Volume 3, Chapter 187 – Is This Still Not Her Limit?

Of course, this thought only flashed through Cheng Hongling’s mind for a moment. Deep down, she still despised such underhanded tricks.

“Is this still not her limit?”

Mu Ruoyi exclaimed—though whether it was genuine surprise or an attempt to pressure her opponent, only she herself knew.

‘Just how did this damned girl cultivate to this point? This is too outrageous.’

Sect Leader Yan felt even greater pressure upon hearing this. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and into his eyes, irritating him to the point where he had to awkwardly wipe them away with his sleeve.

“Sect Leader, hang in there! If you lose and fail to resolve the issue of the cat’s tears, our sect will have no hope left!”

The surrounding disciples were secretly anxious, so they desperately cheered him on—after all, the cat’s tears were tied to their very lives.

Hearing this, Sect Leader Yan gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure. But under the dual pressure of psychological strain and divine sense suppression, his back gradually hunched over as if he had aged decades in an instant. His legs trembled violently.

‘This is going to be humiliating…’

Just as Sect Leader Yan reached his limit and was about to admit defeat, he suddenly felt the overwhelming pressure vanish. His body felt light, almost as if he were about to ascend on the spot.

For the first time, he truly understood what it meant to be relieved of a heavy burden. He greedily sucked in a breath of air, then looked at the unfazed genius girl before him with lingering fear.

“Sect Leader Yan truly lives up to his reputation. Let’s call it a draw. However, my side still has Elder Zhao, an Incarnation Realm expert. Whether you leave or not is your choice.”

Cheng Hongling spoke calmly. Though she was usually decisive in battle, that was reserved for enemies. The Wanshan Sect was hardly a life-or-death foe. Since victory was already assured, there was no need to be overbearing—though if they remained stubborn, that would be a different matter.

“Hah—!”

Sect Leader Yan took another deep breath. He understood that she was giving him a way out, so without hesitation, he said:

“Many thanks for your mercy, Hongling-shizi. We shall take our leave now.”

“Safe travels.”

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Cheng Hongling politely stepped aside.

“Hongling-shizi, though your strength is formidable, be cautious of the challenges ahead. The next group won’t be as accommodating as we were.”

Sect Leader Yan hesitated for a moment before offering this warning.

“Who are they?”

Cheng Hongling inquired.

“The Changxing Sect. This time, they only have a single Elder Bao leading them, but he’s an Incarnation Realm fourth-layer expert. I don’t know how you compare to him.”

Sect Leader Yan, repaying her kindness, didn’t hold back the information.

“Hmph! A mere Incarnation Realm fourth-layer cultivator won’t be enough to keep them ‘prosperous’ for long!”

Cheng Hongling snorted coldly, then strode forward with graceful steps. She was familiar with the Changxing Sect—they were slightly stronger than the Yuxiao Sect, ranking around third or fourth in Yongning Province.

“What’s so impressive about Incarnation Realm fourth-layer? Just a few hours ago, Hongling killed someone at Incarnation Realm fifth-layer!”

Mu Ruoyi curled her lips, then picked up Pangpang and followed.

“What?! She killed an Incarnation Realm fifth-layer expert? Could her cultivation be at the late-stage Incarnation Realm?!”

Sect Leader Yan gasped, then muttered to himself:

“A sixteen-year-old late-stage Incarnation Realm genius! How could the Huxiao Sect naively believe they could keep this hidden? The Western Radiance Dynasty—no, the entire cultivation world—is about to be shaken!”

Cheng Hongling led the women of Shuiyu Valley forward. After advancing another two li, she suddenly halted.

At that moment, a burly figure descended from the sky, hovering above them with his eyes slightly closed. His bearded face showed no emotion.

From the dense forests on either side of the mountain path, twenty to thirty figures leaped out. They wore matching uniforms and wielded identical longswords, their killing intent palpable.

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“The Wanshan Sect really is full of trash. They couldn’t even stop a group of women—no wonder they rank outside the top ten in Yongning Province.”

The leading disciple, slightly older than the rest, spoke disdainfully.

“Elder Zhao of Shuiyu Valley, correct? This is as far as you go! Out of respect for your gender, turn back now, and I’ll spare your lives.”

The burly figure in the sky spoke coldly, barely opening his eyes.

“That must be Elder Bao of the Changxing Sect.”

Mu Ruoyi whispered her speculation.

“I don’t like looking up at people. If you have something to say, get down here first!”

Without even raising her head, Cheng Hongling unleashed a surge of overwhelming divine sense toward the figure above.

Caught off guard, Elder Bao lost his balance midair, tumbling down nearly ten feet before barely stabilizing himself. He hurriedly activated his own divine sense to resist.

The two engaged in a battle of wills, but Cheng Hongling’s divine sense was clearly superior, gradually gaining the upper hand.

Elder Bao began descending again. Only then did he truly look at Cheng Hongling—and his expression changed drastically.

“You’re Cheng Hongling?! You’ve truly reached the Incarnation Realm?!”

“Don’t believe me?”

Cheng Hongling’s willow-like brows furrowed slightly as her jade-like hand rested on her sword hilt.

“Wait! I concede! You may proceed!”

Elder Bao, knowing his limits, immediately surrendered—a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance.

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This wasn’t entirely his fault. A cultivator’s divine sense and cultivation level advanced in tandem. If he couldn’t match her in divine sense, a physical confrontation would be no better. Not to mention, she still had Elder Zhao of Shuiyu Valley watching from the sidelines.

“Hmph!”

Cheng Hongling snorted coldly and continued leading the way. Unlike her thick-skinned doppelgänger, she didn’t rely on theatrics. Life was a play, but if it came down to it, she could defeat any cultivator below Incarnation Realm sixth-layer. And if she went all out, she might even stand a chance against a late-stage Incarnation Realm expert.

Thus, the group pressed forward, soon arriving at the third checkpoint.

Though Cheng Hongling’s expression remained impassive, a trace of seriousness could be detected. Logically, the closer they got to the Yuxiao Sect’s “bandit king”, the stronger the opposition would be. This round wouldn’t be as easy as the last.

“Strange… Why haven’t we encountered anyone after traveling so far?”

After advancing another three li without seeing a single soul, Mu Ruoyi couldn’t help but voice her impatience.

“Perhaps the sects here are so powerful that their territory is much larger?”

Zhao Li ventured a guess.

“Look! The sun is out!”

Just then, a female disciple cheered.

Cheng Hongling looked up. The mist overhead had begun dispersing, and golden sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, scattering like stars across the ground—a sign that the surrounding Yin energy had grown thin.

“Since the sun is out, let’s keep moving.”

A faint smile touched Cheng Hongling’s lips as she confidently strode ahead.

Mu Ruoyi and Elder Zhao exchanged glances but chose to trust her unconditionally, leading the female disciples forward.

“Hm?”

After another hundred paces, Cheng Hongling suddenly stopped, her delicate brows knitting slightly.

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“What’s wrong, Hongling? Enemies?”

Mu Ruoyi immediately tensed, clutching Pangpang protectively.

Without answering, Cheng Hongling walked toward a particular direction. The Shuiyu Valley women followed closely, their swords drawn.

After a short distance, a breeze swept past, carrying with it a dense cloud of black dust that nearly blotted out the already sparse sunlight.

“What is this? Ash?”

Mu Ruoyi frowned, waving her hand in front of her nose.

Cheng Hongling didn’t respond, but her expression grew graver.

Soon, the group’s vision abruptly widened. In the midst of the dense forest, a perfectly circular clearing stretched before them—nearly a li in diameter.

“What… What happened here?”

Mu Ruoyi’s beautiful eyes widened in shock. The other female disciples wore similar expressions, their mouths agape enough to fit duck eggs.

The clearing was eerily unnatural. The ground was blanketed in thick black ash, as if a massive fire had raged through. Every gust of wind kicked up swirling clouds of dark dust.

After a moment’s thought, Cheng Hongling stepped into the clearing without hesitation, her long legs moving gracefully beneath her flowing skirt. The black dust couldn’t so much as touch her.

“It looks like a mountain fire. Some spots are still smoking.”

A female disciple pointed out. Indeed, several areas still emitted tendrils of black smoke.

“That’s not smoke. It’s Yin energy.”

Cheng Hongling’s voice was icy.