Proving a Hundred Thousand Years

The dried-meat trial was finally over for Numb Tail.

Though it hadn't been easy.

On the first day, he stared at the dried meat for half an incense stick, drooling so much he nearly soaked the ground.

On the second day, he held out for one incense stick. But at the end, he reached out and touched it with a paw, and White Dew caught him red-handed.

On the third day, Numb Tail finally learned to close his eyes.

Watching him look as though he were about to meditate his way to heaven, Meow Meow didn't know whether to praise him or sigh.

"Fine. You pass."

Numb Tail's eyes flew open.

"Meow!"

"No eating."

Meow Meow added.

Numb Tail slumped all over again.

White Dew flicked her tail lightly beside them, while Gray Ear lowered his head to lick his paw, clearly amused.

Seven days later, all three kittens had completed the first round of trials.

White Dew was the steadiest.

Gray Ear was the best at finding his way.

Numb Tail caused the most trouble, but he was also the best at getting out alive after trouble started.

That was a skill, too.

At least it was much better than sneaking bites during missions.

Meow Meow didn't immediately let them join the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy operation.

Instead, he had Da Hei register the three kittens first.

"Starting today, White Dew, Gray Ear, and Numb Tail are among the first cats assigned to the Heavenly Dou Cat Net's operations."

"White Dew will handle calming and communications."

"Gray Ear will cover West City and the area outside the academy."

"Numb Tail..."

Meow Meow looked at Numb Tail.

Numb Tail sat up straight, his tail pressed to the ground.

"Numb Tail will serve as a cautionary example."

Numb Tail: "..."

White Dew couldn't help letting out a soft meow.

Gray Ear turned his head away.

Meow Meow felt he might have gone a little too far, so he added, "And keep an eye on the back entrance."

Only then did Numb Tail seem to regain a little of his spirit.

With the arrangements made, Meow Meow finally had time to deal with the matters that had piled up over the past few days.

Dai Lin could walk again.

The White Tiger Cub had been settled in the small space inside the Calming Bell, where Jianbing was temporarily looking after him.

Jianbing claimed he was only keeping watch.

But whenever the White Tiger Cub so much as shivered, he hurried over at once.

Meow Meow saw through it but said nothing.

That little guy was all bluster.

He'd only just been fished out of a bottle himself as a remnant spirit, and now he was looking after another White Tiger.

There had been an outcome at the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, too.

The middle-aged teacher had disappeared.

The Black Eagle Family Soul King had been detained, but he hadn't given anything away.

There had been no movement from Prince Xue Xing.

He was quiet, as if he knew nothing at all.

Meow Meow wasn't surprised.

If Heavenly Dou's nobles were that easy to expose, they wouldn't have driven Shrek into such a desperate situation in the original timeline.

Still, with the Crown Prince's Mansion keeping an eye on the academy's rear mountain, the Black Eagle Family wouldn't dare conduct any more Practical Tests for the time being.

That was enough.

At least Dai Lin was alive.

And the White Tiger Cub was alive, too.

Over the next few years, Heaven Dou City appeared calm on the surface.

In secret, however, it gained many more cats.

The Gray Ear Lineage in West City began passing messages through the streets and alleys.

Blue Tail, at the East Side Courtyard, led a group of kittens in studying message tablets.

A Ju still spent every day looking for food.

But under the influence of Numb Tail, the "cautionary example," A Ju was finally forced to teach the kittens a lesson.

The lesson was called "Don't Sneak Food During a Mission."

A Ju taught it with great reluctance.

The kittens listened intently.

When Meow Meow heard about it later, he had mixed feelings.

He never thought A Ju would have a day as a teacher.

After the Bloodline Rule was established, the new kittens of the Sacred Flame Spirit Cat showed clear changes.

Some kittens were naturally drawn to calming techniques.

Some liked formation patterns.

Some liked Stealth.

And some liked looking for food.

At first, Meow Meow didn't want to admit that the last one was a talent, too.

But then he discovered that these kittens had a special knack for finding spirit plants and medicinal herbs, so he reluctantly classified it as "object-finding."

Just like that, A Ju's lineage went from being a cautionary example to a key group for the object-finding course.

A Ju was proud of this for three days.

On the fourth day, Da Hei caught him sneaking food from the supplies and made him copy the cat rules as punishment.

When Meow Meow heard, he said only one word.

"Serves him right."

Time moved on, little by little.

Briefings from Spirit Hall were delivered to the Crown Prince's Mansion one after another.

[Notting Junior Soul Master Academy: Tang San's Soul Power is increasing steadily.]

[Xiao Wu: Strong combat ability; she and Tang San are always together.]

[Yu Xiaogang remains at Notting Academy year-round, continuing his research into Martial Soul Theory.]

[Tang San has successfully obtained his Second Soul Ring. Its source is unknown; the Grandmaster may have accompanied him.]

Whenever Meow Meow saw these reports, he merely glanced at them.

It wasn't time for him to cross paths with Tang San yet.

The same went for Xiao Wu.

He didn't want to draw their attention too early.

Interfering in Notting now would only throw the timeline into greater disarray.

But Meow Meow had never let the Sunset Forest slip from his mind.

The Black Eagle Family had tried several times to approach the Sunset Forest, but the Heavenly Dou Cat Net spotted them in advance each time.

Once, they even made it to the outskirts of the Poison Mist.

Meow Meow didn't intervene personally. He only had Qian Renxue spread word, drawing in a Heavenly Dou patrol.

The group withdrew at once.

Dugu Bo seemed to have noticed something, too. After that, he made the Poison Array even stronger.

That made it harder for the Black Eagle Family to get close.

It also gave Meow Meow a headache.

"That Old Poison really is hard to get near."

"He guards against everyone, even cats."

Inside the Calming Bell, Jianbing asked in a small voice, "Are we still going?"

"We'll go eventually," Meow Meow said.

"But not now."

For most of those years, Meow Meow spent his time cultivating.

More precisely, he cultivated in his sleep.

White Dew often saw him curled up on a soft cushion, purring evenly as Holy Fire and Soul Power flowed slowly around him.

At first, Qian Renxue found it strange.

Later, she got used to it.

This cat could sleep his way to faster progress than other people could achieve through hard cultivation.

It made no sense.

Meow Meow knew the reason, though.

Purring Cat Dream, the Calming Bell, his Holy Fire bloodline, feedback from the Heavenly Dou Cat Net, and the Meow Wish Value he'd steadily accumulated over the years had all pushed his Soul Beast age higher and higher.

Eighty thousand years.

Ninety thousand years.

Ninety-five thousand years.

Then, one night, Meow Meow woke from a dream and suddenly felt an invisible door inside him.

Beyond the door lay a wider world.

[Beep! Host's Soul Beast age has reached ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years.]

[Use the Hundred-Thousand-Year Breakthrough Card?]

Meow Meow blinked.

He'd been saving this Breakthrough Card from one of his earlier gift packs, unable to bring himself to use it.

He'd originally planned to save it for when danger arose.

But the longer he put it off, the closer he came to the moment he was truly meant to use it.

"Use it."

[Beep! The hundred-thousand-year breakthrough begins.]

The Calming Bell trembled softly.

In Clear Radiance Pavilion, White Dew jerked her head up.

Qian Renxue rose from her desk as well.

She sensed an immense Soul Beast presence rising from Meow Meow. But before it could fully spread, the Calming Bell and Holy Fire suppressed it.

It was as if a giant white cat had opened its eyes in the darkness.

Then, in an instant, it hid within the sound of the bell.

Meow Meow's fur began to glow, bit by bit.

The light wasn't dazzling.

It was as though Holy Fire were hidden in every strand.

His body didn't grow larger.

Nor did he take human form.

Only the Holy Fire markings on his forehead became clearer. When his tail moved slightly, the space around him rippled faintly.

Jianbing poked his head out of the bell and stared at him in shock.

"You've gotten stronger."

"Obviously."

Meow Meow closed his eyes and felt the changes inside him.

A hundred thousand years.

In Douluo Continent, a Soul Beast reaching a hundred thousand years meant crossing a true threshold.

Whether it could take human form was one matter.

In essence, it was already completely different from an ordinary Soul Beast.

Meow Meow didn't choose to take human form.

Not for now, at least.

Being a cat was great.

It was convenient for sleeping and for keeping his identity hidden.

[Beep! Congratulations, host. You have broken through to become a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast.]

[Current Realm: Hundred-Thousand-Year Sacred Flame Spirit Cat.]

[Human form available: not unlocked yet.]

[Unlocked innate ability: Sacred Flame Domain.]

[Sacred Flame Domain: Centered on the Holy Fire and Calming Bell, it suppresses Pollution, soothes the spirit, improves the stability of allies' Soul Power, and suppresses hostile Soul Power.]

After reading it, Meow Meow's heart stirred.

This ability had come at just the right time.

It would come in handy for the Black Water Pollution, the White Tiger Sample, and the Rakshasa Aura later on.

But the next notification made his tail go still.

[Notice: Although your Hundred-Thousand-Year aura has been concealed, it may still draw the attention of powerful beings.]

Meow Meow opened his eyes.

"Powerful beings?"

As soon as he spoke, he seemed to feel a cold gaze sweep past from very far away.

Spirit City.

Pope's Palace.

A woman opened her eyes in the middle of her cultivation.

A wisp of purple-black aura flickered behind her and vanished.

She frowned.

"What was that aura?"

For an instant, she seemed to hear a faint meow.

Then again, it might have been her imagination.

Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment, then closed her eyes again.

The Rakshasa Aura drifted slowly through the hall.

Yet for some reason, that wisp of Holy Fire Aura had briefly eased a pain deep within her.

Back in Clear Radiance Pavilion, Meow Meow withdrew his gaze as well.

He hadn't seen who it was.

But he had a pretty good idea.

"No way."

"Did someone at Pope's Palace just notice me now that I'm a hundred thousand years old?"

He licked his paw and suppressed his aura.

At least it had only been a brief moment.

If he really drew Bibi Dong's attention, that would be trouble.

Qian Renxue came over to him and asked quietly,

"Did it work?"

"Yeah."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Hundred thousand years."

Qian Renxue's pupils narrowed slightly.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Those four words carried enormous weight on the Douluo Continent.

Even though she'd known Meow Meow was special, she hadn't expected him to reach this stage so soon.

"You still won't take human form?"

"No."

Meow Meow answered at once.

"I'd have to start cultivating all over again. Too much trouble."

"And being a cat is more convenient."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

For a long moment, she was at a loss for words.

She had to admit, he was right.

No one would think it strange to see a cat wandering around the Crown Prince's Mansion.

A mysterious young man appearing there, on the other hand, would cause all sorts of problems.

White Dew hurried over, her eyes full of admiration.

Jianbing looked at Meow Meow too.

At some point, Numb Tail had woken up in the corner. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over at Meow Meow.

"Meow?"

Meow Meow looked at him.

"You sure woke up at the right time."

Numb Tail stared at Meow Meow for a long while, then gave a quiet meow.

It was as if he were asking, Is there food for breaking through?

Meow Meow: "..."

"No."

Numb Tail lay back down.

Qian Renxue finally smiled.

Meow Meow couldn't be bothered with him. He turned to look at the System Panel.

After reaching a hundred thousand years, many things had become clearer.

The Sacred Flame Domain could cover the Crown Prince's Mansion.

With the Calming Bell's help, he could even cover part of Heaven Dou City for a short time.

He could also sense the cats on the Heavenly Dou Cat Net more clearly.

Gray Ear was patrolling the rooftops in West City.

Numb Tail had failed his jerky training again.

A Ju was trying to sneak into the storeroom near the kitchen in the East Side Courtyard.

Da Hei was scolding him.

Meow Meow's eye twitched.

"A Ju really doesn't make life easy for the rest of us cats."

He looked over at a Spirit Hall briefing.

Time had passed quickly.

The school year was ending at Notting Academy, too.

[Tang San and Xiao Wu are about to leave Notting Academy.]

[Suspected destination: Suotuo City.]

[Accompanying them: Yu Xiaogang.]

Meow Meow's gaze paused.

At last, it was happening.

Suotuo City.

Shrek Academy.

The beginning of the Shrek Seven Monsters.

Qian Renxue had seen the message too.

"Those two you've been keeping an eye on are finally leaving Notting."

"Yeah."

Meow Meow nodded.

"They'll meet more people from here on."

"And stir up more trouble, too."

Qian Renxue asked,

"Should we stop them?"

"No."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Stopping them now would be pointless."

"Let's just watch."

He thought for a moment, then added,

"But have the Spirit Hall branch in Suotuo City keep normal records. Don't interfere in any other way."

"Especially Yu Xiaogang."

"If he tries to mislead people with his theories, make a note of it first."

Qian Renxue's eyes shifted slightly.

"You still don't trust him."

"Yeah."

Meow Meow said,

"It's not scary when someone's theories are wrong."

"What's scary is when they haven't been properly tested, but he's still willing to use someone else's entire life to test them."

Qian Renxue took his words to heart.

Meow Meow looked into the distance again.

Sunset Forest, Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Suotuo City.

Several threads were finally beginning to converge.

Now he was a hundred thousand years old.

He was no longer a little cat who could only hide in the shadows and watch the excitement.

Of course.

It was still better not to fight if he could help it.

A cat had to know how to conserve his energy.

"Qinghe."

"Hmm?"

"Prepare a merchant caravan route to Suotuo City."

"You're going?"

"Sooner or later."

Meow Meow stretched.

"But before that, I need to visit the outskirts of Sunset Forest."

"Why?"

Meow Meow looked out the window.

"The Black Eagle Family has their eyes on Dugu Bo's Medicine Garden, and Tang San is about to cross paths with that whole affair."

"If I don't take a look beforehand, the two sides might both end up setting me up."

Qian Renxue nodded gently.

"I'll arrange it."

Meow Meow jumped down from the table.

After walking a few steps, he looked back at White Dew, Gray Ear, and Numb Tail.

"You three keep training."

"Especially you, Numb Tail."

Numb Tail was just about to pretend to be asleep when Meow Meow called him out. He immediately jolted.

Meow Meow narrowed his eyes.

"When I get back, if you're still being fooled by Fake Jerky..."

"I'll make you copy the cat rules with A Ju."

Numb Tail looked up in alarm.

The threat worked perfectly.

White Dew and Gray Ear both nodded seriously.

Meow Meow was satisfied.

The first day of being a hundred thousand years old.

First, take care of the cats.

Then, investigate the Poison Array.

Finally, keep an eye on the Protagonist Group.

He had a busy life.

But Meow Meow suddenly thought it was pretty interesting.

He jumped onto the windowsill and looked toward the outskirts of Heaven Dou City.

"Sunset Forest."

"I'm coming."