At this moment, Chen Ye was still unaware.
At home, an apprentice is eagerly waiting, longing for his return.
He lowered his bamboo hat and stepped out of the Herb Pavilion.
Looking around, the street stalls had multiplied several times over. Everywhere, weather-beaten loose cultivators were selling all sorts of seemingly extraordinary magical artifacts.
"Hmm... What treasures are hidden within the Three Thousand Great Mountains? And what about this legendary Cave Heaven Secret Realm? A cultivator’s cave mansion or ancient relics?"
Chen Ye was puzzled.
He had only ever operated on the outskirts of the Three Thousand Great Mountains, never venturing deeper. After all, he had always been cautious, staying away from such dangerous places.
He never thought of himself as the fabled "child of destiny," exploring and seeking opportunities everywhere.
He had only heard rumors of various precious spirit plants, ferocious demon beasts, and all sorts of relics within the mountains.
As Chen Ye walked, he subtly expanded his divine sense.
"...Damn it, if it weren’t for that Blood Sun Flower, my three brothers wouldn’t have perished in the Black Wind Cave! That cave is truly wicked!"
"What you’ve experienced is nothing! Just a few days ago, our team accidentally entered an ancient restriction and saw with our own eyes the people from the Ten Thousand Puppet Sect and disciples of the Medicine King Valley fighting brutally over an ancient corpse! Rumor has it that the secret technique for Core Formation is hidden within that corpse!"
"Is it true that True Inheritor Bai and True Man Ye are trapped in the Secret Realm? This is indeed a big deal..."
All sorts of unverifiable rumors, mixed with the suppressed excitement and fear of the cultivators, kept reaching Chen Ye’s ears.
It was only then that he truly gained a more vivid understanding of this so-called "chaos of the Three Thousand Great Mountains."
Chen Ye silently pondered:
"It seems that a major battle erupted among several major sects, unintentionally revealing many relics and causing demon beasts to flee in panic, providing an opportunity for the loose cultivators... But it’s said there are also Core Formation stage demon beasts deep within the mountains, which could cause major chaos in the future."
However, things had already reached this point.
Everyone was already madly killing for resources, who would pay attention to the hidden dangers deep in the mountains?
"Fellow cultivator, please wait!"
At this moment, a flattering voice sounded from the side.
Chen Ye halted his steps and looked back.
A small and thin loose cultivator, at most at Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, was nodding and smiling obsequiously at him, holding a half-open wooden box in his hands.
"Fellow cultivator, you seem to be someone with profound cultivation."
The loose cultivator squeezed out a chrysanthemum-like smile and offered the wooden box forward as if presenting a treasure,
"This... this is a treasure I just obtained from the Three Thousand Great Mountains! The tail of the White Fox Race! Have you heard of the white fox? It’s a rare species within the Three Thousand Great Mountains that went extinct a hundred years ago. Who would have thought, amidst the chaos of the mountains, I actually caught one..."
Chen Ye’s gaze glanced over the broken white fox tail.
Upon examination, the spiritual power flowed, but it was still rather unremarkable—after all, a white fox is merely an ordinary spirit beast, valued for its beautiful fur and presumed extinction, hence its tail was quite popular among cultivators.
His heart stirred.
Could it be that the little white fox attracted by Qing Jun was really from this extinct fox race of the Three Thousand Great Mountains?
"No, thank you."
Chen Ye shook his head, said no more, and turned to leave.
Hmmm... In the Yunxi District, it’s common for cultivators to deceive outsiders with fake fox tails.
As a local of Yunxi District, he naturally knew this well.
Seeing this, the loose cultivator panicked, quickly stepping forward with the intention to say more.
Yet unexpectedly, the person before him let out a cold snort, and the chilling killing intent shrouded him like a tangible presence.
With a "thud," he collapsed, dropping the wooden box, which rolled far away.
The loose cultivator, disregarding the wooden box, fled, crawling and rolling away directly.
"Hmm? He doesn’t even want his stuff..."
Chen Ye raised an eyebrow. In that case, this item was picked up for free by him.
After all, it’s just a fake fox tail; he could use it to scare the little white fox...
Thinking this, he casually stored the fox tail into the Storage Ring.
...
By the time he returned to Lisong Valley, it was already dusk.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire valley in a warm golden hue.
Compared to the blood-stained Yunxi District, this place seemed like a paradise.
Just as Chen Ye stepped into the courtyard of the Inner Valley, a small white figure suddenly darted out from the herb garden, fleeing under the house and watching him vigilantly.
The little fox, after being continually fed by Qing Jun these days, no longer had its pitiful look from when it first arrived.
Its snow-white fur appeared even more glossy and smooth, its dark, shiny eyes even more spirited.
Chen Ye always had the feeling...
It was as if a girl was looking at him disdainfully and fearfully.
Is it necessary?
All he did was pull its hind leg and take a few glances...
"Petty thing, who wants to look at you?"
Chen Ye shook his head disdainfully.
The little fox, quite intelligent, actually understood his words, and its fur bristled as it assumed a defensive posture, growling softly at Chen Ye.
"This little thing is so cute, I really feel like playing with it..."
Chen Ye felt his hands itching, contemplating silently.
The White Fox Race had long since gone extinct.
Thus, Chen Ye never imagined that this fox could be from the White Fox Race of the Three Thousand Great Mountains.
But if it really belonged to the White Fox Race...
Then where had it been hiding all along these days within the Three Thousand Great Mountains?
The outskirts of the mountains were full of cultivators, and the inner areas were full of fierce demon beasts.
How could a fox with no cultivation survive?
Chen Ye suspected it had previously been hiding in some Grotto Heaven... and due to the battle, the Grotto Heaven was revealed, causing the little fox to inadvertently be stranded outside.