8: Chapter 8 The Spirit Pet Little Nine, the Refined Gold Mine

"Haha, who would have thought that Daoist Qingxuan's wish could actually be fulfilled here in the National Destiny Space? Fate is truly wondrous! Hahaha"

Master Yuanxin laughed heartily, and everyone looked at him strangely, while Ye Qingxuan's Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers wore knowing smiles.

Watching the live broadcast, Ye Qingxuan casually slapped that group of rats to death with a single palm, leaving only the one close to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage struggling on the ground, unfortunately bound all over by the Immortal-Trapping Talisman and unable to move.

Ye Qingxuan beckoned to the Three-Flower Cat. It meowed, then resumed the size of a normal cat, and subsequently the Three-Flower Cat jumped into Ye Qingxuan's arms. Then Daoist Ye sat directly on the ground to pet the cat, and the Three-Flower Cat purred comfortably.

The live broadcast room was filled with full-screen question marks. Watching Ye Qingxuan pet the cat, Master Yuanxin was smiling.

Taoism is very tolerant and magnanimous toward cats. After all, if a cat climbs onto the offering table, the deities do not blame it. In Taoist temples, you can often see cats sleeping on the offering table of the Ancestral Master, or directly giving the Ancestral Master a Three-Flower Gathering-at-the-Top.

When Ye Qingxuan was young, his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. The entire Maoshan Shangqing Sect treated him like a treasure, and almost every request of his was granted. However, his only wish from childhood to adulthood was: to raise a Three-Flower Cat that could accompany him all the way forward.

Well, the entire Shangqing Sect was rendered speechless. In this Age of Dharma Decline, where could one find a Three-Flower Cat with Spirit Beast Aptitude?

Although Ye Qingxuan never brought up the matter again, everyone kept it in mind. Over the past twenty years, people from the Shangqing Sect would almost approach any cat they saw, pet it twice, and let it go in disappointment. Never did they expect that after a dark turn of events, there would be a breakthrough, and Ye Qingxuan would encounter one himself.

Hearing Master Yuanxin tell the story of Ye Qingxuan and the Three-Flower Cat, everyone understood. After all, the master-Disciple relationship in Taoism, taught hand-in-hand, was even better than that of a biological father and son. A son is born to you and cannot be chosen, but a Disciple can be carefully selected. Having rarely met a Disciple who suited one's heart, how could they not spoil him to the heavens?

Bullet Comment Section ——

"So Fellow Daoist Qingxuan has this kind of story. No wonder people from Shangqing came to our Longhu Mountain and grabbed cats everywhere, petting them twice before letting them go. This poor Daoist thought it was some special ritual."

"You old Daoist priest of Longhu Mountain, if you don't know how to speak, shut your mouth. Don't force this poor Daoist to bring people over to slap you," Qingling fired directly at Zhang Yuzhuo.

"Count this poor Daoist in." The Senior Brother did not hesitate this time, instantly following up on the team fight.

"And me." The Second Senior Brother is fierce with few words.

"Count me in as well." The Fourth Senior Brother truly rarely joins in.

"Amitabha, if possible, count this poor monk in as well." Duyuan of Lingyin Temple also came to join the fun.

"Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, everyone is a Daoist priest, not a warrior. How bad is it to fight and kill? This poor Daoist prefers to sit and discuss the Dao with Fellow Daoists. Also, Duyuan monk, what does my Daoist sect's business have to do with you? What are you joining the fun for?"

Zhang Yuzhuo decisively conceded. Everyone's cultivation was about the same; a one-on-one was a piece of cake for him, a one-on-two required consideration, but a one-on-three?

Daoist Zhang expressed that he was not a freak like Ye Qingxuan, and besides, everyone was a Disciple of the Daoist sect, so fighting and killing wasn't good—harmony makes a family, after all. As for the monk Duyuan, he would visit him later to properly 'discuss the Dao'.

"Hmph, you know when to yield." Qingling hummed softly, feeling that having thugs with her felt great.

"..." Duyuan was speechless.

"So Daoist Ye also has this kind of side to him. When he was young, he was just like ordinary people, not some high-and-mighty Immortal after all."

"This makes him seem more like a complete person. Looking at his previous performance—dissecting without changing expression, bleeding, and that ruthless drive to drain an entire mountain range—I thought he really was an absolutely rational Immortal."

"Brother Qingxuan is so gentle, I admire him even more. Just wait, I'm going to research Medicinal Pills for Spirit Beasts right now." Lin Yao's eyes were full of little stars.

"My Heavenly Demon Palace also has secret methods for raising Spirit Beasts, oh. When Fellow Daoist Qingxuan returns, he can come sit for a while at my Heavenly Demon Palace."

"Damned lovesick girl and vixen, trying to hit on my Junior Brother again!" Qingling gnashed her teeth in anger. The three Senior Brothers nearby shook their heads upon seeing this.

It's better to get less involved in women's affairs; they aren't mortal enemies of life and death. Besides, the Zhengyi Sect doesn't forbid marriage, so let them be.

Looking back at the National Destiny Space:

Ye Qingxuan carefully looked at the cat before him. The Three-Flower Cat was a long-haired calico, with crystalline fur, evenly distributed colors, and heterochromatic eyes—one yellow and one blue, like two gemstones. It belonged to the Liu Yifei type in the cat world.

It made people unable to look away at first glance. Right now, it was trembling in Ye Qingxuan's arms, seemingly feeling lingering fear. As for that rat, it had a body of black fur, but its mouth and whiskers were silver, and its appearance carried a ferocious look.

"I say, you're a cat, the natural enemy of rats. You aren't injured, and you're inherently stronger than them. How were you chased into this state without even fighting back? Or are you naturally just that timid?"

Ye Qingxuan was somewhat puzzled. "Meow, meow!" The Three-Flower Cat refused to accept this. It meowed, jumped out of Ye Qingxuan's arms, squatted on the ground, and raised its two front paws to gesture.

Ye Qingxuan used his Spiritual Sense to communicate carefully. After a short while, he was completely speechless, confirming that this cat was simply timid, and moreover, it was a Holy Spirit nurtured by heaven and earth.

As it turned out, this group of rats were Gold-Eating Rats, which fed on metal. This was the nurturing place of the Three-Flower Cat, and underground there was a fine gold Ore. After the Gold-Eating Rats arrived here, they frantically gnawed on the Ore.

This cat was a Holy Spirit born from the Ore—a sprite born from the essence of the Ore after hundreds to tens of millions of years of evolution, washed by spiritual extracts, just like Brother Monkey. However, Brother Monkey was from the Heaven-Patching Stone, while this cat was simply from a fine gold stone.

Gold-Eating Rats are extremely sensitive to high-grade metals and went straight for the Holy Spirit's nurturing place. Although the Holy Spirit was not fully developed, it could also perceive the metal outside being gnawed on, and fearing that it too would be eaten, it wanted to be born prematurely.

The Holy Spirit is the darling of heaven and earth, and the Heavenly Dao also allowed it to be born prematurely according to its thoughts, giving it the true form of a cat—the natural enemy of rats—so that it could escape the immediate crisis.

Because it had not been fully nurtured, upon birth it only had the strength of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Who could have expected that this cat would be scared out of its wits by the sight of the rats gnawing on the Ore? After birth, it fled in a blind panic, completely unaware of how strong it was.

The aura of the fine gold Holy Spirit made the Gold-Eating Rats even more frantic, chasing it desperately. This cat had been running for almost a month until it met Ye Qingxuan.

Having learned the beginning and end of the matter, Ye Qingxuan was even more speechless, but he was also more certain that this world was very strong. His previous choice to use the Breath-Hiding Talisman was correct.

"As a fine gold Holy Spirit, your nurturing place is guarded by heaven and earth. Not to mention a group of rats with Foundation Establishment strength, even a Body Integration powerhouse cannot break it open. You actually got scared into being born prematurely?

A complete birth would at least have the strength of the Nascent Soul Stage. Now you are congenitally deficient, with only the strength of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and who knows how much effort it will take to make up for it.

Also, even if it's not your complete strength, with your power you could still slaughter this entire group of rats. What were you running for?"

"Meow, meow!" The cat squatted on the ground, lowering its head and meowing, seeming to feel wronged.

"They were too fierce? You..."

Daoist Ye stopped talking, and the man and cat stared at each other with big eyes.

Live Broadcast Room ——

"A Holy Spirit? A fine gold Holy Spirit at that? Qingxuan is so fortunate. Although this Holy Spirit is congenitally deficient, as long as there are sufficient resources to complete it, it has at least the potential for Immortal Ascension.

Furthermore, that cat is the darling of that heaven and earth. As long as Qingxuan signs a Spirit Beast contract with it, he can use the Holy Spirit's aura to conceal himself, and he will no longer have to worry about the problem of being an undocumented person."

Master Yuanxin could not hold back his inner joy; what great fortune indeed.

Bullet Comment Section ——

"A Holy Spirit? What is that? It sounds so high-end and grand."

"Daoist priest, what is a Holy Spirit? How come you look so happy?"

"Right, right! Isn't that just a Three-Flower Cat? How did it become a Holy Spirit?"

Not only the people in the live broadcast room, but Sister Qing and Xiao Sa also cast curious glances.

"A Holy Spirit is a sprite naturally nurtured between heaven and earth. It has no father or mother, being nourished by heaven and earth, and is born the darling of heaven and earth. The most famous one is the Great Sage Equaling Heaven,

but this cat cannot be compared with the Great Sage; it is merely a fine gold stone that has attained spirit, and because it was born prematurely, its Foundation is damaged. If its Origin can be completed, Immortal Ascension will be no problem."

"I can understand a monkey popping out of a stone, but how come this one is a cat?"

"Right, right, Daoist priest, explain it to us and satisfy our curiosity."

Master Yuanxin forcibly controlled his expression.

"The true form of a Holy Spirit is bestowed by heaven and earth, and will use the living creatures around its nurturing place as a template. There were monkeys all over Huaguo Mountain, so Sun Wukong's physical body is a monkey.

As for this Holy Spirit, it was simply timid and scared out of its wits by rats gnawing on the Ore, leading to its premature birth. To protect it, heaven and earth designated its true form as the natural enemy of rats. Unfortunately, it seems completely unaware of how strong it is and only knows how to run."

Master Yuanxin tried his best not to laugh out loud and explained with a straight face.

"... What a timid Holy Spirit."

"Indeed. But this Holy Spirit's aesthetics are quite good. A long-haired Three-Flower Cat, sigh! A great beauty in the cat world, so pretty!"

"Truth be told, if I saw this kind of cat, I wouldn't be able to look away either."

National Destiny Space ——

Seeing the cat's aggrieved look, Ye Qingxuan stopped lecturing it.

"Right now your Origin is damaged. Would you like to follow me? Perhaps I can complete your Origin."

"Meow?" 'Really? You're not tricking a cat? Can you protect this meow?'

"Really. Following me, at least you won't be chased and bitten by rats."

"Meow, meow!" 'The cat agrees. Thank you, bipedal beast.'

"I am a Daoist priest, and my given name is Ye Qingxuan. Are you willing to sign a Spirit Beast contract with this poor Daoist?"

"Meow?" 'What is this bipedal beast babbling on about? Is his name Daoist?'

"Forget it, let's sign the contract first. Do not resist, although you can't resist anyway." Ye Qingxuan didn't expect a congenitally deficient Holy Spirit to understand all his words.

Ye Qingxuan brought his fingers together like a sword, drawing a talisman in the Void Realm. Spiritual Qi formed a mysterious symbol in the air, and then he flicked a drop of blood out with his finger. With a wave of his hand, the symbol sank into the Three-Flower Cat's forehead, and the contract was formed.

At the same time, the Holy Spirit's aura was also linked with Ye Qingxuan. To heaven and earth, Ye Qingxuan was the Holy Spirit, no longer an undocumented person, and at the same time, he could absorb Spiritual Qi in this realm without being discovered by the Heavenly Dao.

"What is Daoist doing? This meow is hungry."

The Spirit Beast contract was established, and the human and beast could communicate mentally. The voice of the Three-Color Holy Spirit interrupted Ye Qingxuan's thoughts.

"My name is Ye Qingxuan, not Daoist."

"Daoist, cat is hungry."

"Call me whatever you want. Let me give you a name as well."

"What is a name? A cat is just a cat."

"A cat has nine lives, and you were congenitally deficient yet still managed to run for so long. Let's call you Xiao Jiu."

"Xiao Jiu? Is this a cat's name? Just like how you are called Daoist?"

"Right, your name is Xiao Jiu."

"Meow, this meow is hungry."

Well, things have come to this; let's eat first.