Cultivate By Losing Money

The more his thoughts moved in that direction, the more his qi swirled inside of him.

Then, a chill ran down his spine. His eyes snapped open.

He was no longer in the courtyard. Instead, he floated in a vast, endless space filled with stars, each one twinkling like a distant diamond. He hovered, weightless, in this unfamiliar realm. The silence was profound, and for a moment, he was entranced by the beauty of it all.

"What... is this place?" Chen Ren whispered, his voice swallowed by the void.

As if in response to his question, the stars around him began to move— slowly at first, then faster, shifting in strange patterns.

The energy within him swirled violently, and as he looked up, the stars coalesced into a shape— a massive, serpentine figure. His breath caught in his throat.

A dragon!

Its enormous form twisted through the starry expanse, vibrating with power. Its eyes locked onto him, and Chen Ren felt an overwhelming wave of fear wash over him. This wasn't just an illusion— this was something else… something greater.

Fear, cold and raw, clawed at his insides. This wasn't a dream; it was a reality more terrifying than anything he'd ever known. The dragon let out a deafening roar, a sound that shook the very fabric of existence. Its celestial form lunged towards him, the stars scattering like startled fireflies.

Chen Ren's body froze in terror. His blood ran cold. He was trapped, a helpless speck in the dragon's cosmic maw. Panic surged through him, but his body refused to move. As the dragon's shadow loomed over him, he squeezed his eyes shut, a silent scream trapped behind his lips.

And then... he woke up.

Gasping for breath, his eyes flew open, and he found himself back in the courtyard, the faint scent of grass and the cool night air grounding him. His heart pounded in his chest as if he had just escaped death.

What just happened?

Chen Ren blinked, staring up at the night sky.

His breathing was heavy, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he sat up from the bench, holding his head to steady himself. His mind raced, trying to comprehend what had just happened. That dragon, the stars, the overwhelming fear— it all felt so real. He took deep breaths, one after another before the cat's voice made him turn towards her.

"So," Yalan said casually, perched on the bench. "It seems you actually managed to connect to your dao."

Chen Ren's eyes flickered towards her, still dazed. "What?"

The cat hopped down gracefully and padded closer, her amber eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

"Just an hour ago, when you were meditating, you let out a massive surge of qi. You made a breakthrough," she explained, her tone matter-of-fact. "You're now a fourth-star body forging cultivator."

Chen Ren blinked, processing the information slowly. "A breakthrough? Just like that?" He still couldn't wrap his head around it. That terrifying vision, that dragon... had all of that somehow pushed him to a new level?

The cat nodded, her tail swaying lazily behind her. "Yes. It's rare for a cultivator to skip an entire stage in the body-forging realm, but I guess your connection to your dao must've been strong enough. You finally aligned with it."

For a moment, Chen Ren could only sit there, taking it all in. His heart still raced, but now he noticed something else— a warm energy coursing through his body. It was subtle at first, but then it hit him all at once: his body felt brimming with vitality like he could take on the world. His muscles twitched and flexed with energy, his mind was sharp, and a rush of positivity surged through him, making everything feel… possible.

"So this... this is what it's like to break through." He exhaled, marvelling at the sensation. "No wonder cultivators meditate for hundreds of years. Just to feel this again and again..."

Before he could lose himself in the feeling, the cat interrupted with a curious tilt of her head. "What dao did you connect to, anyway?"

Chen Ren didn't answer immediately, still replaying the images in his mind: the swirling stars, the dragon, and that strange vastness of space. Then it clicked, and the answer was clear as day. His lips twitched into a small smile as he spoke, almost amused by the absurdity of it all.

"The dao of money."

Yalan stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Dao of… money?"

***

The morning sun stretched its golden arms across the horizon over Cloud Mist City as Chen Ren and Tang Xiulan set up the noodle stall.

The familiar clatter of pots and wooden stools echoed through the quiet street, and the air was already carrying the faint scent of noodles as Chen Ren arranged his ingredients with practised hands. His energy felt vibrant today, surging through him in waves, a direct result of the breakthrough from last night. He could hardly contain the bounce in his steps.

Tang Xiulan paused, her sharp eyes catching his unusually light movements. "Young Master, you seem to be in a happy mood today," she remarked, tying her apron as she helped set up the stall.

Chen Ren chuckled, shaking his head as he adjusted the display. "It's because I had some cultivation gains yesterday," he said, his voice filled with pride. "And also, our stall is picking up steam. I have a feeling with the amount of noodles we have today, we'll be working nonstop until night."

Xiulan nodded, a glint of approval in her gaze. "It'll be good then. More customers, more coins."

Chen Ren nodded and continued setting up the stall and just then, a sudden movement caught his eye.

The white cat— Yalan, sleek and graceful as ever, leapt onto the counter, landing lightly next to him. Her eyes flicked over the setup before she curled up, sitting calmly beside him as if claiming her territory.

Chen Ren leaned down, whispering, "What are you doing here?"

The cat didn't bother looking at him. Instead, a voice echoed in his mind, startling him.

"I came to observe you." Her tone was as calm and haughty as ever. "Although I don't think you're some demonic cultivator or a shapeshifter who needs to be eradicated, the pact still binds me to watch over you. And what better place than here?"

Chen Ren blinked, momentarily taken aback by the fact that she could speak directly into his mind. Cultivation shenanigans, he thought to himself. Then, he merely shrugged and said, "You're free to stay. Besides, having a cat around might attract customers who would want to pat you."

The cat shot him a withering glare, her ears twitching in irritation. "I'm a very accommodating and generous creature, but even I have my limits. Certain acts tempt me to burn down an entire city."

Chen Ren felt his mouth widen in surprise, but he quickly gathered himself and raised an eyebrow, amused.

"What type of acts?"

"Like the act of patting me." The cat's mental voice was sharp, like a dagger, her eyes narrowing as if daring him to test her words.

Chen Ren stifled a laugh. "Noted."

He gave her a sideways glance, grateful he hadn't given in to his instincts last night and tried to pat her as he would any other street cat.

Well, maybe in the future I might be able to, he thought, smiling.