The white fog was persistent, creeping in from outside and engulfing Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo within the house.
Hearing the Fox God demand the petal, Sun Lingtong flew into a rage, "What a cunning Fur God! Luring us inside, hiking up the price, coercing us with force!"
"Do you take us for clay figures?"
"Come on, let's see if I don't give you a good thrashing until your ass and head blossom into flowers, and tear down this rotten temple. Do you really think becoming the Deputy Mountain God gives you the right to lord over others?!"
As Sun Lingtong rolled up his sleeves, baring his chubby little arms and brimming with aggression, the Fox God scoffed, "Such spirit in a little child."
Ning Zhuo smiled wryly, "It seems you, Fox God, are quite spirited yourself."
"Do you not know my clan possesses the Double Golden Core, and still you dare to trouble us?"
"If you were a Demon Cultivator, that would be one thing, but now you're a Mountain God. Wait until our elder comes to teach you a lesson. If you're capable, then take Mist Hidden Mountain and hide with it."
"Oh, I forgot. You're only the Deputy Mountain God, not the official one."
"Even if the True Mountain God agreed, do you have the Divine Skills to move mountains?"
The white fog abruptly hesitated.
The Fox God gave a silly smile, "My young friend, you've truly misunderstood me. I never intended to trouble you; I was just a bit too eager."
"You must understand that searching the entire Mist Hidden Mountain is a delicate matter. If it were just a cursory glance, any ordinary bird could accomplish it. But to peer into the woods, bushes, and streams, that would require a significant amount of Divine Power, no small sum. And if one were to delve eight feet underground, the consumption of Divine Power would be tremendous, taking at least three to five months to replenish."
"Which type of search did you have in mind?"
Sun Lingtong snorted coldly, "After all that talk, you're just looking to haggle."
Ning Zhuo gestured soothingly with his hand at Sun Lingtong, "When my mother entrusted me with this task, she did give me some items to facilitate my journey through the various regions."
"Is this the petal you speak of?"
With that, Ning Zhuo curled his tongue, revealing a bud pattern from its base.
The pattern emerged and solidified into a small flower bud.
The pure white bud, formed entirely of mist, gently dispersed at the edges.
It was the Cloud Concealed Bud!
Ning Zhuo's tongue curled beneath it, encasing the bud and plucking off a single petal.
Pressing his tongue down, the Cloud Concealed Bud returned to a talisman design, inked at the base of his tongue, leaving only the petal on the tip.
He opened his mouth and expelled the petal.
The white fog surged forward, as the Fox God exclaimed urgently, "That's it, that's it!"
Ning Zhuo inhaled sharply, drawing the petal back into his mouth, "Fox God, go search the mountain."
The Fox God chuckled coquettishly, "My lord, why not give the petal to me first, and I shall serve you faithfully and to the best of my abilities."
Once the Cloud Concealment Petal appeared, the Fox God's attitude and tone changed dramatically.
Sun Lingtong couldn't help but shiver, rubbing his arms, and commanded with a low voice, "Speak properly!"
Ning Zhuo maintained a smile throughout, "Fox God needs not worry. Once the matter is concluded, I will most certainly present the petal to you with both hands. My surname is Ning, and my given name Zhuo, just so you know that I'm from the Ning Family of the Fire Persimmon Immortal City. I shall not change my name or renege on my promise; by the reputation of the Ning Family, I swear that as long as the Fox God gives her all, I shall not default on the debt."
The Fox God fell silent for a while before she said, "Very well, I'll do as you say."
The fog within the room gradually receded. Although it left the room, it still blocked the doors and windows.
Ning Zhuo appeared unfazed, setting out a set of teacups on a table within the room and inviting Sun Lingtong to sit before starting to brew tea.
The two conversed over tea, their relaxed and composed demeanor exuding great confidence, leaving the Fox God feeling for their depth.
The Fox God exerted her Divine Power, and the fog swirled around the mountain.
She had once dealt with Meng Yaoyin and knew the Ning Family caravan's route from those years past. Following the route, she searched and indeed found some things of interest.
"My lord, I have brought what you seek. Have a look."
With that, the Fox God opened the room's door, and the fog dispersed, creating a blank space.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong looked out to see a pile of old items arranged in the courtyard.
There were rusty pots, moldy blankets, fragments of tents, and discarded wheels.
Ning Zhuo probed with his Divine Sense, pretending to scrutinize carefully before collecting the junk and addressing the Fox God, "Not enough, not enough. I must implore the Fox God to continue her search."
The Fox God laughed sweetly, "Please wait a moment, my lord."
This time, the Fox God exerted her full power, delving eight feet into the ground along the route of the Ning Family caravan, scavenging yet another pile of old items.
Wrapped in dense fog, the antiquities were swiftly delivered to the courtyard of the Divine Temple.
"My lord, take a look," puffed the Fox God. "Now you should give me that petal, shouldn't you?"
After examining the items, Ning Zhuo began to pack them into his bag, meanwhile speaking, "Still lacking a little, I humbly ask the Fox God to exert herself once more."
The Fox God, frustrated, pressed, "If my lord seeks something specific, I implore you to speak plainly."
Ning Zhuo grimaced with a smile, "Had I been able to be direct, I would have done so already. My mother's instructions were very particular, so I beg the Fox God's forgiveness and understanding."
The Fox God marshaled her Divine Power, stirring up a rolling mist that nearly obscured Mist Hidden Mountain completely.
Such a miraculous scene stunned the villagers of Mist Hidden Village, with many falling to their knees on the spot, calling out to divine miracles and incessantly praising the name of the Fox God.
This time, the Cloud Fox brought back fewer items.
Her voice revealed her fatigue, "I have exerted my utmost already, my Divine Power greatly diminished. Even if the True Mountain God himself were to act, he could but arrive at the same result. Hand over that petal to me."
Ning Zhuo checked again, gathering up the broken ceramics, damaged medicinal herbs, destroyed mechanisms, and assorted jewelry made of gold, silver, and agate.
"Fox God, the item I seek is not among these," Ning Zhuo said.
"Hmm?!" The Fox God's voice turned cold, "Young man, did you not hear what I just said?"
Ning Zhuo insisted, "I heard you very clearly. Although there are many things here, the targeted item is not among them."
The Fox God was quite displeased, "What exactly is this thing your mother asked you to retrieve? If you don't tell me, how can I help you? Even now, you still keep secrets?"
Ning Zhuo shook his head, "Fox God, I am not deceiving you. My mother did not specify, only saying that I would sense it upon contact. I hope the Fox God can try again. Once I report back to my mother, I will definitely repay you."
The Fox God laughed in anger, "Boy, are you playing with me?"
"Who has the patience to search through this pile of trash for you!"
"Quickly hand over the petal, I will forgive your trespasses."
"If you do not give it... heh, do not blame me for being rude to you both!"
Sun Lingtong sneered, beckoning the pervasive mountain mist with her index finger, "Come on then! You think too highly of yourself for a mere Fur God."
The Fox God, infuriated and desperate, "A child lacking upbringing, I shall discipline you in place of your elders."
The clouds surged forward but were dispersed with a wave of Ning Zhuo's hand.
"Fox God, please quell your anger. We are merely in search of an old object, not intending to trouble you," Ning Zhuo said.
The Fox God replied, "If that's the case, produce the petal!"
With a wry smile and a shake of his head, Ning Zhuo indicated that he was unable to comply.
Teeth clenched in fury, the Fox God squeezed out a thin, cold sneer, "You two little brats, you really think Gods are at the beck and call of your great families, so easily commanded? Today, I will teach you a profound lesson, so you understand the proper way to treat Gods!"
Whoosh.
A gust of wind whipped up the fog, rushing towards Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong in the courtyard.
Unafraid in the face of danger, Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong were well-prepared.
The next moment, Miss Rudie appeared, letting out a delicate cry, her butterfly wings shimmering slightly as she deployed a Defensive Magic Array.
The mountain mist surged violently, like a tsunami bearing down, only to be stopped by an invisible wall, unable to advance further by even an inch.
Not only that, but as the array rapidly expanded, the clouds were repelled, pushed back.
The Fox God gave a light yelp, then immediately exhibited Divine Power, drawing upon the forces of heaven and earth.
As the Deputy Mountain God, Mist Hidden Mountain was Her domain, providing Her with a powerful home-field advantage.
In the next moment, the pressure of heaven and earth enveloped the array from all directions.
The expansion of the array came to an abrupt halt, and Miss Rudie grunted, her body trembling slightly.
The two sides became locked in a stalemate.
The voice of the Fox God, cold and penetrating, echoed across the mist-covered battlefield, "Where is my servant?"
"Old Wu is here! You two thieves, taste my axe!" From the east, a Centipede Demon Cultivator over nine feet tall, with human legs and arms, brandishing two axes, burst through the fog, charging and slashing.
From the west, a Devil Scorpion covered in Black Iron Battle Armor appeared, wielding a Steel Spear for a fierce jab!
From the north, a Sharp-Nosed Pangolin, the size of a carriage, its body a silvery grey color, charged with a heavy momentum.
And from the south, a normal-sized Weasel with bared teeth and a sinister expression appeared, screeching oddly, casting Spells, lifting stones, and spraying them out.
They were the Centipede Blade Man, Scorpion Single Spear General, Sharp-Nosed Pangolin, and Snout Weasel, the four Divine Generals Ning Zhuo had seen earlier in the front hall.
They were the Fox God's four able assistants.
The four Generals attacked the Defense Magic Array erected by Miss Rudie, chopping and jabbing fiercely. Miss Rudie's trembling intensified, making it even more difficult to maintain the array.
Sun Lingtong, of course, would not stand idly by; holding daggers in both hands, he charged into the fray.
His figure flickering in and out of view, he pounced on the Weasel General.
At first, the Weasel General, relying on its Spells, aimed to counter Sun Lingtong and drive him back.
But Sun Lingtong, with his Spirit Sensitivity, invoked Teleportation Art and appeared next to the Weasel General, his small dagger striking fiercely.
The Weasel General felt a chilling sensation all over its body.
Then, agony ensued, blood spurted, and it was gravely injured on the spot.
It let out a horrified cry and scurried to escape.
Sun Lingtong was not about to let it go and prepared to deliver the final blow when suddenly the fog surged, enveloping and whisking away the Weasel General before Sun Lingtong could act.
With a cold snort, Sun Lingtong dared not venture deeper into the fog.
He turned and charged at the Sharp-Nosed Pangolin.
His choice of attack was deliberate. Among the four Divine Generals under the Fox God, all were Demon Cultivators. The Centipede Blade Man and the Scorpion Single Spear General, who both had human-like forms and a higher degree of transformation, were clearly more powerful than the other two Generals.