Bai Heng walked at a steady, unhurried pace. After passing through several dense thickets, the view suddenly opened up before her.
It was a spacious clearing encircled by tall ancient trees.
The ground was covered in lush green grass, and in the center lay a flat, smooth gray-white boulder.
Beside the boulder, a clear spring bubbled forth, forming a small pool of crystal-clear water.
At this moment, a snow-white tiger with sleek black stripes on her forehead and the joints of her four limbs was lounging atop the boulder.
Her body was far larger than that of an ordinary tiger. Lying there, she resembled a small snow hill, a perfect blend of power and grace.
Her fur was pure white as fresh snow, shimmering with a soft luster under the sunlight filtering through the leaves, without a single stray hair.
The most striking feature was her eyes.
They were not the usual amber or brownish-yellow of ordinary tigers, but a clear, pale golden color, like molten sunlight—deep, wise, carrying the gentle authority of one who had weathered the passage of time.
She had clearly sensed Bai Heng’s arrival long ago.
She tilted her head slightly, her pale golden eyes calmly regarding this uninvited guest.
There was scrutiny in her gaze, but no hostility or aggression.
Bai Heng stopped roughly three zhang away from the boulder and lowered her head slightly to show respect for her senior.
“This junior is Bai Heng. I was passing through this area and heard that Senior resides here in quiet cultivation, so I came to pay my respects. Please forgive this junior for the sudden visit.”
Her voice still carried a slight stiffness, but her words were clear, and her attitude was neither servile nor arrogant.
The white tiger on the boulder showed a flash of surprise in her eyes, which quickly turned into greater interest.
She did not speak immediately. Instead, she sat up a little straighter and examined the white fox below more carefully.
After a moment, a mature, gentle, slightly magnetic female voice rang out, smooth and flowing like a mountain stream.
“Bai Heng… a good name. Clear and pure as fine jade, perfectly matching your snow-white coat.”
She paused, her tone carrying a hint of playful pride and… testing?
“My name is Mu Xuejun. ‘Mu’ as in to admire, ‘Xue’ as in white snow, and ‘Jun’ as in gentleman. I chose this name myself.”
Having said this, her pale golden eyes fixed on Bai Heng without blinking, as if waiting for a reaction or observing whether she understood the meaning behind the name.
Bai Heng was momentarily stunned, then understanding dawned. This white tiger senior seemed to have quite an… interesting personality.
After a brief thought, she grasped the cleverness of the name.
“Mu” sounded like “wood,” referring to the mountain forest, fitting her status as a mountain lord.
“Xue” matched her white tiger fur. “Jun” was both a term of respect and a subtle reference to “Mountain Lord.”
“Mu Xuejun… Admiring the vastness of the mountain forests, taking the purity of frost and snow, embodying the virtue of a gentleman, and guarding the land. Senior’s name carries profound meaning. It is very well chosen.”
Bai Heng answered earnestly, her tone sincere without any flattery.
Mu Xuejun’s eyes brightened noticeably, and her massive tiger face seemed to soften. She was clearly very pleased with Bai Heng’s response.
“Mmm, you little fox have good insight and know how to speak properly.”
The testing and showy tone in her voice faded, replaced by genuine appreciation and warmth.
“No need to be so formal. Come up and sit. It’s rare for me to have a… fellow kin… well, a fellow Daoist visit my Qixia Mountain.”
As she spoke, she lightly patted the smooth boulder beside her with her tail.
Bai Heng thanked her and leaped lightly onto the boulder, settling down at a respectful yet comfortable distance to Mu Xuejun’s front side.
Her small, delicate figure formed a sharp contrast with Mu Xuejun’s massive body, yet she carried a calm and composed aura of her own.
The two demons then began chatting casually on the boulder in the forest clearing.
Mu Xuejun had clearly not had a proper conversation with someone of similar nature in a long time. Once she started talking, she found it hard to stop.
She first asked about Bai Heng’s background and cultivation progress.
Bai Heng vaguely mentioned that she had awakened her spiritual intelligence in the deep mountains of Lan Province and obtained a fragmented ancient fox clan technique, which she had been practicing on her own ever since.
Mu Xuejun nodded and did not press for details. Having gained her own inheritance through fortunate chances, she understood such situations well.
Afterward, she willingly shared her own experiences and cultivation insights from the past few centuries.
She spoke about how she had awakened her intelligence in ignorance, how she had struggled to survive in the dangerous mountain forests, how she gradually grew stronger, how she interacted with the mortals at the foot of the mountain, how she dealt with passing human cultivators, and how she searched for suitable cultivation resources…
She was quite detailed, sharing both cultivation insights—such as the tricks to circulating demon power and the different emphases when absorbing moonlight versus earthly vein energy—as well as practical survival wisdom, like how to identify which human cultivators could be interacted with, which ones should be avoided from afar, which spiritual herbs were particularly effective for demons, and which areas hid dangers.
Bai Heng listened attentively, occasionally asking questions, all of which Mu Xuejun answered patiently.
This firsthand experience from a fourth-tier demon cultivator senior was far more valuable to her than many secret manuals or techniques.
During their conversation, Bai Heng also gained a much clearer understanding of the forces in the area surrounding Qixia Mountain and the broader region of Lan Province.
Which mountain peaks were occupied by violent demon beasts, which areas had human cultivator families or small sects, and which zones served as relatively safe buffer regions…
Mu Xuejun clearly appreciated Bai Heng’s calm, intelligent nature and her pure, reserved aura.
As they talked, she looked at Bai Heng with sincere invitation in her pale golden eyes.
“Bai Heng, little fox, you have a good temperament and solid foundation. Wandering alone in the outside world will eventually bring many inconveniences. Although my Qixia Mountain is not some blessed immortal cave, it is quiet and peaceful, with decent spiritual energy. If you don’t mind, why not stay here and cultivate with me? We can look after each other.”
Bai Heng felt a warmth in her heart.
This Senior Mu Xuejun was indeed as kind as the rumors said. However, she gently shook her head.
“Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Mu. However, this junior carries an important promise that requires me to travel to the Ping Province region. Once that matter is settled, if this junior can return safely, I will come back to visit Senior and may consider staying then.”
She did not specify what the promise was, and Mu Xuejun was tactful enough not to ask. A look of understanding and slight regret flashed in her eyes.
“So that’s how it is. Since you have a promise to fulfill, it should naturally take priority.”
She paused, her expression turning slightly more serious as she lowered her voice.
“Since you are heading to Ping Province, you must remember one thing. In the border region between Lan Province and Ping Province lies a continuous mountain range called Le Feng Mountain. You must stay far away from it—do not approach under any circumstances.”
Bai Heng’s heart stirred.
“Senior, is there something wrong with Le Feng Mountain?”
Mu Xuejun’s face showed a mix of disgust and lingering fear.
“Several decades ago, a sect called ‘Yu Ling Sect’ was established there. Those people don’t play by the rules. They particularly like capturing all kinds of demon beasts, and even demon cultivators like us who have awakened our intelligence but have not yet transformed. They force contracts on them to turn them into spirit pets or mounts, calling it ‘commanding spirits.’”
She continued, seeming to recall something more specific. Her voice grew even lower, carrying a mix of ridicule and horror.
“I heard their Nascent Soul stage Supreme Elder has a transformed spirit horse as his mount. Tsk tsk, that old man rides the horse during the day for travel and combat, and at night… ahem, he’s still ‘riding’ it, without even resting! Tell me, is that proper behavior?”
Mu Xuejun shook her large tiger head.
“Decades ago, I was cultivating in a valley near Le Feng Mountain. When I heard about this, I was terrified! I quickly packed up and fled deep into Lan Province, only feeling safe after reaching Qixia Mountain. The Yu Ling Sect’s reputation is getting worse, but with a Nascent Soul cultivator backing them, ordinary forces don’t dare provoke them. If someone like you were spotted by them, you’d definitely be captured!”
Bai Heng was no naive little fox. Hearing the rather explicit description of “riding during the day and still riding at night,” she felt a chill run through her, and the tip of her tail instinctively tucked closer.
She composed herself and replied to Mu Xuejun seriously.
“Thank you for the warning, Sister Mu. This junior will remember it and will definitely steer clear of Le Feng Mountain.”
Upon hearing the intimate address “Sister Mu,” Mu Xuejun was momentarily stunned. Then, clear delight bloomed in her pale golden eyes. She was obviously very pleased with the closer form of address.
“Ah, little sister Bai is too polite. Since we get along well, it’s only right that I warn you.”
Her mood greatly improved. She lightly tapped the boulder beneath her with the tip of her tail.
“Since little sister Bai is not in a hurry to leave immediately, if you don’t mind, why not stay in my Qixia Mountain for tonight, or even the next few days? My place is quite spacious, and the spiritual energy is decent. We can chat more and exchange pointers. I have lived a hundred years longer than you after all. My shallow experiences might be of some help to you.”
Bai Heng thought for a moment.
Spending a few more days exchanging knowledge with this kind and experienced senior would definitely be beneficial.
Moreover, Qixia Mountain had a quiet environment and richer spiritual energy than the outside world. It was the perfect place to solidify what she had recently learned and to ask for guidance on some cultivation questions.
“Then I will impose on Sister Mu for a few days.”
Mu Xuejun was even happier upon hearing this.
“No trouble at all! I’ll have the… ahem, the monkeys in the mountain fetch some fresh fruits! Little sister Bai, make yourself at home!”
With that, she raised her head and let out a low, rhythmic tiger roar that was not frightening.
Before long, rustling sounds came from the forest as several sleek-furred monkeys poked their heads out at the edge of the clearing. They looked at the white tiger on the boulder with reverence, then curiously at the white fox beside her.
Mu Xuejun spoke to them in a low voice. The monkeys nodded repeatedly and quickly scampered back into the woods.
The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting a warm golden light over the boulder and the two demons.
In the forest clearing, Mu Xuejun’s gentle voice mingled with Bai Heng’s occasional replies. The atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious.