“Mountain Lord, you have resided deep in Qingmeng Mountain for a long time, concentrating solely on your cultivation and remaining distant from worldly affairs. Thus, you may not know the hardships we, your fellow demon kin, have faced. It is said that since the celestial and terrestrial shifts several centuries ago, spiritual pulses have withered, and the spiritual energy provided for our cultivation has grown scarcer by the day.
By the end of the Ming Dynasty, demons were nowhere to be found in the mortal realm, and all trace of gods and Buddhas had vanished. Our branch of the Fox Clan survived only thanks to our patriarch's foresight. By relying on imperial qi and aligning with disciples of the Ma family, he forcibly extended our lineage's existence by a century, barely holding out until today's Spiritual Resurgence.”
As he reached this emotional point, the old fox did not forget to raise a paw and wipe the corners of his eyes.
“Although the spiritual pulses everywhere show signs of replenishing now, no one can guarantee how long this Spiritual Resurgence will last, nor how many beings it can support to cultivate and achieve the Dao.
Our Hu family's choice to cooperate with officials is also a matter of helplessness. Mountain Lord, you might not know yet, but times have changed, and this is now the new Great Xia. Within Great Xia's borders, all land, mountain ranges, and mineral resources are state-owned. Even a reincarnated living Buddha must obtain approval through top-level directives before proceeding...”
Nan Zhi understood.
She had once read in a book that the world's spiritual energy did not revive in periodic cycles; rather, it was more like the Earth's irregular breathing.
For instance, when heaven and earth first opened and primal chaos was yet unsettled, the world was filled everywhere with the purest spiritual energy. With such abundant accumulation, Golden Core and deity transformation stage cultivators were ubiquitous, and even quite a few Saints emerged.
However, energy was conserved, and spiritual energy had a total limit. Lower-cultivation beings absorbed less, whereas high-cultivation beings could overturn heavens and seas with a single movement, causing earth-shattering disturbances that consumed vast amounts of spiritual energy for the world to repair itself.
Later, as living beings on the land multiplied, the spiritual energy output generated by the spiritual pulses declined year by year, until the world could no longer sustain them, causing the pulses to fall into slumber.
Deprived of spiritual energy, immortals suffered the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, cultivators fell, and even mighty gods and Buddhas slowly dissipated in the endless drought.
This was the origin of the Age of Dharma Decline.
Thus, no one could guarantee how long this Spiritual Resurgence would last, or how many living beings it could sustain.
Although Nan Zhi knew Hu Ban'er was putting on a pitiful show on the surface while secretly trying to probe the secret behind how she, a white tiger, could take human form, she did not call him out. She merely stood up lazily and cast a glance at the old fox.
“Follow me.”
It worked!
Overjoyed, Hu Ban'er hurriedly broke into a four-legged sprint, following her through a curtain of mist so thick it was almost liquid—
Inside the cave, contrary to expectations, it was neither gloomy nor damp. Two ventilation holes were opened at the top on the north and south sides, allowing light from outside to beam down onto the ground like scattered gold dust.
Unnamed climbing vines clung to the rock walls, intertwining gracefully. Amidst large swathes of lush green leaves sprouted dotted red flowers the size of red beans, emitting an elegant fragrance.
On the far right ground, several stalactites jutted out. The mist coming into contact with the cliff face condensed into drops of water rich with spiritual energy, dripping down one by one and carving a rounded depression into a large bluestone.
The cave's furnishings, however, were appallingly simple.
Two prayer mats were tossed carelessly onto the ground alongside several banana leaves, which held a handful of fresh wild fruits of varying sizes.
In a corner sat a discarded three-legged round-bellied cauldron. Its shape was somewhat peculiar, looking like the large incense burners commonly seen in Taoist monasteries for pilgrims to insert their first incense stick of the day.
There was none of the bloody stench or pungent urine smell typical of a carnivore's den—Hu Ban'er knew a den of Siberian tigers whose foul odor was so overwhelming that one couldn't even step inside.
Aside from that, there was a massive stone cabinet that appeared to have been custom-carved, stacked with layers of neatly categorized herbs:
Old ginseng thick as a thumb, plump He Shou Wu almost sprouting limbs, large washed pieces of Panax notoginseng and Polygonatum, brilliantly colored red and yellow lingzhi, and Dendrobium with leaves as translucent as crystal...
Every single herb radiated a golden glow, saturated with spiritual energy.
Yet spirit plants like these, which various sects would fight tooth and nail over if brought outside, were carelessly dumped into the stone wall like garbage.
Hu Ban'er was practically drooling with envy.
However, he didn't dare stare blindly, terrified that the white tiger might misunderstand and think he coveted her treasures, so he hurriedly shifted his gaze away.
Yet when he looked elsewhere, he froze again.
A large, shimmering golden rat was currently soaking in the small depression filled with spiritual water. Clutched in its two paws was an unassuming pill, which it nibbled on while casually splashing in the water, looking utterly relaxed and carefree.
The accumulated spiritual energy in this cave was actually so dense that it condensed into water, and the cave's master was generous enough to let a rat soak in it!
And what was that thing it was eating?!
Restrained spiritual energy, rich medicinal aroma—
Holy shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! That big rat is actually nibbling on an alchemical pill?!
Hu Ban'er prided himself on his keen eyes and could swear that it was definitely not some ancestral dreg left behind by an old sect with less than ten percent of its potency remaining!
“That is This Lord's pet. Pay it no mind.”
Nan Zhi reclined gracefully onto a prayer mat, her pair of golden eyes settling upon Hu Ban'er.
“Sit.”
This damned rat sure has great luck!
With so many good things, can you even appreciate what you're eating?
If you can't, swap places and let him sit in there for a soak!
Hu Ban'er ground his teeth in jealousy, though he didn't dare let a trace show. He nimbly sat down on the prayer mat pointed out by the host, spewing endless flattery as if it cost nothing:
“Hehehe, a place of quiet cultivation for the Mountain Lord ought naturally to be elegant beyond peer, a true blessed cave heaven. Speaking of which, the fellow kin in Qingmeng Mountain are truly fortunate to share in your blessings, Mountain Lord, and receive a bit of spiritual energy for cultivation...”
With every word he uttered, his heart bled with painful regret.
The concentration of spiritual energy near Huyue Gorge already far exceeded that of famous mountains elsewhere. Even outside this cave, the spiritual energy was so rich it defied belief.
Those ordinary, unintelligent wild beasts outside, soaking in this spiritual energy year after year, would gain intelligence in ten years—no, not even five years.
If only these were the pups of their Hu family—
The moment the thought surfaced, he shuddered violently.
Those golden eyes swept over him coolly, devoid of emotion like an ancient well. Yet as an overwhelming pressure bore down, Hu Ban'er prostrated himself submissively on the ground.
The other party showed not the slightest intention of warning him; it was merely the most ordinary look, yet he could barely withstand it and almost curled into a ball.
As beads of sweat the size of beans dripped down, Hu Ban'er felt somewhat relieved that he hadn't brought his two granddaughters inside.
—For the weak to covet the possessions of the strong was, in itself, a laughable matter.
Ordinary humans looking at the white tiger woman would feel dread and genuine terror from the bottom of their hearts.
Only Dao practitioners like him could understand that the disparity in strength between them was an insurmountable chasm, so vast that merely imagining it inspired deep despair.
“This Lord... was originally an ignorant white tiger in the mountains who happened to obtain the immortal legacy of a Mountain Lord. Fortunate enough to gain enlightenment in a single day, This Lord awakened innate wisdom and divine abilities. Today, This Lord is the Mountain Lord, but the Mountain Lord of the past is not This Lord.”
The white tiger woman swished her tail, seeming to organize her words. After a long moment, she slowly explained with a slight frown:
“This Lord seeks only quiet cultivation and has no desire to become entangled with the authorities. This Lord stepped in to dispose of that monster catfish solely due to the special nature of This Lord's cultivation technique. When you return, there is no need for secrecy—simply report everything truthfully to the Demon Suppression Division.
As for Qingmeng Mountain... it has been This Lord's sanctuary since ancient times. If anyone possesses the capability and wishes to seize it, they are welcome to try.”
Demon Suppression Division?
What sort of sect was that?
“This minor demon will convey your words to them, Mountain Lord.”
Hu Ban'er did not understand, but he dutifully committed her words to memory.
“May I ask if you have any other instructions, Mountain Lord? Speak freely, and this minor demon can pass them along on your behalf.”
Rate on N.U.
