Chapter 118: Coronation Hall

Chapter 118: Coronation Hall

The cat in his arms was tiny, with smooth, glossy fur and a soft, cuddly feel.

Meng Shu was afraid of crushing him, and being inexperienced with holding a cat, he didn't know what to do, "Cat, why is your true form so small..."

"Meow."

He couldn't even talk anymore!

Luckily, Meng Shu knew cat language, "Because you've lost your magic power now, so you can only keep your basic form? Yeah, just like a regular cat..."

Ling Qingjue wanted to jump out of his arms, but Meng Shu held him tighter, "Alright, I'll carry you. This place is too oppressive for you, you'll be worn out. You're so light, it's no trouble to carry you."

He lifted the cat up, his nose touching the cat's little pink nose, the more he looked, the cuter he found it, and couldn't help rubbing his cheek against it, "You're so cute."

The cat didn't dodge, letting himself be nuzzled with a straight face.

Though you couldn't really tell if a cat was making a sour face.

Meng Shu kissed him over and over, all clingy and affectionate, "So this is your true form? If you'd shown me this earlier, I'd have held you while I slept!"

Ling Qingjue was shocked.

So all he had to do was turn into a cat, and Meng Shu would be willing to hold him while sleeping?

If he'd known it was that simple, why did he have to use his tail as an excuse?

So annoying.

Meng Shu cradled the cat against his chest, lowering his head and smiling, "I'm going to move forward now. I'll keep you safe so no monster blood gets on you."

Such a pretty little cat—couldn't let it get dirty.

Ling Qingjue had never been held like this by a human before; even his father had never held him this way. He was both embarrassed and annoyed, covering his face with his tail, pretending not to hear.

Meng Shu held the cat in his left arm and the sword in his right hand.

Skill—Dash.

He shot through the maze at an incredible speed. Many monsters barely met him in passing before being decapitated; their heads hadn't even hit the ground before Meng Shu was gone.

Ling Qingjue lay obediently in his arms, relying on his keen eyesight to see clearly that in the instant Meng Shu swung his sword, it was just a flick of the wrist. Like a ghost, he brushed past the monster, a flash of the blade, and the cut was perfect.

It wasn't until Meng Shu was far away that the monster realized it had been decapitated.

Its head hit the ground and rolled far away.

So fast.

While Ling Qingjue wasn't looking, Meng Shu's combat skills had reached the top tier.

This maze was full of high-level monsters, yet he killed every single one with a single blow!

Was this the result of Meng Shu's relentless day-and-night training? With strength like this, he could rank among the best on the entire continent.

But Meng Shu was always gentle and soft in front of him, never showing off his power in the Knight Order, staying extremely humble.

So he'd already become this strong.

Meng Shu could feel his life force draining rapidly. He had a feeling: if he dragged it out any longer, both he and Ling Qingjue would die here.

Even if it cost him his life, he would get Ling Qingjue out of here.

Knight Advanced Skill—Charge.

Along the way, Meng Shu charged straight ahead, keeping the cat tightly shielded in his arms. His sword moved so fast that not a single drop of blood splashed onto Ling Qingjue.

Hours passed in a flash. Meng Shu was out of stamina, so he sat down to rest a bit. He took a recovery potion from his inventory, used it, and was back to full health, ready to use his skills again.

But his physical exhaustion wouldn't go away. He had been fighting continuously for days and desperately needed rest.

Ling Qingjue lay on his chest, looking up.

Meng Shu's face flashed with coldness, so fast Ling Qingjue almost thought he imagined it.

When he looked again, Meng Shu was back to his smiling face, eyes curved into crescents, stroking the cat's head, "Cat, we're really close to the center. Ah, we'll be home soon—don't worry."

The cat climbed onto his shoulder, hesitated, then turned and rubbed his fluffy head against Meng Shu's cheek.

"Sorry, I haven't been much help."

"How can you say that? The potions I used were all refined by you, and the Cat Sword was forged by you too."

Meng Shu summoned the Cat Sword, twirled it in a flourish, showing off and acting cute, "The Cat Sword broke through level seven hundred! It's leveling up like crazy!"

The man and the cat rested where they were, closing their eyes to recover.

When they got up, Meng Shu felt dizzy. He braced himself against the wall, forcing himself to steady himself.

This was the sixth day.

Meng Shu shook his head. He couldn't fall here. The cat was now back in his original form, his magic sealed, and no exit in sight... If he collapsed, what would happen to the cat?

He tightened his grip on the Cat Sword, held the cat steady, and smiled, "Time to move on. Be careful, Cat."

Ling Qingjue hadn't spoken much these past two days, partly because he was in a bad mood, and partly because his suppressed magic was affecting his true body.

Meng Shu's hand trembled slightly. He exhaled. No matter what, he had to get the cat out.

Skill—Dash.

He had to push his speed to the max. Meng Shu had a feeling his time was running out.

It was the same routine as before: Ling Qingjue guided the way, and Meng Shu cleared the monsters. Even exhausted to the extreme, he didn't show it. Instead, he frantically consumed recovery potions, forcibly charging toward the center of the maze.

The maze was enormous. It took them a full five days just to near the center.

Meng Shu could barely stand; everything before him had afterimages.

So tired... It felt like his body was about to collapse...

Would he just vanish like this?

Meng Shu shook his head violently. Stay calm! He wasn't gone yet—he couldn't leave like this!

He could hardly hold his sword. There was a little blood on his face—he didn't know if it was his or the monster's.

Meng Shu smiled weakly, forcing a grin, "Cat, we've made it..."

On the eighth day, they arrived at the center of the maze.

The center of the maze was no longer a stone wall.

Instead, it was a magnificent palace, with two statues standing before it, their eyes lowered compassionately, watching over all creatures.

The two statues slowly opened their palms and brought them together.

A figure of golden light appeared.

An ethereal voice echoed around them, like the whisper of a god.

“Welcome to the Coronation Hall, my Demon King, Ling Qingjue.”

“If you want to survive, take the crown and rule the world!”