Chapter 11: Cultivating Immortal Arts
Dinner was black chicken soup and braised beef. For Koneko, who lived alone on the island nation, this was quite a lavish meal.
But in Renga's household, it was just ordinary fare.
At school was one thing, but at home, he couldn't neglect his stomach.
Especially since there was a little foodie to feed too.
"Delicious!"
After just saying this, Koneko didn't stop eating.
Within twenty minutes, she had already eaten four bowls of rice.
Her previously flat stomach was now round and bulging—anyone who didn't know might think Renga had done something to her.
Esther wasn't far behind either.
Normally she couldn't eat this much, but today she subconsciously competed with Koneko.
After dinner, Koneko volunteered to wash the dishes, and after finishing, she bid farewell to Renga.
Walking on the road, Koneko rubbed her satisfied stomach with a lingering expression: "If I could live there, I could eat delicious food every day."
But she had no reason to move, nor was she thick-skinned enough to force her way into staying.
"I'll just come over for meals every day from now on."
Koneko immediately thought of this compromise.
....
"Aren't you worried? Koneko is a girl."
Esther looked at Renga from the sofa.
"Even if she's a girl, she's still a devil. No one could be safer than her."
Renga laughed.
Then Esther nodded and turned her attention back to the anime.
Meanwhile, Renga organized the gains from earlier.
His cheat ability wasn't just about faster cultivation.
Spending time with Koneko had allowed him to actively refine magical power from within his body, and today, after being with Koneko, Renga gained a new discovery.
That was—immortal qi.
Although Koneko was a devil, she actually had another identity: a Nekoshou.
And she was an extremely rare version among Nekomata.
The ability of this type of rare devil was the proficient use of immortal qi and immortal techniques.
Compared to magical power, refining immortal qi was much simpler and smoother.
The biggest difference between it and magical power was that it was the root power stored within plants, animals, and humans, and it had no direct destructive force.
Since it already existed naturally, unlike magical power which was created from nothing, it was naturally much easier.
Of course, if any immortal technique user knew that Renga had refined immortal qi in just a few days, they would surely be shocked to the point of trembling.
After all, even for natural-born devils, cultivating qi was not an easy task.
Many took years, decades, or even longer without success, and even if they succeeded, their qi was often very weak.
As for the results of cultivation, they were simple and practical.
Renga could now close his eyes and clearly sense the flow of qi.
Although many living beings couldn't cultivate qi, simply by being alive, they emitted a special qi.
Devils, angels, humans—even Esther had a unique qi.
Devils' qi tended to be purple, angels' golden, while normal races like humans were pure white. Esther's qi was silver and incredibly vast.
Now that Renga had reached this point, at least half the credit went to Esther.
But back to the main point.
Although qi couldn't be used directly for attacks, it was like the spiritual energy in cultivators from fantasy worlds, which caused Renga's physique to improve due to the immortal qi.
Although the progress was currently slow and the increase modest, he was noticeably lighter on his feet and his strength was more fierce than before.
The qi flowed gently within him, continuously bringing a cool sensation.
The effects of immortal qi far exceeded Renga's expectations.
Even if he specialized in this path in the future, he believed he could become a powerhouse no less than a Satan.
And Satans were already the highest combat force among the devil race in the underworld.
Above that were the Transcendents.
Of course, the so-called Transcendents were just a title; their strength was basically ten times that of an ordinary Satan.
It was like the difference between Saiyans, Super Saiyans, and Super Saiyans 2 in Dragon Ball.
The only regret was the lack of matching secret manuals or techniques.
Although he could explore through hard training in the future, having them would still be better than not.
While Esther continued watching anime, Renga focused on strengthening the immortal qi within him.
Immortal qi could enhance physical fitness, and once the body grew stronger, other abilities would improve simultaneously.
Moreover, having a cheat ability to tangibly feel progress motivated Renga even more.
As he cultivated, the originally weak immortal qi gradually grew. If it was initially the size of a broad bean, in just a few hours, it had become a clear spring.
At the same time, the vibrant energy that even ordinary people could see gradually faded, making Renga appear no different from a regular person on the surface.