Chapter 85: A Wolf as White as Snow

Within this vast world, there was no one whose cultivation started at a higher level than Li Ying’s.

Five rings of talent, a top-tier five-colored stone, the pure spiritual power of a third-grade gathering array, rare cultivation techniques, the finest auxiliary pills, and a beast pill for her spirit pet each day.

After only five days of cultivation, she reached the middle stage of the Qi Condensation realm.

Everyone was astonished, save for Li Mu. To him, his little sister’s achievements were inevitable. Their preparations over the years—by both himself and his sister—were extensive, and now it was time to reap the rewards.

“Master Shen, please look after things for a few days. I’m going to take a look around,” Li Mu said, intending to visit the nearby mountains. He hoped to gather some beast pills for spirit pets and perhaps stumble upon an opportunity. Now that Li Ying had become an immortal cultivator, his worries for her had eased. Still, an uneasy feeling lingered within him, a strange image of an evil deity that unsettled his mind.

Master Shen was engrossed in refining pills. Without danger in the area, she seemed to have returned to her single-minded focus, spending her days beside the spiritual spring, never leaving even for cultivation.

She didn’t even turn her head. “Go ahead, but leave me some of your medicinal herbs—bamboo leaf stems, hundred-mile leaves, perilla grass...”

She named a few second- and third-grade herbs, and Li Mu, without a word, brought out a pile from the spirit tower, stacking them like a small hill.

Li Mu stepped out of the cave, tossed the formation activation talisman to Sun Qi, and set off alone.

He didn’t want to hunt spirit pets here—he preferred to leave that for Sun Qi and Li Ying to sharpen their skills.

Surveying the land ahead, Li Mu suddenly sprang into action.

On a nearby ridge sat a rare, pure white wolf, howling at the sky. That wolf likely bore a beast pill.

But the wolf was exceedingly alert. As soon as Li Mu approached, it turned and fled, kicking up a long trail of dust across the plain.

“Let’s see who’s faster,” Li Mu thought with a quiet chuckle, feeling a surge of competitiveness. He did not fly but chased after it on foot.

Surprisingly, after a stretch of pursuit, the wolf vanished.

Li Mu was taken aback, but after spreading his spiritual sense, a smile appeared on his face.

Someone had dug a pit ahead, and the wolf, running blindly, had fallen right in.

“Now I understand how those people catch wolves,” Li Mu murmured. No matter how powerful a spirit pet, without enlightenment, it was never a match for humankind.

He approached the pit slowly, watching the wolf struggle to escape.

Just then, voices sounded nearby, and Li Mu moved behind a rock.

Two men, each riding a wolf, hurried over. Their attire marked them as ordinary hunters, not cultivators.

“Big brother, you actually caught a white wolf! My nephew is saved!” one exclaimed.

“Indeed, heaven has eyes! But how could there be a white wolf here? I’ve heard they only appear in Stone Mountain...” The speaker was robust, with a square face and thick brows, joyful yet puzzled.

The other was equally tall, though his face was longer and heavily bearded. “It doesn’t matter. It’s luck. Let’s slaughter it quickly and take it back to save him.”

“Yes, let’s hurry.”

Li Mu stepped out from behind the rock, smiling. “Gentlemen, I caught this wolf.”

“Nonsense! We dug this pit!” the tall man retorted.

Li Mu’s expression was calm. “Even without the pit, I would have caught it all the same.”

“Don’t argue, brother,” said the square-faced man, bowing to Li Mu. “My name is Bai Ren, and this is my brother Bai Xin. Sir, I believe you speak the truth, but this wolf is of great importance to us. Would you be willing to let us have it? I’ll find something else to compensate you.”

Li Mu gave a slight nod. Bai Ren’s words sounded familiar; he seemed like the elder brother type.

“What sort of compensation?” Li Mu asked.

Bai Ren pondered for a moment, his expression resolute. “I have two houses in the tribe and a hundred or so black wolves. I’ll give them all to you.”

“What? Big brother! That’s everything you have! If you give it all away, what will you do?” Bai Xin’s face twisted with concern.

“No more talk. Saving a life matters most. Our tribe is constantly bullied—we may have to migrate soon anyway.”

Bai Ren turned to Bai Xin and beckoned, then looked back at Li Mu. “Sir, do you agree?”

Li Mu said nothing, thinking these two took him for an ordinary person. Still, their willingness to offer so much showed sincerity.

Without another word, Li Mu summoned a sword, which he tossed into the pit. It circled around, emerging with a fresh beast pill, which floated before him.

The two men’s faces changed dramatically, their eyes wide with fear and awe. “An immortal...! He’s an immortal!”

Li Mu held the beast pill and spoke softly, “If you want the wolf, you may take it. If you want the beast pill, you’ll have to give me a reason.”

Bai Ren looked at Li Mu, trembling uncontrollably, his expression caught between joy and sorrow. Suddenly, he tried to kneel, but Li Mu used his powers to prevent him—he disliked being called “master” and found such ceremony uncomfortable.

Bai Ren struggled but couldn’t kneel, so he stood, saying, “I desperately need the beast pill, immortal. Please, could you...?” He choked on his words, knowing he faced a cultivator and the pill was likely out of reach.

“Why do you need the beast pill to save a life?” Li Mu was puzzled. Beast pills had their uses, but they weren’t life-saving.

Bai Xin saw his brother unable to speak and hurried to explain. “Immortal, you may not know—my nephew was wounded by a strange bear, and nothing can heal him. He’s fading fast. A few days ago, a visiting immortal said he could cure my nephew, but would need three beast pills in exchange for the medicine. We’ve already found two—if only we had this wolf...”

Li Mu shook his head repeatedly.

The wounded boy was just an ordinary child. For such injuries, a single first-grade Reviving Pill would suffice—a basic pill costing five low-grade spiritual crystals. Yet a first-grade spirit pet beast pill was worth at least twenty mid-grade crystals and was rare in the Cloud Mountain Realm.

That visiting immortal was trading a single pill for three beast pills—a lopsided deal, yet the Bai brothers were still grateful.

But, after all, it was a transaction—what could be said?

“Let me come to your tribe and see for myself,” Li Mu said, pocketing the beast pill and walking forward.

Bai Ren and Bai Xin exchanged uncertain glances, but quickly led the wolf onward.