C22 Ye Yun's Cultivation Was too Weak

Ye Yun was being relentlessly chased by Cat Bebe up and down the mountain, panting heavily from exhaustion.

Eventually, Ye Yun reached his limit. He was utterly spent, yet Cat Bebe showed no signs of stopping.

Ye Yun racked his brain for a way to get the persistent feline to halt.

"Can you give me a break? I'm out of steam. Don't you ever get tired? How does running me ragged benefit you?" Ye Yun pleaded breathlessly as he continued to flee.

Cat Bebe seemed indifferent to Ye Yun's pleas, continuing the pursuit. Ye Yun's pace slowed to a crawl, and although Cat Bebe also decelerated, it didn't give up the chase.

"Please, I'm begging you, stop chasing me. I'm just too tired," Ye Yun implored once more.

Then, suddenly, Cat Bebe came to an abrupt halt, cocking its head and staring intently at Ye Yun without so much as a blink.

"What do you want from me? I'm exhausted. Can't you just stop chasing me, please?" Ye Yun was taken aback by the sudden shift in Cat Bebe's demeanor, now looking inexplicably adorable.

Even as a grown cat, Bebe's cuteness was undeniable. Ye Yun sat down, lost in thought.

After a brief rest, Ye Yun stood up, intending to search for some water to quench his thirst.

To his surprise, Cat Bebe was right on his heels once again. It must be instinctual. The sight of Cat Bebe tailing him sent Ye Yun sprinting off in fear once more.

Completely drained, Ye Yun collapsed to the ground. As Cat Bebe seemed poised to leap at him, Ye Yun yelled "Stop!"—and to his astonishment, it did.

Cat Bebe's obedience left Ye Yun dumbfounded. How could it be so well-behaved?

"It's got to be my imagination, right? This creature just hurt me," Ye Yun mumbled to himself as he settled down.

Once again, Cat Bebe tilted its head, looking at Ye Yun with its paws neatly placed in front, its tail swishing softly, eyes brimming with tenderness.

Feeling less anxious, Ye Yun ventured to ask, "Well, are you going to say anything? What's your deal? You chase me relentlessly, yet you don't harm me." Watching Cat Bebe's antics, Ye Yun was torn between frustration and amusement.

"Get up, and go sit over there," Ye Yun directed, pointing to a stone stool next to him, as he spoke to Cat Bebe.

Sure enough, Cat Bebe stood up and perched on the stool.

Ye Yun thought it might just be a fluke, so he asked Cat Bebe to sit again, and to his surprise, the cat complied obediently and sat down.

"Stand up, sit down," Ye Yun issued a few commands, and Cat Bebe cooperated beautifully.

"You really do understand me, don't you? You're so clever," Ye Yun mused, once again pleasantly surprised.

It seemed Cat Bebe just wanted some playtime with him, though the cost seemed a bit steep.

Watching Cat Bebe turn so docile, Ye Yun found it increasingly endearing.

Before long, Cat Bebe came over and settled down beside Ye Yun, nuzzling his pant leg with its head.

Ye Yun was still getting used to this new behavior. He reached out to pet Cat Bebe, but the cat turned fierce again—though it stopped short of another attack.

"Why did you attack me so viciously before?" Ye Yun pondered, then it dawned on him—it was likely because Cat Bebe was hungry.

"Are you hungry? Because I sure am. No attacking now, I need to find us some food," Ye Yun said gently, stroking Cat Bebe's head.

Despite its fierce appearance, Cat Bebe's fur was incredibly soft to the touch.

As soon as Ye Yun started to walk away, Cat Bebe followed.

"I'm tired. Can I ride on you?" Ye Yun asked Cat Bebe.

Unexpectedly, Cat Bebe lay down, signaling Ye Yun to climb aboard.

"Why didn't I realize how well-behaved you could be from the start? If I had known, I wouldn't have run," Ye Yun muttered to himself.

Clearly, Ye Yun had initially missed the proper way to communicate with Cat Bebe. Now, it seemed there was a good chance he could win the cat over.

"Cat Bebe, I need to find some food. Take me back to where we were catching fish earlier. I'm famished," Ye Yun commanded, assuming the role of the leader.

Suddenly, Ye Yun tumbled off Cat Bebe's back.

What just happened? They seemed to be getting along so well. Why did Cat Bebe suddenly start picking on him again?

Ye Yun inquired, "System, how can I form a contract with Cat Bebe?"

The System responded, "Host, you're overestimating yourself. You're not yet worthy of having a spiritual pet."

"How can I become worthy? Aren't you going to help me?" Ye Yun pressed.

The System remained silent.

Frustrated, Ye Yun blurted out, "You're no help when I need you most. I'm going to file a complaint!"

The System then advised, "Host, you can craft a contract with your blood and morph it into a Cursed Spirit, thereby forcibly making Cat Bebe your spiritual pet."

Ye Yun was about to further question the System, but it fell silent once more, leaving him at a loss for words.

Previously, the System had suggested he use the True Samadhi Fire against Cat Bebe. But that fire couldn't even properly cook a fish, let alone affect Cat Bebe.

"You owe me a proper explanation!" Ye Yun demanded.

"Host, consider it a trial in taming the creature," the System explained.

In a fit of irritation, Ye Yun kicked at the system's interface.

"Am I supposed to bond with it before I can tame it? Forget it, I need to eat first," he muttered, heading toward the river.

Cat Bebe tagged along beside Ye Yun, which annoyed him. The cat's swift shifts in behavior were puzzling and hard to read.

They soon reached the riverbank, and Ye Yun dove in to fish once more, with Cat Bebe eagerly assisting this time.

"You're quite the character. Ignore you, and you're all sweet; ask you to obey, and you rebel," Ye Yun remarked to Cat Bebe, convinced that the cat understood every word.

Wading together, they resembled a pet and its owner.

With Cat Bebe's help, Ye Yun quickly snagged several large fish.

Yet before they could even make it back to land, Cat Bebe couldn't resist gobbling up its catch.

Ye Yun just shook his head, watching the scene unfold. Clearly, Cat Bebe had quite the appetite.

Before Ye Yun could even get a fire going to roast his fish, Cat Bebe once again swiped it straight from his hands.

"Damn it, Bebe! Didn't you just have your fill of fish? Why are you stealing mine now?" Ye Yun fumed, tempted to tussle with the little thief.

But then he remembered—he had just been scratched by Cat Bebe.

Resigned, Ye Yun headed back to the river to fish for more.

On the bank, Cat Bebe gnawed on the stolen fish. Who would ever link such a formidable beast with a mere kitten?

Though Ye Yun hadn't yet tamed the spiritual pet, his affection for the mischievous Cat Bebe was unmistakable.