The Giant Python in the Lake (Please Bookmark, Please Vote)

That day, a familiar visitor arrived at Azure Stone Mountain.

The visitor was none other than Ling Ruguo, who had escorted over three thousand mortal clansmen from Xia Zhi Mountain to settle around Azure Stone Mountain several months ago. His main purpose in coming was to deliver Ling Pengyun's stipend for the coming half year.

For clansmen sent out on assignment, the Ling Clan distributed six months' worth of stipends at a time, reducing the chances of those stationed away from home being unable to collect them.

As for clansmen stationed at low-grade spirit mountains within the clan's territory, designated personnel would personally deliver their stipends each year between June and July.

The reason they did not distribute stipends one, two, or even three years at a time was simple: the Ling Clan could not produce that many resources all at once.

Azure Stone Mountain, mountaintop.

"Peng Yun, on my way from Xia Zhi Mountain to Azure Stone Mountain, I saw that boy Ling Dong leading more than five hundred Azure Stone Village villagers in road construction. According to Ling Dong, this was your proposal?" Ling Ruguo asked as he looked at Ling Pengyun with clear approval in his eyes.

Seeing the shift in Ling Ruguo's expression, Ling Pengyun naturally guessed that this question was not a bad thing. He told the truth, while also praising Ling Ruguo's descendant. "That is correct, it was indeed my idea. Still, organizing so many villagers so smoothly was thanks to Village Chief Ling. Without his help, carrying this out would have been fraught with difficulties!"

"You child, do not heap credit onto that boy Ling Dong. I know exactly how capable he is. Besides, as mortal clansmen of the Ling Clan, would they dare disobey the words of a cultivator stationed here? If they truly did, Azure Stone Village would have no need to exist. You wished to improve their lives, yet they would remain blind and ungrateful—what a joke!" Ling Ruguo declared domineeringly.

Afterward, he praised Ling Pengyun once more for taking the lead in building the road.

"Still, your proposal to build a road is indeed good. If Azure Stone Village is to prosper, a road truly must be built! Moreover, with Azure Stone Village supplying grain, those tens of thousands of mortal clansmen in Xia Zhi Town will have an easier time as well!"

"I will not waste more words praising you. Just remember this: whether you do great things or small things for the clan, the clan will know, and it will never forget what you have done!"

Ling Ruguo's expression turned solemn as he spoke with deep meaning.

Ling Pengyun's expression stirred slightly. "Third Grandfather, I understand!"

"I still have clansmen stationed at eleven spirit veins whose stipends I have not delivered, so I will not linger any longer. Here is your stipend for the next half year: sixty spirit stones, one hundred and twenty jin of Azure Jade Spirit Rice, six Qi Refining Pills, and twelve Yellow Sprout Pills!"

"Eleventh Brother has already told me that the clan is additionally giving you two Yellow Sprout Pills each month. Had he not informed me, I could not have passed them to you through my hands. Rest assured, I will not speak of this matter!" Ling Ruguo said gravely as he took a Storage Bag from his robes and summoned Ling Pengyun's offerings for the next half year from within.

Ling Pengyun cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you for the trouble, Third Grandfather!"

Then, he took out the two bottles of venom and two snake gallbladders obtained from slaying the Ink Cloud Poisonous Snakes more than forty days earlier, along with twenty spirit stones. He said to Ling Ruguo, "Third Grandfather, these are the two bottles of venom and two snake gallbladders I obtained from slaying Ink Cloud Poisonous Snakes some days ago. I would like to trouble you to pass them on to Eighth Grandfather and Tenth Grandfather, so they can refine Exploding Poison Pearls and Antidote Pills for me! The additional twenty spirit stones are for the two Ancestors to purchase the other materials needed to refine the Exploding Poison Pearls and Antidote Pills!"

Ling Pengyun's "Tenth Grandfather" was the tenth member of the Ling Clan's Yun Generation, as well as one of the clan's only two alchemists. He was a First Rank Middle Grade alchemist, and most of the pills distributed by the clan came from his hands.

As for "Eighth Grandfather," he was naturally the Weapon Refiner Ling Yun'an.

"Ink Cloud Poisonous Snakes? Good boy, you could even slay such demon beasts—and two of them, at that. Not bad at all! Whether you face demon beasts or cultivators in the future, never fight to the death. If you cannot win, run first! Do not force yourself to hold on!"

"I will speak to Yun An for you about refining the Exploding Poison Pearls, but whether he has the time is something I cannot guarantee!"

"Recently, I have felt that my end is drawing near. Within less than a year, I fear my lifespan will be exhausted. My only grandson, that disappointing child without a spiritual root... I must trouble you to look after him well!" Ling Ruguo accepted the two bottles of venom and twenty spirit stones Ling Pengyun handed over. Turning away, he spoke in a deep voice.

Having said that, he leaped onto the back of the nearby Immortal Spirit Crane at the middle stage of Qi Refining and rode it away from Azure Stone Mountain.

Ling Pengyun watched Ling Ruguo's stooped figure recede, and his mood gradually sank. He could not help but feel the same.

The Qi Training Stage grants no more than a mere hundred years of life. If I cannot reach Foundation Establishment, then after a hundred years, I too will inevitably become a patch of yellow earth!

On this road of seeking longevity, I wonder whether I can make it to the end!

Longevity...

"Third Grandfather!"

"Alas!"

Ling Pengyun stood blankly atop Azure Stone Mountain for a full half hour before finally coming back to himself.

Longevity is too far away. I will take it one step at a time!

Right now, the closest thing before me is the bottleneck of Qi Training Sixth Layer!

With a firm expression, Ling Pengyun muttered to himself before returning to the cave halfway up the mountain to continue his daily bitter cultivation.

As early as half a month ago, with the aid of two spirit peaches whose spiritual power was gentle and free of impurities, Ling Pengyun had successfully broken through the bottleneck that had trapped him for months and advanced to Qi Training Fifth Layer.

During these six months at Azure Stone Mountain, aside from his gains in cultivation, Ling Pengyun had also mastered the Water Arrow Technique, which he practiced diligently every day. He could now cast it within Three Breaths.

Besides that technique, after the attack by the Ink Cloud Poisonous Snakes more than forty days ago, Ling Pengyun had also begun studying a Water-based Defensive Spell, the Water Shield Technique.

The Water Shield Technique was a First Rank Middle Grade spell. Like a Water Shield Talisman, it conjured a shield of water.

Since it was a Defensive Spell, it was rather difficult to comprehend. Even with Ling Pengyun's considerable talent in Water-based Spells, after forty days, he had only just entered the doorway.

It was far slower than when he had comprehended the Water Thorn Technique and Water Arrow Technique.

As for Ling Pengyun's Thorn Vine, under his daily nourishment with spiritual power, it was slowly replenishing its origin and recovering from its injuries.

More than one hundred and ten days later, the muddy road stretching over three hundred li to Xia Zhi Town had been completed.

The days had reached the Autumn Equinox, and the several thousand mu of rice planted by the Azure Stone Village villagers had also reached maturity.

The distinctive fragrance of rice drifted throughout the area surrounding Azure Stone Village.

In the rice paddies, the golden ears of grain were both the food that would fill the villagers' stomachs in the coming year and copper coins gleaming one by one in their eyes. Many families had already decided what to buy with the money earned by selling their surplus rice in Xia Zhi Town.

Would they buy their children some new clothes, build a larger house, or purchase a cow or sheep...

Just as the Azure Stone Village villagers reveled in the joy of harvest, a shadow appeared in the normally still Azure Stone Lake. Without a sound, it swallowed a child playing alone in the water in a single gulp.

Only then did the shadow reveal itself. It was an Azure Giant Python as thick as a millstone.

After swallowing the child whole, its belly bulged enormously.

Having filled its stomach, the Azure Giant Python looked toward the golden rice fields from which cheers rang out, and greed flickered in its cold eyes. Then it raised its head toward Azure Stone Mountain, several dozen zhang high in the distance, its gaze revealing wariness.

Within Three Breaths, the Azure Giant Python, its belly already full, silently vanished beneath the lake water without a trace.