Chapter 399: Back Again

When Ye Liuyun arrived, he found Su Miaoyin surrounded by a pack of soul‑devouring cats. However, those cats had ceased their attack and were merely encircling her, apparently having received orders from the lead cat and waiting for Ye Liuyun and his party to come.

Su Miaoyin's face was ashen, looking rather disheveled, with a holy artifact that prevents Spiritual Soul Attack hanging on her, a flute in hand, ready for battle. Clearly her Divine Soul Power had been nearly exhausted. When she saw Ye Liuyun and his group in black robes, she first tensed with anxiety, then was startled when she realized it was Ye Liuyun who had rushed in.

"How did you get here? I heard you're already beyond the Five Realms. Did you join the Dark Night Demon Hall?" Su Miaoyin asked, frowning.

Ye Liuyun replied, "I was passing by, heard you were chased here, so I came in to rescue you. How could I have joined the Dark Night Demon Hall? I only found a piece of clothing for disguise."

Su Miaoyin nodded, believing Ye Liuyun's character. "I was chased here; fortunately I have a holy artifact that prevents Spiritual Soul Attack, otherwise those cats would have devoured me."

"Hmph, that's because we didn't go all out; otherwise you wouldn't have survived this long," the lead soul‑devouring cat interjected, then immediately said to Ye Liuyun, "Enough, you've seen her, hurry and take her away!"

Ye Liuyun also nodded, not wanting to cause more trouble. "Miaoyin, come with me, I'll take you out!"

"There are so many Demon Cultivators outside; do you have a way to deal with them?" Su Miaoyin asked.

"We'll think of a solution later; first let's leave this place," Ye Liuyun said, not considering how to handle the Demon Cultivators, only focused on rescuing Miaoyin.

The huge soul‑devouring cat was right; if it struck, Su Miaoyin's artifact couldn't block its attack. With the situation unclear, it was unwise to clash head‑on with these cats.

The soul‑devouring cats surrounding Su Miaoyin cleared a path for her to rendezvous with Ye Liuyun.

After they met, they slowly retreated outward.

"Thank you for coming to rescue me! This time you're actually proactive compared to last time!" Su Miaoyin finally expressed gratitude to Ye Liuyun, while also not forgetting to chide him for his previous inaction.

In truth, she was very grateful that Ye Liuyun came to save her, and her affection for him grew stronger in her heart.

Ye Liuyun dared not bring up the previous incident, pretending he hadn't heard her follow‑up remark.

"No need for politeness, we're friends. I learned the news, so of course I came to rescue you. But why didn't you hide at the entrance and instead ran so far?"

Ye Liuyun was also puzzled. If Su Miaoyin had hidden at the entrance, she likely wouldn't have faced such danger.

"In this Secret Realm there's a kind of life‑energy Crystal Stone that can raise one's realm, and the realm can directly connect to the outside. So I wanted to try, to see if I could both evade the chase and encounter an opportunity. I didn't expect the soul‑devouring cats to be this strong. My holy artifact that defends against Spiritual Soul Attack almost failed to block their attacks," Su Miaoyin explained the truth.

Ye Liuyun, hearing this, felt a stir and asked, "Do you know what dangers lie here?"

"Our sect master mentioned that this Secret Realm has three trials: soul‑devouring cats, Hell Shuangtou Quan, and the Hell Gate."

Ye Liuyun relayed Su Miaoyin's words to Hell Mingshe.

Hell Mingshe analyzed to him: "Soul‑devouring cats can't harm you. Against others, they're almost invincible, but in front of your Nether Ghost Fire they have no recourse. I can also help with the Hell Shuangtou Quan. As for the Hell Gate, you have the Ten Thousand Gods Command, so you shouldn't fear it; others probably would. Still, it's odd that the Hell Gate appears here."

At this moment, Su Miaoyin added, "It's said the Hell Gate can be bypassed. We can avoid the Hell Gate and exit the Secret Realm from the opposite side after going around."

"I'll lead you out from here, but when danger arises you must enter my Storage Ring; will you agree?"

Ye Liuyun asked Su Miaoyin.

Usually entering someone else's storage space is tantamount to entrusting one's life to them. So Ye Liuyun wanted to confirm with her in advance, lest he be unable to protect her later. If Miaoyin refused, they would have no choice but to fight the Demon Cultivators.

Unexpectedly, she answered without hesitation. On one hand she trusted Ye Liuyun more; on the other, facing Demon Cultivators outside posed an even greater risk.

Ye Liuyun hadn't expected Su Miaoyin to trust him so much.

"Alright, then we'll go back."

Just as Ye Liuyun's group was about to reach the exit, they suddenly turned around with everyone and headed back.

A soul‑devouring cat had been following Ye Liuyun's party, monitoring their movements; when it saw them return, it began howling to raise an alarm.

The lead soul‑devouring cat asked in a terrified Transmission Voice, "Why did you come back again?"

"Heh, excuse me, we need a passage; someone's blocking the gate, we can't get out, we have to go through this Secret Realm," Ye Liuyun said, a bit embarrassed.

"That won't do. You can't pass here. It's my duty to guard this place and keep outsiders away. You're trapping me! You'd better go back quickly," the cat said helplessly.

He truly couldn't do anything to Ye Liuyun—couldn't beat him, couldn't persuade him to turn back.

While leading the group onward, Ye Liuyun asked the soul‑devouring cat, "Do you know where the life Crystal Stone is?"

"You want that thing? If I tell you where it is, will you be able to leave?" the cat asked cautiously.

Ye Liuyun gave no answer, continuing deeper into the Secret Realm. It seemed the cat knew the location of the life Crystal Stone. Yet Ye Liuyun didn't want to tease it; he would not leave the Secret Realm, even without the Crystal Stone, he would still pass through.

"Human, don't overstep! You think just because I can't do anything to you you can pass? I tell you, you can't get through at all. Why must you involve me?" the soul‑devouring cat said, half threatening, half pleading.

Failing to guard Ye Liuyun should also count as its negligence.

Ye Liuyun was unmoved. "I believe I can get through. You needn't say more. Step aside, I don't wish to kill you any further."

Saying that, Ye Liuyun walked through the pack of soul‑devouring cats, and none dared to attack him. His Soul Realm was fully unleashed; anyone who entered would die.

"Alas! How unlucky I am!" the lead soul‑devouring cat sighed, then fell silent, never daring to strike Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun's group passed the soul‑devouring cat trial smoothly. Just before they passed through the mist, Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil spotted some glittering objects on the ground nearby, with obvious energy fluctuations.

When they approached, Su Miaoyin exclaimed, "That's the life Crystal Stone!"

Ye Liuyun also sensed it and could absorb its energy. Since this energy could both raise one's realm and improve the body, he immediately ordered everyone to collect some and share them equally.

Others gathered and stored theirs, while Ye Liuyun kept walking and began absorbing it himself.

Before long, they emerged from the mist. Before them lay a black, charred wasteland.

After passing the soul‑devouring cat trial, Hell Mingshe also sensed something. "Ha ha, boss, I feel the aura of the Hell Shuangtou Quan. Later we'll deal with this guy together. This guy's realm is quite high; you can't beat him head‑on. But the two of us can combine our Souls for a joint attack and take him down."