Strange Tales and Odd Happenings, Another Breakthrough! (Sixth Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Vera!)

After robbing Qin Feng twice, Zhao Xing originally planned to continue strolling around.

Unexpectedly, as they walked, the little Mountain Cat got hungry and wanted to eat the Fragrant Berry Vine Fruit and White Fragrant Grass it had eaten last time.

So Zhao Xing found this place and started planting two things that Mountain Cat love to eat.

Since the previous straw figures were left outside the temple and were too far away to be effective, he simply planted some more Adamantine Bamboo.

Even if it's not used for fighting, it can be used to make some Swift Steps Straw Puppet, which will make them move faster.

I thought I wouldn't encounter any more "good luck" anytime soon.

Unexpectedly, luck came, and there was no stopping it.

I was farming in this remote mountain village, and yet I still managed to run into Wen Zhao and Zhang Boran!

The two of them had no idea what they had gone through, and they didn't even realize that this bamboo forest had been planted by someone.

They didn't even notice the scarecrows lying in ambush on both sides.

"What's on Zhang Boran's body?" Zhao Xing's gaze fell on the other man's chest, which was bulging and clearly contained good stuff.

What excited Zhao Xing even more was that earthenware pot.

It's incredibly attractive, far surpassing the average Mid-Grade Spiritual Elegance Talent!

"Little Mountain Cat, stop eating, something fun is coming!"

Zhao Xing waved to the Mountain Cat that was munching on fruit.

"Meow~" The Mountain Cat was a little unhappy; he wasn't full yet.

"Hurry up, those two have some good food on them, you'll definitely like it!" Zhao Xing urged.

"Meow!" The Mountain Cat's big eyes lit up when it heard about the delicious food.

With a push of its hind legs, it immediately leaped onto the Adamantine Bamboo, and then in a few leaps, it rushed out of the bamboo forest.

"Boran, what did you find this time..." Wen Zhao was about to ask Zhang Boran what good things he had found that made him lose his knife.

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Boran suddenly leaped into the air, bending into a bow shape in mid-air.

With a loud "bang," Zhang Boran sent flying backward.

The Golden Chestnut in his arms scattered all over the ground, and the earthenware pot also fell to the ground.

Zhang Boran didn't utter a sound and immediately fainted.

The little Mountain Cat was Ranked Realm exotic beast, and it had devoured countless spiritual essences. Even a Ranked Realm martial artist couldn't withstand such a collision.

Moreover, Zhang Boran only at the eighth level.

He simply lay down on the ground.

"What?!" Wen Zhao was stunned. He had no idea what had happened. He instinctively picked up the earthenware pot and prepared to run away.

However, just then, a small and cute cat appeared in their field of vision.

"Hiss~" The Mountain Cat hissed softly, crouching low and locking onto Wen Zhao.

"Old man, put Lingxiu down right now, or you'll be in big trouble!"

A teasing voice came from behind.

Wen Zhao was taken aback. Wasn't this my poem?

Turning around, I saw Zhao Xing emerge from the bamboo grove.

"You, Zhao Xing?!"

Wen Zhao recalled the scene yesterday Zhao Xing went to the Heavenly Altar Plaza.

That's what he said to Zhao Xing at that time.

Unexpectedly, fortunes have turned around.

Now it was Zhao Xing's turn to say that to him.

"What, still can't let go?" Zhao Xing looked at Wen Zhao indifferently. "Has studying made you stupid?"

Wen Zhao glanced at the Mountain Cat, then at Zhao Xing, took a deep breath, and picked up a thorny branch from the ground.

Then, bending over, he slowly approached Zhao Xing.

"Lord Zhao, I have offended you greatly yesterday. I am deeply sorry. Please whip me to vent my anger." Wen Zhao bowed deeply, his voice full of sincerity.

It was as if he was confessing, making people feel that he had truly admitted his mistake.

This fellow truly lives up to his reputation as Ritual Cultivator; he even went so far as to feign remorse by carrying thorns on his back.

"An apology?" Zhao Xing scoffed. "You've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve. Besides the Fire Ritual's 'Harmony Ritual' and 'fire' 'amnesty,' I didn't expect your apology to be so elaborate. Do you think I'd fall for your trick? How does your 'apology' compare to the power of the underground Yin Wind?"

Wen Zhao's eyes widened in surprise; he hadn't expected his trick to be so easily seen through.

Just as he was about to speak again, Zhao Xing suddenly rushed forward, grabbed the thorny branch from his hand, and lashed it hard at the old man's back.

"I will grant your wish!"

"Snap!" A burning pain came from his back, and Wen Zhao gasped.

But his magic was broken, and with the Mountain Cat watching him, he had no power to fight back and could only let Zhao Xing whip him.

"Clap clap clap clap clap!"

The thorn twig sliced through the air, delivering five rapid blows that sent Wen Zhao sprawling to the ground in pain.

"If you burn three of my straw effigies, I'll whip you six times!"

"Why... why not three times?" Wen Zhao asked weakly.

"Because I'm the kind of person who holds grudges and repays them double." Zhao Xing broke Wen Zhao's 'apology' and stepped on his head with one foot. "According to your Apology Rite Method, you should say thank you now, or you'll lose a level of etiquette cultivation."

"Ugh ugh ugh~" Wen Zhao, who was being trampled into the mud, couldn't say anything because his head was being stomped on hard and his mouth was full of mud.

Under Bright Eyes observation, the Golden Light on Wen Zhao's body was getting weaker and weaker, while the red light was getting stronger and stronger.

This is the 'ritual' he failed to complete in his cultivation.

The attempt to apologize failed to elicit a positive response; instead, it turned into a negative one.

"Bang!"

Zhao Xing stomped hard, shattering the Golden Light surrounding Wen Zhao.

The red light engulfed Wen Zhao's entire body. He was struck by the backlash of the magic, twitched in the mud, and then fainted.

If his method of apology was originally at level five, it is now reduced to level four.

"I hate you Ritual Cultivator the most! You do nothing but get in my way!" Zhao Xing kicked Wen Zhao in the stomach, sending him flying.

Poor Wen Zhao, who had just recovered, was beaten up again and is now injured.

Zhao Xing clapped his hands and turned around.

His expression froze.

In just a short while, the little Mountain Cat had eaten almost all the Golden Chestnut that had fallen to the ground.

"Crunch crunch~" It was crunchy and delicious as I chewed on it.

"You have quite the appetite," Zhao Xing helplessly.

"Meow~" The Mountain Cat raised its paw and pushed the last one over.

"Oh, you're too Guest Qi. You've had your fill, why did you leave one for me?"

"Meow?" The little Mountain Cat tilted its head, as if asking a question.

Are you really not going to eat it?

"I was just kidding, let's eat."

Zhao Xing quickly picked up the Golden Chestnut, blew off the dirt, peeled off the shell, and threw it into his mouth.

The crunchy chestnuts provided Zhao Xing with 500 points of energy.

We are one step closer to the Gathering Yuan Eighth Level Realm.

The effect is quite good, increasing the progress by one-twentieth.

However, it didn't have much effect on the Mountain Cat.

Despite eating so much, Zhao Xing didn't sense any significant change in the Mountain Cat's aura.

"Pop~"

Zhao Xing picked up the earthen jar and opened the top layer of mud that sealed it.

The little Mountain Cat's nose twitched, and its pupils dilated instantly.

A rich aroma of wine wafted over, and Zhao Xing immediately felt his energy become much more active.

"Monkey Wine?" Zhao Xing's eyes lit up; this was a good thing.

This fruit wine, brewed with exquisite care, probably requires the use of over a thousand Golden Chestnut!

He only took one sniff, and his vitality increased by 20 points!

Before Zhao Xing could even make a move, he saw the Mountain Cat almost teleport to the edge of the jar and plunge its little head into it.

"Hey, kittens can't drink alcohol, they'll get drunk."

"Damn it, leave some for me..."

This thing is very attractive to Mountain Cat, and in the blink of an eye, it absorbed half of it.

However, upon hearing Zhao Xing speak, it stepped aside, gesturing for Zhao Xing to lie down and drink with it.

A moment later.

"Burp~" Both the person and the cat let out a burp.

The Mountain Cat shook its head and lay on the ground licking its paws.

Zhao Xing also sat on the ground, cross-legged and practicing his internal energy.

Unlike the Mountain Cat, he couldn't drink that much; he only drank a small portion before having to stop.

Even this small portion is enough for Zhao Xing to break through!

Half an hour later.

Zhao Xing opened his eyes, and the flush on his face had subsided considerably.

I looked at the panel.

[Gathering Yuan Eighth Level: 7245/10000]

"That's impressive! Not only did they reach the Gathering Yuan Eighth Level directly, but they also made the progress seventy percent faster!"

Zhao Xing let out a long sigh of relief.

He used the Five Elements Observation to observe the little Mountain Cat.

They noticed that the other person's aura had also increased slightly.

"You can really eat! If you weren't with the Agricultural Official, other families probably wouldn't be able to afford to feed you." Zhao Xing patted the Mountain Cat's head.

Raising a mythical beast, especially a Ranked Realm one, is very costly.

It is Zhao Xing who has the confidence to raise Mountain Cat even though he has not yet Ranked Realm a dantian.

After waiting for an hour, the Adamantine Bamboo matured. Zhao Xing then spent time creating twenty Vajra Puppet and ten Swift Steps Straw Puppet.

All of them are of Tier 2 superior quality.

There were also some Reconnaissance Straw Puppet made from ordinary vine branches and leaves.

"Lift the sedan chair!"

Zhao Xing waved his hand and continued wandering on the mountain.

On the third day of climbing Spirit Mountain, many Music Dao things happened.

Someone found a powerful Pure Yuan Spiritual Elegance in the cave, which allowed them to directly leap three steps and reach the Gathering Yuan Ninth Level.

Someone managed to pluck an orchid, gained some insight from its petals, and his movement technique Nine Revolutions to the Subtleties of Subtlety, instantly making him a top-tier expert.

Some people encounter superior spiritual essences but are unable to gather them, as if they are trapped in a "Ghost Wall," wandering around in circles, clearly having a strong feeling but not knowing the exact location.

There are also rumors that certain areas of East Lake Mountain are guarded by incredibly terrifying beasts, making them areas that officials cannot touch. These areas are filled with naturally formed treasures, but they will not be open to the public for three days.

Some people offer incense to pray for spiritual enlightenment in the same spot, only to end up fighting and bleeding, or even dying as a result.

Some people felt hopeless about competing for incense on the third night and went straight down the mountain.

In the evening, the group arrived at the Heavenly Altar Plaza, a safe area, and began to talk about what they had seen and heard during the day.

Among these much- Music Dao topics, many people mentioned a strange incident.

"Have you heard? A strange beast has appeared on the mountain; it's terrifying."

"You mean that cat? Of course I've heard of it! They say it's the cat the mountain god kept."

"There are many strange beasts in the mountains, what's so strange about a Mountain Cat?" someone scoffed.

"If that were all, it would be fine, but this Mountain Cat specializes in robbing other people's spiritual essence."

"Many experts have been robbed by that cat, including Wen Zhao and Zhang Boran, it is said."

"Huh? How strong must this Mountain Cat be?"

"Although he is still young, he already has the strength to the Ranked Realm '."

"And there's something even stranger. This Mountain Cat won't kill you, but if you get robbed and don't thank it, it won't let you go. How strange!"

"..."

Du Jiaojiao, Liu Muqing, and Lu Qian were resting in a corner of the square when they heard such strange rumors and couldn't help but start talking about it.

Lu Qian scoffed, "These people must be crazy, spreading such outrageous rumors. They think a simple thank you will make the Mountain Cat let it go? That's utter nonsense!"

Liu Muqing said, "Perhaps the pressure of climbing the mountain is too great, and some people may be hallucinating."

Du Jiaojiao, who was wiping her silver spear, suddenly said, "Maybe someone keeps that Mountain Cat."

Lu Qian asked in surprise, "What do you mean, Sister Jiao?"

Du Jiaojiao slowly said, "Today, when we were collecting spiritual essences halfway up the mountain, we sensed the presence of Mountain Cat from a distance."

"There was also a human presence following it closely, as if it had been observing us for a while."

"What?" Lu Qian asked in surprise, "There's such a thing?"

"Who can tame the Mountain Cat?" Liu Muqing asked. "Could it be Yang Junxiong?"

"If that's the case, then we're in trouble," Lu Qian said, frowning. "I'm afraid he'll be the first to burn First Incense again tonight."

"It shouldn't be him," Du Jiaojiao pondered. "It doesn't seem like it."

"Whoever it is, if what Sister Jiao said is true, this person will definitely show up tonight."

Halfway up the mountain, Zhao Xing slowly ascended the mountain, carried by a straw figure.

He looked around with his Bright Eyes and saw people climbing the mountain from different directions.

"Tonight is the last chance, and it will also be the most exciting night."

Meow~ The Mountain Cat perked up its ears, seemingly triggering a keyword.

"Hey, Cat Lord, calm down." Zhao Xing grabbed its tail; the Mountain Cat had just tried to rush out and beat someone up again.

This silly cat loves to join in the fun! It has amazing stamina and is even harder to walk than a dog!

"We need to go up the mountain now, we can't waste any more time," Zhao Xing explained. "Don't worry, it'll be even more lively up there, you'll have plenty of fun."

The Mountain Cat obediently nestled back into Zhao Xing.

This time, the trip up the mountain was very safe.

No one dared to mess with Zhao Xing along the way.

Because he made a name for himself on the second night, even though Zhao Xing didn't introduce himself, how could Young Master Zong not boast about him?

In just Heavenly Timing, he not only made a name for himself, but also gave Zhao Xing a great deal of praise.

Even if he can't remember it after going down the mountain, Young Master Zong still has to put on a show in these two days!

Besides fame.

Zhao Xing's current cultivation level is also quite different from yesterday's.

After seizing the opportunities from many officials, he has reached the Gathering Yuan Ninth Level!

With the Mountain Cat snowballing, they practically swept all the way through.

To facilitate the robberies, Zhao Xing stopped showing himself and had Cat Lord carry them out.

"Zhao Xing, over here!"

As soon as I entered the Heavenly Altar Plaza at the top of the mountain, I saw Zong Shichang waving at me.

There were a few familiar faces in the square.

Such as Wen Nanxing, Xiao Ze, and Li Chengfeng.

The group hadn't seen each other in the past two days, but they had made considerable progress. Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze had already Gathering Yuan Seventh Level.

Li Chengfeng made some progress on the first night. Although he didn't show up the next day, he has already Gathering Yuan Ninth Level today!

Yuan Technique Spiritual Elegance and Lifespan Spiritual Elegance, either one, mostly enhance vital energy, with lifespan accounting for only a small portion, which is not surprising.

In Zhao Xing's view, most of the lucky ones in the square, although their cultivation level has improved, are just "bloated".

If one's magical abilities don't keep up, having cultivation is just a facade.

What puzzled Zhao Xing was that Li Chengfeng was not with Zong Shichang. The two had each gathered a group of people, as if some conflict had occurred and their relationship was not as close as before.

"Zhao Sanjia".

"It's Zhao Xing."

"Brother Zhao is mighty! Locust Willow Courtyard is mighty!"

Upon entering the square, many people greeted Zhao Xing, mainly because Zhao Xing had made quite a splash yesterday.

He defeated Cao Qiushui during the competition to First Incense! That Cao Qiushui is a descendant of the True Lord!

"Okay, okay, everyone." Once they were in a crowded place, Zhao Xing couldn't keep up his airs any longer, so he jumped off the chair carrying the Mountain Cat.

"Hey, where did you pick up this kitten? It's kind of cute." Zong Shichang saw the Mountain Cat and immediately wanted to pet it.

"Young Master, be careful!" Uncle Cang and Uncle Hu's expressions changed drastically, and they immediately stopped Zong Shichang.

Yuan Bo also had a solemn expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Hiss~" Zong Shichang felt like he was being stared at by a ferocious beast. Looking into the Mountain Cat's eyes, he instantly broke out in a cold sweat, and his legs went weak.

Luckily someone was there to support her, otherwise she might have collapsed.

"Brother Zong, quickly thank it," Zhao Xing said.

"Huh? Oh, thank you." Zong Shichang didn't know why, but he quickly did as he was told.

Seeing this, the Mountain Cat stopped hissing and shrank back into Zhao Xing.

"This... this is Mountain Cat? You're the Mountain Cat's owner?" Zong Shichang wiped his sweat.

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

"No, what's wrong with your cat? Why do I have to thank it?" Zong Shichang wasn't so scared after hearing that Zhao Xing was the owner of the Mountain Cat. He remembered the strange rumors he had heard before and became curious.

Zhao Xing said helplessly, "It's a long story. In short, after I took it to fight a few times, it developed this habit. You know, cats' temperaments are always strange, and it's hard for me to correct them."

Zong Shichang wholeheartedly agreed. He loved playing with cats and walking dogs, and knew that cats were quite difficult to take care of, sometimes not even knowing who the master was.

After chatting for a while, Young Master Zong, forgetting his earlier mistake, suddenly wanted to pet the cat. "Will you let me have this Mountain Cat? I'll pay you whatever it takes!"

Zhao Xing shook his head. "Brother Zong, a gentleman does not take what others cherish."

Mentioning "gentleman, "Zong Shichang seemed to recall something, his expression turning somewhat displeased. "What bullshit gentleman? I don't care. Fine, you won't sell it, but you can bring it to my house more often in the future."

"No problem," Zhao Xing casually agreed, glancing around the square. "What's the situation now?"

Zong Shichang knew he was asking for information, so he immediately said, "There has been a new change among the experts who Ranked Realm. I don't know what opportunity Gu Feng got, but he actually jumped from the Gathering Yuan Eighth Level to the rank of the Ranked Realm just the eighth incense stick burning time."

"In addition, the number of Gathering Yuan Ninth Level has also increased significantly. For example, seven Gathering Yuan Ninth Level have gathered around Cao Qiushui."

"In addition, Lu Qian and Miss Liu, who are next to Du Jiaojiao, have also advanced to the Gathering Yuan Ninth Level."

"I have broken through to the Gathering Yuan Seventh Level, Uncle Cang and Uncle Hu have reached the Gathering Yuan Ninth Level."

"However, among the first ten incense sticks, some did not fare well. Zhang Boran and Wen Zhao were seriously injured for some reason."

"Hu Yang's Mechanical Beast is missing one of its parts, so it seems he didn't gain anything."

"Yuan Bo said that Yang Junxiong's aura doesn't seem to have changed much. I wonder how he managed to be the first to First Incense."

Zong Shichang pointed at the crowd in the square, as if he knew everyone inside and out. "Overall, the number of officials has decreased, some have gone down the mountain, some have died or been injured, but the number of people at higher levels has increased. This is because the first fifty incense sticks have all had some effect."

"Tonight is the last night for the officials. They all have to go down the mountain before dawn tomorrow, so no one wants to miss this last chance. The competition will definitely be even fiercer tonight... By the way, Zhao Sanjia, why are Zhang Boran and Wen Zhao staring at you like that?"