Chapter 400 – Cathulhu's Sweet Dream
"Master, how do you kill that tuna, munya?"
At noon, next to a running river, a white cat looked at how an elderly fisherman in white robes dissected a 50-meter-long monster fish with his bare hand.
The cat looked at his paws and nails. He tilted his head and wondered how his master managed to bypass the Entity Domain or disable the monster's regeneration abilities.
"Sword Law, Mu-Nyang."
"Sword Law, munya?"
The cat, Mu-Nyang, couldn't understand what the elder meant. He was just one year old, and he hadn't mastered a providence domain yet. However, he knew a thing or two about sword domains.
"Aren't all flimsy sword domains just for show, munya? At best, they can cut things with a thought. It's for lazy swordsmen that aren't capable enough to strike their foes at a close range, munya."
"You're right, but you're also wrong. It isn't flimsy or superficial at all if you have the basics down."
"Eh, why, munya."
The elderly fisherman stood up. He pointed his two fingers and showed Mu-Nyang his techniques.
"See the aura around my fingers?"
Mu-Nyang nodded. He saw the white and black aura, forming a yin-yang symbol formation around the index and middle finger.
"This is the aura that I use to kill the catfish shark. Now, I'll change my aura to match a standard sage swordsman."
The yin-yang formation disappeared, replaced with a rainbow aura.
"Karma Severing Aura, munya? Isn't that bad for your dantian universe?"
"This is what the masses learn, but it's inferior to the yin-yang aura that I used to kill the shark because it harms the universe. Now, look again."
This time, the aura around the elder fisherman turned black. As soon as Mu-Nyang noticed it, he remembered its characteristics and traits.
"Ah, Chaos Providence Essence, munya?"
"Yes. This is the incomplete version of the yin-yang cut technique. Only those with the Chaos Element can use this technique."
"So, the swordsmen I have seen so far didn't have this element, munya?"
"Correct. So far, the sword sages you saw were incompetent and superficial. Soon, they will end up provoking entities out there in space and die without realizing what went wrong with their Sword Dao."
"…"
Mu-Nyang pondered as he tried to use the Chaos Element Essence he had. A pair of wings appeared on the back of the white cat, and small butterflies came out. They surrounded Mu-Nyang and meowed, asking their master what he intended to do.
The fisherman glanced at Mu-Nyang and flickered his finger to hit the cat's forehead.
"OUCH, MUNYA!"
"Never kill your followers to grow stronger. You must strive to make a better world for these little creatures to live inside your dantian universe. Only when you are benevolent, you will thrive as a deity. When you ascend as a benevolent deity, the karma will guide you on your journey to the sage realm and the True Entity Realm."
Mu-Nyang pouted and returned the butterflies to the feathers. However, he didn't give up. He tried to mimic the yin-yang aura that the fisherman had shown earlier.
Unfortunately, it came out as Chaos Element Aura.
"Master, how to complete the sword law, munya?" Mu-Nyang's eyes were moist. He begged his master to teach him.
"Haha! You silly cat!"
The fisherman carried Mu-Nyang and sat cross-legged. He put the cat on his lap.
"Listen, carefully. Chaos Element is the origin of all elements. Because of that, its effects are vague and difficult to understand. That's why lesser versions of Chaos Elements were born. Fire, water, wind, and all basic elements are simplified versions of the Chaos Element. However, Chaos isn't the ultimate power or omnipotent. Chaos might be the origin of all elements, but there's another element that puts Chaos in check. Do you know what it is?"
"… I don't understand anything, munya."
"Hahaha! I said that too when my master taught me. It took me 50,000 years for me to figure it out. Anyway, the hint is karma."
"Karma, munya?"
"Karma, in itself, is the law of causes and effects, consequences, and retribution. Do you remember what I taught you about karma?"
"I do, munya! You are what you eat! Yesterday's hard work is today's success! Today's laziness is tomorrow's trouble! That's karma, munya!"
"Good. Here's the deal. Chaos is the mixture of unorganized matters while karma is a system that organizes everything. To master yin and yang, you must master karma and chaos."
Mu-Nyang was enlightened. He repeatedly nodded. However, he still had more questions, "Then, how am I going to master karma, munya?"
The fisherman laughed and petted Mu-Nyang's head. He gazed at the bright sky, "Do good deeds, plenty of good deeds."
"Then, how do I do a good deed, master?"
"Simple. Be kind. Be respectful. Be merciful. Be honest, and…"
HUMMM
The world suddenly turned hazy. The conversation was cut short as everything slowly vanished.
The dream disappeared. The owner of the dream was about to wake up.
.
.
On an unknown star of a higher dimension, a lone white cat curled into a ball on a decayed bed inside a rundown 40 square meters wooden house. The completed set of bones of an elderly man rested peacefully on the same bed, remaining as the companion of the cat for countless years.
Despite the house being old, there was no dust there. The interior was sparkling clean.
On a wall, a set of fishing rods hung there. It shone as though it was a brand-new LED light, providing warmth to the cat. On the crafting table on the other side of the wall, toolkits and tools of a fisherman lined in order, and every piece was brand new. Above the table, a 17-inch photo of an elderly fisherman and a white cat eating the same fish gave life and hope to this small home.
HUMMM
The deep voice of a monster woke the cat from his long slumber. He slowly opened his weary eyes and coughed several times. He struggled to get up as the pain in his chest, caused by Solomon, still lingered.
Like every day in the past, the cat gazed at the photo and then looked at the bones of the fisherman.
"Master, it won't be long…"
Mu-Nyang stretched and jumped up on a cabinet next to a closed window. He slightly opened it and peeked outside.
The grey wasteland was still the same no matter how many years it had been. The running river was now dry. The lush forest, filled with creatures and monsters, was replaced with grey dirt and dust. The beautiful green world in his dream was no longer here.
Mu-Nyang looked up to the sky and found a massive octopus monster, swimming in space and passing by.
The monster ignored the dead star below it. Even though it spotted the wooden house, it wasn't interested in the small creature and the last creature on the planet.
Mu-Nyang bitterly smiled and closed the window. He jumped down and walked toward the shining fishing rod.
"Master Xiaomao, I pray for thee. I offer a strand of Entity Qi to you. I wish that you would one day regain your memory and power so that you can return to the place you belong. In exchange for my prayer, please bless me with food today as well."
VRRRR
The fishing rod glittered and vanished. A few seconds later, it reappeared. However, a 3-meter-long tuna monster bit the bait and got stuck with the rod.
Mu-Nyang brightly smiled and bowed to the rod. Then, eight tentacles grew from his back and sliced the fish as if they were the hands of chefs.
After he was done with the meat, Mu-Nyang carried the fish bones toward the fisherman's bone on the bed. He put it next to his head.
VRRRR
The tuna monster's bones dissipated into dust and merged with the skeleton of the fisherman.
Mu-Nyang wasn't finished. He brought the innards, fish head, and half of the sliced meat to his master's skeleton.
VRRRR
Once again, everything turned into dust, and the skeleton absorbed them.
Mu-Nyang nodded in approval. He jumped to the crafting table and flipped open a thick book. He picked a pen and started writing.
"Today's income: Three strands of Entity Qi. Expenditure: One strand of Entity Qi, munya."
Mu-Nyang wrote another line, "Master's body recovery status: 17.51510%. Master's Soul Status…"
He paused and closed his eyes, spying on Xiaomao in his dantian universe. When he noticed that Xiaomao easily chopped three dragons and devoured their life force, he laughed.
"Master's Soul Status… Level 5000 of 9,999,999. The growth is astonishing, munya. If he keeps this up, we might be reunited in a few decades, munya. But his growth speed is very concerning. At this rate, he might come out first before I completely restore his body, munya."
While writing his diary, a tear rolled down from his left eye and landed on the thick book. He couldn't help but think of the days when this planet was full of life.
A second later, Mu-Nyang snapped back to his sense and swiped his tear. He snorted.
"It's not the time to be sad, munya! Xiaomao is trying hard! I must try hard too, munya!"
After encouraging himself, Mu-Nyang started eating the tuna. It only took him 20 minutes to finish the whole fish. When he was done with the food, he returned to the skeleton's side and picked up a clean cloth. Then, he started doing the chore, wiping the skeleton clean.
The day went on as Mu-Nyang repeated his routine – Praying to his master, begging his master's soul-bound weapon for food, writing a diary, and doing chores to keep the house clean. After completing everything, Mu-Nyang returned to the bed and adjusted the skeleton's posture, making it comfortable. Then, he curled next to the bones and fell asleep.
Mu-Nyang loved his dream time the most. After all, it was the only time that he got to reminisce his memory of when Xiaomao was still the old fisherman while Mu-Nyang was his pet.