Cultivating Immortality by Raising a Cat (GL) Chapter 64

In Yuan Zhaoyang’s view, when she had been in cat form, she had eaten and lived with Lin Mianmian and received countless bits of care. Now that the lie had ended, it was naturally her turn to take care of Lin Mianmian.
Stuffing her a little meal money seemed to Yuan Zhaoyang like a small thing done in passing, only the beginning of how she planned to properly make it up to Lin Mianmian. But she did not know that to a little girl who thought she had only met Yuan Zhaoyang a few times, this action was far too familiar.
Lin Mianmian held the spirit stones in her hands. Yuan Zhaoyang’s move of putting down money, leaving a few words, and flying away left her a little at a loss. She had no idea how to answer Xiong Lanlan’s question.
Was she… close with Senior Sister Yuan?
Lin Mianmian looked up in the direction where Yuan Zhaoyang had flown away on her magic treasure. The evening clouds were bright red, but there was no longer any trace of that person leaving. If they counted only the time they had spent together, then at most, it was only the stretch of road through the forest just now.
But for some reason, after Xiong Lanlan asked, Lin Mianmian instead thought again of those relaxed, easy talks in the forest. At the start there had clearly been some unfamiliar awkwardness, but somehow… they had become familiar again so quickly.
“Hey, are you going to stand here until she comes back?” Xiong Lanlan’s bear paw on Lin Mianmian’s shoulder sank a little. “Come on. Time to eat. You have not eaten dishes made from spirit beasts and spiritual plants yet, right? Let me tell you, eating those is very good for your cultivation.”
“Aside from the taste being ordinary, there really are no drawbacks.” The little green turtle slowly crawled off in one direction first.
Xiong Lanlan’s eyes widened. She roared at the little green dot moving farther away. “Can you turtle speak properly or not? Can you leave Mianmian even a little expectation for Clear Heart Hall? If you are so capable, then do not go eat!”
Gui Changshou turned his head faintly. “Heh…”
Before Lin Mianmian could say a word to mediate, she only felt the heavy weight of the bear paw on her shoulder suddenly lighten. A black shadow chased a thin green line at flying speed, and soon both disappeared from Lin Mianmian’s sight.
…
What happened to going to eat together?
“Do not mind them. They are always like this. They will definitely wait for us at the teleportation array in a while.” Feng Liang came over with a smile and linked arms with Lin Mianmian.
Meng Tianhe tossed over a small cloth bag from far away. It landed steadily over the spirit stones in Lin Mianmian’s hands. Then he turned around and quietly began leading the way.
Lin Mianmian put the spirit stones into the cloth bag. There were five stones in total, rectangular blocks with rounded corners. They felt almost like jade, but were much clearer and more transparent than jade. In two of them, she could clearly see threadlike wisps flowing inside. The other three had faint traces too.
This was not Lin Mianmian’s first time seeing spirit stones. When Xiong Lanlan had given her the little courtyard array earlier, she had also included two small spirit stones to activate the array. Only, those were clearly smaller than the pieces in Lin Mianmian’s hand. Their look was similar to the three smaller ones.
“Do not think too much.” Seeing Lin Mianmian silent and hesitant, Feng Liang said thoughtfully, “Today, we already decided we would treat you to your first meal here. Speaking of which, Meng Tianhe looks gloomy, but he is actually quite careful.”
Feng Liang glanced at the cloth bag in Lin Mianmian’s hand, then at Meng Tianhe, who had already walked ahead. She changed the topic.
“He is careful.” Lin Mianmian held the cloth bag and nodded. “After you left, he took care of Little Gray for quite a while.”
“Really? He never told me.” Feng Liang was surprised. After a while, she pressed her lips together. “True, he does not talk to people. Speaking of it, he got a bargain. I had taught Little Gray to be so obedient and so cute!”
Indeed… Meng Tianhe looked even more withdrawn than he had that night…
Counting it, only a few short days had passed. Why did Meng Tianhe look gloomier and gloomier? He had clearly crossed the difficult barrier of drawing spiritual energy into his body…
But… wasn’t she the same? Whether it was the conflict with Wang Chuanying and her younger brother, or the results caused by that conflict, both had brought many changes to her and Meng Tianhe.
Feng Liang had successfully drawn spiritual energy into her body before spring began, so Lin Mianmian gave her a rough account of what had happened after she left. When Lin Mianmian mentioned that in the end, they had no choice but to send away the small mortal-world animals in the old residence, including Little Gray, Feng Liang almost cried.
It took her a long while before she sniffed and said in a low voice that she had originally planned to go back and see Little Gray when she had some free time. Now, well, who knew how long it would be before they met again…
Who knew whether they could meet again at all…
So sometimes, if one was not careful, a farewell thought to be temporary became a farewell forever. Lin Mianmian’s heart hurt, and she did not dare think deeper.
After disciples successfully drew spiritual energy into their bodies and came to this new area in the outer valley, they would formally join the life of Five Elements Sect disciples. Lessons at the Great Lecture Hall, regular daily tasks, and their own cultivation made every day very busy for disciples who had just stepped onto the path of cultivation.
On top of that, the forest terrain was complicated, and many spirit beasts were kept loose inside. Even if a person did not get lost or stop, walking there and back took more than a day. So after Xiong Lanlan, Feng Liang, and the others succeeded in drawing spiritual energy into their bodies, none of them had gone back.
Before Lin Mianmian drew spiritual energy into her body, A-Bai had been afraid Lin Mianmian would feel bad when her little friends all left and did not return, so she had explained this to her carefully.
Now Feng Liang mentioned her regret that she could not see Little Gray. She also said she should not have kept delaying just because the trip back was too troublesome.
Seeing Feng Liang grow sadder as she spoke, Lin Mianmian could not help thinking of the little calico again. Enduring the pain in her heart, she took the initiative to change the subject.
“Right, where is Wang Minger? Isn’t she supposed to be inseparable from Xiong Lanlan?”
“Wang Minger…” Feng Liang rubbed her eyes. “That is a long story…”
Back then, after Wang Minger, with five spiritual roots, had sudden insight and drew spiritual energy into her body, several Core Formation elders in the inner valley quickly took notice of her. In the end, she was accepted by True Person Han, a Core Formation elder from Array Peak who also had five spiritual roots.
A disciple who had formally taken a master naturally received somewhat different treatment from disciples like them, who could only live together in the outer valley and attend large lectures at the Great Lecture Hall.
Take daily travel, for example. Disciples living in the inner valley could move around the outer valley freely. But if outer-valley disciples wanted to enter the inner valley, they had to record their reason.
Putting many other differences aside for now, just this rule about coming and going was enough. During the time after Feng Liang arrived, she had seen Wang Minger come out from the inner valley several times to provoke Xiong Lanlan, then slip away before Xiong Lanlan could explode.
And her ways of provoking people were truly endless. For example, suddenly appearing and throwing out a set of array plates to trap a bear. Or staying up in the middle of the night, pasting on an invisibility talisman, and hiding in Xiong Lanlan’s room to scare the bear. Or silently wrapping up all the sweet bean buns Xiong Lanlan had steamed, then leaving a pile of strange raw meat in the pot…
Every time, she made Xiong Lanlan so angry she jumped. But Xiong Lanlan could not bring herself to record a reason like “going in to beat a child” with the sect and chase Wang Minger into the inner valley.
So in the end… the one who got hurt was always Gui Changshou, who also picked the wrong time to provoke the bear.
“If the Five Elements Sect had not gained a great chance more than ten years ago, causing many Core Formation True Persons to benefit from it and go into seclusion, then with Xiong Lanlan’s single earth spiritual root and how quickly she drew spiritual energy into her body, she should have had a chance to receive a Core Formation elder’s appreciation and enter the inner valley too.” Feng Liang deeply sympathized with Xiong Lanlan’s situation.
“Back then, Wang Minger was timid and loved to cry. Xiong Lanlan almost raised her like a little bear cub. But now, truly, a kind bear gets bullied by a child… Fortunately, although there are not many Core Formation True Persons taking disciples inside the Five Elements Sect, the sect treats its disciples fairly in terms of benefits. For a disciple with average aptitude like me, it is much friendlier than other sects.”
Hearing this, Lin Mianmian could not help asking, “What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, right. You have not had time to register your disciple plate yet.” Feng Liang slapped her own forehead and smiled. “It is fine. After we eat, Senior Sister Yuan will take you there. If I tell you now, it is the same, except you will have to listen one more time later. I only learned this when I registered my disciple plate. Although the Five Elements Sect has inner valley and outer valley residences, and a difference between those who have taken a master and those without a fixed master, it does not divide disciples into inner and outer sect.”
“In short, aside from what a disciple can receive from their own master, all disciples receive the same monthly cultivation resources from the sect, based on cultivation level. Not only that, for disciples with different spiritual roots and different aptitudes, the sect also adjusts the resources to better fit them.”
“If it is still based on cultivation level, then where is it better than other sects?” Lin Mianmian still did not quite understand.
“The best part is naturally the amount of resources.” Feng Liang pointed at the small cloth bag in Lin Mianmian’s hand. “For a disciple like me, who has just drawn spiritual energy into my body, every month I can receive fifty low-grade spirit stones from the sect, plus five body-tempering pills that match my spiritual roots and aptitude. I heard this kind of benefit is already more than twice what other sects give…”
“Also, regardless of cultivation level, from disciples who have just drawn spiritual energy into their bodies all the way up to the sect leader, every person receives one Spirit-Guiding Pill every ten days, one Spirit-Nurturing Pill every two months, and one Spirit-Nourishing Pill every half year. These are fixed resources.”
“In short, the sect gives disciples quite a lot of resources. The rewards for completing sect tasks are even better. And inside the sect, the prices for buying pills, ingredients, magic artifacts, and even magic treasures are not high. Once you register your disciple plate, you will be able to check all of this one by one.”
Spirit-Guiding Pill? Spirit-Nourishing Pill?
Those names…
Lin Mianmian’s steps paused. So the thing Wang Fang had wanted to give her earlier was a Spirit-Guiding Pill, something one could receive every ten days… and then Senior Sister Yuan had driven him off with three Spirit-Nourishing Pills, each of which was only given once every half year?
That slap in the face… was it a little expensive?
And also… why did she treat Lin Mianmian so well?
“Those spirit stones from just now?” Lin Mianmian looked at Feng Liang and pointed at the cloth bag in her hand.
“You do not recognize them?” Feng Liang raised her brows. “Three low-grade, two mid-grade. Calculated by hundreds, that is two hundred and three low-grade spirit stones. Mm… actually, it should be worth more, because everyone likes exchanging low grade for higher grade. In Clear Heart Hall, for us at the lower levels of Qi Refining, a meal ticket to eat until full only costs one low-grade spirit stone. Demon cultivators even get five tickets from the sect every month. For us human cultivators… the dishes bought with one low-grade spirit stone can last two or three days.”
Lin Mianmian felt the bag in her hand grow even heavier.
“Uh…” Feng Liang really could not hold back the question she wanted to ask. “Is Senior Sister Yuan planning to cover your meals for the whole year?”
Cover my meals? Why me?
First there was that bottle of magical water, then the Red Essence Five-Scale Fish soup, and then the Spirit-Nurturing Pill… Why me? Why… treat me so well?
No matter how Lin Mianmian thought about it, she could not understand.
At the Forging Hall, inside a quiet room, Yuan Zhaoyang was skillfully throwing materials into earth fire. For some reason, she kept feeling that her ears were hot.
She had a fire spiritual root. How could her ears heat up just from sitting by fire? It truly made no sense…
Earlier, while crossing the forest, Lin Mianmian had wondered a few times what kind of scene she would see once she left the woods.
It would surely be different from the outermost area, which looked no different from a mortal countryside. Would it be rich, grand, gorgeous, and bright, or would it be wrapped in clouds and mist, floating with immortal air?
With so many cultivators there, would their spells dazzle the eye when activated? Would people be friendly in groups of three or five, or would strangers hurry past? When she looked up, would she see one after another afterimage of people flying on artifacts, lifting a corner of the great cultivation world before her?
Imagination was only imagination in the end.
Beyond the forest was a grassland so wide she could not see the edge. This kind of thing… ha, who would have thought?
When chatting with little friends she had not seen for a long time, time always passed especially quickly. It would have been even better if the grass had not grown taller the farther they walked.
At the forest edge, the ground had still been covered with ordinary small blades of grass. But as they walked, the grass had almost grown as tall as a person.
“Are we still far from the teleportation array?” Lin Mianmian pushed aside the grass in front of her face once more and finally could not help asking.
“Almost there.” Feng Liang had long since let go of Lin Mianmian’s arm and was walking ahead using both hands to push grass aside. “Can you see Meng Tianhe? When the grass grows over his head, we will be there.”
Lin Mianmian parted the grass and looked at Meng Tianhe not far ahead. All right, the grass only reached his shoulders.
“Why is there such a huge grassland? I thought once we passed the forest, we would reach the place where you live.”
“You will know later. The Five Elements Sect is very big. In many places, if you do not use teleportation arrays or spells, walking takes a very long time.” Feng Liang used her arm to block the grass in front of her. “I heard this grassland is allowed to grow freely through spring, summer, and autumn. At the end of autumn, it is cut and made into grass fertilizer. Right, you have a wood spiritual root, don’t you? You might use it when you farm later.”
Grass fertilizer?
Lin Mianmian froze, then reached out and pulled a blade of grass beside her closer to look at it carefully.
The grass blade was tender green, thick below and thin above. Even at its thickest, it was no wider than three of her fingers. The higher it went, the narrower it became, and the tip drooped slightly. It looked… only like an enlarged version of ordinary grass. Its smell was also the scent of green grass mixed with earth.
“Does this grass have a name?” Lin Mianmian asked.
“A name?” Feng Liang looked back at Lin Mianmian. “I have not heard one. I only know the grass fertilizer made from it is called Chaotic Wind Dust. Earlier in spring, Xiong Lanlan bought two big bags from the sect, and we laughed about the fertilizer’s name for a long time.”
Chaotic Wind Dust…
That name for the grass fertilizer… could it be… Wind-Dust Grass?
Wind-Dust Grass, supplementary ingredient, large in size and clear in flavor.
Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig, low-grade ingredient, tender meat, slightly gamey, nourishes earth when eaten. Handling method: Take pork belly and cut it into square chunks. Blanch it together with Wind-Dust Grass, then tie it tightly with Wind-Dust Grass. Place it in the pot with suitable amounts of Underground Yellow of Manhe Vine and Thousand-Fragrance Fruit Shell, season with Glow-Shell Salt, Copper-Thorn Bush Yellow Honey, and Silver Bean Oil, then stew for three double-hours to finish.
Lin Mianmian swiftly recited a section from the Food Classic about Wind-Dust Grass in her heart.
During the apocalypse, Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs had also been one of the strange beasts humans captured many times. They reproduced quickly, and the difficulty of catching them was not high.
They were unlike Red Essence Five-Scale Fish, which had to be cooked according to the Food Classic with every ingredient found before it could be eaten. Even if Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig was not cooked according to the Food Classic, it could still be eaten. It only had a slight gamey smell, a bit stronger than mutton in normal times. But in the environment of the apocalypse, that was absolutely bearable. It was a very popular mutated beast ingredient.
Before Lin Mianmian was betrayed, Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs had already been listed as part of the base’s strange beast taming plan.
In fact… as a member of the base’s mutated plant research group, Lin Mianmian had never seen the Wind-Dust Grass described in the Food Classic.
Mutated plants did not move easily. Compared with mutated animals, they were harder to find and easier for people to ignore. On top of that, the Food Classic’s descriptions of supplementary ingredients were always very simple. Aside from ingredients many dishes required, such as Underground Yellow of Manhe Vine and Glow-Shell Salt, there were many other supplementary ingredients Lin Mianmian had never seen before she crossed worlds.
So, was this Wind-Dust Grass?
Lin Mianmian touched the giant grass blade beside her. Her heart was full of doubt, along with a small bit of… excitement?
“Feng Liang, what ingredients does Clear Heart Hall use for its dishes?” Lin Mianmian asked while casually snapping off a few blades of grass.
“Spiritual plants and spirit beast meat. The dishes are different every day. It depends on what ingredients Clear Heart Hall has today. Ah, we are finally here!” Feng Liang stopped, turned sideways, pushed aside the last bit of grass in front of her, and called back to Lin Mianmian. “Come quick. The teleportation array is here. Huh, why are you carrying that grass?”
Lin Mianmian, who was carrying two blades of grass, froze for a moment.
Right… She was no longer that researcher studying mutated plants…
What was this habit of casually taking samples?
“You like it? I will keep it for you first. Carrying it is tiring.” Feng Liang did not ask much. She reached out and hooked her hand, and the two grass blades in Lin Mianmian’s arms were taken into the little storage bag at Feng Liang’s waist. “When Senior Sister Yuan takes you to register later, the sect will also give you a storage bag. I will return them to you then.”
Lin Mianmian could only nod at such thoughtfulness.
Together with Feng Liang, she walked through that last stretch of grass, which was now taller than their heads. What appeared before Lin Mianmian was a small round clearing. The clearing was surrounded by lush grass. In other directions, she could vaguely see that the grass seemed even taller, higher than Xiong Lanlan, who was standing in the clearing.
“Come quick. We are going to eat!” Xiong Lanlan stood in the middle of the clearing on an eight-sided symbol that faintly flashed with white light, waving at the late arrivals.
A teleportation array…
Earlier, when Lin Mianmian had accidentally entered the center of Yingxian City, she had been teleported twice, both times passively.
“Do not be afraid. It is very fast.” Feng Liang gently tugged Lin Mianmian.
Meng Tianhe was already standing beside Xiong Lanlan.
Lin Mianmian followed and stepped into the symbol. She saw Xiong Lanlan hook the small storage bag hanging around her neck, and a small jade plate appeared on her bear paw.
“The jade plate we were given when we first entered the sect becomes this kind of disciple plate after we register at the registry. In daily life, it is used to receive resources, take tasks, use teleportation arrays, and many other things,” Feng Liang quietly explained to Lin Mianmian.
“We are going.” As Xiong Lanlan spoke, she pressed the jade plate onto the stone platform at the center of the symbol. White light instantly rose from the edge of the symbol and covered the three people and one bear inside it. “To Clear Heart Hall.”
Xiong Lanlan was a bear who spoke each word clearly and firmly.
“Wait…” Lin Mianmian had only managed to pop out one word when a flash filled her vision. She narrowed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was no longer in the clearing ringed by grass.
“Wait…” Out of habit, Lin Mianmian released the second word in a square full of people coming and going, beasts running back and forth, all kinds of spells flashing, and many points of light flying overhead.
“What is it?” Xiong Lanlan pried the jade plate back from the stone platform and looked at Lin Mianmian with a puzzled bear face.
This was the immortal sect she had imagined…
Lin Mianmian sighed inwardly, but did not forget what she had wanted to ask just now. “Oh, I just wanted to ask, where is Gui Changshou?”
“Here.” A muffled voice sounded nearby.
“Come on. Time to eat.” Xiong Lanlan hooked one paw around Lin Mianmian and pointed with the other paw toward a place more than ten steps away, pushing Lin Mianmian forward in big strides.
Wait, so where was the turtle?
Lin Mianmian looked back and saw that where Xiong Lanlan had been standing, a little green turtle was slowly following them. He was still muttering, “Second level of Qi Refining, so amazing, huh? Hmph! Just wait!”
Xiong Lanlan was already at the second level of Qi Refining.
Before Lin Mianmian had time to think carefully about the gap between human and bear, Clear Heart Hall arrived.
“This…” Lin Mianmian found it a little hard to accept. “This is Clear Heart Hall? The Clear Heart Hall where people eat?”
One bear, one turtle, and two people all nodded together.