Ling Yun had a special sense of closeness and empathy with the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, Little White, because up until now, besides that dragon from before, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was the only cultivator he had seen. However, it wasn't a person. It was just a spirit fox.
As for Miao Xiaomiao, Xuanqi, or the late Xuan Jiu, they were only strong martial arts practitioners. They weren't even cultivators.
Previously, when Little White had led Ling Yun through the mountain ravine, Ling Yun had seen the majestic Yin-Yang Dragon Lock formation. It made Ling Yun feel as if he had returned to Cultivation World. It revived memories of the days when he would travel across mountains and observe the many formations of the world freely and quietly.
Although Ling Yun tried his best to integrate into this world's city life, in truth, Ling Yun only belonged to the same world as Little White.