bèi lán sè guāng máng lǒng zhào shùn jiān ， fǎng fú hū rán yì shí dào le shén me ， sūn shěng shēn miàn sè shà shí jiān biàn dé jí wéi cāng bái qǐ lái 。 sì hū yǒu shén me jí wéi kě bù de shì qíng ， jí jiāng zài tā shēn shàng fā shēng yì bān 。
被蓝色光芒笼罩瞬间，仿佛忽然意识到了什么，孙省身面色霎时间变得极为苍白起来。似乎有什么极为可怖的事情，即将在他身上发生一般。
In front of Li Fan, the cat puppet indeed had a faint connection to reality. However, this connection only existed when its functions were activated.
guāng zhù zài tā shēn shàng tíng liú le sān xī de shí jiān ， ér hòu zhuǎn yí dào le páng biān qū yù 。
光柱在他身上停留了三息的时间，而后转移到了旁边区域。
During other times, even if the cat puppet's image was continuously displayed, it was merely an illusionary projection.
lán guāng wǎn rú cháo xī yǒng dòng ， bù jiǔ hòu ， yī dào rén yǐng yú qí zhōng dàn shēng 。
蓝光宛如潮汐涌动，不久后，一道人影于其中诞生。
The power of the cat puppet and its connection to its true form flashed by instantly each time, but Li Fan always managed to capture these moments accurately.
qí tǐ gé 、 wài mào nǎi zhì liǎn shàng shén qíng ， dōu gēn sūn shěng shēn yī mú yī yàng ！
其体格、外貌乃至脸上神情，都跟孙省身一模一样！
He did not rush into following this thread directly. Instead, he patiently witnessed thousands of such occurrences, ensuring that there would be no sudden changes or traps before he followed the cat puppet's power to its true form.
lán guāng jiāng yī xīn yī jiù sūn shěng shēn suǒ dìng ， gēn zhī qián liǎng cì de jiǎn yàn liú chéng yī yàng 。 yòu yí gè fú hào zài xū kōng zhōng níng shí 。
蓝光将一新一旧孙省身锁定，跟之前两次的检验流程一样。又一个符号在虚空中凝实。
A dark space stretched out before him. He could vaguely make out a transparent boundary, almost like glass, at the far end.
dài biǎo zhe 0.00041。
代表着0.00041。
A ginger cat lay motionless in mid-air, seemingly asleep. Ninety-nine blue chains locked it tightly.
fú hào páng biān ， hái yǒu yí gè xiàng shàng de jiàn tóu 。
符号旁边，还有一个向上的箭头。
Numerous symbols flowed from the cat and into the other end of the chains that extended into the void.
jiàn tóu chū xiàn de shùn jiān ， liǎng gè sūn shěng shēn liǎn shàng què shì chū xiàn le bù tóng de biǎo qíng 。
箭头出现的瞬间，两个孙省身脸上却是出现了不同的表情。
Beside this sleeping black cat sat another cat, which looked identical to the cat puppets found on the Celestial Merchant Ship.
yuán lái de nà ge sūn shěng shēn ， miàn sè cāng bái rú zhǐ 、 mù lù jué wàng zhī sè 。
原来的那个孙省身，面色苍白如纸、目露绝望之色。
It stared intently at its "fellow," occasionally approaching to sniff but always keeping a safe distance. Li Fan had once meticulously carved countless wooden cat puppets to overcome his fear of them and then burned them all.
ér xīn dàn shēng de sūn shěng shēn ， zé shì àn zì shū le yì kǒu qì ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī jiǎo xìng 。
而新诞生的孙省身，则是暗自舒了一口气，眼中闪过一丝侥幸。
Although this imprisoned ginger cat resembled the real cat puppet almost identically, Li Fan could sense the subtle differences with his intuition.
shí jiān wǎn ruò xiàn rù jìng zhǐ zhī zhōng 。
时间宛若陷入静止之中。
"Looks like it, yet not."
yuán lái de sūn shěng shēn zài lán sè yìng zhào xià ， qǐng kè jiān huà zuò liǎo wú shù bù kě jiàn wēi lì ， jiù cǐ xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
原来的孙省身在蓝色映照下，顷刻间化作了无数不可见微粒，就此消失不见。
This gave him some relief.
ér xīn dàn shēng de sūn shěng shēn ， zé jiē tì le tā de gōng zuò 。
而新诞生的孙省身，则接替了他的工作。
Neither the ginger cat nor the cat puppets on the ship seemed to notice his presence. They continued their usual behavior.
lǐ fán zé shì mǐn ruì de guān chá dào ， zhè xiē wēi lì yǒu yī xiǎo bù fèn fù zhuó dào le zhè wèi xīn dàn shēng de sūn shěng shēn zhī shàng 。
李凡则是敏锐的观察到，这些微粒有一小部分附着到了这位新诞生的孙省身之上。
Periodically, the cat puppets would try to mimic the sleeping posture of the ginger cat, even changing its appearance and demeanor. However, this learning process could only last for a few moments before reverting back to normal.
tā sì hū bìng méi yǒu shàng yī cì shí yàn lún huí de jì yì ， dāi lì le piàn kè hòu ， nǎo dài shàng lán sè guāng máng kāi shǐ shǎn yào 。 xiǎn yìng zhe xiāng tóng de huà ：“ hái yǒu shí rì ， chén yǐ hào líng bù jiàn ， jiù bì xū yào shàng jiāo le 。 dàn jù lí shàng miàn de yāo qiú ， hái chà de yǒu xiē yuǎn a 。”
他似乎并没有上一次实验轮回的记忆，呆立了片刻后，脑袋上蓝色光芒开始闪耀。显映着相同的话：“还有十日，辰乙号零部件，就必须要上交了。但距离上面的要求，还差的有些远啊。”
But it never gave up, persistently trying again and again.
jiē xià lái yòu shì wǎn rú lún huí de chóng fù 。
接下来又是宛如轮回的重复。
Each time, Li Fan noticed that the changes were more like the ginger cat than before.
sī suǒ ， shè jì xīn de zǔ jiàn ， ér hòu cè yàn 。
思索，设计新的组件，而后测验。
"This should be the result of countless efforts by the likes of Song Sheng."
“ sān jí xiān yán ， sūn shěng shēn ， shēn qǐng chén yǐ 、18762 líng bù jiàn cè shì 。”
“三级仙研，孙省身，申请辰乙、18762零部件测试。”
"But this cat..."
zhǐ bù guò zài zhè cì shí yàn zhōng ， bèi māo bǎo chuàng zào chū lái de fù zhì tǐ ， jīng guò cè yàn hòu xiǎn xiàn de fú hào ， dài biǎo zhe 0.00036， fú hào páng zé shì yí gè xiàng xià de jiàn tóu 。
只不过在这次实验中，被猫宝创造出来的复制体，经过测验后显现的符号，代表着0.00036，符号旁则是一个向下的箭头。
Li Fan felt an odd sensation. The eyes of the cat puppet seemed more lively than those of a real cat.
yīn ér zhè wèi sūn shěng shēn dé yǐ bǎo quán 。
因而这位孙省身得以保全。
It was almost...
“ huà líng fù zhì xiào néng ， jū rán jiàng dī le zhè me duō 。 wèn tí dào dǐ chū xiàn zài nǎ lǐ ？”
“化灵复制效能，居然降低了这么多。问题到底出现在哪里？”
A human!
sūn shěng shēn kàn zhe zì jǐ de fù zhì tǐ ， nǎo dài shàng fù zhuó de lán guāng měng dì bào fā 。 guāng máng rú rèn ， fù zhì tǐ fēn jiě 、 ér hòu yī cùn cùn guān chá 。
孙省身看着自己的复制体，脑袋上附着的蓝光猛地爆发。光芒如刃，复制体分解、而后一寸寸观察。
Soon, the cat puppet's transformation confirmed Li Fan's suspicions.
dāng lán guāng píng xī zhī hòu ， sūn shěng shēn fāng cái kāi shǐ xià yī lún líng bù jiàn de shè jì 。
当蓝光平息之后，孙省身方才开始下一轮零部件的设计。
After another attempt at mimicry, it appeared to be tired.
lǐ fán zài cǐ chù kōng jiān zú zú dài le bàn nián shí jiān ， jiàn zhèng le sān shí duō cì de lún huí 。
李凡在此处空间足足待了半年时间，见证了三十多次的轮回。
The cat puppet yawned and transformed back into its human form.
sūn shěng shēn de rén shēng zhōng ， sì hū zhǐ yǒu shè jì 、 shí yàn 。 chú le gù dìng shí jiān de wài chū 、 fàng fēng ， gēn qí tā shèng shāng zhī mín jiāo liú yǐ wài 。 qí yú suǒ yǒu shí jiān ， dōu zài cǐ chù de chóng fù zhōng 。
孙省身的人生中，似乎只有设计、实验。除了固定时间的外出、放风，跟其他圣商之民交流以外。其余所有时间，都在此处的重复中。
A young man in his mid-teens with a refined appearance said self-deprecatingly: "I've gotten used to living as a cat. I'm not quite comfortable in this human body."
ér tā duì zì jǐ de lún huí mìng yùn yě shǐ zhōng yī wú suǒ zhī 。 wéi yǒu zài bèi lán sè guāng zhù lǒng zhào ， jí jiāng xiāo huǐ de qián yí gè shùn jiān ， měi měi cái xǐng wù guò lái 。
而他对自己的轮回命运也始终一无所知。唯有在被蓝色光柱笼罩，即将销毁的前一个瞬间，每每才醒悟过来。
As the youth returned to his human form, blue figures appeared one after another.
dàn zhè què bìng bù yǐng xiǎng ， néng lì gèng qiáng de fù zhì tǐ qǔ ér dài zhī ， jìn xíng xià yī lún xīn de shè jì shí yàn 。
但这却并不影响，能力更强的复制体取而代之，进行下一轮新的设计实验。
"Master!" The blue figures bowed respectfully.
“ shí yàn de sān xiàng ， zhèng duì yìng māo bǎo de zhǎn xiàn chū lái de sān xiàng néng lì ：“ wù pǐn fù zhì 、 shēng líng nǐ huà ， yì jīng fá suǐ 。”
“实验的三项，正对应猫宝的展现出来的三项能力：“物品复制、生灵拟化，易经伐髓。”
The young man merely nodded slightly, his expression calm.
“ sūn shěng shēn fù zé de ， jǐn jǐn shì māo bǎo wú shù gè líng bù jiàn qí zhōng zhī yī 。 zhěng gè shāng xiān zhōu ， shì sūn shěng shēn zhè yàng de rén ， bù zhī dào hái yǒu duō shǎo 。”
“孙省身负责的，仅仅是猫宝无数个零部件其中之一。整个商仙舟，似孙省身这样的人，不知道还有多少。”
"Do they have any news?" he asked.
“ tōng guò duì měi yí gè líng bù jiàn de wēi xiǎo tí shēng ， shǐ de zào wù māo bǎo de xiào néng zài zhěng tǐ shàng bù duàn xiàng qián tuī jìn 。 zuì zhōng de mù dì ……”
“通过对每一个零部件的微小提升，使得造物猫宝的效能在整体上不断向前推进。最终的目的……”
"The last contact was over half a year ago. They promised to send another one but haven't shown up yet," replied one of the blue figures.
“ jiē jìn shèn zhì dá dào ， zhēn zhèng de māo bǎo ！”
“接近甚至达到，真正的猫宝！”
The youth frowned and his ear transformed into a cat's ear before swaying back and forth. He chuckled: "You don't need to guess, it did come. But something happened when it arrived here, and it managed to escape."
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， lǐ fán dǎo shì duì shèng shāng zhī zhǔ gèng gǎn xìng qù le 。
想到这里，李凡倒是对圣商之主更感兴趣了。
The surrounding blue figures' lights flickered as if in shock.
zhǐ kě xī suī shuō shāng xiān zhōu zhōng ， sì hū rén rén dōu kě yǐ tōng guò yì niàn jiāo liú ， bǐ cǐ píng děng 。 dàn hěn xiǎn rán ， zhè zhǐ shì biǎo xiàng 。
只可惜虽说商仙舟中，似乎人人都可以通过意念交流，彼此平等。但很显然，这只是表象。
But the young man waved them off with a smile: "Don't worry. With [Peach Apricot] here, the new one won't get away. It should be hiding on the ship."
lǐ fán qián rù shāng xiān zhōu zhōng zú zú bàn nián shí jiān ， chú le měi rì jiān shì sūn shěng shēn zhī wài ， hái céng tàn chá guò qí tā qū yù 。 suǒ yù jiàn de suǒ yǒu xiān zhōu zhī pǐn ， dōu shì gēn sūn shěng shēn yī yàng de lún huí cāo láo zhě 。
李凡潜入商仙舟中足足半年时间，除了每日监视孙省身之外，还曾探查过其他区域。所遇见的所有仙舟之品，都是跟孙省身一样的轮回操劳者。
The blue figures were shocked and said in unison: "We failed our duties, please punish us, Master."
ér zhēn zhèng fù zé shèng shāng zhì xù yùn zhuàn de ， yì huò zhě ， sù zào chū zhè yī tào gōng zuò liú zhuǎn mó shì de nà xiē rén ， lǐ fán què shì yí gè dōu méi jiàn dào guò 。
而真正负责圣商秩序运转的，亦或者，塑造出这一套工作流转模式的那些人，李凡却是一个都没见到过。
"Even if the cat god is revealed to you openly, you might not notice it. If it wants to hide, how can you know? What's your fault?" he replied calmly.
sì hū suī shuō tóng chù shāng xiān zhōu ， dàn liǎng pī rén què shēng huó zài bù tóng de shì jiè zhōng yī yàng 。
似乎虽说同处商仙舟，但两批人却生活在不同的世界中一样。
"If not for the cat god's immense power, why would I go through so much trouble and even risk learning from it?"
“ zhè qún rén ， hái cáng de tǐng shēn 。”
“这群人，还藏的挺深。”
The surrounding blue figures looked ashamed and lowered their heads.
yī fān xún zhǎo wú guǒ de lǐ fán ， zuì zhōng kàn xiàng le shāng xiān zhōu zhōng wú chǔ bù zài de nà xiē māo bǎo zào wù 。
一番寻找无果的李凡，最终看向了商仙舟中无处不在的那些猫宝造物。
The young man was unconcerned: "Let's go. Let me meet this new arrival."
“ kàn shì ， měi gè lún huí cāo láo zhě de kōng jiān zhōng ， dōu cún zài yī zhī ， yòng lái suí shí cān yù shí yàn 。 qí shí ， suǒ yǒu zhè xiē māo bǎo zào wù ， dōu shì tóng yī zhǐ 。”
“看似，每个轮回操劳者的空间中，都存在一只，用来随时参与实验。其实，所有这些猫宝造物，都是同一只。”
He waved his hand, and a rift appeared in front of them.
huí dào sūn shěng shēn suǒ zài ， děng dào yòu yī lún shí yàn kāi qǐ ， māo bǎo xū yǐng wán zhěng chéng xiàn de shùn jiān 。 lǐ fán yì niàn ， qiǎo rán shì tú qīn rù qí zhōng 。
回到孙省身所在，等到又一轮实验开启，猫宝虚影完整呈现的瞬间。李凡意念，悄然试图侵入其中。
The youth stepped out, followed by the others.
“ jì rán néng qiè shí xiǎn lù chū sān dà gōng néng ， jiù shuō míng māo bǎo jiù suàn běn zūn bù zài cǐ chǔ shì jiè ， yě yí dìng yǒu lì liàng guān lián 。”
“既然能切实显露出三大功能，就说明猫宝就算本尊不在此处世界，也一定有力量关联。”
Li Fan quietly attached himself to one of the blue figures and left.
lǐ fán zhè yī bù de qīn rù ， jí wéi xiǎo xīn 。
李凡这一步的侵入，极为小心。
Before leaving, he seemed to notice that the imprisoned cat named Peach Apricot trembled slightly.
zòng shǐ xiān zhōu de māo bǎo zào wù ， hái yuǎn bù rú zhēn zhèng de māo bǎo 。 dàn yě zǒng guī yǐ jīng jù bèi le māo bǎo de quán bù tè xìng 。 zhēn zhèng de māo bǎo ， néng gòu shùn jiān zhèn yā jī xiān 。 ér xiān zhōu fǎng zào de zhè zào wù ， yě néng yǔ xún cháng zhēn xiān xiāng kàng héng le 。 bù kě xiǎo qù 。
纵使仙舟的猫宝造物，还远不如真正的猫宝。但也总归已经具备了猫宝的全部特性。真正的猫宝，能够瞬间镇压饥仙。而仙舟仿造的这造物，也能与寻常真仙相抗衡了。不可小觑。
"Not an illusion."
bì jìng cǐ fān yě fēi lǐ fán běn zūn qián lái ， zhǐ shì dà tiān zūn xiān guī de yī dào yì niàn 。
毕竟此番也非李凡本尊前来，只是大天尊仙傀的一道意念。
"Interesting." Li Fan thought to himself.
ruò shì bào lù ， jiāng shāng xiān zhōu jīng zǒu 。 fǎn dào bù miào 。
若是暴露，将商仙舟惊走。反倒不妙。
The young man led everyone to a completely different area from where Song Sheng was located. Thousands of buildings floated in space like stars.
lǐ fán suǒ liào bù chà 。
李凡所料不差。
From afar, these buildings resembled those on the Celestial Merchant Ship.
yǎn qián zhè māo bǎo zào wù ， dí què gēn xiàn shí cún zài yī sī ruò yǒu ruò wú de guān lián 。 bù guò yě jǐn xiàn yú ， māo bǎo gōng néng fā dòng de nà ge shùn jiān 。
眼前这猫宝造物，的确跟现实存在一丝若有若无的关联。不过也仅限于，猫宝功能发动的那个瞬间。
Some of the inhabitants had blue bodies, while most were normal humans.
qí tā shí jiān ， zòng shǐ māo bǎo yǐng xiàng yì zhí xiǎn xiàn 。 què yě zhǐ shì dān chún de xū huàn tóu yǐng bà le 。
其他时间，纵使猫宝影像一直显现。却也只是单纯的虚幻投影罢了。
As soon as the youth appeared in the sky, they all noticed him.
māo bǎo zào wù xiǎn lù lì liàng gēn qí běn zūn de lián xì zhuǎn shùn jí shì ， rán ér měi yī cì dōu bèi lǐ fán zhǔn què de bǔ zhuō 。
猫宝造物显露力量跟其本尊的联系转瞬即逝，然而每一次都被李凡准确的捕捉。
"Welcome, Holy Lord!"
bìng méi yǒu zhí jiē shùn zhe zhè lǚ guān lián ， jí cōng cōng jìn rù 。 ér shì nài xīn de jiàn zhèng le shù qiān cì de jiàng lín 、 xiāo shī guò chéng ， què bǎo qí bú huì tū rán biàn dòng 、 yì huò zhě cún zài xiàn jǐng kě néng zhī hòu 。 lǐ fán zhè cái gēn suí zhe māo bǎo zào wù jiàng lín yòu xiāo shī de lì liàng ， qián fú dào le qí zhēn shēn suǒ zài 。
并没有直接顺着这缕关联，急匆匆进入。而是耐心的见证了数千次的降临、消失过程，确保其不会突然变动、亦或者存在陷阱可能之后。李凡这才跟随着猫宝造物降临又消失的力量，潜伏到了其真身所在。
They greeted him in unison.
yī piàn hēi àn kōng jiān 。
一片黑暗空间。
"Why hide when you have the courage to come here?" The youth merely sneered at a green tree floating in the sky.
jí mù yuǎn tiào ， yǐn yuē kě yǐ kàn jiàn ， zhè piàn kōng jiān cún zài de wǎn ruò bō lí de tòu míng biān jiè 。
极目远眺，隐约可以看见，这片空间存在的宛若玻璃的透明边界。
Li Fan saw that unlike the willow, this tree contained not vitality but death energy. However, condensed to an extreme degree, it appeared vibrant and alive.
yī zhī jú māo ， jìng jìng de tǎng zài xū kōng zhōng ， xiàn rù le chén shuì 。
一只橘猫，静静的躺在虚空中，陷入了沉睡。
As the youth spoke, leaves rustled.
jiǔ shí jiǔ dào lán sè suǒ liàn ， jiāng māo wán quán suǒ fù zhù 。
九十九道蓝色锁链，将猫完全锁缚住。
After a moment, a black-and-white cat leaped out from the top of the tree.
yī xī kě jiàn kàn jiàn ， wú shù liú dòng de fú hào ， cóng jú māo shēn shàng ， liú xiàng suǒ liàn shēn jìn xū kōng de lìng yī duān 。
依稀可见看见，无数流动的符号，从橘猫身上，流向锁链伸进虚空的另一端。
The black-and-white cat sniffed its nose, sensing something, and growled at the youth before lowering itself to pounce.
ér zài zhè zhǐ chén shuì hēi māo páng biān ， hái jìng jìng zuò zhe lìng wài yī zhī māo 。
而在这只沉睡黑猫旁边，还静静坐着另外一只猫。
In that instant, the youth transformed into the trapped ginger cat.
zhè zhǐ māo de mú yàng ， gēn shāng xiān zhōu de māo bǎo zào wù ， zé shì rú chū yī zhé 。
这只猫的模样，跟商仙舟的猫宝造物，则是如出一辙。
The black-and-white cat momentarily lost focus.
tā jǐn jǐn dīng zhe shēn páng de “ tóng lèi ”， bù shí còu jìn ， xì xiù guān chá 。 bù guò sì hū yě shì pà jīng xǐng jú māo ， bìng bù gǎn tiē zhí jiē tiē jìn ， yī jiù gé zhe yī duàn jù lí 。
它紧紧盯着身旁的“同类”，不时凑近，细嗅观察。不过似乎也是怕惊醒橘猫，并不敢贴直接贴近，依旧隔着一段距离。
"Attack!"
lǐ fán céng jīng wèi le qū chú nèi xīn duì māo bǎo de kǒng jù ， jīng xīn diāo zhuó liǎo wú shù māo bǎo mù diāo ， ér hòu jiāng tā men tǒng tǒng fù zhī yí jù 。
李凡曾经为了驱除内心对猫宝的恐惧，精心雕琢了无数猫宝木雕，而后将它们统统付之一炬。
The transformation lasted only a moment as the youth returned to his human form. The blue figures around him attacked without needing any reminder, launching their attacks in perfect coordination even before he could speak.
zhè zhǐ bèi qiú jìn de jú māo ， suī rán wài xíng gēn māo bǎo jí qí xiāng sì 、 shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō jī hū yī mú yī yàng 。 rán ér lǐ fán què néng píng jiè zhí jué ， yī yǎn kàn chū liǎng zhě zhī jiān de nà xì wēi chā jù 。
这只被囚禁的橘猫，虽然外形跟猫宝极其相似、甚至可以说几乎一模一样。然而李凡却能凭借直觉，一眼看出两者之间的那细微差距。
A piece of clothing moved like an actual cultivator, shooting out black threads. Most were absorbed by the black-and-white cat, but some survived and landed on it, weaving into a garment.
“ zhǎng de jí xiàng ， què yòu bú shì 。”
“长的极像，却又不是。”
A broken suona played high-pitched notes, masking all sounds. Not just the sounds, but the light from the black-and-white cat's eyes dimmed under its sound.
lǐ fán xīn xià shāo ān 。
李凡心下稍安。
A cracked wooden stick seemed ready to break at any moment, yet when swung, countless transparent figures emerged with expressions of compassion. Though blind, they precisely locked onto their enemies and launched a suicidal attack together.
wú lùn shì jú māo ， hái shì xiān zhōu zhī māo ， sì hū dōu duì lǐ fán de qián rù méi yǒu rèn hé chá jué 。
无论是橘猫，还是仙舟之猫，似乎都对李凡的潜入没有任何察觉。
A plain stone appeared in mid-air as if it had always been there, landing perfectly on the black-and-white cat's head despite being aimed elsewhere.
jì xù zhe tā men yuán xiān de xíng wéi 。
继续着它们原先的行为。
...
měi guò yī duàn shí jiān ， xiān zhōu zhī māo dū huì cháng shì xué xí bǎi chū jú māo shuì jiào de zī shì 。 bù jǐn jǐn shì xíng tài de mú yàng ， jiù lián tā de wài biǎo 、 nǎi zhì shén qíng ， dōu kāi shǐ cháo zhe duì fāng biàn huà 。
每过一段时间，仙舟之猫都会尝试学习摆出橘猫睡觉的姿势。不仅仅是形态的模样，就连它的外表、乃至神情，都开始朝着对方变化。
The people on the Celestial Merchant Ship used all sorts of bizarre objects to attack.
dàn bù zhī wèi hé ， zhè zhǒng xué xí biàn huà bìng bù néng chí xù tài jiǔ 。 jī hū měi měi dōu zhǐ chí xù le shí jǐ xī shí jiān ， xiān zhōu zhī māo jiù dōu huī fù yuán yàng 。
但不知为何，这种学习变化并不能持续太久。几乎每每都只持续了十几息时间，仙舟之猫就都恢复原样。
Despite their lack of divine techniques, they relied entirely on these strange items.
dàn tā què méi yǒu yào fàng qì de yì si ， qiè ér bù shě de xué xí zhe 。
但它却没有要放弃的意思，锲而不舍的学习着。
But under this barrage, the black-and-white cat showed no resistance. All attacks inexplicably deflected, leaving it only to be passively hit. Even its whimpers were suppressed by the suona.
lǐ fán chá jué dào ， xiān zhōu zhī māo měi yī cì de biàn huà ， dōu bǐ qǐ zhī qián gèng xiàng 。
李凡察觉到，仙舟之猫每一次的变化，都比起之前更像。
This bizarre scene left Li Fan in shock.
“ zhè yīng gāi jiù shì wú shù sūn shěng shēn men nǔ lì de jié guǒ le 。”
“这应该就是无数孙省身们努力的结果了。”
"These things..."
“ bù guò ， zhè māo ……”
“不过，这猫……”
"They are imbued with great dao principles, almost never seen before. They come from other possibilities."
lǐ fán xīn zhōng zǒng yǒu zhǒng qí guài de gǎn jué 。
李凡心中总有种奇怪的感觉。
"And they're not weak!"
yǎn qián suǒ jiàn zhè xiān zhōu zhī māo ， suī rán shì fǎng zào zhēn zhèng māo bǎo de zào wù 。 dàn bù zhī wèi hé ， tā de yǎn jīng ， què sì hū bǐ zhēn zhèng de māo bǎo ， hái yào líng dòng 、
眼前所见这仙舟之猫，虽然是仿造真正猫宝的造物。但不知为何，它的眼睛，却似乎比真正的猫宝，还要灵动、
Seeing this, Li Fan instinctively became more cautious.
jiù xiàng shì ……
就像是……
He recalled the conversation between the Holy Lord and the commoners of the Holy Merchant.
yí gè rén lèi ！
一个人类！
"The Celestial Merchant Ship should have received aid from another possibility?"
ér bù jiǔ hòu xiān zhōu zhī māo suǒ fā shēng de biàn huà ， zé shì chè dǐ yìn zhèng le lǐ fán de zhè ge cāi cè 。
而不久后仙舟之猫所发生的变化，则是彻底印证了李凡的这个猜测。
"The cat god is likely one of the cat gods. The fact that it can capture a cat god to send here shows significant strength. But why help the Celestial Merchant Ship?"
dāng yòu yī cì biàn huà xué xí zhī hòu ， sì hū zhōng yú gǎn dào le xiē xǔ pí bèi 。
当又一次变化学习之后，似乎终于感到了些许疲惫。
I'm making a bold request for a nomination on起点's best works list. Thank you in advance.
In front of Li Fan, the cat puppet indeed had a faint connection to reality. However, this connection only existed when its functions were activated.
During other times, even if the cat puppet's image was continuously displayed, it was merely an illusionary projection.
The power of the cat puppet and its connection to its true form flashed by instantly each time, but Li Fan always managed to capture these moments accurately.
He did not rush into following this thread directly. Instead, he patiently witnessed thousands of such occurrences, ensuring that there would be no sudden changes or traps before he followed the cat puppet's power to its true form.
A dark space stretched out before him. He could vaguely make out a transparent boundary, almost like glass, at the far end.
A ginger cat lay motionless in mid-air, seemingly asleep. Ninety-nine blue chains locked it tightly.
Numerous symbols flowed from the cat and into the other end of the chains that extended into the void.
Beside this sleeping black cat sat another cat, which looked identical to the cat puppets found on the Celestial Merchant Ship.
It stared intently at its "fellow," occasionally approaching to sniff but always keeping a safe distance. Li Fan had once meticulously carved countless wooden cat puppets to overcome his fear of them and then burned them all.
Although this imprisoned ginger cat resembled the real cat puppet almost identically, Li Fan could sense the subtle differences with his intuition.
"Looks like it, yet not."
This gave him some relief.
Neither the ginger cat nor the cat puppets on the ship seemed to notice his presence. They continued their usual behavior.
Periodically, the cat puppets would try to mimic the sleeping posture of the ginger cat, even changing its appearance and demeanor. However, this learning process could only last for a few moments before reverting back to normal.
But it never gave up, persistently trying again and again.
Each time, Li Fan noticed that the changes were more like the ginger cat than before.
"This should be the result of countless efforts by the likes of Song Sheng."
"But this cat..."
Li Fan felt an odd sensation. The eyes of the cat puppet seemed more lively than those of a real cat.
It was almost...
A human!
Soon, the cat puppet's transformation confirmed Li Fan's suspicions.
After another attempt at mimicry, it appeared to be tired.
The cat puppet yawned and transformed back into its human form.
A young man in his mid-teens with a refined appearance said self-deprecatingly: "I've gotten used to living as a cat. I'm not quite comfortable in this human body."
As the youth returned to his human form, blue figures appeared one after another.
"Master!" The blue figures bowed respectfully.
The young man merely nodded slightly, his expression calm.
"Do they have any news?" he asked.
"The last contact was over half a year ago. They promised to send another one but haven't shown up yet," replied one of the blue figures.
The youth frowned and his ear transformed into a cat's ear before swaying back and forth. He chuckled: "You don't need to guess, it did come. But something happened when it arrived here, and it managed to escape."
The surrounding blue figures' lights flickered as if in shock.
But the young man waved them off with a smile: "Don't worry. With [Peach Apricot] here, the new one won't get away. It should be hiding on the ship."
The blue figures were shocked and said in unison: "We failed our duties, please punish us, Master."
"Even if the cat god is revealed to you openly, you might not notice it. If it wants to hide, how can you know? What's your fault?" he replied calmly.
"If not for the cat god's immense power, why would I go through so much trouble and even risk learning from it?"
The surrounding blue figures looked ashamed and lowered their heads.
The young man was unconcerned: "Let's go. Let me meet this new arrival."
He waved his hand, and a rift appeared in front of them.
The youth stepped out, followed by the others.
Li Fan quietly attached himself to one of the blue figures and left.
Before leaving, he seemed to notice that the imprisoned cat named Peach Apricot trembled slightly.
"Not an illusion."
"Interesting." Li Fan thought to himself.
The young man led everyone to a completely different area from where Song Sheng was located. Thousands of buildings floated in space like stars.
From afar, these buildings resembled those on the Celestial Merchant Ship.
Some of the inhabitants had blue bodies, while most were normal humans.
As soon as the youth appeared in the sky, they all noticed him.
"Welcome, Holy Lord!"
They greeted him in unison.
"Why hide when you have the courage to come here?" The youth merely sneered at a green tree floating in the sky.
Li Fan saw that unlike the willow, this tree contained not vitality but death energy. However, condensed to an extreme degree, it appeared vibrant and alive.
As the youth spoke, leaves rustled.
After a moment, a black-and-white cat leaped out from the top of the tree.
The black-and-white cat sniffed its nose, sensing something, and growled at the youth before lowering itself to pounce.
In that instant, the youth transformed into the trapped ginger cat.
The black-and-white cat momentarily lost focus.
"Attack!"
The transformation lasted only a moment as the youth returned to his human form. The blue figures around him attacked without needing any reminder, launching their attacks in perfect coordination even before he could speak.
A piece of clothing moved like an actual cultivator, shooting out black threads. Most were absorbed by the black-and-white cat, but some survived and landed on it, weaving into a garment.
A broken suona played high-pitched notes, masking all sounds. Not just the sounds, but the light from the black-and-white cat's eyes dimmed under its sound.
A cracked wooden stick seemed ready to break at any moment, yet when swung, countless transparent figures emerged with expressions of compassion. Though blind, they precisely locked onto their enemies and launched a suicidal attack together.
A plain stone appeared in mid-air as if it had always been there, landing perfectly on the black-and-white cat's head despite being aimed elsewhere.
...
The people on the Celestial Merchant Ship used all sorts of bizarre objects to attack.
Despite their lack of divine techniques, they relied entirely on these strange items.
But under this barrage, the black-and-white cat showed no resistance. All attacks inexplicably deflected, leaving it only to be passively hit. Even its whimpers were suppressed by the suona.
This bizarre scene left Li Fan in shock.
"These things..."
"They are imbued with great dao principles, almost never seen before. They come from other possibilities."
"And they're not weak!"
Seeing this, Li Fan instinctively became more cautious.
He recalled the conversation between the Holy Lord and the commoners of the Holy Merchant.
"The Celestial Merchant Ship should have received aid from another possibility?"
"The cat god is likely one of the cat gods. The fact that it can capture a cat god to send here shows significant strength. But why help the Celestial Merchant Ship?"
I'm making a bold request for a nomination on起点's best works list. Thank you in advance.