A Lavish Hundred-Thousand-Year Gift Pack

Meow Meow hadn't expected to be targeted the moment he advanced to the hundred-thousand-year level.

And the ones targeting him weren't the Black Eagle Family, Prince Xue Xing, or even the purple-black aura from Spirit City that made his fur stand on end.

It was the continent itself.

Inside Clear Radiance Pavilion, the Calming Bell rang softly.

Meow Meow had just been about to lie down when a hazy scene appeared before his eyes.

The scene wasn't Heaven Dou City.

Nor was it Sunset Forest.

It was a stretch of murky Black Water.

Mist roiled above the water, and countless Soul Beasts seemed to growl faintly within it.

Those Soul Beasts didn't look normal.

Some had broken wings, some were covered in black markings, and some had no intelligence in their eyes, only a desire to destroy.

Meow Meow's expression froze.

"Is this the Black Water Swamp?"

No one answered.

But a faint consciousness entered Meow Meow's soul.

It didn't sound like a human voice, and it carried no distinct emotion. It simply conveyed a meaning.

[Yes.]

Meow Meow blinked.

"Who are you?"

[Douluo Plane Consciousness.]

Meow Meow fell silent for a moment.

Then he slowly sat up straight.

"What do you want with me?"

The Realm Consciousness seemed to have expected him to ask.

More images appeared the next instant.

Deep in the Black Water Swamp, a massive, ruined body lay submerged.

It wasn't an ordinary Soul Beast.

The body looked like a snake, yet also like an insect. Many of its scales were broken, and purple-black aura coiled around each one.

The scene changed.

Deep inside Spirit City, a strand of Rakshasa Divine Sense trailed behind a figure like a thin thread.

The figure was impossible to make out.

But Meow Meow already knew.

Bibi Dong.

Another scene appeared.

In the Bloodline Chamber at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, members of the Black Eagle Family poured a red-black liquid into the array markings.

The White Tiger Cub writhed in agony.

Dai Lin lay on a stone platform, his face pale.

At last, the scene returned to Sunset Forest.

Outside the Poison Mist, members of the Black Eagle Family were trying to use Black Water Pollution to erode the Poison Array.

After seeing it all, Meow Meow's heart sank.

"The Black Eagle Family isn't just conducting bloodline experiments?"

[No.]

"Are they connected to the Black Water Swamp?"

[Yes.]

Meow Meow licked his paw, trying to calm himself.

"What's in the Black Water Swamp?"

The Realm Consciousness paused for a while.

It seemed to be arranging the information into terms Meow Meow could understand.

[Ancient Soul Beast Grudge.]

[Rakshasa Malice.]

[Corruption Source left behind on the continent after being rejected by the Divine Realm Rules.]

Meow Meow's head began to throb.

"Put it simply."

[It makes Soul Beasts lose their intelligence.]

[It makes people obsessive.]

[It turns bloodline experiments into disasters.]

Meow Meow understood.

It was like a pot of spoiled Evil Fire stew, with all kinds of resentment, malice, and Pollution tossed into it.

The Black Eagle Family was using it for experiments. Sooner or later, they'd end up stewing themselves.

"Then why don't you deal with it yourself?"

The fluctuations from the Realm Consciousness were faint.

[The Divine Realm Rules take precedence.]

[A plane cannot interfere in the fate of living beings at will.]

[In particular, it cannot directly erase a being that has already gained intelligence.]

Meow Meow frowned.

"So you came to me?"

[You are an anomaly.]

[You are also a native living being.]

[You have Holy Fire.]

[You can purify.]

Meow Meow's tail twitched at that.

It made a lot of sense.

But it also sounded a lot like asking a cat to work for free.

"Being able to purify doesn't mean I can just purify anything."

"How much is in the Black Water Swamp? Don't tell me it's just a pondful."

The Realm Consciousness didn't give him a number.

That only made Meow Meow more uneasy.

He might have reached the hundred-thousand-year level, but he wasn't invincible.

If there really was a nest of—no, not a nest of Taichu... a nest of Title Douluo-level Ferocious Beasts, he'd just be delivering cat food.

The Realm Consciousness continued to send information.

[The source of the Black Water has not awakened.]

[The outer Pollution can be removed.]

[If left untreated, it will spread into Sunset Forest within a century.]

Meow Meow's eyes shifted.

Sunset Forest.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Tang San's future opportunity.

And Dugu Bo.

Now the pieces fit together.

"So the Black Eagle Family targeted Dugu Bo's Medicine Garden for more than just the Immortal Herbs."

[They want to use the Immortal Herbs to stabilize the Black Water.]

Meow Meow understood.

Those people weren't simply trying to steal herbs.

They wanted to use the spiritual herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to suppress the Black Water Pollution, then create more stable White Tiger Samples—and perhaps even stronger Corrupted Soul Beasts.

This was no small matter.

Meow Meow lowered his head and thought it over.

According to the original timeline, Tang San would eventually go to Sunset Forest, obtain the Immortal Herbs, resolve Dugu Bo's poison, and help the rest of Shrek soar to new heights.

But now the Black Eagle Family had already set its sights on the place.

If he did nothing, someone else might Pollute Tang San's cheat spot first.

If he stepped in, would that count as stealing Tang San's opportunity?

After thinking it over, Meow Meow decided it wasn't complicated.

Tang San hadn't arrived yet.

The Black Eagle Family had already made its move.

This wasn't stealing from Tang San.

It was stealing from the Black Eagle Family.

Yeah.

That logic made perfect sense.

Meow Meow felt much more at ease.

"You didn't come looking for me just to send me on a wild-goose chase, did you?"

The Realm Consciousness paused.

[Compensation can be provided.]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

It should've said so sooner.

He liked Realm Consciousnesses with good manners.

"What kind of compensation?"

Before the Realm Consciousness could answer, the system notification suddenly rang out.

[System notification: The Douluo Plane Consciousness has taken the initiative to request aid.]

[Hundred-Thousand-Year Main Quest activated: Purify the Black Water Pollution and stop the Corrupted Bloodline experiments.]

[Current stage: Outskirts of Sunset Forest.]

[Pre-distributing quest rewards...]

Meow Meow perked up.

Pre-distributing?

Since when had the system become so considerate?

[System notification: Hundred-Thousand-Year Realm Gift Pack replenished.]

[Gift Pack Contents:]

[Treasure: Myriad Spirit Bloodline Atlas.]

[Treasure: Soul Purifying Holy Fire Seed.]

[Ability: Soul Ring Disguise.]

[Divine Ability: Holy Fire Judgment.]

[Manual: Spiritual Herb Identification Manual.]

[Special Item: One Cat Net Node Expansion Card.]

Meow Meow stared at the panel, stunned for a long while.

A profit.

This was a real windfall.

[Myriad Spirit Bloodline Atlas: Can identify the bloodline origins of most Soul Beasts on Douluo Continent and detect states such as transformation, mixed blood, mutation, and Pollution.]

[Soul Purifying Holy Fire Seed: Can merge with the host's Holy Fire, enhancing its ability to purify Rakshasa Malice, Black Water Pollution, and spiritual resentment.]

[Soul Ring Disguise: Can disguise the host's hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast aura as an aura of a specified age or that of an ordinary living being, preventing high-ranking Soul Masters and Soul Beasts from detecting it.]

[Holy Fire Judgment: Locks onto a source of Pollution and uses Holy Fire to examine its consciousness and Soul Power. It can purify minor cases and burn away severe ones.]

[Spiritual Herb Identification Manual: Can identify the effects and taboos of natural spiritual herbs, Immortal-grade herbs, and plants that grow alongside Soul Beasts.]

[Cat Net Node Expansion Card: Can establish a stable Cat Net Node at a designated location, enabling cross-city communication and detection.]

Meow Meow finished reading, and his mood improved considerably.

Soul Ring Disguise had come at just the right time.

He was now a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Although the Calming Bell and Holy Fire could conceal his aura, he would still be at risk if he encountered a Titled Douluo.

With Soul Ring Disguise, at least he wouldn't have to worry every day about Dugu Bo seeing through him and realizing he was a hundred-thousand-year-old cat.

The Soul Purifying Holy Fire Seed was also crucial.

He would have to deal with the Rakshasa Aura on Bibi Dong, the Black Water pollution, and the Corruption Source hidden somewhere unknown. This thing was practically indispensable.

As for the Myriad Spirit Bloodline Atlas and the Spiritual Herb Identification Manual—

Meow Meow glanced toward Sunset Forest.

He couldn't let Tang San be the only one who knew what was in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. How could he, the great cat, know nothing about it?

Well, that settled it.

His problem with identifying herbs was solved.

Meow Meow was pleased, though he kept a composed expression.

"These things are pretty good."

The Realm Consciousness said nothing.

Meow Meow asked again:

"So how bad is the situation in Black Water Swamp now?"

[Not yet a major disaster.]

[But a Mutated Soul Beast King has already emerged.]

Meow Meow's ears twitched.

"What level?"

[Close to a hundred thousand years.]

Meow Meow breathed a sigh of relief.

Not bad.

Close to a hundred thousand years wasn't the same as actually being a hundred thousand years old.

He had just broken through, so it was the perfect chance to test himself.

But the Realm Consciousness added another message.

[Its source is heavily polluted. Even an ordinary Titled Douluo will be corrupted if they approach.]

Meow Meow: "..."

Could you stop leaving out the most important part until the end?

"So I can't just fight it head-on?"

[You must not fight it for long.]

"Then what should I do?"

[Purify the Source.]

"Where's the source?"

The image appeared once more.

In a murky lake, four black shapes swam about.

Some looked like snakes, some like insects, some like fish, and some like crocodiles.

But they all shared the same traits: deformed limbs and twisted eyes.

At the very bottom of the lake, a red-and-black ball of flesh throbbed.

With every pulse, the Black Water spread a little farther.

Meow Meow felt a little sick.

"That thing's hideous."

The Realm Consciousness offered no comment.

Meow Meow studied the image carefully and confirmed that none of the four black shapes were normal Soul Beasts.

They were things bred by the pollution.

They had some intelligence, but not much.

They had power, but it was unstable.

That was actually good news for Meow Meow.

The more unstable they were, the more likely Holy Fire Judgment was to catch them off guard.

"Fine."

Meow Meow nodded.

"I'll handle it."

The Realm Consciousness sent a faint ripple.

It was almost as if it had breathed a sigh of relief.

[Thank you.]

Meow Meow raised a paw.

"Don't thank me yet."

"I have conditions."

[Speak.]

"First, I won't sacrifice the Cat Clan to purify Black Water Swamp."

"Second, you can't meddle with causality and drag in the people from Spirit Hall just because I took action."

"Third, you can't make me face the Rakshasa Aura on Bibi Dong right now."

"Fourth, if I change one of Tang San's original opportunities, don't turn around and complain that I've thrown fate into chaos."

The Realm Consciousness fell silent for a while.

[I will not interfere.]

Meow Meow raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

[Not interfering means allowing it.]

Meow Meow thought it over.

That did make sense.

The Realm Consciousness couldn't intervene directly. Its promise not to interfere meant it was already allowing Meow Meow to change the course of events.

That was more valuable than a direct system reward.

With this assurance, he could take the Immortal Herbs, seek out Dugu Bo early, and alter Tang San's path without the Realm Consciousness treating him as an outside force disrupting the world.

Of course, whether Tang San would have a meltdown was another matter.

Meow Meow asked again:

"What about the Divine Realm?"

The Realm Consciousness remained silent for even longer.

[Do not disturb the Divine Thrones.]

Meow Meow understood.

For now, he shouldn't meddle with the real powerhouses, like Asura God, Sea God, and Rakshasa God.

He should stick to matters within Douluo Continent.

A cat had to keep a low profile.

"Fine."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Then I'll start with Sunset Forest."

The Realm Consciousness gradually faded away.

But just before it vanished completely, it sent one final message.

[The people of Spirit City are not evil by nature.]

Meow Meow froze.

"Bibi Dong?"

The Realm Consciousness didn't reply.

The image vanished.

Clear Radiance Pavilion fell silent once more.

Meow Meow sat on a cushion, his expression complicated.

Not evil by nature.

That was actually close to what he had thought from the start.

Bibi Dong had certainly done many terrible things.

But the obsession in her heart wasn't entirely something she had been born with.

There was the Rakshasa Divine Sense, the pain of her past, and that whole mess with Yu Xiaogang.

Meow Meow had already wanted to help Bibi Dong little by little.

Now it seemed that this wouldn't just make up for past regrets. It was also what the Realm Consciousness wanted to see.

"Things just keep getting more troublesome."

Meow Meow stretched lazily.

His tail, however, swayed gently.

He wasn't unhappy.

If anything, he was a little excited.

A hundred thousand years.

A gift pack.

Sunset Forest.

Black Water Swamp.

Bibi Dong.

Tang San.

All these threads were finally about to converge.

Qian Renxue came in just then.

She had just finished dealing with the Crown Prince's Mansion's affairs. Seeing Meow Meow sitting there without moving, she asked:

"What's wrong?"

Meow Meow looked up at her.

"Qinghe."

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to Sunset Forest."

Qian Renxue's expression turned serious.

"Now?"

"The sooner, the better,"

Meow Meow said.

"The Black Eagle Family isn't just eyeing Dugu Bo's Medicine Garden."

"They're after the Black Water pollution, too."

"If they bring that stuff into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, we'll have a lot of trouble later."

Qian Renxue's brow twitched at the words "Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

She had never heard that name before.

But Meow Meow sounded serious, so she didn't take it as a joke.

"Should I send someone with you?"

"Don't send too many people."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Dugu Bo's a Titled Douluo. A large group would draw attention."

"Have Gray Ear and White Dew come with me."

"Let Numb Tail stay behind."

Numb Tail had been sleeping in the corner, but the moment he heard his name, he lifted his head.

"Meow?"

"It's nothing good."

Meow Meow glanced at him.

"You're staying at the Crown Prince's Mansion to keep training."

Numb Tail lay back down.

Qian Renxue thought it over.

"I'll have them prepare a merchant caravan bound for Suotuo City, and arrange a route to the outskirts of Sunset Forest as well."

"Sounds good."

Meow Meow nodded.

"But I won't leave openly."

"Cats take cat paths."

Qian Renxue was already used to that expression.

She asked again:

"After breaking through to the hundred-thousand-year level, did you undergo any new changes?"

Meow Meow thought of Soul Ring Disguise, and an idea struck him.

The next moment, the aura around him slowly weakened.

From a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, he dropped to a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Then from ten thousand years to a thousand.

Finally, he was almost indistinguishable from an ordinary white cat.

Qian Renxue's eyes shifted slightly.

"Is this a disguise?"

"Mm."

Meow Meow was rather pleased.

"It'll be much safer when I see Dugu Bo again."

Qian Renxue nodded lightly.

"Indeed."

As soon as she finished speaking, the System Panel flashed again.

[Notice: The Suotuo City Line has begun.]

[Shrek Academy will soon encounter Tang San and Xiao Wu.]

[Yu Xiaogang will be accompanying them.]

Meow Meow looked at the notice, the corner of his eye twitching.

They hadn't even dealt with Sunset Forest yet, and the Shrek storyline was already getting underway.

The main Douluo plot really didn't wait for a cat.

"What is it now?" Qian Renxue asked.

Meow Meow sighed.

"Things are about to get lively in Suotuo City, too."

Qian Renxue asked, "Should we head to Suotuo City first?"

Meow Meow thought it over, then shook his head.

"Sunset Forest first."

"Tang San's group is only meeting at the academy for now."

"If Black Water really has polluted Sunset Forest, everything that comes after will be thrown into chaos."

"As for Shrek..."

Meow Meow narrowed his eyes.

"Have the Martial Soul Hall Branch keep records as usual."

"Especially that Yu Xiaogang."

Qian Renxue understood.

"I'll make the arrangements."

Meow Meow looked at the Calming Bell again.

"Jianbing."

"I'm here."

"You're staying at the Crown Prince's Mansion this time."

Jianbing fell silent for a moment.

"Because of the White Tiger Cub?"

"Mm," Meow Meow said.

"Dai Lin and the cub both need you to stabilize their auras."

"The poisonous miasma in Sunset Forest is thick. You wouldn't be able to help much if you went now."

Jianbing didn't argue.

He had already learned to hold back.

"I understand."

Meow Meow nodded in satisfaction.

White Dew came over, and Gray Ear leaped in from the window.

The two little cats had already heard the arrangements.

Meow Meow looked at them.

"This isn't a trial."

"And you're not there to keep watch."

"Sunset Forest has a Titled Douluo, a Poison Array, and Black Water Pollution."

"If you're coming with me, the first thing you do is stay out of trouble."

White Dew nodded solemnly.

Gray Ear nodded too.

Numb Tail cautiously raised his head behind them.

Meow Meow looked at him.

"Don't even think about it."

Numb Tail lowered his head again.

Qian Renxue chuckled softly.

But Meow Meow suddenly remembered something and opened the Myriad Spirit Bloodline Atlas he had just obtained from the gift pack.

The atlas unfurled like a sheet of faint light.

The bloodlines of various Soul Beasts appeared within it.

Soft Bone Rabbit.

Blue Silver Grass.

Jade Phosphorous Serpent.

Hell Spirit Cat.

White Tiger.

Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Meow Meow's gaze paused slightly when it reached Hell Spirit Cat.

Zhu Zhuqing.

She would soon appear in Suotuo City alongside Dai Mubai, too.

The Shrek Seven Devils storyline was finally about to begin in earnest.

But right now, he had no time to concern himself with them.

He needed to protect Sunset Forest first.

Otherwise, whether it was Tang San's Immortal Herb storyline or Dugu Bo's storyline, Black Water would turn it all into a complete mess.

Meow Meow put away the atlas and leaped onto the windowsill.

Outside, dusk was falling.

"We leave tomorrow."

Qian Renxue nodded.

"I'll prepare the identity documents."

"Nothing too conspicuous," Meow Meow said.

"Just say the Crown Prince's Mansion is sending a few attendants nearby to purchase medicinal herbs."

Qian Renxue glanced at the one cat and two kittens.

"Attendants?"

Meow Meow swished his tail.

"Cats can be attendants too."

White Dew blinked.

Gray Ear lowered his head and licked his paw.

Numb Tail let out a quiet meow, as if asking whether that included him.

Meow Meow looked back.

"You're staying behind."

Numb Tail: "..."

That night, Meow Meow didn't sleep deeply again.

He consolidated his hundred-thousand-year cultivation while digesting the contents of the gift pack.

The Myriad Spirit Bloodline Atlas slowly unfolded within his soul.

The Spiritual Herb Identification Manual gradually merged with his memories, too.

The names of various herbs flashed by.

Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.

Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.

Infernal Delicate Apricot.

Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew.

Seeing these, Meow Meow couldn't help licking his paw.

It wasn't because he was hungry.

He just thought they all seemed useful.

Tang San had originally relied on Immortal Herbs to give Shrek as a whole a considerable boost.

But things might not go so smoothly for him now.

Meow Meow wasn't planning to take everything for himself.

But some herbs couldn't be handed out as casually as before to people who might not deserve them.

Certain people, for example.

Certain foul-mouthed academy deans.

Certain theoretical grandmasters.

At the thought of Yu Xiaogang, Meow Meow's gaze grew cool.

"Let them make their own way for a while."

"When the time comes to put them in their place, I'll do it then."

After saying that, he finally closed his eyes.

The next day.

Outside Heaven Dou City, a small caravan slipped quietly out of the city.

On the surface, it was a medicinal-herb purchasing party from the Crown Prince's Mansion.

In secret, a white cat and two little cats had already taken another cat path and set off for Sunset Forest ahead of them.