The Purple-Blue Ghost Fox is a Spirit Beast.
Moreover, it is a Spirit Beast of exceptionally high bloodline status.
How high, you ask?
If one were fortunate enough to invite a Purple-Blue Ghost Fox back, not only would the disciples of the Immortal Realm have to treat it with utmost respect, but even the elders of the Immortal Realm would have to serve it diligently with the finest food and drink, not daring to show the slightest neglect.
It's not that the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox is a treasure trove from head to toe, with a single drop of its blood being priceless.
No one would be foolish enough to sacrifice a Purple-Blue Ghost Fox to refine some treasure.
Because once a Purple-Blue Ghost Fox matures, the strength it possesses is unimaginable to ordinary people.
Legends say that in ancient times, Purple-Blue Ghost Foxes were regarded as guardian Spirit Beasts by major Immortal Realms or Clans, their status comparable to that of an Immortal Realm's founding ancestor.
And having a Purple-Blue Ghost Fox as a guardian would not only elevate the status of an Immortal Realm Clan but also provide a measure of security.
In the Present-Ancient Era, within the Great Desolate, there are several Immortal Realm Clans protected by Purple-Blue Ghost Foxes.
These Immortal Realm Clans have been passed down since antiquity, and they are all renowned, prestigious families of the Great Desolate. That they have been able to survive generation after generation is undoubtedly due in no small part to the Purple-Blue Ghost Foxes.
It's just unclear why a Purple-Blue Ghost Fox—and a rare Three-Eyed, Six-Tailed one at that—would run into such a desolate secret realm for no apparent reason.
At this moment, no one was considering that question. Everyone wanted to capture the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox and claim it for themselves.
"Put away your Immortal Weapons!"
"No one is allowed to use sword arts! If anyone injures the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox, I'll be the first to kill them!"
"Formations!"
"We can only use Formations to trap the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox. Do not harm it under any circumstances!"
"Be careful!"
"Everyone must be cautious!"
"We absolutely cannot allow the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox to suffer the slightest harm!"
Some of the younger cultivators, perhaps unaware of the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox's preciousness, were chasing it using Immortal Weapons and casting Immortal arts, driving the anxious seniors to shout and roar, constantly berating the youths not to harm the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox.
Thus,
the several thousand people in the area all sheathed their Immortal Weapons, not daring to use any more Immortal arts or sword techniques. They could only follow closely behind, carefully deploying Formations.
The Purple-Blue Ghost Fox's speed was originally as fast as lightning, so swift that even divine sense could hardly track it. Even using Immortal arts or sword techniques might not injure it, let alone Formations. By the time a Formation was condensed and manifested, the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox would have long since vanished to who-knows-where.
Most importantly, these several thousand people were from various major Immortal Realm Clans. Everyone wanted to seize the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox and feared it being snatched by others. As soon as anyone was seen getting closest to the fox, the rest would swarm them.
Ever since Huode recognized the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox, he had acted without a second thought, directly lunging to seize it. But after trying for a long time, he still hadn't succeeded. Every time he was about to catch up to the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox, hundreds of Immortal arts would immediately rain down upon him. It was only thanks to Huode's decent strength that he wasn't sent to meet the King of Hell by now.
This infuriated Huode, who cursed up a storm. If he hadn't seen the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox already vanishing from sight, he would have really wanted to slaughter all these people.
Here and now,
the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox ran through the air like a violet-blue gale, its speed extreme, with several thousand people chasing frantically behind—a rather spectacular scene.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingfeng lounged lazily on a large tree, sipping his wine and watching the commotion, not making a move to seize it.
It wasn't that he couldn't seize it.
With his abilities in this day and age, if he wanted to seize something, forget a mere little Purple-Blue Ghost Fox—even the sun in the sky, he could snatch it down.
The reason he didn't act was simple.
First, he couldn't be bothered. Second, he had no interest in the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox.
This thing might be precious to others, but to Gu Qingfeng, it was no different from an ordinary fox. It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say that, with his skills, if he were willing, raising an ordinary fox into a nine-tailed fox wouldn't be a problem.
Given that, why bother seizing this blasted Purple-Blue Ghost Fox?
Seizing it would mean having to serve it like a lord, with fine food and drink.
Gu Qingfeng wasn't that much of a masochist.
Gift it to someone?
There didn't seem to be anyone to gift it to.
Sell it?
Gu Qingfeng wasn't short on money. If he needed money, he might as well directly rob these people of their magic treasures.
Seeing Huode once again trapped in a Formation by several hundred people working together, Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily and shouted, "I say, Huode, has your brain gone soft?"
"Is this how you seize things?"
"Charging stupidly to the front like that is just asking for death."
When it came to seizing things, Gu Qingfeng could be considered a master among masters.
He knew full well that in this kind of business, charging to the front was the biggest taboo.
Of course,
if your strength was sufficiently powerful, charging to the front wasn't necessarily out of the question.
But if your strength wasn't enough to withstand so many people, charging to the front would often make you the target of everyone's attacks. Not only would you fail to seize the treasure, but even if you did, the others would join forces to finish you off.
In such a situation, the best method was to fish in troubled waters, mingling within the seizing crowd and biding your time. Even if someone else got their hands on it, don't act rashly. Often in this kind of business, once one party seizes it, that's just the beginning. Bloodshed is sure to follow.
Take advantage of this opportunity to quietly set up various Formations, prepare your escape route, and then just wait. Wait for an opportunity, preferably until they've fought to the death, both sides weakened, then strike with lightning speed to seize it. Once you have it, don't think about anything else, just run.
"You bunch of turtle spawns!"
"This old man hasn't shown his might, and you really think I'm easy to bully, don't you!"
Huode's face was livid with rage. He summoned his peachwood sword and with one slash, shattered the surrounding Formation to pieces. Just as he was about to charge forward to continue the pursuit, Gu Qingfeng stopped him.
"Alright, enough. Don't seize it."
"No way! Today, this old man must seize that Purple-Blue Ghost Fox no matter what! That's a Purple-Blue Ghost Fox!"
"And a rare Three-Eyed, Six-Tailed one at that! There probably aren't many in the entire Great Desolate. How can we give up on such a precious thing now that we've encountered it!"
The moment Huode's words fell, a sudden anomaly occurred in the sky above.
A flash of Purple Radiance shimmered in the night sky. The Purple Radiance bloomed like a sinister flower in the darkness, and in an instant, the entire desolate secret realm seemed enveloped by this Purple Radiance. The radiance was like fire yet also like water—like a dark, gloomy fire, like cold, deep and profound water. Then, the Purple Radiance in the sky gradually formed a circle, hanging in the night sky like a violet full moon.
When this violet full moon appeared, the several thousand people who had been frantically chasing the Purple-Blue Ghost Fox all came to a halt. An inexplicable sense of dread shrouded everyone's hearts.