The Qingyun Mountain Range stretched for over a thousand li in every direction, its peaks rising and falling in an unbroken chain. It had always been a place mortals longed to visit but dared not tread lightly. They longed for it because the "immortals" of the Qingyun Sect lived there, cultivating the Dao—immortals who wielded wondrous spells and could fly through the sky and burrow beneath the earth, capable of anything. If one could earn an "immortal's" favor there and be accepted as even a Registered Disciple, it would bring great honor to one's family. But people dared not venture there because the mountains were not only steep and treacherous; they also teemed with fierce birds and beasts. One stroke of bad luck could cost a person his life. So the mountains were usually silent. Now and then, a roar from some unknown creature or a wretched cry would ring out, only making the place seem even quieter and more mysterious.
That day, the silence of Qingyun Mountain was shattered by a black-and-white Mysterious Light. It descended from the heavens, clear even to people far beyond the mountain. Faintly, from within the light came the lilting sound of a flute and the crisp notes of a Guqin. There were even children's giggles mixed in, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
At once, word spread that a strange treasure had descended upon Qingyun Mountain. All sorts of people hurried there, some riding swords, some flying through the air, others atop rare birds and exotic beasts, and still others through Teleportation Formations...
Qingyun Mountain suddenly boiled with activity...
Lingyun was one of the peak masters of the Qingyun Sect on Qingyun Mountain. Ordinarily, a peak master was a person of great power and standing within the sect, but he was an exception. Not only did the other peak masters look down on him, but even disciples who had only recently joined the sect showed him no respect. The name "good-for-nothing" was widely whispered behind his back. That was because he was the only one living on his peak. Oh, no, that wasn't quite right—there was also a Snow-white Fox. Ordinarily, that shouldn't have mattered. But he was the only peak master in the Qingyun Sect who had yet to reach the Golden Core Realm.
The Golden Core Realm was the true entry point into cultivation. Most of the other peak masters were in the Fetal Transformation Realm or even the Nascent Soul Realm. Perhaps the rumors that he was close friends with the Sect Master were true. This sort of backdoor favoritism might well have been the main reason the sect's disciples looked down on him.
That day, Lingyun was playing in the dense forest with a fox whose fur was pure white. A closer look revealed how unusual the fox was: its eyes were bright and sly, and its ears twitched nimbly. Most extraordinary of all, it had eight tails. The eight fluffy tails swayed rhythmically as the fox darted through the woods at speed, following its master.
Suddenly, the fox halted its lightning-fast dash and looked into the distance. Perhaps because foxes were naturally sensitive, it had sensed a surging energy—and a feeling of reverence welled up within it. Something had stirred deep in its soul.
Seeing the white fox stop so abruptly, Lingyun froze. A deep stirring rose within him, too. He looked into the distance at the strange radiance. As he watched, that feeling gradually crystallized into an understanding. "Could it be an immortal descended from the Immortal Realm?" he murmured. There was a hint of doubt in his voice. Perhaps it was because everyone knew the "Heavenly Rules" forbade immortals from descending to the Lower Realm.
"Squeak, squeak..."
"Mei'er, you're saying there's a child over there? Hmm, I suppose so. I can hear children laughing. The strangest thing is that flute and Guqin music. That kind of soul vibration should only come from a Natal Dan Artifact. But there's a reverent might to it, and it's far more powerful than an Immortal Artifact." Lingyun looked at the white fox as if he could understand her cries. He gazed at her with a tenderness one might show a lover.
"Squeak, squeak..." The fox leaped onto Lingyun's shoulder and nestled against his cheek.
"All right, then. Let's go have a look. This place may soon be bustling." As he spoke, he drew an Emerald Green Long Flute from his waist and tossed it into the sky.
"Rise!"
At his shout, the flute grew longer with the wind, reaching a length of about one zhang in the blink of an eye. Lingyun sprang into the air, landed on the flute, and shot off toward the source of the sound.
About a quarter of an hour later, Lingyun arrived at the source. Within a hundred-zhang radius, all the grass and trees had vanished. At the center, a white Jade Flute and a pitch-black Guqin circled an ivory-white swaddling cloth. It floated in midair, with a baby boy inside, his little fists loosely clenched as he giggled. Several ordinarily ferocious beasts nearby had lost every trace of their savagery; they crouched on the ground like kittens, trembling all over. The fox on Lingyun's shoulder looked tense, too, as though it had seen something precious to her.
Lingyun frowned and turned to the trembling white fox. His face was full of concern. "Mei'er, are you scared? Should we leave?"
"Squeak, squeak..."
"What are you saying? This child is filled with Primordial Life Force?" Lingyun's face was full of disbelief.
"Squeak, squeak..." Perhaps she understood Lingyun's doubt; the white fox looked a little anxious.
Seeing how anxious the fox was, Lingyun's lips curled into a faint smile. "Silly Mei'er, it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that Primordial Life Force is so astonishing. Heh, and besides, you're as impatient as ever."
At Lingyun's teasing smile, the little white fox's smooth, snowy tail swept gently across his slightly aged face. She bounced about, mischievous to the extreme.
"All right, all right. I was wrong, okay?" Lingyun seemed terribly ticklish and hurriedly begged for mercy.
The fox stopped, then leaped down from Lingyun's shoulder to the clearing. She looked at the child, maternal light shining in her eyes. Turning to Lingyun, she blinked her fox eyes, asking a silent question.
"I understand. You want us to adopt this child, don't you?"
"Squeak, squeak..."
"Actually, I want to adopt him, too. All these years, we've had no children. Ever since that incident..." As if remembering something painful, he abruptly fell silent. Lingyun clenched both fists, his teeth grinding so hard they clicked. A thread of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't even notice. He was clearly furious.
Seeing Lingyun like this, the white fox's expression darkened, and her eyes glimmered with white light. She hopped forward a few steps to his feet and gently rubbed against his trouser leg. Lingyun bent down, lifted the white fox into his arms, and softly stroked her fur.
"Heh, never mind. Let's not dwell on sad things. Today's a good day—we're adopting this child. We should be happy." Lingyun smiled faintly, and a glint of killing intent disappeared. Had it really vanished? Perhaps it had only gone into hiding.
"Squeak, squeak..."
The white fox perked up again. She jumped down and went over to the child, bouncing up and down without pause, her squeaks ringing out nonstop.
"Haha..." Lingyun chuckled and added, "You can hardly wait, can you?"
As he spoke, Lingyun walked over to the child and reached out with both hands. Strangely enough, the Jade Flute and Guqin seemed to know Lingyun meant no harm. After circling several times, they came to a halt together. They dipped toward Lingyun three times, as if thanking him, then turned into two streaks of Mysterious Light and settled into the swaddling cloth, vanishing into the baby's body.
"How full of spirit! I've never seen such a Natal Dan Artifact before. This little fellow clearly isn't ordinary. I wonder if his parents are immortals from the Immortal Realm or something else?" Lingyun marveled, then picked up the baby and held him in his arms.
"Gurgle..." The baby giggled and reached for Lingyun with his tender little hand. His bright, dark eyes blinked, sparkling like stars.
"What a lovely child. Heh." Holding the baby in one arm, Lingyun reached out a finger with the other and smiled. "Child, from now on, you're ours. We'll love you dearly and treat you as our own. Come, meet your mother." Lingyun looked at the white fox, who had somehow jumped onto his shoulder.
"Giggle..." The baby seemed to understand Lingyun's words. He grabbed the white fox's tail, his face alight with joy.
"Squeak, squeak..." One of the white fox's tails gently brushed the baby's cheek as she squeaked happily.