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Chapter 244 - Caterina and Luna
🕑 Added 2025-02-17 07:00:07 +0000 UTC"Hahahaha! Don't be surprised yet. The increase of the spiritual energy here is still not the maximum. It will become even denser the closer we get to the center of the Cloud Continent. Alright, as estimated, it would take another two months to reach our destination, so continue doing all the boring activities you have been doing. I'm out!"
President Albert's voice echoed through the airship's array sound system, crisp and clear, before fading into silence. Leyvi, seated in his luxurious cabin, glanced up at the ceiling where the sound had emanated. The room was spacious and elegantly designed, with polished wood panels and a large window that offered a view of the endless sky outside. Though, Leyvi didn't really need the window because his spiritual sense could go through the wall now.
He leaned back in his plush chair, his expression thoughtful as he processed the information. "Two more months. Just how big is the Central Region? I should get a map later," he muttered to himself.
Curious about the spiritual energy, Leyvi moved to the center of the room and sat down on the soft carpet. He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began cultivating. The moment he started, he noticed the difference. The energy here was denser and easier to absorb than what he was used to. It didn't take long for him to estimate that his cultivation speed had increased by about 2.6 times compared to the South Region.
After a short while, Leyvi stopped and opened his eyes. "That was much faster than I expected," he said quietly. He thought about what this meant for the cultivators living in the Central Region. "They must have a higher average cultivation level than the South Region. That's pretty nice," he said.
For comparison, if his poor father-in-law, Bana—who had a low-grade spirit root—had lived in the Central Region, he might have had a chance of reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement realm even without cultivation resources by his old age. In the South Region, however, he had only managed to reach the middle stage.
For wealthy cultivators, though, the density of spiritual energy around them mattered little. They had plenty of resources to accelerate their cultivation speed, so living in an area with denser spiritual energy didn't make much of a difference.
"But why is the spiritual energy here denser?" Leyvi wondered.
Suddenly, something occurred to him.
Spiritual Veins!
Alita had once asked them to search for a Spiritual Vein because it contained a massive amount of spiritual energy that could power her airship. Could it be that Spiritual Veins were the reason for the difference in spiritual energy across regions? Leyvi speculated.
Maybe after the Mystic Realm, he and Anda could explore the Central Region and try their luck at finding a Spiritual Vein using the Qi-Seeking Radar. If his speculation was correct, the Central Region likely had more Spiritual Veins, making the task easier than in the South.
After letting his mind wander for a while, thinking about random topics, Leyvi returned to his martial skill learning session.
---
Holy Cat City
City Lord Caterina Feline's Mansion
Caterina's mansion was a sprawling estate nestled atop a wide hill in the heart of Holy Cat City, a testament to her status as the City Lord. The building was a blend of elegance and whimsy, with tall, arched windows framed by intricate carvings of feline motifs. In the center of the room, a luxurious velvet couch sat atop a plush carpet, where Caterina lounged with her usual air of confidence.
"Nya-what? You agreed to marry that Leyvi youngster? I take a short slumber, and now this outrageous news?" A beautiful white cat wearing a glittering tiara stared at Caterina in shock, her fur bristling with disbelief.
Caterina rolled her eyes, leaning back on the couch with a lazy stretch. "Luna, you call a few months a short slumber? Really?" She smirked, her expression quickly shifting into one of playful pride. "And for the record, I didn't just agree. I've already announced to the entire city that I'm his wife and started planning the wedding. Hehe."
"Nya, have you lost your senses? You're a sex demoness! The bringer of limpness!" Luna's ears flattened in exasperation. "Do you even know if he can handle your demoness-level sexual power yet? Meow could you agree to something so risky?"
Caterina pouted, crossing her arms. "It's not my fault. His panda wife insisted that I should become his wife. She convinced me." The memory of Anda's expression—absolute confidence and determination—was still fresh in her mind. That face had been the reason she decided to take the gamble. She was already very interested in Leyvi in the first place, so why not?
Luna stared at Caterina, her shock doubling. "That panda alchemist wants you to be her husband's wife? She must be out of her mind! What is she thinking? She's ruining her husband's life."
"Hey, lazy cat, watch your mouth!" Caterina snapped, narrowing her eyes. "Why would I ruin his life? It's not like they stayed permanently impotent. After some medication and rehab, they all recovered just fine!"
She folded her arms and huffed. "You're my best friend, so where's your heartfelt congratulations? I'm finally getting married, you know!"
Luna flattened her ears, still unconvinced. "Even if they fully recovered, it still took a while. Meow, that poor youngster. What was his name again? Ah, yes—poor Leyvi." She couldn't help but pity him. In her mind, she saw a tragic future where Leyvi was stuck in a miserable cycle of impotence and rehab, eventually begging for a divorce.
"Heh, it's none of your business," Caterina retorted, flicking Luna's tail. "Anyway, that panda girl is absolutely confident Leyvi can handle it even after looking into my past, so maybe things will be different this time." Her expression softened slightly. "Just pray for my happiness, you lazy cat!"
"Nya~ sure, I'll pray for you," Luna replied, her tone half-teasing. "I hope it all works out. After all, you're already so old. Maybe it's a good idea to gamble now—otherwise, you'll never have any children."
"What did you just say?" Caterina's eyes widened in indignation. She stood up, her hands on her hips. "Look at my face! Look at my tight, perfect body! How am I old?"
The white cat and the cat lady launched into another round of bickering, their voices filling the mansion.
A few minutes later, a lady with a drawing in her hand entered Caterina's room, completely unbothered by the ongoing bickering. She was already used to their constant squabbles.
The lady was Caterina's personal secretary, the one who managed much of the City Lord's affairs on her behalf.
She was a poised and efficient woman who appeared to be in her early thirties. She wore a tailored outfit that blended professionalism with a touch of elegance—a fitted blouse with subtle embroidery along the collar, paired with a high-waisted skirt that fell just below her knees. Her hair was neatly tied back in a sleek bun, and a pair of thin-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of her nose, giving her an air of quiet authority.
Despite her composed demeanor, there was a sharpness in her eyes that hinted at her quick wit and no-nonsense attitude. She moved with purpose, her steps measured and confident, as though she had already anticipated every possible question or complaint.
Holding up the drawing, she said in a calm, clear voice, "Lady Caterina, this is the design for the wedding dress you described. Please take a look."
As she spoke, a faint flow of Qi emanated from her hands and enveloped the drawing. Moments later, the wedding dress in the design materialized in reality, hovering and rotating midair as if it were already real. The intricate details of the dress—delicate lace, shimmering fabric, and elegant embroidery—were displayed in stunning clarity.
"You already started designing your wedding dress, Rina? Are you that impatient, nya? You don't even know when the Mystic Realm will end. Meow! They might have only just arrived at the Central Region," Luna said, leaping closer to inspect the floating dress.
Caterina smirked, adjusting the cat ear headband she always wore. "Heh, what do you know, lazy cat? It's not you who's getting married. Who knows if the Mystic Realm suddenly becomes inaccessible and they return abruptly? I need to have everything ready."
She swayed gracefully toward the projection, her sharp eyes scrutinizing every detail of the dress.
"Hmm... Sheila, can you please tell the designer to add some cat-like frills to the wedding dress? It feels weird not having any cat-related things on my stuff," Caterina said, tilting her head as she examined the floating dress projection.
"Noted. Anything else, Lady Caterina?" Sheila asked, her tone professional as always.
"Ah, right. Since Luna has awakened from her stupid slumber, I'll leave the matters here to her. You can refer to her if anything comes up. I want to go to Bara City for a bit to visit my soon-to-be family," Caterina said with a bright smile, her cat ear headband twitching slightly as she spoke.
"Nyaa! Is that why you've been disturbing my beauty slumber? You could have just waited a bit longer until I woke up naturally!" Luna leaped onto Caterina's shoulder and bonked her head with her paw, her tail flicking in mock annoyance.
"Hahaha! You shouldn't be sleeping for that long in the first place," Caterina replied, laughing as she let Luna bonk her head repeatedly. She didn't even try to dodge, clearly used to the cat's antics.
"Alright, I'm off now!" Caterina said, stepping toward the window. Without wasting another moment, she opened it and flew out, her figure quickly disappearing into the sky.
She was heading south, toward Bara City.
