This place is blessed with abundant spiritual energy, yet it remains secluded from the world.
Without the guidance of that wild fox, it would have been difficult to find this location.
We descended the mountain and followed the river valley, continuously approaching Fox Mountain.
Upon reaching here, the presence of fox demons became distinctly palpable.
In addition, sightings of foxes, as reported by Zhou Chu, had also increased significantly.
These foxes, upon spotting us, observed us from afar, neither approaching nor howling.
They simply watched, silently observing.
We continued along the valley for approximately another two hours.
Uncle-Master decided it was time to rest.
After all, we had been traveling all night, and with Fox Mountain now within reach, there was no need to rush.
However, as soon as we sat down and took a sip of water,
a wave of green demonic mist suddenly surged from the other side of the river valley.
The mist advanced menacingly, accompanied by a gusting wind that blew towards us with a "whooshing" sound.
Feeling the demonic wind, our hearts tightened, and we turned our gaze towards the direction from which the mist was coming.
At the same time, Uncle-Master stood up and calmly said,
"It seems a fox immortal has come to visit."
As soon as Uncle-Master finished speaking, the demonic mist enveloped us.
Through the Heavenly Eye, this demonic mist appeared pale green. To the eyes of ordinary people, it would have been a dense white fog.
At this moment, we were engulfed by the mist.
We could feel the surging demonic energy.
Uncle-Master then stepped forward and directly called out in the direction of the approaching mist:
"This humble Taoist, a human Taoist named Hu Xiao, brings his nephew to visit Fox Mountain today, seeking an audience with Mother Fox and Madam Hu San."
As he spoke, Uncle-Master cupped his fists in a respectful salute and then gave me a meaningful look.
I understood immediately.
I took out the fox claw that Madam Hu San had given me.
Taking a few steps forward, I displayed it in my hand.
"This is the middle claw of Madam Hu San; it serves as a token of our visit!"
As soon as I revealed the fox claw, a gust of demonic wind swept by.
Then, a deep male voice followed, saying:
"Give me the claw, and you shall wait here for now!"
With that, a red fox suddenly darted out from within the demonic mist.
Its fur was lustrous and smooth, without a single misplaced hair.
It moved with incredible speed, appearing in an instant, emanating a potent fire element.
I was stunned, realizing this was a rare fire fox.
Such foxes, like Xiao Mei the white fox, occupied a very high position within the fox clan's lineage.
Seeing it approach, I directly threw the fox claw I held.
The fire fox caught it in its mouth upon landing, then turned back to us, speaking with that male voice:
"Do not move without instruction. Otherwise, you will face mortal danger."
After saying this, the fire fox wasted no further time, turned, and ran back towards the other side of the river valley.
Shortly after the fire fox departed, the surrounding demonic presence dispersed.
However, the number of foxes in the vicinity had noticeably increased.
Standing on either side of the valley, they watched us intently.
This was surveillance, a precaution against us.
After all, this was the territory of fox demons, and we, as human cultivators, had ventured into their domain.
But we harbored no ill intentions; our only aim was an alliance with the fox clan.
Their surveillance was, in effect, an unnecessary gesture.
We waited in our spot for approximately an hour.
When we again sensed a strong demonic presence, we noticed a group of foxes running from the other end of the valley.
Within the demonic mist, only their flickering eyes could be seen,
and the rustling sound of their movement as they ran.
Seeing the commotion, we all stood up.
"Are they back?"
Old Mo inquired doubtfully.
"They should be!"
I replied.
The next moment, a four-tailed white fox emerged from the demonic mist, leading the way.
Behind it followed a group of foxes.
As they appeared, they emitted soft "ying ying ying" sounds.
Seeing this, my heart stirred.
This four-tailed white fox, in my eyes, bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Mei.
Before I could speak, the leading four-tailed white fox transformed, its body shimmering with demonic light.
When it reappeared, a fox-like woman with snow-white skin stood before us.
It was none other than Xiao Mei, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.
I hadn't expected that during her time in the mountains, she had already cultivated four tails.
"Xiao Mei!"
I called out excitedly.
"Qin Ze, Mo Ting, Taoist Master Hu Xiao, why have you come?"
Xiao Mei was also surprised and asked with astonishment.
I quickened my pace, and soon met Xiao Mei.
At that moment, the foxes behind her all transformed as well.
They shifted into human forms.
Each human form was not unattractive; one could say the men were handsome, and the women were beautiful.
This was the innate talent of the fox clan.
It stood in stark contrast to the ancient demons of the Grey family from the Bottomless Pit.
"We have been entrusted by the Taoist sect with an important matter, seeking an audience with Madam Hu San."
Uncle-Master and Old Mo also nodded slightly.
Xiao Mei appeared overjoyed:
"Wonderful! I'll lead you into the mountains!"
After she spoke, the fox immortals standing nearby all made welcoming gestures, inviting us into the mountains.
"Xiao Mei, it's been a while since we last met; your cultivation has improved considerably!"
I said with a smile.
Xiao Mei, however, flashed a fawning smile:
"It's all thanks to eating that Nine-Lives Corpse Cat's demon core last time, and then receiving guidance from Grandma, which greatly boosted my cultivation and resulted in the birth of four tails.
I was planning to leave the mountains to find you during this period, to continue my experiences in the mortal world with you.
I hadn't expected you to come into the mountains.
Earlier, when I heard Uncle Hong return with the claw, I found it hard to believe.
But I never imagined it would truly be you..."