Just as Kranos was feeling disappointed at the thought of losing the heaven-defying treasure without gaining anything in return, a sharp, piercing cry erupted from the cat, echoing violently through the vast void and resonating for miles.

"No! You! Human! You tricked me!"

Kranos froze, his expression slightly stunned. He turned to look at the cat, which now glared at him with seething hatred in its glowing, narrow eyes. The air turned cold in an instant. A suffocating killing intent enveloped him, heavy and oppressive, causing his body to lock up involuntarily.

"I'm going to die!" This was the only thought that ran through Kranos's mind as the creature suddenly vanished from his vision. In the blink of an eye, it appeared directly in front of him, faster than his perception could react.

The cat raised one of its paws and swiped it toward Kranos's head.

He felt the overwhelming weight of a heavenly force crashing down upon him, pressing on his bones and threatening to flatten his very soul. It was like a mountain had fallen from the skies and was aimed solely at him.

"How horrifying!" Kranos screamed in his heart.

Bang!

The paw struck him directly. He barely had time to brace himself before the force exploded on his body. However, something unexpected happened. The impact didn't crush him. Instead, the attack rebounded sharply.

Boom!

A deafening shockwave burst out, sending the cat flying backward through the void. It tumbled for several meters before managing to steady itself, its eyes now filled with disbelief.

The cat stared at Kranos with a wounded pride, its glare venomous.

"How dare you turn me into your puppet? Do you have any idea who I am? Even the Divine Court doesn't dare to provoke me!" the creature shouted furiously, its voice echoing as it roared again and again.

Kranos, despite the danger, almost let out a chuckle. The creature's angry expression had an oddly adorable quality, but he quickly sobered up. There were more serious matters to consider.

What was the Divine Court?

And more importantly, "What do you mean by making you my puppet?" he asked, frowning. The cat's words made no sense to him.

The creature continued glaring at him, refusing to speak.

But Kranos didn't let up. He continued questioning it, persistently pressing for answers.

Eventually, the cat bared its teeth in irritation and replied evenly, "You still don't know what's going on." Despite its anger, after living countless years, it could sense sincerity. It realized Kranos truly didn't understand.

Seeing the genuine confusion on his face, the cat's anger shifted to shock.

"You really don't know? Then... about becoming your puppet…" The creature's expression suddenly twisted with horror.

Kranos sensed something terrible was about to happen.

Before he could move, a bolt of lightning exploded from the cat's body, snaking and clinging to it like chains of judgment. The force shattered its cultivation instantly. In mere moments, the power it had built over a million years was annihilated.

"The Divine Court!" the cat screamed, its voice filled with pain and rage.

It couldn't believe it had fallen into such a cunning trap. Despair clouded its heart.

'Am I really going to die here?' it thought, unwilling to accept its fate. As its strength withered, its gaze fell upon Kranos, who stood dumbfounded.

At that instant, an idea surged in the cat's mind. It recalled a forbidden technique it had stumbled upon long ago.

"Old man! Quickly, send me a drop of your blood essence! If you help me now, I will take you through the Chaotic Battlefield. I'll even guide you on your broken path and lead you to the realm beyond the Divine World!"

Kranos gazed at the cat, his expression unreadable. He was silently weighing every word it had spoken.

After his encounter with Kathryn, Kranos had learned the dangers of the unknown. Kathryn had been a terrifying anomaly, but this cat... this creature could be far more dangerous. He knew nothing about it, and that made it all the more threatening.

The cat began to panic as Kranos stood unmoving. Its body began twisting again, warping violently. It shifted into various forms.

One moment it became a stern middle-aged man. The next, it morphed into a dazzling multicolored bird. Then, it became a rat with glittering red eyes.

Seeing this chaotic transformation, Kranos grew even more wary and stepped back repeatedly.

The cat was fuming. It hadn't expected the old man to be such a coward.

"In that case, you leave me no choice. Let's see how the mysterious forces across the immortal worlds react when they find out you're an anomaly. You'll be hunted everywhere. There will be no place for you to hide!" it threatened coldly.

But Kranos's face remained calm and indifferent.

The cat trembled with frustration.

"You're already my master. Are you truly unwilling to save me? Do you have any idea how many divine immortal gods would kill to possess me?" it shouted, unleashing a stream of curses.

Realizing it had nothing to lose, the cat activated its Divine Eyes.

Unlike the Divine Illusion Eyes, these were far more terrifying. The moment they activated, the void itself seemed to freeze. A solemn silence fell.

When it glanced lightly at Kranos, its heart shook violently.

"You... Time System... You possess that thing!" The cat's voice trembled into a shrill cry.

Kranos's expression changed instantly.

The creature had discovered his secret.

A cold and deadly killing intent surged within Kranos's heart, erupting like a volcano. He couldn't afford to let this spread.

Seeing his reaction, the cat laughed maniacally.

"Quick! Send me a drop of your blood essence and I swear I won't tell anyone. You know how important that treasure is. If you don't comply, you are finished!"

"If you only had a one percent chance of surviving before, now you will die for certain. Nothing will save you. Hahahahaha! I have you now, old man!"

Its words echoed through the void and stabbed deep into Kranos's heart.

His eyes widened in panic. He didn't know if what the creature said was true, but he couldn't risk exposure. The Time System had to remain hidden.

"You!" Kranos gritted his teeth and nodded.

"How do I send you a drop of my blood essence?" he asked.

The cat quickly relayed the method. Kranos listened, then slowly extracted a drop of his essence. His face turned pale, and his body weakened as the vital energy left him.

The drop was a shimmering blend of silver and crimson, glowing faintly even in the pitch black of the void.

He sighed. Then, after a short pause, he flung the glowing drop toward the cat.

"Hahahahaha! Old man, you didn't expect this, did you?" the cat cried as it opened its mouth and swallowed the blood.

Almost immediately, its form stopped convulsing. Its colors returned, and the aura of death that had clung to it faded like morning mist.

It had recovered.

Then, as if realizing something, it erupted in fury.

"Divine Court! I swear I'll destroy you!" Its voice thundered.

It turned to Kranos with sharp eyes. "Clueless old fool, are you sure you're not one of them? Should I kill you first just to be safe?"

Kranos sneered. "You can't kill me. Or have you forgotten that I am your master?" he replied, his voice mocking and light, a teasing smile curling his lips.

The cat blinked, speechless. Was this the same cowardly old man?

But it knew he was right. It had only said those things to frighten him. As Kranos was now its master, it was bound by blood and couldn't harm him.

"Damn the Divine Court!" it cursed again, knowing who had orchestrated its downfall.

Kranos watched it silently. So his suspicion was true. The creature had indeed become his companion.

Wasn't it too powerful?

Who would be able to stand in his way now?

Should he go and kill Aurora?

A cold gleam flashed through his eyes as he stared into the endless void.

"Hey old man. I hope you aren't plotting anything. Just so you know, I've lost my cultivation and have to start all over again. So now you're stuck with a weak, useless pet that can only shapeshift."

Kranos was surprised. "You lost your cultivation? How? And what exactly do you mean by shapeshifting completely?"

The cat let out a heavy breath. "It was because of my core. I thought you got it by chance, but it turns out it was all a trap set by the Divine Court."

A chill spread through Kranos's body. That old man who led them through the Trial of the Heart... he had been scheming all along?

"Fortunately, I absorbed your blood and became your lifebound pet. If you die, I die too."

"What if I kill you myself?" Kranos asked, narrowing his eyes.

The cat sneered but didn't reply. "As for my shapeshifting ability," it began.

"Well…" it murmured, and then its body twisted again, warping quickly until a new form emerged.

It was the figure of a youth.

Kranos blinked in disbelief. Flowing silver hair rippled across the form's shoulders, shimmering with an ethereal light.

"You!" Kranos was speechless. It was like looking into a mirror.

"What do you think?" the cat smirked in his voice.

"I'm an old man trapped in a child's body… amusing, right?" the false Kranos teased.

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