Volume 3, Chapter 192 – She’s a Divine Realm Expert

Cheng Hongling and the others soon arrived at the Yuxiao Sect. The sight before her gave her a surreal sense of déjà vu. Three months ago, this place had been bustling with towering pavilions, bustling crowds, and the clamor of merchants—no less lively than a provincial capital.

Now, all that remained was devastation. Collapsed buildings, melted trees, and broken walls covered in thick layers of ash stretched as far as the eye could see. Not a speck of green remained, as if a massive wildfire had swept through or time itself had corroded everything.

Cheng Hongling couldn’t help but recall the ruins they had encountered in the dense forest earlier. The two scenes were eerily similar.

‘Could that place have been caused by the same cat demon? But no—cat demons don’t cultivate Yin energy.’

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

“Just how powerful is that cat demon?”

Mu Ruoyi’s lips parted slightly in shock.

“Calling it a ‘cat demon’ ¹ 猫妖 (māoyāo) isn’t accurate. It’s more precise to refer to it as a ‘cat spirit’ ² 猫灵 (māolíng) .”

Elder Zhou corrected her casually.

“What do you mean?”

Mu Ruoyi asked, puzzled.

Without answering, Elder Zhou flicked his wrist, sending a blade of condensed flame slicing through a nearby rotten pillar.

Mu Ruoyi’s eyes widened as she noticed faint wisps of black smoke rising from the severed ends—visible Yin energy.

“When we first arrived, this place was still saturated with Yin energy. These ruins were entirely corroded by it, meaning the Yuxiao Sect wasn’t destroyed by a cat demon, but by a ghostly entity at the Fiendish Specter level. Hence, ‘cat spirit’ is more accurate.”

Elder Zhou explained.

Cheng Hongling’s pupils contracted. If this ruin was also caused by Yin energy, then both sites might share the same culprit.

“Hongling, do you remember? We saw a freshly corroded ruin in the forest earlier—it looked exactly like this. Could it have been the same cat spirit?”

Mu Ruoyi quickly connected the dots, her expression shifting uneasily.

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Cheng Hongling didn’t answer, her face turning grave. The forest ruins had been newly formed, meaning the cat spirit hadn’t gone far—it was still lurking near the Yuxiao Sect.

“You’ve seen ruins like this before?”

Elder Zhou asked offhandedly, seemingly unsurprised.

“Yes! On our way here, and they were freshly made. Does that mean the cat spirit hasn’t left?”

Mu Ruoyi asked uncertainly.

“Correct.”

Elder Zhou confirmed without hesitation. “In fact, ever since the Yuxiao Sect’s destruction, new ruins like this appear daily in the surrounding area.”

“Then why is it still lingering here?”

Mu Ruoyi pressed.

“To kill cultivators. Though I don’t know where the ruins you saw were located, I can guarantee they were once a sect’s campsite. Our investigations show that every ruin so far was created after the cat spirit slaughtered cultivators.”

Elder Zhou’s expression darkened.

“What?! No wonder we didn’t encounter any resistance there!”

Mu Ruoyi gasped. Had they arrived just a little earlier, they might have crossed paths with the cat spirit—with unthinkable consequences.

“Why would it hold such hostility toward cultivators?”

Cheng Hongling mused aloud.

“Who knows?”

Elder Zhou shrugged helplessly.

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“If you knew it was still prowling nearby, why did you dare to stay?”

Mu Ruoyi asked curiously.

“Disciple Mu, you jest. Cultivation is defying the heavens—if we retreat at the first sign of danger, how can we call ourselves cultivators?”

Elder Zhou countered.

Mu Ruoyi fell silent. Though this man had questionable morals, his courage was undeniable—no wonder the Huxiao Sect thrived.

The group pressed onward, soon arriving at the Huxiao Sect’s camp near the back mountain, strategically positioned close to the dungeon.

Cheng Hongling surveyed the area. The Huxiao Sect had clearly come prepared—besides the four elders, over a hundred disciples were stationed around the site.

“The Huxiao Sect isn’t so impressive after all. With so many people camped here for so long, they still haven’t found the Nine Nether Demon Cat.”

Cheng Hongling couldn’t resist mocking them.

“Disciple Cheng, you oversimplify things. The Yuxiao Sect is vast, and the Nine Nether Demon Cat can’t be detected by Divine Sense. A hundred people isn’t nearly enough.”

Elder Zhou defended his sect.

“The Nine Nether Demon Cat can’t be detected by Divine Sense?”

Cheng Hongling reflexively questioned.

“Indeed. It’s due to their fur. Hongling, you can try scanning Pangpang if you don’t believe me.”

Mu Ruoyi quickly interjected, not wanting her beloved to embarrass herself.

Skeptical, Cheng Hongling extended her Divine Sense toward the plump cat—and found nothing. Her eyes widened in astonishment.

“Disciple Cheng, this is the consequence of staying in the Honghua Sect—limited knowledge, forever a frog at the bottom of a well.”

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Elder Zhou mocked without restraint, clearly trying to provoke her.

“You—!”

Cheng Hongling’s brows shot up, barely suppressing the urge to strike him down.

The four entered a tent, followed by two other Huxiao Sect elders.

“Before we begin, let me brief you on the Yuxiao Sect’s situation. According to informants, the Nine Nether Demon Cat was imprisoned in the dungeon’s deepest level. However, we’ve searched multiple times—aside from ashes, there’s no trace of it, not even a cockroach. The place is severely corroded by Yin energy.”

Elder Zhou explained.

“Could the Nine Nether Demon Cat already be dead?”

Mu Ruoyi speculated.

“Possibly. But as they say, ‘See the cat alive, or see its corpse.’ If we give up without confirmation, why even come?”

Elder Zhou retorted.

“So what’s your plan?”

Cheng Hongling asked impatiently.

“Here’s my thought—if the cat survived, it must have escaped the dungeon. Disciple Mu can use her Wooden Exquisite Art at the dungeon’s entrance to track its movements.”

Elder Zhou proposed.

After some discussion, everyone nodded in agreement.

“Not a bad plan, but only if there are plants nearby to work with.”

Mu Ruoyi reminded.

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“We’ll see when we get there.”

Elder Zhou waved a hand and led the group toward the dungeon.

Meanwhile, Qi Huang had already reached Sanyang County. Moving at terrifying speed, she streaked across the sky like a blade, heading straight for the Yuxiao Sect. She ignored all checkpoints set up by various sects along the way—no one could catch her.

“Elder, did someone just fly past us?”

An Incarnation Realm expert on guard duty blinked in confusion.

“Second Elder, pretend you saw nothing. At that speed, it’s clearly a Divine Realm expert. The Huxiao Sect’s arrogant bunch is in for trouble.”

His elderly companion chuckled darkly. With his white hair and deeply wrinkled face, he appeared to be four or five hundred years old despite his cultivation.

“Divine Realm? I never expected a Nine Nether Demon Cat to attract such a powerhouse. I wonder who ‘he’ is?”

The Second Elder gazed in the direction Qi Huang had vanished, a trace of awe in his voice.

“The Western Radiance Dynasty only has two or three known Divine Ability Realm experts. Whoever it is, we can’t afford to offend them. Let’s leave now—better not risk provoking their wrath.”

The elder shook his head helplessly and departed. With a Divine Ability Realm expert involved, everyone else stood no chance.

Qi Huang, unimpeded, soon arrived at the Yuxiao Sect. Landing in a secluded spot, she unleashed her formidable Divine Sense, scanning a radius of several miles with ease—quickly locating her main body.

Not wanting to reveal herself yet, Qi Huang observed from the shadows. After all, the scent of Golden Fate Blossoms on her was too distinctive, and cultivators’ sharp senses could easily detect it.