On a rooftop, a gentle breeze ruffled the sitting Bubai’s hair as he absentmindedly rubbed the belly of the blissful Miss Meow, lying flat on her back with her paws curled, begging him to be her hooman.
Even with her eyes closed from exhaustion, the cute cat was still instinctively nibbling the source of her bliss while purring contentedly at his touch.
Ignoring the cat’s quiet mews for more attention – most likely for a little extra food, Bubai concentrated on going through the new mid-stage foundation establishment knowledge he recently received in his mind.
Early stage involves birthing a totem and strengthening it. Once the totem was strong enough to radiate an aura, that is when a cultivator officially transitioned into the mid-stage.
That was the basic rundown available through general sources.
Needless to say, the actual method to achieve this aura stage was much more complicated than a simple switch-on.
There was lots more that needs to be done, and the fairy’s memo went deep into the details of the process for the Dreamcatching Art.
Memory orbs threshold requirements, arrangement of specific memory orb formations, more know-hows on healthy memory space growth, and the crux of activating the aura: the mantra to condense the aura and proper method to fuel the aura using true Qi!
“Let fire rouse the heart, let the past seal the heart, let moonlight weave through the veil of dreams, let the spirit soar on ether’s wings…”
The mantra was rather… complicated, probably begging its readers to enlighten themselves.
On the other hand, most of the other portions of the knowledge had been simplified, but the fairy still left some food for thought in good faith.
Comprehension - just a part of cultivation. Yet, these were just small bumps along the paved road. What more could he ask for?
After all, without all these knowledge, attempting to generate an aura would be a nearly impossible feat, entirely reliant on instinct, raw talent, and epiphany!
Thanks to the forefathers who blazed a trail through the wilderness of cultivation, many of the uncertainties and risks that once plagued the path to the mid-stage had been mitigated.
The days when epiphany and raw instinct were the only guides were mostly behind them.
Now there was a method - a clear set of instructions to follow. Yet having the map didn't guarantee a smooth journey.
It wasn't enough to simply follow the steps and expect the aura to emerge.
Activating the aura required more than just discipline and hard work. It demanded talent – both cultivation-wise and spirit-wise!
A strong spirit was essential for a cultivator to synchronize with their totem and draw upon its power, and this was where many hit their so-called bottleneck.
Stuck here, cultivators had to spend years—even decades—saving to buy rare treasures and potent pills that promised to enhance their spirit.
But these resources were scarce, too expensive for the common cultivators, and if they couldn't scrape together enough resources, they would remain trapped in the early stages for a lifetime.
That was the sad reality, and why many untalented cultivators resort to awry methods to achieve breakthrough, resulting in an imbalance with their spirit and leading them down a road of no return.
On the flip side, there were those with a natural gift for cultivation, able to comprehend the so-called dao and syncing with their totems with little effort.
Some of these geniuses could even establish a strong connection with their totem from the very moment they achieved promotion!
These were the prodigies, the ones who seemed to be born for this path.
Fortunately, Bubai knew he belonged in this category. Of course, it wasn't simply due to raw talent, though.
It was his innate connection with his seed and all its components, including the red leaf that served as his supposed totem, that gave him this unique advantage.
The syncing issue that plagued so many others wasn't a concern for him!
Thus, after practicing for a few hours while he gave his cat the affection and attention she needed, Bubai already achieved the very basics of activating his aura!
Follow the method’s instructions, silently chant the mantra, let his true Qi flow into his red leaf, and… Wala.
A vague pink glow illuminated the surface of the red leaf; this was the telltale sign of the Dreamcatching Art’s aura!
Alas... the aura was there, but it was weak – barely visible on the surface layer of the leaf.
It was one thing to have the talent to activate the aura within the totem, but quite another to project it outward, where it could have real-world effects.
The problem now was that his memory space wasn't strong enough to support a fully realized aura.
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Right now, his aura couldn’t even envelop his mysterious dantian space, let alone radiating out into his real dantian and physical body.
Well, it was just a matter of slow and painstaking grinding.
Even with a solid foundation and the right techniques, it could take months, if not years, to reach a point where the aura became truly useful.
Therefore, his aura will definitely not be available for the upcoming competition.
But even if it were, it wouldn’t have been much use anyways because the aura provided by the Dreamcatching Art wasn't exactly designed for pure, direct combat.
The Dreamcatching Art's aura was a layer of shield that could neutralize mental attacks through absorbing them into his memory space. The aura acted like a sponge, soaking up any invasive mental techniques that came in contact with it.
The benefit of this? By distributing the force across the memory space’s structure to minimize harm, it granted immunity to most invasive mental techniques.
It is even able to thwart memory searching techniques by using memory orbs to misdirect the intruder!
The demerit? The memory space bore the brunt of the attacks.
If the force of a mental attack is beyond the realm his memory space could bear, his memory orbs could be damaged, even shattered, inflicting direct harm to his cultivation!
Well, give and take.
Though this aura sounds like a dangerous weakness, sometimes, choosing the lesser evil is the only path forward.
While the risk of losing a few memories of his relationships sounded less than ideal, it was a small price to pay compared to the potential damage from invasive mental techniques.
Regardless, this aura certainly wasn’t the best option for combat, but it was definitely the ideal for someone with a mind full of secrets that needed hiding, like himself.
Of course, setting up a solid defense took time, and even then, it wasn't foolproof.
So, he still needed to tread carefully until his cultivation reaches a level where he is strong enough to come out of the closet. Speaking of coming out…
Bubai felt the last strands of his Qi being drained from his dantian. It all came out. Oh, he was dry.
Bubai’s eyes drifted down to the lazy cat still enjoying her meal with a blissful face as if she was sucking on a pacifier.
Bubai stopped rubbing her belly and gave her a gentle pat on the head, indicating that playtime was over, “Okay, no more.”
With drool trickling from her mouth, the blissful cat’s eyes slowly opened, her pupils dilated as if she is still high, lost in her happy place, a wonderland where all that mattered was a warm touch and a full belly.
Well, it wasn’t too surprising, considering that in order to meet her daily quota, they made sure to work hard like bunnies.
Alas, he personally still hadn’t lost himself in pleasure with this cat.
Honestly, she was better than the twins when it came to sheer pleasure, but when compared to the amazing tryst he had earlier… this was nothing.
Fortunately, he wasn’t at a total loss.
His investment already earned him some passive side income in the form of borderline low and mid-quality memory orbs.
While not a heavenly fortune, it will still be a steady stream of memory orbs to strengthen his memory space.
Of course, this income wasn’t a big deal compared to the main reasons he fed this cat a free lunch.
But free lunch? How can there be free lunch in this world? Everyone has their own agendas, whether they're open about them or not. Others have agendas for him, and vice versa.
It’s unknown what agendas Shu Ling who lusted after him had. Nor was he entirely sure why Miss Meow decided to latch onto him as her personal belly rubber and food source.
Aside from his women, there was his “friend” Jia Shizi, the money-bag Qian Bage, the elders, and who knows how many others there are behind the scenes…
But regardless of their intentions, Bubai knew one thing: he will definitely capitalize on every opportunity to secure the most benefits for himself!
From the fairy, he acquired cultivation knowledge. Whether she was genuinely interested in him or merely playing a game, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
That’s why he willingly took some risky gambles with her…
In return, he received a free bento. The bet was worth the risk.
Now, with the cat, there were multiple angles to explore…
Looking at the lazy cat with her tail covering her furry garden like a cozy blanket, Bubai couldn’t help ruffling her furry orange ears, “Delicious?”
“Meow.”
"Want more?"
“Meow!” Miss Meow answered more enthusiastically this time, her lips nuzzling against the food dispenser, her tail already flicking back and forth over her belly in anticipation.
"Then you remember what to say, right?”
“Meow.”
It was a simple enough response, but it told him everything he needed to know. She'd enjoyed her treat, and that meant she'd be more inclined to do what he asked.
Bubai chuckled and pulled out the task sheet from his storage pouch, folding it carefully before pressing it into her curled hands.
"Good. Try to bring me my reward next time. If you succeed, I’ll make sure you’re well-fed."
That’s right! This was the most obvious angle: money! Bubai aims to see if he could wheedle some financial assistance out of her owner without ever having to show his face!
It was no small feat to keep a cat well-fed and content, especially one as demanding as this one.
If he was going to be the only one feeding her from now on, then it was only fair that he get his due payment from her owner that had his fingers in every pie...
Of course, aside from booting up a possible income source, the cat had other values.
Aside from being the dispenser of the available techniques in the cat’s own arsenal, like her Illusory Beast Steps, the cat was also an important chess piece in the game of spies and counterintelligence.
That old geezer Mo had placed spies at his side, but there wasn’t much tricks Bubai could play there because the status of the twins was too low.
However, Miss Meow was different.
As a full-fledged foundation establishment cultivator, she held some sway on the old man’s views, even if she was usually just a pet.
This made her the perfect candidate who could subtly pepper breadcrumbs regarding his uniqueness, laying the groundwork for an eventual revelation and inevitable showdown that would follow.
Of course, Miss Meow was just one piece of the puzzle, but she was a piece that could make all the difference.
Don’t underestimate this cat just because she acts cute and dumb.
Cats, in general, were clever creatures, and this catwoman was no exception. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have survived for so long and well in this demonic sect.
Being the clever woman she is, she had a knack for knowing what to say and what to keep quiet about, a skill that had undoubtedly kept her in her owner's good graces.
Perhaps the only time she seemed to lose control was during heat, like in her current state. This would be the best time for interrogation, but...
In this state, the cat tends to lose her human language ability, her words usually turning into a series of incoherent, albeit honest, meows. This was a natural barrier against conventional interrogations.
So, Bubai could only glean as much information as possible when she was clear-minded, before the feeding sessions.
This was why he had invested so much effort into taming her, all in hopes of letting her talk to him more.
Of course, real or fake, he had to judge himself.
It was a rather difficult challenge though because it could be 99% truth and 1% lies, but he also had to account for the 50% meows...
Verdict: this cat was very good at her anti-spy job. In fact, it’s a felony that she is this good. Or should he say feliney?
Regardless, felony or not, the time allocated to her for today has come to an end. Now, Bubai had other matters to attend to.
With a final pat on the obedient cat’s head, Bubai stood up and stretched, looking out at the inner sect stretching out before him. “The game… it’s far from over.”
And he was ready to play his part to the fullest.