Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 93

[Vol. 6] Chapter 93: Signs of Conflict

The catgirl, Xiao Kong, turned her head, not to look at Ling Feng, who had asked the question, but instead glancing past a certain priestess standing nearby. She shook her head slightly.

“This matter is complicated. You can think of it as a type of injury. Due to certain reasons, I can’t fully unleash my strength in the outside world. The stronger the power I use, the greater the risk of triggering a terrifying backlash.”

“That’s why, unless it’s absolutely necessary, I’ll avoid fighting. While I don’t need anyone to protect me, I suggest you don’t consider me part of your main combat force.”

“A terrifying backlash? What does that mean…”

Curious as always, Bai’er wanted to press further, but Ling Feng raised her hand, stopping her before she could ask more.

If Xiao Kong had intended to explain in detail, she would have done so earlier. Forcing the issue would only make things awkward for everyone.

“Understood. Miss Xiao Kong, please lead us to the Peach Blossom Sage,” Ling Feng said tactfully.

“You’re quite perceptive,” Xiao Kong said with a faint smile. “Follow me.”

Xiao Kong’s spatial teleportation had clearly bypassed the long mountain path and the towering height of Peach Blossom Peak, transporting everyone directly to the clouds near the summit.

Although the altitude here exceeded 10,000 meters, the area didn’t feel particularly cold. In fact, it was warm and springlike, a stark contrast to the biting chill artificially created along the mountain path. The climate was pleasant and seemed ideal for life to thrive, clearly an effect of the protective barrier enclosing this peak, defying the natural rules of wintery high altitudes.

Even here, peach blossoms were everywhere. Since they were now close to the summit and there were no more steep paths upward, the peach trees spread out, forming a picturesque forest-like view.

As they walked, Xiao Kong, leading the way, suddenly stopped. She furrowed her brow and glanced toward a specific direction, murmuring softly to herself.

“Are we too late? How could the defenses here become so weak? Where have all the Peach Blossom Guardians gone…?”

Hearing this, Bai’er, walking beside Xiao Kong, instinctively placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice sharp with caution.

Xiao Kong simply shook her head. Without a word, she suddenly broke into a sprint.

“Follow me! This way!”

The group hastily quickened their pace, staying close behind her. They wove through the lush peach groves, the scenery around them transforming dramatically.

Signs of intrusion became undeniable.

Many peach tree branches had been snapped and littered the ground. The delicate flowers, once so vibrant, had been trampled mercilessly, their petals now broken and dirtied. Smaller peach trees lay toppled over or twisted grotesquely, leaving the area in a state of devastation.

Even the ground itself seemed unnaturally disturbed, large swathes overturned as if plowed through. The sight made Little Mole, the group’s youngest and least experienced member, gasp softly.

“My goodness…”

The further they advanced, the worse the damage became. The destruction shifted from brute force to telltale signs of combat, slashes from blades and charred marks left by fire.

Finally, Xiao Kong came to a halt beside a cluster of particularly graceful peach trees, now broken and sprawled across the ground.

These trees emitted faint traces of spiritual energy, noticeably different from ordinary trees, though their aura was feeble.

“They’re Peach Blossom Spirits,” Xiao Kong said. “Or rather, Peach Blossom Guardians. During the campaign against [Taotie] years ago, the Sage’s Peach Blossom Spirits also fought. This is their true form, revealed when they are gravely injured or killed.”

Murong Yun knelt to examine the scene, his expression grim. Xiao Kong nodded at him and crouched beside one of the scorched tree trunks. Placing her hand on the blackened bark, she allowed a faint light to radiate from her palm, infusing it with a unique energy.

Before long, the tree became enveloped in a soft glow. Slowly, it transformed, taking the shape of a pink-haired girl clad in light gauze.

“Who… who is it?” the girl coughed weakly, her voice trembling.

“It’s me,” Xiao Kong replied gently.

The Peach Blossom Spirit, now transformed back into her human form with Xiao Kong’s help, coughed repeatedly. She instinctively leaned against Xiao Kong’s thigh and weakly lifted her beautiful, tired eyes to look at the silver-eared catgirl. However, as soon as she saw her, the spirit jumped up as if terrified, her body jerking into a defensive position.

“Lord Kong?! How… how did you end up here? Could it be the Sage is…?”

Xiao Kong shook her head. “Tao Mu is fine, at least for now. I’m here for another reason. Don’t worry about that. Tell me what happened. Why are there only you guarding this place? Where are the other Peach Blossom Guardians?”

The pink-haired spirit, who seemed to belong to the Peach Blossom Guardians, sat on the ground in confusion, her gaze flickering toward the group behind Xiao Kong. She hesitated for a moment.

Sensing the hesitation, Xiao Kong calmly reassured her, “They’re all allies. Don’t you trust me?”

“Well… since you say so, Lord Kong…”

The Peach Blossom Spirit turned her attention to the other companions, who had also returned to their true forms. Her expression grew more serious.

“It was an attack. We were ambushed by both humans and beasts. They appeared out of nowhere, bypassing the outer sentries and the Peach Blossom Formation, and appeared directly inside. At that time, most of the Peach Blossom Guardians were dispatched by the Sage, so we were overwhelmed…”

“Dispatched?”

Xiao Kong furrowed her brow.

“At such a critical time, where could Tao Mu have sent the Peach Blossom Guardians? Is there something more important than guarding Peach Blossom Peak?”

The Peach Blossom Spirit hesitated. “I heard… there’s been another issue there.”

Understanding immediately, Xiao Kong’s expression darkened.

“The [Great Secret Realm of Chaos]?”

“Probably… yes.”

After a brief silence, the catgirl nodded slightly.

“I understand. How many enemies attacked you?”

“At least several hundred, and among them are quite a few skilled fighters. From the way the enemies commanded their beasts, our sisters suspect they might be disciples of the [Yokai Controlling Sect]. They’ve already broken through the inner defenses and are heading straight for the Sage.”

“…I see. Don’t worry, you rest now.”

Xiao Kong nodded again, then stood up. Bai’er and Murong Yun, understanding the situation, helped the weakened Peach Blossom Spirit away, while also tending to the other severely injured Peach Blossom Guardians who had reverted to their original forms.

During this moment, Violet and Ling Feng had already approached Xiao Kong. Noticing her thoughtful expression, they spoke.

“It seems like the situation is exactly as we expected.”

“Yes, I didn’t expect there to be problems inside the [Great Secret Realm of Chaos] as well. It’s truly a time of many troubles lately. Perhaps they came specifically to take advantage of this opportunity… But I still don’t understand how they suddenly appeared inside the Peach Blossom Forest. The space transfer block on Peach Blossom Peak should have been active.”

Ling Feng quickly provided an answer.

“They must have tunneled in.”

“Tunneled?”

The gray-haired girl pointed to the ground beneath their feet and pondered.

“On our way here, we saw several places where the soil had been dug up, with peach trees uprooted. But logically speaking, they shouldn’t have had a reason to do this.”

“They likely used Mole Spirits to tunnel from below, avoiding the cold on the mountain paths. By advancing from underground, they reached the peak and appeared unexpectedly in the Peach Blossom Forest to carry out this surprise attack.”

“Miaomiao probably discovered their actions and was forced to flee to the mountain paths to avoid being caught,” she added.

She exchanged a glance with Violet, and they nodded in unison.

“It’s now pretty clear that the reason the [Yokai Controlling Sect] specifically targeted the Mole Spirits is likely to use them for this.”

“Yes, it aligns with what the Rat Spirit said.”

Xiao Kong, ever sharp, immediately understood and showed surprise.

“Such a simple yet effective method of sneaking in? It makes sense… Rat Spirit, huh…”

Seemingly recalling something, the mysterious girl didn’t say much more. She turned her gaze back toward the deeper part of the Peach Blossom Forest.

“We should move quickly. Tao Mu has probably already encountered them.”