Chapter 8 - 7: Black Crystal Profound Turtle

Chapter 8: Chapter 7: Black Crystal Profound Turtle

As he rowed the boat away from the port, Chen Jianghe turned a deaf ear to Wang Kui’s angry threats echoing behind him.

Chen Jianghe did not have thirty grains of spiritual sand. Even if he did, he would not lend them to Wang Kui. This was not a matter of paying to avoid disaster or smooth things over. Doing so would only invite a ceaseless string of troubles.

Before transmigrating, back in college, he had encountered a similar situation. A roommate had repeatedly tested his boundaries with all sorts of unreasonable demands. The moment you compromise, countless burdens will seek you out. And when you finally refuse their demands later on, they will sever all ties and treat you like a lifelong enemy. One shouldn’t even dream of getting anything in return for their prior sacrifices. Dealing with such people required only one method: outright refusal. He could not be given the slightest hope of exploiting him for benefits.

Although Chen Jianghe was merely a First-Layer Qi Refining cultivator, Wang Kui could not do anything to him at Jingyue Lake. The waters of Jingyue Lake strictly prohibited fighting for any reason or in any form. Violators would have their Dantian Qi Sea shattered, their cultivation crippled, their legs broken, and then they would be permanently expelled from the lake. Officially, even the direct descendants of the Yun family were not allowed to violate this rule; otherwise, they would face the same punishment as the fishermen and farmers.

As for leaving Jingyue Lake? Barring any accidents, he had no intention of leaving for the next thirty to fifty years. Even if he did eventually leave, it would only be after he possessed the strength to protect himself. Therefore, Wang Kui posed absolutely no threat to him.

Upon returning to the 512 Waters, Chen Jianghe entered the cabin to focus on his cultivation. He was in no rush to feed the Spirit Awakening Pill to Little Black. Recently, the lake’s waterways were crowded with passing fishing boats. He planned to wait until the new year arrived and the Yun family delivered the fry before making his move.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Seven days passed in a flash.

With the start of the new year, Chen Jianghe turned seventeen.

The Yun family had also distributed the fry to the various waters, signaling the start of a new farming season for the basic-level fishermen and farmers. Given the Yun family’s sheer indifference toward the tragic deaths of over a hundred basic-level fishermen and farmers, it was evident that the outer waters never suffered a shortage of laborers.

Working as a basic-level fisherman and farmer for the Yun family might offer meager pay, but it provided stability and opportunities for promotion. More importantly, staying within the waters and ports of Jingyue Lake meant enjoying the Yun family’s protection, keeping one’s life secure.

While occasionally sitting at the bow to bask in the sun, Chen Jianghe noticed quite a few new faces rowing past the waterway in front of his territory. It seemed the quota for basic-level fishermen and farmers in the outer waters had been filled.

One day, after releasing his large cyan fish fry into the lake, Chen Jianghe stripped off his coarse tunic and dove from the bow into the water.

Now that the fry had been distributed, all the fishermen and farmers were busy with their own aquaculture tasks. The lake’s waterways were mostly devoid of passing boats.

It was time to give Little Black the Spirit Awakening Pill.

Because he cultivated the Returning Origin True Water Technique, Chen Jianghe possessed a strong affinity for water. Furthermore, as a fisherman and farmer, his swimming skills were already excellent.

The Returning Origin True Water Technique was a dime-a-dozen water element cultivation technique, but it still included several water element minor spells. These included the Small Water Control Technique, Water Avoidance Curse, Water Arrow Technique, Small Cloud Rain Skill, and about seven or eight others.

He cast a Water Avoidance Curse. Water element magic power flowed from his Dantian, passing through the Shanzhong and Tiantu acupoints before exiting through his Baihui at the crown of his head. The energy formed a skin-tight qi barrier that enveloped his head, allowing him to see and breathe freely underwater. This limitation was due to his low cultivation and shallow magic power. Otherwise, a fully mastered Water Avoidance Curse would have completely shielded his body, meaning he would not have needed to undress at all as the lake water wouldn’t have been able to dampen his clothes.

In the lake, he was like a fish in water. He swam with effortless grace and incredible speed, darting through the depths like a sharp arrow.

"Little Black, time for your reward."

Chen Jianghe transmitted a signal to Little Black via the Spirit Turtle Mark on his Spirit Platform, using his divine sense.

Before long, a washbasin-sized turtle paddled toward him. Its shell was as dark as Kunlun Ink Jade, and its short limbs churned the water, creating bronze-colored ripples. It stretched out its large head, its bean-sized eyes gleaming with a faint green light.

"BLUB BLUB..."

Little Black swam right up to Chen Jianghe, spinning in excited circles and emitting a trilling sound.

"Don’t be in such a hurry. I promised you a reward, and I’ll keep my word."

Chen Jianghe focused his heart and mind, transmitting his voice directly through the Spirit Platform. Judging by Little Black’s reactions, it possessed a rudimentary level of spiritual wisdom, though not quite enough to sense spiritual qi.

Chen Jianghe had already looked into Little Black’s species. The Black Crystal Profound Turtle—a highly intimidating name for what was, in reality, the most common species of turtle in Jingyue Lake. They possessed average spiritual wisdom and could not absorb spiritual qi. Because their meat lacked any trace of it, they weren’t even considered fit for the dining table.

However, the Black Crystal Profound Turtle did possess one defining trait: an incredibly long lifespan. An ordinary mortal family could keep one as a pet, and it would easily outlive over a dozen generations. It could even outlast a Foundation Establishment Ancestor in a waiting game with death.

"Open up," Chen Jianghe commanded. He then retrieved the prepared Spirit Awakening Pill and tossed it directly into the turtle’s waiting maw.

"SPLASH SPLASH!"

After gulping down the Spirit Awakening Pill, Little Black paddled furiously with its stubby limbs, excitedly swimming in circles around Chen Jianghe. It seemed to be expressing its sheer joy.

The Spirit Awakening Pill was effective at unlocking the spiritual wisdom of beasts, but it required time. It would take roughly two to three months to see any real results.

The Black Crystal Profound Turtle’s natural aptitude was dreadful—worse even than that of a large cyan fish. Even after its spiritual wisdom was awakened, its cultivation speed would be agonizingly slow. Chen Jianghe figured that Little Black’s progress wouldn’t even match his own sluggish pace as a cultivator with a five-element mixed spirit root. Reaching the entry tier to become a true spirit beast without the aid of elixirs would take three to five years at the absolute minimum.

He simply lacked the financial means to purchase a Spirit-Encompassing Pill. A single Spirit-Encompassing Pill cost three spirit stones, an amount that would take him at least five years to save up. By that time, even if Little Black hadn’t reached the entry tier, it would be extremely close. Feeding it a Spirit-Encompassing Pill then would feel like a complete waste.

"Little Black, for the next five years, if the large cyan fish you tend to grow as big as the ones you raised last year, I’ll reward you with a Qi Nourishing Pill."

Chen Jianghe mulled it over. Ultimately, using a Qi Nourishing Pill as an incentive was far more cost-effective. Spirit-Encompassing Pills were simply too expensive. Furthermore, if Little Black reached the entry tier on its own within five years, the pill would be completely unnecessary.

Qi Nourishing Pills, on the other hand, cost only two spirit stones apiece. If Little Black still hadn’t broken through to become a full-fledged spirit beast after five years, a Qi Nourishing Pill would be more than enough to push it over the edge. That would save him an entire spirit stone. And even if Little Black managed to break through on its own, a Qi Nourishing Pill would still help boost its cultivation, offering incredible value.

Currently, he was only a basic-level fisherman and farmer with a First-Layer Qi Refining cultivation base. With no alternative streams of income, he had to be as frugal as possible. Besides, over a span of five years, Little Black would help him earn at least four spirit stones. Rewarding it with a two-spirit-stone Qi Nourishing Pill was entirely reasonable. Once Little Black reached the entry tier, its already immense lifespan limit would shatter, and the ultimate beneficiary of its growth would be Chen Jianghe himself.

"BLUB BLUB..."

Having understood the message Chen Jianghe conveyed, the green light in Little Black’s beady eyes immediately burned brighter. It stretched its large maw wide open, making excited noises and blowing a stream of bubbles.

Chen Jianghe was incredibly satisfied with Little Black’s response. He patted its ink jade-like shell and deliberately mimicked the pompous tone Yun Bufan had used at the assembly.

"As long as you follow my orders, you will receive countless rewards in the future. I will undoubtedly mold you into the first true spirit turtle of your kind. You will bring glory to your ancestors, and I’ll even write you a standalone page in the genealogy book!"