Cultivating Immortality by Raising a Cat (GL) Chapter 14

Lin Mianmian looked in the direction A-Bai’s soft paw pointed. In the lower right corner of the light screen, there was a green vertical line about as long as a little finger and only about one-third as thick as a little finger. Mm… a green plant? The green vertical line seemed to be made from the same green light dots that had scattered in the screen earlier. It was a little rough. Lin Mianmian could not quite tell whether the tiny extra piece at the top was a short horizontal line or a small leaf.
“This… is my spiritual root?” Lin Mianmian murmured. Panic rose in her heart again. Could this be showing her true grass form?
Was she not supposed to be human?
In fact, after seeing many things in the plaza, Lin Mianmian was no longer as afraid as she had been at first of revealing herself as a grass demon. But for Lin Mianmian, being less afraid did not mean she did not resist the idea. If possible, she still hoped she could be human. Because of that, Lin Mianmian, who did not understand this body very well, inevitably cared even more about the information shown on the light screen.
Yuan Zhaoyang pulled her shocked gaze away from the little plant and turned to look deeply at Lin Mianmian. She nodded and said in a low voice, “Yes. This is your spiritual root…” At this point, Yuan Zhaoyang seemed to want to say more, but hesitated. She rubbed the pads of her right fingers and pressed her lips together.
“Tsk…” A-Bai could not help hopping out of her soft nest. She stood up and stretched a paw into the light screen.
The little plant made of green light dots was scattered by A-Bai’s paw, and the green dots darted all over. But after A-Bai withdrew her paw, the dots gathered back at the same place and returned to the same little plant.
“Although it is a single spiritual root, the root itself is this weak… This is really…” A-Bai did not finish. She turned to look at Yuan Zhaoyang. Yuan Zhaoyang had insisted on getting this person into the Five Elements Sect, so whether to speak about the spiritual root, and how to speak about it, depended on her.
Even though Yuan Zhaoyang had already planned to take Lin Mianmian into the Five Elements Sect even if she had no spiritual roots, when she saw that Lin Mianmian had a single wood spiritual root, yet that the root was this weak, she still could not help feeling regret. When she looked at Lin Mianmian again, her gaze carried a little pity.
“This spiritual testing stone first measures race, then spiritual roots, and finally shows spiritual root aptitude. You are of the human race, so we can set aside differences between races for now. Spiritual roots are inborn. Aside from the common five-element spiritual roots of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, there are also mutated spiritual roots evolved from the five elements, such as wind, ice, and lightning. Only a person with spiritual roots has the foundation to step onto the path of cultivation. In the cultivation world long ago, most cultivation sects believed that people with single spiritual roots had the best aptitude, those with double spiritual roots came next, and the more types of spiritual roots a person had, the more mixed they were and the worse the aptitude. But the truth is not completely like that.”
This basic knowledge of the cultivation world did not need to be explained in such detail during a spiritual root test. Yet Yuan Zhaoyang, who had guided Lin Mianmian step by step into this situation, felt for some reason that she had a duty to let Lin Mianmian know before bringing her back to the Five Elements Sect.
“More than a thousand years ago, a new explanation about spiritual roots spread. A spiritual root is like a magnet inside the human body. During cultivation, it draws spiritual energy into the body. The quality of a person’s spiritual root is also closely connected to their cultivation speed…”
Lin Mianmian looked at Yuan Zhaoyang, who had paused for a long time, then at the tiny plant in the lower right corner of the light screen.
Yuan Zhaoyang could not bear it, but continued. “The cylindrical light screen before you represents the state of a person with the best aptitude. Suppose this person with the best aptitude had water, fire, and earth spiritual roots. Then the light screen would be filled with blue, red, and yellow light dots. Such a person’s cultivation speed, even with three spiritual roots, might not be slower than a single-spiritual-root cultivator who can only fill half the light screen.”
Fill the light screen? Lin Mianmian compared the volume of her spiritual root to the light screen. One to one hundred? Or one to two hundred?
A-Bai could not listen anymore. Yuan Zhaoyang was explaining too clearly. She was about to scare the little girl silly. Did they still want to bring her back or not? What if she cried and ran away?
A-Bai was about to speak and interrupt this serious, heavy topic, but Lin Mianmian spoke first. “So a person’s cultivation speed depends not only on the number of spiritual roots, but also on… mm… the size of the spiritual root in the light screen?”
“Yes. Besides those two factors, there is another one: whether the spiritual roots generate or restrain each other.” Yuan Zhaoyang nodded. “Simply put, the higher the spiritual root aptitude, the more spiritual energy one absorbs in the same amount of time. But absorbing quickly is not enough. Next, the absorbed spiritual energy must circulate through the meridians. The spiritual energy drawn in by different spiritual roots will differ inside the body. At that time, if there are many spiritual roots, or if the spiritual roots restrain each other, the speed of spiritual energy circulation in the meridians will slow.”
Lin Mianmian thought for a moment and concluded, “So a single spiritual root with good aptitude that fills the whole light screen cultivates the fastest.”
“Yes. Exactly.” Yuan Zhaoyang approved of Lin Mianmian’s understanding.
“Wait!” A-Bai finally could not bear it and raised her paw high. “That is true in theory, but in reality, this rabbit has lived more than a hundred years and has never seen anyone whose spiritual root aptitude fills the whole light screen. Also, neither the number of spiritual roots nor aptitude can finally decide how far you can go on the cultivation path. Never mind the opportunities and dangers in the cultivation world. Even breakthroughs between realms depend on fate.”
“That may be true…” But spiritual roots were still the foundation. Yuan Zhaoyang had only spoken halfway before A-Bai interrupted again.
“Anyway, even if your spiritual root is a little small, it is not as if there is no hope. I have seen aptitude pictures of other wood spiritual roots. They are all piles of green dots, or blobs, or puddles. Very boring. Look at your spiritual root. It is very cute, like a little blade of grass. Maybe you will have a great opportunity later. Besides, there are plenty of medicines in the cultivation world that can increase spiritual root aptitude. Work hard, and we can grow the root bigger. Grow it into a big grass!” A-Bai finished rapidly and gave Yuan Zhaoyang a look.
Right. Yuan Zhaoyang had originally explained spiritual roots clearly so Lin Mianmian would know more and feel prepared. How had she forgotten to comfort her? Yuan Zhaoyang, beaten to it by A-Bai, closed her mouth unhappily and silently circulated the heart-clearing mantra once.
Who would have thought? As a grass demon, her aptitude was this bad. She was simply embarrassing grass.
Thinking back to the apocalypse, although she had not been in the combat team, she had worked very hard at planting. Every day, she used her ability until she was exhausted. The ability levels of non-combat teams rose more slowly than combat teams. One reason was the number of times abilities were used, combat insight into abilities, and chances to break through in danger. Another reason was the base’s resource allocation and the combat teams’ share of battle spoils and crystal cores.
Lin Mianmian had not gone to the battlefield. She had no resources, no crystal cores, and could not even eat her fill. Yet she was the first in the base’s non-combat team to reach a level-five ability. It was ironic. Later, when the base sent her to Central City as human research material, she learned the reason only from people sent from other bases. At a time when the average member of the combat teams in every base was only level five, a level-five appeared in the non-combat team. Of course they had to study her properly.
Aptitude was truly annoying. It was good when it should have been bad, and bad when it should have been good.
The little girl’s long silence made Yuan Zhaoyang feel uncomfortable. She softened her voice, learned from A-Bai, and advised, “What I said earlier was only an example. I have never seen someone with full aptitude either. Cultivation is fighting the heavens for lifespan. It is already an act against the heavens, with countless dangers and hardships. You can simply regard this as the first test. The cultivation world also has many opportunities. As A-Bai said, there are pills that improve spiritual root aptitude. You do not need to lose heart. Besides, the Five Elements Sect has vast lands and rich resources, and is very generous with resources for its disciples. Just cultivate with all your heart.”
“With aptitude like mine, the Five Elements Sect still wants me?” Lin Mianmian was surprised. In this situation, should they not comfort her first and then advise her to leave? Even if the person and rabbit had not said it clearly, from their reactions when her spiritual root aptitude appeared, Lin Mianmian could guess that her aptitude was probably so poor that even they had never seen anything like it. Even Lin Mianmian herself had no confidence that such poor aptitude could achieve anything. Recruiting this kind of aptitude into the Five Elements Sect clearly meant consuming resources with no expected return.
Yuan Zhaoyang was choked speechless for a while by Lin Mianmian’s obvious gaze of looking at fools. Indeed, with this aptitude… normally, the Five Elements Sect should… not want her.
“Of course we want you. Did we not say the Five Elements Sect has vast lands and rich resources? Different places need people. New disciples of the Five Elements Sect all live in the outer valley during Qi Refining. There are fields, mountains, trees, and small animals. A wood spiritual root like yours can plant spiritual grain and spiritual plants, practice on small animals… cough, cough… play with small animals. Life will be lively and prosperous. The outer valley depends on hardworking disciples like you to thrive. Otherwise, if everyone were as amazing as this rabbit and no one planted vegetables, what would we eat?” A-Bai climbed back into her soft nest and lay down, wearing the expression of a rabbit waiting for Lin Mianmian to come serve her.
Yuan Zhaoyang: “…” She always felt something sounded wrong. Planting rice and vegetables, raising animals – was this cultivation or being a servant? But seeing Lin Mianmian’s expression seem a little better as she listened, Yuan Zhaoyang could only swallow her complaints.
Lin Mianmian did not quite believe that life in the Five Elements Sect could be as easy and pleasant as A-Bai described, especially with her useless aptitude. But she did not seem to have a better choice.
Aptitude was something she could not change. If she did not go to the Five Elements Sect, even joining another sect would mean facing the same problem. And now that Lin Mianmian knew she had a spiritual root, she truly could not say she only wanted to be a mortal. Even she would not believe that.
And so, the name of the Five Elements Sect smoothly floated above Lin Mianmian’s head.
Tian Xiaoyu was different from Lin Mianmian, who had seen much in the apocalypse. Yuan Zhaoyang and A-Bai’s earlier explanation of spiritual roots made her dizzy. She did not yearn for that unfamiliar cultivation life, nor did she feel that living for hundreds or thousands of years was something to long for. The person she liked had no spiritual root and could not cultivate. Several decades later, if he died, what should she do then? Tian Xiaoyu did not even dare think about it. Moreover, after stepping onto the immortal path, would she really have time to return and spend those decades with him?
“I…” Just as Tian Xiaoyu’s hand was about to touch the spiritual testing stone, she pulled it back. Although she still did not dare look directly at Yuan Zhaoyang, she clenched her palm and asked, “If I test and have spiritual roots, can I still not join…”
By the end, her voice was so low even she could barely hear it.
Unfortunately, in this room, one cat, one rabbit, and one grass all had sharp ears and eyes.
“You do not want to join the Five Elements Sect? Did you come to the wrong place?” Yuan Zhaoyang had spent most of the time inside the wooden house and could not keep up with Tian Xiaoyu’s logic for a moment.
“She does not want to join any sect.” A-Bai rolled over in her soft nest and laughed. “She cannot bear to leave the noodle seller outside.”
Tian Xiaoyu lowered her head, her ears red enough to drip blood.
“Since you have no heart for cultivation, why come to enter an immortal sect? Because your parents wanted the five hundred taels?” Yuan Zhaoyang remembered the farce outside as soon as she asked and answered herself. Then she added, “The emotions of the mortal world last only several decades. If you truly have spiritual roots, are you willing to give up the long road of immortality for those few decades?”
Tian Xiaoyu wished a crack would open in the ground at once, but she still nodded.
A-Bai felt that Tian Xiaoyu’s choice was also quite brave and spoke up to help. “We can fake it and say you have no spiritual roots, but do you not want to test first and then decide?”
Tian Xiaoyu raised her head to look at A-Bai.
The little white rabbit looked honest and simple.
“No. I have already decided.” Tian Xiaoyu pulled back her hand, stepped back twice, and gave A-Bai a shy smile. “Thank you for being willing to help me.”
She had even given up testing her spiritual roots. This shy and somewhat soft girl made A-Bai look at her with new respect.
Although Yuan Zhaoyang did not quite agree, A-Bai kept her word and stamped Tian Xiaoyu with “return home.” She also agreed that only the people in the room would know that Tian Xiaoyu had not tested her spiritual roots, and they would not tell the people outside.
After Tian Xiaoyu repeatedly thanked them and left, Yuan Zhaoyang could not help saying, “She did not even test her spiritual roots. In the future, she will regret it, right?”
“Maybe she was afraid she would regret it, so she did not give herself the chance to choose. She also did not give the Qiao family’s young man a chance to feel guilty,” Lin Mianmian sighed. “Such deep feelings. I hope the Qiao family’s young man treats her the same all his life.”
Just after Lin Mianmian finished sighing, she saw one person and one rabbit both stare at her.
“I could not tell. You are so young, but you sound very experienced.” A-Bai pursed her mouth and smoothed her ears.
Lin Mianmian: “…”
It was clearly a fluffy rabbit face, but Lin Mianmian had no trouble seeing the teasing all over it.
Can someone please give me one serious rabbit? Thank you.
Before Lin Mianmian finished complaining about A-Bai in her heart, the female immortal beside her spoke in a faint, distant voice. “You have someone you like?”
Mm. Please also give me one serious female immortal.
Wait. Why did that voice feel faint and distant?