Chapter 29
The black cat crouched low, its gaze fixed on the exposed neck of Chen Huai'an.
It had only just awakened, and in a direct confrontation, it would struggle against an adult male. However, once it fully recovered and hunted more prey to regain its strength, even those four-wheeled iron boxes would no longer pose a threat.
Thinking of those four-wheeled iron boxes, a flicker of hatred flashed in the cat's eyes.
Those cunning humans had the audacity to hide inside rapidly moving steel boxes. The first time it encountered one, it had nearly been run over!
So, revenge would begin with devouring this human!
Whoosh—!
The black cat lunged at Chen Huai'an, its speed blurring into a shadowy figure. It raised its claws, which left a trail of crimson in the air.
The strike aimed straight for the neck.
But just as it was about to land the blow—
Roar—!
A thunderous dragon's roar echoed in the black cat's mind, stunning it and causing its agile limbs to stiffen, crashing to the ground like a piece of dead meat.
[Zǔ... Zǔlóng?]
[This aura... how is it possible?]
Trembling, the black cat clambered back onto the bed, shaking its dazed head to look again at the man who was sound asleep, disbelief filling its feline eyes.
The commotion had caused Chen Huai'an to smack his lips and roll over, the blanket slipping down to reveal part of his back. There, a black dragon tattoo writhed and danced, its eyes glimmering with a piercing golden light, exuding an air of authority.
It seemed to sense the black cat's gaze.
Roar—!
Another dragon's roar exploded in its mind.
The black cat's head spun, and it watched in horror as the dragon-shaped tattoo leaped off the man's back.
[Oh no! Is this really necessary?!]
Terrified, the black cat turned to flee.
But the dragon's tail, adorned with golden-edged black scales, swept in and yanked it back into the shoebox.
The shoebox lid snapped shut with a loud clap.
[Ow—! Damn it, this human actually has the protection of a Zǔlóng!]
Crouched in the shoebox, the black cat trembled in pain, feeling as if its insides were ablaze, blood spilling from its mouth.
It had just awakened, its body weak.
In this desolate era of spiritual energy, healing was already difficult. First, it had been knocked away by a four-wheeled iron box, then snatched and carried off by a wretched bird, and now it had been struck by a dragon's tail. Its injuries were worse than before.
[No, I must leave this place; it’s not safe to stay here!]
The black cat struggled to lift itself, feeling light-headed and unsteady. It barely managed to take a couple of steps in the shoebox before it fainted completely.
The moonlight remained quiet, and the dragon tattoo circled the bed before returning to the man's back.
In his dreams, Chen Huai'an wore a silly grin, scratching his rear before rolling over again.
...
At seven in the morning.
As the alarm rang, Chen Huai'an, with his head buried in the pillow, deftly grabbed his phone with one hand, swiping the screen to unlock it, revealing a face marked by dark circles.
Electronic girlfriend, activate!
In the small room, the girl was still sitting cross-legged on the bed, actively absorbing the spiritual energy from the gathering array.
[Status: Cultivating]
[Cultivation Progress: 7631/9999 (Eighth Layer)]
[Remaining Lifespan: 273 years]
[Affection Level: 60 (Close)]
"Nice!" Chen Huai'an felt instantly awake upon seeing Li Qingran's cultivation progress.
With not much money left, he had only set up a mid-level gathering array for Li Qingran, yet she had jumped multiple layers overnight, her strength skyrocketing.
Is this the terrifying power of an exceptional dantian?
Chen Huai'an felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. Although this game was a money trap, the effects were immediate once you invested!
He poked Li Qingran's shoulder.
The battle order system and some historical information popped up.
As Li Qingran's realm increased, the battle order system rewarded her. For instance, after jumping from the sixth to the eighth layer last night, she unlocked three rewards shaped like golden bags. Chen Huai'an clicked to claim them, and the three bags instantly appeared on Li Qingran's desk.
[Spirit Stone Lucky Blind Box (Chance to open 1 Spirit Crystal, 99 Superior Spirit Stones, 999 Medium Spirit Stones, guaranteed to receive 1000 Inferior Spirit Stones) (For Li Qingran only)]
"Emmm, not bad."
Chen Huai'an wasn't particularly interested in such minor rewards.
His gaze fell on the grand prize for reaching the peak of Qi Refinement.
The interface shimmered with dazzling purple light, clearly something valuable!
[Tideborn Technique (Low-grade Xuan-level Mind Method): "The sea sun rises in the waning night, the river spring enters the old year." The Tideborn Technique, inspired by the vastness of the ocean, harnesses the spiritual rhythm of the tides, comprehending the mysteries of yin and yang. Practicing this mind method feels as if one is by the sea, observing the cycles of the sun and moon, sensing the breath of the tides. At the highest level, one can draw spiritual power within to gather like tides, resonating with the natural spiritual energy, replenishing consumption during battle, ensuring endurance.
"Hiss—! No wonder it’s from the battle order, it’s terrifying!"
Chen Huai'an nodded repeatedly, stroking his chin.
Although he hadn’t asked Li Qingran what internal cultivation method she practiced, he guessed it couldn’t be better than what the battle order provided. After all, according to the game’s nature, anything given for free without spending money was likely to be basic and unremarkable.
He opened Li Qingran's character panel and glanced at the mind method section, instantly feeling awkward.
Chiyun Technique—Li Qingran's current internal cultivation method, also a low-grade Xuan-level.
Though both were low-grade Xuan-level techniques, and the Tideborn Technique had a higher version, switching internal cultivation methods would require her to disperse her current power, essentially wasting all the hard work she had put in. If the Chiyun Technique also had a higher version, it would be unwise for Li Qingran to disperse her power and start over.
"Forget it, it’s still a technique; let’s see what it’s like first."
Noticing that the Tideborn Technique didn’t have a label stating 'For Li Qingran only,' Chen Huai'an couldn’t help but smirk, a strange thought bubbling up in his mind.
"Could it be that I can use the Tideborn Technique too?"
He couldn’t help but recall the Qinglian Sword Classic.
Could it be... that he had to learn the Tideborn Technique first before teaching it to Li Qingran?
Given the game developer's penchant for mischief, it seemed quite possible.
"Why so serious? As if just cultivating will make one an immortal."
Shaking his head helplessly, he dismissed these thoughts as mere details to enhance player immersion.
[Your electronic girlfriend's small gift has arrived!]
[The loot you selected has arrived!]
Two notifications popped up in quick succession.
The small gift was a bracelet made by Li Qingran.
As for the loot, it was an item dropped after defeating Ye Fu Tian, which included a book titled [Heavenly Demon Technique - Fragment One], a low-grade magic sword, a damaged medium-grade spirit tool, and several spirit stones.
At the time, the game had prompted him to choose one as
As for what 'real' meant...
Having played this game for so many days, he could tell with his toes that it was just a small gift from the game developer.
[Knock, knock, knock!]
There was a knock at the door.
Chen Huai'an was momentarily stunned, then, using his cane, he sprang up and dashed to the door.
Today, he was determined to find out who had delivered the package so early in the morning!
However, upon opening the door, he found no one outside.
"Could it be that the person is a parkour expert?"
Chen Huai'an glanced at the dark staircase to his right, hearing no sounds of anyone descending.
They must have slipped out through the window. If they did, he wouldn’t have time to catch them.
"Tsk, tsk, quite shy, huh? If they want to run, let them run."
As he pulled his head back from the window, he noticed two boxes lying at his feet.
One box was small, just the right size for a bracelet, labeled 'Qingran's Gift.' The other was long, measuring about one and a half meters, with only three large characters on it—Loot.
"Just as I expected."
He reached down to grab the box, but it was too heavy to lift with one hand, and it crashed to the floor with a loud thud, leaving a dent in the hotel floor.
"Damn!"
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