A cat that lingers beside a saint

Ancient trees reaching for the sky, towering into the clouds.

A rustling sound occasionally drifted through the woods.

Upon closer inspection, a black and white tabby cat was running swiftly through the woods.

As I ran, I startled a flock of birds into flight.

At the summit of a high mountain, a Taoist temple stands tall.

The characters on the plaque of the Taoist temple have long been eroded by wind and rain, and the afterglow of the setting sun reflects the traces of time.

The kitten moves very quickly; it is much faster and more agile than a regular cat.

When the sharp claws rub against the bark, they produce a piercing rustling sound.

It sprinted to the treetop, looked up at the distant sunset, and the next second, it lay on the treetop, tucked its two front paws into its chest, and its back rose and fell evenly.

With each breath he took, the essence of the sun gradually condensed in his mouth as he opened it.

Once the sun had completely set, he swallowed the wisp of essence he had condensed.

In an instant, a hot sensation coursed through his body.

In an instant, his body felt as if it were engulfed in flames, and he could even smell the odor of burning hair.

But then, a chilling power slowly descended upon him, gradually soothing the burning sensation within his body.

"Ha~"

Su Bai slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of white air.

Immediately afterwards, a panel appeared in front of him, which contained his personal information that he had accessed since arriving in this world.

Name: Su Bai

【Race: Tabby Cat】

[Realm: Self-Refinement and Foundation Strengthening]

[Cultivation Techniques: Cultivating Both Body and Mind, Breathing in the Sun and Moon]

[Talents: Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, intimidation (exhaling), plundering offerings, leveraging power (using plundered offerings to borrow the power of immortals), acting cute (high-level cultivators have a certain degree of resistance)]

[Supernatural Powers: Heaven and Earth Manifestation (Locked), Sword Control (Low Level), Thunder Magic (Low Level)]

Perched on a treetop, looking at the panel in front of him, a hint of confusion flashed in Su Bai's eyes.

In his previous life, he was just playing video games at home. He never expected that when he opened his eyes the next day, he would be transported to this strange world.

I initially thought I was just dreaming.

Unexpectedly, all of this was actually true.

It's bad enough that I transmigrated, but to make matters worse, I transmigrated into the body of a cat.

Fortunately, when he transmigrated to this world, he was taken in by an old Taoist priest.

Otherwise, they'd probably be searching for food in some nook or cranny right now.

There was no one else in the Taoist temple except for the old Taoist priest and the cat Su Bai.

The old Taoist priest was quite nice; when he had nothing to do, he liked to hold Su Bai and bask in the sun together.

Sometimes, I read to him.

Sometimes, they would also tell some strange and unusual stories.

Although Su Bai considered these stories to be myths and legends, having them was better than having none, so he just used them to pass the time.

Then one day, the old Taoist suddenly started talking to Su Bai about cultivation.

He said that people cultivate themselves mainly by relying on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, or by cultivating their nature or their destiny.

Sexuality is a spiritual force, which, according to Master, should be called the primordial spirit.

Life is the power of the physical body.

However, for an animal like him, cultivation relies on the essence of the sun and moon.

Absorbing some of the sun's essence before sunset can be used to strengthen muscles and bones.

If you feel that the sun's essence is too overwhelming and you can't handle it, wait for the moon to rise so that it can absorb the moon's essence and neutralize it.

Similarly, when the sun is about to rise, absorb enough Yin essence to refine your primordial spirit. If you feel it is too Yin and cold, wait for the sun to rise to neutralize it.

However, to Su Bai, there didn't seem to be much difference between animal cultivation and human cultivation.

Although the two species are different, the final result is the same.

They are cultivating their lives.

When Su Bai first started cultivating, he couldn't grasp the essentials, since his master had only mentioned it casually.

As for how exactly to cultivate it, he obviously needs to figure that out for himself.

After all, the master himself is not a practitioner.

But gradually, with the sunrise and sunset, the moon rising and setting, Su Bai suddenly seemed to have an epiphany.

Perched atop the tallest tree on the mountaintop, watching the sunset, I unintentionally entered a mysterious and profound state.

According to the master, this state is called sudden enlightenment.

But in Su Bai's view, this was actually just spacing out.

Relax your mind and eliminate distractions.

Focus all your attention on the breathing.

When you inhale, feel the breath enter your body and spread throughout your entire body.

When you exhale, completely relax your body, as if you are expelling all the negative emotions in your heart.

He clearly remembered that day, when with each breath he took, the essence of the sun was condensed.

From that day on, Su Bai embarked on the path of cultivation.

Su Bai had once thought about cultivating with his master.

In his eyes, his master's body was getting weaker day by day, and he didn't want to go back to being a lonely cat like when he first came into this world.

But whenever he made this request, his master would simply shake his head slightly.

Ring ring ring...

At the top of the mountain, the bells hanging at the entrance of the Taoist temple rang softly.

Su Bai knew that his master was calling him back.

Actually, this bell is quite strange.

It's perfectly normal for a cat to be curious about strange and unusual things.

Let alone cats, even a child would be curious about something that makes sounds.

However, in Su Bai's memory, every time he climbed onto the roof and kept patting the bell with his claws, the bell never rang.

Sometimes, Su Bai even wondered if the bell was broken.

But when the master touched it casually, the bell rang clearly.

Moreover, the sound travels very far; even after Su Bai ran out of the mountain's perimeter, the bell would still ring in his ears.

As long as he follows the direction from which the bell rings, Su Bai can clearly know where his home is.

Su Bai got up, stretched, raised its tail high, shook off the fallen leaves, and glanced at the Taoist temple not far away.

Then he jumped down from the tree.

In the mountains and forests, autumn colors were in full bloom, and Su Bai quickly moved through the trees.

Before long, he arrived at the entrance of the Taoist temple.

The gates of the Taoist temple are almost never closed.

In this desolate wilderness, even if there were thieves, they would probably enter this Taoist temple empty-handed.

As for visitors, needless to say.

In any case, Su Bai had never seen his master have any visitors in all these years.

Upon entering the Taoist temple, Su Bai took a deep breath.

It smells so good!

Unfortunately, he couldn't eat it.

It's not that he can't eat it, it's that his master won't let him eat it.

Since Su Bai embarked on the path of cultivation, his master has stopped letting him eat these grains and cereals.

In his own words, this is called fasting.

Those who cultivate themselves should avoid the five grains the most, as they contain the heaviest amount of impure energy.

It takes several deep breaths during a meal to completely expel all the stale air from the body.

Master also said that it is not impossible to satisfy one's appetite, but one's cultivation level must reach a certain level first.

As for what level to achieve, that's up to you.

He lay face down on the dining table, his eyes fixed on his master who was eating heartily.

The old man was quite interesting. He seemed to have noticed Su Bai's constant swallowing of saliva, and when he picked up some food, he deliberately waved it in front of Su Bai's eyes.

"Meow!"

Hearing Su Bai's angry shout, the old Taoist laughed heartily.

"You cat, though you are intelligent, you cannot tame your restless mind. It seems your cultivation will be difficult to advance any further."

"If a cultivator eats these grains, he will be like a gambler in the human world. When he loses, he wants to win back his losses, so he borrows money to gamble again. In the end, he will be heavily in debt and never be able to turn his life around."

"Perhaps you wish to do the same?"