Once the thought crossed his mind, Lin Tian no longer hesitated. He immediately fed all the remaining spiritual liquid from his cultivation to the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat before him.
After absorbing all the spiritual liquid, the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat's appearance didn't seem to change much. However, its size seemed to have shrunk by a whole circle. Previously, although the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat was called a "cat," its size was almost the same as Lin Tian's. But now, it resembled the size of a ten-year-old child.
Watching the changes in the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat, Lin Tian couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion. Spiritual liquid, after all, was an extremely pure form of spiritual energy. Under normal circumstances, after consuming the liquid, the spirit beast's cultivation should have increased. Yet, not only had the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat's cultivation not improved, but it seemed to have lost its intimidating presence. In fact, it now appeared somewhat less threatening and almost... adorable.
"You say you've consumed all that spiritual liquid, and yet you seem to be growing more useless by the day?" Lin Tian said with a look of disdain in his eyes as he stared at the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat.
Just as the words left his mouth, the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat shot him a look filled with pure contempt. After spending an entire month together, the bond between the two had grown, and despite the blood pact, their interactions now felt more like those between friends.
"What's with that expression? Do you believe I won't beat you?" Lin Tian swung his fist threateningly.
The Three-Tailed Spirit Cat let out a yowl and instantly vanished, darting away like a streak of lightning. Lin Tian's eyes flickered with a complicated expression as a single strand of fur floated down from the air.
"Lin Tian, my junior brother," came a voice from outside the door.
The door creaked open, and Lin Tian saw Zhao Xufeng standing there, panting heavily.
"Senior Brother, what's happened to you?" Lin Tian's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't fathom what would cause Zhao Xufeng to come rushing to him in such a frantic manner.
"Did you forget? After an outer sect disciple has been in the sect for a month, the sect holds an Outer Sect Tournament to assess the disciples' cultivation levels," Zhao Xufeng gasped for breath before continuing.
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian's memory was jogged. He had been so absorbed in his work in the artificing room that he had completely forgotten about it.
"Lin Tian, my junior brother, there's something I need to tell you before we go," Zhao Xufeng added just as Lin Tian was about to leave.
"What is it?" Lin Tian asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Be extra careful of the Beast Peak disciples in the upcoming tournament," Zhao Xufeng cautioned.
"The Beast Peak disciples?" Lin Tian's eyes showed a hint of confusion.
"Yes. Your performance when you first entered was too eye-catching. Now, the entire Beast Peak sees you as their biggest enemy. In this tournament, they'd love nothing more than to tear you apart," Zhao Xufeng said, his tone filled with concern.
Zhao Xufeng understood the Beast Peak disciples' sentiments all too well. Lin Tian's performance had caused the entire Beast Peak to lose face, and now each disciple there was eager to defeat him to avenge that embarrassment. It could be said that this tournament would be the most united the Beast Peak had ever been, all because of Lin Tian.
"Why should I care about this?" Lin Tian almost spat in frustration. If it weren't for Elder Qingxuan's persistent pressure, he wouldn't have caused such a stir at the Beast Peak. In the end, it was Elder Qingxuan's stubbornness that led to this mess. As for him, he had no choice but to comply. Now, however, he had become the Beast Peak's greatest adversary. Lin Tian felt a pang of frustration as he realized this.
Despite his frustration, as an outer sect disciple of the Xuanwu Sect, he had no choice but to participate in the tournament. After calling for the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat, he followed Zhao Xufeng toward the training grounds.
When they arrived at the field, it was packed with disciples. The moment Lin Tian appeared, he felt hundreds of hostile gazes lock onto him, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
He raised his head and followed the line of sight to find the disciples from Beast Peak glaring at him with ferocity.
"Lin Tian, you've arrived?" At that moment, Du Yuejiao excitedly walked up to him, grabbing both of his hands with an expression of enthusiasm.
"Yuejiao, what are you doing here?" Lin Tian asked, his gaze showing a hint of confusion. After all, when the time came to choose a peak, Du Yuejiao had joined the Formation Peak. Yet now, here she was, standing among the disciples of Qi Peak.
"It's nothing, I just missed you after not seeing you for a month," Du Yuejiao said, before suddenly throwing herself at Lin Tian and giving him a tight hug.
As a virgin, Lin Tian had never experienced anything like this. His arms awkwardly hung in mid-air, unsure whether to hug her back or not.
At that very moment, countless glances filled with venomous envy were cast toward him. Upon noticing the direction of the gazes, Lin Tian couldn't help but feel speechless. "I'm just being hugged by Du Yuejiao, is it really necessary to look at me like that?"
After a lingering embrace, Du Yuejiao reluctantly let go of him. Her eyes were filled with reluctance as she gazed at him. "I don't know when we'll meet again after this tournament."
"If you want to see me, just come to Qi Peak," Lin Tian said, his face flushed with embarrassment. He was completely unskilled at handling such matters between men and women.
"By the way, the match is about to begin. I have to go," Du Yuejiao said with a smile, and with a quick wave, she skipped off toward the Formation Peak.
"Didn't expect you to be so lucky, huh?" Zhao Xufeng teased, watching Du Yuejiao leave, his eyes twinkling with gossip.
"Senior Brother, please stop making fun of me," Lin Tian said, his face reddening.
"Although I, too, hope to see you find someone special soon, there's something I must remind you. Be cautious around the disciples of Formation Peak."
"Ah?" Lin Tian looked puzzled.
"Did you not notice the way the Formation Peak disciples looked at you just now?" Zhao Xufeng asked. "Du Yuejiao isn't just stunningly beautiful; she also has extraordinary talent. She's the object of pursuit for many of the outer sect disciples in Formation Peak, and even some of the inner sect disciples have shown her great attention. The way she acted earlier probably helped you attract a great deal of hatred."
Lin Tian couldn't help but feel speechless after hearing Zhao Xufeng's explanation. Just then, the elderly figure of a white-bearded man descended onto the central stage, signaling the start of the tournament.