Zhang Yang found himself pulled back into the virtual display of the Saint Hand System, his surroundings having faded entirely to blackness save for the light illuminating him, the Three Great Retailers, and the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox before him. This iteration of the system display was once again different from the last.

A line of text slowly floated down from the top of the screen. A mechanical system voice chimed in, devoid of any discernible emotion: “Host has encountered a mutated spirit beast, triggering a hidden mission.

Does the Host accept the mission?” The instant Zhang Yang hesitated about accepting, he felt a tremendous, sudden shove from the outside! Abruptly exiting the emergent display of the Saint Hand System, Zhang Yang realized that the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, now entirely pitch-black, had leaped down from the tree and was standing atop the corpse of Pu Chengen, baring its teeth at him.

That immense pushing force had emanated from this very Nine-Tailed Soul! Based on the sudden appearance of the Saint Hand System moments ago, Zhang Yang was certain that some profound transformation had afflicted this Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, causing its strength to surge so dramatically, its internal energy escalating so fiercely!

“Heavens, heavens, it’s a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox!” “No, according to the Records of Spirit Beasts, the characteristic of a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox is snow-white fur with all nine tails intact. This one before us, though it has nine tails, but… but why is it completely black?” “There’s no mistaking it.

If it weren't a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, how could our Holy Beast have been so easily wounded by it!” “But… who exactly are these people? Look, among those three spirit beasts over there, isn't one a Fox-Tailed Marten, and the other a Celestial Horse?” “Oh, my god!

And is the remaining one perhaps a Treasure-Seeking Mouse!” The mutation of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox also drew the attention of the spirit beast cultivators residing within this canyon grotto-heaven. The burly men pointed at the mutated, entirely black Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, their faces etched with alarm.

And the Three Great Spirit Beasts, who had now fully revealed their power, were recognized by these people as well. Even the old man standing before them instinctively took a step back, just as the Spirit Beast Osprey, trapped in their circle, suddenly let out a mournful cry!

The sharp screech of the hawk pierced the canyon, soaring toward the heavens! Swish, swish, swish!

In that instant, all the various birds roosting in the dense branches lining the cliff edges above the canyon were startled simultaneously, scattering outwards! Unexpectedly, so many avian creatures lived in this small canyon.

Awakened by the Osprey’s lament, they fled in a chaotic rush, their sheer numbers darkening the moon overhead! Zhang Yang could not help but wear a grave expression; even Lightning Flicker and Wind Chaser had to focus their entire attention on this mutated Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox.

The power displayed by the transformed Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox now reached the peak of the mid-Fourth Layer, matching the strength of the Ten-Crowned Golden Python Zhang Yang had encountered in the Savage Mountain range! Most critically, this Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was completely untethered now; its primal, bestial nature was fully exposed.

Not only Zhang Yang and the Three Great Spirit Beasts were its targets—everyone present had become potential prey in its eyes! The members of the Spirit Beast Sect and the Spirit Beast Osprey were temporarily disregarded, as the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox rightly perceived Zhang Yang and the Three Great Spirit Beasts as the strongest entities here.

Thus, the majority of the Fox’s focus remained fixed on them. After the initial shock subsided, Zhang Yang and the Three Great Spirit Beasts steadied themselves.

After all, they had previously fought the Ten-Crowned Golden Python, and they possessed combat experience against spirit beasts at the peak of the mid-Fourth Layer—there was little to fear. Soon, the Three Great Spirit Beasts positioned themselves around the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox in three directions, locking it down, and Zhang Yang plunged into the fray!

One human, three spirit beasts, encircling the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox in the middle. Qiao Yihong understood that he was utterly useless at this moment, so he retreated far away, ensuring he wouldn't hinder Zhang Yang and the others unnecessarily.

Having left in a hurry, Zhang Yang had not brought his Cold Spring Sword. And since Lightning Flicker lacked the agility of his small frame, and Wind Chaser didn't possess the speed of lightning, Zhang Yang himself became the most vulnerable point in the Fox’s view.

The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox opened its jaws and expelled a plume of poisonous mist as thick as ink. The toxicity this time was a hundred times more potent than before; even Lightning Flicker and Wind Chaser dared not face it directly, choosing instead to evade!

Whoosh! The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox instantly transformed into a black arrow, diving straight toward Zhang Yang!

In the Fox’s eyes, Zhang Yang was the primary culprit responsible for killing Pu Chengen, its former master, and simultaneously the strongest threat among the group. Relying on the fact that Zhang Yang was weaponless and his physical form less nimble than the Three Great Spirit Beasts, the Fox chose a head-on confrontation, aiming to break through at Zhang Yang’s position!

Once the strongest opponent, Zhang Yang, was dealt with, surely the remaining three small beasts couldn't escape this canyon grotto-heaven! The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox’s logic was sound, but its attack on Zhang Yang grossly underestimated his strength.

Zhang Yang’s footing was impossibly slick, his evasion speed not lagging behind Wind Chaser, and his movements left phantom afterimages, avoiding the Fox’s poison mist with agility rivaling Lightning Flicker. Most crucial was that although Zhang Yang lacked a divine weapon, beams of materialized sword energy intermittently shot from his fingertips and palms, inflicting damage the Fox dared not ignore, forcing it to avoid direct contact!

If the speed of Zhang Yang’s sword projections had been faster and incapable of curving, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox would have found evasion significantly more difficult! “Now’s the chance!” In spraying its poison mist before attacking Zhang Yang, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox had only accounted for the two smaller ones, Lightning Flicker and Wind Chaser, overlooking the fastest of them all, Wind Chaser!

Taking advantage of the moment the Fox was locked in a struggle with Zhang Yang, Wind Chaser suddenly reared up and charged again like an arrow, its body turning into a white blur arriving in an instant, its hooves aiming for a crushing stomp onto the Fox’s back! Thud!!

The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was caught completely off guard; it only managed to deploy its nine tails as a shield, lining them up against its back just in time to block Wind Chaser’s ferocious stomp! Boom!

Although the tails absorbed a massive portion of the impact from Wind Chaser’s strike, a residual force still transferred to the Fox’s body! Unable to continue attacking Zhang Yang, and with Zhang Yang’s energy sword projections trailing close behind, the Fox scrambled to dodge but still suffered a gash to one leg from a projection!

“Woah!!” With a cry, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox rolled sideways, evading the pincer attack from Zhang Yang and Lightning Flicker! At that very moment!

Having bypassed the poison mist, Lightning Flicker and Wind Chaser seized the opportunity, arriving in a flash. The two small ones each seized one of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox’s tails and bit down without hesitation!

After biting, the two injected venom directly into the Fox’s system, then rapidly retreated from its vicinity, wary of being swept by the Fox’s nine tails, which were as rigid as steel clubs! This entire sequence was executed in the blink of an eye.

In a single exchange, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was decisively at a disadvantage and seriously wounded! “Wooooo!!” Just as Wind Chaser and Lightning Flicker rejoiced over successfully injecting their toxins, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox let out another long howl to the sky!

The Fox convulsed once, and a layer of black mist emanated from its body. Then, with a casual sweep of its nine tails, the mist was instantly vaporized!

Next, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox turned, fixing its gaze intensely upon Wind Chaser and Lightning Flicker. At this point, the two little ones were stunned.

They realized their potent venom had absolutely no effect on the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox! The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, being a unique creature that restrains all other spirit beasts, rendered the powerful poisons of Wind Chaser and Lightning Flicker utterly insignificant to it!

However, in this round of combat, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was still reeling. Trying to fight Zhang Yang, Lightning Flicker, Wind Chaser, and Wind Chaser simultaneously was an act of overconfidence.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have been wounded by Zhang Yang’s sword projections. Having spent a long time living with Pu Chengen and his group in Korea, even after mutating and reverting to a beast’s nature, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox couldn't entirely shed a bad habit born of arrogance.

This injury forced the Fox to become more cautious, narrowing its target scope—perhaps dealing with Wind Chaser and Lightning Flicker first was better! The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox ceased focusing on Zhang Yang as its primary target and veered toward Wind Chaser and Lightning Flicker.

Wind Chaser, leveraging its gale-like speed, harassed the Fox intermittently, preventing it from focusing solely on one or the other. In the span of a few moments, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was once again entangled with the Three Great Spirit Beasts, granting Zhang Yang a rare moment to rest!

Even though the Three Great Spirit Beasts were locked in a struggle with the Fox, neither side gained an advantage. Lightning Flicker’s signature poison was useless against the Fox, stripping it of its most formidable weapon.

Wind Chaser’s hoof strikes were repeatedly parried by the Fox’s nine massive tails. At this point, the confrontation had reached a stalemate.

Zhang Yang did not immediately re-engage. He had not forgotten the system prompt about the hidden mission.

Calling up the Saint Hand System’s virtual display, Zhang Yang saw that the previously dimmed mission log was now brilliantly lit, and an unaccepted mission had appeared in the queue. “Hidden Sub-Mission: Salvation of the Mutated Spirit Beast: Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox.” Clicking on the mission, Zhang Yang was utterly aghast when he read the details!

Beneath the mission description, "Salvation of the Mutated Spirit Beast," the requirement for completion was plainly written: Kill the Mutated Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox. The mission title clearly stated "Salvation," which meant 'to save,' so why was the completion criterion to kill the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox?

Zhang Yang was utterly confused by this mission. “Why does completing the mission to save the mutated spirit beast only count if I kill this Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox?” Seeing no logic in the command, Zhang Yang couldn't help but question the system aloud.