49: Chapter 49 What I exploded wasn't a monster, it was a calamity in my destiny.

Ten seconds felt as long as an eternity, yet as brief as a flash of lightning.

The Nine-Tailed Totem coiled behind Chen Fan did not dissipate into thin air; instead, it transformed into billions of specks of crimson light, pouring back into his body.

Every inch of his meridians was scorched and torn by this violent and ancient power, only to be immediately repaired by a gentle aura.

Pain and rebirth intertwined, causing him to groan and half-kneel on the ground. Beneath the flesh that had just finished regenerating on his left arm, his bones let out a groan of being overburdened.

The aftereffects of 'Totem Critical Hit' were far more perilous than the system's cold notification: 'Cooldown: Three Minutes'!

Wind and snow poured in through the hole in the ruined temple, stirring up the ashes and bloodstains on the ground.

Wu Xiang staggered as he stabilized his figure. On his featureless face, a crack seemed to appear.

The Soul-Binding Bell in his hand stopped shaking, and the erratic ringing exposed the terrifying tempest raging in his heart.

"Impossible... Absolutely impossible!" His voice was no longer the empty calm of an ancient well, but carried a sharp rasp. "A mortal body, so filthy and impure, how can it possibly bear the shadow of the purest and most sacred Totem of the Fox Ancestor? Who exactly are you?!"

He 'stared' intently at Chen Fan, as if trying to use his empty eye sockets to dig Chen Fan's soul out from beneath his skin for scrutiny.

The Qingqiu bloodline—he understood it better than anyone.

It was a noble inheritance originating from ancient times. Even within the Fox Clan, those who could summon even a trace of the Totem's power were geniuses among ten thousand.

To condense a nearly substantial shadow of the Nine Tails—that was a legend existing only in the most ancient sacrificial texts—a sign of the Fox Ancestor's descent!

Yet, this man before him carried not a single trace of demonic energy; he was a complete mortal!

A mortal who could actually bear the shadow of the Fox Ancestor?

This was a desecration of the Qingqiu bloodline, and moreover, a blatant provocation against the 'Heavenly Dao'!

Chen Fan gasped violently, sweat mixed with melted snow sliding down from his temples.

He did not answer Wu Xiang's question, but merely used his one intact right hand to tightly grip the scalding hot, red-patterned copper coin in his embrace.

On the copper coin, the outline of the partial map he had just imprinted was emitting a faint red glow, echoing the half-section of the stone tablet in the center of the temple.

He raised his bloodshot eyes, his gaze passing over Wu Xiang, and landing on Su Shuang, whose aura was growing increasingly weak.

The blood frost on her fingertips had already spread to her wrist, and her translucent fox ears had almost completely lost their color, as if they might shatter into ice crystals the next second.

"Whether I live or die is not up to her, and it's even less up to Heaven!" Chen Fan's voice was hoarse but filled with unquestionable ferocity. "I only know this: if she dies, none of you will escape!"

Before his words even faded, deep within the ruined temple, the stone statue covered in cobwebs and dust suddenly emitted a faint 'crack' sound.

The sound was extremely light, almost drowned out by the wind and snow, but both Chen Fan and Wu Xiang acutely caught it.

They both turned their heads simultaneously to look.

They saw that the stone statue, dedicated to some unknown deity, had its stone-carved eyelids, closed for thousands of years, slowly begin to open, inch by inch!

Those stone pupils had no whites, no irises; they were just a boundless, bottomless chaos, yet they precisely reflected Chen Fan and the Nine-Tailed phantom that had just dissipated behind him.

A pressure, older and more savage than the deathly stillness emanating from Wu Xiang, instantly enveloped the entire ruined temple!

Wu Xiang shuddered, instinctively taking half a step back. The Soul-Binding Bell in his hand emitted a fearful, faint chime.

He muttered in disbelief: "Mountain God... The Mountain God Stone Fetus has awakened..."

This ruined temple wasn't just hiding fox bones!

Chen Fan's heart suddenly tightened.

Pursuers in front, a sinister god behind, and his strongest trump card was currently in a three-minute cooldown!

He was now just an ordinary person with slightly enhanced recovery, completely unable to deal with two unfathomable enemies simultaneously.

His gaze returned to Su Shuang. Her body began to twitch slightly—a sign that her life force was about to be completely depleted.

He couldn't wait any longer!

Forget Wu Xiang, forget the Mountain God Stone Fetus; the only important thing now was to keep Su Shuang alive!

Chen Fan's mind raced.

The Totem power originated from Su Shuang's blood and erupted through his body.

Although that power had temporarily vanished, it hadn't left without a trace.

A part of it was absorbed by his body, while the other part was swallowed by this red-patterned copper coin!

This copper coin was both the carrier of the map and the container of power!

A crazy idea exploded in his mind.

Since the Totem power could interfere with reality and tear apart puppets, could it... reverse death and extend Su Shuang's life?!

There was no system prompt, no basis for this; it was purely a desperate gamble in a hopeless situation.

If he lost the gamble, he and Su Shuang would both turn into withered bones in this snowstorm.

If he won, he could pry open a sliver of life!

Wu Xiang seemed to have snapped out of his shock over the Mountain God Stone Fetus awakening. He sensed Chen Fan's intention, and even more so, Chen Fan's current weakness.

"So that's how it is. A brief burst triggered by bloodline resonance... Your power is already exhausted," Wu Xiang's voice regained its coldness. "Heaven's mandate cannot be defied; she is destined to become extinguished embers. Now, I shall send you both on your way to appease the Mountain God!"

He raised the Soul-Binding Bell again. This time, the ringing was no longer directed at Chen Fan, but straight toward the barely breathing Su Shuang in his embrace!

He intended to directly shatter her soul!

"You dare!"

Chen Fan's eyes split wide with rage; he could no longer care about anything else.

He fiercely shielded Su Shuang behind him, using his own back to resist the invisible sound waves.

Simultaneously, without hesitation, he pressed the still-warm, faintly glowing copper coin against Su Shuang's forehead!

The only thing he could gamble on was this copper coin that had just swallowed the Totem power!

Just as the ancient copper coin was about to touch her brow, Su Shuang's fingertips, which were covered in blood frost, trembled almost imperceptibly.