The lotus leaves swayed gently, and the lotus blossoms unfolded.
Li Quanqing stood calmly on the water's surface, casting handfuls of spirit bait into the pond. The breeze carried the scent of nourishment, and thousands of fish stirred below. The water's surface rippled with gleaming green backs, a glittering display of aquatic life.
The scene was beautiful—sparkling ripples under golden sunlight—but not all was peaceful.
Despite the lure of bait, over a dozen stubborn black carps surfaced, launching water arrows one after another. Their attacks came with almost gleeful intent, their beady eyes shining with mischief.
"Outrageous," Li Quanqing muttered, dodging the attacks with minimal effort. "Two more days, and I'm selling the lot of you for spirit sand!"
Big black carps weren't particularly valuable. One fetched just a single piece of spirit sand. A hundred spirit sands were needed to exchange for one low-grade spirit stone.
The true pride of the Li family wasn't these unruly fish—but the legendary Qingyu Carps.
Moouuu—Moouuu—!
A low, almost bovine call echoed across the water. The fish below stirred instantly. As if in reverence, they parted to open a clear path.
Two green jade carps rose slowly to the surface, moving with elegance and calm. Sunlight shimmered off their jade-like scales. Though only forearm-length, their bodies radiated faint demonic qi and undeniable spiritual energy.
Compared to the black carp, this was the difference between mortals and cultivators.
They might appear similar, but in essence, they were entirely different beings.
Li Quanqing smiled as he watched the twin fish ascend, then took out a pouch of specially prepared premium bait.
Qingyu Carps were incredibly valuable: their flesh was richer and more nourishing than spiritual rice; their blood could be used in making high-grade spirit ink; bones and tendons went into medicinal salves, and their scales—thin, durable, and spiritually conductive—were prized in the creation of magical tools.
A single early-stage Qi Refining Qingyu Carp could sell for three to ten spirit stones.
These two—a male and a female—were starter benefits from the family. Every Li clan member over the age of fifteen received a pair of fingerlings. Any additional fish had to be earned through contributions or purchased with spirit stones.
After feeding the pair, Li Quanqing gently touched their scales.
[Optimistic and Cheerful] Qingyu Carp: "I feel beautiful again! When can I have babies~"
[Maturity: 98%]
[Gluttonous and Lazy] Qingyu Carp: "Eat, eat~ Sleep, sleep~ Phew, I almost starved!"
[Maturity: 94%]
This was another of Li Quanqing's golden finger abilities: by touching a spiritual beast, he could read its mental state and maturity level.
Of course, he didn't bother using it on the black carps—there were far too many of them to care.
"Eat, eat, eat! You eat so much every day, and yet your maturity barely increases?"
He clenched his fists in silent frustration, glaring at the male Qingyu Carp. "You're a demon! You're not allowed to be lazy!"
If the spirit fish didn't pull their weight, how was he supposed to earn enough to become a weapon refiner?
He gently stroked the female fish again, her glistening scales calming him. "At least you're not like him. You grow quickly and even think of your owner."
Once she matured fully and laid eggs, he wouldn't need to buy more fry from the clan. That alone would save him a fortune in spirit stones.
It took over an hour to finish feeding the twenty-acre pond.
Knowing how precious cultivation time was, Li Quanqing immediately sat down cross-legged on the lotus platform. His eyes closed, his posture upright, he entered into meditation.
"Open the meridians."
Spiritual energy from the pond flowed into him with each breath, refined slowly through his body and into his dantian.
In this world, all humans were born with five spiritual roots—but their quality varied.
Li Quanqing had a medium-grade water root, and low-grade wood and metal roots. His fire and earth roots were too weak to even register on the spirit-testing platform.
Those born without qualified roots—or without a special physique—were destined to remain mortal.
Thankfully, metal nourishes water. His current cultivation technique, the Li clan's "Gold and Water Sutra", allowed for steady progress.
Still, if he ever hoped to build a foundation, he would need to switch to a more advanced Daoist scripture.
By the time he finished cultivating, the sun had reached its zenith.
Li Quanqing opened his eyes and exhaled slowly. "Half a day of training… and I barely refined a third of a spiritual energy ball."
He sighed, taking out some dried rations and eating slowly.
Without his golden finger, he might never rise beyond late-stage Qi Refining.
Just then, a voice echoed from outside the formation.
"Quanqing, having lunch?"
The familiar tone made his heart sink.
Why is this guy here?
A thin middle-aged man stood at the bow of a small boat, holding two plump blue-scaled fish. His expression was tight, his energy suppressed.
"Not even a greeting for your uncle?" the man asked, touching the boundary of the formation with a forced smile.
Li Yuheng.
Li Quanqing's maternal uncle.
This man had hardly shown up since his parents died. Seeing him now brought a tight knot to his chest.
"Uncle, do you need something?" Li Quanqing asked calmly, dissolving the formation and allowing him to enter.
His father had once been a mortal, later found to have spiritual roots. His mother came from the Li clan's immortal line—descended from a long-declined Foundation Establishment ancestor.
Li Yuheng walked in, awkwardly rubbing his hands. "Fish harvest's been good lately. Your aunt insisted I bring you some to taste."
Li Quanqing stared at the flopping black carps and sighed. "Uncle, just tell me what you really want."
Li Yuheng grimaced. "There's a celestial ruin near the sea. I want to try exploring it, but… I'm short on spirit stones."
Exploring ancient ruins was dangerous and expensive. Magical items, armor, talismans, and pills—each consumed resources.
Li Quanqing's expression turned cold. "My parents died fighting sea monsters. Their storage bag was lost. Where do you expect me to get spirit stones?"
Li Yuheng laughed weakly. "But your mother left behind contribution points in the family register. We can use them as collateral and get a few hundred stones—just a temporary loan."
Seeing Li Quanqing's deepening frown, he added hastily, "I'll use the title deed to my fish pond in District B as collateral. You won't suffer a loss."
That got Li Quanqing's attention.
The Li clan's territory stretched across thousands of miles of sea, divided into eight zones—A through Xin. The first four were reserved for core family, the rest leased to outsiders.
District B had rich spiritual energy, perfect for raising mid- to late-stage Qingyu Carp Kings and high-tier spirit beasts.
Li Quanqing's mind stirred.
"Bring me the deed."
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(End of Chapter)