Chapter 169: You Cannot Cultivate Another Clone
This day, the outside world was completely unaware of what happened in the Yuxiao Sect. All they knew was that afterward, the entire sect’s disciples were slaughtered, while ordinary people suffered no harm. According to eyewitnesses, it was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl with cat ears who did it.
“With cat ears? That must be an incredibly powerful demon.”
This was everyone’s first reaction. After all, humans couldn’t grow cat ears, and even with heaven-defying talent, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old couldn’t possibly slaughter the entire Yuxiao Sect single-handedly.
With the cultivators of the Yuxiao Sect wiped out, the ordinary residents naturally scattered like birds and beasts. The large sect was thus destroyed. Since this was not a rare occurrence in the Cultivation World, no one cared. What people truly cared about was the Nine Nether Demonic Cat they raised.
The Nine Nether Demonic Cat was priceless in this current era. Now that it was ownerless, it naturally attracted the covetous attention of the major sects in the Xihui Dynasty’s Cultivation World. Consequently, they all dispatched powerful individuals to the Yuxiao Sect, attempting to capture the Nine Nether Demonic Cat.
Meanwhile, Qi Huang continued to spend her days in the greenhouse, growing vegetables. Let alone the Yuxiao Sect, she didn’t even know what was happening in the HongHua Sect.
One day, Cheng Yuan came from home, bringing bags and bags of items, including beautiful dresses and delicious food. The reason was simple: it was Cheng Hongling’s sixteenth birthday.
In the Xihui Dynasty, sixteen was the age for the coming-of-age ceremony. Although cultivators didn’t have as many tedious rituals, it was still an important day, so all their loved ones gathered.
As a clone, Qi Huang naturally benefited indirectly. She felt incredibly awkward, as her true form was a “middle-aged uncle” approaching thirty, yet she was celebrating a sixteenth birthday.
Of course, this awkwardness came and went quickly. Upon seeing her parents, master, and senior sisters genuinely celebrating her birthday, her heart was quickly filled with emotion. Having come from a poor background, when had she ever received such treatment?
This night was the happiest night for Qi Huang in nearly thirty years, to the extent that her spirit remained in a state of excitement until the clone Huang Tian transmitted a message to her.
“Did you know? At noon today, the Wang family in the village was wiped out by a vengeful soul.”
Huang Tian said, shocking everyone to their core.
“What? With you here, how could a mere vengeful soul succeed?”
Qi Huang was instantly doused with cold water and quickly pressed for details.
“It just so happened that I wasn’t in the village at the time,” Huang Tian said with a self-deprecating smile.
“Then where did you go? What if your family encountered danger? You should know your mission!” Qi Huang questioned with some displeasure.
“I know, of course. But given the harsh environment of Huatian Village, if our family relied solely on farming, we couldn’t even solve the basic problem of food and clothing. That’s why I have to go to the county town on time to buy supplies, just like this morning. If I had returned any later, the entire village might have been annihilated.” Huang Tian explained patiently.
Qi Huang fell silent. This was indeed a problem. Humans needed to live, and solving safety issues alone wasn’t enough; they also needed to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. She only had one clone. Should she prioritize ensuring safety or maintaining their livelihood?
Qi Huang began to ponder a solution. Currently, she had only one way to resolve the predicament of Huatian Village: cultivate another clone. One to ensure everyone’s safety, and the other to maintain the supply chain.
Perhaps someone would ask why she couldn’t buy a courtyard in the county town and have her family move there.
The reason was simple: she was not a selfish person. If she did that, who would she prioritize—her family or the villagers? For example, could she ignore good brothers like He Chao and Liu Keqian? The answer was no! This would lead to her being stretched too thin. Instead of painstakingly arranging things, it would be simpler to increase manpower.
Of course, Qi Huang could also sell all her seven or eight bottles of Cat’s Eye Tears, buy a dozen or twenty courtyards, and let all the villagers move in. But if she did that, what would happen when her senior sisters ran out of Cat’s Eye Tears? Both her hands were equally precious.
“Alas! I’m afraid I’m the poorest Shentong Realm expert in the Cultivation World!” Qi Huang mocked herself internally.
“How about this! I’ll find an opportunity to cultivate another clone and have him go back to help you.” Qi Huang made a decision.
“That’s a good idea!” Huang Tian agreed with the plan.
“By the way, the Wang family’s funeral is on the ninth. Will you be back?” Huang Tian asked hesitantly, after all, her main body was ostensibly his fiancée. If she didn’t go, the entire family would lose face.
“I’d like to come back, but you know my current situation. I can only give you an answer when the time comes,” Qi Huang explained helplessly.
Huang Tian expressed his understanding, and their conversation ended.
Qi Huang, concerned about her family’s safety, planned to go to the cave dwelling in the back mountain to cultivate a clone, just like last time. However, since it would take a long time, she wanted to notify her main body, especially since her “leverage” was still in someone else’s hands.
Qi Huang soon met her main body and cautiously stated her intention to go into seclusion in the back mountain.
“Seclusion? What are you going into seclusion for?” Cheng Hongling immediately expressed doubt.
“To cultivate, of course! I’ve seen the error of my ways,” Qi Huang said shamelessly.
“Is that so? Then go tear down the greenhouse to show me your resolve,” Cheng Hongling said with a half-smile.
Qi Huang was immediately dumbfounded and stammered for a long time before saying, “Who says you can’t grow vegetables while cultivating? Learning a little of everything is never a burden!”
“You can go if you want, but I can’t guarantee that the Ghost Tomato seedlings in the greenhouse will still be there when you return,” Cheng Hongling said calmly.
“That’s not right! Didn’t you say I could grow them if I wanted? Why are you threatening me now?” Qi Huang quickly reacted and accused.
“Because I don’t know what you’re up to! The house is so quiet, and you can cultivate while I can’t? Do you take me for a three-year-old child?” Cheng Hongling directly revealed her thoughts.
Qi Huang was rendered speechless and had to temporarily abandon her plan to cultivate a clone.
However, Cheng Hongling was not idle. As the foremost expert of the HongHua Sect, she usually had matters to attend to for the sect and couldn’t be a shut-in at home all day. Therefore, she left the next day, intending to deal with a very troublesome haunting incident that would likely take one or two days.
To be safe, Qi Huang naturally had to impersonate her main body and remain at the sect to deter those with malicious intentions. She was, of course, happy to do so.
“One or two days? That’s enough! The first time I cultivated a clone, I was unfamiliar with the process, which is why it took so long. This time is different.” Qi Huang estimated and was overjoyed. After “reluctantly” seeing her main body off, she impatiently ran to the familiar cave dwelling in the back mountain and prepared to cultivate her second clone.
Qi Huang sat on the ground and skillfully entered her Sea of Consciousness with her Spiritual Sense. She then saw the situation in the main hall and was stunned. This was because she discovered that the three male souls had regained their freedom and were confronting the seven female spirit souls that had been feminized.
“Although we desire freedom, if you wish to remain alive, you cannot cultivate another clone.”
The human soul spoke words Qi Huang couldn’t understand.
“Why?” Qi Huang asked in confusion.
“If you cultivate another clone, there will only be two souls left in this hall. If you fall unconscious, we will be powerless to stop the Spiritual Wisdom from becoming the Life Soul! And you will completely disappear.” The human soul explained.
“That’s not right! Weren’t you suppressed by them earlier? Why do you suddenly have the strength to resist now?” Qi Huang asked with surprise and joy.
