Cultivating Immortality by Raising a Cat (GL) Chapter 7

When Lin Mianmian was teleported out, she was at the very center of the immortal sect recruitment plaza. The plaza was enormous. The crowd scattered in all directions, and Lin Mianmian followed one group to the edge of the plaza, where she saw the first immortal sect recruiting disciples here. It was called Tianji Hall.
The little house of Tianji Hall looked, at first glance, like a small temple. Its wooden door was half closed. Through the gap, one could see a solemn Buddha seated inside. Blue smoke rose from an incense plate at the Buddha’s feet and slowly drifted outward.
Simply standing before that little house made a person feel as if compassion were shining on them. Their thoughts calmed, and they relaxed a great deal. Leaving other things aside, just from this first aura, it already gave the feeling of an upright, famous sect.
However, whether it was the style of Tianji Hall’s little house, the bald disciples answering questions and guiding people at the entrance, or the Buddhist chants that rang out from time to time in the sect introduction broadcast, all of it showed this immortal sect’s special nature.
Although immortals and mortals were different, and entering an immortal sect to step onto the path of cultivation was a mortal’s dream, with so many sects to choose from, neither the children nor their direct relatives would clearly make Tianji Hall their first choice.
Tianji Hall had likely expected this long ago. The disciples receiving people at the entrance simply sat cross-legged, closed their eyes, and moved their prayer beads, not paying much attention to the people coming and going.
For some reason, Lin Mianmian felt an inexplicable fondness for Tianji Hall. Smelling the light incense and listening to Buddhist sounds she could not understand, even the voice of the sect introduction broadcast seemed especially pleasant. After standing there for a while, she felt as if worldly things were being peeled from her heart one by one. Pain, attachment, and confusion went with them. Her whole self became especially light, even pure.
But in the end, this was not her destination.
Never mind whether she would become a monk. Lin Mianmian did not want to join a sect that was so full of compassion and looked as if it might go around saving all living beings at any time.
Worrying for the world, sacrificing herself for others, wringing out every drop of her heart’s blood – in the apocalypse, Lin Mianmian had truly done those things. To force more spiritual plants to grow, she had taken the pain of exhausting her ability again and again. She had saved food to help people who were hungrier. Countless times, she had fainted from exhaustion in the fields, only so the combat teams leaving the base could bring a little more food.
In the end, the base bound her and sent her away to become a human test subject.
Because she had wanted to do it, had done it, and had been disappointed in the end, Lin Mianmian would not do it again.
The days of yesterday that left me cannot be kept. The things of today that disturb my heart bring many worries.
Although Lin Mianmian no longer wanted to be that kind of person, she still held respect for people who could be like that.
After Lin Mianmian firmed her will and prepared to walk clockwise to view the next sect, she realized that she was not the only one subdued by Tianji Hall’s compassionate air.
Those who had arrived a little before her had also stayed for a long time. They looked at Tianji Hall’s little house with longing and reverence. But in the end, they too struggled to take a step and walked toward another immortal sect.
Lin Mianmian’s heart shook slightly.
Earlier, after hearing the voice explain the process of entering an immortal sect, Lin Mianmian had silently complained that these sects were too much like cabbages set out for people to pick through. They were far too grounded and not mysterious or lofty enough. Even if people chose and entered a sect, they might not hold much respect for that sect.
But after seeing Tianji Hall, Lin Mianmian knew she had thought wrong.
It was true that the sects allowed people to choose. Yet this process was also the sects choosing people. Every immortal sect was like a temptation. A person who resisted so many temptations and finally chose one sect – was that not also a kind of fate between that person and that sect?
Tianji Hall…
Lin Mianmian looked back. At some point, many people had already gathered before the hall. Among them, perhaps there would be some who truly agreed with it and wanted to join Tianji Hall.
As for her, she still had to keep walking.
After seeing more immortal sects, Lin Mianmian noticed something rather interesting. She did not know whether the sects had some agreement among themselves, but using whether she could hear a sect’s broadcast as a way to judge distance, after walking past several recruitment areas, she roughly estimated that each sect occupied about the same amount of space. Likewise, within sight, the little houses all had different shapes, but their height was about the same. At least, one could not judge the size of a sect from the land its area took up. However, it was still possible to hear some clues from the introductions at the gates.
After listening to more than ten sect introductions, Lin Mianmian could generally summarize the shared points.
The sect’s approximate location, the area it occupied, the direction of its cultivation, the basic benefits for ordinary disciples, and its simple requirements for those wishing to enter.
A few sects would also introduce their position in the Southern Union cultivation world, or roughly how many Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators they had.
It sounded like university admissions brochures.
Likewise, just like filling out college applications, after seeing many schools, one would feel that many parts were similar. The troublesome part about entering immortal sects, compared with filling out applications, was that there was no clear ranking of sect strength.
Of course, if there were, everyone would naturally rush toward the strongest sects.
Still, Lin Mianmian believed that if one had the patience to walk through all the recruiting sects and listen to their introductions, one could compare them at least a little. As for whether she should choose one of the sects she had seen earlier, Lin Mianmian was still somewhat hesitant. Perhaps it was better to follow that faint idea of finding a sect with which she had fate.
No matter what, Lin Mianmian continued looking very seriously, one sect after another.
Most immortal sects had put great care into arranging their buildings so that they matched their own specialties.
For example, there was Star-Grasping Tower, which could move the stars and change fortune. Its building was simple, but above it hung a sky full of stars. When one entered Star-Grasping Tower’s area, it felt as if daytime had suddenly become night. It was truly wondrous. There was also Great Sword Mountain. Its building looked like the hilt of a sword thrust into the earth, and its sect introduction was carved on a huge stone. The words on the stone faintly carried a sharp aura that made people unable to look straight at them. Then there was Spirit Snake Valley, with snakes all over the grounds. No one dared go close and listen carefully to what its introduction said. That level of chasing people away could also be called very distinctive.
Among the more than ten sects Lin Mianmian had seen, those were the most distinctive. The other sects had also put plenty of thought into their sites. Condensed ice, winding vines, fire burning into words – such things were everywhere, fully displaying immortal methods.
Lin Mianmian walked and pondered carefully. Then, in front of one building, she could no longer move her feet.
Yuan Zhaoyang stood at the entrance of the Five Elements Sect’s building, waiting so hard her eyes almost pierced through autumn waters. The unique fragrance belonging to that little girl hung thick in the air and would not disperse. Perhaps it was too fragrant. Yuan Zhaoyang could only judge that the girl was already very close to the Five Elements Sect, but could no longer tell exactly how close.
At first, Yuan Zhaoyang had only felt that this fragrance stirred her mind and made her yearn for it. But after smelling it for so long, Yuan Zhaoyang’s urge to get closer was almost about to break through reason and turn into action.
But what would she do after getting closer? Yuan Zhaoyang had no idea at all.
At this moment, Yuan Zhaoyang’s inner fire was rising. Yet in this place and situation, she could not show anything strange on her face. She could only recite the heart-clearing mantra in her mind over and over and over again.
At the entrance to the Five Elements Sect’s grounds, the Qiao family’s noodle stall had long been set up. Now the whole entrance was full of meat fragrance.
“Ying Fu, make some wind and blow that meat smell farther away.” Exhausted from resisting the strange fragrance, Yuan Zhaoyang rubbed her brow and took two steps toward the noodle stall. She refused to believe she had misread the hunger and desire in the girl’s eyes when she looked at that stall earlier. No matter how flashy the other sects’ displays were, surely they did not provide meals too.
“…” Ying Fu looked embarrassed and murmured a reminder. “Senior Sister Yuan, once noon arrived, the barriers between each sect’s grounds activated. The sound and smell from our grounds cannot spread to other places.”
Right. Yuan Zhaoyang remembered the site instructions she had read before. This kind of barrier, meant to block noise and prevent malicious advertising, was truly… annoying.
Wait.
Then how was that little girl’s scent passing through?
Yuan Zhaoyang frowned and paced as she analyzed what principle the plaza barrier used. Without realizing it, she walked to the side of the noodle stall.
A tiny stream of wind flowing underfoot made Yuan Zhaoyang stop.
“This is…” Yuan Zhaoyang bent down, and the slight breeze slipped between her fingers.
“…” Ying Fu wiped away imaginary sweat and silently backed up.
“You used the Wind-Riding Talisman your master gave you? The Wind-Riding Talisman with Core Formation power, meant to save your life? What did you use it for?” Yuan Zhaoyang was simply shocked. Could there have been some fight at the entrance to the grounds that she had not known about?
No one had told Ying Fu that after a Foundation Establishment cultivator activated a Wind-Riding Talisman with Core Formation power, the leaked wind would still be here and last this long. He could only lower his head, admit his fault, and honestly explain how he had used the Wind-Riding Talisman to bring the noodle stall here. Then he waited silently to be scolded.
The Five Elements Sect was currently lacking Core Formation cultivators. Ying Fu’s master counted as one of the few remaining Core Formation Masters. If it were only a Wind-Riding Talisman, it would not be especially precious. But a talisman that allowed a lower-level cultivator to activate Core Formation power was precious in itself.
Ying Fu’s Wind-Riding Talisman could not only activate Core Formation power across realms, it also caused no backlash to the user. Such a talisman had to be carefully drawn by a Core Formation Master, with Core Formation power compressed inside and layer after layer of protective restrictions added. It could be called very precious.
And he had used a life-saving talisman just like that?
“This was something your master…” Yuan Zhaoyang was already in a state where the fragrance had hooked her inner fire until it was hard to bear and her reason was tottering. Hearing Ying Fu say this, she could not maintain her usual calm, and her voice inevitably carried some anger.
“This was something your master gave you to save your life. Since you used it for the Five Elements Sect, I will replace it with another.” A-Bai appeared from nowhere, cutting off Yuan Zhaoyang’s words. With her left paw, she slapped a talisman onto Ying Fu. With her right paw, she quickly moved a few times, and a barrier that blocked sound and sight covered her and Yuan Zhaoyang.
“What are you doing?” Yuan Zhaoyang’s anger had not been released, so even her voice carried a spoiled edge.
“I should be asking what you are doing.” A-Bai’s rabbit face was white and round, making it hard to see joy or anger. But her paws were very nimble. She patted the golden bell, and a ball of water flew straight into Yuan Zhaoyang’s mouth. “At his Foundation Establishment cultivation, the most he could have done was put the things into a storage bag and bring the person back. That would only have awed the people present at the time. How could it compare to wrapping the whole noodle stall in wind and floating it back? This time, the higher-ups of the Five Elements Sect also said we should broadly recruit disciples and fill the gap in Core Formation as soon as possible. He acted this way to build momentum for the Five Elements Sect and attract more mortals. Do not tell me you cannot see that.”
The water was cool and faintly sweet. After one swallow, Yuan Zhaoyang’s heart and mind cooled down quite a bit.
“I know he did it for the Five Elements Sect, even willing to use the life-saving talisman his master gave him on such a small matter.” A-Bai was rarely speaking seriously with a serious face. Yuan Zhaoyang, now calmer, did not brush her off. She admitted that what Ying Fu had done was not a bad thing.
Seeing Yuan Zhaoyang not get angry, A-Bai let out a breath. The whole white ball seemed to relax and flatten a little.
“Then were you unhappy about something else just now? Could it be that you dislike me eating too much? Let me say this first. I still have not eaten enough food from the mortal world. Even if you get angry, I still want to eat it. At worst…” A-Bai shook her fur and hopped to the side like a hero ready to die. “At worst, I just will not eat in front of you.” After speaking, she was about to tearfully remove the barrier and flee.