Cloudfloat Monster Horde

Shen Yuan peeled the clingy little Bai Xue off his trouser leg.

Holding Bai Xue in his arms, Shen Yuan glanced at the dejected Maine Coon. "You should have seen it too. This was her own choice."

The Maine Coon nodded, then turned and left in a bedraggled state, its long tail dragging behind it. Though its body was as large as a fierce tiger's, at that moment it looked like a kitten abandoned by its owner.

Tears glimmered in Bai Xue's eyes. Her little white paws clenched into fists as she silently apologized to the Maine Coon in her heart.

I'm sorry, Big Cat. I really want to go home with you. But to keep us safe, I can only stay by the Great Devil's side and endure humiliation for now.

Don't worry. If there's a chance in the future, I'll definitely come find you. Only we can restore the Cat Clan to glory!

Just as the Maine Coon slowly shuffled to the gate, a sighing voice rang out in the courtyard.

"Fine. If you have time in the future, you may come see her."

The Maine Coon instantly perked up and hurriedly turned to look at Shen Yuan. Its enormous body once again bowed to the ground.

"Thank you, True Lord! Thank you, True Lord!"

The Maine Coon's attitude instead made Shen Yuan feel somewhat embarrassed.

He had agreed to let the Maine Coon visit Bai Xue partly out of consideration for Bai Xue, who had been separated from her family, and partly because Shen Yuan had some self-interested motives of his own.

After all, this was a cat demon that had attained the Qi-Refining Realm just after the Spirit Tide's return, and had awakened such an immensely practical innate divine ability as Bronze Head, Iron Arms.

Though he had no idea why a cat had grown up looking so tiger-like and even awakened a Tiger Race innate divine ability, such strength was remarkable even among the Demon Race. It was fully qualified to claim a territory, occupy a mountain, and rule over a horde of monsters.

If the Maine Coon could come visit Bai Xue more often, then the two sides would have established some contact.

Through the Maine Coon, he could also learn about matters concerning the Demon Race. With luck, he might even find clues related to hidden achievements, as well as the movements of certain demon groups.

One more friend was always better than one more enemy.

After all, Shen Yuan was only at the Essence-Refining Late Stage. He was not yet in a position to look down on a Qi-Refining Realm demon.

"It's merely a trivial matter." Shen Yuan's tone was calm and detached, but Bai Xue in his arms was already dumbstruck.

This is bad. On the surface, the Great Devil is letting Big Cat come see me, but he's actually using this method to keep Big Cat here.

Stupid Big Cat definitely doesn't know the Great Devil's true face. Once he stays, we'll become restraints on each other. I can't abandon Big Cat and run away, and Big Cat can't leave me behind and escape either.

At this thought, the little kitten trembled all over, and the fear in her eyes grew ever thicker.

What deep scheming, what ruthless methods!

Sensing Bai Xue trembling slightly in his arms, Shen Yuan looked at the little kitten in confusion and asked,

"What? Aren't you happy?"

Bai Xue's trembling abruptly stopped. In her eyes, Shen Yuan was like an Outer Realm Heavenly Demon that beguiled hearts and minds, his low whisper filled with mockery echoing by her ear.

Forcing a smile uglier than crying onto her face, the little kitten stretched out her head and rubbed it against Shen Yuan's chest, letting out a fawning meow.

"Meow~ Meow~"

The Maine Coon carefully watched the interaction between the human and cat, its tiger eyes filled with envy.

Carrying Bai Xue, Shen Yuan slowly walked to the stone table and sat down. Looking at the Maine Coon lingering where it stood, he beckoned and said,

"No need to be so restrained. There are some things I'd like to ask you."

The Maine Coon hesitated briefly before stepping over to the stone table.

Although Shen Yuan appeared amiable now, the Maine Coon knew the difference between superior and inferior and did not dare sit down. It obediently lay on the ground nearby.

Only now did the Maine Coon truly have the mind to study the Void-Refining True Lord before it.

In the Maine Coon's eyes, Shen Yuan was handsome and looked absurdly young. He lacked the decaying aura that old antiques seemed to exude from the depths of their souls.

Merely sitting there, he seemed to meld with the surrounding space. Traces of flowing, razor-sharp qi coiled around him, as though he were a peerless immortal sword still sheathed. Once drawn, it would surely shake heaven and earth.

In an instant, a stabbing pain struck the Maine Coon's bright yellow eyes. It hurriedly lowered its head, not daring to look directly at him again.

"How long ago did you complete Essence Refinement into Qi?"

As Shen Yuan spoke, a breeze swept through the courtyard. The branches and leaves of the jujube tree swayed with a rustling sound, while the green vines along the wooden corridor unfurled and danced in the wind.

"Reporting to True Lord, I completed Essence Refinement into Qi on Cloudfloat Mountain three days ago."

"Cloudfloat Mountain?" A hint of surprise entered Shen Yuan's voice.

"Cloudfloat Mountain is over a thousand kilometers from Wen City. Why did you go there to break through?"

Though surprised that a dignified Void-Refining True Lord would care about such a small matter, the Maine Coon still answered honestly.

"During the previous three thousand years, Cloudfloat Mountain was where the monsters of Cloud Prefecture gathered. It possesses one of Cloud Prefecture's largest Spirit Veins.

"At the beginning of the Spirit Tide's return, the Spirit Vein of Cloudfloat Mountain already showed signs of revival, and its spiritual energy concentration far surpassed Wen City's.

"To break through to the Qi-Refining Realm, one cannot do without the support of vast amounts of spiritual energy. Thus, for us demons of Cloud Prefecture, the best place to make a breakthrough is Cloudfloat Mountain."

After a brief pause, the Maine Coon added,

"Besides Cloudfloat Mountain, Mount Laojun and Azurecloud City, the prefectural capital of Cloud Prefecture, are both places where Spirit Veins converge.

"At the beginning of the Spirit Tide, Spirit Vein resources determine how many heavenly treasures and earthly wonders a place can produce, as well as how many living creatures with cultivation aptitude it can possess."

"Mount Laojun has long been the private domain of the sects. Even the Great Xia Court does not dare reach into it rashly, and the sects likewise restrain themselves from expanding outward on their own initiative.

"As for places like prefectural capitals, they fall under the jurisdiction of the Great Xia Court. It is said that the mysterious and unfathomable Imperial Astronomical Bureau also has personnel stationed in prefectural capitals, always guarding against low-level demons that have gained intelligence causing trouble.

"Places like Wen City do not even have the lowest-grade Spirit Vein. To maintain stability, the new city district might have one or two cultivators stationed there, but not a shred of strength will be invested in the old city district. That is why so many minor demons roam through the old city district."

The Maine Coon's words immediately gave Shen Yuan a basic understanding of Great Xia's current situation.

On the surface, the Great Xia Court controlled the overall situation. It occupied the Spirit Veins of prefectural capitals and numerous cities, possessing the most enormous pool of resources.

Meanwhile, precious Spirit Vein resources in famous mountains and great rivers such as Mount Laojun were controlled by the sects, with the sects and the Great Xia Court keeping to their own waters and not crossing each other's river.

As for Cloudfloat Mountain, it was surrounded by mountain ranges. Even if the court's army pressed upon the border, it would be impossible to find the Demon Race within those endless mountains. Thus, it became the Demon Race's private domain.

For now, it appeared that the Great Xia Court alone dominated the whole realm, while the sects and monster hordes could only huddle within their own territories.

Yet all of Great Xia's strength rested upon social stability. Once the return of the Spirit Tide accelerated, all manner of unrest would affect order at the roots of society.

Moreover, the weapons possessed by Great Xia's armies would lose their proper deterrent power as cultivators gradually grew stronger, and might even be suppressed by high-level cultivators.

The sects and monster hordes, by contrast, were founded upon cultivation systems to begin with. As spiritual energy revived, their rate of growth would surpass that of the Great Xia Court.

As one waned and the other waxed, the situation controlled by Great Xia would inevitably collapse.

Lightly tapping the tabletop with his index finger, Shen Yuan remarked with great interest,

"Interesting."