All creatures are at their most vulnerable when deep in slumber, so much so that they can be easily slain by beings infinitely weaker. And in this moment, the black cat crouched, its gaze locked onto Chen Ping An's exposed neck. Having only recently awakened, it knew that in a direct confrontation, it would struggle against an adult male. However, with further recovery and by consuming more prey to restore its energy, it believed even four-wheeled iron boxes would no longer pose a threat.
The mention of those four-wheeled iron boxes kindled a flicker of hatred in the black cat's eyes. Those cunning humans had concealed themselves within swiftly moving steel boxes. The first encounter had caught it off guard, nearly costing it its life. Thus, revenge would begin with devouring this human.
With a swift blur of motion, the black cat leaped toward Chen Ping An, its claws Leaving crimson streaks in the air as it targeted his neck. But just as success seemed imminent, a thunderous dragon's roar erupted within the cat's mind, leaving it disoriented and rigid. It collapsed to the floor like a lifeless piece of meat.
"[An... ancestor dragon?] [This aura... How is this possible?]"
Shakily, the black cat climbed back onto the bed, its head dizzy as it stared at the sleeping man. Incredulity filled its eyes.
The disturbance had caused Chen Ping An to smack his lips and roll over in bed. The blanket slid off, revealing a dragon tattoo on his back. The dragon's eyes gleamed with golden light, radiating an aura of majesty.
Seemingly aware of the black cat's gaze, another roar resounded in its mind. The dragon tattoo seemed to detach from Chen Ping An's back, surging toward the cat.
"[Ugh! Is this necessary?!]"
Terrified, the black cat tried to flee but was swept back into the shoebox by the dragon's tail.
With a snap, the shoebox lid closed.
"[Ow—! Damn it, this human is protected by an ancestor dragon!]"
The black cat curled up in the box, trembling with pain. Every organ burned as if on fire, and it coughed up blood. Its body was still weak from its recent awakening. In this age of spiritual drought, healing was difficult. It had been struck by a four-wheeled iron box, dragged by a bird, and now lashed by a dragon's tail. Its injuries were worse than ever.
"[No, I must leave this place! It's not safe to stay!]"
Struggling to rise, the cat felt lightheaded and collapsed again within the shoebox. The moonlight remained serene as the dragon tattoo swam around the bed, returning to Chen Ping An's back.
In his sleep, Chen Ping An smiled foolishly, scratched his butt, and rolled over again...
At seven in the morning, as soon as the alarm sounded, Chen Ping An, buried under his pillow, reached out and grabbed his phone with precision. He unlocked it with one hand, revealing a face marked by dark circles.
Electronic girlfriend, activate!
The girl in the hut remained in a meditative pose, diligently absorbing the spiritual energy from the spirit-gathering array.
[Status: Cultivating]
[Cultivation Progress: 7631/9999 (Level 8)]
[Remaining Lifespan: 273 years]
[Affection Level: 60 (Intimate)]
"Wow!" Chen Ping An's eyes widened as he saw Fang Qingzhi's progress. Despite his limited funds, he had only activated a mid - level spirit - gathering formation for her. Yet, she had leaped multiple levels overnight.
This must be the power of a supreme-grade Dantian!
Chen Ping An felt a swell of relief. Though the game was a money sink, its effects were undeniably immediate.
He tapped Fang Qingzhi's shoulder, and the war order system and historical data popped up.
The war order system offered rewards as Fang Qingzhi advanced. Last night, when she leaped from level 6 to 8, three golden bag-like rewards were unlocked. Chen Ping An claimed them, and three bags materialized on Fang Qingzhi's table.
[Spirit Stone Lucky Blind Box (A blind box with a chance to yield 1 spirit crystal, 99 upper-grade spirit stones, 999 middle-grade spirit stones, or a guaranteed 1000 lower-grade spirit stones) (For Fang Qingzhi's use only)]
"Emmm, passable," Chen Ping An muttered, uninterested in these minor rewards. His gaze fell on the grand prize for reaching the peak of Qi Refining.
The interface shimmered with dazzling purple light, clearly indicating something extraordinary.
[Tide-Born Manual (Lower Earth Rank Cultivation Technique): "The sea sun rises on the lingering night, the river spring enters the old year." The Tide-Born Manual, inspired by the vast ocean, harnesses the essence of tidal forces and the mysteries of yin-yang cycles. Practitioners feel as though they stand by the sea, witnessing the sun and moon's dance and the breath of the tides. At its pinnacle, it allows one to summon spiritual tides within and commune with the natural spirit forces, sustaining energy in battle endlessly.
"Whoa—! Truly terrifying, as expected from the war order!" Chen Ping An nodded in admiration.
Though he didn't know what inner technique Fang Qingzhi cultivated, he doubted it matched the war order's offering. After all, in this game, non-paying items were usually basic.
Checking Fang Qingzhi's character panel, he saw her current technique: the Crimson Cloud Manual, also Lower Earth Rank. While the Tide-Born Manual had a higher-tier counterpart, switching cultivation techniques meant starting over—a significant setback.
"Forget it, might as well check it out," Chen Ping An decided.
Noticing no "Fang Qingzhi only" restriction on the Tide-Born Manual, he wondered if he could use it too.
"Could I actually practice this?" he mused.
Recalling the Qinglian Sword Manual, he wondered if he needed to learn the Tide-Born Manual first to teach it to Fang Qingzhi.
Given the game's quirks, it was a possibility.
Shaking his head, he dismissed it as another detail to enhance immersion.
[Your electronic girlfriend's gift has arrived!]
[Your chosen loot has arrived!]
Two notifications popped up.
The gift was the bracelet Fang Qingzhi made. The loot included a cultivation technique named[Residual Volume of the Heavenly Demon Art], a lower-grade magical sword, a damaged middle-grade spirit weapon, and several spirit stones.
When the game prompted him to choose one as the〈Real・Loot〉, he pondered the "real" label.
After so many days of playing, he knew these were gifts from the developers.
[Knock knock knock!]
A knock sounded from outside.
Chen Ping An, surprised, shot toward the door with his crutch. Determined to catch the early morning delivery person, he flung the door open—only to find no one there.
"Must be a parkour expert," he muttered, glancing at the dark staircase. No sounds of descent reached his ears. The only other exit was the window. If the person had jumped out, he wouldn't have caught them.
"Tsk, shy, huh? Gone is gone," he shrugged, retreating to find two boxes at his feet.
One small box, labeled 'Qingran's Little Gift,' fit the bracelet perfectly. The other, a long box roughly five feet in length, bore three bold characters—Loot.
"Just as I thought," he murmured, attempting to lift the long box. Its unexpected weight caused it to clatter to the floor, denting the hotel's flooring.
"Whoa!" Chen Ping An glanced around guiltily, hastily dragging a carpet corner over the dent. With both hands, he solemnly lifted the box, sighing inwardly:
"Fine sword, fine sword!
Kkkk～"
At last, Chen Ping An would wield his own sword.