“It’s you?” Cheng Hongling’s face showed disgust. If it weren’t for this person’s meddling, she wouldn’t have run into so much trouble impersonating a Huashen Realm cultivator, and the HongHua Sect wouldn’t have encountered so many problems.
“It is me! Surprised? Shocked?” Elder Zhou’s face showed a playful expression, and then he lightly descended. Besides him, there was another person following, also flying through the air, clearly another Huashen Realm expert.
“Is that Elder Zhou’s voice?” Qi Huang, who was in Huatian Village, confirmed. Because she had been using the Thousand-Mile Hu Communicator to stay in contact with her main body, her purpose was to understand the situation there in real-time, something that couldn’t be done with Mind Transmission.
“It’s him! Let’s switch to Mind Transmission for communication,” Cheng Hongling whispered, and then turned off the Thousand-Mile Hu Communicator.
Qi Huang fell into thought. Although her main body’s talent was indeed good, as far as she knew, that surnamed Zhou had already reached the late stage of the Huashen Realm. If a real fight were to break out, she would likely suffer a disadvantage.
“Could it be that my chance to act has come again?” Qi Huang’s eyes lit up. Since she had already sent the Wang family up the mountain, she had nothing else to do. It was just right that she could help.
…
“It is quite surprising! Last time at the HongHua Sect, as I needed to consolidate my cultivation, I didn’t have the opportunity to prove myself, which caused Elder Zhou’s misunderstanding. Since we’ve met now, how about you verify me again?” On the other side, Cheng Hongling said to Elder Zhou with a half-smile.
“What? You want to fight me?” Elder Zhou’s smile became even more brilliant.
“It’s not about fighting, I just want you to verify! The HuXiao Sect carries significant weight in Yongning Prefecture. Your word alone turned me into a liar impersonating a Huashen Realm expert. To become a true Huashen Realm expert, your word is naturally needed as well,” Cheng Hongling continued to provoke him. In reality, whether she was a Huashen Realm expert or not didn’t require certification from the HuXiao Sect. She was doing this purely to vent her anger.
“Hong Ling, this guy is a master at the sixth level of the Huashen Realm, stronger than my mother. He’s considered top-tier throughout the Xihui Dynasty,” Mu Ruoyi, who was beside her, quickly reminded her.
“That’s even better! If I can defeat him, it will further prove my strength,” Cheng Hongling was pleased rather than worried. The thing she most wanted to do now was to display her strength. Only by gaining a reputation would the sinister source in the Fierce Land of Meng County not dare to act recklessly.
Elder Zhou scanned Cheng Hongling with his Spiritual Sense, confused. He didn’t know where this young girl got her courage from, but a hint of vigilance still arose in his heart.
“No need! I saw your previous battle. Your cultivation has indeed reached the Huashen Realm now,” Elder Zhou admitted generously after his eyes darted about. He wasn’t foolish; such a battle would only bring him harm and no benefit. Winning was expected, but losing would mean losing all face.
“Thank you for the verification, Elder Zhou! From now on, I’ll see who dares to say I’m impersonating,” Cheng Hongling’s pretty face showed a hint of sarcasm.
“It’s a pity, but even if you are truly a Huashen Realm cultivator, what of it? Staying in a place like the HongHua Sect, you’d still be unable to stand alone. My promise to you back then remains unchanged. As long as you are willing to join the HuXiao Sect, we will cultivate you as our top Immortal Seed.” Elder Zhou reiterated.
“Elder Zhou, I appreciate your kind intentions, but as I said before, I will never leave the HongHua Sect,” Cheng Hongling remained unmoved.
“I really don’t understand why you are so attached to such a place. You should be very aware of the reputation of Huang Tian Prefecture in the entire Xihui Dynasty. Moreover, with the Immortal Alliance changing the rules of the Evergreen Convention, you will have no chance of advancement there!” Elder Zhou shook his head regretfully.
“Elder Zhou, if you’re going to poach people, it’s not your turn. She’s my wife now. If she’s going to leave, it will be to our Shuiyu Valley,” Mu Ruoyi couldn’t help but interject.
“You are the Saintess Mu Ruoyi of Shuiyu Valley, right? I heard that not long ago, you inscribed a woman’s name on Wen Jing’s tombstone. Is it her?” Elder Zhou confirmed.
“Yes! Elder Zhou’s news is quite well-informed,” Mu Ruoyi sneered repeatedly.
“It’s not that well-informed. You are the most beautiful woman in the Cultivation World, and yet you’ve formed a partnership with another woman. Such explosive news naturally spreads very quickly,” Elder Zhou said noncommittally.
“Since that’s the case, Elder Zhou should give up,” Mu Ruoyi said forcefully.
“Why? Wen Jing is indeed strong, but in the end, she is dead. Your Shuiyu Valley is currently of low strength. How much help can you provide? If she thinks she can deter that Fierce Land in Meng County solely with her Huashen Realm cultivation, she’s probably overthinking things,” Elder Zhou mocked.
“What do you mean?” Cheng Hongling frowned and asked.
“It means nothing! I just want to remind you that after our careful observation during this period, the sinister source in that Fierce Land in Meng County is likely not simple. It’s highly possible that it’s a Fiend,” Elder Zhou’s expression turned serious.
“A Fiend? Isn’t that equivalent to the Shentong Realm of cultivators?” Mu Ruoyi’s pretty face instantly turned pale.
“Elder Zhou, put away your tricks! You’ve lied to me multiple times to recruit me. Aren’t you afraid of ruining your own reputation?” Cheng Hongling shook her head disdainfully.
“You don’t believe me? Then you can ponder it yourself. If it were just some ghost realm evil spirits, why would they exude such terrifying Yin Energy? They have already eroded one-third of Meng County. You yourself are a Huashen Realm cultivator. Can you achieve that by releasing your True Qi?” Elder Zhou retorted.
Hearing this, Cheng Hongling fell silent, and her expression became increasingly grave.
“Now you know? The doomsday of Huang Tian Prefecture is upon us! But don’t worry, if you join the HuXiao Sect, we’ll help you resolve it,” Elder Zhou said confidently.
“Elder Zhou, aren’t you being too confident? As far as I know, the highest cultivation of your HuXiao Sect’s Grand Elder is only at the eighth level of the Huashen Realm. How can you resolve a Fiend that is equivalent to the Shentong Realm?” Mu Ruoyi interjected.
“Junior Disciple Mu, what are you thinking? Naturally, our HuXiao Sect doesn’t have the ability to resolve a Fiend. Moreover, even if we had the ability, we wouldn’t have the obligation! But don’t forget, the Immortal Alliance does!” Elder Zhou sneered, looking at Cheng Hongling. “As for whether we can invite experts from the Immortal Alliance, Junior Disciple Cheng should be very clear about that.”
Cheng Hongling’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. The fact that the other party could get the Immortal Alliance to directly change the rules of the Evergreen Convention likely meant they did possess such influence.
“Junior Disciple Cheng, take your time to consider. I’m not in a hurry! We came this time mainly for Junior Disciple Mu!” Elder Zhou shifted his gaze to Mu Ruoyi.
“Me? Why are you looking for me?” Mu Ruoyi asked, pointing to herself with her jade finger.
“To be frank, we’ve been in this Yuxiao Sect ruin for about ten days to half a month, but we still haven’t found any clues about that Nine Nether Demonic Cat. It is said that Mu Ruoyi’s Mullinglong technique is very effective in finding clues, so we want to hire you to help us find the traces of that beast,” Elder Zhou stated his purpose.
“Hire? Then how does Elder Zhou plan to hire me? You should know that a Nine Nether Demonic Cat is priceless,” Mu Ruoyi reminded him.
“A Nine Nether Demonic Cat is indeed priceless, but I think the lives of your fellow disciples are more precious,” Elder Zhou licked his lips.
“What do you mean? Are you threatening me?” Mu Ruoyi’s face changed drastically.
The other members of Shuiyu Valley also became nervous, drawing their swords once more.
“No, I’m just complimenting them,” Elder Zhou’s smile did not diminish.
“I’m sorry, Elder Zhou, she has agreed to cooperate with me, so you might be disappointed,” Cheng Hongling chimed in.
“So what? There’s no business our HuXiao Sect can’t do, and no one we can’t invite,” Elder Zhou’s smile gradually turned cold.
“Is that so? Then we’ll have to see if the sword in my hand allows it,” Cheng Hongling stepped forward two paces, positioning herself in front of Mu Ruoyi.
“Are you sure you want to stop me? Young people shouldn’t be too arrogant. If you fight me now, it won’t be as simple as verifying your cultivation,” Elder Zhou warned.
“If you’re not arrogant, are you still considered young?” Cheng Hongling remained unmoved.
The two sides thus fell into a standoff, the atmosphere becoming tense and fraught with potential conflict.
Meanwhile, back in Huatian Village, Qi Huang, who had grown impatient, mentally transmitted to inquire about the situation.
“Just agree to him. It’s very difficult for you to force your way in anyway. Since they’ve come to invite you personally, why not?” Qi Huang immediately suggested.
“Are you kidding me? If we go to their base camp with them, forget about the Nine Nether Demonic Cat, I’m afraid even escaping safely will be a problem,” Cheng Hongling said excitedly.
“Don’t worry, I’m here! If anything unexpected happens, just summon me immediately. I’ll make them behave. Whether it’s you or the Nine Nether Demonic Cat, I want it all,” Qi Huang’s tone was unassailable because she knew that if she couldn’t get the Nine Nether Demonic Cat, then her boasting would be exposed this time.
