Chapter 996: The Black Cat

The fish head smelled very nice.

The black cat happily dug in without any care.

As Gu Qing Shan watched the black cat, he suddenly asked: “Ying Hao, I remember that we once had this black cat lead us to find a space monster body part”

“Hm, yeah we did. At the time, you asked me if I wanted to be your business partner, then we arrived at a casino and wrecked it” Zhang Ying Hao replied.

Gu Qing Shan silently nodded.

At the time, I needed a space monster body part to activate my Thaumaturgy.

The black cat brought me and Zhang Ying Hao to an underground casino and found a space monster body part inside.

“…the only solution I can think of is a kind of Mystic-type searcher ability that has its own intelligence…”

This was what Laura informed me earlier.

Mystic-type.

A searcher ability.

Has its own intelligence.

The black cat fits the description perfectly!

Gu Qing Shan took a deep breath, then stroked the cat’s head.

Meow?

After being rubbed, the black cat felt very unprofessional and uncomfortable, so he looked up at him.

“Hey!” Gu Qing Shan smiled: “I lost a Card. Can you help me find it?”

The black cat looked at Gu Qing Shan, then at the fish head in front of himself.

This guy is a really good cook.

He reached his paw out to point at the fish head and complained:

Meow meow meow meow!

Zhang Ying Hao crouched down next to him and mediated: “He’s saying not to touch him while he’s eating, if there’s anything you need, talk again after he’s done”

Gu Qing Shan looked at the black cat.

The black cat was staring at him with a very serious expression.

Gu Qing Shan swiftly smiled again: “Ah, yes, yes, of course. I understand”

The cat’s whiskers moved slightly, then it returned to happily gnawing on the fish head.

—-this is a fish head with mana inside, not only is it delicious, but it’s also beneficial.

So, don’t even think about interrupting my meal, meow!

Zhang Ying Hao then pulled Gu Qing Shan to one side and said worriedly: “My black cat does have the ability to find many things, but with how big the 900 million World Layers is, I’m afraid he might not be able to locate your Card”

“Has that ever happened before?” Gu Qing Shan asked.

Zhang Ying Hao looked at the black cat and replied with a gentle voice: “He once tried to help me find an enemy, but after running through several worlds, he fainted from being too tired”

Gu Qing Shan thought briefly, then asked: “Is the black cat a Card now?”

“That’s right. After I finished my promotion into a Card user, my God’s Chosen Skill manifested as Cards” Zhang Ying Hao replied.

“Are there any ways to make a Card stronger?”

“There aren’t” Zhang Ying Hao sighed, “After promoting from a God’s Chosen to a Card user, I discovered that summoning-type abilities are among the hardest to improve”

“Have you tried asking those who truly know what they’re talking about?” Gu Qing Shan asked.

“I asked many Card users in the underground world, all of them told me that it’s always very slow to help a Card advance, and there was no way around it” Zhang Ying Hao replied.

Gu Qing Shan fell into thought.

——wait.

That’s not how it is at all.

As the Angel of Condemnation, Little Dusk should be the highest authority within the 900 million World Layers when it comes to Cards.

And she already mentioned this issue once before.

—–there were a total of three methods to promote a Card.

The first was natural advancement.

The second was to consume other Cards.

The third was to use leftover materials from ‘Old Gods’.

Natural advancement was the method that Zhang Ying Hao mentioned here, and also common knowledge among Card users of the 900 million World Layers who sang them as gospel.

There was a trick to consuming other Cards. Little Dusk said that they must be compatible Cards in order to be used.

Leftover materials from ‘Old Gods’…

At this point, Gu Qing Shan understood that the ‘Old Gods’ referred here weren’t the Divine race, but rather actual Gods within the void.

And the projection that unlocked my soul in Triste’s collection world was most likely not a Divinity.

That was surely a projection left by actual Gods.

Which means this is still a possible solution.

——-except for the fact that it’s extremely tough to find any leftover materials by the Gods in this era.

Even an [Order] can use such a thing in order to evolve.

So, the only practical way to promote a Card would be to consume other Cards.

Gu Qing Shan looked at the War God UI and muttered: “Show me my Card”

All the notifications previously on the War God UI vanished as an Azure colored Card fell into the center of the UI.

The Card depicted Gu Qing Shan standing in the air while wielding two swords.

[Azure Card: Gu Qing Shan]

[Identity: Envoy of Condemnation]

[Azure Condemnation Card owned: True Crimson Demon Spear]

[Ability: Card fusion]

[Personal world: unknown]

[Special note: Your personal Iris world has fully manifested, it is currently accumulating power in its dormancy]

Gu Qing Shan thought for a bit.

He used his thought to select the Azure Card: [True Crimson Demon Spear]

Information regarding the [True Crimson Demon Spear] appeared in his mind.

This was all the information that Gu Qing Shan already knew.

He then tried to use his mind to communicate with the Card and ask how he could promote [True Crimson Demon Spear] to the next level.

Right away, the Card fluttered a bit before returning the corresponding information.

A total of 18 Cards of various shapes and sizes appeared around the [True Crimson Demon Spear]:

[Windward Burial Blade]

[Soul Slaying Dagger]

[Frost Dragon of Dormancy Fang]

[Purgatory Flame Shear Soul]

[Antiquity Gust of Wind Crystal]

…

They were all Cards that the [True Crimson Demon Spear] can consume in order to be promoted.

Two lines of glowing text appeared on the Card UI in front of the [True Crimson Demon Spear]:

[Attention please, you must follow the exact sequence of Card consumption to allow the steady growth of this Card’s power, otherwise, there might be a danger of collapse]

[Special note: Only an Envoy of Condemnation has the power to allow one Card to consume another compatible Card to promote it]

Perfect!

Gu Qing Shan clenched his fist in excitement.

After considering countless methods, I still couldn’t come up with a way to find Water God.

But now, there’s finally a faint ray of hope.

“Ying Hao, I might have a way to help your black cat evolve” Gu Qing Shan said.

“Really?” Zhang Ying Hao happily asked.

If anyone else would have said this, he wouldn’t believe them, but Gu Qing Shan had never been a person who liked to boast.

“That’s right, let’s wait until the black cat finished eating. You can tell him that we’re going to try and help him evolve to the next level” Gu Qing Shan said.

He stood up and entered the ship’s cabin.

A few moments later, Laura came up to the deck of the ship with him.

“Ah, what a cute kitty!” Laura’s eyes practically glowed.

She crouched down and stroked the black cat.

The black cat turned his eyes a bit, but when he saw that Laura was a cute little girl, he let her keep petting him while he ate.

“What do you think?” Gu Qing Shan asked Laura.

“No problem, but Cards have always been rare commodities—– especially when they’re combat Cards, most of them don’t even go into circulation——- I have a small collection, but I’m not sure if they’re what the black cat needs” Laura told him.

After answering him, she couldn’t help herself asking: “Can you really help a Card evolve?”

“I’m sure that I probably can, but the ability needs to be tested first”

Gu Qing Shan was also a bit unsure.

Everyone patiently waited.

After he was finished with the fish head, Zhang Ying Hao picked the black cat up and patiently explained to him what they wanted to do.

While listening, the black cat occasionally glanced at Gu Qing Shan.

——-he was Zhang Ying Hao’s Card, so an appropriate level of communication was necessary before he was given to another person for use.

After Zhang Ying Hao finished explaining, the black cat looked curiously at Gu Qing Shan.

Meow, meow meow meow?

The black cat questioned.

“It still doesn’t believe you and is asking for your surety” Zhang Ying Hao acted as an interpreter.

Gu Qing Shan looked at the black cat and replied: “We need to try it together. Because first I have to determine which Cards you’re compatible with before we can begin the Card fusion”

The black cat shrunk and appeared a bit hesitant.

Gu Qing Shan smiled and continued: “Now that Zhang Ying Hao is with me, I’ll be responsible for your food from now on”

The black cat appeared a bit tempted, but still spoke while its ears twitched:

Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow~

“He said he’ll do it, but you can’t use random cat food to gloss things over with” Zhang Ying Hao explained.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a person like that” Gu Qing Shan patted his chest in assurance.

Seeing his attitude, the black cat nodded comfortably.

Poof—

He turned into a Card and fell into Zhang Ying Hao’s hand.

Zhang Ying Hao handed the Card to Gu Qing Shan, but felt still a bit hesitant, and asked: “It won’t be dangerous, right?”

“Of course not” Gu Qing Shan replied.

He received the Card, only to see that it depicted a black cat yawning while laying on a large bed.

—-this means that it’s full.

Will being full affect its consumption of other Cards?

At this point, even Gu Qing Shan was a bit anxious.

Lines of glowing text appeared on the War God UI:

[Card: Marauding Cat (black fur)]

[If you can give the cat food that fulfills its needs, it will take you to the item you seek]

[Note: This is a newborn baby cat, after traveling to the 900 million World Layers, its stamina is no longer enough to help it complete a long-distance search]

[Note: This little cat wishes to grow, please help it]

Gu Qing Shan put this [Marauding Cat] Card next to the [True Crimson Demon Spear] Card on the UI in front of him.

He used his mind to select this Card and muttered: “Evolve”

Right away, numerous Cards appeared around the [Marauding Cat] Card.

These were all Cards that he could consume.

And they must follow the exact order.

Gu Qing Shan looked through them, then turned to Laura.

Laura already had her backpack ready as she seriously asked: “What kind of combat Cards do you need; I’ll look for it right away”

“Ah, the first Card doesn’t seem to be combative…”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a Card called [Catnip]”

Gu Qing Shan replied.