Chapter 1401: Chapter 1401
The White Fox didn't know if it understood Ye Qing's words, but it kept holding its two paws toward Ye Qing, its big eyes filled with a look of innocent hope.
Ye Qing was unnerved by the White Fox's gaze and simply couldn't stand it anymore. He poured another Ziyu Chenxiang Pill from the small bottle and placed it on the White Fox's paws, saying reluctantly, "Do you know how precious this Ziyu Chenxiang Pill is? It's worth twenty million on the black market and isn't even available for sale. You've already consumed forty million worth!"
The White Fox, receiving the Ziyu Chenxiang Pill, completely ignored Ye Qing and immediately began chewing on it. In no time, it swallowed the pill into its belly and then looked up at Ye Qing again, extending its two little paws once more.
"Are you crazy?" Ye Qing's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "More? Are you planning to treat these Ziyu Chenxiang Pills as food? One pill is twenty million, two are forty million, three are sixty million. If you eat five, that would be a hundred million!"
The White Fox clearly had no concept of money and continued holding its furry little paws, pitifully gazing at Ye Qing, utilizing its cuteness to sway him.
Mumbling a few words, Ye Qing was ultimately defeated and reluctantly handed another Ziyu Chenxiang Pill to the White Fox, saying, "This is the last one. I don't have much left; once you finish this, there'll be none left!"
At that moment, Ye Qing was like Kong Yiji, fearing that the White Fox would take away all his precious Ziyu Chenxiang Pills.
Receiving the Ziyu Chenxiang Pill, the White Fox once again chewed and swallowed it. But this time, it did not extend its paw again; instead, it burped contentedly as if it were full, stretching its tiny body, then began watching Ye Qing with interest, its big, bright eyes gleaming with a peculiar glow, its thoughts unknown.
Seeing the White Fox no longer asking for Ziyu Chenxiang Pills, Ye Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief, fearing the White Fox would keep asking him for more pills. Given his soft heart and the White Fox's cuteness, if it continued begging, Ye Qing would likely have given it the entire bottle!
"Little fellow, are you finally full? Do you know how much you've eaten?" Ye Qing chuckled at the White Fox, "Sixty million! This meal truly costs a fortune!"
It's unclear whether the White Fox understood Ye Qing's words or not; it merely stood nearby, slowly grooming its fur, displaying an expression of tranquility.
Seeing the White Fox's state, Ye Qing liked it even more, gently reaching out to stroke the White Fox. The White Fox merely glanced at Ye Qing without evading or showing any hostility. After consuming three Ziyu Chenxiang Pills, it seemed to have accepted Ye Qing.
With the White Fox displaying such an obedient demeanor, Ye Qing felt joyful. Having such a cute fellow would indeed be a delight.
As Ye Qing gently petted the White Fox, he sighed and said quietly, "Little one, I can't stay here. I have other matters to attend to and must venture deeper into the mountains. Go play by yourself, don't wander into those forests; there are too many wild beasts. It's safer to stay near the Stone Mountain, understand?"
After speaking, Ye Qing softly patted the White Fox's head before standing up to leave.
The White Fox watched Ye Qing, its face filled with confusion, not knowing if it understood his words. However, it was evident it found Ye Qing fascinating, its big eyes gleaming with a mysterious light, its thoughts unknowable.
Looking at the White Fox's adorable expression, Ye Qing felt an inexplicable sense of affection. He sighed and took out the bottle of Ziyu Chenxiang Pills, pouring out three pills to place in front of the White Fox, speaking softly, "Little one, I'm entering the mountains now and don't know if I'll return. Although these pills are life-saving medicine, if something happens to me in there, they won't be of any use. But, the pills are scarce; I'll keep three to save myself, and the other three are for you, sort of fate brought us together. Goodbye!"
Ye Qing gently stroked the White Fox's head, packed his things, and headed deeper into the Stone Mountain.
Standing behind, the White Fox watched Ye Qing walk away, its big eyes filled with even more bewilderment, its thoughts unknown.
Compared to the outside, the inside of the Stone Mountain was much quieter. As Ye Qing walked, he occasionally heard some light animal noises but encountered no major disturbances. Walking for almost two hours inside the Stone Mountain, Ye Qing hadn't seen a single wild beast, apart from some occasional herbivorous small animals; it was as if wildlife had vanished from inside, with not even a snake to be seen.
This situation puzzled Ye Qing. Logically, the outer area surrounding the Stone Mountain was filled with animals; the Ancient Forest had a forest ecosystem. Yet, why was the Stone Mountain completely devoid of predators? Furthermore, after walking for such a long time, he found nothing, with the terrain growing increasingly treacherous. Were it not for Ye Qing's decent Light Body Skill, he would have been unable to proceed.
Judging by the time, it was already past ten o'clock at night. Despite walking so long, the Stone Mountain showed no change apart from its challenging terrain. If there was a change, it would be that the caves around the mountain had become larger. The Stone Mountain looked like an artificial landscape in someone's yard, riddled with caves, each quite deep, whose contents were unknown.
After walking for so long without encountering a single soul, Ye Qing couldn't help but suspect that Yin Xianzi and the Sorcerer had already entered one of these caves. But with thousands of caves scattered across the mountainside, which one should he choose to search for them? The Stone Mountain's area was vast, and these caves seemed deep; if Ye Qing took a wrong turn, he might not find them at all and could even lose himself inside. If lost without a way out, he would starve inside before encountering the Devouring Demon Flower.
However, if he didn't enter the caves, Ye Qing would have to roam outside the Stone Mountain all night, possibly missing Yin Xianzi and the Sorcerer.
This choice left Ye Qing in a dilemma. He stood silently for a while without a clue as the insect noise around seemed to disturb his thoughts.
Listening to the insect noise, a gleam appeared in Ye Qing's eyes. He recalled what Yin Xianzi had told him about the Devouring Demon Flower, noting that it resembled the Man-Eating Flower in the American Primeval Forest, devouring living creatures as its fertilizer. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙
Ye Qing had once read a magazine in college with information about such a flower. The Man-Eating Flower was reportedly so terrifying that even beasts avoided it; a mere fly flying by would be consumed as nourishment. Thus, wildlife around it was rare, and this was the method used by America's indigenous people to avoid these flowers. If animal presence was scarce, chances were high that a Man-Eating Flower was nearby, leading them to choose to bypass the area.
The situation with the Devouring Demon Flower was similar, devouring other living creatures for nourishment. Finding this flower shouldn't be too difficult; the area surrounding it must have minimal life. Careful observation of the Stone Mountain's surroundings, where animals are less frequent, leading in that direction should reveal the Devouring Demon Flower's location.
Ye Qing might not know as much as the Sorcerer and Yin Xianzi about Beimang Mountain's environment, but he was certain that if the Sorcerer wanted to target him, they'd lure them near the Devouring Demon Flower. Therefore, to find the Sorcerer and Yin Xianzi in the vast Beimang Mountain, heading toward its vicinity was his only option.
Of course, seeking the Devouring Demon Flower is highly perilous. Even Yin Xianzi is wary of it, and Ye Qing's abilities likely won't fare well against such a threat. Nevertheless, right now, Ye Qing has no other choice. To find the Sorcerer and Yin Xianzi, directly seeking the Devouring Demon Flower is the only path!
With this decision, Ye Qing didn't hesitate, inhaling deeply as he moved forward, listening to the insect noise to discern which area had fewer sounds.
Remarkably, this plan proved effective. After searching for a while, Ye Qing distinguished a difference. In the Stone Mountain, moving toward the northwest, the insect noise noticeably diminished, while it didn't change much in other directions.
Thus, Ye Qing confirmed his course, slowly following this direction while carefully observing his surroundings. Despite the dark night, under the moonlight, the Stone Mountain looked like daytime. With his advanced Inner Strength, Ye Qing's eyesight was far superior, clearly distinguishing everything around him.
Continuing on this path for nearly half an hour, Ye Qing suddenly noticed a patch of pink fabric hanging on the nearby rock. Its color exactly matched the material of Yin Xianzi's outer garment!