Spirit Cat Temple, back courtyard.
In front of the shadow wall.
Lion-faced Arhat stuffy gourd and moon shadow black eyes gold silk tiger stood still at both ends of the shadow wall, silently gazing at Chi Yu Xiao Fei Lian in the middle.
The white cat's eyes had already lost their focus, becoming distracted and lifeless, as if its mind and spirit had been drawn away.
Stuffy gourd and Qian Sui both knew what was going on. The white cat's transformation was because the spiritual rhyme contained within this shadow wall carving had drawn Duke's mind and spirit into it, in order to impart the Spirit Cat cultivation method.
Neither stuffy gourd nor Qian Sui had never experienced this before, but watching a kitten of the same clan receive the profound teachings, it provoked different feelings in them.
"Meow!"
Suddenly Qian Sui let out a cry, attracting stuffy gourd's gaze.
Thud thud thud!
Stuffy gourd tapped the green stone bricks under his feet, also looking towards Qian Sui, his eyes full of inquiry.
"Meow!"
Seeing our own kind is rare. For this reunion, aren't you going to take out some gift to mark the occasion?
Qian Sui looked at stuffy gourd provocatively. Stuffy gourd blinked and tapped the stone bricks again, asking Qian Sui in response.
A gift?
This is just some old custom passed down by previous generations of spirit cats. As current holders of the lineages, how can we stick to outdated conventions?
"Meow!"
You're just stingy, unwilling to give even a small gift!
You should know that the first strand of spiritual rhyme that aided your cultivation came from the previous generation's Chi Yu Xiao Fei Lian.
Qian Sui's eyebrows twitched as she meowed at stuffy gourd, her voice full of resentment at his stubbornness.
"Meow meow!!"
I'm still preparing something, but today you have to give a gift whether you want to or not!
Four-eared brocade thief was led away by others, I won't say much about that.
But this kitten has finally come home after much wandering. As his elders and kin, how can we not give him something?
Also, Chi Yu Xiao Fei Lian's lineage has been without a successor for so many years!
It's been nearly a dozen years already!
If we don't secure this kitten's heart, and he learns from that scoundrel Four-eared brocade thief and gets led away again, what then?
Stuffy gourd's face was even more gloomy. He knew what the female cat was thinking. Four-eared brocade thief was the successor of the Four-eared brocade thief lineage, and had been led away by external spirit beasts, leaving a thorn in black cat's heart.
Now that this stray kitten had returned home, Qian Sui wanted to give him preferential treatment to secure his heart, to prevent him from running around randomly.
That's how she put it, but from the spiritual rhyme on this kitten, no matter how you looked at it, he didn't seem like someone who would settle down obediently.
Giving him a gift now would be like throwing meat buns at a dog.
"Meow!"
Are you giving a gift or not?!
Qian Sui urged impatiently. Stuffy gourd's gloomy face showed he couldn't resist the lady cat, so he could only nod.
"Meow!"
Seeing the Lion-faced Arhat nod, Qian Sui also nodded satisfiedly, while her tail swayed as she pondered what gift to prepare for the white cat.
The Spirit Cat lineage was already declining, and Chi Yu Xiao Fei Lian's line especially so. She couldn't let this kitten get led away again.
If something unfortunate happened to him outside, the Spirit Cat lineage would decline even further, and she wouldn't even have a place to cry.
Just then, Duke's body also trembled, the distracted look disappearing from his eyes as they refocused, radiating golden light.
"So that's how it is..."
Duke murmured. After obtaining the Heavenly Mechanism Spirit Rhyme Sensing Chapter, all his previous confusion instantly cleared up like clouds parting and mist scattering, finally understanding.
Spirit cats emphasized spirit rhyme because orthodox Spirit Cat cultivation only required spirit rhyme, needing nothing else.
The Spirit Cat clan that could sense spirit rhyme could absorb the spirit rhyme contained within all things in heaven and earth for their cultivation.
And to sense spirit rhyme required truly awakening the Spirit Cat bloodline.
Duke's previous state could not be considered true awakening. It was just his bloodline manifesting extraordinary abilities in response to stress, allowing him to use the bloodline power to protect himself.
The true ability of Chi Yu Xiao Fei Lian was not simple invisibility.
Only after truly awakening, as the spirit cat absorbed spirit rhyme, would the potential of the bloodline be gradually unearthed.
Also, when spirit cats received the profound teachings, it would prompt their souls to open up a Lingying space to receive spirit rhyme.
Although spirit rhyme was present in all things under heaven, the methods of absorbing it varied.
Hence different special cultivation methods arose within the Spirit Cat clan.
The spirit rhyme in natural creations like mountains, rivers and landscapes was rich and profound. Spirit cats could absorb it, but it required constant grinding night and day, like the fool moving a mountain, absorbing bit by bit.
This took too much effort!
The spirit rhyme in most man-made objects like books, paintings, swords, instruments, vehicles and furniture was shallow. Only antique objects that had existed for many years, or peerless masterpieces infused with heart and soul, contained powerful spirit rhyme.
Such man-made objects with strong spirit rhyme were rare and hard to find.
Only living creatures in the world not only had extremely strong spirit rhyme, but were also convenient to harvest, regenerating like leeks, growing new shoots after being reaped.
Among them, humans were best.
Because humans were the spiritual apex of creatures, favored by Heaven and Earth since birth, their spirit rhyme was purer and easier to absorb.
This was why the previous Lion-faced Arhat cultivated that way, listening to worshippers' wishes and responding, absorbing their spirit rhyme.
As the saying goes, humans raise cats, cats also raise humans.
To harvest human spirit rhyme for cultivation, spirit cats needed to listen to their wishes and respond according to their wishes.
Once the human's wish was fulfilled, the spirit cat could then absorb their spirit rhyme.
Of course, they could also directly kill the person and seize the spirit rhyme by force.
But such spirit rhyme was too malicious, doing more harm than good for spirit cats.
The previous difference Duke sensed between the spirit rhyme of the incense burner and the old woman was like the difference between a time deposit and demand deposit in a bank.
One needed time, waiting, grinding, slowly absorbing.
The other just needed the password entered, available to withdraw anytime.
That password was fulfilling humans' desires and appeals.
After absorbing spirit rhyme, it would be nurtured into a rhyme womb within the Lingying space opened up in the soul.
The rhyme womb was like an embryo, only after nurturing it to fullness,
when the spirit cat awakened its true nature and saw its true self, could it then use its thoughts and will as a chisel to carve its own rhyme body.
The rhyme body was greatly influenced by the mind and true self.
Whatever true self was awakened when seeing its true nature would be externalized into the corresponding rhyme body.
In theory, spirit cats awakening different true selves would carve different rhyme bodies.
If in the future, some spirit cat awakened its true self and felt it was a dog, then the rhyme body it carved would really be a dog.
If the true self was a fish, the rhyme body would be a fish. If the true self was a bird, the rhyme body would be a bird.
Everything was determined by the spirit cat's thoughts and feelings, just as no two leaves in the world were identical, naturally no two spirit cats or rhyme bodies were identical either.
All arose from the mind's motions, thus generating the reflection.
The rhyme body could be said to be the mental image of the self, the externalized true self.
Once Duke fully nurtured the rhyme womb and carved the rhyme body, that would signify entry into the Way.
By then, manifesting the rhyme body, moving unhindered between heaven and earth, summoning water and fire, everything would be up to Duke's own will.
But before nurturing the rhyme body, although Duke did not yet have all kinds of extraordinary abilities, he could already guide the spirit rhyme of all things for his own use.
"Meow!"
Qian Sui's cry brought Duke's thoughts back. Looking at Qian Sui, Duke's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement as he asked, "Who wants to give me a gift?"
"Meow!"
Qian Sui motioned with her eyes for Duke to look at stuffy gourd. The Lion-faced Arhat no longer had his earlier tragic and sympathetic appearance.
"Stuffy gourd wants to give me a gift?"
Duke felt somewhat confused. Why was this being brought up all of a sudden?
Thud thud thud!
Stuffy gourd tapped the green stone bricks again. As the echoes rang out, his thoughts were also conveyed.
Not just a gift, but a congratulatory present for being imparted the fundamental Spirit Cat method!
Stuffy gourd raised his paw, about to set it down when he hesitated, but still forcefully tapped the bricks.
Follow me!
With a gloomy face, stuffy gourd left the shadow wall. Qian Sui also pushed Duke from behind, signalling him to hurry up and follow.
Stuffy gourd was a reticent fellow who tended to keep things to himself. It was not easy to get anything out of him.
Seeing Qian Sui urging him on like this, Du ke could only follow along.
The three cats made their way back from the shadow wall to Tan Cat Hall. Lion-faced Arhat stood in front of his own hall, his face full of melancholy, with strands of golden aura swirling in his eyes.
The golden aura dissipated and spread out, linking up with the spiritual aura throughout stuffy gourd's body. The aura transformed into a majestic three-headed lion, crouching over stuffy gourd's head. At that moment, stuffy gourd waved his paw reluctantly towards his own Tan Cat Hall.
As stuffy gourd waved his paw, ripples immediately spread out in front of the doors of Tan Cat Hall. Everything inside the hall swiftly changed, revealing a pitch-black passageway.
Seeing the passageway appear, Qian Sui immediately pushed Du ke into the tunnel without warning. Although Du ke was caught off guard, he was no longer the same as when his powers were sealed. His body flashed forward, bounding out a distance before stopping inside the passageway of Tan Cat Hall.
Seeing Du ke enter, the melancholy on Lion-faced Arhat's face grew deeper, but words spilled cannot be scooped back up - how could he easily change what had been said?
With a silent sigh in his heart, stuffy gourd also entered the passageway, followed closely by Qian Sui.
After the three cats disappeared into the tunnel, Tan Cat Hall swiftly reverted back to its original state.
On the other side, Du ke followed Lion-faced Arhat and Qian Sui further into the passageway, arriving at a space the size of a basketball court at its deepest point.
This space was filled with piles of items - tiger hats, gongs, short swords, jade pendants, wheels, lingzhi mushrooms, embroidered balls, flower baskets, and all sorts of other things. It was like a massive storeroom full of odds and ends.
Although the objects were piled up chaotically into heaps, each one radiated strong spiritual fluctuations, making Du ke drool at the sight.
"Awoo!"
Qian Sui stood still in front of the piles of objects and let out a howl at Du ke.
Du ke's expression changed. He tentatively asked, "So I really can take as much as I want?"
As soon as he heard this, Lion-faced Arhat bristled all over.
What did he mean by taking as much as he wanted?
Of course he could only take one item!
Qian Sui glanced askance at stuffy gourd. Only one?
Stuffy gourd's face was pained. He rapped the ground once. How about two?
Qian Sui held out his paw. Two?
Stuffy gourd looked on the verge of tears. Weren't two enough?
Qian Sui held out his paw again. Stuffy gourd's body quivered. Three, three!
The black cat's eyes narrowed as he not only extended his claws, but also bared his fangs.
Three?
Stuffy gourd's body shook again. You're trying to skin me, drain my bones, and spill my blood!
But under the black cat's glare, stuffy gourd directly kowtowed, banging his head heavily on the ground.
Take whatever you want!