Chapter 390: Proud Cheng Hong Ling
“That won’t do, unless I can no longer fight, she cannot participate.”
Cheng Hong Ling objected without hesitation.
“Why not?”
Xu Mei asked, feigning ignorance.
“No reason!”
Cheng Hong Ling replied tersely.
“Oh, are you afraid I’ll steal your thunder?”
Qi Huang asked with a half-smile.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Cheng Hong Ling knitted her brows.
“Hong Ling, everyone knows your personality. Aren’t you just afraid it will be revealed that your clone is stronger than you?”
Xu Mei couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What’s wrong with your clone being stronger than you? It’s still you anyway. Can you be jealous of yourself?”
Elder Ruan also teased.
“Who said I’m jealous of her? I just… I just want to experience it as much as possible. For a cultivator to become strong, they absolutely cannot miss such opportunities.”
Cheng Hong Ling argued vehemently, her pretty face flushing slightly.
“Yes, yes, you’re not jealous. We are jealous of her. We are jealous that at our eighty or ninety years old, we are not as good as the clone of a girl in her early teens. We’re simply dying of jealousy!”
Xu Mei tried hard to suppress her laughter.
“Anyway… anyway, I’ve said my piece. Unless I can no longer fight, you are not allowed to intervene.”
Cheng Hong Ling turned her head and ordered Qi Huang, but it looked somewhat coquettish.
“Alright, alright!”
Qi Huang smiled helplessly. She understood the main body’s personality and knew this outcome was inevitable.
“Alright, I haven’t finished speaking yet.”
Qin Quan raised his hand and pressed it down. “Actually, the rules that the Immortal Alliance has changed this time are not just this. They have surprisingly allowed clones of cultivators to register individually for the Evergreen Convention, regardless of household registration or nationality.”
“What?”
The entire grand hall erupted in an uproar. Even Cheng Hong Ling was slightly moved.
“If clones are allowed to participate individually, then the Evergreen Convention in Yongning Prefecture this time will surely stir up a bloody storm.”
“Yes, although there are no geniuses worth mentioning in Yongning Prefecture, there are many monstrous talents from outside. If they send their clones to compete in Yongning Prefecture, it will definitely be a huge threat to Hong Ling.”
“Clones? You’re thinking too simply. Since it’s regardless of household registration and nationality, they can even come in person and it would be within the rules.”
“Fortunately, we have Qi Huang. Otherwise, we would be in danger again this time.”
…
Several high-level figures revealed shocked expressions.
“Heh heh, it seems the Immortal Alliance truly hates me to the bone to come up with such a method.”
Qi Huang sneered dismissively.
“Sect Leader, the Cultivation World is vast and boundless, with countless nations and hidden dragons and crouching tigers. In your opinion, are there any cultivators who can defeat Qi Huang within the age of thirty?”
Xu Mei asked cautiously.
“Yes, this is our last chance to obtain the seeds of the Golden Life Flower. We must consider all variables.”
Elder Ruan chimed in from the side.
“There definitely are. As far as I know, in the major countries of Zhongzhou, there is more than one or two prodigies who have reached the Shentong Realm before the age of thirty. They are all descendants of Immortals.”
Sect Leader Qin replied.
Upon hearing this, the grand hall fell silent. That was the true Shentong Realm, not something like Qi Huang’s imitation.
“Then are there any who have reached the Heavenly Punishment Realm before the age of thirty?”
Qi Huang asked casually.
“That’s definitely not possible! To reach the Heavenly Punishment Realm before the age of thirty, who would still have the nerve to say that the path of cultivation is long and arduous? Moreover, even if there were, due to the heavenly punishment, they wouldn’t be able to move around freely.”
Qin Quan shook his head without hesitation.
“That’s good!”
Qi Huang was completely relieved. As long as she could reach the Heavenly Punishment Realm, even if she was an imitation, what of it? Dealing with these Shentong Realm prodigies would be as simple as crushing an ant.
Everyone looked at Qi Huang with confusion, not understanding why she asked that.
“Everyone, there’s no need to worry. The probability of those prodigies participating is basically zero for two reasons. First, this Xihui Dynasty is a remote small country in the Cultivation World, and Yongning Prefecture is a remote prefecture within the Xihui Dynasty. News cannot travel too far; Second, people consider their interests when doing anything. Those prodigies are thousands of miles away and it’s impossible for them to come to our Yongning Prefecture to cause trouble for such a small benefit. Isn’t that just being bored?”
Qin Quan appeased them.
Everyone whispered to each other, then nodded in agreement.
“However, as the saying goes, caution sails a ship for ten thousand years. Hong Ling and Qi Huang, you still need to seize this year to improve your strength. We can’t place our fate in the hands of others, right?”
Qin Quan’s tone shifted. He naturally didn’t want the future of the Hong Hua Sect to slacken because of his words.
“Okay, but I still beg everyone not to reveal my strength before the Evergreen Convention.”
Qi Huang pleaded.
The discussion ended here. Everyone dispersed, whispering to each other, still digesting Qin Quan’s words. The Immortal Alliance’s drastic change in rules this time was truly unprecedented.
“You just need to cultivate. Tell me if you need any spirit grass or medicine, and I guarantee your needs will be met.”
Qi Huang instructed her main body again.
“You… do you think I’m useless?”
Cheng Hong Ling suddenly asked after a slight hesitation.
“Ah? Why would you think that?”
Qi Huang was dumbfounded.
“As the main body, I’m not as strong as your clone. Isn’t that very useless?”
Cheng Hong Ling said self-deprecatingly.
“You… do you consider me an outsider? Why else would you have such thoughts?”
Qi Huang asked doubtfully.
“Then what about you? Do you want me to consider you as a clone, or as an independent person?”
Cheng Hong Ling’s beautiful eyes flickered.
Qi Huang was stunned for a moment, then fell silent. She naturally hoped Cheng Hong Ling would see her as an independent person, as that would open up infinite possibilities. However, she also feared losing the other party’s trust because of it, so she didn’t know how to answer.
“When you ask me this question in the future, ask yourself first.”
Cheng Hong Ling left a meaningful sentence and turned to leave.
“What does she mean by that?”
Qi Huang fell into thought and returned home absentmindedly.
Life returned to normal. She began busy with farming again.
However, the sect became busy. Before the prefecture-level Evergreen Convention arrived, the Hong Hua Sect needed to hold a county-level Evergreen Convention to select county-level Immortal Seeds.
Of course, the other immortal sects in Huang Tian Prefecture were just small fry pretending to be something they were not. Whether or not this county-level Evergreen Convention was held had little impact, but the rules still had to be followed.
One day, Yaoyao came again. She was preparing to go out to raid again, so she had to send her clan members and Liu Zheng to the Hong Hua Sect first.
Qi Huang accepted the Storage Ring, but was astonished to find another “Yaoyao” inside. This “Yaoyao” looked exactly the same as the Yaoyao in front of her. The only difference was the color of their pupils. Yaoyao’s were an eerie crimson red, while this one’s were a vibrant green, giving them completely different demeanors.
“Is this your clone?”
Qi Huang was astonished.
“I am a Cat Spirit. Where would I get a clone? She is my elder sister, Mimi, who has transformed into human form because she reached the Huashen Realm.”
Yaoyao explained.
“Oh really? That’s wonderful!”
Qi Huang’s face immediately lit up with a smile. Who wouldn’t like a cute cat-eared loli? Moreover, she looked very easy to bully.
“Don’t smile so lewdly. If you dare to bully her, I’ll make sure your future children starve to death.”
Yaoyao warned shrewdly.
“Lewdly? I’m smiling so purely, and you call it lewd? Why don’t you teach me how to smile?”
Qi Huang became indignant.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have that ability. Lewdness comes from within.”
Yaoyao apologized politely.
Qi Huang was speechless, but she admired the cat-eared loli’s insight from the bottom of her heart.
After Yaoyao left, Qi Huang couldn’t wait to get acquainted with Mimi. Just as she had expected, this green-eyed cat-eared loli was very timid. Every word she spoke seemed to require all her courage, and she only dared to steal glances at people.
“Very good, you wicked Yaoyao. If you bully me again, I’ll bully your sister.”
Qi Huang made a bold decision.
Time passed. That night, after Qi Huang fell asleep, she saw Cheng Ling’s memories again.
Cheng Ling was still hiding in that cave. Because she didn’t have a complete human form and was afraid of being caught by the main body, she naturally didn’t dare to run around. Therefore, her daily life was very monotonous.
Qi Huang was also secretly anxious. She didn’t know how much longer it would be until she saw what she wanted to know.
After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Ling fell asleep. That night, she had a dream again. The content of the dream was still about “Yaoyao.”
…
Qi Huang opened her eyes and found that Yaoyao was currently eating with her father, Ah Hua.
Ah Hua put down his chopsticks after a few bites, it was unclear if it was due to a lack of appetite or some other reason.
“Dad, why aren’t you eating anymore?”
Yaoyao asked curiously.
“Yaoyao, Dad hasn’t been feeling well these past few days. I want to go to the clinic in town later.”
Ah Hua hesitated before telling the truth.
“Not feeling well? Where?”
Yaoyao quickly inquired, as after what happened to her grandparents, she was now a startled bird.
“It’s nothing, maybe I ate something that upset my stomach.”
Ah Hua forced a relaxed smile.
“I’ll go with you.”
After a moment of thought, Yaoyao made her decision.
Ah Hua instinctively refused, but he couldn’t resist his daughter’s filial piety and finally agreed.
After breakfast, the father and daughter left empty-handed. Qi Huang wasn’t worried, because there seemed to be no lonely ghosts in this world, or at least they weren’t common.
At noon, the father and daughter arrived at a clinic in the county town. Since there weren’t many people, they were seen immediately upon entering.
“It’s you! I remember your name is Lu Hua, right?”
The doctor recognized Ah Hua at a glance.
“Yes, Doctor Kong! Our family is quite accustomed to your clinic.”
Lu Hua forced a smile.
“Is this your daughter? Such a beautiful little girl.”
Doctor Kong was surprisingly enthusiastic.
“Yes, this is my daughter, Lu Yao. She is twelve years old this year.”
Lu Hua glanced at his daughter beside him tenderly.
“Twelve years old already? She’ll soon be of marriageable age. With her looks, she’s sure to find a good husband.”
Doctor Kong praised.
“Thank you for your compliment, Doctor Kong.”
Lu Hua thanked him politely.
“By the way, that Gu Yuan is your wife, right? How is she now? I asked her to take some medicine back, but she refused to listen.”
Doctor Kong suddenly changed the subject.
“My wife? What’s wrong with my wife? What medicine?”
Lu Hua was stunned on the spot.
“She has a tumor. It was diagnosed here, about one or two months ago. Didn’t she tell you?”
Doctor Kong asked in astonishment.
Hearing this news, Lu Hua was completely stunned. Then, he opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of blood, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
