C3 Snatch a Good Place to Hibernate.

Bai Mang had initially ignored the system, only checking it after she had devoured all the Giant Bears.

With a mere eighteen Merit Points, her options were limited to exchanging for trivial trinkets.

Bai Mang was uncertain whether to save or spend them for something else.

After pondering briefly, she opted to save the points. Eighteen Merit Points were simply too insignificant.

Having consumed the Giant Bear, Bai Mang was now satiated. The other two Vicious Beasts no longer appealed to her appetite.

"I got lucky this time. These three beasts were still weak, and they sought me out. But beasts lack the patience to wait," Bai Mang mused.

Stuffed to the brim, Bai Mang found herself struggling to climb a tree, so she chose to rest against it instead.

Like other snakes, once full, Bai Mang felt no desire to move.

She wasn't concerned about being disturbed. In this region of Giant Beasts, she now reigned supreme, claiming the territories of the three fallen beasts as her own.

No creature dared come near her.

The law of the forest was clear: survival of the fittest.

Months flew by, and Bai Mang had completed her first shedding, growing from ten to twelve meters.

This single growth spurt indicated that after a few more, her length would surge to several dozen meters.

The two Giant Beasts she hadn't eaten were left to decompose, enriching the soil around the Golden Fruit Tree.

Rotten food was not on her menu.

There was no need to stoop to such desperation yet.

"The chill in the air signals it's time to hibernate soon. I need to stock up on food," she noted.

With winter approaching, Bai Mang knew she had to secure a hibernation spot and ample food to avoid waking up hungry and miserable in the dead of winter.

"The Golden Fruit Tree's leaves are falling. It's unfortunate that the Spiritual Energy here has been dissipating over the months. It seems the tree's end is near," Bai Mang said to herself, observing the tree.

Her growing power gave her a sense of the surrounding Spiritual Energy, which she surmised from fragmented past life memories to be the same used by Immortals for cultivation.

Lacking a proper cultivation technique, she absorbed the Spiritual Energy instinctively, albeit slowly.

Since consuming the Golden Fruit, the area's Spiritual Energy had been waning, and the Golden Fruit Tree was weakening by the day.

The tree's leaves should have remained even through winter, as they had for the past five years.

Now, their falling signaled the tree's demise.

"It seems I won't see another Golden Fruit. While regrettable, perhaps this is simply my destiny. Having obtained one Golden Fruit is fortune enough; I shouldn't greedily expect another," she reasoned.

Bai Mang flicked her tongue, continuing her search for prey and areas rich in Spiritual Energy. Finding a cozy cave would be ideal, providing her with the perfect spot for hibernation.

The Golden Fruit Tree was nearing its end, making residence there less than ideal. Consequently, Bai Mang was in need of a new home.

Finding a sanctuary as ideal as the Golden Fruit Tree's would prove challenging, so Bai Mang kept her expectations in check.

Time flew by, and soon the fine snow began to fall.

Winter in the Million Miles Mountain was profoundly silent, with only the occasional whisper of the wind.

Bai Mang's massive size meant she couldn't simply hunker down in a rabbit hole for the winter like a regular snake; she required a spacious cave.

Luckily, she discovered a perfectly structured cave before the onset of winter.

In truth, it would be more accurate to say Bai Mang seized the cave rather than found it.

The cave's entrance was small, but it opened up to a vast interior, previously the den of a three-meter-tall pangolin. This was no ordinary beast; it possessed a glimmer of Spiritual Intelligence.

But that mattered little to Bai Mang. After dispatching the pangolin, she claimed the cozy den as her winter refuge.

Concerned that consuming the pangolin might upset her stomach, Bai Mang disposed of the carcass outside.

The pangolin's armor was incredibly tough, and it took considerable effort for Bai Mang to subdue it.

Before settling into hibernation, Bai Mang expended all the energy she had gathered, preparing to shed her skin during her slumber.

She also recognized that she couldn't rely solely on her tail for hunting; she needed to employ venomous fangs like her serpent kin.

With a nonchalant expenditure of 10 Merit Points at a store, Bai Mang acquired a set of poison fangs.

Now, with her formidable physique and new venomous bite, Bai Mang's foothold in the Million Miles Mountain was more secure than ever.

The heavy snow soon blanketed the landscape, plunging the Million Miles Mountain into a deep hush.

The once-bustling woods fell eerily silent.

Overcome by instinct, Bai Mang succumbed to hibernation.

"Master, when will we be able to leave this Million Miles Mountain?" A black-haired, brown-eyed little girl trudged through the snow, her endearing appearance invoking empathy.

The elder she addressed as Master was a white-haired old man, leaning on a gnarled wooden staff, his clothing rather thin. He had given his thickest furs to the sweet child.

"We'll make our way out before the winter's through," assured the old man, his face reddened by the cold but smiling nonetheless. "Xuan'er, are you holding up alright?"

"I'm tired. We've been walking for over half a month, yet we're still amidst these mountains," Xuan'er replied.

"Don't worry. We'll find our way out. The Million Miles Mountain is vast, but it's not insurmountable," he soothed. "Look, there's a cave up ahead. Let's rest there for a bit. It's as if God has shown us mercy; we haven't crossed paths with any giant beasts these past days."

"Alright," Xuan'er agreed with a nod.

The Million Miles Mountain wasn't exactly off-limits, but it was seldom traveled. The sheer size of the region deterred most, and few ventured as deep as they had.

Their journey through this desolate route wasn't by choice but a necessity to evade their pursuers.

They carried precious treasures with them, which left them with no other choice but to proceed as they did.

From the outside, the cave seemed rather small, but upon entering, they were surprised to find it quite spacious. Clearly, it had been intentionally carved out by someone.

The elder gathered some dry twigs, murmured an incantation, and the twigs burst into flames.

A comforting warmth soon spread throughout the chill of the cave.

"We're quite fortunate to have stumbled upon a man-made cave like this in the midst of the Million Miles Mountain. We owe a debt of gratitude to whoever took the time to excavate this place," the elder said, watching Xuan'er warm her hands by the fire, a gentle smile gracing his face as he sighed with appreciation.

"To the unnamed ancestor, I offer my thanks," Xuan'er said, bowing respectfully to the cave with her sweet voice.

It was as if an ancestor truly resided within the cave; a soft voice seemed to echo back. Xuan'er excitedly exclaimed, "Master, the ancestor has answered me!"

Her master, however, appeared as if bracing for a formidable challenge.