Chapter 40: Cat’s Paw Goes on Top! Part 2

The last time, apparently annoyed by Feng Xixing’s antics, the claws hidden within the paw pads extended slightly—a clear warning for the hand trapped beneath to behave, or else face the consequences of a cat’s claw.

When Lin Chuyun came back to his senses, he found his little disciple looking at his front paws with a strange, inexplicable smile. Subconsciously, he retracted his claws and tucked his paws further underneath his body, even covering his cat paws with his tail.

He didn’t know why, but he felt like Feng Xixing’s expression looked like he was about to swallow his paws whole in one bite.

Seeing the little black cat staring at him warily, Feng Xixing coughed lightly and schooled his expression.

Just then, Feng Wu’s voice finally sounded outside the bamboo hut.

“Where is he, where is he, where is he!” Feng Wu yelled impatiently. “Hurry up! This King’s time is very precious!”

He didn’t mention a single word about how he had been pacing in circles on Spirit Beast Peak for three full hours, conflicted.

The little black cat looked at Feng Xixing with an aggrieved, unspoken question clear in his eyes: Disciple, do you really have to hand your teacher over to this person?

Feng Xixing had no other solution. He stroked the little black cat’s head to soothe it. “Shizun, don’t be afraid. In three days, Xixing will come to pick you up.”

The little black cat sighed deeply and proactively jumped into Feng Xixing’s waiting palm.

After waiting for a while, Feng Wu saw the door of the bamboo hut open. That annoying Feng Xixing walked out, holding that annoying little black cat in his hands.

Just the sight of Feng Xixing sent a wave of irritation through Feng Wu. Never mind the time Feng Xixing joined Gu Jingshan to trick him, now this time, Feng Xixing was inexplicably asking him to look after Lin Chuyun.

Feng Wu had initially thought Feng Xixing’s brain had been damaged from cultivation. Why would he ever agree to take care of Lin Chuyun?

But then Feng Xixing started whispering in his ear, things about how pitiful and weak Lin Chuyun was after turning into a little Cat Demon, how he could only use his tiny paws to scratch at bad people, how if he encountered danger he might actually die…

Feng Wu’s imagination immediately conjured an image of a little Cat Demon, lying pitifully on the ground, bullied to the point where even its tail tip couldn’t lift.

…And then Feng Wu found himself here.

The thought made Feng Wu grind his teeth, his gaze sweeping over Feng Xixing’s palm.

The little black cat sat very straight, its tail coiled obediently at its side, its cat pupils wide and round, trying its very best to project an image of “I am a very well-behaved cat.”

“Hmph.” Feng Wu snorted coldly. Looking at the little black cat, he couldn’t help but frown. “Why is your Demon Power still so weak?”

It’s been almost a month of cultivation; how could there be no improvement at all?

Lin Chuyun hadn’t expected Feng Wu’s first words to be a scolding. The whole cat froze for a moment, then drooped its ears, feeling a little wronged, and meowed weakly. “Meow…”

It wasn’t really his fault. He wasn’t even familiar with human cultivator training, let alone a Demon Beast’s. The only reason he had any progress at all was because his little disciple helped teach him.

Feng Xixing comforted his Shizun with a gentle stroke. Seeing the little black cat didn’t even have the energy to flick its tail, he looked at Feng Wu with a hint of reproach.

Feng Wu felt a strange, inexplicable twinge of guilt under that gaze, but he put on a blustering, righteous front. “What are you looking at? It’s the truth! Hurry up and give me the cat. This King still has a pile of things to do!”

Feng Xixing didn’t expose him. Instead, he lowered his head and gently fiddled with the little tail twice, then stroked the little black cat’s ear tips. The little black cat, for a rare occasion, didn’t do anything, just sat there obediently, letting him smooth its fur.

Only when Feng Xixing finally lowered his hand did the little black cat give a soft meow. “Meow.”

I’ll wait for you to come get me.

Feng Wu, watching from the side: “???”

Why did he suddenly feel like a completely unnecessary third wheel?

Taking the little Cat Demon from Feng Xixing’s hands, Feng Wu hesitated. Usually when he carried a Little Demon Beast, he would just put it directly on his head. That way, after he transformed, the little beast could sit safely and comfortably on his back.

But this was Lin Chuyun!

Let Lin Chuyun sit on his back? What if he plucked all his Plume Feathers clean?

Thinking this, Feng Wu couldn’t help but look down at the little Cat Demon in his hand. Coincidentally, the little black cat was also looking up at him, its green cat eyes filled with total, docile obedience.

Feng Wu was silent for a long moment. He lifted his hand, seriously and sternly warning the little black cat, “No extending your claws! If you dare make This King lose even a single Plume Feather, This King will stew you into cat soup!”

The little black cat tilted its head slightly and nodded obediently. However—its tail flicked in obvious displeasure, slapping right across Feng Wu’s eye corner with a pat.

Feng Wu: “…”

Lin Chuyun: “…”

Lin Chuyun guiltily pressed his tail under his paw, his gaze radiating pure innocence: This really wasn’t my fault.

Feng Wu rolled his eyes. Too lazy to bicker, he placed the little black cat on top of his head. Transforming into a Phoenix bird, he vanished from Spirit Cloud Peak in a flash.

Feng Xixing stood where he was, watching as Feng Wu turned into a streak of red light and disappeared.

Spirit Cloud Peak, now only missing one person, felt inexplicably vast and empty. Feng Xixing looked at his own empty palm and slowly clenched it tight.

It was the first time he felt such a drive to grasp something, yet was forced to compromise because his strength was insufficient. If he just entered the Devil Path directly…

Feng Xixing shook his head, dismissing the wild thoughts. Never mind the fact that entering the Devil Path made Tribulation Ascension impossible. If he truly entered the Devil Path, Lin Chuyun would probably be scared away immediately. After all, his appearance after entering the Devil Path wasn’t exactly pleasant, and his Shizun was so timid he was even scared of Ghost Cultivators.

Putting away his thoughts, Feng Xixing also set off for Spirit Wind Peak.

Xu Quanfeng had been waiting for him for a while. Seeing Feng Xixing arrive, he immediately led him to the Artifact Refining Room.

“Shizun already completed the refining portion. Only the final step remains,” Xu Quanfeng said. “After you go in, you need to infuse the Spirit Sword with your Spirit Power so it grows familiar with it. Once the three days are up, the master recognition can proceed.”

Feng Xixing nodded. Without another word, he raised his hand, pushed open the door, and walked into the Artifact Refining Room.

“I wonder what grade Junior Brother Feng’s Spirit Sword will be,” Xu Quanfeng muttered curiously.

When Shizun came out of the refining room, his eyes were practically shining. He looked ready to personally grab Feng Xixing and throw him into the room. The last time Xu Quanfeng saw his master in this state was when he successfully refined a Heaven-rank Spirit Tool.

Don’t tell me… he could refine a Heaven-rank Spirit Sword?

…

Lin Chuyun sat perched on the back of the Phoenix bird. He could only hear the sound of wind rushing rapidly past his ears, yet he felt no force of wind against him. The Phoenix bird’s speed was incredible; in almost the blink of an eye, it had already landed on Spirit Beast Peak.

The little black cat obediently jumped down from the Phoenix’s back and looked around.

Unlike the other peaks, Spirit Beast Peak had no buildings for human cultivators. It was all dense forests and a waterfall suspended high in the air. The origin of the waterfall couldn’t be seen, as if it poured directly from the clouds.

The Spirit Qi here wasn’t plentiful, but the Demon Qi was exceptionally abundant. Lin Chuyun could feel the unformed Demon Core within him hum in a low tone, absorbing far more joyfully and with greater abandon.

Feng Wu didn’t transform back into human form either. He became the little red bird and perched on a nearby stone. He sized up the little black cat with great disdain. “Your cultivation speed is way too slow.”

He had given Lin Chuyun a High-tier Mental Method, after all! After a month of training, some visible results were expected, yet aside from slightly stronger Demon Qi than before, Lin Chuyun didn’t seem to have changed at all.

Thinking of this, Feng Wu couldn’t help but start lecturing.

The little black cat sat obediently to the side, listening earnestly to Feng Wu.

However, maybe it was just his imagination, but Lin Chuyun kept feeling like someone was staring at him from behind. And the gaze was incredibly intense, like… Lin Chuyun thought for a moment, like the way he looked at a Spirit Fruit.

Like he was about to be swallowed in one gulp.

The fur on the little black cat had unconsciously puffed up. From a distance, he looked like a tiny black furball.

Feng Wu stopped talking speechlessly and looked up toward the forest, rolling his eyes. “If you want to see, come out and see! What are you hiding for? Like you lot could actually stay hidden!”

As his voice fell, the entire ground suddenly trembled violently, as if a Giant Beast was walking upon the earth.

The little black cat’s tail stiffened. Very, very slowly, it turned its head around.

From within the forest behind it emerged five or six massive Demon Beasts. Each one stood several meters tall. Their crimson beast pupils were fixed upon the little black cat, brimming with ferocity and the menace of wild, untamed things.

And he? He was nothing but a newborn kitten who hadn’t even reached the size of a palm yet.