As the first rays of the rising sun burst forth from the horizon, a warm morning glow bathed the rooftop of a sandstone building in a soft, golden hue.

Laid flat on the rooftop was a handsome man with sharp features, his silhouette defined by the gentle contours of sunlight. Naturally, it was Bubai.

His dark hair tousled, Bubai exuded an air of quiet contemplation as he absorbed the tranquil beauty of the dawn and the warmth of...

Turning his gaze downward, he discovered the delightful sight on his bare chest.

A cat lay curled up, her body absorbing the warmth from his bare body. The cat's eyes were closed, lost in the embrace of a peaceful slumber.

The rising sun outlined the feline's silhouette, accentuating the curve of her back and the delicate twitch of her nose. Not only that, he felt his morning wood kept in the cat bag, gradually rising along with the sun.

The subtle disturbance caused the catwoman to stir from her peaceful slumber.

With a sleepy face, she sat up, purring as she stretched her lithe body. The morning sunlight highlighted the flexibility of her form as her back arched elegantly, showcasing a feline ballet of movement.

Eventually, her cat eyes narrowed inquisitively, meeting his gaze, “Breakfast time meow?”

The captivating sight triggered vague recollections of the previous night in Bubai's mind.

From the corners of alleys to against the walls, and even boldly on the road and rooftops, the puss put on her boots and ran wild throughout the sect, engaging in swordplay with him throughout the remainder of the night.

Training with his new pet cat proved extremely fruitful, as her cooperation enabled him to acquire 20 strands of high-quality memory Qi and 8 mid-quality strands, contributing an additional 3% to his progress!

For a mere couple of hours, this efficiency was remarkable, but this was probably owing to the fact that the first times had the strongest impact.

Too bad this was his sole cultivation-related harvest because the cat refused to sacrifice her own cultivation for his Sun Furnace method.

When he made the switch, she immediately recognized the technique and instinctively restrained her own Qi. “Meow owner said only owner can play this with meow!”

Apparently, most of her Qi had to be conserved for her owner's “petting” session, a bottom line he didn’t want to overstep lest it leads to drastic consequences for both the cat and himself.

He could wheedle out a little to cultivate his memory Qi, but any further was a no go.

Still, thanks to this revelation, he speculated Elder Mo also practiced the Sun Furnace method, but most likely the higher-end version.

Unfortunately, he couldn't wheedle much more information from the cat.

In the heat of the moment, it was the best time for interrogation, and Bubai certainly had plenty of experience with interrogating female targets.

However, his usual methods didn’t work for this feline beauty because he soon discovered... she wasn’t too bright.

She was definitely not outright dumb. It’s just that the cat struggled to convey information in human language, relying on gesturing and meows as substitutes for many words.

Her language was meow this and meow that. So, it was really challenging to differentiate and make out what she spoke about, especially when the topic arrived at cultivation techniques and secrets.

At best, he gleaned vague details regarding certain techniques in Elder Mo’s arsenal.

Alas, most of these details were mostly centered on the visual effects rather than other secrets. From her descriptions, he still failed to learn the specific hidden effects and even their names...

Despite the limitations on the intel aspect, the overall harvest still marked a satisfying end to his night.

With all the law enforcers buzzing around, he really couldn’t harvest much more Qi with his mysterious formation.

Thus, it was worthwhile to trade the remaining time for memory Qi, intel, and, most importantly...

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As Bubai observed Miss Meow laying by his legs, eagerly lapping at the milk dispenser with a silent plea evident in her focused gaze, he finally let the cat out of the bag.

The rhythmic sounds of the cat drinking the milk filled the air...

Sensing the milk bowl was almost empty, his hand gentled stroked the Miss Meow’s head, “Tasty?”

Once satisfied, Miss Meow raised her head, delicately licking her lips. “Meow.”

“How tasty?”

“Meow meow tasty! Tastier than owner meow.”

Well, it was to be expected. His mysterious green Qi seemed to have a fatal attraction to certain creatures, such as his cute, little scorpions.

Furthermore, thanks to the saturation from this special Qi, his body was blessed with magnetism akin to a certain eminent monk who went to seek scriptures from the west.

This not only led to the coveting from a mysterious demoness, but even captured the senses of the hungry, roaming cat demoness!

During their first abrupt encounter, Bubai tested his conjecture on a whim, feeding the cat some green Qi.

Meeting his expectations, the bait hooked the fish, and the cat was back for more.

Thus, he didn’t hold back because prudently sacrificing some Qi to tame a cat was in tandem with his current goals.

The results? The naive cat fell hook, line, and sinker for his cat food.

Rising to his feet, Bubai looked down at Miss Meow, who had shifted to sit in a squatting position, her tail swaying back and forth as she began licking the back of her paws.

“Xiao Mao, remember your promise?”

“Meow?” Miss Meow, in the midst of her elegant feline grooming, tilted her head innocently.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and her tail stood straight, “Meow! Yummy fish is in charge of feeding Meow from now on!”

“And in exchange?”

Miss Meow raised one paw into the air, as if taking a pledge, “Meow will be the obedient Xiao Meow of yummy fish from meow on!”

“Good.” Satisfied with her answer, Bubai reached down to gently rub her lips, brushing over her delicate canine teeth. “Remember the code. If Xiao Mao doesn’t remember, you won’t be getting fed.”

Reciprocating his touch, Miss Meow affectionately licked his fingers, “Meow. Xiao Meow remembers.”

Public Commons District.

Bubai sensed the wrinkly Liang face sitting in his seed’s storage space. The risky investment had earned him a hefty harvest.

Alas, the materials for the face-changing potion was limited. It was too difficult to acquire any more herbs during times like these. So, his days of similar cultivation trips are numbered.

Emerging from the stall, Bubai glanced up at the gradually brightening skies. “Still early. Let’s head back first.”

The feline was a beauty, but the feline was still a beast. The myriad locations within the sect grounds also presented their own unique tastes.

The Book Pavilion was a sacred haven of knowledge, and he shouldn’t carry other lingering scents into it.

Whenever possible, he had always adhered to this rule. His current role was wholly different from his former one as a farmer, where he could be as dirty as he wants.

So, after being a beast for a night, a wash was necessary.

Tower. Bathroom.

In the expansive pool room, situated away from the half-filled pool, Bubai was seated on a sandstone block.

Behind him, Wei Er diligently scrubbed his back, while Wei Yi took care of the front.

Top quality maid service.

Wei Yi soon raised her head, presenting the unique soap that she had obtained from the soap dispenser.

“Hmm. Not bad.” Another memory Qi added.

Too bad its quality was nearing inferior grade. The diminishing pleasure was definitely a problem.

This was a natural occurrence. Excessive indulgence would lead to diminished returns.

His Arboreal Bliss Dreamcatcher Art also had a track record of impacting the natural sense of bliss, giving another shove to the boat already trapped in the whirlpool.

To compound matters, WeiWei, the only one who could ensure his maximal harvest, was still gone for the coming month.

Currently, only Xiao Lan remained to provide him with high-quality memory Qi, but even those were becoming more sparse as they covered more and more techniques in their training regime.

Plus, there were times of the month when his women needed a break.

So, it wasn’t enough to meet his cultivation goals.

That was why he made the decisive choice to accept the catwoman as a new outlet, despite the associated risks.

He was just unwilling to let his cultivation stall.

Although the sect appeared calm at the moment, there will definitely be chaos and turmoil once the high-level members returned from the secret realm.

The aftermath of significant events always led to shifting power dynamics, with winners gaining more influence while the burning grudges of the losers simmered beneath the surface, ready to explode at any given moment.

Even the “righteous” members of an orthodox sect couldn't escape this cycle of hatred, let alone the more chaotic bunch of this demonic sect.

Moreover, a looming event on the horizon served as the perfect catalyst for this keg of gunpowder to explode.

Bubai still hadn’t forgotten about the competition between disciples! More than two months ago, he learned the Inner Sect Exchange was slated to occur within this half of the year!

Calculating the time, it should start shortly after the return of those from the secret realm!

Though he hoped the competition might be canceled due to the secret realm, he knew better than to bank on such an outcome, especially since there would be a clear necessity for a venue where the sect’s members could vent and resolve feuds.

So, it was inevitable.

Alas... he could “luck out” from participating in the deadly secret realm due to his cultivation, but he can’t escape the challenges of fellow disciples during the competition!

He had read the details of the past competitions, and he knew some of them ended rather brutally.

If he wasn’t strong enough by that time… being downgraded to an outer disciple or purely becoming a furnace would be the least of his worries because even his little life might be in danger!

In light of these circumstances, Bubai had long begun preparing to increase his chances of survival through the upcoming turbulent times.

Every risky decision he made in recent days was done with a clear mind after a thorough consideration of his situation.

It was all to achieve the goal necessary for his survival: He aimed to breakthrough to Foundation Establishment before the storm returns!