In the courtyard.
Jiang Li and Liu Wanwan's attention was drawn to the old turtle on the ground.
Ever since the turtle had spoken, their eyes hadn't left it.
"Little brother, how can this little turtle talk?" Jiang Li asked.
"You're the little turtle!!!" the old turtle muttered under its breath.
With a thought, its body rapidly expanded, growing to the size of two or three pounds in the blink of an eye.
Witnessing this, Jiang Li's eyes widened even further.
Jiang Ning glanced down at the turtle and explained, "This old turtle is a little spirit creature from Luoshui Lake that has gained sentience. Since it's awakened its intelligence, it's natural for it to speak human language as a minor spirit."
"A spirit creature?" Jiang Li was even more astonished.
He stared in disbelief at the old turtle at Jiang Ning's feet.
A legendary spirit creature was now alive and right before his eyes.
After a moment, he shook his head slightly, suppressing his shock.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ning could feel the effects of the electric eel's flesh entering his body.
Apart from being incredibly delicious, it was also highly nourishing.
As the fish meat was digested in his stomach, waves of warmth spread through his limbs and bones.
However, in this regard, it didn't feel as potent as the flesh of the white dragonfish.
At the same time, he could sense that the fish meat was rich in energy, making it highly satiating.
Beyond that, there were no other noticeable changes.
This reassured him.
Based on his personal experience, ordinary people could also eat this fish meat it had the effect of strengthening the body.
"Sister-in-law, I'll leave the fish to you to prepare. But remember not to cook too much at once it's not easy to digest!"
"Understood!" Liu Wanwan nodded.
Jiang Ning then nudged the old turtle on the ground with his foot.
"Come with me!"
"Uncle, can I play with the little turtle?" Little Doubao tugged at Jiang Ning's sleeve, her face full of pleading.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning glanced down at the old turtle.
Then he nodded.
"Yay! I love you the most, Uncle!!" Little Doubao cheered, her two little braids bouncing with excitement.
Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile, ruffling her hair.
Then he turned to the old turtle: "Keep my little niece company. When we get back, I'll give you something good that can boost your cultivation!"
Hearing this, the old turtle's previously dull eyes instantly lit up, and it nodded repeatedly.
"No problem!"
"I'll make sure to serve the little mistress well!!"
It looked as if it was afraid Jiang Ning might go back on his word.
Jiang Ning chuckled at this, then headed back to his courtyard.
Once in his courtyard, he took out three pieces of Lunar Yin Stone and placed them on the table.
His mind flashed back to what he had seen earlier in the old turtle's den at the bottom of the lake.
Amid the swirling silver liquid, a thread of golden, pure Lunar Essence flowed like silk.
From what he understood, the silver liquid was diluted Lunar Essence its effects were far inferior to the real thing.
The golden thread-like substance, however, was the purest form of Lunar Essence.
It matched the descriptions in ancient texts exactly.
For birds, beasts, flowers, and trees, this was a miraculous substance that could awaken their intelligence.
Even for him, it was a truly valuable treasure.
From today's discovery, he now knew how true Lunar Essence was formed.
"I wonder how these fragments that produce Lunar Essence ended up in Luoshui Lake in the first place?" Jiang Ning murmured to himself.
He then examined the three Lunar Yin Stones one large and two small.
The largest one was part of today's haul.
At that moment, his expression froze, his eyes narrowing.
The three Lunar Yin Stones, placed together, were now emitting a faint, silvery glow and were gradually merging.
The largest one was absorbing the two smaller ones.
Seeing this, he stored all three Lunar Yin Stones in his spatial ring, stacking them together.
"I'll check again tomorrow!" he decided.
Then he turned his attention to his panel.
[Source Energy]: 611.17
By tomorrow, his Source Energy points should easily surpass a thousand.
With that, the Water Affinity skill could be upgraded, undoubtedly enhancing his abilities underwater and improving his efficiency in searching for rare treasures.
He picked up a book from the table and continued reading to gain more experience in Literacy.
At this stage, he understood the importance of mental strength more than ever.
Since he had nothing else pressing to do, reading was the best use of his time.
Among all his skills, none seemed as crucial as Literacy, which boosted his mental strength.
Moreover, it was directly tied to his efficiency in treasure hunting underwater.
Nighttime.
In the main hall.
Outside the window, light snowflakes drifted down.
Jiang Ning and the others sat around a round table, enjoying a steaming hot pot, its aroma filling the air.
Little Doubao sat to Jiang Ning's left, swinging her legs excitedly.
Jiang Li sat to his right, a pot of wine already warmed and ready.
"Ah Ning, have a bowl of fish soup before drinking!" Liu Wanwan handed him a bowl of milky-white broth.
Just by smelling the aroma, Jiang Ning knew it was the fish soup made from that electric eel.
"Thank you, sister-in-law!" Jiang Ning stood up to take the bowl.
Liu Wanwan smiled and then served several more bowls of fish soup.
Even the old turtle had a large bowl placed in front of it.
At that moment, the old turtle had its hind legs propped on the chair, its front legs gripping the edge of the table, its neck stretched long as it buried its head in the fish soup, drinking heartily.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning couldn't help but chuckle.
He had brought the old turtle back mainly because it was obedient. Having a little demon like this at home meant it could offer some protection when he was away.
He couldn't stay at home all the time he often had to go out.
In the future, if he made enemies...
As the saying goes, "It's easy to dodge an open attack, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow."
He might be fine, unafraid of any threats, but his elder brother and sister-in-law, his little niece Jiang Yuanyuan, and nephew Jiang Yiming were different.
Their abilities were limited, and if they faced enemies provoked by him, they wouldn't have the means to protect themselves or fight back.
Though the old turtle was currently just a minor demon with a little over two hundred years of cultivation, even that was quite formidable in the present day.
Judging by the strength displayed by the electric eel, the old turtle's power was no weaker than a peak sixth-grade martial artist.
Such strength was already remarkable in these times.
Moreover, he could further nurture and enhance its abilities.
With the divine bloodline's ability to control subordinates, as long as he lived, he had no fear of the old turtle betraying him.
As his thoughts wandered, Jiang Ning picked up the wine jug and filled his bowl as well as Jiang Li's.
Just then, the old turtle raised its head, its eyes widening in shock.
It saw countless silver stars shimmering in the wine, emitting an irresistible allure.
This scent was something it had been intimately familiar with for over two hundred years how could it not recognize it?
"Master, I want some too!" The old turtle immediately stretched its neck eagerly.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning picked up the wine jug again.
"Young Master, let me do it."
Lü Yi quickly stood up beside him.
"Mm." Jiang Ning nodded.
Lü Yi took the warmed wine jug and walked over to the old turtle.
"Thank you, miss! You look as kind as you are beautiful you must be a virtuous and gentle lady!"
The old turtle had just heard Lü Yi's address to Jiang Ning. As a creature that had lived for over two hundred years, even if it hadn't interacted much with human society, it understood that this green-clad maiden was its master's maid.
As the saying goes, "A prime minister's doorman is equivalent to a seventh-rank official."
Since she was a maid serving her master, its status was undoubtedly special.
Thus, the old turtle offered its praise.
Lü Yi's lips curled into a faint smile.
After filling a bowl with wine, the old turtle immediately dipped its head in and took a deep sip.
The wine carried the flavor of the "Emperor's Nectar," leaving it utterly intoxicated.
It suddenly felt that this leisurely, comfortable life wasn't so bad.
No longer did it have to live in constant fear in the lake.
Having lived in the lake for over a hundred years, it had witnessed no fewer than ten life-threatening dangers.
Most recently, it had encountered a great demon twice the great demon White Chi, a creature with the bloodline of an ancient white dragon, boasting over a thousand years of cultivation.
Both encounters had made it feel like death looming overhead.
It was precisely because of these two encounters with the great demon White Chi that it felt utterly unsafe.
To strengthen its ability to protect itself, it had risked venturing into the territory of the Thunder Eel, hoping to seize the heavenly treasure the eel guarded and thereby increase its cultivation.
Now, though it had found a master, after witnessing Jiang Ning's power, it harbored no thoughts of rebellion.
For demons, the law of the jungle was the natural order. Submitting to a stronger being was no disgrace.
Especially since it knew Jiang Ning's blood contained a miraculous power one that could rapidly enhance its cultivation. This made the old turtle even more loyal.
The feast lasted a full two hours before it ended.
Jiang Ning had eaten until his tongue tingled.
The meat of an ordinary electric eel was already delicious.
Let alone one that had become a demon with over two hundred years of cultivation.
The elevation in its life essence meant the eel's flesh was packed with potent energy, making it highly nourishing for the human body.
This also enhanced the meat's flavor.
Even without any seasoning, simply roasting it would have been delicious.
But now, after Liu Wanwan's culinary skills and the addition of various seasonings, the eel hotpot had become extraordinarily savory.
By the time he returned to his room, the sky had long since darkened.
"Master!" The old turtle looked at Jiang Ning with delight.
"Old Turtle, from now on, stay here and protect my family. What do you think?" Jiang Ning asked seriously.
He had always been very concerned about the safety of his elder brother and sister-in-law's family.
They were his only connection in this world, his roots.
Without this bond, he would feel no sense of belonging to this world.
The kindness of family is unconditional and the purest form of affection.
The kindness of others, after all, always comes with expectations and is never as pure.
Take Wang Jin, for example.
If he were just an ordinary person, like those average outer disciples in the martial arts school, would Wang Jin have treated him so well later on?
When it came to pure affection, no one could compare to Jiang Li and Liu Wanwan.
At the same time.
The old turtle, sensing Jiang Ning's gaze, inexplicably felt a wave of pressure.
"No problem, Master!" the old turtle replied.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning smiled in relief.
Then, he stirred the inner energy within his body, causing blood to slowly seep from his veins and gather at his fingertips.
"Old turtle, since you played with my little niece earlier, this is your reward!" Jiang Ning said.
The old turtle immediately opened its mouth, brimming with excitement.
During the day, it had personally experienced the miraculous effects of Jiang Ning's blood, which had increased its cultivation by two years.
Two years of cultivation what kind of improvement was that?
After all, it had lived for over two hundred years, yet its cultivation had barely surpassed two hundred.
Two years of cultivation would normally take two full years to achieve.
Yet today, it has gained that much in such a short time.
The next moment, drops of blood fell into the old turtle's mouth.
Only when Jiang Ning stopped feeding it did the turtle close its mouth and retreat to the side to quietly digest.
Jiang Ning, meanwhile, picked up a book and began reading alone.
His literacy experience points also began to rise steadily.
Early the next morning.
The sky was just beginning to lighten.
Jiang Ning opened his eyes.
[Source Energy]: 2793.67
"So much!!"
Seeing the surge in Source Energy points, his pupils couldn't help but contract.
In just one day, his Source Energy had increased by over two thousand points.
This far exceeded his expectations.
"Nothing beats serendipitous encounters!" Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.
The gains from yesterday were all thanks to fortuitous opportunities.
Finding the Stellar Sap and that piece of Lunar Yin Stone was one such opportunity.
And through the old turtle, he had discovered the Thunderclap Tree another stroke of luck.
Thinking of the Lunar Yin Stone, he immediately channeled his spiritual sense into the spatial ring on his hand.
He remembered that the Lunar Yin Stone had undergone some changes the day before.
The next moment.
A dark, egg-sized, unremarkable black stone appeared in his palm.
Had they merged?
A hint of surprise flickered across his face.
He scanned the spatial ring repeatedly with his spiritual sense but found no other Lunar Yin Stones of any shape.
He then examined the dull black stone in his hand again.
It felt slightly cool to the touch, no different from an ordinary river pebble.
Whether in texture or visual appearance, it was indistinguishable from a regular stone.
If not for his knowledge of the Lunar Yin Stone's wonders, anyone else would have missed its secrets entirely.
Next.
He took out a larger wine jar from his spatial ring.
The previous jar's opening had been too small to accommodate the now-larger Lunar Yin Stone.
After placing the tripled Lunar Yin Stone into the jar and letting it sink to the bottom,
he peered through the mouth of the jar and saw the previously unremarkable black stone now emitting silvery starlight. Thin strands of silver mist seeped out of the stone, silently merging into the wine.
"Tripled, the effect should be even stronger now!"
"If left for long enough, it might even condense into true Stellar Sap golden Stellar Sap!"
He promptly stored the jar away, deciding not to drink from it for the time being.
Having tasted a wisp of genuine Stellar Sap the day before and witnessing today's staggering increase in Source Energy, he couldn't help but hold the Stellar Sap in higher regard.
Then.
He opened his panel again.
[Source Energy]: 2793.67
[Skills]:
Literacy (6th Breakthrough 418/7000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses, Quick Thinking, Exceptional Comprehension, Heavenly Eye, Transcendent Sixth Sense)
Firewood Chopping Blade Technique+ (6th Breakthrough 7000/7000) (Traits: Versatility, Saber Like Thunder, Mastery of the Saber, Unity of Man and Saber, Natural Saber Talent)
Water Affinity+ (6th Breakthrough 7000/7000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation+, Water Affinity, Rain Summoning, Water Spirit Body)
Currently, only two skills on his panel met the requirements for a breakthrough.
Firewood Chopping Blade Technique and Water Affinity.
Both skills required 1,000 Source Energy points each.
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