Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Cruel Truth
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The season was Cold Dew, and it happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Chen Jianghe took a Spirit Accumulating Pill, circulated the Guiyuan True Water Art, and absorbed and refined the pill's medicinal power.
The previously potent medicinal power now seemed somewhat ordinary to him.
After cultivating to the sixth level of Qi Refining, the effect of the Spirit Accumulating Pill on his cultivation improvement had clearly diminished.
He could now absorb ninety percent of the pill's medicinal power, but the effect was only about eighty percent of what it used to be.
Five hours later, he had refined the medicinal power of the Spirit Accumulating Pill.
The Guiyuan True Water Art completed another cycle, the spiritual energy returning to his dantian and transforming into magical power. Only then did he slowly cease his cultivation, open his eyes, and exhale a breath of impure air.
"After breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining, I need to find a new cultivation art as soon as possible." Chen Jianghe deeply felt the uselessness of the Guiyuan True Water Art.
It wasn't that it didn't augment his magical power.
After reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining, he could clearly feel how slowly the Guiyuan True Water Art circulated spiritual energy, and completing a full cycle of magical power was also quite time-consuming.
However, as a basic water-element cultivation art, it was already quite good that the Guiyuan True Water Art could allow a cultivator to reach the seventh level of Qi Refining.
"I don't need ownership of the art, just the ability to cultivate it myself. I can buy a water-element art that provides a ten, or even twenty, percent boost."
An art that boosted magical power by ten percent cost eight hundred spirit stones, while the oath price was two hundred spirit stones.
An art that boosted magical power by twenty percent cost fifteen hundred spirit stones, with an oath price of four hundred and fifty spirit stones.
When he had enough spirit stones, he could buy the art with the twenty percent boost.
After all, the more abundant his magical power, the more talismans he could draw. Moreover, if he ever had to fight someone in the future, he would have greater endurance.
With this in mind, he cast a water-repelling spell, leaped into the lake, and dived toward the bottom.
After learning that Xiao Hei's bloodline purity was of the third-grade, high-tier, Chen Jianghe didn't dare let Xiao Hei show himself at all.
He was terrified of being discovered.
Once exposed, Xiao Hei would surely be stolen, and he himself would definitely not survive.
Therefore, Chen Jianghe told Xiao Hei to relax a bit with the fish farming and not to work as hard as before.
After all, his main source of spirit stones was no longer fish farming, but talisman drawing.
It would be enough to raise two or three Little Green Fish spirit beasts per batch.
"Xiao Hei, come out."
Chen Jianghe reached the bottom of the lake but saw no sign of Xiao Hei. However, through the spiritual imprint, he knew Xiao Hei was hidden deep within the gravel at the lakebed.
Soon, as a large number of bubbles surged from the sand and gravel, Xiao Hei's body, larger than a millstone, appeared.
"How about it? I'm very obedient, right? I hid in the sand right after feeding the fish."
Xiao Hei pushed off with his short little legs, stood upright on the lakebed, pointed a claw at himself, his beady eyes squinting and his large mouth grinning.
"Very good. Your reward is two Spirit Nurturing Flowers."
Chen Jianghe directly took out two Spirit Nurturing Flowers and gave them to Xiao Hei. He had now changed his method of raising Xiao Hei.
He no longer fed him one at a time.
He had a surplus now, so there was no need to be stingy with Xiao Hei. He fed him two at once.
Feeding him once every six months meant four Spirit Nurturing Flowers a year. He refused to believe Xiao Hei couldn't reach the late first-tier before he left the Yun Clan.
"Master, you're treating me better and better."
Xiao Hei took the Spirit Nurturing Flowers but didn't swallow them immediately. Instead, he thanked Chen Jianghe.
This surprised Chen Jianghe.
He's even learned gratitude?
"Master, I can't raise fish to support you anymore. Am I useless?"
For the better part of a year, at Chen Jianghe's request, Xiao Hei had been free-ranging the Little Green Fish, feeding them only once every few days and no longer 'walking' them.
His workload had decreased, but his treatment had improved. This made Xiao Hei feel a sense of guilt toward Chen Jianghe.
"Support me?"
Chen Jianghe felt the wording was a bit off, but the sentiment was good, which pleased him greatly.
"It's fine. From now on, I'll be the one supporting you. But you have to cultivate hard, be obedient, and listen. In a while, we're going to move to a faraway place. We might encounter danger, and only by becoming strong can you protect me."
"Huh? Danger!"
"Master, how about I don't eat these Spirit Nurturing Flowers? You can have them. When you become strong, you can protect me."
The moment Xiao Hei heard 'danger', the Spirit Nurturing Flowers in his claws suddenly felt scalding, and he wanted to give them back to Chen Jianghe.
Are you kidding me?
He was just a little underage turtle. How could he bear such immense pressure?
He just wanted to feed fish peacefully in the lake.
"You... useless thing."
Chen Jianghe cursed, disappointed. "You are a spirit beast with a third-grade, high-tier bloodline. Such a noble existence! How can you be so afraid of death?"
"You must cultivate diligently and aspire to become a second-tier spirit beast. That way, you can protect me better."
"Being so lazy, have you forgotten your original aspiration for cultivating? You are a little turtle destined to become a thousand-year tortoise, a ten-thousand-year turtle! You are the glory of the Black Crystal Mystic Turtle clan, destined to start your own branch of the family tree!"
Chen Jianghe said in a grave and heartfelt tone.
His gaze toward Xiao Hei was filled with encouragement.
"But... there's danger!"
Xiao Hei's huge body took a step back, showing he couldn't handle it.
"If you're strong, there won't be any danger."
"But I'm not strong yet, and there's already danger. Can we not move? This is nice. There's no danger, and you can support my cultivation." As Xiao Hei spoke, his beady eyes filled with contentment for his current life.
"Fine, then we won't move. It's not like I'm the one who'll end up on the dinner table after being discovered."
Chen Jianghe shrugged, a nonchalant expression on his face. "I'll just keep raising my fish then. Why bother with a long and arduous journey, facing potential dangers?"
"On the dinner table? What dinner table?"
Xiao Hei looked puzzled, his thoughts transmitted urgently. He had a premonition that this was some kind of keyword.
"It's nothing major. Aren't you envious that the Green Scale Fish and the white egrets can go to the immortal island?"
"Once you're discovered by the cultivators outside, you'll also get to go to the immortal island... and become a delicious, tender delicacy on a cultivator's dinner table."
Chen Jianghe's voice echoed in Xiao Hei's mind. He froze on the spot, his beady eyes filled with disbelief.
"Two-legs, don't lie to me. I'll get angry."
Xiao Hei's trembling voice entered Chen Jianghe's mind. He stared at him with an extremely serious gaze, showing he was terrified.
"How is that possible? The immortal fish and the great white birds ascending to immortality, a tale passed down through generations of us Black Crystal Mystic Turtles, has become 'ending up on a dinner table' in your mouth? I don't believe you. Two-legs, you're joking, right?"
"Tell me you're joking."
Xiao Hei felt as if the worldview he had built since childhood was collapsing. The Green Scale Fish and the white egrets were the immortal fish and birds that ordinary aquatic creatures like them looked up to.
How could they be ingredients?
"You don't believe me?"
"I don't believe you."
Xiao Hei's firm voice entered his mind.
"Alright then. In a while, I'll bring you a whole roasted egret... uh, and a braised Green Scale Fish."
"Hmph, I'll be waiting."
Chen Jianghe looked at Xiao Hei's disbelieving little eyes, said nothing more, and ascended back to his boat.
It wouldn't do not to put some pressure on Xiao Hei.
When he left Mirror Moon Lake in the future, Xiao Hei would be his trump card.
Slacking off in cultivation and being afraid to leave Mirror Moon Lake? That was unacceptable.
No matter what, before leaving Mirror Moon Lake, he had to raise Xiao Hei to the late first-tier.
Even if it meant not buying any magical artifacts, he had to get Xiao Hei to the late first-tier.
A late first-tier Xiao Hei was far more valuable than a high-grade defensive artifact.
Furthermore, with him being a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator and Xiao Hei a late first-tier spirit beast, they would have some ability to protect themselves while traveling the cultivation world of the Tiannan Region.
Having made up his mind, he cast aside distracting thoughts, focused his mind, took out all the necessary materials for talisman drawing, and began his work.
Time passed, and more than three months went by.
As usual, Chen Jianghe instructed Xiao Hei to hide deep at the bottom of the lake, not to surface, and preferably not to even get near the surface or the waterways.
If a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator happened to pass by in a boat and spotted Xiao Hei with their spiritual sense extended, it would be a huge problem.
The allure of a young, third-grade, high-tier bloodline beast was even greater than that of a Foundation Establishment Pill.
No matter how good the Yun Clan's character was, they would go crazy. Yu Daniu wouldn't be able to protect him, and he might even have his soul searched.
Black Crystal Mystic Turtles being ordinary aquatic creatures with a first-grade, high-tier bloodline was common knowledge in the cultivation world.
But in his hands, one had become a spirit beast with a third-grade, high-tier bloodline. It was absolutely impossible that they wouldn't hang him up for interrogation and then search his soul.
Arriving at Mirror Moon Market City, he followed his usual routine, first heading to the Mirror Moon Treasure Pavilion to sell the talismans he had drawn this year.
This year, he had drawn thirty-five Five Elements Escape Talismans. Bought back at an eighty-five percent rate, they fetched eighty-nine spirit stones and twenty-five spirit grains.
After deducting the cost, the profit was eighty-two spirit stones.
He and Talisman Master Chu Lang would each get a share of forty-one spirit stones.
He then used the cost portion to buy four boxes of spiritual ink and fifty sheets of high-quality yellow paper, leaving the remaining two spirit stones and twenty-five spirit grains for the cost of talisman brushes.
Following that, he went to the magical artifact counter.
However, it wasn't the fat shopkeeper, but a tall female cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining.
She was probably a child of the Yun Clan.
"Fellow Daoist, what kind of magical artifact are you looking to buy?"
Seeing the standard uniform of a high-grade Fishery Farmer on Chen Jianghe, the woman added, "High-grade Fishery Farmers receive a five percent discount."
"A storage pouch."
"Storage pouches are quite rare and sell quickly. We currently only have three in stock. Their sizes are one, four, and six cubic meters. Which one would you like, Fellow Daoist?"
"The one-cubic-meter one."
A storage pouch with one cubic meter of space was enough for his current needs.
Buying the storage pouch first was a well-considered decision. As his cultivation level rose, he needed more and more resources.
He couldn't keep carrying a coarse cloth bag around forever.
Not only did it easily reveal his wealth, but it was also extremely inconvenient.
For instance, this time he wanted to bring back a whole roasted egret and a braised Green Scale Fish for Xiao Hei.
Without a storage pouch, it would be very inconvenient.
Also, his talisman drawing skills were improving. Before long, he could try to draw mid-grade spirit talismans.
Once he became a mid-grade Talisman Master, his annual income would reach a new level.
He would no longer be as strapped for cash as he was now.
Besides, buying a storage pouch wasn't spending spirit stones, but rather saving them in another form.
Storage pouches were very rare and popular, so they could be sold at any time.
Because storage pouches were subject to market premiums, he paid ninety-eight spirit stones.
Storage pouches were special magical artifacts that didn't require refining. A drop of blood and one's own spiritual sense imprint were all that was needed to use it.
As long as the owner didn't erase the spiritual sense imprint, no one else could open it, unless they were overwhelmingly more powerful and could force it open.
Also, if the original owner of the storage pouch died, it would naturally become ownerless, and any cultivator could open it.
Chen Jianghe circulated his magical power, squeezed a drop of blood from his fingertip onto the storage pouch, and then placed the pouch against his glabella to leave his spiritual sense imprint.
The next moment, he sensed a hazy, one-cubic-meter space within the three-inch pouch.
With a thought, a coarse cloth bag appeared within the hazy space.
He immediately found it incredibly useful, able to store and retrieve items with just a thought.
The ninety-eight spirit stones were well spent.
Leaving the magical artifact counter, he went to the medicinal herb counter and bought seven Spirit Nurturing Flowers for Xiao Hei.
He only had three left from his previous purchase, not enough for the coming year.
After finishing his shopping, he left the Mirror Moon Treasure Pavilion and headed to Fushou Street to give Talisman Master Chu Lang his share of forty-one spirit stones.
"Only nine spirit stones left again. It seems it'll be hard to save up any spirit stones before I become a mid-grade Talisman Master."
Chen Jianghe sighed helplessly, then strode toward the Mirror Moon Immortal Pavilion to let Xiao Hei experience the cruelty of the immortal path.