Chapter 1178: No Entry
After a period of recuperation, the trio's condition returned to its peak. Led by Bai Jiumeng, they hastened towards Snow Fox Mountain.
The common saying about "running a horse to death staring at a mountain" may be true, but it only applies to ordinary situations. For these three, who were far from ordinary, such a saying naturally held no sway. The trio only took a short while to arrive at Snow Fox Mountain.
They did not stop at the foot of the mountain, but instead floated directly into the air. However, because Snow Fox Mountain was truly immense, even with their bodies suspended in the air, their position was only halfway up the mountain.
Looking at Snow Fox Mountain with the naked eye, all they could see was a mountain covered in white snow, with some cold-resistant trees vaguely visible beneath the blankets of white. There were no buildings to be seen, nor any white foxes that had become spirits like Bai Jiumeng.
Although Bai Jiumeng hadn't mentioned it, it was obvious to Bai Xue and Luo Xue that Snow Fox Mountain definitely had a Restriction Formation. The fact that their naked eyes couldn't perceive anything of significance was, naturally, due to the influence of this Restriction Formation.
Curiosity stirred within Bai Xue, compelling her to inject some Demon Power into her eyes. As the Demon Power flowed in, Bai Xue's eyes slowly transformed from normal human eyes into snake eyes. A massive Restriction Formation then revealed itself, so vast it enveloped the entire Snow Fox Mountain.
However, what Bai Xue's snake eyes could perceive was merely the enormous light screen formed by the Restriction Formation. She couldn't clearly see the scene within the light screen; she could only see a hazy expanse.
With Bai Xue's current strength, she was actually unable to clearly see the scene inside the Restriction Formation even after activating her snake eyes. This indicated that the Restriction Formation was exceedingly powerful, no ordinary artifact; at the very least, it was extremely effective at concealment.
Not having achieved the desired result, Bai Xue had no intention of giving up. She prepared to inject more Demon Power into her eyes to enhance their ability, aiming to forcefully see the internal situation clearly.
However, at this very moment, Bai Jiumeng, who was beside them, suddenly spoke.
"Our Snow Fox Mountain is different from other factions. The entrance to our Snow Fox Mountain is not built at the base, but halfway up the mountain. The location where we are now is the very entrance to our Snow Fox Mountain. Come, I'll take you inside."
Bai Jiumeng harbored no defensive thoughts towards Bai Xue and Luo Xue whatsoever. Not only did she inform them that this place was the main formation entrance to their Snow Fox Mountain, but she also prepared to directly open the restriction and bring them into Snow Fox Mountain.
As Bai Jiumeng's words fell, a green light flashed in her hand, and a token was retrieved by her from her independent space.
This token was entirely black. From the luster it emitted, it appeared to be forged from some kind of metal. The front of the token was engraved with the three characters "Snow Fox Mountain," while the reverse side was carved with a lifelike fox head. The fox's eyes glowed fiercely, its appearance ferocious; one look was enough to tell it was not to be trifled with.
Under Bai Jiumeng's control, the token flew from her hand and affixed itself to a void space not far ahead. That was precisely where the light screen released by the Restriction Formation was located; it was simply because this light screen was in an invisible state, thus imperceptible to the naked eye.
The moment the token adhered to the light screen, the hidden Restriction Formation light screen immediately became visible. However, this manifestation was only localized, not a complete revelation. Only the area where Bai Xue and the two others were standing revealed a section of the Restriction Formation light screen; the light screens in other areas remained hidden.
As Bai Jiumeng activated the token, it released a surge of power, then transformed into a snow fox several meters tall. The snow fox let out a long howl towards the sky, and with the snow fox as the center, ripples spread outwards across the surrounding light screen.
A crack suddenly appeared beneath the snow fox, splitting this section of the Restriction Formation light screen into two. Immediately after, the crack expanded at a visible rate, soon forming a passage with a diameter of no less than twenty meters.
Calling it a "passage" was somewhat inaccurate. More precisely, it was a special grand gate. Mist swirled around the gate, and one could vaguely see illusory exotic flowers and rare plants, as well as small beasts frolicking and playing. Above the gate was the snow fox that had been transformed from the token.
This gate was grand yet profound. If described simply as a "passage," it would indeed be somewhat inappropriate. If the people of Snow Fox Mountain knew someone had actually called their mountain gate a "passage," they would, in all likelihood, consider that person to be uttering a provocation.
"Go in and see what the scenery of our Snow Fox Mountain is like. What you saw outside the Restriction Formation was merely an illusion, not at all the true appearance of our Snow Fox Mountain. The scenery in that illusion is less than one-tenth of the true beauty of our Snow Fox Mountain."
As these words fell, Bai Jiumeng took the lead, walking in front. Bai Xue and Luo Xue, upon hearing this, smiled and followed, their beautiful eyes revealing a look of anticipation.
As the three stepped into Snow Fox Mountain's gate, the snow fox above the mountain gate transformed back into a token and returned to Bai Jiumeng's hand. And the profound mountain gate quickly vanished due to the token being put away, once again becoming an invisible light screen.
After entering the Restriction Formation, the scene before them immediately underwent a dramatic change. The mountain was still covered in white snow, and the flowers, grass, and trees were similarly draped in a thick blanket of white. These two points were no different from what they had seen outside the Restriction Formation, but there were also many differences.
Exquisite buildings visible everywhere, birds soaring in the sky, small beasts frolicking in the snow, beautiful flowers that the accumulated snow couldn't conceal—these were all sights previously unseen from outside the Restriction Formation.
Their presence not only greatly enhanced the splendor of Snow Fox Mountain but also imbued Snow Fox Mountain with abundant vitality and vigor.
If the Snow Fox Mountain seen from outside the Restriction Formation was merely a bare-bones house, then the Snow Fox Mountain seen now was a luxurious villa!
Although Snow Fox Mountain looked beautiful even from outside the Restriction Formation, it was still far too inferior compared to the true Snow Fox Mountain. On this point, Bai Jiumeng truly hadn't exaggerated; it was exactly as she had said.
"How is it? Isn't the scenery of our Snow Fox Mountain beautiful?"
Bai Jiumeng asked Bai Xue and Luo Xue with a smile, her tone showing a hint of pride.
Bai Xue took a deep breath, and a cool, unique fragrance entered her nostrils, causing Bai Xue's face beneath her mask to reveal an expression of enjoyment.
"It's very beautiful, and the air is incredibly fresh. In this chaotic era, this place is simply a rare idyllic haven."
Bai Xue said with a smile, praising Snow Fox Mountain without reservation.
"It truly is beautiful," Luo Xue spoke, her tone revealing a hint of envy. "Far more beautiful than the snowy mountain where I first cultivated and became a spirit. To be precise, the two are completely not on the same level."
As a snow demon, she had little resistance to such a snowscape. If not for the consideration that this was the territory of the White Fox Clan, and she was merely an outsider, she truly wished to let herself go, flying unrestrainedly to take in and appreciate every beautiful sight here.
Receiving their affirmative replies, Bai Jiumeng's eyes were filled with smiles. However, at this very moment, a green light shot rapidly towards the trio's location. Before the green light even arrived, a man's voice echoed in the area.
"May I ask which clan member has returned? Please reveal your identity."
As the voice faded, the green light halted in front of Bai Xue and the two others. After the green light dispersed, a figure was revealed.
This man had red lips, white teeth, and clear eyes, and also had long hair. If it weren't for his indistinct female features and his non-feminine attire, he would surely have been mistaken for a woman.
When this person appeared, his expression was initially natural, but after a slight perception, his face immediately turned unpleasant. Because he only sensed the aura of a fellow clan member from Bai Jiumeng. On Bai Xue and Luo Xue, although he sensed Demon Power, he did not sense the unique aura of the White Fox Clan.
Earlier, when he was far away, he hadn't sensed whether Bai Jiumeng and the other two were emitting the aura of a fellow clan member. However, in his view, Bai Jiumeng and the two others had entered the mountain gate via a token, and could accurately pinpoint the gate's location. In all likelihood, it was truly their own clan members returning. But when he arrived at the location and discovered that only one of the three was a fellow clan member, and the other two were not, his expression immediately turned rather unsightly.
"This fellow clan member, why did you bring back two outsiders? Don't you know that our Snow Fox Mountain now strictly forbids outsiders from entering?"
The man's voice was somewhat cold, his face full of wariness. Even as he spoke, he secretly mobilized the Demon Power within his body, adopting a stance as if he could attack at any moment.
This man's cultivation realm was not high. Judging by the power fluctuations emanating from him, he was merely a slightly more powerful minor demon, not even a major demon. However, when facing Bai Jiumeng and the two others, his face showed no hint of fear.
At this moment, the man truly had no fear in his heart, because this was Snow Fox Mountain.
Faced with the man's cold questioning, neither Bai Xue nor Luo Xue spoke. Instead, they looked towards Bai Jiumeng, because it was most appropriate for Bai Jiumeng to handle this situation. It wouldn't be suitable for either of them to speak.
"As long as there is a clan member acting as a guarantor, outsiders are allowed to enter Snow Fox Mountain. Since when has Snow Fox Mountain strictly forbidden outsiders from entering?"
Bai Jiumeng responded in bewilderment. The man's questioning sparked dissatisfaction in her heart, but considering they were all fellow clan members, and it had been a while since she left Snow Fox Mountain—perhaps during her absence, the clan had made some changes regarding this matter. Thus, she did not get angry but instead countered with a question.
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