Chapter 76: Strange Events and Breakthrough Again

After twice ambushing Qin Feng, Zhao Xing had originally planned to continue strolling around. Unexpectedly, as he walked, the little wildcat became hungry and wanted to eat the vine-scented berries and white fragrant grass it had eaten before. So, Zhao Xing found this spot and began planting the wildcat's two favorite foods.

Since his previous straw figures were left outside the temple and were too far away to be effective, he simply planted some more Vajra Bamboo. Even if not needed for combat, they could be used to create Swift Straw Figures, allowing him to travel faster.

He hadn't expected to encounter any more 'good luck' so soon. Yet, luck arrived, unstoppable. He was growing crops in this remote mountain area and actually ran into Wen Zhao and Zhang Boran! Neither of them seemed to know what they had been through; they didn't even notice that this bamboo grove had been intentionally planted. They also failed to notice the straw figures ambushing them from both sides.

"What's on Zhang Boran's person?" Zhao Xing's gaze fell on the bulging items in the other man's arms, clearly valuable goods. What truly captivated Zhao Xing, however, was the earthen pot. Its allure was immense, far exceeding that of ordinary mid-grade spiritual treasures!

"Little wildcat, stop eating, something fun is coming!" Zhao Xing waved at the wildcat, which was gnawing on a fruit.

"Meow," the wildcat grumbled, clearly not full yet.

"Hurry up, those two have more delicious things on them, you'll definitely like it!" Zhao Xing urged.

"Meow!" The wildcat's large eyes immediately lit up at the mention of delicious food. With a push of its hind legs, it instantly leaped onto a Vajra Bamboo stalk, then with a few bounds, it dashed out of the bamboo grove.

"Boran, what you found this time..." Wen Zhao was about to ask Zhang Boran what treasure he had found that made him even drop his knife. Before he could finish his sentence, Zhang Boran suddenly shot into the air, his body bending into a bow mid-air.

"Bang!" A sound reverberated, and Zhang Boran involuntarily flew backward. The golden chestnuts in his arms scattered across the ground, and the earthen pot also fell. Zhang Boran didn't even let out a whimper, immediately falling unconscious. The little wildcat was a ranked exotic beast and had consumed an unknown quantity of spiritual treasures; even a ranked martial artist couldn't withstand its impact. Moreover, Zhang Boran was only at the eighth rank. He simply lay motionless on the ground.

"What?!" Wen Zhao froze, completely bewildered by what had just happened. Subconsciously, he moved to pick up the earthen pot, intending to flee. Just then, a small, adorable cat appeared in his sight.

"Hiss," the wildcat let out a soft snarl, arching its back and crouching low, locking its gaze on Wen Zhao.

"Old man, quickly put down the spiritual treasure, or disaster will strike!" A teasing voice came from behind him.

Wen Zhao was stunned. *Wasn't that his line?* He turned around and saw Zhao Xing emerging from the bamboo grove.

"You... Zhao Xing?!" Wen Zhao recalled the situation yesterday before Zhao Xing went to the Altar of Heaven Plaza. At that time, he had said exactly the same thing to Zhao Xing. He never thought the tables would turn. Now it was Zhao Xing's turn to say it to him.

"What, still reluctant to put it down?" Zhao Xing gazed at Wen Zhao blandly. "Has studying made your brain dull?"

Wen Zhao looked at the wildcat, then at Zhao Xing, took a deep breath, and picked up a thorny branch from the ground. Then, bending at the waist, he slowly approached Zhao Xing.

"Sir Zhao, I deeply apologize for my offenses yesterday. Please whip me to appease your anger," Wen Zhao said with a bow, his voice exceptionally sincere. It was as if he were confessing, making one almost believe he genuinely regretted his actions. This fellow was truly a master of courtesy cultivation; he even resorted to 'bearing thorns to ask for punishment.'

"An apology?" Zhao Xing scoffed. "You certainly know many tricks. Besides courtesy and fire rituals, I didn't expect your 'apology' to also have three layers of maturity. Do you think I'd fall for your trick? How does your 'apology' compare to the power of the underground chilling winds?"

Wen Zhao's eyes widened, surprised that his tactic had been seen through so easily. Just as he was about to speak again, Zhao Xing suddenly rushed forward, snatched the thorny branch from his hand, and lashed it hard across the old man's back.

"I'll grant your wish!"

"Crack!" A searing pain shot through Wen Zhao's back, and he gasped. But his spell was broken, and with the wildcat's gaze fixed on him, he had no power to retaliate, allowing Zhao Xing to whip him.

"Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!" The thorny branch cut through the air in a rapid five-strike combo, leaving Wen Zhao writhing in pain on the ground.

"You burned three of my straw figures, so I'll whip you six times!"

"W-why not three times?" Wen Zhao asked weakly.

"Because I'm someone who repays every grievance, and I do so twofold." Zhao Xing shattered Wen Zhao's 'apology' spell, placing a foot on his head. "According to the apology method you cultivate, you should be saying 'thank you' now, or you might lose a layer of your courtesy cultivation."

"Mumble, mumble, mumble," Wen Zhao, whose head was pressed into the dirt, couldn't speak because his head was firmly held down and his mouth was full of mud. Under the observation of his Bright Eyes, the golden light around Wen Zhao weakened, while the red light intensified. This indicated he had failed to complete the 'courtesy' he was cultivating. The apology ritual had been activated, but instead of receiving positive feedback, it had turned negative.

"Thump!" Zhao Xing stomped hard, shattering the golden light around Wen Zhao. Red light engulfed Wen Zhao's entire body; he suffered a backlash from the spell, twitched in the mud, and passed out. If his apology ritual was originally at the fifth rank, it was now only at the fourth.

"You courtesy cultivators are the most annoying, completely unproductive, truly an eyesore!" Zhao Xing kicked him in the abdomen, sending Wen Zhao flying a short distance. Poor Wen Zhao, having just recovered, was subjected to another brutal beating and entered an injured state.

Zhao Xing clapped his hands and turned around. His expression froze slightly. In that short time, the little wildcat had almost finished eating all the golden chestnuts scattered on the ground. "Crunch, crunch," it chewed with a satisfying crispness, clearly relishing the sweet flavor.

"You certainly have a good appetite," Zhao Xing said with resignation.

"Meow," the wildcat lifted a paw and pushed the last one toward him.

"Oh, you're too kind. It's fine as long as you're full. Why did you leave one for me?"

"Meow?" The wildcat tilted its head, seemingly asking a question. *Are you really not going to eat it?*

"I'm just kidding, eat, eat, eat." Zhao Xing quickly picked up the golden chestnut, blew off the dirt, then peeled off its shell and popped it into his mouth. The crunchy chestnut provided Zhao Xing with 500 points of elemental energy. He was one step closer to Gathered Elemental Eighth Rank. The effect was quite good, advancing his progress by one-twentieth. However, for the wildcat, it didn't have much effect. Despite eating so much, Zhao Xing didn't notice any significant change in the wildcat's aura.

"Pop." Zhao Xing picked up the earthen pot and opened the mud seal on top. The little wildcat's nose twitched, and its pupils instantly dilated. A rich aroma of wine wafted out, and Zhao Xing immediately felt his elemental energy become much more active.

"Monkey wine?" Zhao Xing's eyes lit up; this was truly good stuff. A fruit wine brewed with spiritual treasures, this single jar would likely cost thousands of golden chestnuts! He had only taken one whiff, and his elemental energy had increased by 20 points!

Before Zhao Xing could act, the wildcat seemingly teleported to the jar's edge and plunged its little head inside.

"Hey, hey, little cat shouldn't drink wine, it'll get drunk."

"Damn it, leave some for me..." This stuff was extremely appealing to the wildcat; it absorbed half of it in the blink of an eye. However, upon hearing Zhao Xing speak, it moved aside, gesturing for Zhao Xing to lie down and drink with it.

A moment later. "Burp." Both the man and the cat let out a satisfied belch. The wildcat swayed its head, lying on the ground and licking its paws. Zhao Xing also sat on the ground, cross-legged, cultivating his energy. Unlike the wildcat, he couldn't drink so much; he only had a small portion before he had to stop. Yet, even that small portion was enough for Zhao Xing to achieve a breakthrough!

Half an hour later. Zhao Xing opened his eyes, the flush on his face having subsided considerably. He checked his status panel.

Gathered Elemental Eighth Rank: 7245/10000

"Incredible! Not only did I reach Gathered Elemental Eighth Rank directly, but my progress is also at seventy percent!" Zhao Xing let out a long sigh. He used the Five Elements Observation technique to examine the little wildcat. He found that its aura had also increased slightly.

"You sure can eat. If you weren't with the Minister of Agriculture, no one else could probably afford to keep you," Zhao Xing said, patting the wildcat's head. Raising an exotic beast, especially a ranked one, was very costly. Only Zhao Xing had the confidence to raise a wildcat, even before he was ranked himself.

After waiting for an hour for the Vajra Bamboo to mature, Zhao Xing spent time crafting twenty Herculean Vajra figures and ten Swift Straw figures. All of them were of top-grade, second-rank quality. There were also some reconnaissance straw figures made from ordinary vines and branches.

"Let's go!" Zhao Xing waved his hand and continued to wander through the mountains.

On the third day of ascending Spirit Mountain, many fascinating events unfolded. Some found powerful Pure Elemental spiritual treasures in caves, directly advancing three stages to reach Gathered Elemental Ninth Rank. Others obtained a rare orchid, gaining insights from its petals that propelled their movement techniques directly to Nine-Turn Subtlety, instantly making them top-tier masters. There were also those who encountered top-grade spiritual treasures but couldn't collect them, as if trapped in a 'ghost wall,' circling repeatedly, with strong senses of the treasure's presence but no knowledge of its exact location. Rumors also circulated that certain areas of East Lake Mountain were guarded by terrifying exotic beasts, making them inaccessible to ordinary officials. These areas were said to contain natural treasures but would only open three days later. Some sought spiritual treasures in the same location where they had burned incense, leading to bloody conflicts and even fatalities. Others, deeming the third night's competition for incense hopeless, simply descended the mountain.

In the evening, everyone gathered at the Altar of Heaven Plaza, a safe zone, and began discussing the day's experiences. Among these eagerly discussed topics, many mentioned a strange phenomenon.

"Have you heard? A terrifying exotic beast appeared on the mountain."

"You mean that cat? Of course, I heard! It's supposedly the mountain god's pet."

"There are many exotic beasts in the mountains; what's so strange about a wildcat?" someone scoffed.

"If that were all, it would be fine, but this wildcat specifically robs people of their spiritual treasures."

"Many masters have been robbed by that cat; Wen Zhao and Zhang Boran are reportedly among them."

"Ah? How strong is this wildcat then?"

"Although still young, it already possesses ranked strength."

"And here's something even stranger: this wildcat doesn't kill people, but if you're robbed and don't say 'thank you' to it afterward, it won't let you go. Truly bizarre."

Du Jiaojiao, Liu Muqing, and Lu Qian were resting in a corner of the plaza. Hearing such strange rumors, they couldn't help but start discussing them. Lu Qian scoffed, "These people must be crazy, spreading such absurd rumors. Saying 'thank you' and the wildcat lets you go? That's ridiculous!"

Liu Muqing said, "Perhaps the pressure of ascending the mountain is too great, and some people are experiencing hallucinations."

Du Jiaojiao, who was polishing her silver spear nearby, suddenly said, "Perhaps someone is raising that wildcat."

Lu Qian asked, surprised, "What do you mean, Sister Jiao?"

Du Jiaojiao slowly explained, "Today, while collecting spiritual treasures halfway up the mountain, we remotely sensed the wildcat's presence."

"There was also a human aura very close to it, seemingly observing us for a while."

"What?" Lu Qian exclaimed, surprised. "Such a thing exists?"

"Who could tame a wildcat?" Liu Muqing asked. "Could it be Yang Junxiong?"

"If that's the case, we're in trouble," Lu Qian frowned. "He'll probably monopolize the 'first incense' tonight again."

"It shouldn't be him," Du Jiaojiao mused. "It doesn't seem like him."

"Whoever it is, if Sister Jiao is right, that person will definitely appear tonight."

Halfway up the mountain, Zhao Xing leisurely ascended, carried by his straw figures. He activated his Bright Eyes and looked around, seeing people ascending the mountain from various directions.

"Tonight is the last chance, and it will be the most lively night."

"Meow," the wildcat pricked up its ears, seemingly triggered by a keyword.

"Hey, Master Cat, calm down for a bit." Zhao Xing grabbed its tail; the wildcat had just tried to rush out and beat someone up again. This silly cat loved joining in on the fun too much; its stamina was astonishing, making it even harder to handle than a dog!

"We need to go up the mountain now, we can't delay any longer," Zhao Xing explained. "Don't worry, it'll be even livelier on the mountain, you'll have plenty to do." The wildcat obediently settled back into Zhao Xing's arms.

The ascent this time was very peaceful. Nobody dared to provoke Zhao Xing along the way. Because he had gained quite a reputation on the second night. Although Zhao Xing hadn't announced his identity, how could Young Master Zong resist boasting about him? In just one day, while making a name for himself, he also heavily publicized Zhao Xing. Even if he couldn't remember it after descending the mountain, Young Master Zong had to put on a show for these two days!

Besides his fame, Zhao Xing's cultivation level was also vastly different from yesterday. After plundering opportunities from numerous officials, he had already reached Gathered Elemental Ninth Rank! Relying on the wildcat to snowball his gains, he practically swept through everyone. For more effective robbery, Zhao Xing later stayed hidden, letting Master Cat do all the work.

"Zhao Xing, over here!" Upon entering the Altar of Heaven Plaza on the mountain summit, he saw Zong Shichang waving at him. There were also a few familiar faces in the plaza, such as Wen Nanxing, Xiao Ze, and Li Chengfeng. The few of them hadn't met in the past two days, but they had made significant progress; Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze had already reached Gathered Elemental Seventh Rank. Li Chengfeng had gained something on the first night, and although he didn't appear on the second day, upon seeing him today, he had astonishingly also reached Gathered Elemental Ninth Rank! Whether elemental spiritual treasures or longevity spiritual treasures, most were for enhancing elemental energy, with only a minority contributing to lifespan, which wasn't surprising. In Zhao Xing's view, most of the lucky individuals in the plaza, despite their increased cultivation, were merely 'bloated.' If their spells didn't keep pace, having high cultivation alone was just for show. What puzzled Zhao Xing was that Li Chengfeng wasn't with Zong Shichang; each had gathered their own group of people, as if some conflict had occurred, and their relationship wasn't as close as before.

"Zhao Sanjia."

"Zhao Xing is here."

"Brother Zhao is mighty! Huailiu Academy is mighty!"

Upon entering the plaza, many people greeted Zhao Xing, mainly because he had made a huge splash yesterday. He had defeated Cao Qiushui during the 'first incense' competition! That was a descendant of a True Monarch!

"Hello, everyone, hello." In a crowded place, Zhao Xing found it awkward to maintain his posture. He jumped down from the sedan chair, still holding the wildcat.

"Oh, where did you find this little cat? It's quite cute," Zong Shichang said upon seeing the wildcat, instantly wanting to pet it.

"Young Master, be careful!" Uncle Cang and Uncle Hu's expressions changed drastically, and they immediately stopped Zong Shichang. Old Yuan's expression was also grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Hiss," Zong Shichang felt as if a fierce beast was staring at him. Looking into the wildcat's eyes, he instantly broke into a cold sweat, his legs turning to jelly. Fortunately, someone supported him, or he might have collapsed.

"Brother Zong, quickly tell it 'thank you,'" Zhao Xing said.

"Ah? Oh, oh, thank you," Zong Shichang said, although he didn't know why, he quickly complied. Seeing this, the wildcat indeed stopped hissing and retreated back into Zhao Xing's embrace.

"This... this is the wildcat? You're its owner?" Zong Shichang wiped sweat from his brow.

"Yes," Zhao Xing nodded.

"No, what's up with your cat? Why do I have to say 'thank you' to it?" Zong Shichang, no longer as frightened after learning Zhao Xing was the owner, remembered the strange rumors he had heard and became curious.

Zhao Xing said resignedly, "It's a long story, but in short, after I took it into a few fights, it developed this peculiar habit. You know how cats are always strange; it's hard for me to correct."

Zong Shichang agreed profoundly. He loved playing with cats and dogs and knew that cats were indeed difficult to serve; sometimes it was hard to tell who the true master was. After chatting for a while, Young Master Zong, forgetting his previous scare, had the urge to pet the cat again. "Will your wildcat let me? I'll pay any price!"

Zhao Xing shook his head. "Brother Zong, a gentleman doesn't take what others cherish."

At the mention of 'gentleman,' Zong Shichang seemed to recall something, his expression becoming slightly displeased. "What 'gentleman' nonsense? I don't care for it. Fine, if you won't sell it, then bring it to my home often in the future."

"No problem," Zhao Xing replied casually, then scanned the plaza. "What's the situation now?"

Zong Shichang, knowing he was asking for information, immediately said, "The ranked experts have undergone new changes. That Gu Feng, I don't know what opportunity he got, but just the eighth incense stick allowed him to leap from Gathered Elemental Eighth Rank to the ranked realm."

"In addition, the number of Gathered Elemental Ninth Rank cultivators has increased significantly. For instance, seven Gathered Elemental Ninth Rank cultivators have gathered around Cao Qiushui. Also, Lu Qian and Miss Liu, who are next to Du Jiaojiao, have both risen to Gathered Elemental Ninth Rank. I've broken through to Gathered Elemental Seventh Rank, and Uncle Cang and Uncle Hu have reached Gathered Elemental Ninth Rank."

"However, among the top ten incense sticks, there were also some who fared poorly. Zhang Boran and Wen Zhao, for some unknown reason, sustained severe injuries. Hu Yang's mechanical beast has one missing, and he doesn't seem to have gained anything significant. Old Yuan said that Yang Junxiong's aura doesn't seem to have changed much, so it's unclear how he managed to secure the 'first incense' spot."

Zong Shichang pointed at people in the plaza, as if he knew everyone thoroughly. "Overall, the number of officials has decreased—some descended the mountain, others died or were injured—but the number of high-level cultivators has increased. This is because the first fifty incense sticks all yielded certain benefits. Tonight is the officials' last night here; everyone must descend the mountain before Chen Shi (7-9 AM) tomorrow. So, no one wants to miss this final opportunity, and the competition tonight will definitely be fiercer... Oh, by the way, Zhao Sanjia, why are Zhang Boran and Wen Zhao constantly looking at you?"