Two

The sky began to sprinkle snowflakes, each one gently landing on the vegetation, adding to the desolation

Mikawa gently touched Xiao Taozi with his fingertips: "It is not your fault, Xiao Taozi, it is that person... it is Xihe who has taken advantage of you"

"The soul of Wuling is merely a legend of the sect; how could it possibly be taken seriously?" Xi He said淡淡地.

Xi He slowly opened his eyes, a fleeting hesitation flashing by, but that was merely a moment; his expression returned to one of determination and coldness, with the radiant light of the Qingyun sword flowing behind him

Little Taozi curled up into a ball, trembling continuously, and Yichuan could only see this scene. She hurriedly cradled the little spirit beast in her palms and softly comforted it, saying: "It's okay, it's okay, it's been so long already"

The companions saw that she did not respond and all ran away, yet Xiao Hong remained standing in place. It was not until nightfall, when the young man was called away by his fellow disciples, that the little fox timidly emerged.

Mikawa returned to her original spot, dejected, and the little dog followed her out, lying at her feet and staring intently at her bag

She circled around the sword. Half of the blade was still submerged in the pool, with the exposed section being exceptionally sharp

A rustling sound emerged from the bushes behind him, prompting Mi Chuan to instinctively recall one of the mysteries of Tianmen Mountain—the appearance of spiritual beasts

Xi He looked at her and nodded with a smile: "Huanxing, this time when I came down the mountain, I also brought you a little trinket." As he spoke, a small dark shadow fell from his long sleeve.

"You... how do you know I have a corn dog?" Michuan stared at it for a while, and finally pulled a corn dog out of the bag, "Alright, here, you can have it."

What kind of sword is capable of splitting rocks? And the sword's aura can traverse the river of time without diminishing, even to this day, it can still be perceived by her. Mi Chuan felt a chill of fear. A strong sense of curiosity urged her to quicken her pace and venture deeper.

To Mi Chuan's surprise, the seemingly calm pond water contained countless messages, which came rushing in, almost causing her to lose consciousness.

Moss has already grown on the stone, crisscrossing like an ink wash landscape, clearly indicating its age and that it has been untouched by human hands. She used her fingertips to brush aside the moss, revealing a flat and smooth rock surface. Perhaps due to the nature of the stone, black lines meander across it.

The once youthful boy in dark robes has now grown tall and upright. He loosely ties his black hair with a peach wood branch and patiently instructs the girl beside him: "The sword energy must be protected by one's own spiritual power. Huanxing, have you found a sword you like in this sword washing pool?"

The cable car made a clunking sound as the door slowly opened. Mi Chuan jumped down with his backpack, bent down to tighten the laces of his non-slip leather boots, and headed towards the Ghost Valley plank road according to the map

The little dog seemed to sense that Michuan meant no harm, wagged its tail, barked twice, and continued to stare at her backpack

If you don't want to speak, then so be it. Michikawa walked forward step by step, "Xiao Taozi, I always feel that the atmosphere here is very strange... as if a very sorrowful story has taken place. What do you think?"

Little Taozi let out a soft chirp, and another tear fell. Michuan reached out to catch that tiny tear, which reflected a shimmering light.

But she is very happy, isn't she? Her senior brother also likes her this much...

Well, considering that I can be considered a "weirdo," what kind of experiences have I not gone through? She quickly accepted this fact and opened her backpack: "Come in."

The little dog bit her pant leg and whimpered a few times

"You want to learn everything, yet you excel at nothing," Xi He shook his head and said, "Just one move, the Wandering of the Peng Pool, has taken a year to practice. How could there be any time left to practice sword forging?"

Little Taozi, so you are Feifei? Then, your master is Huanxing

Xi He smiled gently, seemingly at a loss with this junior sister: "It's not that I am unwilling to give it to you, but the Qingyun Sword was forged by my own hands. It has no resonance with anyone else. What use would it be to you if you took it?"

Just as a gust of wind swept away the clouds, a massive stone was revealed, leaning against the mountainside in the valley below. It was evident that it had fallen from above, its cut surface as smooth as a mirror. Remarkably, a tall pine tree had already grown on top of it, its vines entwined... Perhaps it has stood there for a thousand years...

Watching the little dog finish an entire pack of corn sausages, Michuan stood up while biting into a chocolate: "I am leaving now. Goodbye, little dog."

The spiritual sword in the Sword Washing Pool emits a faint ethereal glow

Xi He merely touched her long hair, saying nothing at all

Little Taozi cannot speak, only gazing at the new master. Michuan suddenly recalled the words spoken by Xihe: "... let her go to the Qingyun Ladder to find me"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. This time, because she was deliberately trying to "read," the image became increasingly clear

"Left side?" After some consideration, Michikawa said, "Since both sides are accessible, let's take the left side."

Will the spirit beast be a dragon? Or a qilin? ... Or ... A unicorn would also be acceptable

A pair of sparkling eyes peeked out from the bushes, cautiously meeting Michuan's gaze.

"Squeak, squeak." Little Taozi finished eating the corn sausage, crawled out, and comfortably lay down in the hood of the Michuan ski suit, completely unbothered.

Huanxing playfully teased it, her face filled with a gentle smile, looking up at Xihe: "Senior Brother, thank you very much"

The fluffy little fox curled up into a ball, ignoring the advice of its companions

"But I have no regrets at all," the girl said with a sweet smile full of longing. "As long as I can be with my senior brother, I don't care about any demonic power! Besides, my senior brother is so powerful; as long as he can protect me, that's all that matters!"

In the blink of an eye, she reached out and grasped a protruding rock on the mountainside

The young man returned to the side of the sword-washing pool, a smile appearing on his handsome face, while the little fox hid in the shadows, happily biting its fluffy tail

"Fei Fei, do you like me, Senior Brother?" She gently tapped, waking the drowsy little spirit beast. "I hope to always, always be with you, Senior Brother."

The sword light was a bluish-green, flashing by in an instant, and the massive stones subsequently rolled down the mountain, leaving behind a winding black line on the remaining rock surface

Fortunately, the handsome guy reminded me, so I brought some food with me She mumbled as she sat down on the wooden bench, casually pulling out a large piece of chocolate

She reached out to gently touch her brow, the vermilion birthmark vibrant and alluring: "Fei Fei, for the past few years I have forcibly suppressed my spiritual power. In a little over a month, I will completely lose my demonic power, and I will truly become a human! Alas, I am almost forgetting that I was once a red fox."

Little Taozi chirped a few times, seemingly quite pleased with itself

"You... are too big! My packaging can't hold you." Mi Chuan squatted down, resting his chin on his hand, and said, "If only you were a spirit beast, you could transform into anything you wanted... Right now, I most want to raise a little chinchilla."

Feifei is an ancient spiritual beast, and raising it can alleviate worries. As soon as Xihe finished speaking, Feifei rolled over and had already transformed into a small cat

Are you really a divine beast

Is the Qingyun Ladder the same as the Heavenly Ladder located beneath the Heavenly Gate Cave

In the misty and hazy path ahead, a turquoise pool faintly emerges.

Uh, let me give you another one

A rustling sound came from the vegetation above the cliff, as if small animals were moving about. An Qingye listened carefully for a moment and smiled: "This is indeed the place where the sword-testing took place back in the day"

At this moment, Michuan stopped in his tracks, looking at the two paths ahead of him, and lowered his head to check the map: "Which way should I go?"

Her heart raced as she carefully pushed aside the branches

Delicate, light snowflakes fall from the sky, gently landing on the water's surface, creating small ripples.

The sound of dripping water startled Mi Chuan, causing her to shiver as if she had just emerged from a dream, feeling dazed.

Little Taozi jumped into Michuan's hands, looking very dejected

The little Taozi chirped twice, expressing boundless grievance and guilt

"Fei Fei, my senior brother said that the sword he is forging for me is almost complete!" The girl had a faint blush on her cheeks, "But ever since he became the sect leader, his smile has become increasingly rare, and he always seems very unhappy..."

You have transformed into a dragon, a Totoro?" Michikawa was taken aback.

A pair of faint footprints on the snowy path disappears into the vast mountain forest

The youth in the mysterious robe known as "Xi He" has poured countless efforts into it, yet unfortunately, it has not been refined to completion even today... Xiao Hong raised her fluffy front paw and placed it on her forehead, from the red dot at her brow, she conjured a ball of true fire. The spiritual power of demons and humans differs; the flame conjured by the little fox was nearly a bluish-gray, dyeing the entire sword pool with a chilling sword light.

The withering and flourishing of vegetation, time flies by

Fei Fei rolled on the ground and ran away like the wind

Mikawa took out a pack of biscuits from his bag, broke them into pieces, and threw them in front of the little stray dog

Mikawa opened his eyes and leaned forward to look down at the walkway.

At the summit of Tianmen Mountain, leaden clouds descend, and snowflakes fall in a flurry.

The Totoro raised its fluffy tail and proudly spun around.

Little Taozi blinked her eyes and jumped onto her left shoulder

It must be forged by your own hands, otherwise I have no interest in it

On the stone wall that Mi Chuan had just touched, An Qingye slowly pressed his palm against it. After examining it for a long time, he softly exclaimed, "What an impressive sword aura"

"Do you want to ... ... come with me?" Michuan asked

Xiao Hong is truly foolish, as she suppresses her spiritual power and immerses herself in the Wuling Sword Sect to become a mortal cultivator

Little Taozi crouched by the edge of the pool, tears falling from his eyes into the sword-washing pool, his small body huddled into a ball

The young girl smiled brightly, a hint of red at her brow resembling a peach blossom in bloom, and playfully said: "Senior brother, what if I only want your Qingyun Sword?"

Xi He, adorned with a jade crown, wore a handsome face devoid of expression, with his slender fingertips pressed against the throat of Fei Fei, his eyes tightly closed

"So pitiful." She reached out to touch it and said softly, "Abandoned by its owner, right? You must be hungry, huh?"

Chirp chirp

Due to a recent heavy snowfall, the air was exceptionally crisp, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the ground. As Mi Chuan slipped, he fell backward.

The elevation of Guigu Zhandao is extremely high, and the temperature is low. As it is early morning, a thin layer of mist has risen. After walking for more than an hour, Michuan surprisingly did not encounter a single person in the scenic area

The figure of the young man in the dark robe in the distance stands tall like a slender bamboo, and in his palm, he holds a ball of fire, which is being used to forge the sharp sword.

Huanxing reached out and caught a small dog, no larger than the size of a palm, with grayish-yellow fur and eyes that rolled around restlessly.

Xiao Hong, do not look anymore! People are not trustworthy, be careful not to be discovered

The little dog swallowed it in a few bites and continued to wag its tail

The little dog barked joyfully.

When Xi He returned, it was already late at night

He stepped outside and called for a disciple: "Go find Huanxing and have her wait for me at the Qingyun Ladder."

She stood up, gazed at the towering mountains, and softly said: "Huanxing... what happened later?"

Before the words had left his mouth, with a whoosh, a South American squirrel the size of a palm appeared on the ground, its eyes spinning round and round, with a plump body and a pointed head, revealing two large front teeth, chattering at Michuan.

He joyfully held it up, soaring through the air with his sword, and in an instant, he had swept over half of the mountain peak. The young man held the sword formula in his hand, and the sword's edge swept towards the rocks. With a thunderous sound, a large boulder fell down, the cliff face smooth as a mirror, with dark veins crisscrossing above.

Struggling feebly, under the coercion of Xi He's spiritual power, the scenes of its interactions with Huan Xing were being summoned one after another.

The little rascal jumped onto her shoulder and chirped twice, as if in agreement

Following closely, neither too far nor too near, behind these footprints is a young man

Tick-tock, tick-tock

"Little Taozi, have you been here before?" Michuan looked at the three characters "Xijianchi" carved on the stone beside him, bent down, and touched the water's surface with his finger

Huanxing stuck out her tongue and reached out to touch the long sword carried on the back of Xihe, saying: "They all say that with the spiritual power of the Qingyun Sword, it is most suitable to serve as the vessel for the soul of Wuling!"

In the scene sensed by Michikawa, a girl is holding a small terrier, her long hair flowing. Although only her back is visible, Michikawa is certain that she must be very beautiful and gentle. No wonder the small terrier has always remembered this owner. But why did she no longer want it?

Due to the off-peak season, Mi Chuan sat alone in the cable car cabin, looking up at the vast forest, which was covered with a thick layer of white snow, resembling a giant cream ice cream

Are you... really a spirit beast?" Michuan opened the travel brochure and compared the flying monster above with the little squirrel in front of him

Ah, do we still need it? Sigh, this is my portion...

Having finally steadied himself, his mind was a blank. Michuan, still shaken, withdrew his hand and stared blankly at the mountain he had just touched

Little Taozi jumped down and squatted by the edge of the pool, his big eyes gazing at the water, motionless

Well, let's call it... Little Taozi

Hey!" She suddenly shouted, stamping her foot, and amidst the scattering snow, a small dirt dog was startled and rolled out.

The "spiritual beast" turned out to be a dog, with grayish-yellow fur, emaciated bones, and a pair of large eyes staring pitifully at Michuan

You found out, huh... This is the only one I have left!" Michuan said with an awkward smile, "Well, since I have become your master, I will let you have it!"

She stands in another space-time, observing those people and events, as if witnessing them firsthand

In the depths of the mountains where countless paths are devoid of human traces, the sound of a telephone ringing echoes from afar. Anqing Ye answers: "Yes, I have been following her. Right, she is very well." He pauses, "So well... it seems beyond imagination."

Huanxing tilted his head and pondered, saying: "By the way, I have been practicing for three years; why hasn't my master taught me the art of sword forging?"

The young girl's translucent cheeks slightly revealed a hint of embarrassment, and Xi He chose not to continue speaking, merely curling the corners of his lips: "Once you master 'Wandering in the Peng Pool', your senior brother will naturally present you with a long sword"

The little spirit beast automatically and consciously jumped in, its two small front limbs also digging out a remaining corn sausage.

Since you are a divine beast, what about your previous master? Were they very powerful

In the not-so-distant place, among the grass, there is a rustling sound, as if there are whispers.

"In just over a month, all her spiritual power will be lost..." Xihe murmured, suddenly standing up, "Then she will no longer be a red fox?"

Huanxing giggled: "So you can perform magic tricks, can you turn into a little fox?"

It seems that the spirit beast is not large in size, which somewhat reassures Mi Chuan.

By the way, is it alright if I give you a name?" she said as she walked

With a whoosh, Feifei transformed into a little fox, curling up with its fluffy tail and burying its head in its body