Bring the News Home Without Spending a Penny

Having obtained the crucial information, the Dragonfolk exchanged a few pleasantries.

The Fat Catfish pretended to be nonchalant, turned around, flicked its tail, and swayed away leisurely, displaying its confidence.

On the eve of parting.

The Dragonfolk leader, Long Zongyin, bowed and expressed his gratitude.

"Frog Elder is blessed by Heaven and Earth, enjoying good fortune and smooth sailing in all things, which is the envy of many. However, regarding the matter of the Long Qi water in the marshland today, we earnestly hope that Elder Frog will not sell the information to the human or Demon Race again."

Shhh~ The Old Toad is looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle.

Long Zongyin sighed, waved his hand, and another large wooden box was presented.

"Frog Elder, our clan is in a critical moment of survival. With the Dragon Lord gone, breaking through to the next level is extremely difficult."

Only a handful of people have a chance of advancement. The appearance of any Grandmaster would be a great help. A wisp of water elemental Long Qi is of paramount importance!

The Frog Clan and the dragon race have always been on good terms and should have helped each other to fight against the long serpent...

Upon hearing this, the Old Toad straightened his back, becoming unusually serious, nodded solemnly, and picked up the four large boxes.

"Dragon Guardian, rest assured, I will not sell to anyone else who offers no more than twice the price you offer!"

*Thud! Long Zongyin struck in the heart by an arrow, his chest tight with stagnant energy.

After thinking for a moment, the Old Toad added.

"It's twice the hush money."

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! A sincere heart turned into Hedgehog.

Long Zongyin stared at the top wooden box, quite wanting to take back the "hush money" and let the Old Toad sell it however he wanted. After thinking for a long time, he finally gave up and bowed his thanks.

"Frog Elder... Gao Yi!"

"Dragon Guardian Gao Yi!"

The Old Toad shouted, grabbed the box, and eagerly carried it back to its burrow.

A bumper harvest! A bumper harvest! Quack quack quack! The White Sturgeon wiggled its body and scratched itself with its flying shuttle.

Long Zongyin watched the chubby figure disappear, the orange light in the water dissipated, and a layer of darkness enveloped it.

"Binglin! Ting Rui! E Ying!"

Three young Dragonfolk stepped forward in response.

"There are many Hunting Tiger in the clan, but only the three of you have the bloodline to hope for advancing to the True Image. You all witnessed it today? For a mere Long Qi, it is truly not easy..."

As night fell, shadows fell over the faces of the three Dragonfolk.

There was no joy in having the opportunity to become Grandmaster; only a heavy pressure welled up in his heart.

Long Zongyin stopped short of causing trouble.

"Let's go back and gather our clansmen. Let's try to get as much Old Ice as possible that is over two hundred years old."

Binglin and Ting Rui, you two stay here and go to the place Frog Elder mentioned to investigate the situation.

"E Ying, go and count the young Dragonfolk above the level of Wolf Smoke in the clan. Frog Elder says there might be an unusual phenomenon in the heavens and earth; this fortuitous opportunity not to be missed."

"Yes!"

The Dragonfolk received their orders and lay down one by one into the flying shuttle, closing the shuttle cover.

The White Sturgeon swung its tail and charged forward, splitting into two groups that vanished into the night like arrows.

In the valley.

The precious information that the Dragonfolk obtained at great cost is being transmitted in detail to Liang Qu in Pingyang Prefecture via Mental Link by Fat Catfish in the grass.

Night fell.

A bluish light flowed around.

Liang Qu sat upright at the bottom of the pond, receiving the news brought by the Fat Catfish, his expression fascinating.

What a fucking surprise! Bringing news home without spending a single penny!

Heavenly Water Morning Dew, invisible and intangible, but eating it will turn you into an elephant!

The words spoken by the Fat Catfish, referring to Da Pang Er Pang, are very abstract, but that doesn't prevent them from being understood, especially when combined with the Dragonfolk's reaction...

The Old Toad could actually sense the falling of a wisp of naturally generated Long Qi between heaven and earth! Liang Qu was far from being Grandmaster, but his need for Long Qi was no less than that for Sublimation of Favor.

It's not a necessity, but it's a speculative need! The more the better! Shouldn't we keep the good stuff to ourselves and our own people?

However, how did the Old Toad manage to sense it half a month in advance? Is the Treasure Toad really that terrifying? Liang Qu pushed aside the Lotus Leaf, surfaced, and asked the Old Giant Clam why this naturally unique species possessed the ability to find treasure.

The Old Giant Clam was quite surprised. It shook its shell, turned around and pointed to the Old Turtle on the other side of the pond, indicating why it didn't ask the turtle in question.

Oh, right.

The Wishful associated with Old Giant Clam are symbolic and subjective, and their authenticity is hard to say. Old Toad and Old Turtle are the real exotic species.

Liang Qu turned around.

"Shou Lord!"

Bathed in the moonlight, Wu Cangshou slowly turned around, stretched his head, and revealed an arrogant expression, without keeping anyone in suspense.

"There are two kinds. One kind is when cattle and horses raise their heads and chickens and dogs make noise. This is a sign of an earthquake."

The second type the Unseen, the pull of energy. Like when I encountered Guishan, I initially felt nothing, but after more than a decade, Guishan achieved its True Image, thus gaining my protection before I became aware of it.

After pondering it a couple of times, Liang Qu realized that the Old Turtle's first sentence referred to an earthquake.

When the earthquake struck, cattle and horses became restless, and chickens and dogs were in an uproar.

With a slight analogy, Liang Qu immediately understood.

I see!

The birth of this supreme treasure is like an earthquake for those born under the auspicious sign of good fortune—they can "predict the future"! The Old Toad is truly blessed by heaven and earth! "Shou Lord, have you been swimming lately?"

"I just had a Great Marsh this afternoon."

"You didn't notice anything?"

Wu Cangshou was stunned. "Feeling? What should I feel? Hmm... the water temperature is getting warmer?"

"No, I just want to know if there's anything good in the Great Marsh lately that has caught Shou Lord's attention."

Wu Cangshou said irritably, "Kid, good stuff isn't so easy to come by."

Su Guishan was right; the Fortune and Prosperity Dark Turtle Treasure Toad far inferior to the Treasure Toad.

indeed.

According to the Old Turtle, it was a blessing that it was brought out of Su Guishan and received the protection of the Grandmaster.

That Old Toad is...

Liang Qu then asked, "Shou Lord, when Demon Race cultivate and enter the realm of Great Demon, do they no longer need to Qi Consumption like humans?"

The Old Toad seemed completely unconcerned about the Long Qi.

It seems it's not just because collecting them is troublesome.

"No need" is not quite right; rather, it's not so necessary.

Your human race's cultivation Cultivation Method and Qi Consumption techniques are good, and various Divine Ability abilities and spells are endless, but the process is too complicated.

Seeking Qi, seizing Qi, Qi Consumption... Demon Race, Demon Race, it sounds like you humans are a distinct group.

In reality, snakes are snakes and turtles are turtles. When you break it down, they don't have the vast foundation that your human race has. Even if they did, they wouldn't have the same innate wisdom or the ability to exchange things like your human race.

Therefore, demons mostly cultivate alone, occasionally having subordinates, but only a few dozen or a hundred at most. Asking them to Qi Consumption and gather materials from all over is too difficult, so they have always used the ancient method of drawing upon the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Opportunity to cleanse themselves.

"Drawing upon the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Opportunity to cleanse it? Isn't that just like our refining of true qi?"

"Good."

Liang Qu lifted his chin and asked, "Which method is better?"

The Old Turtle grumbled, "Humans are essentially beasts too, and can cultivate the ancient methods of the Demon Race race just like them. Do you see anyone cultivating them? It's better to use more true energy to connect with them, which is the best of both worlds."

Why?

Have you ever heard of the "essence" of martial arts?

Liang Qu nodded.

Senior Brother Hu Qi said this a long time ago.

Martial arts practice "the foundation".

The stronger one's own "core", the weaker the external environment is.

When the gap widens to a certain point, it naturally becomes impervious to criticism and challenges.

"The martial arts practiced by your human race are aimed at strengthening your own 'essence' by distinguishing between 'self' and 'other.' The stronger the distinction, the stronger the destructive power, and the same applies to resistance."

The ancient methods of the Demon Race are exactly the opposite; they aim to harmonize with the rhythm of heaven and earth. The more harmonious the rhythm, the stronger the power in every gesture.

If we must distinguish between advantages and disadvantages, the former is more adaptable and has more methods, while the latter has a strong home-field advantage and is more powerful.

Your human race is not good at naval warfare. Not only are you born to be land beasts and are inferior to Water Beast, but there is also a difference in cultivation.

Furthermore, the True Qi cultivation is truly a wonderful idea and Divine Ability, allowing you humans to use your own 'original nature' as the foundation and your will as the bridge to leverage heaven and earth and receive spiritual energy, even while cultivating. Although it is not as exaggerated as that of the Demon Race, it is an excellent means of making up for it.

In contrast, the Demon Race imitates humans and learns martial arts, also to compensate for deficiencies. However, their methods are far less systematic and efficient than those of your human race, who can even integrate these compensatory techniques into their cultivation levels. Newcomers can then break through these levels step by step, achieving mastery without a teacher.

Liang Qu benefited greatly.

The Old Turtle's explanation was more thorough and thorough than the Master's.

To put it bluntly, one is from the inside out, and the other is from the outside in.

In High Antiquity times, the human race also followed the method of working from the outside in, but through continuous innovation, they invented a method that worked from the inside out, a path completely opposite to the ancient methods.

From the perspective of survival of the fittest, it is clearly a great success.

Say thank you.

The Liang Qu connects to the Fat Catfish, allowing it to return.

Although we didn't uncover the true nature of the Old Toad this time, the gains were far greater than simply trying to find out the truth.

Unexpectedly, the Fat Catfish suggested that it wanted to stay a little longer.

Not only for the unfinished exploratory mission, Fat Catfish discovered today that Toad Big Brother goes out hunting from time to time, bringing back good stuff to the Frog Clan! It wants to stay in the Frog Clan for further study! Eat like crazy! Good! Liang Qu expressed his support for A Fei's idea of further study, encouraging it to surpass Round Head, Cannot Move, and become the first peak Great Monster Spirit among the Water Beast! Early the next morning.

Liang Qu went to the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild to inquire about Old Ice.

Preparation is key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. The Old Toad is not the only one in the Great Marsh with the ability to find treasure. As far as he knows, the Black Tortoise also has the ability to seek advantage and avoid harm, perhaps it's just a matter of distance.

Be prepared for any eventuality; grasp both aspects firmly.

It's best to wait and see how things develop; if they really decide to bring it up, there will be clues to follow.

The Celestial Ship Merchant Guild claimed to have everything. The guild Steward indicated that they had goods available, but they needed them within ten days. To ensure the delivery time, Liang Qu offered an extra 1,200 taels of silver to extend the timeframe to five days.

also.

The Round Head messenger returned with a message that everything was alright.

After making inquiries from various sources, they went into hiding.

It confirmed that the later giant serpents did not cause trouble like the previous Snake Demon.

No one in Fragrant Township County even realized that several Snake Demon had come to the Shallow Water Area.

The pressure brought by the Flood Dragon has been greatly reduced.

I'm not afraid of those who are afraid of trouble, I'm afraid of those who aren't afraid of trouble.

Liang Qu felt somewhat relieved and, following the invitations, attended two banquets, where he had some dealings with the "Dragon Crossing the River".

The atmosphere was fairly harmonious.

On the fourth day, Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe brought a Treasure Fish back to the pond hut, bid farewell to Liang Qu, and said that the two brothers would be leaving for a while, and that the clan would recall them, but the specific details were unknown.

Holding the information advantage, Liang Qu was astute as could be and readily agreed.

The natural world gathers Long Qi, which may be accompanied by unusual phenomena.

The Dragonfolk Clan must want to recall their best members to see if there's any opportunity for them to condense their true energy and achieve a certain level of proficiency.

However, with so many people around, the Dragon Man Tribe mostly kept the details secret to maintain secrecy.

The sporadic chirping of cicadas in the treetops heralds the arrival of Xia Tian.

Today is the sixth day of Liang Qu's special training with Yang Dongxiong. With the combined efforts of the dragon and the Flood Dragon's Malice, the Grand Purity Dragon Aura Qi has visibly thickened and lengthened. Originally coiled up to ten feet tall, it is now a full twelve feet tall! Its power has increased considerably.

Being inside feels like being enveloped in an energy shield, giving you a great sense of security.

Yang Dongxiong dispelled the Subduing Demon Sabre, having become aware of Liang Qu's recent behavior.

"You seem very happy?"

Liang Qu took the towel and wiped his face and sweat. "Master will know in a couple of days."

Yang Dongxiong pondered for a moment, "Have they found another treasure underwater?"

"I'm probably not sure yet."

A moment of silence.

"Better safe than sorry."

"I understand."

afternoon.

The chamber of commerce Steward brought ice blocks and placed them in a large wooden box, about half a person's height, pale blue in color, emitting a chilling white vapor.

"Is this 300-year- Old Ice?"

"That's right, Lord Liang, you may not know this, but the longer ice is frozen, the fewer air bubbles it contains, the harder and denser it becomes, and the closer its color is to a deep blue. So whether an ice block is old or not depends entirely on its color. This large piece of ice is between three and four hundred years old."

Liang Qu nodded. "How much?"

"You used the express service, so the total is 1,800 taels."

Liang Qu was stunned.

It's not expensive, it's cheap.

The bulk of the money was even his expedited travel expenses, which amounted to over a thousand taels.

"Lord Liang, these are just Old Ice. Some are thousands or even tens of thousands of years old, and they are so blue they glow. It's just that it's troublesome to send people to retrieve them, and they are not worth much in themselves."

"That's true."

Liang Qu readily paid the money.

Two thousand taels is nothing to me.

Having obtained the ice, everything was ready, but Liang Qu was in no hurry to take it with him. He wanted to first go and explore the destination.

It's 1,600 to 1,700 li. Go to the Toad first and then turn around; the route is shorter.

Liang Qu packed his bags, slung Fubo over his shoulder, and left, only to bump right into Chen Zhaoan who was coming from the doorway.

"Old Chen? Is there something you need?"

Seeing that Liang Qu was in a hurry, Chen Zhaoan spoke quickly.

"I've come today to discuss with Lord Liang how to organize this year's River God Sacrifice. After all, we have the Water God Temple, and it's quite close by. But that's alright, there's still a month to go. Lord Liang, please go ahead with your work. I'll come back tomorrow."

Oh no! I forgot about that.

June 6th is almost here again!