Dawn.
As the morning sun rose, Purple Qi Came from the East—the best time for Swallowing Clouds and Exhaling Mist.
A huge, ferocious White Snake lay coiled amid the Sea of Mist atop the mountain, appearing and vanishing through the shifting fog. From time to time, the mountain mist billowed apart to reveal her head. Ever since escaping that damned imperial palace, she had resumed her daily Breath Control. With every breath, she drew the surrounding mist into her belly. Swallowing clouds was far too difficult; she could only exhale mist.
After some time, the sun rose higher, and the fog began to disperse.
Bai Yujun, who could conceal herself only in River Water, rain, or dense fog, slithered beneath the clouds and descended the mountain.
At the Golden Core Stage, one could fly through the air. What she did now could hardly be called flying—it was more like crawling. She still needed time to practice. Humans could ride swords, while Bai Yujun could only crawl and glide through the low air, burrowing into the white mist and twisting swiftly toward the foot of the mountain.
On the hillside, a woodcutter looked up and saw a massive shadow swimming through the fog like a fish.
"A monster..."
Ignoring the pitiful woodcutter on the mountain, she twisted all the way down before landing and transforming into a woman in white.
The mountain path was tranquil, the stream babbled, and birds sang sweetly. Walking back at leisure was rather an artistic pleasure. Village children sat atop oxen as they went out to graze them, while the old oxen plodded along unhurriedly.
On the way back to the village, she passed a small stone bridge over a stream. The bridge was ancient, built entirely of piled stone into an arch. It was small,