Hearing Zhou Qingmu's proposal, which was hard to tell if it was a joke or serious, Gu Chengming felt a bit sheepish and politely declined with a standard excuse.
Zhou Qingmu looked slightly disappointed but didn't push further.
The proposal to live together was temporarily set aside.
The core chaos of the Tianque Secret Realm finally came to a close as the "World Peace" rule was etched into heaven and earth.
Because she had failed to forcibly merge with the Dao Throne and had suffered from its backlash and the Miasma Tide's erosion, Zhou Qingmu's injuries, which had not yet healed, worsened. She urgently needed a safe place to go into seclusion and recover.
On the other side, Shen Qianqiu, the Sect Master of the Wenjian Sect who had just settled an old grudge outside the altar, was also exhausted and needed rest.
With the several Fifth Realm great cultivators on the surface leaving the stage, the remaining rogue cultivators and teams from small and medium-sized sects lost their nerve to approach the core area. Everyone knew that although the two Fifth Realm experts, Zhou Qingmu and Shen Qianqiu, were currently injured, a Fifth Realm was still a Fifth Realm; a lean camel is bigger than a horse.
Thus, the various cultivators began to scavenge the outer edges of Tianque with great tacit understanding, searching for leftover spirit herbs and ores. After the rule of "Seizing Opportunity" was gone, Tianque became strangely peaceful.
During this time, the teams from the Daqian imperial court and the major righteous sects also entered a rare period of rest.
...
Inside a certain grotto, a campfire flickered.
Gu Chengming was poking at the fire with a branch, the light reflecting off his handsome face, making him look quite peaceful.
Sitting opposite him was his master, the Wenjian Sect elder Ren Wencai.
The old man held a crude wine jug but didn't drink, only staring at the dancing flames with a look of sentimentality, relief, and complexity in his eyes.
"Chengming," Ren Wencai suddenly spoke.
"Yes, Master?" Gu Chengming looked up and stopped poking the fire.
Ren Wencai raised the jug, took a sip, and sighed.
"I used to feel that my old bones didn't have many days left. Taking in a gifted disciple like you was a blessing for the Wenjian Sect and for me. But sometimes, a blessing can be too heavy to bear."
Gu Chengming listened quietly without interrupting.
"I originally thought that if I could luckily reach the Fifth Realm, I could live a few more years. The cultivation world is treacherous. Although you are steady, your actions are often unexpected and easily invite trouble. I was always afraid that if I left too early, I wouldn't be able to protect you."
At this point, the old man turned his head: "But looking at it now, I suppose that won't be necessary."
Gu Chengming smiled and comforted him: "Master, you're joking. No matter how high my cultivation becomes in the future, I will always be a disciple of the Wenjian Sect and will still need you to hold the fort."
The master and disciple chatted by the fire for a long time. Gu Chengming could see that although Ren Wencai said things like "It seems I don't need to hurry to risk my life anymore," he still felt some regret deep down.
Although there were many opportunities in Tianque, how difficult was it to advance from the Fourth Realm to the Fifth Realm?
A slight mistake could mean losing everything. It would naturally be best if he could find a spiritual item in Tianque to help him break through.
But now that Shen Qianqiu was recovering, he had no help to seize opportunities, nor did he have news of any.
Even if he really wanted to take a risk, he didn't know where to direct his efforts.
...
But perhaps it was just that the heavens liked to play such jokes.
A clue that came from an unknown source suddenly began to spread.
Rumor had it that inside a spatial fold in the outer reaches of Tianque, there was a hidden cave dwelling of an ancient Sixth Realm great cultivator. Due to its remote location and the previous scramble for the core Dao Throne, that cave had remained unnoticed until now. The information mentioned that a unique spiritual item was nurtured inside.
That item was not a weapon, a dharma treasure, a pill, or a talisman, but a rare treasure that could help a cultivator organize their Great Dao foundation and break the shackles of their state of mind.
For Ren Wencai, who had been stuck at the peak of the Fourth Realm for many years and was unable to glimpse the threshold of the Fifth Realm, this was undoubtedly a custom-made opportunity to break through.
Gu Chengming told Ren Wencai the news exactly as he had heard it.
After hearing it, the old man waved his hand on the surface, acting as if he didn't care and muttering, "To get it is my luck, to lose it is my fate; I won't force it." But he was clearly extremely interested in it.
Giving up on risking his life to force a breakthrough didn't mean Ren Wencai didn't want to break through. If there truly was such a gentle and suitable spiritual item, which old cultivator stuck at a bottleneck for decades could resist the temptation?
As night fell, the starry sky within Tianque seemed exceptionally high and far away.
The old man stood up silently, straightened his robes, and didn't even dare to release his protective qi as he tiptoed toward the coordinates of that cave.
He had his own considerations.
His disciple had just gone through a series of fierce battles and was exhausted, needing rest.
Since that cave was left by a Sixth Realm great cultivator, even the outer perimeter would surely be filled with dangers. He didn't want Gu Chengming to follow him and take more risks.
As a master, he should be the one to take a chance. Perhaps he could even find some treasures there that would be beneficial to Gu Chengming.
Ren Wencai used the moonlight to blend his figure into the shadows, believing he was being perfectly stealthy.
"Master, it's the middle of the night. Where are you planning to go for a walk?" A clear voice suddenly rang out at the entrance of the grotto.
Ren Wencai's body froze instantly. He saw Gu Chengming already standing at the entrance at some point, leaning against the stone wall with his arms crossed, looking at him with a smile.
The moonlight spilled over Gu Chengming, casting a long shadow.
"Cheng... Chengming, when did you wake up?" Ren Wencai coughed awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment at being caught.
"I woke up when you started pretending to be asleep." Gu Chengming mercilessly exposed the old man's poor acting.
Ren Wencai's face turned red as he sighed: "Since you've guessed it, don't stop me. The situation in that cave is unknown. I'll go scout the path. If there's real danger, it'll be easier for me to escape alone."
"Master, you said before that the cultivation world is treacherous and you were afraid you couldn't protect me. Now that there's something good, you want to keep it all for yourself? That doesn't fit the rules of the Wenjian Sect. Besides, with that little bit of danger, your disciple might actually be able to help if he follows along."
Hearing these words, Ren Wencai knew he couldn't win against this disciple. He was both moved and conflicted, finally letting out a long sigh of compromise.
"Fine, fine. Since you insist on going, let's go together. But remember, follow my lead and don't act recklessly."
Gu Chengming cupped his hands in agreement.
...
The master and disciple sped toward the secret coordinates under the cover of night.
The spatial structure of the Tianque Secret Realm had stabilized under the repair of the "World Peace" rule. The two didn't encounter any spatial cracks along the way, and the journey was quite smooth.
Half an hour later, they stopped in front of an inconspicuous mountain wall.
The wall was covered in moss, but under Gu Chengming's investigation, he could vaguely sense a very sophisticated illusion array.
The two spent some effort breaking the array, revealing a cave entrance just wide enough for one person. The interior of the cave was not dark; night pearls emitting soft light were embedded on both sides of the stone walls.
A faint fragrance of vegetation filled the air, completely lacking the oppressive atmosphere common in ancient cultivators' dwellings.
And on a warm piece of jade next to a spiritual spring, something was lying.
That was their target for this trip.
The moment Ren Wencai saw it, he froze on the spot.
Not only him, but even Gu Chengming, who was mentally prepared, felt quite shocked.
In the center of the stone room was a high platform, and on this platform lay a round, fluffy thing.
Hearing footsteps, the thing suddenly turned its head. It was a giant orange "cat."
Calling it a cat was because its appearance perfectly matched the characteristics of one—pointed ears, long tail, round face—but it was not a true being of flesh and blood. It was a heavenly treasure formed by extremely pure and dense spiritual qi that had materialized.
Sensing the presence of strangers, the "orange cat" on the jade piece suddenly jolted awake. Its lazy posture vanished instantly as its limbs propped up, its back arched high, and the fur on its tail stood on end.
It turned its head, its vertical pupils condensed from spiritual qi staring fixedly at the two, its mouth opening wide.
"Hiss—!"
Gu Chengming was stunned when he saw the cat's appearance.
—Wait, this looks familiar! Does this have something to do with that round-headed old man?
【Hundred Bones Resonating erupts in fury: It dares to hiss at Emperor Gu? It truly has no regard for its life! Emperor Gu, hurry and use Hundred Bones Resonating to help me!】
—That's not necessary, Emperor Bai.
"Looking at this posture, it has quite a temper." Ren Wencai rolled up his sleeves: "Let me handle it."
With that, Ren Wencai's true essence flowed, revealing his peak Fourth Realm cultivation. He formed hand seals and performed a very exquisite grappling technique, which transformed into an invisible giant hand that grabbed toward the cat-fruit on the jade.
It was a kitty vs. an invisible giant hand!
With Ren Wencai's cultivation, this grab seemed casual but actually blocked all paths of retreat in every direction. Let alone a fruit, even a monster of the same realm would find it extremely difficult to avoid.
However, just as the invisible hand was about to touch the cat-fruit, the "orange cat's" body underwent an incredible change. Its bones seemed to vanish instantly, and its entire body turned into a marvelous state between solid and liquid.
Like a puddle of orange water, it slid right through the fingers of the invisible giant hand.
After escaping the grapple, the cat-fruit reformed in mid-air and landed steadily on a stone pillar several yards away. It looked down at Ren Wencai and opened its mouth again.
"Hiss—!"
Ren Wencai's face felt a bit hot. He was a dignified peak Fourth Realm cultivator, yet he couldn't even catch a spiritual item, losing face in front of his disciple.
"You little beast, you dare to mock me!"
Ren Wencai got serious this time. He performed several more complex hand seals in succession. Brilliant light filled the cave as several spiritual energy chains wove into a net from all directions, dropping toward the cat-fruit on the stone pillar.
The cat-fruit gave a light kick off the pillar, twisting its body in mid-air into an exaggerated spiral, passing through a gap in the chain net by a hair's breadth.
It landed silently, followed by a sudden leap that sent it scurrying onto a stalactite hanging from the cave ceiling.
"Hiss—!"
It hung upside down from the stalactite and continued to hiss at Ren Wencai.
Ren Wencai used every trick in his book, taking turns with various grappling, sealing, and binding techniques. But the cat-fruit was far too bizarre; not only was it incredibly fast, but the most crucial point was that its body structure completely defied common logic.
Ren Wencai was hesitant to use too much force; he knew this spiritual item was extremely precious and couldn't use powerful destructive spells for fear of accidentally destroying it.
With his hands thus tied, he not only failed to touch a single hair of the cat-fruit but also ended up panting from exhaustion.
Gu Chengming stood to the side and had been observing for a long time.
He looked at the cat-fruit hanging from the stalactite, still remembering to hiss at them, and his mind began to race.
Although this thing was a plant, its behavioral patterns, stress responses, and even that annoying hissing sound perfectly replicated the traits of a feline.
It seemed that Sixth Realm great cultivator had not only cultivated its appearance but had also moved over some of a cat's characteristics.
Gu Chengming thought for a moment, wondering if this thing had also moved over the kitty's base code.
He explained his plan to Ren Wencai, who looked a bit skeptical. Would this really work?
But since there was no other way at the moment, he could only let Gu Chengming try.
Gu Chengming remained seated and took out a spirit herb he had found somewhere in his storage pouch.
This spirit herb was long and soft, with a cluster of fluffy tassels at the tip.
He held one end of the spirit herb and lightly brushed the end with the tassels against the ground.
Rustle, rustle.
The cat-fruit's gaze was completely attracted by the tassels of the spirit herb.
It wiggled its body restlessly on the stalactite, its front paws kneading back and forth as it made preparatory movements for hunting.
Next, it leaped down from the stalactite, adjusted its posture in mid-air, and landed steadily on all fours without making a sound. It lowered its body, using the surrounding flowers and plants as cover, as it approached the stone step by step.
Ren Wencai watched from the side, questioning his life. He had just exhausted himself and couldn't even touch it, yet this kid lured this difficult spiritual item down with just a blade of grass?
The cat-fruit had already reached the edge of the stone. Its rear wiggled slightly as it calculated the distance and angle for its pounce.
Now!
Its hind legs suddenly exerted force as it lunged toward the half-exposed tassels.
However, the moment it leaped into the air, Gu Chengming's wrist flipped with extreme speed. The spirit herb not only didn't avoid it but instead whipped right toward its face.
This move completely disrupted its hunting rhythm. The cat-fruit tried to twist its body in mid-air, resulting in an extremely awkward posture that left its belly completely exposed.
Gu Chengming's hand swept in smoothly. The cat-fruit only felt an irresistible resistance against its belly, and before it could react, it was already held steadily in Gu Chengming's hands.
It immediately realized it had been tricked and kicked its hind legs wildly, trying to break free from the hands.
"Hiss—!!!"
Water-like ripples even began to appear on the surface of its spiritual body, preparing to use that liquefaction escape technique again.
Ren Wencai's heart tightened at the sight as he shouted: "Watch out, it's going to run!"
Gu Chengming's expression remained unchanged. He supported its back, pressed his right index and middle fingers together, and watched the trajectory of the wildly kicking hind legs, lightly flicking its chin. This precisely changed the direction of its head and the position of its chin.
The cat-fruit's powerful hind leg kick landed squarely on its own chin.
This strike wasn't light, directly dazing the creature.
But in its base logic, its chin had been attacked, and the system immediately judged: Enemy attack!
Who is attacking me? Within its field of vision, only the hind leg closest to the chin was visible.
Thus, the cat-fruit's defense system made the most direct response: Counterattack!
Its two front paws quickly grabbed the hind leg that had "attacked" its chin, opened its mouth, and bit down without hesitation.
"Meow-ow!"
The hind leg was bitten, and a pain signal was instantly sent back to the brain.
Hind leg under attack! Kitty judgment: Enemy attack!
Who is attacking the hind leg?
Within its field of vision, only the two front paws tightly clutching the hind leg were visible.
Hind leg, continue counterattack!
Thus, the hind leg held by the front paws erupted with even more violent force, kicking the front paws fiercely and delivering another heavy blow to the chin in the process.
The chin was injured again, and the front paws received instructions to increase the force of the bite and scratching.
The hind leg felt increased pain, and the frequency and force of its kicks soared accordingly.
The front legs attacked the hind leg, and the hind leg was attacked and in turn attacked the front legs. The chin constantly played the role of the victim in between, further stimulating the entire system's counterattack mechanism.
Under this perfect closed-loop logic conflict, the cat-fruit's left and right brains completely erupted into a civil war. Its front and back halves seemed to become two independent and mutually mortal enemies, sinking deeper and deeper into a life-and-death struggle.
It completely forgot about Gu Chengming's existence and forgot to use the liquefaction escape technique. It just curled into a fluffy ball, kicking itself in Gu Chengming's hands.
Gu Chengming held this ball that was undergoing intense internal conflict, quietly admiring this wonderful show of the left and right brains fighting each other.
Sure enough, after about dozens of rounds of frantic internal conflict, the cat-fruit's movements became slower and slower, and its strength grew weaker.
Finally, its movements suddenly froze, its front paws still maintaining the posture of clutching the hind leg, and the hind leg still suspended in mid-air.
Its vertical pupils dilated, its gaze became vacant, and the entire fruit seemed to have lost its soul.
Gu Chengming looked at this spiritual item in his hand that had completely given up thinking and nodded with satisfaction.
He reached out with his right hand, pinched the soft skin on the back of the cat-fruit's neck, and lifted it up.
Gu Chengming held it up. The cat-fruit's body instantly became limp, its limbs hanging naturally, its tail curled between its legs, without any sign of resistance.
Ren Wencai stood to the side, having witnessed this entire textbook-level spiritual item capture battle.
He looked at the cat-fruit that was out cold on the jade and then at the calm Gu Chengming standing to the side. The old man's worldview had suffered a major impact.
Could it be that his disciple was truly an expert in the field of spiritual items?
Although Ren Wencai didn't say these words out loud, Gu Chengming could roughly guess what he was thinking from his master's expression. He thought to himself that he wasn't an expert in spiritual items, just an expert in feline logic.
He carefully placed the cat-fruit into a specially made spiritual wood box and handed it to Ren Wencai.
"Master, mission accomplished. This thing is quiet now. You can safely refine it once we return."
Ren Wencai solemnly took the wooden box and tucked it away close to his body.
"Chengming, thank you. I..."
"Master, you're being formal again." Gu Chengming interrupted with a smile: "What's the point of saying such things between us? Since we're already here, this cave was left by a Sixth Realm great cultivator. There must be other things left inside besides this cat-fruit. Shall we go in and take a look?"
Ren Wencai nodded repeatedly, calming his excitement.
With this cat-fruit, he had a bit more certainty in advancing to the Fifth Realm. Looking at this cave now, he found everything about it pleasing to the eye.
The two left the spiritual spring and continued deeper along a hidden passage behind the cave.
At the end of the passage was a heavy ancient door cast from bronze.
There were no complex arrays on the door, only a large totem of myriad beasts carved onto it. Gu Chengming stepped forward, placed both hands on the door, and applied a bit of force.
Accompanied by a dull grinding sound, the ancient bronze door slowly opened to both sides.
A more ancient and profound aura than the outside rushed toward them.
The space behind the door was illuminated by several large night pearls, revealing the interior of the cave dwelling to the master and disciple without reservation.
This was the true core living quarters and treasure hoard of that Sixth Realm great cultivator.
Gu Chengming and Ren Wencai stepped over the threshold side by side, entering the inner chamber of this Sixth Realm great cultivator that had been sealed for thousands of years.
To their surprise, the interior was not as magnificent as imagined, nor were there any dharma treasures.
The entire space appeared quite spacious and simple. The ceiling was embedded with several large night pearls, casting a cool glow that made the indoor furnishings clearly visible.
In the center stood a wide desk carved from a single piece of white jade. To the left were several redwood display cabinets standing against the wall, and to the right was a bluestone cloud bed for meditation and rest. Other than that, there were no extra decorations.
Gu Chengming's gaze fell on the desk in the center.
Several lustrous jade bottles were neatly arranged on the desk, and next to them was a thick book bound in an unknown animal skin.
He stepped forward, first picking up a jade bottle to examine it for a moment. It seemed to contain some kind of long-lost pill; the medicinal fragrance was perfectly sealed by the jade bottle and had not dissipated. After placing the jade bottle back, Gu Chengming's gaze landed on the animal-skin book.
There was no title on the cover, only worn edges proving it had been frequently flipped through by its owner.
Gu Chengming opened the first page of the book.
He had originally thought this would be a secret manual recording earth-shattering cultivation techniques or a treasure book of a Sixth Realm great cultivator's lifelong insights. However, when he saw the writing on it, his expression became quite interesting.
This was not some inheritance technique, and its writing style completely lacked the profound mystery a Sixth Realm great cultivator should have.
This thing was more like a diary.
Or rather, an unscrupulous personal biography.
Gu Chengming settled his mind and began to read the contents recorded within by the light of the night pearls.
【I've joined the sect. The Sect Master said I have a rare constitution, and the elders of several peaks are all fighting to take me in.】
Gu Chengming nodded slightly. Having a rare constitution and being fought over by various elders was indeed the script for many young geniuses in the cultivation world. He continued reading.
【They argued until their faces were red in the main hall, bickering for three whole hours. I stood to the side, feeling a bit curious, so I spoke up and asked: I've long heard that sword cultivators are the most adept at slaughter in the world, while the defense of body cultivators is invincible. Since all the elders are here today, I wonder who exactly is superior?】
Gu Chengming's eyebrows twitched when he saw this.
【The elders all froze after hearing my words, then began to argue even more fiercely. Finally, the elder of the Sword Peak and the elder of the Rock Peak, in order to prove the superiority of their respective paths, had a match right outside the main hall. They fought until the sky turned dark, with no clear winner... Later, I heard that several elders had to return to their peaks to rest for a long time because of that fight.】
【I finally chose to join the Sword Peak because I felt that everyone's vigilance against sword cultivators was quite low; it seemed easier to slack off there.】
Gu Chengming's expression became very subtle as he read these lines.
This senior's personality in his youth seemed a bit malicious?
No, perhaps it was just youthful arrogance and innocent bluntness.
Gu Chengming found an excuse for this senior in his heart and flipped to the next page.
【Today, Master said during his lecture that the sword is a sword cultivator's lifeblood; if the sword is there, the person is there, and if the sword is destroyed, the person dies. Why does everyone say that? It's as if after losing their sword, a sword cultivator becomes a powerless mortal with no threat at all.】
【I noticed that when disciples from other peaks duel with sword cultivators, they always try every means to knock away the sword cultivator's sword or use various special dharma treasures to confiscate the flying sword. I think their thinking is very problematic.】
Gu Chengming nodded in deep agreement. Sword cultivators' over-reliance on flying swords was indeed a common stereotype in the cultivation world. This senior's early realization of this point showed high comprehension.
Immediately after, Gu Chengming saw the next line.
【To prove their thinking was wrong, I covered my flying sword with explosive talismans.】
【During the sect competition, I controlled my flying sword to fly straight toward Senior Sister. As expected, she took out a dharma treasure specifically for confiscating flying swords.】
【I made Senior Sister cry.】
Gu Chengming stared at the page, speechless for a long time.
Alright, no need to find an excuse.
This senior's personality truly was a bit malicious.
Gu Chengming silently flipped to a new page.
【Senior Brother's Pure Yang Sword Art has hit a bottleneck and hasn't progressed for several months. I heard Master sigh, saying this Pure Yang Sword Art is extremely overbearing and has very high requirements for the practitioner's state of mind; the heavier the yang qi in the body, the stronger the sword art.】
【As a fellow disciple, I decided to help Senior Brother.】
【I asked Master for leave and quietly went to the Hehuan Sect. I publicly recruited female disciples outside the Hehuan Sect's gates. I told them that there was a top-grade Pure Yang sword cultivator here willing to provide free dual cultivation opportunities, provided they could charm the other party with their own skills. I told them not to come and embarrass themselves if their looks were too poor or their methods too weak.】
【I've collected two thousand spirit stones in entry fees... Was Senior Brother always this popular?】
—Even the Hehuan Sect was involved?
【Senior Brother's Pure Yang Sword Art indeed broke through. After he came out of seclusion, the first thing he did was bring his sword specifically to thank me.】
【However, a thank you is a thank you, but why was he gritting his teeth the whole time he spoke?】
【I returned all two thousand spirit stones of entry fees to the Hehuan Sect. And I attached a letter, telling the Hehuan Sect elders that the younger generation of their sect was actually so mediocre; so many people went, surrounding him for half a month, and not a single one succeeded. It was too disappointing.】
【Senior Brother's Pure Yang Sword Art broke through again.】
The next dozen pages were all a grand collection of this senior's wicked deeds.
Gu Chengming broke into a cold sweat as he read, thinking to himself that this senior being able to live to the Sixth Realm was truly the heavens being blind—no, truly a stroke of immense luck.
Finally, the content of the biography reached the time after this senior advanced to the Sixth Realm.
The handwriting on the page became much more formal.
【I came out of seclusion today and felt a bit hungry. While wandering the back mountain, I saw a very well-furred orange cat kill a crane.】
【It looked very plump and delicious.】
【I accidentally roasted and ate it. The taste was actually average; the meat was a bit sour.】
【After eating, Junior Sister came to my door crying, asking if I had seen the monster beast she had just adopted. I really didn't know it was adopted by Junior Sister.】
Gu Chengming's eyelids jumped wildly.
【I spent several days talking my way out of it and finally comforted Junior Sister.】
【But Junior Sister's words made me very sad. Although she knew I didn't mean it, she was still shocked that I actually ate a kitty.】
The next line of the biography was written in very large characters, as if the author had fallen into deep confusion while writing.
【Why can't kitties be eaten?】
【I used the power of my Sixth Realm Dao Throne and consumed countless rare spiritual materials to extract a wisp of that orange cat's remaining source aura and created a unique spiritual item.】
【This spiritual item can greatly increase the probability of a peak Fourth Realm cultivator breaking through. It is a rare treasure in the world.】
【I specifically made it in the shape of a cat; whether it's the appearance, fur, or even instincts, it's no different from a real cat.】
"?"
A question mark appeared over Gu Chengming's head.
He turned his head and looked at his master, Ren Wencai, who was not far away, carefully holding the spiritual wood box and looking at the "cat-fruit" inside with a face full of affection.
So that was how the cat-fruit came to be?!
【I have acted in an unconventional manner throughout my life, and the world has many misunderstandings about me.】
【However, my Great Dao is all within the following techniques. These are my painstaking works, created with my lifelong efforts. If a junior arrives here, they should treasure and value them, and inherit my legacy.】
Finally, a technique appeared before Gu Chengming.
【Unfettered Freedom Art!】
Rate on N.U.
