"They’re Celestial Foxes!" Bai Ke exclaimed.
As a member of the Celestial Fox Lineage, Bai Ke was very familiar with the aura of her own kind. She immediately recognized the two White Foxes in the cages as kin, possessing the same Celestial Fox bloodline as her.
Gu Zhao pointed a finger, and the two cages shattered instantly. The Sealing Skill imbued in them dissipated as well.
With Mo He Divine Monarch’s seal broken, the two White Foxes slowly began to stir.
"Yip?"
The moment the two White Foxes opened their eyes, they saw a group of people surrounding them. Their fur instantly bristled, and they instinctively huddled together.
"Don’t be afraid!" Bai Ke hopped forward. "My name is Bai Ke. I’m a Celestial Fox, too!"
"Yip yip?"
The two White Foxes sensed Bai Ke’s aura and immediately recognized her as one of their own. Their bristling fur relaxed slightly, and they instinctively glanced around.
"The bad guy who captured you is already dead," Bai Ke said, pointing to a pile of black ash nearby. "You’re safe now."
Although the black ash still emanated a faint Demonic Qi, it was clearly without a source and posed no further threat.
"Yip? Yip yip?"
The two White Foxes stared at the pile of black ash, shock filling their vulpine eyes. They then looked up, their gaze sweeping past Bai Ke to the rest of the group before finally settling on Gu Zhao, who stood at the center of everyone’s attention.
The next moment, a soft white light began to glow around the two White Foxes. The light intensified, then faded a moment later to reveal two beautiful women, one mature and one young.
The taller woman appeared to be in her twenties. She wore a simple, white-tasseled dress. Her face was full and soft, her skin as smooth as jade. Her eyes, clear as autumn pools, held a serene wisdom.
The shorter woman looked about Bai Ke’s age. She wore a cloud-white satin dress and had an oval face with large eyes. Though her complexion was a bit pale, her gaze was bright and spirited, giving her a clever and adorable appearance.
"I am Bai Yiqi. Thank you all for rescuing us." The taller woman curtsied, then introduced the one beside her. "This is my younger sister, Bai Yixuan."
The Silk Embroideress blinked. "Your surname is really Bai?"
Bai Yiqi and Bai Yixuan froze, not understanding what the Silk Embroideress meant.
"Everyone from the Celestial Fox Lineage of Cyan Hill Mountain in the Southern Border has the surname Bai," Bai Yiqi answered softly.
"Ohh—" The group voiced their understanding.
Bai Yixuan pointed at Bai Ke and asked in a clear voice, "Isn’t her surname Bai, too?"
"Right, right, right!" Bai Ke cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject. "So, how did you get captured by that fiend?"
At her words, Bai Yixuan’s lip quivered, and she burst into tears. "Our Third Matriarch was killed by him!"
...
As the two sisters told their story, the group quickly came to understand their plight.
Much like Snow God Mountain and Red Moon Valley, the Celestial Fox Lineage also lived within the vast Southern Border Mountains. However, Cyan Hill Mountain was located deeper within the Southern Border, so they had less contact with the Central Plains.
This was why Gu Zhao had heard of the Cyan Hill Mountain’s Celestial Fox Lineage from Bai Fei, while the others hadn’t even known their surname.
Mo He Divine Monarch was a disciple of the Six-Headed Divine Monarch, who in turn was a mortal enemy of the Celestial Fox Ancestor from Cyan Hill Mountain.
A hundred years ago, the Six-Headed Divine Monarch achieved mastery of his divine technique and was on the verge of Ascension to the Spirit Realm. He traveled to Cyan Hill Mountain with six Magical Treasures, intending to slay the Celestial Fox Ancestor and settle their feud before he ascended.
However, the Celestial Fox Ancestor was no pushover. While not quite as powerful as the Six-Headed Divine Monarch, he was not far behind.
The two fought a great battle, and both ended up injured.
The Celestial Fox Ancestor returned to Cyan Hill Mountain to enter a century of seclusion and has yet to emerge.
The Six-Headed Divine Monarch’s fate was even more tragic. His six disciples took advantage of his weakened state. They not only divided his six Magical Treasures amongst themselves, but his dream of Ascension was shattered, and he perished completely.
Although the Six-Headed Divine Monarch was dead, the feud between his six disciples and Cyan Hill Mountain did not end. Over the past century, the two sides have engaged in countless skirmishes, both large and small.
The Six-Headed Divine Monarch’s six disciples were few, but each was a master in their own right. And while they sometimes suffered setbacks, they generally held the upper hand.
On Cyan Hill Mountain’s home turf, not even all six of the Six-Headed Divine Monarch’s disciples combined could match the Celestial Fox Race. But away from the mountain, an ordinary Celestial Fox was little more than easy prey.
In the century since, none of the Six-Headed Divine Monarch’s six disciples had perished, but over a dozen Celestial Foxes from Cyan Hill Mountain had been killed.
This time was no different. The Bai sisters, Yiqi and Yixuan, had followed one of their matriarchs down the mountain, only to run into Mo He Divine Monarch.
As the Six-Headed Divine Monarch’s eldest disciple, the only ones on Cyan Hill Mountain stronger than him were the Celestial Fox Ancestor—who remained in seclusion—the current Mountain Master, and one of the previous generation’s elders.
The Third Matriarch who led them had a thousand years of Dao Practice herself. Against anyone else, she would have been fine, but against Mo He Divine Monarch, her millennium of cultivation was undone in an instant. She perished completely, and the two Fox Maidens fell into his clutches.
To be honest, sisters Bai Yiqi and Bai Yixuan had already prepared themselves to be defiled and then killed.
But just as Mo He Divine Monarch was about to have his way with them, he seemed to sense something. He then imprisoned them in cages and stowed them away in his Storage Magical Treasure.
The next time they awoke was just moments ago.
Gu Zhao asked about the timing and realized that the moment Mo He Divine Monarch had sensed something was the very day Xie Zhihan was killed by the old Daoists, when her Demonic Qi imprint had dissipated.
"Was it you who defeated Mo He Divine Monarch?" Bai Yiqi asked Gu Zhao cautiously.
Mo He Divine Monarch was no small fry. He was a renowned figure in the Southern Border Mountains, possessing nearly four thousand years of profound Dao Practice. He was a true overlord, no matter where he went.
Yet such a master had died at the hands of the seemingly gentle and scholarly young man before them.
’He must have at least six or seven thousand years of Dao Practice, right?’
’On all of Cyan Hill Mountain, aside from the Ancestor in seclusion, no one has reached such a level!’
"Gu Zhao is the Palace Master of Daluo Palace. He received a Dream Transmission from the Spirit Realm Upper Gods and founded the cultivation path for Human Mages." Bai Ke hopped to Gu Zhao’s side, gesturing to introduce him. "A mere Mo He Divine Monarch is nothing to him!"
Gu Zhao tapped Bai Ke on the forehead, nudging her aside. He then asked Bai Yiqi, "Do you know when Mo He Divine Monarch became a Fallen Demon? And do you know where his lair is?"
Mo He Divine Monarch’s Dao Practice was profound. His lair must have already transformed into a Demon Realm. It had to be sealed or purged as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the Demon Realm would not only expand on its own, but any creature that wandered inside would be easily corrupted.
"Mo He Divine Monarch had become a Fallen Demon?" Bai Yiqi asked in surprise.
Mo He Divine Monarch’s Dao Practice and Magical Power were far greater than their matriarch’s, and he hadn’t even used any Demon Techniques when he killed her. As a result, sisters Bai Yiqi and Bai Yixuan had no idea he had become a Fallen Demon.
"We know where Mo He Divine Monarch’s lair is!" Bai Yixuan’s eyes lit up, and she raised her hand. "He took us back to his manor-cave! I remember the way!"
Zhuo Qingyan smiled gently. "The Southern Border is thousands of miles away. This matter is not urgent. Let’s return to the mountain first."