In the world of martial arts, one works tirelessly to attain enlightenment.

Chapter 12, Yunzhu's Unusually Proactive Actions

Third Middle School.

Chang Fei left Lin Ran on the rooftop and then left.

Lin Ran checked the time; it was 10:20. She could still catch a class and a half.

I quickly returned to the classroom and successfully listened to the remaining one and a half lessons.

"Transcendental Theory, Experience +312".

After school,

Yunzhu, her cheeks slightly flushed, leaned closer.

"Lin Ran, I've recently learned to cook many human dishes, but we cat people can't really distinguish them. Could you please sample them for me at lunchtime today?"

"I don't have time, I need to cultivate."

Lin Ran refused him without hesitation.

Yunzhu didn't give up, staring longingly at Lin Ran, its tail carefully wrapping around Lin Ran's wrist.

"I won't bother you. I can cook at your house, as long as it doesn't affect your cultivation."

"..."

Lin Ran remained silent, recalling Chang Fei's explanation: there was no need to be overly wary of the cat people; taking them down would yield more resources.

He then thought about the energy expenditure of his cultivation and decided to listen to Chang Fei, after all, this mentor came from the military.

Moreover, he knew Yunzhu's intentions, and if anything went wrong, he could apply to go to the army for training at any time.

He just didn't like that strict atmosphere, where there was almost no freedom.

"In that case...that's acceptable."

"Can I come to your house then?"

Yunzhu remained cautious, her orange cat ears twitching slightly.

Lin Ran glanced at the cat ears and nodded calmly.

"Okay, meow~"

Yunzhu excitedly puffed out her chest, almost pressing herself against Lin Ran.

"Let's go."

Lin Ran nodded slightly.

Chen Fei, standing to the side, was stunned, contemplating the meaning of life.

Why is it that my good buddy went out this morning and came back to find a cat-eared girl throwing herself at him?

Lin Ran saw Chen Fei and patted him on the shoulder.

"Keep practicing, and you'll be able to do it too someday."

……

On the road.

Lin Ran ran back as usual, with Yun Zhu following on her bicycle, attracting a lot of attention.

Back in the apartment,

As soon as the door opened, Daju greeted us, and then we saw Yunzhu.

Meow!

Foolish humans! Who is this little female cat?!

Lin Ran moved the large orange aside, turned around and asked.

"Don't block my way, or I'll step on you. Do you even know how to use the kitchen?"

"Yes, the embassy also has a kitchen, and I've used it a few times."

Yunzhu carried a large bag of groceries and curiously looked around the apartment.

One bedroom, one living room, one bathroom, and one kitchen—small but perfectly formed.

It was clean and tidy, with almost no unnecessary decorations besides the necessities, and it didn't look like a human boy's room.

"It's fine once you've used it; this is the kitchen."

Lin Ran led Yun Zhu to the kitchen and told him where the kitchen utensils were.

Yunzhu put down the ingredients, skillfully put on an apron, waved to Lin Ran, and began cooking.

"Okay, I'll cook now. You go and cultivate."

"..."

Why are you so skilled?

Lin Ran walked back to the bedroom, glared at the big orange cat that was hissing and bristling at him, and kicked it.

"You can't do anything but eat, and you're uncomfortable to touch. What use are you!"

Meow!!!

Foolish human! How dare you insult me, the King! I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!

boom!

The bedroom door handle was closed to the outside by the king of oranges.

A cat's head peeked out from the kitchen.

"Meow~ (Don't be angry, you'll get lunch)"

meow~

Foolish human! I, the king, will divorce you!

……

bedroom.

Lin Ran ate a piece of spirit beast meat and practiced the spirit ascension ritual.

He originally planned to practice in the park downstairs, as he couldn't connect with the earth in the apartment and therefore couldn't gain attribute experience.

The time allotted for practicing once is still twenty minutes.

After practicing twice, a gentle knock sounded on the door.

Lin Ran let out a breath.

[Fitness training, experience +123]

[Health Preservation, Experience +116]

[Ascension Ritual, Experience +20]

"Dinner's ready!"

Pushing open the door, the little...big catgirl, wearing an apron, smiled broadly, her tail swaying gently, and a rich fragrance filled the living room.

Lin Ranfa discovered that her LV2 cooking skills were actually inferior to hers!

"It smells delicious."

Lin Ran said that she would no longer pay special attention to it, believing that there was no need to waste too much attention on such trivial matters.

Yunzhu took off her apron and wrapped her tail around Lin Ran's wrist. Based on her observation, Lin Ran did not object to this action.

"Come wash your hands~"

Lin Ran felt something was amiss, thinking that Yun Zhu must have undergone training.

The dining table was quiet, with only Yunzhu occasionally asking questions, and Lin Ran not saying much except to answer.

But there was another sound coming from the living room.

Orange cat: Meow~ Awoo~

tasty!!!

After the meal.

Lin Ran let out a breath, patted his bloated stomach, and considered whether he should brush up on his cooking skills. He had already replaced his three meals with spirit beast meat, but he did not expect Yun Zhu's cooking skills to be so good, leaving him wanting more.

"Go and cultivate, I'll do the dishes."

Yunzhu took the initiative to clear the dishes, her tail held high, swaying back and forth in Lin Ran's sight.

Lin Ran watched for a while,

"Thank you for your hard work, it's just what I wanted."

"It's not hard work. I've learned many kinds. If you don't mind, I'll make it for you again tomorrow."

Yunzhu tossed her hair aside and smiled gently.

Lin Ran noticed that she didn't have human ears.

"……good."

……

downstairs.

Lin Ran had only been practicing for a short while when a message came through the terminal.

Yunzhu: The dishes are washed and the kitchen is cleaned up. I have class this afternoon, so I'll come back tomorrow at noon. I'm leaving now~

Lin Ran: ...Okay.

I turned off the terminal and continued practicing in the grove of trees downstairs.

He left his sneakers and socks aside, and stepped barefoot into the mud, drawing in more earth-attribute spiritual energy.

After being cleansed by spiritual energy, the skin is optimized at the genetic level, resulting in a fair and rosy complexion, a beautiful shape, and no flaws.

Lin Ran felt a little embarrassed and didn't dare to look at her own feet too much...

Fortunately, once I started practicing, the jumbled thoughts quickly disappeared.

The path to transcendence is initially based on martial arts, but after maturing, it departs from martial arts, though some of the terminology is retained.

As consciousness sinks into the dantian, the space is hazy and gray, with unknown darkness beyond the edges. A warm, yellow, standard rhomboid crystal floats quietly in the dantian.

The crystal absorbs the spiritual energy entering the body from the outside and transforms it into spiritual energy with individual attributes that is completely under control.

Lin Ran could sense that the amount of earth-attribute spiritual energy was roughly equivalent to the spiritual energy provided by the spirit beast meat.

The cultivation efficiency is about 1.5 times that of simply using spirit beast meat.

After one round.

[Fitness training, experience +92]

[Health Preservation, Experience +90]

[Ascension Ritual, Experience +15]

[Attribute Control - Earth, Experience +20]

Lin Ran glanced at the time; it was 1:40.

liver!

When I came to my senses and checked the time again, it was still 1:40.

1:40 AM!

Lin Ran looked at the pitch-black night sky, remained silent for a moment, then summoned her experience tips, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

[Fitness training, experience +3312]

[Fitness LV6→LV7: 1310/3500]

[Health Preservation, Experience +3259]

[Health Preservation LV6→LV7: 1321/3500]

[Ascension Ritual, Experience +561]

[Ascension Ritual LV3→LV4: 114/2000]

The ascension ritual changed with the upgrade, but at the time I was so immersed in the exhilarating feeling of the upgrade that I didn't pay much attention to it.

Originally there were 63 moves, but they were reduced to 54 moves.

[Attribute Control - Earth, Experience +736]

[Attribute Control - Earth LV1→LV2: 323/1000]

The changes in attributes were minor, but the efficiency of converting spiritual energy increased, and the experience gained from the linked enhancements of the Spirit Ascension Ritual, Fitness, and Health Preservation also increased simultaneously.

Lin Ran exhaled and opened the terminal.

Several people sent me messages.

Yunzhu: My friend and I bought a few new outfits today. Can you give us your opinion?

(End of this chapter)