Wu Tao's body moved in a single line, his legs first, then his waist, then his hands, all in one fluid motion. With an over-the-shoulder throw, he sent You Meng flying a great distance.
You Meng, true to her cat-woman nature, managed to flip herself over just before hitting the ground, landing on all fours simultaneously to avoid an embarrassing headfirst fall.
You Meng placed her hands on her hips, baring her teeth and snarling, "You bastard, give me back my Stone of Void Traces! I worked for three months to refine just this small piece from the bodies of those void fish..."
Hearing this, Wu Tao remained silent. He simply raised a middle finger at You Meng, a gesture of disdain.
Already furious, You Meng completely lost it upon seeing this.
Her dream power surged, and she instantly appeared beside Wu Tao. With a spin of her body and a powerful stomp of her left leg, she unleashed a blast of qi. The dream power erupted, causing the very ground to tremble slightly.
Wu Tao dared not underestimate the immense power hidden within this kick. Golden light rippled around his body as he activated the Buddha's Golden Body.
His sweeping leg collided fiercely with Wu Tao's golden fist, which had been launched with superior timing.
With a "clang!", sharp sparks erupted, followed by a considerable shockwave.
Fortunately, Wu Tao was in his Buddha's Golden Body form, enduring the minor shockwave head-on. His indestructible body made light work of it.
Meanwhile, You Meng, having transformed her body into a dream-like state, seemed to have detached herself from this dimensional space, or perhaps existed on a different plane altogether.
The shockwave couldn't reach her, let alone harm her.
Both of them, with an unspoken understanding, refrained from using spells, secret techniques, or any other abilities.
They engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat.
You Meng leaped up once more, soaring like a meteor and landing directly above Wu Tao's head.
"Thump!"
With a dull thud, You Meng was across Wu Tao's neck, making his face turn red with pressure.
Seizing this opportunity, You Meng unleashed a rapid barrage of over a dozen icy claw strikes.
In a second or two, You Meng's claws had left more than a dozen bloody marks on Wu Tao's face.
Then, crimson blood began to drip from Wu Tao's face, staining his clothes.
At this moment, Wu Tao finally reacted, his eyes burning with rage. Without hesitation, he spun, flicked his wrist, shifted his stance, and exerted force, throwing You Meng away like trash.
You Meng was flung far, far away by Wu Tao, disappearing from sight.
Knowing You Meng wouldn't die, Wu Tao simply didn't bother with her. He weighed the Stone of Void Traces in his hand with a satisfied grin and headed towards his cave dwelling.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, You Meng stood outside the cave dwelling, seeing the tightly shut door and the fully activated formation. Her nose was practically askew with anger.
You Meng stood rooted to the spot, cursing loudly, "You shameless scoundrel! Being a thief is one thing, but now you're so shamelessly blocking even my home!"
"Heh, you think opening the formation means I can't get in? The terrifying power of dream energy is far beyond what a little punk like you can imagine."
As she spoke, You Meng transformed back into a small, purple cat.
She walked at an unhurried pace towards the protective formation. The next moment, a magical scene unfolded.
Purple light shimmered and pulsed around You Meng. She easily passed through the fully operational formation, and then through the tightly shut door, returning to her cozy den and settling down.
After several hours of play, Wu Tao's boredom and listlessness vanished, and he resumed his long, seemingly endless cultivation.
Another year passed slowly.
Wu Tao, who had been in seclusion, was suddenly disturbed by a knock at the door. He opened it and looked down to see You Meng, the purple cat.
Seeing the adorable You Meng before him, Wu Tao's usual indifferent demeanor melted away. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He then grabbed You Meng by her four limbs, lifted her up, and held her in his arms.
He sank into a chair, stroking You Meng's plump belly and soft fur. The more than a year of dryness and boredom dissipated once more.
"Meow meow meow! How dare you! You shameless man, let me go! Haven't you heard of the saying that men and women should not touch each other? If you dare to touch me like this again, you'll have to be responsible for me..."
"Otherwise, I'll fight you to the death! If you push me too far, I'll bite you to death..."
You Meng put on a furious expression, baring her little fangs and threatening Wu Tao.
...
"A cat, talking about men and women not touching, how ridiculous. Watch this, my head-patting technique..."
Seeing You Meng's spirited, baring-fangs-and-grinding-teeth, adorable appearance, Wu Tao couldn't help but gently pat her cat head.
The continuous patting drove You Meng to the brink of madness.
Just as she tried to stand up, she was batted back down. Just as she tried to stand up, she was batted back down. The repeated patting made You Meng feel like she was turning into a puddle of water.
"Bullying a cat shouldn't go this far, meow meow meow, I'm going to go crazy! You madman, let me go quickly..."
"No, no, this is unbearable! Today, I'll fight you to the death!"
The moment Wu Tao loosened his grip, You Meng leaped up, grabbed Wu Tao's hair, and refused to let go.
Even when Wu Tao tickled her belly, it was no use.
Soon, Wu Tao's neatly combed hair was transformed into an explosive mess thanks to You Meng.
Wu Tao, who was finally feeling happy, had his patience greatly tested. Though his hair was a disheveled mess from You Meng's onslaught, he still didn't get angry.
This was because, in his heart, You Meng was no longer just a companion with whom he shared life and death, but more like family.
...
Half an hour later, looking at You Meng still clinging to his head, Wu Tao sighed softly and said, "Why are you still the same? I thought you'd grown up. Are you done playing? Come down when you're done."
...
"I won't come down! Unless you apologize, I'm going to live on your head from now on, eating, drinking, and doing everything else right here."
Seeing Wu Tao yield, You Meng didn't choose to accept gracefully. She remained stubbornly on Wu Tao's head, acting imperiously.
Wu Tao found it amusing, but also began to worry that if You Meng stayed on his head for too long, she might relieve herself there.
If such a thing were to happen, even just once, it would be the greatest humiliation of his life.
Given You Meng's temperament, if provoked, she might very well do something like that.
If he were to use force today and not coax her down, You Meng might not talk to him for a long time.
If it were any other time, it would be fine. If she didn't talk to him, she didn't talk to him. At least this chatterbox cat would shut up, and his ears could have some peace.
But the situation now was different, wasn't it?
Trapped in this dimensional space, he could only find You Meng to play with to alleviate his loneliness and boredom.
Otherwise, even with Wu Tao's dao heart, he wouldn't be able to endure ten years in this dimensional space without any progress in his cultivation.
...
Wu Tao gently stroked You Meng's fur as he spoke,
"Alright, alright, I was wrong, I was wrong, okay? You still say you've grown up, getting so angry over such a small matter? Aren't you ashamed?"
Seeing You Meng lower her claws, Wu Tao patted his storage bag, took out a fiery red pill, and dangled it before You Meng, saying, "How about this, it was my fault today. How about I compensate you with a Blazing Fire Spirit Pill? Won't you stop being angry?"
You Meng leaped down from Wu Tao's head and turned to face him, holding up three little cat-like fingers.
The meaning was clear: one pill wasn't enough, she wanted three.
...
Seeing this, Wu Tao immediately bent down and re-bent You Meng's outstretched three cat-like fingers back into one.
After doing so, Wu Tao wagged his middle finger, displaying a dismissive gesture.
He said lightly, "Heh, You Meng, since you've jumped off my head, the initiative is no longer in your hands. What can you do to me?
"I've said it before, if you act up again, I'll spank your little backside. No bargaining, understand?"
Hearing this, You Meng's eyes flashed, and then she vanished from her spot. The next second, she leaped into the air, all four limbs flying, trying to pounce onto Wu Tao's head again.
Clearly, You Meng understood the principle that one must strive for what one wants.
The result was a loud "bang!" as Wu Tao landed a heavy punch on You Meng's head.
You Meng's claws flailed, and she clutched her little head, rolling on the ground and letting out whimpers of pain, clearly hurting badly.
You Meng's eyes were teary, but no tears fell. She glared at Wu Tao through gritted teeth, a look of extreme anger on her face. Then, she bared her cat fangs, signaling Wu Tao to quickly throw her the Blazing Fire Spirit Pill, and consider the matter settled.
Wu Tao threw the Blazing Fire Spirit Pill to You Meng, and she accepted it without hesitation, swallowing it whole.
Of course, the loneliness of this dimensional space wasn't constant. Every three years, there was a month when these dimensional spaces would merge. During that month, everyone could spar and fight, alleviating the loneliness and emptiness of the preceding three years. However, it was only for that one month.
For the vast majority of the time, they had to remain in their respective dimensional spaces, sitting in solitude and enduring endless emptiness.
Furthermore, every so often, a celestial lightning bolt would descend, leaving the people within the dimensional space feeling completely scorched and miserable. In short, it was never a comfortable experience.