Cultivating in Online Games

Chapter 77 - The Mirror of Mountain Viewing

However, aside from these, the white tiger didn’t drop any other items, and Yimeng Xiaoyao’s Soul Summoning Bell didn’t return either.

As the final boss of the Yao Ling Tiger Fang instance, the white tiger had to undergo a heavenly tribulation. Being at the center of the lightning storm, players dared not approach it to loot the creature.

Fortunately, as a level 40 player, Yimeng Xiaoyao could now explore more instances and have opportunities to obtain better weapons. He silently comforted himself with this thought.

Despite his self-comfort being somewhat effective, Yimeng Xiaoyao still let out a long sigh and said, “I hope the instances for level 40 and above aren’t this difficult. If they are, I might as well not bother.”

You Lang said, “Gentlemen, I must thank you all for helping me correct this mistake.”

“You’re still here?” Baiyi Piaopiao asked in surprise, seeing You Lang. “Shouldn’t you have been automatically teleported back to Tingyu Pavilion?”

You Lang replied, “You’re joking, miss. There is no teleportation array here to return to Beining City. I naturally have to fly back on my own. Would you all like to accompany me back to Tingyu Pavilion for some tea?”

“Is there anything in it for us?” Yimeng Xiaoyao asked.

You Lang hesitated, “Well, how about in the future, when you take on quests at Tingyu Pavilion, I’ll waive the commission?”

Yimeng Xiaoyao said, “A 1% commission waiver isn’t much of a difference. Forget it, you can go back on your own. I have to go collect my wager.”

Ye Jian said, “I’ll go with you. This method of clearing the instance is so well hidden; I need to sell the strategy for a good price. After the person who bet with you pays up, they’ll definitely ask about the strategy, and I’ll find a way to charge them even more.”

Yimeng Xiaoyao agreed, “Sounds good. Also, lend me your Illusion Lamp. Our Bian Academy has a lot of… uh, books with pictures, you know? I want to see if I can make them 3D with the lamp.”

The two of them then walked off, arm in arm, conspiring together.

Baiyi Piaopiao also said, “Someone has agreed that all the experience gained from monster hunting in the next month will go to me. It looks like I’ll reach the highest level soon. I’m off to the Wraith’s Revenge. Bye-bye.”

Titou Laijian followed Baiyi Piaopiao and left as well.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, You Lang also took off on his sword, leaving only Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou behind.

Ye Zhou asked, “We’ve found the location for our sect grounds, but how are we supposed to take it from the tiger? And if we take it, won’t the Yao Ling Tiger Fang instance disappear, leaving other players unable to reach level 40?”

Dugu Zhuo, who usually answered Ye Zhou’s questions, remained silent this time. Instead, he said, “Aren’t you almost out of time to log off?”

“Oh, right, it’s already six o’clock,” Ye Zhou said after glancing at the time.

Dugu Zhuo said, “Log off and have dinner first. We’ll figure out how to claim the sect grounds when you log back in at seven.”

“Okay,” Ye Zhou agreed obediently.

Before logging off, he sneaked a glance at Dugu Zhuo, whose expression was calm and untroubled, showing no sign of any issue. Yet Ye Zhou couldn’t shake the feeling that Dugu Zhuo had been looking at Huxiao Mountain with a very peculiar gaze.

As soon as Ye Zhou logged off, Dugu Zhuo immediately flew up the mountain on his sword.

After an instance is cleared, players can still enter the mountain, as the game has a high degree of freedom. Unless it’s a major sect’s inner sanctum, most mountain ranges are accessible. Of course, there’s always the risk of encountering monsters.

However, with the Yao Ling Tiger Fang instance now closed, the white tiger could hide within the formation of Huxiao Mountain, and if it chose not to reveal itself, no one would be able to see it.

This formation posed no difficulty for Dugu Zhuo. He had encountered it hundreds of years ago and was intimately familiar with its changes. He effortlessly entered the depths of Huxiao Mountain.

The boulder where the white tiger underwent its tribulation must have been something it had prepared in advance, likely near its lair. Dugu Zhuo entered a clean and tidy cave near the boulder and saw a small tiger inside, licking its paws.

Before transforming, the white tiger couldn’t control the size of its body, which would grow larger due to the accumulation of true essence. Once it reached the Nascent Soul stage and transformed, it could control its size and even take on human form.

Sensing someone entering its lair, the white tiger immediately stopped licking its paws. It arched its back and transformed into a majestic tiger, speaking with authority, “Who goes there?”

“So, you can speak now that you’ve transformed?” Dugu Zhuo asked as he revealed himself.

Seeing that it was Dugu Zhuo, the white tiger instantly lay down, returning to its smaller form, resting its chin on its front paws while leisurely swaying its tail.

Dugu Zhuo approached and examined the white tiger’s condition. Seeing that its body was filled with abundant true essence and in excellent shape—unlike in its previous life when it had lost all its fur and was a bald youth after the tribulation—Dugu Zhuo nodded approvingly. If it hadn’t been so pitiful back then, Dugu Zhuo might not have taken pity and brought it to Xingchui Peak to recover.

“You did well this time,” Dugu Zhuo remarked casually.

The white tiger thumped its tail against the ground and said, “Although I was controlled by a Gu worm, my body grew larger because of it, and I absorbed a lot of spiritual energy, storing enough true essence. Plus, I had prepared the formation in advance, and with six Foundation Establishment cultivators helping to share the burden of the tribulation, it was much easier than last time.”

“Oh? Last time?” Dugu Zhuo’s tone lifted slightly. “So, you remember things from your previous life?”

The white tiger’s casually swaying tail froze.

Dugu Zhuo sat on the stone bed in the cave, looking at the white tiger seriously. “I saw with my own eyes how you were struck down by the people of the Upper Three Heavens, your entire body crushed beneath the Celestial Pillar until you were nothing but pulp. Not just your body, but your soul should have been utterly destroyed. How did you survive?”

The white tiger shook its head. “I don’t know either. When I opened my eyes, I was on this mountain, waiting for you and Ye Zhou to come find me.”

Dugu Zhuo said, “Even if you don’t say it, I can guess. You were under the Celestial Pillar at the time, and the only thing that could have saved you before your soul was destroyed by it was the power of the Creation Dual Swords. I was fighting the people from the Upper Three Heavens at the time, unable to save you. The only one who could have saved you was the master of the Su Sword—Ye Zhou. But by then, he should have already been dead.”

Ye Zhou had died first. Dugu Zhuo couldn’t accept everything that had happened and, along with the then far-surpassing Nascent Soul stage white tiger, fought their way to the Upper Three Heavens to demand justice. This led to Dugu Zhuo ultimately turning against the Upper Three Heavens completely. As a result, Dugu Zhuo retrieved the Su Sword and, risking his own life, used the combined power of both swords to shatter the Celestial Pillar. After that, the swords broke, the Celestial Pillar collapsed, and the Upper Three Heavens, Middle Three Heavens, and Lower Three Heavens merged into one, releasing the demonic energy from the Abyss of Nine Desires.

The purest celestial energy from the Upper Three Heavens, now mingled with the demonic energy, was burned away by the great fire in the Canglan Mountains, returning to the original chaotic force.

This chaotic force was then absorbed by the earth veins of the Canglan Mountains, forming spiritual veins, and from that point on, the land was rejuvenated.

Seeing that it couldn’t hide the truth from Dugu Zhuo, the white tiger finally said, “Indeed, my soul was protected by a divine power, and at the moment the Celestial Pillar collapsed, the power imbued with the Su Sword’s divine energy carried me away at an unimaginable speed, almost as if it surpassed light. This speed allowed me to break through the barrier of the Canglan Mist and arrive at a barren mountain.

“When I first arrived, I had no body, only a soul, and I continued to sleep on that mountain. I don’t know how long I slept, but one day, the world was remade as if by a miracle. Countless trees appeared out of thin air, turning that barren mountain into what is now Huxiao Mountain. At that moment, I suddenly had a body.

“This body seemed to be a remade one, with only the strength of a Golden Core cultivator. So I continued to cultivate on the mountain, hoping to transform and then go down to find Ye… to find you.”

“Later, a voice prompt told me that I was the boss of the *Yao Ling Tiger Fang* dungeon and instructed me to fulfill my duty. So, I’ve been waiting on the mountain for someone to come.

“After waiting for a long time without anyone arriving, I was injured by a group who claimed to be from the Fushen Temple. At that moment, I heard a system prompt saying, ‘Dugu Zhuo used the Illusion Heart Pearl on you, making you remember many things and increasing your affection for Dugu Zhuo by 10.’ That’s when I knew you were here, so I kept waiting for you to find me.”

But no matter how long he waited, no one came. Due to the attack from the Gu insects, his emotions became chaotic, and he recalled being used as a meat shield by Dugu Zhuo back then, which greatly reduced his affection.

“Now, what about our bond? How much of it remains?” Dugu Zhuo asked.

“Of course, it’s still a bond of life and death,” White Tiger’s voice carried a hint of a growl.

“Is that so?” Dugu Zhuo raised an eyebrow slightly and took out an Illusion Heart Pearl, clicking to use it.

System prompt: [Please enter the dungeon where you want to increase affection.]

Since Dugu Zhuo had used the Illusion Heart Pearl twice before, the input field had a history record. He turned to block White Tiger’s view and selected the *Yao Ling Tiger Fang* dungeon.

[ Ding, the affection of White Tiger in the *Yao Ling Tiger Fang* dungeon is 55. Using the Illusion Heart Pearl increased it by 5 points, making the current affection 60. It has reached the passing mark. Please continue to make efforts, player.]

Dugu Zhuo: “…”

Is this still called a bond of life and death? This tiger truly lives up to its feline nature, with its unpredictable moods.

Moreover, he had misspoken earlier by saying he would go find Ye Zhou, but quickly corrected himself to say he would find Dugu Zhuo. At that time, the tiger didn’t even know it had come to this world, so how could it be looking for him!

Dugu Zhuo said, “You arrived here before me and are the dungeon boss. Do you know what kind of place this is?”

White Tiger tilted his head and said in a cute manner, “I heard from those who came to fight me about words like ‘players’ and ‘game.’ It seems this place isn’t a real world but a game?”

“You’re not stupid,” Dugu Zhuo said. “What do you feel about being in a world that isn’t real?”

White Tiger replied, “When I was young, I lived with my mother in the Tiger Clan Valley. Occasionally, humans came to hunt and got trapped in an illusory realm outside the valley. They thought they had lived for a hundred years, married, and had children, only to find it was just a dream when they emerged from the illusion, and only a day had passed.

“Even those humans quickly recognized their situation and adapted to their daily lives when they returned to the human world.

“In this game, it’s just a bigger illusion. As long as I know I am real, and different from whatever… model or entity outside, it’s fine.”

“You have quite an open mind. No wonder you’re the only demon beast that can dominate both demon clans,” Dugu Zhuo praised.

White Tiger turned over and began playing with a stone with his paw.

He was a peculiar tiger, combining the detached perspective of a cultivator with the simple, innocent nature of a beast. Even as a holy beast, he would argue with Dugu Zhuo over a small ball of fur, which was quite a return to simplicity.

“You are the boss of this dungeon. If you have to repeat the dungeon process, will you still be controlled by the Fushen Temple people time and again? Have you figured out what to do?” Dugu Zhuo asked.

White Tiger replied without worry, “When I became the dungeon boss, I received a nearly divine artifact, a gift from the system, called the ‘Mountain Viewing Mirror.’”

He went deeper into the cave, rummaging around with sounds of clattering, and eventually pulled out a mirror.

Dugu Zhuo, hearing the sounds of him rummaging, raised an eyebrow. It seemed there were quite a few items.

Dugu Zhuo had previously cleared out bandit camps and knew that items dropped by players or bandits would be automatically collected by the system. He guessed that items dropped by players who died in the dungeon were also collected by White Tiger. Hearing the clattering, he figured he wasn’t mistaken.

It appeared that the items dropped by players during this period were all hidden in the cave by the tiger. Even after Yi Meng Xiaoyao cleared the dungeon, White Tiger still refused to return the Soul Summoning Bell, pretending nothing had happened.

White Tiger came out holding the mirror and explained its use to Dugu Zhuo: “As long as I throw this mirror outside the mountain gate, it will automatically create a new Tiger Roar Mountain and me. When players come, they will only enter that mirrored mountain and won’t harm me.”

“I see.” Dugu Zhuo nodded slightly.

Now they had both the mountain gate and the guardian beast.