodded helplessly, especially since Zhang Fei [5] was his master now, and he couldnʼt possibly refuse his orders.

”Doesnʼt that mean the ten-tailed fox should be much more powerful than in the legend?” Aqua turned to Yuhe directly. ”He deliberately discarded his evil soul, so his soul shouldnʼt be intact, right? In the past, he was already powerful without half of his soul, so Iʼm sure he would have been much stronger if he had never discarded his evil soul.”

”Youʼre right.” Aqua replied with a nod of approval. ”Our souls are our most important part, and weʼll be weakened if we lose even a little bit of it. If the ten-tailed fox never discarded his evil soul, he would have stood above all beasts, and he probably would have never died.”

Zhang Fei [5] just smiled upon hearing that, especially since he knew that the ten-tailed fox already stood above other beasts even without his evil soul, proven by the existence of his statue in that mysterious place.

In the first room of the Era of the Beginning, a statue of the ten-tailed fox stands tall in the middle of the room. Statues of the other mythical beasts, including the golden dragon, stand on the sides, surrounding his statue.

However, the ten-tailed fox was clearly not the ultimate beast, especially since Zhang Fei [5] found information about two primordial beasts that existed long ago in the last room of that place. One is a light beast, and the other is a dark beast. ”Since I canʼt do anything about the evil soul now, Iʼll return to the surface, especially since I still have many things to do.”

”Iʼll go with you, and you can send me back to the natural racesʼ capital.” Yuhe then asked Aqua. ”Do you want to go back there too, Sister?”

”No.” Aqua refused with a shake of her head. ”Iʼve been away from this city for a while, so Iʼll stay here to take care of some things, and you can come back here whenever you want.”

Yuhe nodded. ”After I finish helping my friends, I will definitely come back to this city again, and we will talk more then.”

After Zhang Fei [5] took Yuhe away, Aqua looked towards the forbidden area. ”I didnʼt expect this place to hold such a secret. I must defend this realm with all my might; otherwise, the evil soul will escape and cause chaos across the realms.”

Aqua looked at the beast for a moment before walking away, and Jiu Shui curled up in his original spot, lamenting his fate of being Zhang Fei [5]ʼs contract beast.

- To Be Continued -