CHAPTER 255: THE PROPHET'S SORROW

"You... you..." Red Fox stared at the ground beneath her being torn apart. "Why are you doing this? Wind Dragon is right. We've only known each other for less than a month. We haven't even gone through anything together."

She glanced toward Lu Chen and Wind Dragon. One was tightening the Green Sovereign Divine Tree's vines with unwavering focus, while the other slashed out streams of sword qi to block the encroaching black mist.

"Red Fox, hold on a little longer," Lu Chen urged. "Once I get you out, I'll restore your spirit qi immediately. You must hang in there."

Watching the two of them fight with everything they had, Red Fox frowned. She had only meant to stall for time with her act. She never imagined that Lu Chen would truly return to save her. Yet here he was, right before her eyes.

Facing a powerful and unknown enemy, with no idea what awaited him, Lu Chen had still chosen not to abandon her. Instead, he revealed himself completely, risking his life to rescue her.

"Red Fox, bow to our king!" Wind Dragon shouted, lifting the Hunyuan Greatsword. He faced the ravine and unleashed a ten-zhang-long wind blade. "We all underestimated him before. He is truly worthy of being the new Beast King!"

A surge of crimson spirit qi erupted from Lu Chen. He released another wave of the Divine Tree's vines with his right hand, drawing Red Fox toward him.

Lu Chen pulled with all his strength. Light rippled across his body, and his eyes burned with fiery red light. Looking up at Red Fox suspended in the sky, he roared with all his might, his hands gripping the vines as he strained to pull her closer. "Just a little longer... hang on a little longer!"

Seeing him pour his entire being into saving her, Red Fox suddenly felt a sharp pain pierce her heart.

Within the firelight radiating from Lu Chen, she could almost see battle scenes from three hundred thousand years ago, with the Green Emperor and the Beast King radiating spirit qi as they commanded countless vines against their enemies.

She knew Lu Chen was just a country boy who had been cultivating for less than half a year. He had never faced a battlefield of such magnitude, nor had his Dao heart truly solidified. Yet now, for the sake of a spirit beast, one who had even schemed against him, he was willing to risk everything for a chance to save her.

A pang of guilt welled up within Red Fox. She no longer wanted to deceive him or betray his trust.

She steadied herself among the vines, releasing her restrained spirit qi. "My king, you must go. I'm fine. Leave now... if you don't, it will be too late."

For the first time, she addressed Lu Chen sincerely as her king. She had never expected it would happen under such circumstances, while she carried deception in her heart.

Her fur began to glimmer again, starting from the tips of her tails, as her energy rapidly recovered. But Lu Chen and Wind Dragon were too focused on saving her to notice the faint glow.

"What are you saying? We are family!" Lu Chen shouted, unleashing more vines to pull the fragment of ground beneath Red Fox closer. "Did you forget our promise to find Grandpa and your sister? We still need to reach your homeland! You can't die here!"

His hands tightened on the vines as he pulled with all his might. Every step he took left behind a newly formed Innate Bagua Diagram. The Heaven, Earth, and Human plates revolved around it, pouring tremendous strength into him and allowing him to drag Red Fox away from the ravine.

Through his relentless effort, the ground beneath Red Fox finally broke free, and she was pulled clear of the edge. But just as she escaped, the black mist split into another tendril, reaching out to drag her back.

Sensing the danger, Wind Dragon hurled the Hunyuan Greatsword into the air. He formed hand seals and unleashed a thousand-zhang wind blade that cleaved the black mist tendril in half.

Watching Lu Chen struggle with everything he had, Red Fox cried out, "My king... all of this is—"

Each desperate pull stabbed pain into her heart. She could no longer endure it. She had to tell him the truth; she couldn't let him keep risking his life blindly.

Just then, a thunderous voice roared within her mind. "Silence!"

A surge of violet spirit qi erupted, wrapping around her Divine Chamber and sealing her voice completely.

The immense violet energy crushed her recovering spirit qi, forcing her back to a near-death state.

Little Pup's voice echoed beside her. "This is the sorrow of the Prophet. You cannot change it, nor can you intervene."

He released his innate ability, and Red Fox fainted midair. "I can only help you once. Next time, if you try to interfere with the lord's plans, death will be your only outcome."

"Red Fox!" Lu Chen roared.

Flames burst violently from his body as he tried to pull her toward him.

The black mist, now strengthened by Little Pup, spread rapidly through the ravine. The space around Red Fox was locked down, and the Divine Tree's vines crumbled into dust under the crushing pressure.

The black mist followed the path of the vanished vines and surged straight toward Lu Chen.

"This is bad! It's coming for us!"

Wind Dragon swung the Hunyuan Greatsword, unleashing an enormous wind blade that cut through the tendrils beside Lu Chen. He then followed up by casting a dense sword net in front of Lu Chen.

The path forward was blocked. From the dense black mist, two points of violet light emerged, casting eerie, unsettling laughter toward Lu Chen and Wind Dragon. Twisting in midair, the lights transformed into black, misty hands, which slammed their fingers into the ground, forming a cage that bound Red Fox once more to the earth.

Almost immediately, a second grotesque hand appeared on the right side of the ravine. It slammed down, creating a massive shockwave that sent Lu Chen and Wind Dragon flying through the air.

After several violent flips, Wind Dragon steadied himself midair and fixed his gaze on the expanding black misty hands. He said nervously, "The entity below is rising. Its power far exceeds what we anticipated."

Lu Chen and Wind Dragon struggled to maintain control. Once they stabilized, tension tightened their voices. "There's no way we can rescue Red Fox on our own. We must call for help."

Seeing Red Fox unconscious, Lu Chen's eyes hardened. "They are our last hope. Red Fox cannot be put in danger."

He soared into the air, swiftly forming hand seals in her direction. "Wind Dragon, get ready... block the black mist for now. No matter what appears, we will rescue Red Fox."

At that moment, the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree at the heart of the small world sensed Lu Chen's call. Spirit qi erupted from its trunk, rippling outward across the world. The beasts near the Beast King Manor roared, rushing from their cultivation grounds toward the core area.

This was the Beast King Command technique Bai Ze had taught Lu Chen. It was a method that allowed him to directly summon the beasts of the small world and issue orders to them in the shortest time possible

Feeling the formation stabilize, Lu Chen's voice echoed through the small world. "Bai Ze, Flame Demon, gather them all. I've run into trouble and might need your help."

At his command, the spirit qi across the small world flared. The beast leaders that had just returned to their cultivation grounds gathered once again beneath the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree. One hundred thousand beasts lined up in the core area, ready to follow Lu Chen's instructions.

Kui Bull peered through the Divine Tree and saw Red Fox trapped by the black mist, her core essence on the brink of collapse. Alarmed, he shouted, "What's happening? Why is Red Fox like this? Didn't Lu Chen just eliminate that skeletal giant? How did it come to this?"

"The entity beneath the ravine has awakened," Flame Demon explained, stepping forward to block Kui Bull's view. "Our king's opponent this time is likely the remnant soul of an ancient cultivator. It will be extremely powerful. Prepare yourselves. This could be our first battle since returning to the world."

Flame Demon observed Red Fox through the Innate Divine Tree. He knew what was going on, but seeing Red Fox in such a pitiful state compelled him to issue orders to the other leaders.

Bai Ze stood beneath the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree, brow furrowed as he analyzed the unfolding events. Something feels off. Red Fox may only be at the Earth Core Realm, but she is still a formidable beast leader. Even against a strong enemy, there should be no reason for her to be suppressed so completely.

As he watched the scene unfold through the Divine Tree via spirit qi, Bai Ze activated his divine ability. Pure white qi flowed from his eyes into his palms, and fragmented, blurry images slowly materialized in his mind.

"This... is this a ferret? Why is the vision showing me a ferret?" Bai Ze muttered, confused. He swiped his right hand across his forehead, activating the unique Divine Eye of the Bai Ze clan. More streams of white light coalesced in his hands, forming additional visions that fed into his mind.

Just then, Flame Demon appeared behind Bai Ze. He slammed a hand on his shoulder and spoke through voice transmission. "Stop looking. This is all deliberately arranged. Come find me later. I'll explain everything."

Bai Ze froze, "Huh? Deliberately arranged?"

Maintaining his stance, Flame Demon continued through voice transmission, "For now, the only thing I can tell you is that the Lord of Rituals has returned."

Flame Demon's face remained stern as he commanded the beast leaders to organize themselves. He aligned the hundred thousand beasts according to their cultivation levels, ready to depart the small world at a moment's notice.