Originally, they thought the secret realm would be a terrifying place, but to their surprise, it was incredibly beautiful.
It looked like a large garden, with lush grass and birds chirping, and various unnamed flowers blooming in competition.
The fragrance of the flowers filled the air, and taking a deep breath made them feel refreshed.
“Is this the legendary dangerous secret realm?” Leo couldn’t help but ask.
Hannah was also entering the secret realm for the first time, but she appeared calmer than Leo. She replied, “Yes, it’s said that the secret realm is even more mystical than a paradise.”
“The spiritual energy here is abundant, with various rare flowers, herbs, and Spirit Medicine, as well as numerous opportunities.”
“Are there any Spirit Medicines among these beautiful plants?” Leo asked again.
“Of course there are. Look, that grass over there is called Profound Spirit Grass. It can be used for alchemy to enhance spiritual energy,” Hannah pointed ahead.
Leo’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I’ll go pick a few.”
“Leo, don’t pick the plants here!” Hannah quickly warned.
“Why not?”
Hannah explained, “My mother once told me about the basic situation of the Greenmount Secret Realm. The place we’re in should be called Wonderland Garden.”
“Every plant and flower here has a restriction. If you trigger one, it will cause a chain reaction and lead to unpredictable dangers.”
Hearing this, Leo released his spiritual sense and found that every plant indeed had a restriction, just as Hannah had said.
Leo wasn’t afraid of individual restrictions but was concerned about the chain reactions. If triggered, even if he could escape, Hannah would be in danger.
Leo sighed and suddenly remembered a scene from the movie “The Hobbit.” The protagonist entered a mountain of gold and silver but couldn’t take a single coin because it was guarded by a dragon.
“Leo, there are many good things in the secret realm. Let’s move on,” Hannah said, showing little interest in the flowers and plants.
Leo nodded and suddenly remembered the foxes that had entered before them. “By the way, where are the foxes that came in before us? Why haven’t we seen any?”
“They…” Hannah sneered coldly. “They must have gone to find the Spirit Fox Flower. They are overestimating themselves.”
“What is the Spirit Fox Flower?”
“Legend has it that three thousand years ago, a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox from the Greenmount Spirit Fox Clan failed to ascend to become an Immortal Fox during its tribulation.”
“Its soul entered the secret realm and transformed into a white flower, which the Spirit Fox Clan calls the Spirit Fox Flower.”
“It’s said that any fox from the Spirit Fox Clan, regardless of its cultivation level, can become a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox if it finds and eats this Spirit Fox Flower.”
As they talked, they passed through Wonderland Garden and entered a quiet bamboo forest. Suddenly, they heard screams and cries.
They exchanged glances and quickly ran towards the source of the screams.
Ahead was a small grove.
Though small, the trees were strange.
The trees had no leaves; each tree had only three branches, and each branch ended in a snake’s head.
The snake heads were alive; some flicked their tongues while others opened their mouths to reveal sharp fangs.
Seeing this, Hannah clutched Leo’s arm tightly in fear.
But that wasn’t the most terrifying part. Deeper in the strange grove appeared a giant snake’s mouth.
The foxes that had entered earlier were being swallowed by the snake’s mouth. Although they struggled desperately, the mouth seemed to have an infinite suction force, making escape impossible.
Soon, all the remaining foxes were swallowed by the snake’s mouth.
The giant snake’s mouth slowly closed, and its eyes, glowing like red lanterns, flickered before it gradually faded away and disappeared.
“That was terrifying!” Hannah’s face showed fear.
Even though he was mentally prepared, seeing such a scene made Leo’s expression serious as well.
“Little girl, don’t be afraid. I’m here,” Leo said, trying to calm himself. “Let’s leave this place and look for your inheritance.”
Hannah didn’t move. She stared ahead blankly, her eyes dim with sadness. “Is my Spirit Fox Clan really going to go extinct in my generation?”
“No, I believe you can lead the Spirit Fox Clan to rise again,” Leo comforted her.
Hannah bit her lip, wiped away her tears, and regained her resolve. “Leo, let’s go.”
As they walked along the edge of the strange grove for a while, Hannah suddenly stopped. Her previously calm face changed dramatically.
Noticing her abnormality, Leo was about to ask what was wrong when his expression also changed.
It felt like being pricked by a needle. Leo was about to release his spiritual sense to investigate when suddenly the entire grove turned to charcoal.
Black powder covered the ground, and the sky of the secret realm seemed to be stained with a layer of blood-red color.
“Leo, don’t move,” Hannah whispered a warning. She then clasped her hands together in a strange gesture and began chanting peculiar syllables.
From the black powder emerged green leaves, quickly covering everything in sight with green.
It was a peculiar grass with nine leaves, each resembling a small tail.
A strange wind blew, carrying faint chanting sounds.
This sound suddenly calmed Leo’s mind and made him feel drowsy.
The entire visible space was filled with a pale red glow.
Within this glow appeared a white figure, seemingly human, slowly approaching Leo and Hannah.
Instinctively, Leo raised his right hand, ready to attack at any sign of danger.
Hannah’s chanting quickened in pace. The peculiar syllables cleared Leo’s mind slightly.
Strangely enough, as the figure approached, Leo didn’t feel any danger.
Soon the figure became clear. The first thing Leo saw was a woman’s face.
It was an incredibly beautiful face, even more so than Aunt Xena’s as described by Hannah. Her features were like a painting, especially her dreamy eyes.
The face was semi-transparent, as was her body-like an untouchable phantom.
Even so, Leo felt an inexplicable pressure.
The woman’s face stared at Leo for a moment before slowly retreating and turning around.
Only then did Leo see her body clearly. Her upper body was perfect. Below that, instead of feet, she had many tails.
Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox!
Leo’s eyes widened. Could this be the legendary Greenmount Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox?
Amidst the continuous chanting, the woman’s ethereal body drifted away until it disappeared into the green foliage.