Monster in the River

Late at night, the world was as dark as ink, with only scattered moonlight providing a faint glow.

"What was that sound?"

Chen Xuan's body tensed as he looked towards the mountainside. The sound seemed to come from the grass there.

But there was nothing there. The night wind blew, the weeds bent low, and the area was empty.

"A wild beast? Or a passing ghost?"

Chen Xuan was very cautious. He immediately re-tied the treasure fish and went there to check carefully. Only after confirming there was no danger did he return to the mountain to continue processing the treasure fish.

"It's a good day to drink fish soup in the cold season."

The Over Mountain Treasure Fish was a rare and potent blood and flesh medicine. Its scales were harder than refined iron and incredibly sharp. A moment of carelessness could cut one's hand.

He used White Qi to wrap around the jade hairpin, and with the Qi of sharpness, he scraped off all the scales on the treasure fish's body. The flesh beneath was snow-white and delicate, containing rich and vigorous spirituality, as if carved from jade. It emitted a silvery-white glow and had a fragrant aroma that made one's mouth water.

"A nourishing medicine."

Chen Xuan cleaned the two-pound treasure fish and put it into a pot of boiling water.

He sat by the pot, patiently waiting, while beginning to ponder the newly acquired Little Green Deer Trick, comparing it with the other two tricks, summarizing and concluding.

The Yellow Millet True Scripture was more advanced, but before cultivating it, one needed to first cultivate a strand of Green Qi.

Although Chen Xuan relied on his strong comprehension to memorize it, the Yellow Millet True Scripture was too profound and difficult to understand.

In fact, the entire Yellow Millet scripture was written in ancient seal script, and nearly half of the characters... he didn't recognize. For a time, he didn't know where to start.

"I need a teacher who understands ancient seal script," Chen Xuan thought.

"Gurgle!"

Time slowly passed. The boiling water churned, and the entire pot of fish soup began to emit a silver light. The aroma was rich. After simmering for three or four hours, the sky began to brighten. Only then did Chen Xuan confirm that the treasure fish meat was thoroughly cooked and safe to eat.

"Hiss, it's truly delicious." After tasting the first bite, Chen Xuan's eyes lit up. This was no ordinary fish; the taste was beyond imagination. The fish meat melted in his mouth, truly a rare delicacy in the world.

He only ate a few bites and felt a warmth rising within his body. The effect was immediate; the Qi and blood energy in his body quickly boiled.

"Hoo!"

Chen Xuan exhaled a breath of cold air, then immediately ate heartily, quickly finishing the fish meat. Finally, he drank the entire pot of fish soup dry, not wasting a single drop.

"The medicinal effect is strong!"

Chen Xuan got up, feeling his whole body burning. He began to practice martial arts in the morning light, with white mist swirling around his body, flowing with a faint silvery-white glow. His flesh and blood were full of vigorous vitality.

Every punch and every move brought forth bursts of whistling wind and thunder. He practiced for a full half hour before the medicinal effect of the treasure fish gradually faded.

"Eight thousand jin."

Chen Xuan could clearly feel the changes in his physique. His strength had increased, his muscles and bones were stronger, and his perception had become more acute.

"During the Ascension transformation, I can clearly feel myself being reborn, my physique advancing towards a stronger direction."

He felt the large amount of Qi and blood energy surging within his body, a scene of prosperity. Afterward, he noticed his physical state gradually becoming calm, finally stabilizing completely.

It took fifteen days for Chen Xuan to complete his first Ascension journey.

"Eight thousand jin of strength is my limit."

If an outsider knew that Chen Xuan could reach this step, they would probably be stunned, because this number was too exaggerated, a full two thousand jin higher than the most outstanding genius in the Red Crow City area!

"Next, I will continue to cultivate the tricks, constantly accumulate strength, and prepare for the second Ascension."

In the Ascension realm, a Qi Refiner can undergo Ascension up to three times, transforming their body, ultimately achieving complete sublimation, opening the human Dao Treasury, and advancing to a higher level.

The morning light was faint, and the clear breeze blew away the white mist, revealing continuous green mountains stretching for thousands of miles.

Li Han Song led his clan's descendants into the Southern Wilderness Mountains, preparing to continue heading to Small Stone Lake to make a big splash and catch treasure fish.

"Clan Elder Grandpa, have you heard about that matter?"

A young man from the Li Family whispered, "Green Deer Mountain has issued a bounty order, wanted for a Qi Refiner named Chen Xuan... I heard that this Chen Xuan did something big in the Southern Wilderness last night, ambushing and killing several Green Deer Mountain Disciples."

This happened this morning. Shen Lingfeng entered Small River Village alone and issued a bounty order with extremely generous rewards, which directly caused a huge stir in Small River Village.

Some astonishing news spread. Green Deer Mountain was actually challenged by a rogue cultivator named Chen Xuan! Many Qi Refiners were simply in disbelief after hearing this, that there was such a bold person in the world.

Some Qi Refiners who came from the direction of Willow Town had vaguely heard the name Chen Xuan. Later, they told others about what they had seen and heard on the road, which caused a heated discussion...

Li Han Song glanced at the young man and said sternly, "Don't let your imagination run wild. This Chen Xuan dares to oppose Green Deer Mountain, he must be a desperate and fierce person. We shouldn't look for trouble."

The young man quickly said, "I understand the danger, but this Chen Xuan, daring to offend Green Deer Mountain, is truly amazing, just like Wang Chan who was in the spotlight a few days ago, both are remarkable heroes... Hey, I heard that among the dead Green Deer Mountain Disciples, there was one named Wang Chan. There are so many people with this name."

Some speculated that Chen Xuan attacked Green Deer Mountain because of that Wang Chan, who was also from Willow Town...

The young man sincerely sighed, "Recently, more and more powerful figures are flocking to the Southern Wilderness."

"Wang Chan? Just a coincidence of names, neither of them is a good person."

Li Han Song said coldly, "How can he compare to Chen Xuan? They are worlds apart. Wang Chan only dares to rely on martial arts techniques to show off in front of rogue cultivators, what kind of skill is that? Chen Xuan is facing the notorious Green Deer Mountain, this is what a true hero should do... But you don't need to learn from Chen Xuan. If he offends Green Deer Mountain, he will die once he leaves the Southern Wilderness Mountains."

The young man was speechless, knowing that Clan Elder Grandpa looked down on that Wang Chan very much. He could vaguely guess the real reason, but it was not good to say more.

He was about to change the subject when his gaze suddenly froze, and he quickly whispered, "Grandpa Patriarch, that, that Wang Chan..."

Figures appeared at the turn of the mountain path ahead, walking towards them.

Chen Xuan had already seen the Li Family members and thought to himself, There are still four corpses at Small Stone Lake. I wonder how they will react when they see them later.

Li Han Song stopped, a friendly and kind smile appearing on his face. He took the initiative to greet, "Fellow Daoist Wang, heading back to Small River Village? You must have had a great harvest last night..."

"Yes, a little bit..."

Chen Xuan nodded in greeting. Since he wasn't familiar with them, he casually responded a couple of times and walked straight past.

Li Han Song kept a smile on his face until Chen Xuan's back completely disappeared. Then, the smile faded, and he turned to lecture his clansmen:

"This person returned empty-handed. He must have encountered someone from Green Deer Mountain at Small Stone Lake last night and was surely reprimanded and chased away, suffering a setback... Heh, he looks dejected and has no spirit when talking to people. He must have suffered a blow to his heart... You must be down-to-earth in your future endeavors and must not lose your fighting spirit because of a temporary setback."

"..."

Everyone looked at each other, speechless.

The Li Family members continued forward. Soon after, Small Stone Lake appeared, and a scene of tragic bloodshed with multiple skeletons was about to come into view...

Peaks stood tall, layers of mountains overlapping. The small path twisted and turned a hundred times. Rivers meandered through the gaps between the peaks, and willow trees on the banks swayed in the wind, like a painting.

Chen Xuan walked north along the mountain path while adjusting his breathing rhythm. Since Yellow Millet Dream was dead, he was trying to cultivate the breathing method recorded in the Yellow Millet True Scripture.

This was the Twelve Spiritual Qi Breathing Method written by Wang Chan in the Chu Kingdom script. He compared it with the Yellow Millet True Scripture, and there should be no errors, so he could try practicing it first... He wasn't planning to immediately abandon the Mystic Cat Breathing Method of the Small Underworld, but rather believed that one shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket...

"Hoo!"

Chen Xuan exhaled into mist while enjoying the scenery along the way, his mood very peaceful.

Suddenly, his gaze narrowed, looking at the deep small river by the roadside. A ripple spread, as if something was moving underwater.

"Big fish?"

Chen Xuan wondered if he had stumbled upon something good again? But the next moment, his eyes widened.

"Splash!"

Ripples spread in the river water, surging towards the bank. Immediately, a woman crawled out of the riverbed.

She wasn't old, wearing only a thin dark green dress all over. She was completely soaked, and her clothes clung to her undulating body, almost becoming translucent. White skin was faintly visible under the black silk dress.

Her legs were beautiful and long, her slender feet bare. She crawled out of the riverbed, her slender waist half-bent, stepping into the wet mud. She slightly raised her head, and a pair of clear and bright eyes, yet as soft as a fox's, looked forward.

Her gaze met Chen Xuan's.

"..."

"..."

Chen Xuan furrowed his brows. In the desolate mountains and wilderness, a beautiful and unparalleled young girl suddenly crawled out of the riverbed...

She was probably not a good thing!