Chapter 1177: Snow Fox Mountain
Xiujuan arrived outside Yang Haoran's cultivation room. Without any hesitation, she touched the restriction barrier Yang Haoran had set up with a single hand. The moment her finger made contact, the invisible light screen of the restriction barrier revealed itself, visible to the naked eye.
Since Xiujuan did not launch a violent assault on the restriction barrier, but merely touched it before retracting her finger, the light screen revealed by the barrier quickly receded from sight again, becoming completely invisible.
"Heh, what's the matter? Has that friend of mine emerged from seclusion?"
As the light screen of the restriction barrier vanished once more, Yang Haoran's faint chuckle drifted from within the cultivation room.
"Reporting to Lord Guardian, it's not him who has come out of seclusion, but Miss Bai Xue has left the Guardian District."
Xiujuan responded. At her words, Yang Haoran fell silent for a few seconds before replying.
"Come in. Tell me the situation in detail."
As Yang Haoran's words fell, the restriction barrier shrouding the cultivation room was dispelled, and the door opened on its own. Seeing this, Xiujuan stepped into the cultivation room without the slightest hesitation.
Bai Xue and Bai Jiumeng's departure from the Guardian District to Snow Fox Mountain in Jun Prefecture genuinely concerned Yang Haoran. After all, Snow Fox Mountain was not within his sphere of influence, and it was quite far from his Guardian District. If Bai Xue and Bai Jiumeng truly encountered trouble, he wouldn't even be able to provide aid, for by the time his reinforcements arrived, it would be too late.
Fortunately, both were Demon Kings, and their strength was quite formidable. Bai Xue's current power, in particular, far surpassed Bai Jiumeng's. While traveling through the New Beginning Realm, it couldn't be said that they would encounter absolutely no trouble, but compared to ordinary demons and minor demons, the likelihood of these two encountering trouble was relatively small. Moreover, they had even taken a Great Demon with them when they left.
Though he understood this, Yang Haoran still felt uneasy. After a period of contemplation, he made a decisive choice: he swiftly manifested a Communication Talisman, then reimposed the restriction barrier around the cultivation room, continuing to refine the remaining Talisman Master Power Seed.
Bai Xue and her two companions, by continuously tearing through space, finally reached Snow Fox Mountain in Jun Prefecture after a full half-month.
To reach Snow Fox Mountain as quickly as possible, the three alternated tearing through space. Whenever the one responsible for tearing space became overly exhausted, another would take their place, allowing the fatigued individual a chance to rest and recover. This method not only reduced their travel time but also ensured that their combined strength remained at a consistent peak, preventing a situation where they wouldn't even have someone capable of fighting if trouble arose.
It was precisely because they utilized this method of travel that the three were able to reach Snow Fox Mountain in Jun Prefecture within half a month; otherwise, they would certainly have spent much more time.
Snow Fox Mountain was situated in the deepest reaches of the Snow Fox Mountain Range. It was called Snow Fox Mountain for a reason: large numbers of white foxes, pure white and without the slightest impurity, as pristine as snow, inhabited Snow Fox Mountain and even the entire Snow Fox Mountain Range. Thus, the naming of Snow Fox Mountain and the Snow Fox Mountain Range was largely due to the abundant white foxes.
Another reason was that both Snow Fox Mountain and the Snow Fox Mountain Range were perpetually covered by a thick layer of snow. This also heavily contributed to their names.
While the white foxes of the Snow Fox Mountain Range were vast in number, not all of them had cultivated into spirits. Only a small fraction were cultivated white foxes; the vast majority were ordinary white foxes. These ordinary white foxes were able to live freely in the Snow Fox Mountain Range, naturally, because they were protected by the cultivated white foxes.
Compared to ordinary white foxes, the cultivated white foxes, though a small portion, were still numerous, forming a sizable population, albeit one that couldn't compare to the sheer number of ordinary white foxes.
However, nearly all cultivated white foxes resided on Snow Fox Mountain. As for the ordinary white foxes, whose numbers far surpassed the cultivated ones, they were scattered throughout the Snow Fox Mountain Range. Snow Fox Mountain was a sacred land in the hearts of these ordinary white foxes. Under normal circumstances, they dared not trespass on Snow Fox Mountain, not because they had all developed sentience, but because they naturally held a profound reverence for Snow Fox Mountain, a reverence etched into their very bones.
Of course, it wasn't impossible for ordinary white foxes to venture onto Snow Fox Mountain for various reasons, but such occurrences were exceedingly rare.
At this moment, Bai Xue and her two companions were deep within the Snow Fox Mountain Range. In the distance, a snow-clad mountain, as if armored in white, came into view. It was utterly grand and magnificent, delivering a powerful visual impact—both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
"President, do you see that snow mountain? That's Snow Fox Mountain, the sacred mountain of our White Fox Clan!"
Bai Jiumeng pointed at the snow-capped mountain towering into the clouds in the distance, speaking with a smile to Bai Xue. Although Bai Jiumeng wore a mask at the moment, concealing her expression, it was easy to discern from her tone that she was quite excited.
"Heh, you're happy?"
Bai Xue asked with a chuckle. To avoid unnecessary trouble, she, too, wore a mask, so her expression couldn't be seen. However, judging from her tone, she must have been smiling.
"Mmm!"
Bai Jiumeng nodded gently, not denying it. Though she had chosen to flee Snow Fox Mountain back then, it didn't mean she resented it. On the contrary, she still held deep affection for Snow Fox Mountain. After all, it was her homeland, the place where she was born and raised; her relatives and friends were here. Returning now, her mood was naturally joyous.
"Sigh, it's truly wonderful to have a home and family. How enviable! Luo Xue and I haven't been so lucky, have we, Luo Xue?"
The woman wore white clothes, her skin as fair and delicate as snow, like the white garments she wore, like the white snow on the ground. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be around twenty years old, though her exact age remained unknown.
Compared to the stunning beauty of Bai Xue and Bai Jiumeng, this woman was indeed slightly less striking, but only slightly. Throughout the entire New Beginning Realm, beauties like her were rare. Furthermore, she possessed a unique aura that made one involuntarily feel a sense of closeness, yet also prevented any casual disrespect.
The woman's name was Luo Xue. She chose this name because she was originally a snow demon. From the moment an elemental essence first awakened with intelligence, the most common scene she witnessed was the sky filled with flying snow.
Day after day, year after year, countless years passed. Finally, on a day of heavy snowfall, she cultivated into a spirit, successfully gaining her own physical body. Watching the snowflakes continuously drift down from the sky, she named herself Luo Xue.
It was fortunate she named herself Luo Xue at the time. If she had chosen the name Bai Xue, it would have clashed with Bai Xue's. After all, she was originally snow that had cultivated into a spirit, so it wasn't entirely impossible for her to name herself Bai Xue. Thankfully, she didn't.
This time, Bai Xue decided to travel to Snow Fox Mountain in Jun Prefecture with Bai Jiumeng, and before leaving, she took an attendant Great Demon with her—that Great Demon was Luo Xue.
Upon hearing Bai Xue's words, a faint smile appeared on Luo Xue's face, and a hint of longing even showed in her eyes.
"President is right," Luo Xue said. "It is indeed very enviable, but some things cannot be possessed simply by yearning for them."
Luo Xue said. Listening to their exchange, Bai Jiumeng couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"I say, can you two stop being so sentimental? Isn't the Flock of Demons Society your home? Aren't the members of the Flock of Demons Society and your friends your family?"
Bai Jiumeng's words made both of them think of the most important people in their lives. They exchanged smiles, neither refuting, seemingly agreeing with Bai Jiumeng's sentiment.
"Come on, let's go up the mountain. I still have a few good friends in the clan; I can introduce you to them later."
Bai Jiumeng knew that a home and family were sensitive spots for both Bai Xue and Luo Xue. Although her single sentence had earned their agreement, it was strictly speaking a bit tenuous. So, she decided not to linger on the topic and swiftly changed the subject, inviting them to Snow Fox Mountain.
"Not so fast."
Bai Xue spoke up, stopping Bai Jiumeng who was preparing to leave. Her intervention sparked confusion in Bai Jiumeng's heart.
"What's wrong?"
Bai Jiumeng asked, bewildered. Bai Xue, however, responded with a smile.
"I think before we go up the mountain, we should restore ourselves to peak condition. After all, none of us can predict what might happen next. So, just in case, bringing ourselves to peak condition offers nothing but benefits. Even if nothing unpleasant occurs and we don't need to use our full strength, restoring our state to its peak won't do us any harm."
The three had traveled a long distance from the Guardian District in Jingling Continent to this place. Although they had alternated tearing through space to travel, it had still taken a considerable toll on them. Because of this, while their current state wasn't dire, it was still far from their peak condition.
"I agree with the President," Luo Xue said. "Restoring ourselves to peak condition certainly has no drawbacks. We've already spent half a month; a little more time won't hurt."
Luo Xue said. Seeing that both Bai Xue and Luo Xue agreed, Bai Jiumeng had nothing more to say. She nodded in agreement, and then the three consumed their dānyào and sat down to meditate and recover.
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