Fish School
Time passed by, and before we knew it, it was mid-January, and the Spring Festival was here again.
On this day, Ling Pengyun, who was stationed in Azure Stone Mountain, and Ling Penglin, who was stationed in Fruit Bee Ridge, both sneaked into Azure Stone Lake and came to the Mystic Water Iron Mine. They had a small gathering with Ling Ruxian, an elder of the Lineage, and chatted with each other to spend this day of family reunion.
The night seemed incredibly short amidst the casual conversation, but it passed in the blink of an eye.
On the new day, Ling Pengyun and Ling Penglin bid farewell to Ling Ruxian and left the Mystic Water Iron Mine.
But just as the two emerged from the mine entrance, they simultaneously noticed a group of small, white, phosphorescent fish, each about an inch long, lingering around the mine entrance.
Ling Pengyun, Divine Sense was comparable to that of Qi Training Completion cultivator, subtly sensed that one of the fish in the group had strange scales. Half of its body was covered in blue scales, and the other half was covered in ordinary white scales. It possessed a faint trace of Spiritual Qi.
"A spirit fish?" Ling Pengyun's expression shifted slightly, and he muttered to himself.
Before he could even confirm, the group of small fish were startled and quickly swam towards the depths of the Underground River.
Without a second thought, Ling Pengyun used his spiritual power to propel the "Water Shielding Light Curtain" and chase after the group of fish.
Although the group of white-scaled fish were extremely fast in the water, Ling Pengyun was not far behind. In just a few breaths, he caught up with the group of fish and then cast a "Water Binding" spell, trapping the blue-scaled fish that appeared to be a "spirit fish" in the group of fish dozens of feet ahead.
As soon as the blue-scaled fish was trapped, the rest of the fish in the school stopped wagging their tails and moving forward in the water, swarming to the blue-scaled fish to protect it, their eyes all glaring angrily at Ling Pengyun who had rushed over.
Upon seeing this, Ling Pengyun smiled and cast a "Intimidation Art" with his hands in a hand Hand Seals.
Once this Intimidation Art was activated, Ling Pengyun's aura appeared to the group of ordinary white-scaled fish like a prehistoric beast, causing the small fish to tremble and dare not look at Ling Pengyun who was rushing towards them.
Taking this opportunity, Ling Pengyun also increased the speed at which he propelled the Water Shielding Light Curtain surrounding him forward.
A moment later, he arrived beside the "half-blue scaled fish" trapped by the water sphere light curtain. His Divine Sense swept over its body, and his expression immediately brightened.
"This fish does indeed possess spiritual energy, though it contains very little. Although it hasn't reached the highest rank, it's already halfway into the Qi Refinement Realm. Once it accumulates enough spiritual energy, it can officially enter the Qi Refinement Realm."
"The blue, crescent-shaped scales on the half of this fish do resemble the appearance of the Azure Moon Spirit Fish."
Ling Pengyun scanned the remaining white-scaled fish around the trapped "half-blue-scaled fish" with his Divine Sense and realized that their cultivation had all reached at least the Innate Realm. He couldn't help but smile with joy.
"No wonder, these fish were gathered at the entrance of the Profound Water Mineral Vein just now. They were probably absorbing the Water Spiritual Energy scattered from the mine to cultivate."
"Give them some time, let these little fish absorb enough Water Spiritual Energy and enter the Qi Refining realm. They should all advance to Azure Moon Spirit Fish like this Blue Scale Fish King."
The Azure Moon Spirit Fish is a low-level spirit fish whose scales are blue and crescent-shaped.
It contains extremely pure Water Spiritual Energy, and its greatest advantage is its incredibly delicious meat, making it extremely popular in the market. One of them can sell for as much as two Spirit Stone.
While Ling Pengyun was in a daze, Ling Penglin, who had just come out of the mine into the Underground River with him, also arrived.
She looked at the fish surrounded by many white-scaled fish, its scales half blue and half white, frowned, thought for a moment, and then asked.
"Eighth Brother, the fish you trapped with your Water Binding looks a bit like the Azure Moon Spirit Fish."
Ling Pengyun said with a smile, "It's most likely the Azure Moon Spirit Fish. It's just that the fish king hasn't entered the Qi Refinement Realm yet, so the blue crescent-shaped scales of the Azure Moon Spirit Fish aren't obvious yet. If there's enough Spiritual Qi, I estimate that some of the other ordinary fish in this group will be like the fish king and enter the Qi Refinement Realm in the future."
"If we can use this group of small fish as a foundation, and spend some time, we might be able to cultivate a group of Azure Moon Spirit Fish."
Ling Penglin exclaimed happily, "I never expected to encounter such good fortune so soon after the New Year!"
"Tenth Sister, go to the mine to find the Thirteenth Grandfather. I'll stay here and guard these fish," Ling Pengyun said.
Ling Penglin nodded slightly, then followed the Underground River back the way it came, and entered the mine through the entrance.
Before long, she brought Ling Ruxian, who was stationed in the mine, to the location of the Underground River, next to Ling Pengyun.
Ling Ruxian looked at the strangely scaled little fish among the school of fish in front of Ling Pengyun, his expression brightening, and he said with a hint of joy, "This fish king does indeed have some characteristics of the Azure Moon Spirit Fish. Before long, once this fish enters the Qi Refining, it will probably be able to truly transform into Azure Moon Spirit Fish."
"Peng Yun, Peng Lin, you've got a great opportunity this time. I didn't even notice that these fish were lingering right at the mine entrance."
Ling Pengyun said, "Thirteenth Grandfather, you were deep in the mine, two or three hundred feet away from this Underground River. This distance is far beyond the range of your Divine Sense. Furthermore, you rarely leave the mine, so it is normal that you did not notice this school of fish."
Upon hearing Ling Ruxian smiled slightly, a rare occurrence on his usually cold face, and asked the two, "What are your thoughts on this Azure Moon Spirit Fish that is about to break through to the Qi Refining?"
Ling Penglin, who was standing to the side, also noticed that Ling Ruxian had asked Ling Pengyun alone first, and wisely kept quiet and did not speak, but just stood quietly to the side.
Ling Pengyun thought for a moment and then spoke. "The ordinary white-scaled fish in this school all have innate cultivation. If the Water Spiritual Energy is sufficient, a few more Azure Moon Spirit Fish should be born in the school. My idea is to place Recognition of Ownership Restriction on this fish king, and then let the fish king control the entire school. We will release them into this Underground River so that they can absorb the Water Spiritual Energy that is released from the entrance and exit of the Profound Water Mineral Vein, improve their cultivation, and increase the probability of the fish in the school entering the Qi Training Stage and transforming into Azure Moon Spirit Fish."
"As for the ownership of this fish, it is divided into three parts: I, my tenth sister, and I each take 30%, and you will take 40% because you have to work hard to take care of the fish on a daily basis. Is that acceptable?"
Ling Ruxian, "I'll leave my share. I have no descendants and my lifespan is short, so Spirit Stone are useless to me. This school of fish will all belong to you two little ones. However, after I die and I am unable to take care of this school of fish, you will have to hand it over to the Lineage."
"Sure," Ling Pengyun replied without hesitation.
His mission to guard Azure Stone Mountain will end in a year, while Ling Penglin will stay in Fruit Bee Ridge for at most four years. Both of them hold various positions and will have no chance of returning after completing their missions, so they will have no energy to take care of the fish in the Underground River.
Ling Ruxian only a little over ninety years old, and he has at least ten more years to live. During these ten years, Ling Pengyun can make a small profit of Spirit Stone from this school of fish.
Furthermore, even if the fish are handed over to the Lineage, Ling Pengyun will still receive a share of the profits from the fish. The Lineage will not mistreat any member who has made a contribution.
Ling Penglin glanced at Ling Pengyun, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Eighth Brother, I didn't do anything about discovering the fish, so I'd better forget about the fish dividends."
"I was just a little too quick just now. This was our fortuitous opportunity, and everyone who sees it should get a share, so let's split it fifty-fifty," Ling Pengyun said with a smile.