Zhang Chen rescued the Fox Spirit, and then it was the daily routine of repaying the kindness by the Fox Spirit. As the fox’s strength gradually recovered, it began to transport its household grains to repay the favor.
Zhang Chen’s eyes fixed on the fist-sized soul of the Fox Spirit. The other party must be the original soul of the fox’s physical body, but it was suppressed and restrained by the Fox Spirit. It was unclear why it hadn’t been refined.
He recalled the tales of demon possession from past novels, but reality and novels always had their differences. He didn’t know if the Fox Spirit lacked the ability to devour the Little Fox, or if the Fox Spirit hadn’t yet fully mastered the body, unable to consume the Little Fox’s soul, thus temporarily preserving the Little Fox’s soul.
"But now, I can confirm one thing: if the physical body is severed, its lifespan also reaches its ultimate end! Regardless of whether the original lifespan was exhausted or not, without a physical body, the soul loses its anchor, equating to an exhausted lifespan."
Zhang Chen muttered to himself, only to see the information remark that the Fox Spirit could possess a new body within seven days, causing his eyelids to twitch.
Could it really continue its lifespan after possession? That’s just absurd!
As for the Fox Spirit having seven days to possess a new body after losing its physical form, Zhang Chen remembered Li Xuan from the Biography of the Eight Immortals. Li Xuan, also known as Iron Crutch Li, experienced Primordial Spirit Emergence to hear the Dao from the Supreme Laojun. His disciple, thinking his physical body had died, burned it. When Li Xuan returned and found his body gone, he began searching for a new one. On the seventh day, he couldn’t find a suitable body and, in desperation, possessed a recently deceased beggar on the street.
"The Fox Spirit Nannan originally possessed the Little Fox, stabilizing its life, restoring its cultivation, and with it, its lifespan. Yet, unexpectedly, I severed its physical shell." Zhang Chen thought, his eyes gleaming with light. "I only know that once a body is severed, although the other party has seven days left to possess a new one and continue its life, in terms of my Golden Finger, the other party’s severed body equates to death!"
"Fox Spirit, you’re doomed!" Zhang Chen’s eyes gazed at the white-clothed maiden Fox Immortal Nannan in the Material Realm, his lips curling into a smug grin: "Now as Nannan Ancestor, I’m getting ready to settle scores!"
In the next moment, Zhang Chen bent down, grabbed another chain on the ground, and slowly pulled with his hand.
"Hmm, Fox Immortal Nannan’s soul is dozens of times heavier than that of the ordinary Little Fox!" Zhang Chen pulled the chain and immediately sensed the difference.
"Do the souls of all living beings differ in weight?" Zhang Chen pondered in his heart.
Pulling the Little Fox’s soul was as easy as a casual tug, but pulling the Fox Immortal Nannan Ancestor felt like dragging a heavy stone weighing dozens of pounds.
As Zhang Chen slowly pulled the chain, the soul of the white-clothed maiden began to slowly rise, inching closer to this gray and misty world.
Finally, at a certain moment, the soul of the white-clothed maiden was pulled into this hazy world, and then the stillness of time seemed to resume its flow. Fox Immortal Nannan’s eyes regained spirituality, and she looked bewilderingly at the chain extending into her soul, and Zhang Chen holding the other end across from her.
"What’s going on? Where is this? What trick did you use on me, young one, to drag me here?" Fox Immortal Nannan’s eyes widened, scanning the murky world with a hint of horror in her gaze.
For some reason, she felt an intrinsic fear from her very soul in this new world as if it were an ominous place inherently opposing her.
So at this moment, Fox Immortal Nannan suppressed the unease in her heart, her bright eyes fixed on Zhang Chen, and surprisingly, she directly threatened:
"Boy, you better be smart and don’t try anything. Your physical body is still trapped in the tomb, and without my help, you can’t escape from the grand tomb."
"Oh? Is that so?" Zhang Chen looked at the Fox Spirit, the light in his eyes neither warm nor cold, pondering how to deal with the Fox Spirit.
"Have you thought it over, young one, about whether or not to give me the True Dragon Destiny? If you don’t agree, I won’t give you food or water, and I’ll make you understand my ways." Fox Maiden Nannan stared at Zhang Chen, repeatedly threatening him. Even in these circumstances, she still had her sights set on the True Dragon Destiny.
Zhang Chen, looking at the fierce Fox Spirit, couldn’t help but find it amusing. This Fox Spirit seemed adorably fierce, truly interesting.
"I have a win-win suggestion that might resolve our dispute," Zhang Chen said with a cheerful smile.
"What suggestion do you have?" the Fox Immortal Ancestor asked, staring at Zhang Chen.
"If the Ancestor is willing to submit to me and become a flute-playing boy under me, won’t what’s mine be yours as well? Wouldn’t my True Dragon Destiny be yours too?" Zhang Chen smiled at the Fox Immortal Ancestor.
"Pah! You ignorant brat, dreaming in broad daylight! Do you think you can make me submit? Do you deserve it?" Fox Immortal Nannan didn’t hide her mockery in the slightest.
"Since you’re so stubborn, I’ll make you suffer a bit. Young people, not knowing the heights of heaven and the depths of earth, don’t understand the ruthlessness of this world. You’ve never experienced the harsh punches of this world, being like a newborn calf not fearing tigers! I’ll thrash you so that you understand my methods! Now that your soul has emerged, I, the Ancestor, am best at subduing souls, and I’ll let you know the pain of soul extraction and refinement!" The Fox Immortal Maiden Nannan wore a cold smirk, and in the next moment, slapped her palm directly towards Zhang Chen.