txolops Chapter 012 8 Aquatic Creatures
Chapter 012 8 Aquatic Creatures
Magic is the foundation of everything!
Li Yue stayed at the bottom of the Tongtian River, devoting himself to cultivation every day, and before he knew it, the year was coming to an end.
He absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, refined blood and food, and his cultivation increased to two hundred and forty years.
Although it's not like before, where consuming large amounts of offerings would suddenly boost one's cultivation by decades, half a year is equivalent to ten years, which is still fast enough.
During this period, the Fish Chaser's level was raised to lv12, and the Dream Boy's level was raised to lv9.
Perhaps it was because spring and summer had passed and the weather had turned cooler, that people's desires had also decreased. Or perhaps it was because Li Yue had been using the same template dreams repeatedly, and the women had become somewhat bored with the same scenarios.
In the past two months, fewer women have been going to the Mengzhonglang Temple to pray for dreams; otherwise, Mengzhonglang would have already reached level ten.
Once the Dream Boy reaches level ten, along with the Fish Chaser, he can advance to the Five Gods level.
Although it was a bit of a pity, Li Yue didn't force it. Cultivation begins with cultivating the mind, and haste makes waste.
It'll be soon anyway.
"Yes, it's there again."
That afternoon, after Li Yue finished absorbing the essence of the sun, he was resting at the bottom of the river when he suddenly smelled a sandalwood scent.
Where does sandalwood come from at the bottom of this deep, primordial river?
Upon surfacing, I saw the Mengzhonglang Temple on the shore, where a woman was making offerings. In front of the shrine, three sticks of incense burned slowly. The smoke rose straight up, then suddenly turned, drifting directly to the river surface, and finally to Li Yue at the bottom of the river.
Inhaling the three wisps of fragrance, Li Yue felt refreshed and his fatigue from previous cultivation gradually subsided.
The incense offered to him by the people seemed to have a benefit for him as well.
However, its specific function is still unclear, perhaps because there are not enough of them yet.
Ultimately, it was all beneficial and harmless, so Li Yue simply stopped thinking about it.
Shaking the dream-entwining branch, it dropped a peach petal onto the woman's shoulder, then submerged back to the bottom of the river.
It plans to surface at night to absorb the moonlight.
"Brother Carp".
As dusk fell, a shout rang out, and the mandarin fish spirit suddenly appeared.
Looking at the mandarin fish, which was already over five feet long, Li Yue frowned secretly, wondering how much blood it had consumed.
Even if the Water Turtle's family treated her well, they couldn't possibly provide so much blood and goat food for the servants; she could only hunt the blood and goat food herself.
Li Yue shook his head secretly again. He and the spotted mandarin fish had already gone down different paths and were drifting further and further apart.
"Sister Mandarin Fish, what brings you to my place today?"
Although it is said that people with different paths cannot work together, even monsters value human relationships and must maintain a superficial friendship.
"I have missed you dearly for several months, so I have come to visit you. Please forgive my abruptness, brother."
The mandarin fish smiled and spoke while looking around.
A few days ago, she heard that a carp spirit, more than six feet long, had taken over the waters on the west bank of the river. Ordinary people on the bank fed it blood and food, and it was living a carefree life. She immediately thought of Li Yue.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed him.
The spotted mandarin fish suddenly realized why Li Yue's cultivation speed was so fast. He had assumed that Li Yue was also hunting for prey, but he hadn't expected that he had actually hooked up with those mortals.
But this is indeed a good approach, providing ample blood and food without any danger. It's just unknown what method Li Yue used to make mortals willingly feed him.
The spotted mandarin fish's eyes darted around; it had come today to sound out Li Yue's intentions.
"To be honest, I do have something important to discuss with you, brother."
After exchanging a few casual words, the spotted mandarin fish suddenly spoke.
"The reason I've come is to invite my brother to accompany me to the Water Turtle's residence. The Lord of the residence is ambitious and is currently expanding his forces. Now is the perfect time to go and join him and make a name for yourself."
"Thank you for thinking of me, sister, but I am used to a leisurely life and have never had any great ambitions. It seems I will have to disappoint you."
"Brother, you're wrong. Even if you have no ambition, you still have to survive. There are eight thousand aquatic creatures in this Tongtian River. Big fish eat small fish. If you don't hurry up and cultivate, others will surpass you and eat you."
"actually……"
"Furthermore, you may want to live a leisurely life, but you lack the means and are surrounded by powerful enemies. How can you expect to live in peace?"
Li Yue had just opened his mouth when the spotted mandarin fish interrupted him, then adopted a painstakingly earnest tone.
"It's good to take shelter under a big tree. Once you join the Water Turtle's household, you'll have the protection of the Lord of the Household. Other wild demons will naturally not dare to bully you anymore, and you can truly live a peaceful life."
"What you say is absolutely right, sister. Please allow me some more time to consider it."
The mandarin fish was eloquent, and Li Yue had no intention of arguing with her, so he simply gave a perfunctory reply.
"Is my brother trying to fob me off?"
The mandarin fish looked at Li Yue, swam around him gently, and then suddenly said something.
"Brother, you don't want to go to the Water Turtle's residence, could it be that you have other better connections?"
"Um?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yue suddenly became alert, and seeing the mandarin fish's anxious expression, he instantly understood.
So that's where he was waiting.
Since the establishment of the Mengzhonglang Temple, Li Yue has enjoyed offerings on the shore in this area of water, and his cultivation has improved rapidly. How could this not attract the envy of other spirits and monsters?
However, the more powerful the spirit, the more it occupies the deepest part of the river, while only occasionally some newly awakened small fish and shrimp pass by near the riverbank.
Seeing Li Yue's six-foot frame, they usually kept their distance, fearing they would become food for him. Seeing Li Yue being offered food on the shore, they could only watch with envy.
But as time went on, word of Li Yue's situation naturally spread.
In fact, over the past month, he has already dealt with four or five waves of fish spirits and water monsters that wanted to seize this body of water.
The spotted mandarin fish suddenly appeared, apparently for this reason as well.
"Sister Mandarin Fish, you jest. I am just content to live a simple life in this remote corner. What good opportunities do I have?"
Li Yue shook his head, but his gaze remained fixed on the spotted mandarin fish.
As the saying goes, it's better to resolve conflicts than to create them. Besides, he and the spotted mandarin fish still have some affection for each other, so it's best not to tear things apart unless absolutely necessary.
"Brother, you don't believe your little sister."
The mandarin fish sighed softly, looking heartbroken, and then stared intently at Li Yue.
"If my brother didn't have good connections, how could his cultivation have improved so quickly?"
"It was just luck."
Li Yue said it casually, without further explanation.
The truth will eventually come out. Since we can't get away with it by deception, let's see what the mandarin fish does.
If the mandarin fish turns against him, then he will have no choice but to turn against it as well.
The spotted mandarin fish is five feet long and is estimated to have 170 years of cultivation. Li Yue has 240 years of cultivation, which is 70 years more than her.
Mandarin fish are carnivorous, have teeth, and are more ferocious, but Li Yue is not afraid at all, thanks to his size advantage and his nascent scales.
"Brother, I treat you with all my heart, yet you are so wary of me. It is truly disheartening."
In an instant, the mandarin fish's eyes turned cold.
There was clearly a shortcut right in front of her, but Li Yue refused to take her with him, so she had no choice but to steal it.
Thump!
As the sun sank behind the western mountains, and the underwater currents surged, a deep, muffled bell suddenly rang out in the distance.
"When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceived that the five aggregates are empty, and thus transcended all suffering and distress."
Immediately afterwards, the two lines of scripture spread throughout the Tongtian River, which stretches for eight hundred miles.
Upon hearing the chanting, both Li Yue and the spotted mandarin fish felt a jolt throughout their bodies.
The two exchanged a glance and immediately swam towards the center of the river as fast as they could.
The nest-digging fairy has arrived!