Chapter 32: 032, [Gentleness towards the World]
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
For now, it was anyone’s guess as to what Lu Xun’s Qi Sea looked like.
Though, it might not be ruled out that his Qi Sea would be as black as his heart…
The paper crane was soaring quickly in the sky, soon returning to the back mountain.
Whether it was a mental thing or reality, Lu Xun always found the air in the back mountain to be a lot fresher than anywhere else.
With Mao Nanbei back at the Demon Sect, there was no need for her to hide her cat’s ears, nor to tie her hair like Nezha anymore. So today, she tied her hair into two little braids.
As she hopped around, her braids swung from one side to the other. It was incredibly cute.
“Little Junior Brother, let’s go!”
“We’re going to catch some fish! Slurp!” Mao Nanbei gestured at Lu Xun, her mouth was watery at the thought of eating fish.
Lu Xun initially wanted to go back to his room and study his “Reputation Value” growth, but the little girl’s invitation made him realize he was a bit hungry too.
“Catch a few more so we can bring some to the Second Senior Sister,” Lu Xun told Mao Nanbei.
“Sure thing! Slurp!” she agreed cheerfully.
For a cat, even the act of catching fish was a joy, not to mention the delicious fish to eat later.
After they caught several delectable fish, Mao Nanbei shook off the water droplets from her hand and the bells tied on her wrists tinkled crisply.
Lu Xun rushed into the kitchen and started preparing the fish, gutting it to remove the innards. “Ji Li, the naughty little sister, hasn’t tried my cooking yet. Maybe it’s time to invite her over for a meal,” he thought.
After all, Ji Li had been kind to him, and he remembered this fondness in his heart.
Today, after hearing Mao Nanbei’s comment about adding a little more chili to the dish, Lu Xun did just that.
He wondered why the little cat demon loved spicy foods so much – to the point of being obsessed with spicy flavors.
Shortly after, the sweet aroma from the dish wafted through the air. Mao Nanbei was sitting at the table, swinging her little legs happily in anticipation.
Lu Xun even used some bamboo shoots she’d gathered to make bamboo rice, which she found delightfully unique.
Once the food was ready, the two of them headed towards the bamboo forest.
Upon entering the bamboo forest, Mao Nanbei shouted, “Second Senior Sister,
Little Junior Brother and I have brought you meals!”
The tranquil bamboo forest instantly became lively with her arrival.
Sitting atop a rock, the Taoist nun was in deep meditation. It was anyone’s guess what she was practicing.
Lu Xun could sense her becoming one with the bamboo forest around her.
Her slightly loose Daoist robe rendered her silhouette to be thin. It gave off a lean look that probably couldn’t be changed even with persistent feeding.
Just like yesterday, Lu Xun and Mao Nanbei were eating on the small path and Second Senior Sister was eating on the large rock.
Midway through the meal, Mao Nanbei licked off a grain of rice that was stuck on the corner of her mouth. Then she turned to Lu Xun abruptly and said:
“Little Junior Brother, even if you see very little in your Qi Sea, don’t be discouraged. Fourth Senior Sister will protect you. If anyone dares to bully you in the future, I’ll behead them!” With that, she slapped her flat chest, showcasing a valiant spirit.
“Could you at least wipe off the oil smudge on your mouth before saying something so serious?” thought Lu Xun.
Although Lu Xun thought that, he couldn’t help but give a brilliant laugh.
He didn’t say a word, just picked up another piece of fish and plopped it into Mao Nanbei’s bowl.
Loved or hated, the straightforward little cat demon was forthright. She had guessed that Lu Xun didn’t share because he had seen too little.
Even though she was confident that Little Junior Brother would not fall behind others in future, she was willing to provide him support during this crucial time.
After finishing their meal, Mao Nanbei urged Lu Xun to leave first.
After Lu Xun left, Mao Nanbei narrowed her eyes, lifting her wrist where her Golden Bell glistened dimly. Then, with a mighty leap, she lunged towards the woman sitting motionlessly on the rock.
“I refuse to believe that I can’t snatch the wooden hairpin off Second Senior Sister’s head today!”
Second Sister simply waved her robe, always resorting to this same move the little Ioli could never dodge or break.
The golden bell on her wrist flicked on and off, then she stopped struggling. Mao Nanbei, with her mouth puckered, was swept up in a gust and flew towards the Second Sister, her face accepting her fate.
After the slender fingers of the Second Sister lightly tapped on her brow, her humanoid disguise again broke, turning her back into a small black cat.
It seemed like no matter how hard she tried, it was no use; this left her a bit angry. So, she waved her four little paws in the air, her claws unfurled, venting her emotions haphazardly.
“Stop… stop moving,” the clear but stuttered voice of Second Sister echoed in the bamboo forest.
Mao Nanbei’s small nose wrinkled in annoyance, but she obediently followed the command, as always, fierce yet timid.
She lay on Second Sister’s cross-legged lap, feeling the touch of her pale, slender fingers stroking her fur.
Her previously tense body immediately relaxed. If she cared a little less about her pride, maintaining that touch of haughty pride, she might not have been able to resist stretching out her legs and body.
Mao Nanbei, so comfortable she was verging on a trance, suddenly heard Second Sister’s words.
“Little… Little Junior Brother, is the… Qi Sea… you see small?”
Mao Nanbei used her small paw to rub her cat ear and replied, “I don’t think it’s big.”
Second Sister nodded, her fingers continued stroking the cat, not knowing what she was thinking.
Meanwhile, Lu Xun leisurely returned to his Small Study.
He strolled leisurely, enjoying the scenery along the way.
Upon returning to his room, Lu Xun checked his current “Reputation Value,” it was stable at 1827.
The 2000-point mission was not far off. Seizing another opportunity to exert some more effort would essentially complete the task.
If Lu Xun claimed that he wasn’t curious about the Qi Sea within him, he would definitely be lying.
Unfortunately, he would not have the opportunity to “see” it again anytime soon. He would have to wait until his Divine Sense reached a certain level, only then would he be able to perceive his Qi Sea.
However, it’s worth mentioning that the Qi Sea is indeed one of the most mysterious areas for cultivators.
Even Sect Master Shen Yan, already a Great Cultivator at the eighth level, was unable to examine another’s Qi Sea, let alone anyone else.
Before Lu Xun’s crossing through, the highest level in “Heavenly Dust” was restricted to level 60. So, even if it was his previously high-level account, it couldn’t defeat Shen Yan in a fight.
After all, levels 0-10 are considered trivial, laying the foundation. Levels 10-20 are considered the first level. Going by this logic, the eighth level means surpassing level eighty!
“Would I… be subjected to these level restrictions now?” Lu Xun wondered to himself.
However, all this was too distant for his current level-two self.
For now, he wanted to live well in this world, and then see where his limits lay.
He was quite curious, for the cultivators of the Heavenly Dust Continent, where did the path of cultivation lead to, or was there no end to cultivation?
He had such thoughts because he had read many Xianxia novels and played numerous Xianxia games. They all had the setup of “Immortal Realm” and “Ascension,” implying that Ascension is the end goal of cultivation. However, there was no such setting in “Heavenly Dust.”
The notion of Ascension, nonexistent!
As for the plot of billions of people fighting for one spot in the Immortal
Realm, it was even more impossible. Was this cultivation or a battle royale
Xianxia style(
A large number of players could feel the NPCs’ love for the Heavenly Dust Continent, their love for this world.
It made sense, if the ultimate purpose of cultivation was Ascension, was to leave this world, then naturally, there would be a lack of warmth towards this world.