Inside the palace.
Standing before the ice-sealed wall, feeling the bone-chilling cold emanating from the frost, Jiang Ning raised his fist and struck.
Boom
As his fist landed, the ice layer shattered instantly. He then retrieved a bluish-black scale embedded within the ice.
"Old Turtle, sense this how many years of cultivation does the owner of this scale have?"
"Yes, Master!" The old turtle immediately responded.
It took the bluish-black scale from Jiang Ning's hand and carefully sniffed it.
"Master, it's also around three hundred years of cultivation!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded slightly.
"It seems the demons here aren't particularly advanced in their cultivation," he mused to himself.
The old turtle and that electric eel both had just over two hundred years of cultivation, and they had posed no resistance against him.
A three-hundred-year cultivation was only a few decades or a century higher than the turtle and the eel. At best, their strength would be comparable to the fifth-grade Inner Strength Realm and most likely still inferior to him.
Then, keeping his Heavenly Eye active, he swept his gaze around and suddenly focused.
The subtle shift in his expression was noticed by the old turtle, who had been secretly observing him.
"Master, have you discovered something new?"
The old turtle discreetly tucked the bluish scale into its shell and paddled closer with its limbs.
"I have indeed found something new!" Jiang Ning smiled faintly.
With his Heavenly Eye, he spotted a fish hidden beneath the buried soil of the ruins a fish no larger than a palm.
In a flash, he appeared above where the fish was concealed.
"Old Turtle, dig down three meters!" Jiang Ning commanded.
"Right away, Master!!" Seeing that Jiang Ning didn't seem to mind it hiding the scale, the old turtle eagerly scurried over.
Once it reached the spot, its body began to expand.
In the blink of an eye, the turtle grew to a length of three feet.
It started digging with its front limbs, the compact soil yielding like soft tofu under its claws.
"Don't kill me!!"
"Please don't kill me!!!"
Just as it had dug about two meters deep, a trembling voice rang out from beneath the soil.
The voice was surprisingly melodious and clear, distinctly feminine.
This was a female fish.
"Come out," Jiang Ning said.
There was no movement from below.
Underneath the soil, a dragon carp with golden-red scales and a tail like crimson clouds trembled uncontrollably.
She was utterly terrified.
She didn't know if that demonic dragon had returned.
"If you don't come out, I'll come down there myself!" The threatening tone from above made the dragon carp shiver again, the red clouds on her tail quivering like chaff.
A moment later, she shut her eyes, flicked her tail, and broke free from the soil's grasp.
Above the pit.
Jiang Ning saw the soil in the hole dug by the old turtle tremble slightly.
Then, a gold-and-red fish head poked out.
The fish's eyes were noticeably protruding, with what looked like crimson clouds serving as eyeshadow beneath them.
Soon, the palm-sized fish fully emerged from the soil, appearing in Jiang Ning's line of sight.
The small fish was entirely covered in golden-red scales, its tail fin resembling red clouds. In the dim underwater pit, the fish shimmered like a gem, emitting a faint glow.
A flash of amazement crossed Jiang Ning's eyes.
He had never seen such a beautiful carp before.
This was a dragon carp!
He recalled records from ancient texts.
Small in size, tail-like crimson clouds, body covered in golden-red scales.
Based on his memories, Jiang Ning recognized that this matched the descriptions of a dragon carp almost perfectly.
A trace of surprise flickered in his heart.
According to the texts, dragon carp possessed extraordinary bloodline traits legend had it they carried the blood of true dragons.
This meant the dragon carp had the potential to evolve into a true dragon.
"H-Hello!!" The dragon carp, having emerged from the soil, grew nervous upon seeing Jiang Ning and the old turtle above the pit.
"Little demon, how many years of cultivation do you have?" Jiang Ning asked.
"T-Twenty... twenty-three years!" The dragon carp stammered, looking up at Jiang Ning, who loomed over her like a mountain.
"Pathetic," the old turtle muttered beside them.
"Y-Yes... very weak," the dragon carp admitted, her cloud-like tail fin drooping.
"Come here. I won't hurt you," Jiang Ning said, soothing the tiny dragon carp.
He knew that this survivor must have witnessed much of what had happened here.
After taking in the old turtle, Jiang Ning was now deeply intrigued by this dragon carp.
With its innate extraordinary bloodline, the dragon carp's growth potential far surpassed that of an ordinary turtle like the old one.
Such a creature, both promising in power and visually stunning, stirred a strong desire in him.
At that moment, hearing Jiang Ning's words, the dragon carp cautiously swam toward him, trembling all the way.
She could sense that both the turtle and the human before her were beings she couldn't afford to provoke.
Her small frame was no match for them.
"Here, let me give you something good to eat!" Jiang Ning extended his finger, a drop of blood condensing at its tip. The lake water parted automatically under his control.
Seeing this, the dragon carp looked at Jiang Ning in confusion, then at the drop of blood on his fingertip, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
She didn't understand why this human man was offering her his blood to drink.
The next moment, it seemed the dragon carp recalled a rumor she'd once heard.
She immediately shook her head vigorously.
"No!"
"I'm a good spirit! I don't eat meat, only plants!"
"Don't test me! I'm a good spirit, not an evil one I've never harmed a single human!!"
As she spoke, Jiang Ning could hear the tremor of fear in her voice.
The dragon carp was utterly terrified.
She remembered the stories Old Turtle had told her about entrapment.
This made her think of Jiang Ning's current actions.
Jiang Ning: "..."
Watching the dragon carp shake her head frantically, on the verge of tears, he couldn't help but feel a wave of exasperation.
"Master, no need to waste time with this little carp I'll handle it!" The old turtle hopped in front of the dragon carp.
With a swipe of its front limb, it firmly pinned the dragon carp in place.
"Nooo! Nooo!!" The dragon carp grew even more frightened, struggling desperately in the old turtle's grip, her crimson tail fin flailing like a streak of red clouds.
By now, the old turtle had already grasped Jiang Ning's intention.
Holding the dragon carp steady, it pressed her against Jiang Ning's bloodied fingertip.
"Mmm" The dragon carp clamped onto Jiang Ning's finger, her eyes widening.
As the blood entered her mouth, it quickly seeped into her body.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning continued circulating his inner energy, forcing more blood from his veins, drop by drop, into the dragon carp's body.
After feeding her about ten drops of blood,
he figured it was enough.
Only then did he stop.
At this moment,
as he withdrew his finger from the dragon carp's mouth, she began thrashing wildly in the water.
"So hot!"
"So hot!!"
"I'm burning up!!"
"I'm gonna be cooked alive!!!"
The dragon carp rolled frantically, one moment "whooshing" into the lakebed, the next "whooshing" up to Jiang Ning's head.
She looked like a dazzling streak of clouds churning in the water.
"Master, this dragon carp's bloodline is incredibly pure!" The old turtle perched on Jiang Ning's shoulder, its tone full of amazement.
"Old Turtle, you're quite generous," Jiang Ning remarked.
As he spoke, he flicked a few more drops of blood toward the old turtle.
The old turtle immediately stretched out its neck with a "whoosh."
In the blink of an eye, the drops of blood were swept into its mouth.
"Master's thoughts are this old turtle's thoughts!" It swayed its head, savoring the sensation.
After swallowing Jiang Ning's blood, it could feel its cultivation growing as it refined the energy.
A long while later,
the dragon carp wobbled unsteadily over to Jiang Ning.
Now, her colors were even more vibrant. Her gold-and-red scales shimmered brilliantly in the dim lake depths, stunning to behold.
Her crimson tail fin also glowed faintly, like a wisp of rosy clouds.
"Thank you... you're a good person!!" the dragon carp said timidly.
She swam up to Jiang Ning, curiosity drawing her closer.
Now, she felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity emanating from him. Being near Jiang Ning filled her with calm, and all her earlier fear had vanished.
Hearing her words, Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile.
He extended a finger, and the dragon carp immediately understood, pressing her head against his fingertip.
As Jiang Ning gently stroked her, she half-closed her eyes, basking in the comfort.
Jiang Ning, too, quietly sensed the dragon carp's emotions.
Through the divine mark of the Divine's Scion, he could feel her calmness, her budding trust in him.
This change didn't surprise him.
The authority of the Divine's Scion naturally fostered closeness and trust it was a gradual, inevitable shift.
Like how most creatures instinctively bond with the first being they see upon birth.
"Do you have a name?" Jiang Ning asked.
"I do!" The dragon carp lifted her head proudly. "Grandpa Turtle gave me a beautiful name I'm Linglong."
"Linglong?" Jiang Ning chuckled. "It is lovely!"
Pleased by the praise, the dragon carp wagged her crimson tail fin happily.
Sensing her joy, Jiang Ning smiled faintly.
Then
"Linglong, who is this Grandpa Turtle you mentioned?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Grandpa Turtle..." Linglong murmured, her lively eyes instantly dimming, her voice tinged with sorrow.
She seemed lost in painful memories.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning didn't rush her, quietly waiting for Linglong to process her grief.
After a moment.
Linglong raised her head, her bright eyes adorned with eye shadow like crimson clouds.
"Father, Grandpa Turtle is"
"Stop! Stop! Stop!!!" Jiang Ning quickly interrupted Linglong.
Seeing the confusion in Linglong's eyes, Jiang Ning said, "Linglong, let's change how you address me."
"Change how I address you..." Linglong looked up at Jiang Ning. "Master, is that okay?"
"That works!" Jiang Ning nodded, inwardly letting out a sigh of relief.
After all, he wasn't even married yet!
He hadn't even found a wife yet!
Yet suddenly, he had become a father and a fish, no less. That was something he absolutely couldn't accept.
At this moment, the dragon carp, seeing Jiang Ning's agreement, continued without much concern.
"Master, Grandpa Turtle was a turtle who lived for over 500 years. He was very kind to me, so very kind!!"
"A few days ago, he told me to hide well in the mud, but he went to face that great demon."
Jiang Ning asked, "Was it the great demon White Chi?"
"Master, I don't know!" Linglong shook her head.
Then she said, "I only saw that it was a massive white dragon."
"Did that white dragon have horns?" Jiang Ning pressed.
Linglong thought for a moment before shaking her head again. "It didn't seem to have horns."
"My lord, a white dragon without horns must be the great demon White Chi I saw earlier," the old turtle interjected.
"Mm." Jiang Ning nodded in agreement.
After a pause, he retrieved the turtle shell he had stored in his spatial ring.
"Linglong, do you recognize this shell?"
"It's... it's Grandpa Turtle!!" The dragon carp fluttered her crimson tail fins and pressed against the shell, her voice thick with sorrow.
Then, two glistening teardrops, like pearls, rolled from her eyes.
Jiang Ning understood.
This place had originally been a gathering spot for minor demons who had attained sentience. But some time ago, the great demon White Chi had invaded and wreaked havoc, slaughtering and devouring them to refine their essence.
A millennium-old great demon was far beyond what these few hundred-year-old minor demons could resist. Thus, in the blink of an eye, the gathering spot was utterly destroyed.
The reason this dragon carp had survived was likely because she had hidden herself well, and her cultivation was too low to draw the great demon White Chi's attention.
"Linglong, what are your plans from now on?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Master, I want to avenge Grandpa Turtle!" The dragon carp clung to the shell and looked up at Jiang Ning.
"Perhaps that day will come," Jiang Ning said, thinking of the noble bloodline of the dragon carp.
The next evening.
The bright moonlight spilled over the rocky shore.
The lake's surface rippled gently, shimmering like silver scales.
Jiang Ning emerged from the water and stepped onto the shore.
He murmured to himself before closing the panel.
The past two days have been highly rewarding.
Not only had he subdued a dragon carp, but he had also found several century-old heavenly treasures today.
Additionally, he had acquired gold, silver, and jewels worth over 200,000 taels.
These treasures had been found in the gathering spots of two underwater demon clans.
Apart from the one where Linglong had lived, he had also discovered another gathering spot under her guidance.
Compared to Linglong's former home, the other underwater demon clan's gathering spot was in even worse shape completely reduced to ruins.
From the traces left behind, it was the work of the great demon White Chi.
That demon, in its frenzy to increase its cultivation, had rampaged through the lake, slaughtering all living creatures and refining them.
"This great demon White Chi is now wreaking havoc in the lake. Given its madness, I wonder if it might eventually come ashore and unleash a wave of bloodshed along the shores of Luoshui Lake?"
The thought made Jiang Ning feel it was entirely possible.
According to ancient texts, demons had once regarded humans as prey.
Not only did humans taste delicious to them, but devouring them was also a way for demons to enhance their cultivation.
Slaughtering and refining living beings was one of the fastest ways to grow stronger a method widely practiced in ancient times.
Take the gathering spot where Linglong had lived. The aquatic creatures that had gained sentience and become demons long ago, fearing the strength of modern humans, had not dared to slaughter and refine human lives for centuries. Without the opportunities the old turtle and the electric eel had stumbled upon, even someone like Linglong's "Grandpa Turtle," despite living for 500 or 600 years, had only managed to cultivate for a little over 300 years.
And that was with the help of the lake's abundant heavenly treasures.
Without the lake's unique, secluded environment, their cultivation progress would have been even slower.
Speaking of which, a few days ago, my elder brother and sister-in-law mentioned that once the weather warmed and the snow on the roads melted, they planned to take Little Doubao and Yiming to visit relatives in the prefectural city.
Now, after several days of clear weather, Luoshui Lake has completely thawed.
The official roads should be passable again.
This would be a good time to accompany my elder brother and sister-in-law on their trip to the prefectural city.
Counting the days, the imperial examinations are about a month away.
Before that, I'll need to spend some time training at the Martial Academy.
With that in mind, Jiang Ning quickened his pace toward home.
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