Chapter 717 |
Lu Qing returned to Jiuli Village with Xiaoli in tow.
When he arrived home, he found Xiaoyan and Han Lingshuang still in seclusion. Judging by their auras, their refinement of the Essence Blood had gone smoothly; both of their physical bodies had strengthened significantly.
He glanced around and noticed that Bai Jiao and Wuxing were also diligently cultivating nearby.
Since everyone was cultivating in earnest, Lu Qing didn’t disturb them. Instead, he strolled leisurely through the village.
Though he had returned for some time, he hadn’t yet taken the chance to properly look around his home.
As he walked, he soon realized that Jiuli Village had changed greatly.
Before leaving all those years ago, he had reinforced the village’s Formation, vastly enhancing its ability to gather Spiritual Energy.
Decades had passed since then, and the Spiritual Energy within the village had reached a truly astonishing density.
Though it couldn’t compare to the Sacred Mountain, it was no weaker than many major sects nestled deep within famous mountains.
Verdant and lush, the entire village now brimmed with vitality.
Bathed in this aura of life, even the villagers who did not cultivate became healthy and strong, free of illness.
Every newborn possessed the potential for cultivation, and in time, the descendants of Jiuli Village would undoubtedly grow more gifted.
It would not be surprising if future generations produced true cultivation geniuses.
Perched on Lu Qing’s shoulder, Xiaoli gazed around in delight. The atmosphere of the village felt soothing to it.
Villagers passing by greeted Lu Qing and Xiaoli respectfully.
Nowadays, apart from a few elderly folk, most villagers regarded Lu Qing with immense reverence.
Even Xiaoli received the same respect.
After all, the elders often told stories—Xiaoli was a Spirit Beast capable of soaring through the skies and burrowing into the earth, stronger than even mighty cultivators.
Thus, everyone viewed it with a mix of awe and respect.
Lu Qing had long grown used to this. It was inevitable; the younger generation barely knew him.
Eventually, he came to a familiar little river—the very one he used to fish at in his youth.
Yet now, the river had changed.
It was more vibrant and clear, its waters rich with Spiritual Energy.
In the age before the world’s Spiritual Revival, such water would have been considered a priceless treasure—true Spirit Water.
He could sense several auras within the stream—fish swimming freely below.
Just then, he turned his head and saw Xiaoli staring intently into the water, its eyes gleaming.
Clearly, it too had sensed the Spirit Fish below.
Lu Qing smiled. “Xiaoli, it’s been ages since we last went fishing. How about we do it today?”
“Yay! I haven’t eaten Spirit Fish in forever!” Xiaoli’s eyes lit up immediately.
Seeing its excitement, Lu Qing chuckled softly.
Indeed, it had been a long time since he’d fished.
He retrieved his old fishing rod from the Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag, dug up some earthworms, and baited the hook before casting his line.
Xiaoli crouched eagerly beside him, staring at the bobber.
Lu Qing couldn’t help but laugh.
Given Xiaoli’s current strength as a Golden Core cultivator, it could easily evaporate the entire river and catch every fish within an instant—yet it never did.
It always preferred waiting for Lu Qing to fish for it, just as in the old days.
Lu Qing understood perfectly.
Fishing wasn’t about the catch—it was about the peace.
If he used his Divine Sense to pull the fish from the water, it would lose all meaning.
So, he restrained his spiritual perception and focused purely on the float, savoring the simple pleasure of anticipation.
Because the world’s Spiritual Energy had thickened, even the red earthworms had become Spirit Insects.
Spirit Fish adored them—so it wasn’t long before the float trembled, then sank sharply.
With a deft flick of his wrist, Lu Qing pulled up a fiery red Spirit Fish.
“Hm, an old friend.”
It was a Red Moon Carp.
For a moment, Lu Qing’s thoughts drifted back.
The first rare fish he’d ever caught as a youth had also been a Red Moon Carp.
Now, after all these years, the first fish he caught upon returning home was once again this same species.
Fate, it seemed, had a sense of humor.
Of course, this carp was no mere oddity—it was a true Spirit Fish, its body brimming with Spiritual Energy.
“Ah Qing~”
Xiaoli’s voice snapped him from his reverie.
Turning, he saw the little creature gazing at him expectantly.
Lu Qing smiled and tossed the fish to it.
The Red Moon Carp arced through the air, only to be snapped up mid-flight. Xiaoli began eating happily.
Watching it feast, Lu Qing’s heart grew light.
He rebaited the hook and cast again.
But perhaps the commotion from before had startled the other fish—this time, the float didn’t move for a long while.
Half an hour later, he finally caught another.
“Another Red Moon Carp?”
He blinked in amusement. This spot must be a carp nest.
Still, as long as fish were biting, he didn’t mind.
He unhooked the fish and tossed it to Xiaoli, who had already finished its meal.
“Brother, so you and Xiaoli were here fishing! No wonder I sensed your aura but couldn’t find you.”
The voice came from behind—Xiaoyan approached, White Jiao slithering beside her.
She had sensed his return while refining Essence Blood but hadn’t been able to stop midway. Now that she’d finished, she had come looking for him.
Lu Qing smiled. “I saw you all cultivating and didn’t want to disturb anyone, so I came here for a walk.”
“Brother, your seclusion is over?”
Xiaoyan sat beside him on the grass, while White Jiao curiously watched Xiaoli devour fish—it had heard many stories of these scenes but never seen them with its own eyes.
“Yes,” Lu Qing nodded. “The secret technique I was cultivating is complete. But this break is only temporary—soon, I’ll enter seclusion again.”
He had plenty to work on.
The Ephemeral Life Anchored to Heaven and Earth was only one technique.
Next, he planned to cultivate the Divine Abilities Great Strength and Phantasm, elevating them to Great Divine Abilities.
He also needed to continue deducing the subsequent stages of the Perfect Divine Soul Technique—he had only completed the first tribulation so far.
Beyond that, he had to master the Soul-level sword techniques of Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi and Seven-Star Sword Formation.
He also owed Hu Zezhi a batch of Spirit Pills and intended to refine the ice-type Spiritual Herbs he’d acquired in the Ice Soul Valley into elixirs for Xiaoyan and Han Lingshuang.
Truly, he had no shortage of work.
Today’s fishing was merely a stolen moment of leisure.
“Brother, you’re really busy,” Xiaoyan said with a smile.
She wasn’t surprised—she knew cultivation was a path without end. Even she often felt that time slipped away too quickly in seclusion.
And unlike her, her brother excelled in everything—swordsmanship, formations, pills, talismans—each to a masterful degree.
The more she cultivated, the more she admired him.
“Cultivation only grows harder with each step,” Lu Qing sighed. “The higher your realm, the longer the time between breakthroughs. Soon, I’ll be in seclusion for even longer. You won’t blame me, will you?”
Xiaoyan shook her head. “Of course not. As long as you don’t disappear without telling me again.”
Lu Qing smiled gently. “I promise. Next time I leave, I’ll bring you along.”
Last time, while he was away, she had pushed her cultivation recklessly, almost crippling her foundation. He would never risk leaving her behind again.
“Then let’s pinky swear!”
Xiaoyan giggled and extended her little finger.
Lu Qing laughed softly. “You’re already a Golden Core cultivator, yet you still play childish games.”
Nevertheless, he hooked her finger with his own.
“No going back on it now!” she said cheerfully.
“I’m not a child,” he muttered helplessly.
After their playful exchange, Lu Qing resumed fishing.
Xiaoyan sat quietly beside him, watching the bobber drift on the rippling surface—just like when she was little.
With time, more Spirit Fish began biting.
Before long, Lu Qing entered a steady rhythm—one catch after another.
After several Red Moon Carps, he began pulling up other species as well.
An hour passed, and he had caught nearly twenty Spirit Fish.
Most went into Xiaoli’s belly, leaving the rest for a feast that night.
As he gathered his fishing gear, Lu Qing looked once more at the glimmering river.
Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he found peace in fishing—it was a simple, grounding joy.
Such leisure was rare now, almost a luxury.
Still, this session had washed away the mental exhaustion from a month of cultivating the Ephemeral Life Anchored to Heaven and Earth, leaving his Dao Heart perfectly clear.
That night, after returning home, he found that Han Lingshuang had also finished refining her Essence Blood.
Together, they prepared a Spirit Feast, inviting his master down the mountain. Laughter filled the courtyard as they dined.
After dinner, night fell, and everyone returned to their cultivation.
Lu Qing sat cross-legged in his quiet chamber, steadying his breath.
After some thought, he decided to first cultivate the Divine Abilities Great Strength and Phantasm.
Though they were minor abilities to him now, if elevated to Great Divine Abilities, their power would transform dramatically.
Once that was done, he could resume deducing the Perfect Divine Soul Technique.
With his mind made up, he began cultivating.
He chose to start with the Great Strength Divine Ability.
As the method’s intricacies flowed through his consciousness, he activated his Spiritual Power, entering the deepest state of meditation.
Endless mysteries of the Divine Ability unfolded within his mind, each insight merging into his understanding.
And far away, in a mysterious starry sea, ripples of strange energy began to spread.
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