After pondering for a moment, Li Mu felt that things were not good.
If Qingwei Venerable's words were true, with their status as "Mortals," participating in the battle between gods and demons, and immortals, they probably wouldn't stand a chance.
Qingwei Venerable sighed when he saw Li Mu's serious expression.
"These messages were actually leaked inadvertently by Executive Fang. Perhaps there's a solution in the Central Plains, but in our Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain… let's not dwell on it."
"Let's not talk about it. Master Li, last time I wanted to ask you to help me refine a Spirit Treasure, but I lacked Materials, so I had to give up."
"Now that I have gathered enough Materials, would you help me refine a six-tier Magic Treasure?"
As he spoke, Qingwei Venerable's face showed a hint of expectation.
He was very clear about Xuan Ling Venerable's strength. The reason he was able to display his prowess in the great battle against the Nine Demon Sect this time was inseparable from the Spirit Treasure refined by Li Mu.
There were many Cultivators with similar strength to Xuan Ling Venerable, many who possessed six-tier spirit treasures, and even more who held deep grudges against the Nine Demon Sect.
There were at least a dozen people, if not a hundred, who met all three of these conditions.
However, only Xuan Ling Venerable attracted the attention of the Nine Demon Sect's Demonic Ancestor, and the only difference lay in the six-tier spirit treasure!
The six-tier spirit treasure refined by Li Mu was far stronger than others, which led to Xuan Ling Venerable's sudden rise to prominence.
Qingwei Venerable exchanged all the military merits he gained from this battle for high-grade Spirit Materials needed for refining Spirit Treasures. He immediately sought out Li Mu to refine a Spirit Treasure. As a Void Refining Great Power, only having one six-tier spirit treasure, and one that didn't even match his Spiritual Root attribute, truly didn't fit his status.
After speaking, Qingwei Venerable handed a storage ring to Li Mu with both hands.
"Okay, Senior, what kind of Spirit Treasure do you want to refine?" Li Mu happily accepted the Spirit Materials and asked with a smile.
Qingwei Venerable hurriedly explained the functions of the Spirit Treasure. He had a wind-type abnormal Spiritual Root, so he wanted to refine a wind-type Spirit Treasure that possessed speed, Clone, and illusion-like abilities. The Artifact Refining Materials he provided were also high-grade wind-type Spirit Materials.
"Okay, Senior, I understand. However, I'm about to go out for a trip. Please come back to Yin Yang Valley to find me in a month!" Li Mu noted down the Spirit Treasure's functions and responded to Qingwei Venerable.
"Alright!" Qingwei Venerable was very clear about Li Mu's strength and nodded confidently in agreement.
Watching Qingwei Venerable depart, Li Mu also got up, took Xue'er, and piloted the Earth Element Spirit Ship towards the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range.
The secret information Qingwei Venerable knew originated from the Xuantian Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect. The matter of going to the Central Plains also needed to be put on the agenda. If it fully developed according to the future he had glimpsed, the destruction of the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain was almost an inevitable trend.
He had to do something before that.
Li Mu's heart felt heavy. Little Jin and Little Wa had not returned yet….
The Earth Element Spirit Ship moved like lightning, appearing at the edge of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range the next day.
On the Earth Element Spirit Ship, Li Mu stood alone at the bow of the Spirit Ship, gazing into the depths of the mountains.
"Lord Li, it's cold outside. I brought you some clothes."
Xue'er approached cautiously, holding a piece of clothing.
Li Mu casually took it, his gaze sweeping over Xue'er.
The joy she had at the start of their journey was long gone, replaced by worry on her face.
The Yao Race has keen instincts. Although there was no news at the moment, Xue'er's reaction was not a good sign after all.
Li Mu then comforted her.
"The Nine Demon Sect has been causing a lot of trouble recently. Perhaps the Snow Fox Clan is just temporarily avoiding the limelight, which is why they haven't shown themselves."
"Besides, the various Yao Races are not to be trifled with. Even our Human Race is unwilling to confront them. It should just be a situation during a special period. Don't worry!"
Hearing this, Xue'er hesitated, then silently nodded.
Along the way, the number of high-tier Yao Beasts they encountered was not many.
Xue'er already had a bad premonition in her heart, an intuition she couldn't quite explain.
"I don't know, I just feel a little uneasy."
Li Mu ascended to the bow of the ship, in order to fully release his Divine Thought and search for suspicious traces along the way.
However, there was no discovery at the moment.
Apart from the slight decrease in the number of low-tier Yao Beasts around and a bit more quietness, there wasn't much abnormality. However, this was precisely what was most unusual, as they had entered the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range.
Seeing Xue'er dispirited and downcast, Li Mu sighed and pulled her into the cabin, introducing the functions of the Earth Element Spirit Ship one by one to distract her.
The Earth Element Spirit Ship flew at full speed and soon entered the depths of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, heading straight for the Snow Fox Clan's territory—Snow Cloud Mountain.
As he was about to meet Senior Jin Ling, Li Mu was considering what gift to bring. However, his extended Divine Sense detected an anomaly outside; what his Divine Thought 'saw' outside the ship was a scene of devastation!
On almost every mountain peak, there were countless large and small craters, vast areas of destroyed trees, scattered rocks everywhere, and a faint scent of blood lingering in the air.
This place had clearly experienced a fierce battle.
A great battle had already occurred among the Yao Race; no clues could be discerned from the traces left here.
There wasn't even a single corpse, and such a strange situation made Li Mu think of one possibility.
Demon Abyss.
At this thought, Li Mu dared not think any further.
The Earth Element Spirit Ship entered this battlefield at dawn, and even by noon, as far as Li Mu could see, it was still a scarred battlefield.
It was like stepping into an ancient wilderness, with no living creatures, not even birds or other wild beasts.
Li Mu had already activated the Earth Element Spirit Ship's defensive measures, expanding his consciousness to its limit, cautiously guarding against his surroundings.
Being able to harm the Yao Race also meant that if he encountered these people, his situation would be extremely perilous.
"Lord Li! Hurry to that place!"
Suddenly, Xue'er stepped forward to Li Mu, raised her hand, and pointed to a giant mountain in the distance, saying nervously.
"I sense my mother's aura!"
Li Mu immediately controlled the Earth Element Spirit Ship to fly towards the giant mountain. As soon as they reached the giant mountain, Li Mu and Xue'er leaped down, and the Earth Element Spirit Ship instantly shrunk, returning to Li Mu's hand.
As soon as he stood on the ground, Li Mu sensed the aura of the Nine Demon Sect's methods!
It was Devilish Qi, there was no mistake!
Xue'er looked around in confusion, then suddenly looked towards a waterfall on the mountainside.
"There!"
Li Mu closely followed Xue'er through the concealment of the waterfall, entering a dark and gloomy cave.
As soon as he stood firm, Senior Jin Ling's familiar aura made Li Mu's heart sink.
Senior Jin Ling's aura was weak, and her situation was not good.
"Mother!"
Xue'er rushed to the deepest part.
On a bluestone platform, emerald green moss was bursting with unusual vitality. If one looked closely, they would find that it was the blood overflowing from Senior Jin Ling's wounds that made the moss grow exceptionally robust.
On the bluestone platform lay Xue'er's dying mother.
Xue'er rushed to Senior Jin Ling's front, yet she dared not touch her mother, calling out anxiously.
"Mother! Wake up, Xue'er is back."
Li Mu also stepped forward in a few strides, his gaze quickly scanning Senior Jin Ling's body. There were fatal severe injuries everywhere! Especially her back, that knife strike went straight for her heart!
With another sweep of his consciousness, Li Mu's heart instantly sank to the bottom.
Senior Jin Ling was not only severely injured, but her consciousness was also only a wisp remaining. Any slight fluctuation could cause her remaining consciousness to completely disappear.
With such injuries, Senior Jin Ling still had a breath left, and could die at any moment.
To have reached this point, was it to see Xue'er one last time?
As Li Mu was thinking, Senior Jin Ling slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyes were incredibly weary, yet they held a sense of relief.
When she looked at Li Mu, her eyes seemed to say, you finally came.
Then looking at Xue'er, the weariness in her eyes vanished without a trace, leaving only a face full of doting affection.
She raised her paw and gently placed it on Xue'er's forehead.
Li Mu let out a long breath. Thankfully, he made it in time.
Although he was powerless to save Senior Jin Ling's life, at least he allowed the mother and daughter to see each other one last time.
If it weren't for the Earth Element Spirit Ship, they probably would have missed even this last meeting.
Just as he was about to leave and give them some time, Senior Jin Ling's weak voice entered his ears.
"Devilish Qi entering the body can control one's mind; it does not mean losing one's sanity."
Li Mu, who had just turned around, was startled and quickly turned back, wanting to ask Senior Jin Ling for more details.
During his last visit, when he diagnosed Senior Jin Ling's injuries, he had confirmed that Devilish Qi could corrode consciousness. Li Mu had never imagined that this thing could also control one's mind!
What did Senior Jin Ling mean by that sentence?
He was about to ask again.
Senior Jin Ling's body then turned into nothingness at a visible speed.
"Mother!"
Xue'er watched her mother dissipate, crying out heartbreakingly.
Xue'er futilely reached out her hand, wanting to embrace her mother, but her hand passed through her mother's body. No matter how hard Xue'er tried, she couldn't hold onto the body that scattered with the wind.
Until Senior Jin Ling's Physical Body completely dissipated, Xue'er lay on the bluestone platform, wailing loudly.
Li Mu's heart sank.
At the very last moment, she didn't tell Xue'er anything but instead conveyed information about the Devilish Qi to him.
This information is very important!
Li Mu frowned. Vaguely, he seemed to have grasped a crucial piece of information, but he couldn't find it in his mind no matter what.
After a long bout of wailing, Xue'er's voice was already hoarse.
Until she could no longer make a sound.
Li Mu stepped forward and gently patted Xue'er's shoulder.
"Let's go. It's too dangerous here. I don't think Senior would want to see you in peril."
The moment Li Mu's hand touched Xue'er, a bone-chilling cold pierced his palm, making it ache. He hastily withdrew his hand.
"Hmm?"
Xue'er's body was enveloped in a milky white layer. She was curled up, wrapped in the milky white light.
Then, the milky white light mass that Xue'er had turned into floated there, and the surrounding spiritual energy surged into the light mass as if it had gone mad.
The sudden change made Li Mu take a few steps back, his eyes fixed on Xue'er.
Even the spiritual power within his body was stirred by the Bloodline Power that Xue'er suddenly unleashed!
"This is? Bloodline transformation?"
Li Mu stared intently at Xue'er, and under his Heavenly Talent - Identifying Myriad Spirits, he learned of Xue'er's current abnormal state.
Li Mu looked back outside for a moment. Although this place was dangerous, the forces attacking the Yao Race could return at any time.
Perhaps there was still a sliver of hope, a chance for a 'light under the lamp' situation.
Li Mu abandoned his thought of retreating early; he couldn't possibly leave Xue'er here alone.
He went to the cave entrance, which was concealed by the waterfall, and personally set up a Formation to obscure the Qi within the cave, thereby buying Xue'er some time.
After everything was set up, Li Mu sat cross-legged at the entrance of the cave, quietly waiting for Xue'er's transformation.
An hour later, Li Mu frowned and stood up.
"It seems I need to set up another one."
The cave behind Li Mu had long been occupied by chilling ice. The bone-chilling cold spared no one, forcing Li Mu to move further out.
Flying along the mountain, Li Mu reached the middle of the giant mountain, his brows tightly furrowed.
"I wonder if the Materials I brought are enough."
It took Li Mu a full three days to complete the Formation of the entire giant mountain, and even the Earth Element Spirit Ship became a part of the Formation.
After Li Mu finished setting up, with the waterfall as the center, a small part of the entire mountain was covered by profound ice.
Half of the mountain resembled an ice sculpture, emitting an eerie chill.
If viewed from the outside, with the obscuration of the Formation, the changes inside would be completely undetectable.
Seeing that the profound ice was no longer expanding, Li Mu guarded the area.
Three days later, Li Mu suddenly opened his eyes and dodged to the side.
Bang!
A sharp ice cone broke through the cave, and shattered ice continuously rolled to the ground, emitting muffled thuds.
Li Mu frowned and flew directly to the edge of the cave to look inside.
He saw a small fox, pure white like jade, crawling out. Li Mu stretched out his hand, and the small fox also extended its paw. As spiritual power swept over, the small fox was pulled out of the cave by Li Mu.
The moment it left the ice cave, its nine tails fanned out in unison, causing Li Mu's heart to stir.
"Xue'er?"
The small fox merely licked its lips, ignoring Li Mu's call. It rubbed intimately against his feet for a moment, then lifted its paw.
Li Mu quickly moved his leg away.
Looking at Xue'er's current state, Li Mu didn't know whether to be happy or sad for her. If she could temporarily forget the loss of her mother and live carefree, it would actually be a relief for Xue'er.
"Let's go. If those people come, we won't be able to get away."
As Li Mu beckoned, the small fox jumped onto Li Mu's body. From its appearance, it seemed to have taken Li Mu as its "mother."
Li Mu summoned the Earth Element Spirit Ship, and a thought suddenly came to him. He casually left a few small Puppets here. Then he drove at full speed, leaving this perilous battlefield.
Half an hour after Li Mu left, Nine Demon Sect Disciples appeared at the foot of the giant mountain.
"What kind of crappy job is this!"
"Exactly. The Xuantian Sword Sect allied forces are all trapped right now. It looks like we could counterattack, but instead, they threw us into this deep mountain and old forest."
"Damn it! Commander, did you offend some important figure?"
...
There were ten Nine Demon Sect Disciples in total, all of them Nascent Soul Demonic Lords. They were grumbling.
Their leader was a Soul Transformation Late Stage Demonic Lord, and he listened to his subordinates' conjectures with a helpless expression.
"Stop your whining. I'm telling you, this isn't some hard labor."
"If we went to the Xuantian Sword Sect battlefield, we would only kill a few more Xuantian Sect Disciples and barely earn some meager credit."
"But if we find the corpse of a high-tier Yao Race here, that would be an enormous merit. Unless we kill Executive Fang of the Xuantian Sword Sect, it's unlikely to compare."
The nine members were startled to hear this.
"There's such a thing?"
Seeing that he had recaptured the attention of the crowd, the captain smiled.
"Of course! Last time, the big shot from Demon Abyss made the Yao Race fight amongst themselves, and our Nine Demon Sect seized many corpses and captured countless Yao Race powerhouses. In a few days, they will all be Puppets of our Nine Demon Sect."
"Only the Clan Chief of the Snow Fox Clan is missing. This heavily injured old fox can really run. We are already the fifth wave of people searching."
"Everyone, cheer up! Capturing this old fox will be a great achievement!"
It didn't take long for the Nine Demon Sect Disciples to discover the traces left by Xue'er's cocoon transformation, and they quickly reported it to the Nine Demon Sect.
And the Puppets left by Li Mu also took all of this into their sight.
Unfortunately, the Earth Element Spirit Ship's speed was simply too fast. To relay the message, they had to find Li Mu first.
More than thirty Puppets received the message and headed directly towards Yin Yang Valley.
At this moment, Li Mu was still on the Earth Element Spirit Ship, looking at the lively Xue'er. Li Mu didn't know whether he should be worried or happy.
"Woof woof."
The small fox barked twice, nudged Li Mu's feet, opened its mouth, and exhaled a burst of cold air. Instantly, Li Mu's feet were frozen in profound ice.
Li Mu's mouth twitched slightly.
"Again!"
He immediately shook himself, breaking free from the profound ice's restraint. The small fox was startled and darted into the depths of the Earth Element Spirit Ship. Clearly, it hadn't gotten tired of the cat-and-mouse game yet.
Li Mu was truly annoyed. Whether it was peeing at his feet earlier or deliberately freezing his feet now, this small fox was doing it on purpose!
He had to give it a good spanking today!
Li Mu exerted his full strength, coupled with his complete familiarity with the Earth Element Spirit Ship. In just ten breaths, the small fox was cornered by Li Mu.
The small fox squatted in place, curling all nine tails at its feet, lowering its head, looking pitiful.
It had always used this method to get away with things before, but Li Mu wasn't going to indulge it now!
He directly grabbed her from the ground and was about to spank her bottom.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
"If you dare hit me, I'll let her out, and then you'll be heartbroken!"
"She's still whimpering and crying now, it's really fun."
The small fox suddenly spoke. Li Mu was startled, and his palm gently stroked the small fox's body.
"You can talk?"
The small fox gave Li Mu a disdainful look.
"I am a Nine-Tailed Fox, inherently noble. Your Human Race language isn't difficult; I learned it in a jiffy."
Li Mu casually flicked its head with a knuckle.
"Where's Xue'er?"
The small fox cried out in pain, then lay on Li Mu's leg, its nine tails drooping down along with it. It yawned.
"You mean my little sister? She's sad because mother died, whimpering and crying. If I hadn't acted, the Treasure left by mother would have been missed."
"Sigh, what a useless, good-for-nothing sister. It's her turn to sleep now."
"Do you want to coax her?"
This question made Li Mu feel very tricky.
It was indeed not suitable to let Xue'er out at this time. Some things cannot be persuaded by outsiders.
Xue'er had to figure it out herself to truly understand.
"Okay, when I've figured out what to say, you have to let her out."
The small fox yawned again and rubbed its head against Li Mu's arm.
"Controlling this body is so boring. Do you think I like it?"
Seemingly idle chatter, but in reality, it took advantage of Li Mu's momentary lapse in vigilance and darted out with a swish.
Li Mu's mouth twitched slightly. The small fox had frozen his hand again.
Li Mu merely shook his hand, shattering the profound ice on it. He shook his hand, his arm feeling a bit cold.
Although Li Mu was only at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator, with the max-level Spirit Devouring Body Nourishing Art, his Physical Body was far stronger than a Soul Transformation Cultivator. The small fox, having undergone transformation, was in its infant stage, with limited strength. Yet, the profound ice was already able to affect his movements. If he could nurture it in the future, it would definitely be a great help to him.
Li Mu stood up, no longer playing with the small fox, and rummaged through his various Spirit Seeds.
【Nine Nether Frost Grass】
【Grade: six-tier Spirit Seed】
【Characteristics: Nine Nether frost breathes, tough grass grows in the cold. Without myriad cold, there is no such bone.】
【Status: Well preserved, full of vitality.】
【Nine Nether Frost Grass, grows in extremely cold places. It takes three thousand years of frost to give form to the frost. This grass causes all other grasses to wither upon its birth, making it the sole overlord of frosty lands. This item has the effect of opening the mind, enlightening one's intellect, and comprehending the Dao, and for some Yao Race, it has the effect of breaking the cocoon and transforming into a butterfly.】
This Nine Nether Frost Grass was perfect for the small fox's current condition, but he wasn't sure if its body could withstand the medicinal effects of this six-tier spirit plant.
After thinking for a moment, Li Mu still placed the Spirit Seed into the Painting World Treasure Mansion for temporary storage.
Now was not the best time to cultivate Nine Nether Frost Grass.
The Nine Demon Sect and Xuantian Sword Sect had erupted in a major war, and Yin Yang Valley was no longer a safe place. Moreover, this Nine Nether Frost Grass required fifty years of careful cultivation and another thirty years of watering to fully mature.
At least eighty years in total. He couldn't stay in Yin Yang Valley for that long.
As for inside the Painting World Treasure Mansion, this Nine Nether Frost Grass had too strong a cold property. Once planted, other spirit plants would essentially be ruined, and Li Mu had no intention of losing the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds.
"Well, I'll have to try my luck at Wanbao Pavilion."
Li Mu put aside his thoughts and patiently waited for the Earth Element Spirit Ship to return to Yin Yang Valley.
In reality, the death of Senior Jin Ling did not bring Li Mu much shock. After all, their acquaintance was only a brief one, and there was no deep emotional attachment.
It was just a pity that the original trading plan was completely scrapped due to the destruction of the Snow Fox Clan.
With such a siege by the Nine Demon Sect, even Senior Jin Ling found it difficult to escape their clutches. The other Snow Fox Clan members were likely doomed.
