<h4>Chapter 253 - The Beast''s Breakthrough </h4>


    The next day, Lin Mu was preparing more meat when the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat finally woke up.


    <i>~Nyaa~</i>


    Lin Mu looked at the sleepy expression of the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat and found it to be quite cute.


    "Looks like you finally woke up, little guy," Lin Mu said as he stroked its head.


    <i>~Purr~</i>


    The beast purred in pleasure and enjoyed it. It was now that Lin Mu suddenly heard a thought in his mind.


    "Food?" The thought said.


    "Huh, oh... you’re hungry. Let’s go I’ve made some food." Lin Mu spoke before standing up from the bed.


    The Brown Shrubby Forest Cat jumped from the bed and followed behind Lin Mu. They had already formed a mental connection and could understand each other’s intent, thus it was not that difficult to express such actions.


    Upon reaching the kitchen, the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat saw the meat that was roasting over the stove and the aroma that was upying the air.


    <i>~Growl~</i>


    The beast lightly growled as it looked at the meat in desire. Lin Mu knew what it meant and cut off a portion of the meat before cing it before the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat, who was moving his tail sideways in anticipation.


    As soon as the meat was in front of him, he pounced on it. But just as he was about to take a bite, he suddenly froze and stared at Lin Mu for a few seconds.


    "No pain" Lin Mu heard in his mind.


    In the next second, the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat started eating the meat with gusto. Lin Mu too cut off a portion for himself and started to eat. If someone else were to see them eating right now, they would wonder which one was the beast.


    The speed at which Lin Mu was eating was rather unnatural, and even the quantity seemed inappropriate for his body size. On the other hand, while the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat was also eating fast, it did not seem unusual and the portion size was also appropriate.


    Lin Mu was fined eating much before the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat and assimted the vital energy while the beast finished its meal. He actually felt a bit surprised inwardly at his own speed. He had noparisons till now and seeing the beast eat at a slower speed than him made him feel a bit strange.


    But he didn’t take it to heart and soon got over it. By the time he was done assimting all the vital energy, the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat was also finished with his meal and was now licking its mouth, clearing traces of the meat.


    "Oh, you’re done." Lin Mu said as he then stood up.


    Seeing him stand up, the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat also responded and followed him back to his bedroom. Seeing the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat understand his thoughts with such ease made Lin Mu feel good. He now wondered if he would be able to make the beast show him the way to the Dual Circle Ascension fruit.


    "Although it understands your passive thoughts right now, it would still be a bit difficult to tell it what exactly you want," Xukong said.


    "I’ll try and see if we get any sess. Hopefully, it doesn’t take much longer for him to understand." Lin Mu replied.


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    But just as he was about tomunicate with the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat, he saw that it had already curled up against the pillow and was sleeping.


    "What..." Lin Mu muttered in confusion.


    He could sense the faint waves of spirit qiing off from the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat and wondered what was happening.


    "It is cultivating. This is the way most beasts cultivate, they absorb a majority of the spirit qi from their food and also absorb some from the air. Do you remember what kind of beast meat you gave it to eat?" Xukong spoke up.


    "I think it was a spirit beast at the... mid stage of the qi refining realm." Lin Mu answered as he then realized.


    He extended his spirit sense and observed the body of the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat. He found the waves of spirit qi originating from the spirit core, which was located just above the heart of the Brown Shrubby Forest Cat.


    Lin Mu closely observed the spirit core and found it to be te gray in color. Its size was also quite small being the size of pinky’s fingernail. Right now the spirit core was thrumming with energy and wisps of spirit qi continued entering it.


    The more spirit qi wisps that entered it, the deeper its color became. Fifteen minutes passed after which arge wave of spirit qi appeared and spread from the spirit core. It had now be dark grey in color from its previous te grey color.


    "It... Broke through?" Lin Mu muttered in surprise.


    "Of course it did. You fed an early stage qi refining beast that was already close to the next stage, the meat of a beast that was at an even higher stage. It was bound to happen." Xukong replied.


    "Actually, this is good for you. The more the beast progresses in cultivation, the more its intelligence will increase. The Dual Circle Ascension fruit merely catalyzes the process and speeds it up. A beast will increase its intelligence and wisdom as it grows.


    You’ve already seen the intelligence of a core condensation beast that was the Alpha steel back wolf, so you should have an idea of their capabilities. I reckon the Brown Shrubby Forest cat will soon reach that level." Xukong exined.


    Lin Mu felt a bit surprised by this, but then it was soon reced by tion.


    Lin Mu focused on his connection with the Brown Shrubby Forest cat in his mind and sensed that it had indeed be better than before. If it was a string that had the thickness of a hair before, now it had the thickness of a cotton thread.


    Lin Mu could also sense the emotions of the Brown Shrubby Forest cat and discovered that there was only one thing there.


    "Happy"