Chapter 108: The Cat That Betrayed Its Master
Chapter 108: The Cat That Betrayed Its Master
The battle began!
Relying on the defense and formation advantages of the Matrix Tower, Qin Huai used the most rational tactics to hold back the most defensive late-stage Spirit Concentrating Demon Ape and the Crocodile-Dragon Turtle. In an instant, thirteen Spirit Coalescence Elders and the other Elders poured all their attacks onto a group of Monster Beasts that had broken through the illusion formation.
Fourteen Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts were killed on the spot.
Dozens of Ghost-Faced Demon Wolves at the Epiphany Stage were torn apart.
The morale of the Xuanxin Sect greatly improved.
However…
The exciting results did not last long.
As the late-stage Spirit Concentrating Demon Ape’s Qi and Blood surged violently, the powerful Heaven and Earth Power decisively crushed the surrounding freezing energy, and its limbs returned to normal.
At the same time, the Crocodile-Dragon Turtle also broke free from Qin Huai’s Formation freezing energy and dragged its more than twenty-meter-long, hill-like body, rumbling as it charged toward Elder Zhao and the others outside the Matrix Tower.
“Damn, be careful!”
Whoosh!
The Crocodile-Dragon Turtle’s limbs moved swiftly, halving the two-mile distance in an instant. Violent shockwaves traveled along the ground, fiercely impacting the Defensive Barriers around the group of Mind Focusing Cultivators. The light dimmed rapidly, and their faces instantly changed drastically.
“The Crocodile-Dragon Turtle uses earth-element area attack Art Techniques. Focus fire and take it down!”
“Darn, this Crocodile-Dragon Turtle is too tough. Ordinary Spirit Concentrating Art Techniques have no effect on it.”
While the group of Spirit Coalescence Elders were troubled, the Elders of the Xuanxin Sect were also affected by the seismic waves…
Crack, crack, crack!
The Defensive Barriers of the Ninth Grade Cultivators shattered into powder one after another, like exploding beans. In panic, they quickly activated their own Spiritual Artifacts and Defensive Magical Devices to protect themselves. However, one person reacted too slowly and had his internal organs shattered on the spot. Fragments of his spleen mixed with blood were vomited out, and his breath weakened.
“Brother Liu!”
“Hang in there!!”
The Elder whose lungs were shattered did not die immediately. Instead, he grinned, revealing a mouth full of bloody foam, and let out a hysterical roar. He burned his Spiritual Power Pool and without hesitation dashed past the Matrix Tower, heading straight for the Crocodile-Dragon Turtle…
The latter gazed coldly and swung its tail.
Smack!!
Elder Liu was whipped into a blur of blood and flowers in mid-air, deeply shocking the group of Xuanxin Sect Elders.
“Old Liu!”
“No!!!”
“Monster! Give back his life!!”
Angry shouts rose one after another. The enraged Elders cast spells recklessly and swiftly. Various Art Techniques and Flying Swords poured down upon the Crocodile-Dragon Turtle like a storm, filled with murderous intent and unstoppable power.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Ghost-Faced Demon Wolves and Bull Demons rushed toward the three Spiritual Peaks of the Xuanxin Sect from both sides of the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts…
“No!”
Mo Li was greatly alarmed. “Elders of the Xuanxin Sect, follow orders! Intercept them quickly!”
Although they had already spent some time evacuating disciples from the three Spiritual Peaks, the time was too short. Surely many had not yet escaped. If these Monster Beasts were allowed to break into the Xuanxin Sect, the thousand-year foundation of the Xuanxin Sect would truly be finished…
The Elders suppressed their anger and split into two groups to intercept the Monster Beasts.
One side consisted of Eighth-grade and Ninth-grade Monster Beasts.
The other side consisted of Ninth-grade human Cultivators…
Fighting on level ground, the Monster Beasts with a clear numerical advantage quickly gained the upper hand. They abandoned their attack on the Spiritual Peaks and turned to bite the Xuanxin Sect Elders.
“Elder!”
“Beast, don’t touch my Master!”
“Master, I’m here to help you!”
At that moment, hundreds of True Disciples who were supposed to leave on Divine Cranes descended from the sky. Hundreds of Flying Swords joined the battle, and the Elders who were at a disadvantage immediately felt the pressure lessen.
“Bastards! Who told you to come back!”
“You don’t even listen to your Master’s words? Get out of here now!”
“Fine, fine, we’ll leave. We’ll leave as soon as we kill these beasts.” The True Disciples who had descended from the Divine Cranes replied with a smile.
“You…”
“Disobedient disciples! Disobedient disciples!!”
The group of Elders scolded them relentlessly, but despite the harsh words, their eyes turned red and moist.
With the support of hundreds of True Disciples, the situation quickly shifted from one-sided to a stalemate, with both sides locked in a fierce struggle…
However, the Matrix Tower was in frequent danger.
As the late-stage Spirit Concentrating Demon Ape and the Crocodile-Dragon Turtle advanced near the Matrix Tower and began wildly attacking its protective Barrier, the Matrix Tower now bore the brunt of the Monster Beasts’ assaults. Elder Zhao, Mo Li, and the others retreated behind the Matrix Tower to defend against the remaining more than twenty Monster Beasts’ frenzied attacks.
The only good news was that Qin Huai continuously activated the attack Magic Formation, weakening the Monster Beasts’ Vital Qi Power and mobility. Otherwise, the fourteen of them would have been overwhelmed by the Monster Beasts long ago.
“We can’t hold on much longer!”
“These two Monster Beasts are too difficult to deal with!!”
“Hold on!”
“Lady Honglian is rushing here at full speed and has already entered the territory under the Xuanxin Sect’s jurisdiction. If we hold on a little longer, it will be these Monster Beasts’ doom.”
Elder Zhao loudly encouraged everyone to boost morale.
However…
Everyone felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
The difference in strength was too great!
The Demon Ape and the Crocodile-Dragon Turtle actively withstood all the attacks. Although they appeared covered in wounds, they showed no signs of fatigue or pain, and their Qi and Blood seemed limitless. They pounded the Matrix Tower until it teetered on the verge of collapse. That the Matrix Tower had held up this long was a miracle, but it was impossible for it to last until Lady Honglian arrived.
Just as everyone was feeling desperate and disheartened.
An unexpected reinforcement happened to return to the Xuanxin Sect. Seeing hundreds of Monster Beasts fiercely battling the Xuanxin Sect group, they immediately joined the fight without hesitation!
“Venerable One!”
“Supreme Elder!”
Dozens of people under Revered Qin entered the battlefield.
Although they were only Epiphany Stage Cultivators, as individuals who had followed Revered Qin to this day, their combat experience in all aspects was far superior to that of the Xuanxin Sect’s True Disciples.
Annihilation Freeze!
Tang Zhen, with her face veiled, made her move and instantly froze more than ten Ghost-Faced Demon Wolves, saving several people. Then, under the cover of Qi Yuanfeng, she swallowed some Spirit Honey and continued to wreak havoc.
Cheng Fei had now reached the Late Grade-Nine level, and his Magical Artifact was replaced with a Top-grade Magical Artifact Flying Sword, doubling its power. Under the cover of his two teammates, he immediately killed three Ghost-Faced Demon Wolves and four Bull Demons.
The others quickly realized the urgency of the situation. Art Techniques, Flying Swords, and Talismans acted like precise scalpels. Bull Demons in the Monster Beast horde fell one after another, and the number of Monster Beasts rapidly decreased. In the end, only less than a hundred Ghost-Faced Demon Wolves remained, and the Xuanxin Sect swiftly turned the disadvantage around.
“So impressive!”
“As expected of experts who came down from Two Realms Mountain.”
“Shameful.”
The Elders of the Xuanxin Sect felt embarrassed. They hadn’t expected these young people to be more decisive and sharp than they, the old-timers from Two Realms Mountain.
Although Cheng Fei, Tang Zhen, Qi Yuanfeng, and the others quickly turned the situation around here, their faces showed no trace of joy or relief.
The Barrier outside the Matrix Tower trembled frequently. Although it quickly regained its brightness from being dim, the cracks became increasingly clear and obvious. It was evidently the effect of the Spirit Honey struggling to maintain it…
“Where is Hangzhi?”
“Why isn’t Hangzhi here?”
Everyone asked one after another.
In their view, as long as Hangzhi was present, the situation should not have been this passive—even though they were facing a group of Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts.
Although Chen Ji found it strange that these people mentioned his junior apprentice at such a time, he still showed enough respect for their combat power and quickly replied:
“Hangzhi is at a critical moment of breakthrough.”
“Why is he breaking through at this very moment…”
“If Hangzhi were here, he would definitely have a solution.”
“That’s right!”
Lei Qun, Tong Zhan, and others also noticed that the Matrix Tower was in peril, and their unease was clearly visible.
“Does Hangzhi not know about what’s happening here?”
Qi Yuanfeng suddenly asked urgently, “He told me that the Xuanxin Sect is his home. I don’t believe he would ignore the sect being attacked by Monster Beasts just for a breakthrough.”
Chen Ji froze.
A group of Elders also froze.
Qi Yuanfeng saw their reactions and immediately understood. He said angrily, “We can’t intervene in the battle at the Spirit Condensation Stage at all. Only Hangzhi can! He must appear.”
“What do you want to do?”
Chen Ji asked.
“I’m going to wake him up!”
Qi Yuanfeng said decisively. After speaking, he took a deep breath, raised his head to the sky, and let out a loud, thunderous roar like that of a tiger or leopard. The mountains and forests shook as the sound spread far and wide:
“Hangzhi!”
“Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts are attacking! The Xuanxin Sect is being breached! Qin Zun is in a fierce battle!! Come quickly!!”
The sound waves echoed, lingering among the three Spiritual Peaks for a long time.
…
In the Golden Jade Hall, Courtyard Five, a massive silver Spiritual Energy Vortex, vast as an ocean, emitted an astonishing Power of Heaven and Earth…
Lu Hangzhi was still frantically consuming the scarce spiritual resources in his Qiankun Pouch, continuing to strengthen and purify the silver Magic Power inside and outside his body.
When Qi Yuanfeng’s voice reached the courtyard…
Lu Hangzhi suddenly opened his eyes! Then, he perked up his ears.
Halfway through listening…
His eyes turned cold, and he glanced at the Mirror Spirit Cat. The little one, greedily absorbing the silver Spiritual Energy from the vortex, lazily opened a slit of an eye, only to find itself picked up ruthlessly by a large hand and flung away. It let out a cry of pain.
Nangong Jun, Leng Wuya, and the others also heard Qi Yuanfeng’s voice. Just as they began to show anxiety and worry, they heard a pitiful, reluctant meow, and then a small black dot landed in Nangong Jun’s arms.
The Mirror Spirit Cat was furious at being thrown out of its happy Spiritual Energy haven. It nimbly leaped onto Nangong Jun’s shoulder, raised its fluffy paw, and shook it angrily at its unscrupulous owner in the courtyard.
“Little Gray, you’re already at the Ninth Grade of the Epiphany Stage? Damn!”
Lü Liang stared at the Mirror Spirit Cat, stunned.
Nangong Jun and Xiong Qi also noticed the Mirror Spirit Cat’s rapid rise in cultivation and were equally astonished.
They remembered that when Lu Hangzhi took the little one from him, the Mirror Spirit Cat was only at the First Grade of the Epiphany Stage…
Damn!
Even an ordinary Mutated Bloodline Spirit Cat had surpassed these prodigies in cultivation.
It really felt like they had been cultivating for nothing.
Lü Liang and Xiong Qi felt deeply uncomfortable.
The Mirror Spirit Cat turned its head to look at Lü Liang, its “former owner,” then disdainfully twisted its neck and proudly looked away.
Lü Liang’s mouth twitched repeatedly:
This little thing has gotten arrogant.
Whatever…
At the Ninth Grade of the Epiphany Stage, one glance from it could probably trap his Seventh Grade self in a Soul Capture trance, and for a long time at that.
“Huh?”
“I remember Little Gray was only at the mid-Eighth Grade a few days ago. How did it suddenly break through to the Ninth Grade? Unless…”
Nangong Jun wondered aloud.
As soon as she finished speaking, the five of them focused their intense gazes once again on the Mirror Spirit Cat, which was washing its face with its paw.
The Mirror Spirit Cat acted as if caught red-handed, looking around nervously and avoiding eye contact with the five.
“Stinky cat, so it was you, making it harder for your owner to advance.”
“Meow!”
The Mirror Spirit Cat shook its head repeatedly.
“Don’t deny it!”
“…”
Just then, a breakthrough aura, like a blooming lotus, burst forth. A faint Power of Heaven and Earth, carrying a momentum overwhelming to those at the Epiphany Stage, rose majestically from the silver-white Spiritual Energy Vortex! It instantly captured everyone’s attention.