: An Old Acquaintance

The Tiger God of Misty Veil Mountain is one such example. Strangely, however, He seems to have no desire for faith offerings.

As for the Fox God... according to the village elder, about ten years ago, as a wild fox demon cultivator, He failed to reach the Golden Core stage. His remnant soul then turned to the Path of Divinity.

He has managed his affairs diligently. Judging by the number of followers, He far surpasses the Tiger God.

If this trend continues, the Tiger God might eventually be overshadowed by Him. Then, the Fox God would become the primary mountain god of Misty Veil Mountain, with the Tiger God relegated to a secondary position.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong focused their discussion on estimating the strength of these two mountain gods.

The Tiger God's power, at its peak, likely doesn't exceed the Nascent Soul level. If He possessed Nascent Soul-level strength, His influence wouldn't be confined to just Misty Veil Mountain.

The Fox God's strength can be more accurately estimated. Before His death, He was a Foundation Establishment stage demon cultivator who failed his attempt to reach Golden Core and subsequently turned to the Path of Divinity.

In the early stages of His divine path cultivation, His combat power was likely on the weaker side among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But over the years, by extensively gathering faith and operating on His home turf, His combat power should be estimated a level higher.

Logically, the Fox God should possess combat power at the Golden Core level.

"No need to worry too much," Sun Lingtong said. "I'm at the late Foundation Establishment stage, with spells from the Bukong Sect. Even facing a Golden Core cultivator, I have the ability to escape."

"Xiao Zhuo, your main body's combat power isn't sufficient. If a real fight breaks out, just deploy your constructs. Whether it's the Heavy Blood Ape·Dasheng, the Nether Emissary·Qi Bai, or the Milk Butterfly Maiden, they all have quasi-Golden Core combat power."

"Not to mention the Buddhist Doctor and the Ten-Thousand-Mile Roaming Dragon."

Ning Zhuo, however, was very cautious: "Boss, don't be careless."

"Remember, we're in the wild now, not inside a city. In the city, with the immortal city's grand formation suppressing power, the gap between cultivation levels shrinks significantly. We could even face a Golden Core cultivator head-on for a few moves by ourselves."

"But in the wild, without the city formation's suppression, the gap between Golden Core level and quasi-Golden Core becomes very apparent. Not to mention for Foundation Establishment cultivators like us."

"We still need to be careful."

Sun Lingtong said breezily, "You're overthinking it, Xiao Zhuo. The past ten-plus years have been very hard on you."

"Seizing the Molten Immortal Palace is just too difficult for both of us."

"Relax a bit."

"We don't need to think about the Molten Immortal Palace for now. This is just Misty Veil Mountain."

"Those two are both proper gods; why would they randomly attack us?"

"We're just here to search for something on Misty Veil Mountain, and we've carefully prepared offerings. We're not here to pick a fight."

"Compared to Fire Persimmon Immortal City, the difficulty is worlds apart, like heaven and earth."

"Xiao Zhuo, your nerves are stretched too tight. It's time to unwind. Just treat this as a vacation."

Ning Zhuo was silent for a moment. "A vacation, huh..."

He sighed. "Boss, I also hope things will unfold as you predict."

The next day.

Ning and Sun bid farewell to the village elder, left the mountain village, and headed directly up the mountain.

The morning sun rose in the east, its faint light filtering through the tree branches, scattering into soft golden patches.

Mountain mist drifted like milky white ribbons, winding among the verdant pines and cypresses, gathering and dispersing with the wind,变幻莫测.

The mountain leaves, moistened by the morning dew, looked especially lush and green. Glittering dewdrops formed on the leaf tips, gently sliding off with the breeze, sparkling in the morning light.

The two did not conceal their auras. Their Foundation Establishment cultivation gave them some presence, at least enough to scare away many wild beasts and minor demons.

By the time they reached the Tiger God Temple on the northern side of the mountain, the sun was already higher.

The mountain mist had thinned considerably, and the view opened up.

Flocks of birds flew freely through the mountains, their calls echoing. On the mountainside, a large patch of wildflowers bloomed in a riot of colors.

The Tiger God Temple had white walls and grey bricks, simple and clean.

The temple gate was made of plain, unadorned wood. A horizontal plaque above the gate bore the words "Night Tiger Mountain God Temple" in strong, powerful calligraphy.

After paying their respects, Ning and Sun pushed the door open and entered.

The small courtyard inside was empty, containing only a large bronze incense burner with some moss growing on it.

They proceeded further, entering the main hall where they saw the statue of the Tiger God. It had a tiger's head and a human body—a burly figure over ten feet tall, with a majestic demeanor and piercing eyes.

The wooden altar table was clean and dust-free. On it stood an incense burner and several offerings, all simple, natural fruits and vegetables produced in the mountains.

The walls were painted with murals depicting the Tiger God protecting the forests and driving away evil spirits, the images vivid and lifelike.

After inspecting the area, Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong took out the specially prepared Invocation Incense they had brought, lit it, and placed it in the incense burner.

They also set out offerings of three types of livestock. The quality of these offerings reached the Foundation Establishment level, showing careful preparation.

Ning Zhuo stood before the statue, took out a prayer text, and recited: "In this year of Jiachen, during the ninth autumn month, on the day of Xinhai, in the clear morning hours, I, Ning, though lacking talent, have prepared three sacrifices, incense, candles, paper money, bathed and changed clothes, to solemnly pay respects before the Mountain God Temple."

"I humble myself before the mighty Mountain God, who shelters this land, protects its living beings, and bestows blessings upon all things..."

"...The mighty Mountain God, who perceives past and present, knows the ancient affairs of this mountain. I, Ning, have a wish. I hope the Mountain God can inform me of past events in the mountain and help me search for an ancestral relic. Therefore, I offer this sacrifice to the Mountain God,恳请垂怜, and ask that You use Your divine power to reveal its location, aiding me, Ning, in finding it soon."

"With this humble offering, I pray for Your acceptance."

"Ning kowtows again!"

Once the prayer was finished, a mountain wind suddenly arose.

Ning and Sun heard a tiger's roar by their ears, like a clap of thunder.

Immediately, the illusory form of a tiger-headed giant man emerged from the statue. He looked down upon the two from His height, then opened His mouth and inhaled, creating a tremendous suction force that drew the three sacrifices and other offerings Ning Zhuo had presented into His belly.

The Invocation Incense also instantly burned to ash.

Having eaten His fill, the Tiger God leisurely turned and merged back into the statue, leaving behind only a sentence: "I've accepted the offerings. Go find my assistant, the Fox God. Tell Him I said to help you look."

The phantom quickly merged into the statue, with no further changes.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

Having no other choice, they set off. The moment they stepped out of the temple, the door closed automatically behind them.

Ning Zhuo shook his head and sighed.

Once they were further away, he sent a mental message to Sun Lingtong: "I didn't expect the Tiger God to be so lazy. From what I see, He probably delegates daily prayers and requests to the deputy mountain god. No wonder the Fox God almost monopolizes the faith offerings."

Sun Lingtong placed her hands behind her head: "Hehe, sleeping soundly normally, swallowing the offerings when there's a task, and having the deputy do the work. That kind of life is indeed a bit enviable."

Ning Zhuo said helplessly, "We can only go to the Fox God Temple now."

They headed to the southern side of the mountain and soon arrived at their destination.

The temple complex was multi-layered and grand in scale.

The main gate was tall, supported by vermillion pillars carved with cloud patterns and auspicious beasts. A large plaque hung above, inscribed with the words "Cloud Fox Fox God Temple" in shining gold, imposing and majestic.

As soon as Ning and Sun stepped through the main gate, two fox ushers, dressed in Daoist robes and walking upright, came forward to greet them. They politely led Ning and Sun inside to offer incense.

Entering the front hall, they saw four clay statues: a Centipede Blademaster, a Scorpion Spearman, a Pointy-Nosed Pangolin, and a Long-Snouted Weasel.

"These are the four guardian generals under our God," said the fox usher, speaking in a refined manner.

Passing through the front hall into the courtyard, Ning and Sun saw two ancient pine trees, one on the left and one on the right, their canopies like pavilions, full of vitality.

Looking straight ahead, they saw the main hall with its double-eaved, upturned corners, roofed with golden tiles. Wind chimes hung from the eaves, their pleasant ringing like celestial music.

Ning and Sun entered the main hall. The incense table inside was spacious, laden with delicacies as offerings. The incense burners and candle holders were all made of pure gold, finely crafted. Tall red candles stood on either side of the table, their flames flickering, incense smoke curling up.

The walls of the hall were hung with embroidered paintings depicting legends of the Fox God manifesting divine power and providing protection.

Sun Lingtong sent a mental message to Ning Zhuo, her tone感慨: "No contrast, no伤害."

Ning Zhuo, however, had a glint in his eyes: "Knowledge and action combined indeed hold true. Today's experience resonates with what's recorded in books, giving me a deeper understanding. Cultivating the Path of Divinity emphasizes the alignment with people's hearts. In the future, when I lead the Ning branch family, I can learn from this example."

Ning Zhuo took out the Invocation Incense and the three sacrifices and other offerings again.

This time, as soon as he lit the Invocation Incense, the Fox God's clay statue stirred and emitted a gentle voice: "What brings you two devotees here?"

Ning Zhuo recounted his request.

Finally, he added that after offering sacrifices at the Night Tiger Mountain God Temple, he had obtained the primary mountain god's permission.

The Fox God smiled slightly: "Even if Lord Night Tiger had not agreed, seeing your sincerity, this god would have helped. Please tell me what you need to find."

This cooperative attitude was a stark contrast to the Tiger God's.

Ning Zhuo said, "I'm not entirely sure what the specific item looks like. I am from the Ning family. Sixteen years ago, when my family was migrating, we passed by Misty Veil Mountain and were trapped by the mountain fog for several days."

"I wish to recover all items lost by the Ning family convoy when they passed through here. I beg the Mountain God to grant this request!"

The Fox God showed a reminiscent expression: "Sixteen years ago... I have a deep impression. At that time, I was still a Foundation Establishment stage demon cultivator, using the mountain fog to temper my innate talent. I was fortunate to receive help from a Golden Core elder sister, drank some Cloud Tea, gained insight into the principles within the clouds, which greatly enhanced the power of my innate talent."

"Young man, I sense your aura is very similar to that elder sister of mine. May I ask what your relationship with her is?"

Ning Zhuo exclaimed in surprise: "My mother's surname is Meng, given name Yaoyin. She is probably the person the God mentioned. I didn't expect my mother and the Fox God to have such a connection."

The Fox God immediately nodded joyfully: "Since you are the child of an old friend, this god must assist even more vigorously! How is your mother now...?"

Ning Zhuo: "My mother has traveled far away. This junior is currently carrying out a task assigned by my mother, to search for old items along the way for use in divination and calculations."

The Fox God nodded: "So that's how it is."

"This god has never forgotten elder sister's graceful bearing..."

"Since it is elder sister's command, this god will immediately perform a spell to search the entire Misty Veil Mountain!"

"Young friend, please go to the side hall and rest for a while. Wait for the good news."

The Fox God kept His word and began the ritual immediately.

In an instant, the mountain fog visibly thickened, rapidly spreading, obscuring the sky and covering the entire Misty Veil Mountain.

Sun Lingtong, looking through the window at the vast white fog, sent a mental message in a grave tone: "This Fox God definitely has Golden Core combat power, and quite considerable at that!"

Ning Zhuo murmured: "I never imagined the Fox God had dealings with mother. This is excellent. After this matter, I must ask in detail..."

Before he could finish, the thick, viscous fog seeped in through the cracks in the doors and windows, pressing towards Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong.

The Fox God's voice drifted over eerily: "Young friend, in the past, your mother gave me an item shaped like a petal, which greatly enhanced my innate talent. Since you, young friend, have been sent here, you must have received your mother's instructions. Could you provide another petal as compensation?"

(End of )