Chapter 99: Sudden Encounter With Demonic Fish, Mud Pill Opens
I’m afraid it had long ago burrowed into the big black fish’s belly, feasting heartily, devouring it until only a layer of skin remained!
Chen Shun’an was both shocked and delighted at the sight.
What a narrow path for enemies! To think I’d run into you here, Chen Mou!
In that case, let’s settle old and new debts together!
Chen Shun’an didn’t hesitate at all and leaped into the water.
With a “gurgle,” it was like a water droplet returning to the vast marsh.
Not even the slightest ripple spread as Chen Shun’an formed an accelerating arc underwater.
Chen Shun’an’s eyes opened slightly, quickly adapting to the underwater world.
All around was gray and hazy, with water currents intertwining; various obvious or subtle gleams appeared within Chen Shun’an’s sensing range.
In the next instant, Chen Shun’an seemed to assimilate into the water flow, and with just his arms thrusting powerfully, he shot forward.
Between his glabella, water patterns faintly appeared.
Ordinary fish and shrimp ignored his passing, unhurriedly making way as if regarding him as one of their own.
Those with some intelligence instinctively felt awe in their hearts but didn’t dare flee on their own, only staying silently in place.
It was as if at this moment, the long-lost Funiu Water Marsh had welcomed its master once again.
“Hah… You mere weak humans think you can catch me? With just a little trick from me, your bamboo baskets will fetch nothing but water—wonderful, wonderful…”
Chen Shun’an recognized the Silver Scholar, but the Silver Scholar hadn’t recognized Chen Shun’an.
At this point, it swam several li in one breath before stopping its movements with immense smugness.
“Sigh, it’s just a pity that Golden Scaled Perch vanished into thin air, its whereabouts unknown. Otherwise, using it as a money tree, I could lie in the pond earning fish bait—why bother toiling like this?”
The thought had barely formed when the Silver Scholar suddenly tensed up; a fierce force clamped down from behind!
It had no time to react before it felt the world spinning, water splashing with a “splash,” and it was already out of the water.
Then, its eyes stared in stunned disbelief at the person before it, the needle-tip-sized fish eyes filled with incredulity.
“That Wild Fox Zen?!”
Chen Shun’an surfaced, exhaling long and hard, wiping the water from his face with one hand, then coldly staring at this Silver Fish.
“What do you call me now?”
Divine Might was majestic, and the waters responded in kind.
The Silver Scholar felt fear arise in its heart and immediately said,
“High God!”
Chen Shun’an nodded in satisfaction.
Those who know the times are outstanding people; this fish is worth cultivating.
Chen Shun’an grabbed it in his hand and dove back underwater, heading toward Li Tiezong and the others’ sampan.
For the occasional Grandson Fish swimming by, Chen Shun’an paid them no mind—after all, with his current strength, these fish with only a bit of spirituality were of no use.
Chen Shun’an naturally wouldn’t slaughter indiscriminately for treasures anymore.
“Eh? Such a strong fishy smell.”
While swimming, Chen Shun’an suddenly saw streaks of deep red blood traces coming from the deep water area far from the shore.
Drifting along with the water flow, carrying a demonic, violent intent.
The surrounding fish and shrimp fled in frenzy, as if facing a natural enemy.
At the sight, Chen Shun’an frowned but kept swimming without pause, glancing slightly toward that side.
In the dim water bottom, water grass swayed like strands of hair; silt and grit seemed to receive some vibration, drifting turbidly.
Vaguely visible in the depths of the water grass was a large mass of shadow writhing.
Light couldn’t penetrate, water couldn’t flush it; it was like a forbidden zone of life.
Only strands of bloody stench diffused outward.
Chen Shun’an had no desire to meddle, moving lightly and swimming swiftly, vanishing from sight in just a few strokes.
And not long after Chen Shun’an left.
The shadow in the depths of the water grass seemed to smell some special scent and awakened.
A rustling sound of scales sliding over stone blocks rang out.
The shadow coiled and moved, turning its head to look toward the direction Chen Shun’an had departed.
Buzz…
A muffled thunderous rumble sounded.
Two blood-soaked lanterns suddenly lit up deep in the water bottom, burning two streaks of scarlet light in the dim riverbed.
“What a strange person—no, a strange… monster?”
Its voice was shrill, like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, thick with yin energy, and carrying a faint doubt.
But soon, the lanterns extinguished, and the voice dissipated.
This area of water returned to calm once more.
……
A sampan silently docked at the shore.
Li Tiezong and Zhang Dadan slowly awoke.
“I ain’t dead?”
“Hiss… My head hurts so much. What just happened?”
“Fish! Big black fish!”
“Where’s that guy from earlier?”
The two sat up in a hurry, looking around in terror.
The water marsh was vast, the shore overgrown with grass.
Where was there any sign of others?
Only at the bow of the boat was a piece of fish skin, like a black cloak, tough and substantial, thumb-thick, impervious to knife cuts or fire burning.
Whether used to make soft scabbards for knives and swords or water clothing and large drums, it was the finest choice.
Seeing this, the two felt a surge of wild joy.
But in the next instant, they noticed the fish skin was intact as one piece, with almost no breaks, as if the flesh, blood, and bones inside had been sucked dry in an instant by something.
Connecting this to the earlier eerie event where they heard a voice but saw no one, speaking in a familiar tone as if calling their names from behind…
The two trembled in their legs, swallowing saliva as they said,
“Water ghost?!”
……
“Your name is…”
“High God may call me Silver Scholar.”
“Mm, Silver Scholar, how old are you?”
“I am one hundred and two.”
“Hm? At such an advanced age, do you have any cultivation method?”
“Cultivation? Like humans practicing martial arts? I truly don’t know about that. My first forty years were muddled and dazed, middle forty years I accidentally ate hundred-joint lotus root and awakened intelligence, last forty years I’ve wandered this place and befriended the Wan family.”
At this point, the Silver Scholar paused, then said,
“That’s Wan Ji River Goods Shop. Passed down from ancestors to fathers, fathers to sons, sons to grandsons; the current shopkeeper of the river goods shop is already the third generation.”
The Silver Scholar’s voice carried some melancholy.
Perhaps it also realized that now fallen into Chen Shun’an’s hands, there was no possibility of returning to Wan Ji River Goods Shop.
Wantonly snapping the hibiscus bloom, unable to roam the clear waves once more.
Farewell, freedom.
Farewell, Vast Ocean.
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an raised an eyebrow.
Good grief, this Wan Ji River Goods Shop colludes with monsters, and it’s a family heirloom craft.
So that’s how they rose to prominence?
Chen Shun’an also noticed.
This Jade Tree Silver Fish had far more ordinary origins than the Golden Scaled Perch, but stronger spirituality, more cunning, even knowing some poetry and songs, self-proclaiming as a scholar.
Chen Shun’an suddenly asked: “Then do you know the origins of that shadow I encountered underwater just now?”
The Silver Scholar swam restlessly in the fish cage, banging it clang clang.
Its voice was somewhat panicked.
“Some time ago, Bewitching Bay was destroyed by heavenly thunder, and a monster escaped! It’s recuperating from wounds!”
Monster?!
Chen Shun’an’s heart tightened, eyes narrowing slightly.
Chen Shun’an knew full well the power of that Divine Might Purple Thunder Cannon.
It could level an entire small hill.
Yet that monster survived injured and fled dozens of li away in one go to recuperate.
This monster’s strength was probably far greater than that troublesome Tian Xuan Saint.
But you, this intelligent Jade Tree Silver Fish—aren’t you a monster too by rights?
Why act so terrified of other monsters?
Or rather, precisely because the Silver Scholar is a monster, it can more clearly sense the terror of that wounded Great Demon?
Indeed, that underwater shadow earlier—even conservatively estimated by Chen Shun’an—was six or seven zhang long, nearly the length of a small boat.
Simply a colossal beast!
“So close to Wuqing County, and there’s already a Great Demon in the water; the government offices, those immortals— they have no reaction at all? They can’t possibly be unaware, or could it be…”
Chen Shun’an’s face was expressionless as he swiftly headed toward Chaodou Hutong.
……
【All required for Deity Descent is complete. Select Ran Yi Fish?】
【Yes!】
In the abandoned rice barn, Chen Shun’an guarded the loft alone.
With a thought, the various materials placed before him—including the scale just plucked from the Silver Scholar, still dripping with fresh blood—were immediately stirred by an invisible force, trembling slightly.
Splash…
It was like a great tide surging in; the Sweet Water in the porcelain bowl instantly flew out, forming a wave before Chen Shun’an.
Silver Fish scales, Heavenly Water Ant Grass, incense ash were successively thrown into the wave, circling left and right, gradually fusing, gradually taking the shape of a strange fish.
Fish body with snake head, two legs under the belly, eyes like horse ears, mouth full of sharp fangs—fiercely ugly.
Just looking at it, it was far less approachable than Qing Ji.
More primal, ancient, carrying a bit of the ferocity god’s majesty.
It was precisely the Ran Yi Fish!
“Moo moo moo…”
A cow-like cry sounded.
The wave crashed in; this Ran Yi Fish’s eyes were still lifeless, its snake head nodding three times as obeisance.
Then it directly rushed into Chen Shun’an’s glabella.
Suddenly, a crisp “crack” sounded, like ice cracking; Chen Shun’an clearly sensed his glabella seemed to be splitting, with some scorching qi roiling chaotically inside.
The Ran Yi Fish kept knocking at the door, instinctively and repeatedly impacting Chen Shun’an’s closed Niwan Acupoint.
Intent raged violently, thoughts blurred; Chen Shun’an’s face paled, sitting cross-legged on the ground, silently reciting the purity scripture he’d eavesdropped from Scholar Ma.
After an unknown time, Chen Shun’an shuddered; a faint, distant mysterious light, like a candle in the wind yet truly existing and visible even to the naked eye, suddenly pierced from the mud pill in his glabella through the crown of his head.
The light was like pure moonlight, only about an inch long.
Instinctively, boundless joy arose in Chen Shun’an’s heart, all his acupoints celebrating in unison.
Chen Shun’an inwardly examined himself and could clearly see a tiny light particle at his glabella, containing a jade chamber from which faint mysterious vapors flowed.
Instantly, Chen Shun’an’s consciousness cleared completely, the divine intent weakness from slaying the nose thief yesterday swept away.
His divine intent power was climbing at a terrifying speed.
“So this is the Niwan Acupoint? Those mysterious vapors are the Innate Qi in the mud pill acupoint, gradually obscured and sealed by red dust tribulations from eating the five grains?”
Enlightenment rose in Chen Shun’an’s heart.
At this moment, the world’s appearance was incomparably clear in his eyes.
Outside the room, insects chirped in the weeds; yesterday’s Chen Shun’an would only find it noisy, but now these chaotic insect cries brought an indescribable wonder to his ears.
Now loud now soft, chattering, listening was like hearing the sounds of nature.
His internal organs felt like they’d been ironed smooth, every part compliant; his thirty-six thousand pores, like having taken miraculous pills, every pore refreshed.
Even the dust on the window frame, illuminated by moonlight and floating spiraling in the air, carried a mysterious artistic conception in Chen Shun’an’s eyes.
Like black clouds edged with white clouds, through a wash of moonlight, illuminating the whole room in splendor.
His brain—Chen Shun’an had grown a brain.
He had still only slain the body and eye thieves, but at this moment, his five senses and even comprehension had massively amplified.
The formerly somewhat obscure Ròufēi Xiān and Six Sceneries Rotation True Cultivation Manual now gave him a sense of sudden enlightenment upon slight recollection.
Many previously overlooked details in nourishing strength and flaws in techniques were now perfected.
His bones emitted faint crisp sounds, muscles writhed, qi and blood adjusted; soundlessly, he completed another internal refinement, his aura surging endlessly.
“So this is what it feels like to be a true heavenly pride? Even heaven and earth favor him… Circulate Qi and Blood precautions, standing meditation breathing tips, hidden allusions in martial arts manuals—all hold no secrets, no difficulties in his eyes.
This is like the lord of heaven chasing behind him, spoon-feeding him meals!”
Chen Shun’an instantly understood why young heavenly prides were always so arrogant and disdainful.
Not to mention hot-blooded youths—even he, an old man who knows destiny, couldn’t resist vowing from tomorrow, no more beef!
Moreover, opening the mud pill isn’t a day’s work; returning to innate can’t be achieved overnight.
The transformation brought by the Ran Yi Fish was still ongoing, silently altering—even reshaping—Chen Shun’an’s body.
Qing Ji, Tendon and Vein Extension, Tiger Tendon Leopard Vein, acts on the fleshly shell, that’s essence.
Ran Yi Fish, opening mud pill, returning to innate, acts on intent and soul chamber, that’s divine essence.
For the next divine aspect, should he prioritize one heavy on ‘qi essence’ effects, making the three essences of spirit, qi, and energy complete?
Chen Shun’an’s consciousness began to wander.
【Two-legged Ran Yi Fish: Opens mud pill, gradually returns to innate. Scales turn to water, grants peaceful sleep and good dreams, immune to nightmare demons】
【Upon Grass Talisman Perfection, invest 10 points divine power to upgrade to four-legged Ran Yi Fish: Mud Pill Grows Golden Lotus, scales turn to water, can enlighten aquatic creatures’ intelligence, cleanse filthy bodies】
【Upon promotion to Sweet Spring Illuminating Envoy, holding Ninth-Rank Dugong Talisman, invest 15 points divine power to select next divine aspect】
15 points divine power, four-legged Ran Yi Fish?
‘Mud Pill Grows Golden Lotus’—Chen Shun’an didn’t know its meaning, but the effect of enlightening aquatic creatures’ intelligence afterward, Chen Shun’an knew inside out.
Wasn’t this just the legendary methods of those gods and great worthies—taming mounts, preaching scriptures, awakening intelligence in mountain beasts?
He already possessed closeness to water spirits, divine might majestic divinity.
If he could actively enlighten water race spirits, cultivate followers, in the future they would form a loyal cadre for Chen Shun’an!
Joy welled up in Chen Shun’an’s heart.
He exhaled a breath of turbid qi, reining in his scattered thoughts, regaining composure.
Chen Shun’an sat cross-legged in place, sensing this new heaven and earth; his consciousness soon immersed.
As if asleep yet not, awake yet not.
Communing with heaven and earth spirit.
