Chapter 202: Nine Hundred Sixty Year Netherworld Spirit Cat

202. Chapter 199: Nine Hundred Sixty Year Netherworld Spirit Cat

Li Xuan sat at the cave entrance, cross‑legged, cultivating while vigilantly sensing his surroundings; if anything unexpected happened, Li Xuan should be able to detect it immediately.

Bang Chui, sitting on the bed inside the cave, also began to cultivate, wanting to continue Zhu Zhuqing's mission; that required waiting for Uncle Han to awaken, and Li Xuan did not want to reveal his strength, otherwise Li Xuan could also take Zhu Zhuqing to complete the task.

Thus, Li Xuan kept watch outside the cave throughout the night.

When the first ray of sunlight pierced the forest, Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

"The time is about right; Uncle Han should be awake by now. The poisoning was deep, but his cultivation level is such, so it should be fine," Li Xuan said, slowly ending his cultivation, then standing up to stretch his joints a bit, and turning back into the cave.

At this moment, Bang Chui also opened his eyes, apparently just having ended his cultivation as well.

"Brother, the toxins in his body have been mostly cleared; he should wake soon," Bang Chui said, pointing a finger at Uncle Han on the opposite bed as Li Xuan returned to the cave.

Hearing Bang Chui, Zhu Zhuqing immediately scrambled up from her own bed and went to Uncle Han's bedside.

But seeing Zhu Zhuqing's haggard appearance, it was clear she had not rested at all last night.

"Cough cough…" Uncle Han suddenly let out two light coughs, then slowly woke up.

"Miss Er… Miss Er…" Uncle Han called weakly, addressing Zhu Zhuqing.

"Uncle Han, you finally woke up—so good! So good!" At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing was truly an eight‑year‑old girl; all the pretenses fell away, and with tear‑filled eyes she said this to Uncle Han.

"Here's rice porridge; feed him some, and also give him the Detox Pill. Although the toxins have been mostly cleared, let's consolidate the effect," Li Xuan took a steaming bowl of rice porridge from Small Cave Heaven, along with a few strips of pickled vegetables, and handed them to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Thank you!" Zhu Zhuqing, eyes watery, thanked Li Xuan, then took the porridge and began feeding Uncle Han.

Li Xuan pointed toward the outside at Bang Chui.

Bang Chui nodded, then left together with Li Xuan, heading outward.

"Brother, what's up?" Bang Chui asked curiously.

"How long do you think Uncle Han still needs to recover to normal?" Li Xuan asked, frowning, of Bang Chui.

"At least three days. His poisoning was too deep; although the Detox Pill cleared all toxins, his body will stay weak for a while. Given his cultivation, it should take about that long," Bang Chui said after thinking.

"Alright, then we'll rest here for now; once Uncle Han recovers we'll set out again. In the meantime, you can introduce me to the soul beasts," Li Xuan said, patting Bang Chui's shoulder with a smile.

"No problem, brother!" Bang Chui nodded vigorously; he could finally be of help to Li Xuan.

"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; although there is plenty of time to read, one must compare with actual soul beasts to verify the books' contents."

But before leaving, Li Xuan still needed to say a few words to Zhu Zhuqing.

Li Xuan turned and entered the cave.

"Zhu Zhuqing, Bang Chui and I are going to scout the surroundings; it shouldn't take long. I'll lend you this item first—once you channel soul power into it, I can sense it instantly and rush back," Li Xuan handed the Kongming Eye to Zhu Zhuqing.

This item is only lent to Zhu Zhuqing, not given, and Li Xuan will retrieve it later; after all, Kongming Grass takes a hundred thousand years to produce one, making it extremely precious.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, took the Kongming Eye from Li Xuan's hand, and grasped it.

After Li Xuan absorbed the Kongming Eye as an external soul bone, any subsequently produced Kongming Eyes cannot be absorbed as external soul bones, and Li Xuan also has control over other Kongming Eyes.

Li Xuan placed a restriction on the Kongming Eye given to Zhu Zhuqing; when she channels soul power, Li Xuan can sense it instantly, but Zhu Zhuqing cannot retrieve items from Small Cave Heaven.

"Take good care of Uncle Han; my brother and I are heading out first," Li Xuan said and turned to leave.

Zhu Zhuqing watched Li Xuan's departing back, her expression turning complex.

After leaving the cave, Li Xuan and Bang Chui plunged straight into the jungle.

Li Xuan then identified and took notes, earnestly recognizing and studying soul‑beast knowledge with Bang Chui.

"To be a proper soul master, one must master some soul‑beast knowledge."

Li Xuan's study was likewise very diligent.

……

Li Xuan and Bang Chui studied from morning until night; when the sun set, the two finally returned to the cave.

"Xiao Yan, is that you?" Zhu Zhuqing's timid voice echoed from the cave.

"It's me," Li Xuan replied, then brought a steaming dish of food into the cave.

The cave was still brightly lit; Li Xuan saw Zhu Zhuqing looking rather haggard, and could tell at a glance that her spirit had been heavily drained, leaving her utterly exhausted.

"Come, have some food," Li Xuan said, setting the dishes on a table.

Bang Chui took out a beast hide and hung it at the cave entrance; the cave was brightly lit, and the firelight in the Soul Beast Forest could attract soul beasts, so the light needed to be prevented from leaking out.

"Little brother, you've worked hard. Once we get out of the Star Dou Great Forest this time, I'll increase your reward," Uncle Han struggled to rise from the bed, his voice very weak as he spoke to Li Xuan.

"First eat, and when you've recovered, hurry to finish her mission; the reward will follow," Li Xuan shrugged and said with a smile.

"Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing whispered to Li Xuan.

"No need to be formal; you gave me Soul Coins, right? Come, eat first," Li Xuan waved indifferently, then said to Bang Chui.

After Bang Chui secured the entrance, everyone began eating.

……

An hour later, everyone was full and satisfied.

"Bang Chui, stay here to rest; I'll take the night watch," Li Xuan said to Bang Chui, then turned to leave.

Bang Chui nodded, not refusing Li Xuan's suggestion.

Bang Chui also knew that although the bone of the blood‑red nine‑headed bat could conceal his aura, he still couldn't rely on it to wander about; it was better to be cautious.

"Thanks for your hard work, little brother Xiao Yan!" Uncle Han weakly rose from the bed, straightened up, and clasped his fists in salute to Li Xuan, saying,

"There's nothing special, just rest well and try to recover soon," Li Xuan waved casually, then left the cave, went to the entrance, took out the Lotus Platform, sat on the ground, used cultivation in place of sleep, and remained vigilant to the wind and rustle around him.

Bang Chui nodded to Zhu Zhuqing, then returned to his own bed.

Zhu Zhuqing also returned to her own bed; after Li Xuan's safe return, she relaxed a great deal, her nerves from a day‑long tension slowly unwinding, and soon fell asleep.

Uncle Han, unreserved, also slipped into a steady sleep.

……

Three days passed, Uncle Han's injuries had largely healed, and the tranquil days finally ended. After breakfast, Uncle Han sought out Li Xuan.

"Brother Xiao Yan, this time our target is a Netherworld Spirit Cat more than two kilometers away, with cultivation roughly eight hundred years." Uncle Han told Li Xuan the target for this outing.

"Eight hundred years, the limit of the Second Soul Ring, and just like a martial soul, it also gives her a considerable boost." Li Xuan nodded and said.

"I mean, my injuries have almost fully recovered, so we should set off." Uncle Han said to Li Xuan with a serious expression.

Li Xuan nodded, then glanced at Bang Chui.

Bang Chui instantly understood Li Xuan's meaning and then nodded.

Bang Chui, as a hundred‑thousand‑year soul beast formed from herbs, is naturally a top‑level healer, able to see a patient's condition directly.

Li Xuan wanted to ask Bang Chui about Uncle Han's condition.

Bang Chui's meaning was that it was fine.

The two were highly in sync, communicating solely through glances.

"Alright, let's set off now!" Li Xuan nodded, agreeing to Uncle Han's request.

"Miss Second, let's go." Uncle Han said to Zhu Zhuqing inside the cave.

Soon, Zhu Zhuqing, now wearing a form‑fitting combat suit, walked out of the cave.

Uncle Han nodded, then led the three youngsters toward the Netherworld Spirit Cat's territory.

The Netherworld Spirit Cat possessed superb innate talent and blistering speed; with that speed, it could, despite only a hundred‑year soul beast's cultivation, claim a foothold within a thousand‑year soul beast's domain.

Li Xuan did not readily display his abilities, merely trailing behind Uncle Han as a food‑type soul master, heading toward the Netherworld Spirit Cat's domain.

"Brother, there are no other soul beasts around; this path is safe." Bang Chui whispered to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan nodded and then gradually fell to the rear of the group.

Two hours later, the group arrived at a dim forest.

The foliage here was extremely dense; even at noon, little sunlight penetrated.

"Meow!"

A sharp cat cry rang out; Li Xuan stepped forward, grabbed Bang Chui's collar, and pulled Bang Chui back two steps.

A black shadow slammed hard onto the spot where Bang Chui had just been.

A short‑haired black cat, half a meter long and thirty centimeters tall, appeared on the ground, its amber vertical pupils glaring ferociously at Li Xuan.

This black cat was the Netherworld Spirit Cat.

"Nine Hundred Sixty Year cultivation, brother, their information is off!" Bang Chui instantly stated the Netherworld Spirit Cat's cultivation, then frowned at Li Xuan.

Li Xuan thought for a moment, then shook his head, signaling Bang Chui to stay silent; Zhu Zhuqing should be able to withstand a Nine Hundred Sixty Year cultivation.

"Miss Second, the rest is yours." Uncle Han stepped back, then moved to stand before Li Xuan and Cangchu.

"Understood, Uncle Han." Zhu Zhuqing nodded, then took a short dagger from her Soul Guide Device, while dark‑purple soul power suddenly erupted, forming delicate cat ears, random cat claws, and a black tail.

Martial soul possessed! Netherworld Spirit Cat Zhu Zhuqing!

"First Soul Technique, Netherworld Thrust!"

After chanting a Soul Curse, Zhu Zhuqing transformed into a streak of Black Light, dashing straight at the Netherworld Spirit Cat at blinding speed, further concealed within the surrounding gloom.

"Meow!" The Netherworld Spirit Cat, seeing Zhu Zhuqing's provocation, instantly bristled, angrily flashing its claws and lunged at her.

"Swish…"

"Swish…"

The two figures brushed shoulders and then halted.

Zhu Zhuqing's arm bore two scratches, while the Netherworld Spirit Cat showed no wounds at all.

Li Xuan's soul power was immense; he had observed the battle clearly and saw that Zhu Zhuqing was not weak—her dagger merely fell short, failing to breach the Netherworld Spirit Cat's defense.

Uncle Han stood in front of Li Xuan to prevent him from intervening; this was Zhu Zhuqing's solo fight.

Over the next dozen or so rounds, Zhu Zhuqing clashed with the Netherworld Spirit Cat, leaving only a few wounds on its abdomen, while she herself accumulated dozens of scratches.

"This won't do; a family this large giving the child such poor weapons." Li Xuan shook his head helplessly.

Though his interactions with Zhu Zhuqing over the past two days had been few, Li Xuan decided she was a good girl and resolved to lend her a hand.

"Zhu Zhuqing, here's a blade for you." Li Xuan sent the message to Zhu Zhuqing via the Kongming Eye, then opened the Netherworld Eye, transmitting his Iron-Cutting Dagger through it into her hand.

Zhu Zhuqing was startled by Li Xuan's words, and the next second felt a weight in her hand—a dark‑gray dagger materialized there.

Looking down, Zhu Zhuqing saw that Li Xuan's dagger was indeed far superior to the one she had brought.

"Meow!" The Netherworld Spirit Cat launched another attack at Zhu Zhuqing.

The Netherworld Spirit Cat was extremely angry at Zhu Zhuqing's provocation, thus giving its all.

Though armed with a new weapon, Zhu Zhuqing did not relax; she moved, and she and the cat became two intertwining black ribbons.

As expected, the new weapon more than doubled Zhu Zhuqing's combat power.

After several rounds, the Netherworld Spirit Cat's body was already coated with a layer of fresh blood.

Zhu Zhuqing also bore many scratches, but it seemed the Netherworld Spirit Cat's injuries were more severe.

"Meow!" The Netherworld Spirit Cat felt the pain, let out an angry roar, its soul power instantly boiled, and its body began to swell slowly.

Its body grew to one meter long and half a meter tall!

Its four sharp claws instantly elongated, and the amber vertical pupils turned blood‑red.

"Whoa, this thing can go berserk." Li Xuan widened his eyes, saying in disbelief.

"That's the Netherworld Spirit Cat's innate skill." Bang Chui whispered a reminder to Li Xuan. (End of chapter)