Gift package received

Chapter 13: Gift Package Arrives

After Meow Meow closed his eyes, he wasn't actually asleep.

At least not this time.

He sank his mind into the system panel, staring at the row of gift packages waiting to be opened, and couldn't help but give the tip of his tail a slight twitch.

Four of them.

And all were retroactive rewards from Qian Renxue's storyline.

These weren't ordinary daily feeding packages.

Who was Qian Renxue?

The Young Master of Martial Soul Hall.

The owner of the Seraphim Spirit.

Qian Daoliu's granddaughter.

And one of the most important figures in the original fate line of the Douluo Continent.

The gift packages from her storyline—no matter how he thought about it—couldn't be bad.

"Open."

Meow Meow didn't hesitate.

[Ding, Qian Renxue First Encounter Gift Package opened.]

[Rewards: Meow Wish Value ×80, Talent: Angel Affinity, Thousand-Year Cultivation Card ×1.]

[Ding, Black Marsh Escape Together Gift Package opened.]

[Rewards: Spirit Skill: Moon Shadow Dash, Treasure: Pure Feather Talisman, Meow Wish Value ×100.]

[Ding, Secret Companion Gift Package opened.]

[Rewards: Companion Spirit Tool Expansion Card ×1, Meow Pet Skill: Bell-Led Master Seeking.]

[Ding, First Interaction Gift Package opened.]

[Rewards: Angel Spirit Fruit Seed ×3, Holy Spring Dew ×30, Meow Wish Value ×50.]

A string of notifications scrolled by, and Meow Meow nearly couldn't stop himself from leaping off the stone bench.

Good stuff.

All good stuff.

This haul was a real win.

"The system's actually being generous this time?"

"As expected, tying myself to the Young Master really pays off."

Meow Meow felt smug inside as he scanned all the rewards first.

The first thing he looked at was [Angel Affinity].

[Angel Affinity: The host can better adapt to angel-type spirit power and sacred-attribute spirit power environments. When near a Seraphim Spirit owner, the host is less likely to be repelled by sacred attributes. Long-term exposure can improve the host's spiritual purity.]

After reading it, Meow Meow's eyes lit up slightly.

This thing was practical.

It wasn't a direct combat ability, but for him right now, its value was high.

Qian Renxue possessed the Seraphim Spirit.

Qian Daoliu also possessed the Seraphim Spirit.

And at the Worship Hall, the angel statues and the Angel Temple went without saying.

Without this affinity, if he ever got close to that place in the future, even if he wasn't instantly thrown out, he'd probably feel uncomfortable.

Now it was fine.

At least when he eventually entered the Worship Hall, he wouldn't have his fur standing on end from the angelic aura right off the bat.

"Not bad."

"This ability isn't flashy, but it's perfect for long-term survival in Martial Soul Hall."

Next was [Moon Shadow Dash].

[Moon Shadow Dash: Exclusive movement spirit skill of the Moon Spirit Cat. When activated, the host can temporarily increase speed while reducing sound and spirit power fluctuations during movement. Current effect is limited by cultivation level and cannot be used continuously for extended periods.]

Meow Meow nodded in satisfaction.

This one was more straightforward.

An escape skill.

On the Douluo Continent, you could lack anything, but you couldn't lack a means of escape.

Especially after last night's ordeal in the Black Marsh—it had taught him one thing clearly.

The outside wasn't the east side courtyard.

Not all dangers could be solved by acting cute.

When facing a real fifty-thousand-year soul beast, running came first.

"Moon Mark Time Slow to buy a moment."

"Moon Shadow Dash to escape."

"Paired with Moon Concealment and Mimic Breath, I finally have a somewhat complete survival kit."

Next came the [Pure Feather Talisman].

[Pure Feather Talisman: A protective token condensed from angelic soul power, capable of blocking one medium-strength mental attack and briefly dispelling sinister auras. Requires re-nurturing with holy-attribute soul power after use.]

Meow Meow glanced at it twice.

This thing was different from the Golden Feather Qian Renxue had given him before.

The Golden Feather was more like a personal protective token from Qian Renxue herself.

But this Pure Feather Talisman was a reward from the system based on Qian Renxue's route.

One for external use, one for internal.

They didn't conflict.

"Good."

"If I ever run into an Evil Soul Master or a mental-type soul master in the future, at least I can hold out a bit longer."

As for [Bell-Led Master Seeking], Meow Meow examined it more carefully.

[Bell-Led Master Seeking: Cat pet skill. The host can sense the general location and status fluctuations of bonded owners through the Calming Bell. Currently bonded targets: Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue.]

[Note: This ability can only determine location and danger fluctuations; it cannot pry into privacy.]

Meow Meow's mouth twitched at the last line.

"System, you actually have some rules."

"But that's fine."

This skill was important.

Both Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue were key figures on the threads of fate.

Especially now, with their relationship still unrepaired—one in the Pope's Palace, the other undercover in Heaven Dou, with plenty of trouble between them.

He couldn't just rely on guesses every time.

With this skill, at least if something happened to either of them, he'd have a general idea right away.

"Great."

"From now on, anyone trying to pull something behind This Cat's back will have a harder time."

"Of course, that's assuming This Cat can get there in time."

After reviewing the main rewards, Meow Meow turned his attention to the cultivation card.

Thousand-Year Cultivation Card.

This thing was simple and straightforward.

He was already a thousand-year soul beast, and the higher his age went, the harder it was to accumulate.

But the cultivation card from the system had the advantage of stability.

No need to absorb soul power.

No need for risky hunting.

And no need to slowly grind like ordinary soul beasts.

"Use."

[Ding, Thousand-Year Cultivation Card used successfully.]

Gentle soul power spread from within his body.

This time, the improvement was more noticeable than before.

Meridians, flesh and blood, spiritual sea—all were steadily pushed forward.

Meow Meow didn't open his eyes.

He just silently suppressed the changes within, trying not to let any obvious signs show on the outside.

Qian Renxue was still beside him.

He didn't want her, just after accepting him, to suddenly see a cat sitting on a stone bench abruptly raising its cultivation.

That image was too weird.

Fortunately, the system's enhancement was stable enough.

After a moment, the changes gradually settled down.

[Realm: Three-thousand-year spirit beast.]

Looking at the numbers on the panel, Meow Meow felt even better.

Three thousand years.

Still a tiny speck before a Titled Douluo.

But at least he was no longer a kitten any random ordinary soul master could bully.

Among spirit beasts, he had finally gained a foothold.

"Alright."

"Meow is now a three-thousand-year cat."

"Still doesn't sound very impressive, but it's way better than when I was first born."

Then, he looked at the [Companion Spirit Tool Expansion Card].

This thing was obviously meant for the Calming Bell.

The Calming Bell already had a small space inside, capable of storing non-living items and some pure energy.

But the space was small.

Not suitable for anything too complex.

Now that he had the expansion card, Meow Meow naturally wouldn't hold back.

"Use it on the Calming Bell."

[Ding, Companion Spirit Tool Expansion Card used successfully.]

[Calming Bell space expanding...]

The silver bell around Meow Meow's neck gave a faint tremor.

The sound was very soft.

Qian Renxue sat not far away, seeming to sense something, and looked over.

She saw the white cat still with eyes closed, appearing to be cultivating.

She didn't disturb him.

But curiosity stirred in her heart.

On Meow Meow's end, his consciousness had already entered the Calming Bell's interior.

The space, originally the size of a small room, was slowly stretching open.

Gray-white mist dispersed.

In the center, a flat, open area appeared.

Beside the open area, there was a shallow pool.

The pool wasn't large, and currently had no water, but there was a faint convergence of moonlight and sacred flame energy.

Further off, there was a patch of empty spiritual soil.

Not a large area.

But enough to plant something.

"That's more like it."

"Before, that was just a storage space."

"Now it's a little nest I can slowly build up."

Meow Meow was quite satisfied.

But the system description was clear.

This wasn't a true small world yet.

It couldn't hold ordinary life for long.

Nor could it be used to raise a bunch of cats.

But for a Sacred Flame Spirit Cat to briefly stay, or to store spirit fruits, fire seeds, dew, and other special items, it was already fine.

For him, it was enough.

At least from now on, he wouldn't have to carry everything on his person.

With that thought, he first dropped the [Holy Spring Dew] into the pool.

After the thirty drops of dew fell, the small pool gained a shallow layer of water.

The water was very clear.

A faint silver light shimmered on its surface.

Meow Meow could sense that this stuff was good for mental recovery and nurturing the Sacred Flame Spirit Cat.

"I can use a little for those little ones in the East Courtyard later."

"But not too many."

"A Ju's the greedy type—if he knew there was a pool here, he'd probably find a way to stick his head in."

Just thinking about A Ju's round, chubby form made Meow Meow want to laugh.

Then, he planted the three Angel Spirit Fruit seeds into the spirit soil.

As soon as the seeds entered the soil, they quickly gave off a faint golden glow.

They hadn't sprouted yet.

But he could sense they were already alive.

"Angel Spirit Fruit."

"Just from the name, I know it's connected to Qian Renxue's side."

"If I manage to grow them later, maybe I can let her and Bibi Dong both try some."

Thinking of Bibi Dong, Meow Meow paused again.

If Qian Renxue belonged to the Angel lineage, then Bibi Dong's aura was far more complicated.

Her martial soul was already spider-type to begin with, and later she became deeply entangled with the Rakshasa God's trials.

The Angel Spirit Fruit might not suit her to eat too much.

But if it was just used to cleanse the cold, gloomy agitation from her mind, it might still be useful.

"I'll plant them for now."

"We'll talk when they actually mature."

After handling that, Meow Meow opened his status panel.

code
[Host: Meow Meow]
[Race: Moon Spirit Cat]
[Cultivation: Three-thousand-year soul beast]
[Bound Targets: Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue]
[Bound Spirit Tool: Calming Bell]
[Innate Talents: Heart-Melting Gaze, Purring Dream, Angel Affinity]
[Soul Skills: Soul Devour Moon, Moon Mark Time Slow, Sacred Flame Spirit Ignition, Moon Shadow Dash]
[Meow Pet Skill: Bell-Led Master Seeking]
[Retainers: Fifteen Sacred Flame Spirit Cats]
[Meow Wish Value: 260]
[Current Main Quest: Mend the Martial Soul Hall Regret Line]

Meow Meow looked at this panel, feeling a deep sense of reassurance.

From that newborn kitten in Death Canyon to now—having two bound targets, a group of Sacred Flame Spirit Cats, two footholds, and several abilities that were truly usable.

The journey here hadn't actually been that long.

But the changes were already enormous.

"Not bad."

"At least now, I really don't look like a little cat who could be caught for a soul ring at any moment."

Just as he thought that, the system popped up another new notification.

[Ding, the next stage of Qian Renxue's quest line has been activated.]

[Quest: Assist Qian Renxue in safely returning to Heavenly Dou City.]

[Description: Qian Renxue is disguised as Xue Qinghe, infiltrating Heaven Dou. A prolonged absence will easily arouse suspicion. Please assist the host in extricating her from the current Black Marsh incident and ensuring her safe return to Heaven Dou.]

[Reward: Determined by quest completion rate.]

Meow Meow's eyes flickered slightly.

Just as he thought.

Qian Renxue couldn't stay here forever.

Right now, she was wearing the identity of Xue Qinghe, publicly the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou.

If she stayed away too long, Heaven Dou would definitely run into problems.

Emperor Xue Ye, Prince Xue Xing, Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and a whole bunch of nobles and hidden spies.

That place might not look as imposing as Martial Soul Hall, but the waters there were anything but shallow.

"Heavenly Dou City..."

Meow Meow muttered to himself.

In the original storyline, a lot of things would happen there.

Tang San would go to Heavenly Dou City later too.

The Shrek Academy group would also go.

Yu Xiaogang and his people would inevitably cross paths with them sooner or later.

But it was still early for now.

At least at this moment, he was only assisting Qian Renxue in returning, not directly flipping the table in Heavenly Dou City.

"Don't think too far ahead."

"Eat your meal one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time."

After withdrawing his mind from the system, Meow Meow slowly opened his eyes.

Qian Renxue was sitting not far away, watching him.

White Dew was lying by her knee, Ink Shadow was familiarizing himself with the environment in the shadows of the courtyard corner, and A Yu was crouching by the herb garden, lowering her head to sniff a small medicinal plant.

The courtyard was very quiet.

So quiet that the pile of gift packs the system had just spawned felt like an illusion.

Seeing him open his eyes, Qian Renxue asked:

"Done cultivating?"

Meow Meow nodded.

"Pretty much."

Qian Renxue glanced at him a couple of times, seeming to notice that his aura was steadier than before.

But she didn't ask further.

Everyone had secrets.

She did.

Meow Meow did too.

Asking too many questions would only spoil things.

Meow Meow didn't volunteer an explanation either. He just sat up a little straighter, licked his paw, and then asked very naturally:

"Qinghe."

"Hm?"

"Shouldn't you be heading back to Heavenly Dou City by now?"

Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened slightly.

Meow Meow looked up at her.

"You're still the Crown Prince of Heavenly Dou right now."

"The matter in Black Marsh has dragged on long enough."

"If you don't go back soon, Heavenly Dou will start getting suspicious."

Qian Renxue was silent for a moment.

Then she nodded lightly.

"I really should go back."

"But before I return, I still have some loose ends to tie up."

Meow Meow's ears twitched.

"The Evil Soul Master lead?"

"Yes."

Qian Renxue's voice turned colder.

"Although the stronghold in Black Marsh has been destroyed, the traces left behind are still there."

"If I don't clean them up thoroughly, it could implicate me later."

Meow Meow thought it over and nodded.

"Then clean them up."

"After that, I'll go to Heavenly Dou City with you."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"I just came out this time. I can't exactly run around Black Marsh and then head straight back to Martial Soul City."

"Besides."

He paused.

"I also want to see Heavenly Dou City."

Qian Renxue looked at him and didn't refuse again.

"Alright."

"Then rest for now."

"We'll set out tomorrow."

Meow Meow nodded in agreement.

On the surface, he appeared calm.

But inside, his mind was already slowly stirring.

Heavenly Dou City.

Xue Qinghe.

The Young Master of Martial Soul Hall.

And Tang San and the Shrek Seven Devils, who were sure to appear in the future.

"Interesting."

"It looks like this trip of mine is truly stepping into the original story's main plot."