Chapter 75: Don’t let my blood be wasted.
Cheng Hong Ling and the others quickly arrived at the dungeon entrance. Upon entering, not only were there no plants or trees, but not even a single intact item could be seen. The ground was eroded by yin energy to a depth of one foot. Stepping onto it, one immediately sank, and when pulling one’s foot out, a cloud of ash was kicked up, blinding everyone.
Cheng Hong Ling slightly frowned, and the chilling air quickly spread from her feet. With a continuous “crackle,” the ashes on the ground turned into frozen soil. This way, stepping on it would prevent slipping and kicking up large amounts of flying ash.
“Girls just love to be clean! Wasting True Qi in a place like this at such a time, aren’t you afraid of suffering a loss?” Elder Zhou couldn’t help but complain.
“This is why you are called stinky men! To have us covered in dirt is worse than killing us,” Mu Ruoyi chimed in from the side.
Elder Zhou wasn’t angered and directly got to the point: “Junior Nephew Mu, take a look, can you activate Mullinglong?”
“Can’t you see for yourself? Where are the plants and trees here? There’s only scorched earth left,” Mu Ruoyi retorted impatiently.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you to think of a solution.” Elder Zhou was unfazed.
“Think of what solution? My Mullinglong can only be activated through plants. Elder Zhou, you know this!” Mu Ruoyi countered, frowning.
“Junior Nephew Mu, you need to understand, I’m not discussing this with you. Even if you have no way, you must come up with one, otherwise, hand over that Nine Nether Demonic Cat you have,” Elder Zhou said to the chubby cat with ill intentions.
“What do you want? Do you intend to rob us? You are a righteous sect!” Mu Ruoyi quickly hid ‘Pangpang’ behind her. Although this clumsy cat didn’t produce many Cat’s Eye Tears a year, it had been in Shuiyu Valley for several years and was now like her good friend, so it absolutely could not be taken away by this person. She knew exactly how other sects dealt with Nine Nether Demonic Cats.
“As long as others don’t know, we are still a righteous sect.” Elder Zhou’s smile turned sinister. It seemed he not only wanted to snatch the Nine Nether Demonic Cat but also silence them.
Cheng Hong Ling directly took ‘Pangpang’ and retorted: “If you want to snatch it, you can try!”
“Don’t threaten me. I saw your recent battle. Your Spiritual Sense is at the middle stage of Huashen, and your cultivation is at the early stage of Huashen. You have a good treasure sword, and with that painting, it should be the ‘Fierce Weapon List’ that has been lost in the Cultivation World for a long time. With this setup, you can at most deal with ordinary cultivators at the middle stage of Huashen. As for me! Don’t even dream about it.” Elder Zhou said dismissively.
“You can try!” Cheng Hong Ling reiterated.
“Don’t test my patience. I’ve been yielding repeatedly not because I’m afraid of you, but because I appreciate talent. If you don’t know what’s good for you, I’ll not only take this Nine Nether Demonic Cat, but all the treasures and spiritual artifacts on you,” Elder Zhou revealed his true intentions, speaking quite explicitly.
Qi Huang, who was hundreds of Zhang away, immediately laughed upon hearing this: “With your current strength, you dare to boast about taking everything? Did you ask me first?”
“What? The dignified Elder Zhou of the HuXiao Sect only knows how to talk big? Did you climb to your position through your mouth?” Cheng Hong Ling sneered dismissively.
“Since that’s the case, then don’t blame this elder for being ruthless.” Elder Zhou completely lost his patience. He retracted his aura, concentrating it without dispersing, like a wild beast ready to pounce.
Qi Huang watched calmly. As long as it was within her Spiritual Sense, this person couldn’t cause any trouble in front of her!
‘Make your move! If you dare to make a move today, I’ll show you what ‘taking everything’ means.’ Qi Huang’s lips curved slightly. With her current strength, let alone the sixth level of Huashen, she was confident she could defeat even the ninth level of Huashen.
“Wait!” At this moment, Mu Ruoyi suddenly spoke up to stop them, then pointed to a towering, precarious tree a hundred Zhang above: “Look, there’s still a tree.”
Elder Zhou’s hostility did not diminish. He casually glanced at the so-called large tree, an unhappy expression appearing on his face: “Is that a big tree? That’s just the corpse of a big tree! You don’t need to strain your eyes and lie to save her, do you?”
“Whether it’s a corpse or not, won’t we know if we go and see? As long as it’s not completely dead, I can make it flourish with life. Don’t forget the cultivation technique I practice,” Mu Ruoyi reminded him.
Elder Zhou thought for a moment and ultimately decided to prioritize the overall situation. He took a deep breath and said, “Alright, let’s go take a look first. If it’s just a dead tree, don’t blame me for sending you to accompany it.”
Cheng Hong Ling remained indifferent. She was never one to engage in verbal disputes; if she could use force, she wouldn’t waste words, and if she couldn’t, she wouldn’t say much.
“Consider yourself lucky!” Qi Huang coldly snorted inwardly.
The group quickly approached the large tree and eagerly released their Spiritual Sense to explore it.
“Great, it’s really not completely dead!” Mu Ruoyi’s face showed a look of pleasant surprise, and her pace quickened.
“Even if it’s not completely dead, it’s still half dead. Are you sure you can save it?” Elder Zhou asked with a frown.
“Watch closely, okay!” Mu Ruoyi smiled confidently, then gave Cheng Hong Ling a reassuring look. She then extended her fair jade hand and gently placed it on the charred tree trunk.
Everyone stared intently. Some gradually became entranced because Mu Ruoyi’s jade hand was too beautiful. Her skin was fair and delicate, flawless like cheese. Her five jade fingers were slender and rounded like green onions, and her pink nails added a touch of allure. Such a jade hand placed on the charred, withered bark created a strong visual impact. If one hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no one would believe that the owner of such a hand also had a very cumbersome pair of large breasts.
Mu Ruoyi began to circulate Mullinglong. Dense wood-element True Qi surged into the tree trunk, like fine rain falling on parched earth. As time passed, a miracle occurred. The tree, which had been like charcoal, seemed to have regained its spring. The dead bark on the surface peeled off, revealing new bark. Furthermore, branches eagerly sprouted from the trunk, and green leaves quickly adorned the branches.
“It succeeded! Everyone, look! It succeeded!” An elder from the HuXiao Sect cheered.
“Is this Mullinglong? It’s truly magical!” Elder Zhou’s hostility vanished, replaced by admiration.
Of course, Mu Ruoyi did not have an easy time. Bringing the dead tree back to life consumed too much of her energy and True Qi. Her usually fair forehead gradually lost its color, and she began to sway precariously.
“If it doesn’t work once, do it twice. Rest for a bit, don’t push yourself!” Cheng Hong Ling walked over with Pangpang in her arms to support her.
“No! We must find that Nine Nether Demonic Cat immediately!” Elder Zhou stepped forward and said unfeelingly.
“Why?” Cheng Hong Ling asked coldly.
“That terrifying Cat Spirit is still lingering near the Yuxiao Sect, and there are many masters from other sects coveting us outside. The longer we delay, the greater the risk. Are these reasons enough?” Elder Zhou said sternly.
“But I really don’t have the ability to use Mullinglong again right now.” Mu Ruoyi’s pretty face contorted in pain.
“Isn’t she still here? Don’t forget why I agreed to let her come along! Now it’s time for her to play her part,” Elder Zhou glanced at Cheng Hong Ling beside them.
“Absolutely not!” Mu Ruoyi objected without hesitation. Blood-sucking would cause damage to the opponent’s strength, which would be fatal in such a situation.
“Aren’t you going to ask for her opinion?” Elder Zhou wasn’t angry. He looked at Cheng Hong Ling with a half-smile: “Junior Cousin Cheng, since you decided to come along, your purpose is probably not just to protect your best friend… oh no… your little lover, right? Delaying time is not beneficial to either of us.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Hong Ling glared sharply at Elder Zhou before drawing her long sword and without hesitation cutting a wound on her pale wrist, then offering it.
“You?” Mu Ruoyi was stunned, her face filled with complex emotions. She wasn’t stupid; she knew Cheng Hong Ling was risking her life for the Nine Nether Demonic Cat.
“Don’t let my blood be wasted,” Cheng Hong Ling reminded him. Blood was already gushing from her fair wrist.
Mu Ruoyi gritted her teeth and finally, under duress, opened her red lips and gently kissed Cheng Hong Ling’s wrist. Tears began to stream down her face. She didn’t know why she was crying, but she just felt like crying.
Qi Huang watched everything. Since it was her main body’s decision, she couldn’t easily interfere. Of course, there was no need to. As long as she was here, no one could threaten the safety of her main body and Mu Ruoyi, at least not for now.
Mu Ruoyi was afraid of sucking too much, so she only tasted it lightly. Then, she forced herself to endure the headache and once again cast Mullinglong. She would rather die of exhaustion than implicate her nominal “wife” beside her.
In everyone’s eyes, the large tree gradually gained a soul and established a Soul Bond with Mu Ruoyi. At the same time, the tree’s memories began to flood into Mu Ruoyi’s mind. After a rapid succession of images, the scene of the Yuxiao Sect’s destruction finally appeared before her “eyes.”
