125: Chapter 84 Deep into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains

The next morning.

When Chen Xuan opened his eyes, Liu Lili was already practicing her sword in the courtyard.

The Bright Moon Sword Qi wove through the morning light like flowing water, her figure as light as a swallow, and her Foundation Establishment second-stage aura was steady and harmonious.

Chen Xuan walked out of his room and leaned against the doorframe, watching her.

Liu Lili sheathed her sword, turned back, and smiled at him.

"Junior Brother, you're awake."

"Senior Sister's swordsmanship has improved again."

"That goes without saying." Liu Lili lifted her chin proudly. "I won't let you leave me too far behind."

The two of them ate breakfast in the courtyard and checked the supplies in their Storage Pouch.

Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Spirit Stones, and Magical Artifacts—everything was there.

Chen Xuan took out a map and spread it on the table.

It was a topographical map of the northern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range collected by the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce, marking the known Yao Beast lairs and Spiritual Vein distributions.

The last known location of the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle was near a cliff deep in the north.

It is about eight thousand li from here.

"Entering from here, we have to cross three Yao Mist Forests, two rivers, and a swamp." Liu Lili pointed at the map, her brows slightly furrowed.

"There are Foundation Establishment Yao Beasts entrenched in the Yao Mist Forests."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"Let's go."

The two left the residence and turned into escaping lights, shooting toward the north.

Bihai Immortal City grew smaller and smaller behind them, gradually disappearing from view.

An hour later, with Foundation Establishment speed combined with minor Divine Ability level movement techniques, the two had already penetrated deep into the inland.

Mountains and rivers flashed by below, and occasionally, scattered Mortal villages could be seen, with curling smoke from cooking fires and the sounds of chickens and dogs.

Further north, the villages disappeared.

Replacing them were endless primeval forests, where the tree crowns blocked out the sky and sun, and a faint Demonic Qi permeated the forest.

Chen Xuan slowed down his flying speed and extended his Divine Sense forward.

Within ten thousand zhang, no Golden Core level aura was detected.

However, there were several Foundation Establishment Yao Beast auras scattered throughout the forest, each occupying its own territory.

"Stay low and sneak through," Chen Xuan said.

Liu Lili nodded, and the two changed direction, passing through the boundary between two territories.

The Demonic Qi became increasingly intense.

The sunlight was blocked by the tree crowns, and it was as dim in the forest as at dusk.

The two flew close to the treetops, not daring to go too high for fear of being discovered by flying Yao Beasts in the sky, and not daring to go too low for fear of disturbing the overlords in the forest.

Suddenly, Chen Xuan's Divine Sense caught an unusual aura.

The aura was very faint, like a wisp of smoke, barely perceptible.

But Chen Xuan recognized it.

It was the scent of the fox clan.

He suddenly stopped his escaping light and reached out to stop Liu Lili.

"What's wrong?"

"Something is not right."

"Something is following us."

Chen Xuan fully expanded his Divine Sense, searching the surroundings inch by inch.

But that aura had disappeared.

As if it had never appeared.

Chen Xuan did not let his guard down.

He took out a Talisman and slapped it onto his body.

It was a second-tier detection Talisman, capable of sensing concealed Demonic Qi.

The Talisman lit up for a moment, then dimmed.

There was no reaction.

Chen Xuan frowned.

Could it be his imagination?

No.

His intuition from three lifetimes told him that something was wrong.

"Junior Brother, over there." Liu Lili suddenly spoke, pointing to the northeast.

Chen Xuan looked in the direction she pointed.

On a huge ancient tree, a white fox was crouching.

The fox was only the size of a palm, snow-white all over, without a single speck of other color.

Its eyes were golden, with vertical pupils, and it was staring at the two of them.

Seeing Chen Xuan look over, the fox tilted its head, then turned into a streak of white light and disappeared into the forest.

Chen Xuan's pupils constricted slightly.

Nine-Tailed Fox.

He had seen those eyes before.

In the images of the heavenly book golden decree, one of the three Golden Core entities in the northern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, the Nine-Tailed Fox, had golden eyes.

But its size shouldn't be like this.

A Golden Core great Yao Beast should have a main body at least several zhang long.

This fox was only the size of a palm.

It was either a cub or a Clone.

However, facing a Golden Core, with Chen Xuan's current strength, even if he couldn't win, he could still retreat unscathed.

Chen Xuan was inclined toward the latter.

"Follow it," he said.

The two chased in the direction the fox had disappeared.

The white light appeared and disappeared in front, always keeping a distance from them.

It was as if it were leading the way.

Chen Xuan did not rashly speed up.

He circulated his Dharma Eye to observe the surrounding Demonic Qi.

There was no ambush.

There were no traps.

There was only that flickering white light weaving through the forest.

After chasing for about a hundred li, the white light suddenly disappeared.

The two landed on a cliff.

Below the cliff was an open valley filled with wildflowers of various colors, appearing completely out of place in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, which was permeated with Demonic Qi.

In the center of the valley, there was a giant rock.

That white fox was crouching on the giant rock.

But this time, its size had increased.

It had changed from the size of a palm to the size of a calf.

It was dragging one tail behind it.

Not nine, but one.

Chen Xuan stared at it, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Nine-Tailed Fox?"

The white fox opened its mouth, and the voice was a woman's, crisp and pleasant.

"Human, you recognize me?"

"In the Northern Expedition, the Iron-Backed Flood Dragon died, the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle was heavily injured, and the Nine-Tailed Fox went missing." Chen Xuan said, word by word, "You are that Nine-Tailed Fox."

The white fox laughed, the corners of its mouth lifting to reveal sharp teeth.

"Going missing is just something said to outsiders."

"I have been waiting."

"Waiting for someone who can help me kill the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle."

Chen Xuan frowned.

"You want me to help you kill the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle?"

"No," the white fox shook its head. "It's that you wanted to kill the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle in the first place."

"I can feel the murderous intent on you."

"That is the hatred toward the Eagle clan, deep in your marrow; you can't hide it even if you try."

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment.

"What do you want?"

A glint of craftiness flashed in the white fox's eyes.

"After the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle dies, its territory will belong to me."

"In the northern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, there were three Golden Core entities. With the Iron-Backed Flood Dragon dead, if the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle also dies, I will be the only Golden Core."

"By then, the entire northern part will be mine."

"I will not be an enemy of the Human Race, and I can even help you when necessary."

"For the The Three Sects, this is a profitable deal."

Chen Xuan did not answer immediately.

He was weighing the options.

The heavenly book golden decree stated that if one were to hunt down the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle at this time, one would encounter the Nine-Tailed Fox's illusion trap.

But the celestial book said it was "Medium Omen," not "Great Omen."

This meant there was a risk, but it could be dealt with.

Moreover, the Nine-Tailed Fox was telling the truth.

Borrowing a knife to kill is a common tactic of the Yao Race.

But her conditions were indeed favorable to the The Three Sects.

"Lead the way," Chen Xuan said.

The white fox stood up and shook its fur.

"Follow me."

It leaped up, turned into a streak of white light, and shot toward the north.

Chen Xuan and Liu Lili followed closely behind.

This time, the white fox did not take a detour.

It went straight through the Yao Mist Forest, and wherever it passed, Foundation Establishment Yao Beasts retreated one after another, not daring to block it.

The pressure of a Golden Core great Yao Beast was not something they could withstand.

Chen Xuan watched the streak of white light in front, thinking about another matter in his heart.

Why did the Nine-Tailed Fox want to borrow a knife to kill?

Was it because it couldn't defeat the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle?

Or was it for some other reason?

He remembered that line in the celestial book.

"The Cloud-Swallowing Eagle was heavily injured and fled."

To what extent was it injured?

If it was heavily injured, the Nine-Tailed Fox could have done it itself.

If it didn't act, it meant the Cloud-Swallowing Eagle was not heavily injured, or it didn't dare to act.

Chen Xuan suppressed these thoughts and focused on the journey.

Half an incense stick later.

The white fox stopped in front of a cliff.

The cliff was a thousand zhang high, the cliff face was as smooth as a mirror, and the top of the cliff was shrouded in clouds and mist, making it impossible to see the situation above.