The pitiful Heixiong dragged its battered body, carrying a jar of rare honey it couldn’t bear to consume itself, and delivered it to Ye Lian’s hands.
Only then was it spared.
That very night, Bai Xue and Ye Lian, now fully awake, caught two wild chickens.
After some preparation, the delicious honey-braised chicken was born.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, several days had passed.
During these days, Ye Lian often found herself lost in thought.
She tried hard to recall the details of that strange dream.
Gradually, fragmented scenes, as if filtered through some odd lens, began to form a chaotic animation in her mind.
It seemed she still needed some time before the dream could become clear.
Yet, for some reason, she had the mistaken feeling that she couldn’t wait much longer.
While Ye Lian was lost in thought, Bai Xue would go out to play by herself.
At first, Ye Lian thought Bai Xue was visiting her fox friends.
But she soon discovered that the foxes here didn’t seem to like Bai Xue—in fact, they appeared somewhat afraid of her.
After observing more closely, she realized these foxes were very different from Bai Xue.
Bai Xue was like a fox from the snowy mountains—pure white and flawless—while the foxes of Huaguo Mountain were just ordinary foxes.
Besides, Bai Xue had two tails, an astonishing appetite, and high intelligence.
No matter how you looked at it, Bai Xue was no ordinary creature.
“Start!” A shout rang in her ears, snapping Ye Lian back to reality.
She was currently participating in an event.
To be precise, it was a fruit-picking competition with simple rules: whoever gathered the most before sunset was the winner.
The monkey group leapt into action, darting through the forest in lively excitement.
Ye Lian calmly picked up a roughly woven vine basket and followed the main group at an unhurried pace.
***
Meanwhile, Bai Xue was also weaving through the woods, searching for delicious mushrooms.
“Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~” humming an unknown tune, the little creature’s eyes curved into crescent moons with a smile.
Huaguo Mountain was rich in natural resources, with many varieties of mushrooms.
Bai Xue wasn’t after just any mushroom—it was hunting the legendary Phoenix Blood Mushroom.
This mushroom was vividly red, as if ablaze with fire.
Legend said it was formed from a drop of blood shed by a phoenix in ancient times.
Its flesh was tender and flavorful, possessing special properties that strengthened the body.
“Braised chicken with mushrooms must be delicious!” Bai Xue drooled as it ran.
The urgency to find the Phoenix Blood Mushroom stemmed from a conversation with Ye Lian the previous night, where she had mentioned the famous dish.
Hearing about it made Bai Xue’s stomach roar wildly: I want to eat it, I want to eat it, I really want to eat braised chicken with mushrooms!
So, as soon as it parted from Ye Lian today, it headed straight toward the mushroom’s habitat.
That place was far from their home, almost at the edge of Huaguo Mountain, a complex and chaotic area teeming with fierce beasts.
If the mushroom wasn’t gathered before nightfall, it would be very dangerous.
“Roar!!”
Suddenly, a beast’s roar sounded ahead, followed by a gust of foul wind.
Bai Xue looked up and saw a glaring White Forehead Tiger leaping toward it.
“Meow!” Bai Xue cried out in alarm, instantly recognizing the attacker.
It was the fierce tiger that had come to pick a fight that day but was scared off by Ye Lian.
As the saying goes, enemies are bound to meet.
The tiger became ecstatic upon seeing Bai Xue, shouting, “You filthy fox! I’m going to crush you!”
“Uwaaahhhhh!” Bai Xue narrowly dodged the tiger’s leap, emitting a desperate scream.
“Die by my paws!” Furious after the failed strike, the tiger stretched its body and launched another powerful pounce.
“Help!” Bai Xue dared not confront it head-on and immediately used its size advantage to dart wildly through the thicket.
One tiger, one fox, chasing each other through the forest, their speeds escalating, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake, as if a storm had swept through.
‘The tiger’s rage grew with every step. If this little fox escaped its grasp, where would the King of All Beasts’ face go?’
With this thought, the tiger’s eyes widened and it let out a roar.
Its internal power surged, threatening to explode.
“It was going all out!”
Feeling the terrifying aura closing in behind it, Bai Xue trembled in fear.
At this moment, it deeply regretted wandering here alone.
If only Ye Lian were by its side, it wouldn’t have encountered such danger.
“Ye Lian, save me!” Bai Xue prayed silently as it fled with all its might.
The sun dipped westward, showing signs of setting.
The chase between tiger and fox quickly neared its end.
“Ha… ha…” Bai Xue stopped behind a large tree, panting heavily.
Its stamina was completely depleted; it could no longer run.
“Ke ke ke ke ke! Run, run, run! Why’ve you stopped!?” The tiger approached step by step, laughing loudly.
“Ye Lian…” Bai Xue trembled and almost wept as it listened to the approaching footsteps.
“Ke ke ke ke, I’ll give you a proper beating!” The tiger leapt, smashing the tree with one massive paw.
Bai Xue rolled out from behind the tree, only to face the enormous paw slamming toward it.
A wave of despair washed over it as it screamed, “Ye Lian!”
The setting sun dyed the forest in golden hues.
Ye Lian leisurely picked Peaches of Immortality from the branches above, the vine basket hanging on the branch already nearly full.
Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat and she looked up toward the distance.
“What’s going on… why do I feel so uneasy?” Ye Lian blinked her golden eyes, frowning as she murmured.
‘Is it just a false alarm?’
Ye Lian shook her head lightly, inexplicably thinking of Bai Xue.
“I should go back and check.”
The bad premonition lingered in her heart, making her restless.
It didn’t take long before she returned beneath the Rong Tree.
Bai Xue was nowhere to be seen.
Nor was it anywhere nearby.
The tracks on the ground were old, clearly from that morning.
In other words, Bai Xue hadn’t returned all day.
“Maybe it went to the monkey group to find me…” Ye Lian grew increasingly anxious, wanting to see Bai Xue immediately.
Her figure flickered as she decided to return to the Monkey Group.
Her speed was incredibly fast, stirring gusts of wind as she dashed through the woods.
“Have you seen the little fox?” Back at the gathering spot, Ye Lian asked every monkey she saw.
“No.” One monkey shook its head. It was the judge overseeing the competition and hadn’t left the spot since the start.
As more monkeys returned, Ye Lian finally heard news of Bai Xue: one monkey had seen the fox running northward.
Knowing the direction eased Ye Lian’s worried heart.
Just as she prepared to set off, a shout came from nearby.
“Bad news! Bad news! The Stone Monkey, the little fox has been badly injured!”
Hearing this, Ye Lian’s vine basket dropped to the ground.
Her eyes turned blood-red, and a murderous aura surged violently from her body!
Time seemed to freeze. The wind howled fiercely. The sky darkened.
An overwhelming pressure spread rapidly.
All living beings present felt as if disaster was imminent.
This Stone Monkey—no, this Demon Emperor—was truly enraged!!!!
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.