The Best Watering Can and Surfboard

Su Miao pursed her lips and shifted her awareness away from that disobedient Chaos Bead.

Her eyes rolled toward the little banner floating quietly on the other side of her Sea of Consciousness.

The Profound Origin Water Control Banner was a deep, shadowy blue from top to bottom, as though it had compressed the essence of all waters into a space no bigger than a palm. The mysterious black lotus patterns embroidered upon its surface flowed faintly, giving off an aura of tranquil gentleness, utterly unlike the dusty-gray Chaos Bead that always played dead.

"Little Banner, you look like the obedient one."

Su Miao muttered under her breath, and with a thought, the dark-blue little banner flew out of her Sea of Consciousness and drifted lightly into her small, chubby open hand.

The banner pole felt faintly cool to the touch, while the fabric was soft as water and silk. A sense of closeness rose within her—an indistinct resonance with her Pure World White Lotus Origin, both belonging to the water element and nurturing all things.

"Little Banner, Little Banner,"

she curiously poked the flowing black lotus patterns with her fingertips. They were soft and cool.

"What can you do? Other than saving me last time, are you really good at playing with water?"

Like when she had tried to control that somewhat disobedient magical power before, she attempted to carefully pour her feeble Spiritual Sense and a tiny bit of Spiritual Power

into the little banner.

Since the banner had formed a thread of connection with her when it automatically protected its master during that earlier crisis, and their attributes were similar, the process this time was unexpectedly smooth!

The banner trembled faintly, and its dark-blue radiance flowed gently like rippling water.

A clear yet intimate, hazy understanding of "water manipulation" naturally surfaced in Su Miao's heart.

Though it was still incomplete, it was like someone taking her hand and teaching her the simplest finger exercises, showing her the most basic way to "stir" the flow of water.

"Water... give me some water?"

She strained to focus that tiny wisp of intent, remembering how the seeds she had planted needed watering. At the same time, she awkwardly waved the little banner, imitating the immortal spellcasting she remembered.

The black lotus pattern on the banner flashed with a dark gleam.

—SPLASH!!!

A thick column of water far beyond her expectations erupted from the tip of the banner like a wild horse breaking free of its reins!

In an instant, it completely flooded the tiny experimental plot before her—and Su Miao herself—washing out a small pond!

"Pfft—ptui, ptui, ptui!"

Su Miao was left dazed by the waterfall crashing over her head and face.

She plopped down into the mud and water, spat out the water in her mouth, and wiped away the watery curtain plastered over her eyes.

Staring at the ground that had instantly turned into a swamp and her dripping-wet bellyband, she froze.

Luckily, the bellyband was made of extraordinary material. It repelled dirt and quickly returned to being dry and soft.

Otherwise, she would have turned into a little mud monkey.

That was... way too much water, and way too fierce!

She only wanted to water the plants, not make a lake!

"No, no,"

she said as she climbed back up and wrung her hair, which had no water in it. Her little face was utterly serious, as though she were reviewing the lessons from a major failed experiment.

"I used too much force... It needs to be smaller, thinner..."

She gripped the little banner again. This time, having learned her lesson, she held her breath and focused, concentrating her thoughts as hard as she could while imagining "a tiny thread of water,"

"a stream as thin as sewing thread."

She waved the little banner again.

Hiss!

A crystal-clear thread of water, fine as a hair and refracting seven-colored light beneath the sun, shot out with precision.

Like the gentlest drizzle, it landed exactly at the roots of a stalk of Calming Dao Pattern Grass beside her, which had been knocked somewhat crooked by the flood, slowly seeping into the soil.

The Spiritual Grass straightened at a speed visible to the naked eye, its leaves unfurling.

It became even more lush and verdant, and the Golden Dao patterns on its surface seemed to brighten a little as well.

"Success!"

Su Miao's eyes instantly lit up like Stars, and she happily bounced in place.

"That's it! A thin stream! Flowing long!"

She had finally found the trick!

Controlling a Dharma Treasure was just like controlling mana—it required precision!

Over the next stretch of time, Su Miao completely fell in love with this Prehistoric World gardening activity of precision irrigation.

Holding the little banner, she weaved among her treasured flowers and plants with a convincing air, beginning her diligent work.

"Little grass, little grass, time to drink! Not too much, not too little this time!"

A perfectly measured thread of water descended.

"Little flowers, you drink too! Grow tall quickly!"

Another trickle gently nourished them.

"Little tree, you're so big, so drink more!"

This time, the amount of water was slightly greater, forming a tiny spring that merrily flowed around the tree roots without overflowing.

She played to her heart's content, honing her still half-baked Spiritual Sense control and fine mana manipulation.

Her technical skill rose rapidly through practice.

The Profound Origin Water Control Banner also seemed especially responsive to her wishes.

The volume and thickness of the water truly changed precisely along with the slightest adjustments of her thoughts.

Having watered every flower and plant pleasing to her eye, she was still not satisfied.

Her gaze swept over the winding stream on the island and the boundless sea glittering gold beneath the distant sunlight, and an even bolder thought surfaced.

Could this banner... control the water outside?

Not just the water it sprayed out itself?

She ran to the crystal-clear stream, waved the banner at the babbling water, and thought, Rise up a little!

The stream rippled.

A small current really did obediently break away from the riverbed and float into the air.

It twisted and wound along with the gentle swaying of her banner, like a transparent, well-behaved little water snake.

"Wow! It really works! It listens so well!"

Her little face flushed red with excitement. She tried controlling a larger volume of water, only for it to go out of control again.

The little water snake turned into a water python and nearly swept her in. She hurriedly waved the banner in a panic, sending the water back.

After several attempts, though she was still clumsy, her control over the Profound Origin Water Control Banner—

Especially when it came to playing with water—had improved by leaps and bounds!

At the very least, she could now control its release and withdrawal at will, regulating its size and thickness within a small range.

Her playful spirit stirred, and she even began developing an attack mode.

She spotted a jade-colored spirit ant crawling sluggishly across the Jade Stone ground. It was the size of a fist, and its shell bore naturally formed Dao Patterns.

A "wicked" thought immediately arose in her heart.

"Take this! Water Bullet Art!"

Lowering her voice, she waved the banner and pointed at the spirit ant with great solemnity, concentrating her thoughts.

"A little water ball! Hit it!"

A dim gleam flashed from the banner's tip, and a round, translucent droplet the size of a dragon eye condensed into being.

With a pfft, it shot out and struck the spirit ant with perfect accuracy.

The droplet was gentle enough that it did not even break through the spirit ant's protective Spiritual Light.

It merely drenched the ant from head to toe, sending it spinning several times across the smooth Jade Stone ground.

The spirit ant abruptly stopped, shook its tiny head in a daze, and rapidly twitched its two antennae, seemingly declaring in fury:

"??? Which rotten bastard is making it rain for no reason?!"

It warily looked around but failed to discover the culprit.

Su Miao had already hidden behind a rock.

In the end, it could only shake off the droplets in resentment and scurry away faster.

"Hehehe..."

Su Miao covered her mouth and snickered behind the rock, feeling immensely powerful now that she had mastered such a formidable "water-element Spell."

The sun began to set, staining the sea in a brilliant gold-red. The shimmering waves were so beautiful they took one's breath away.

Su Miao stood on the soft white beach, watching the gentle waves rise and fall.

Her little mind began buzzing again, and an unprecedented idea popped into her head.

She remembered the surfing scenes she had seen on television before. They had looked cool and fun.

"Could I... stand on the water? Or... make the water carry me around?"

The thought made her heart race.

She first tried pointing the Profound Origin Water Control Banner at a patch of seawater in front of her, focusing her thoughts intensely:

"Flat! Flat! Flat! Flat like a mirror!"

The black lotus on the banner shimmered with a dim glow. The waves across an area roughly a zhang square before her actually seemed to be smoothed by an invisible force, gradually settling until they became as level as the smoothest glazed mirror!

"Hehe! It worked!"

Carefully, she stretched out one of her bare, fair, tender little feet and tentatively stepped onto it.

It felt icy yet solid, as though she were standing atop invisible glass. She actually managed to stand there!

The seawater beneath her feet was as docile as solidified gemstones.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! This is so fun!"

Her little face flushed with excitement as she tried taking a few steps across the level water.

She even hopped twice. It was as easy as walking on flat ground, the sea breeze brushing her face, the sensation both novel and exhilarating!

After playing on the flat surface for a while, she grew bolder.

Watching the gentle waves, about a foot high, roll slowly in from afar, she took a deep breath, waved the banner toward a cresting wave, and thought:

"Rise! Rise! Hold me up! Keep steady!"

The incoming wave seemed to be carefully guided by an invisible yet gentle hand. Its crest did not crash apart; instead, it arched upward along its momentum, forming an exceptionally steady and broad platform of water. It lifted Su Miao's small, light body securely, then followed the wave's forward force, slowly and smoothly "sliding" toward shore!

"Wow—!"

Feeling her body move with the current as if she were dancing with the sea, Su Miao let out an utterly delighted cheer!

Rosy clouds shone upon her happy little face, her laughter crisp as silver bells.

Together with the resplendent rosy clouds filling the sky and the rippling golden-red gleam of the waves, it formed a strange yet childlike picture.

The Profound Origin Water Control Banner hummed softly in her hand.

Its deep-blue radiance flowed ever more cheerfully and gently, its surface unfurling.

It took the initiative to draw in the surrounding Water Spirit Energy, misting forth a faint rosy haze that curled around her.

It seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this moment of play and frolic with its master as well.

It did not even need many instructions from Su Miao. It could sense her simple intentions.

It automatically made subtle adjustments to the currents, ensuring that every time she rode a wave, it was steady and fun.

She completely fell in love with the sport.

Holding up her little flag and giggling, she continuously controlled the seawater around her.

One steady wave after another formed, carrying her back and forth across the nearshore shallows as she "cruised."

She played so wildly that she forgot herself, tossing every worry beyond the nine heavens.

Not until night quietly descended, with Stars scattered across the Celestial Vault like crushed diamonds and reflected upon the ink-black yet still docile sea, did Su Miao finally feel a trace of fatigue.

She controlled the current and sent herself steadily back to shore.

Then she plopped down onto the soft sand.

She panted softly, but her face was filled with an incomparably satisfied and happy smile.

After playing for so long, her lotus petal bellyband remained as clean as new, giving off a soft, warm glow.

"That was so fun! Little flag, you're the best!"

She lovingly stroked the cool, smooth banner surface, even happily rubbing her little face against it.

The Profound Origin Water Control Banner trembled gently, its dim radiance flowing docilely, as if responding to its master's affection.

Yet just as her mind completely relaxed, as she let down all her guard toward the Profound Origin Water Control Banner and immersed herself wholeheartedly in the joy after playing, perhaps because she had poured a great deal of mana of the same origin into it while playing with the water, perhaps because her pure happiness at that moment had inadvertently aligned with some Dao rhythm of water flowing downward, nourishing all things to the benefit of all, or perhaps because this Innate Spiritual Treasure itself had been stirred by its master's emotions, awakening a deeper layer of spirituality.

The Profound Origin Water Control Banner suddenly erupted on its own with an unprecedentedly dazzling deep-blue radiance!

The black lotus pattern upon its surface seemed to come completely alive.

It slowly revolved, emanating a profound, tranquil, yet boundlessly vast aura of Innate Water Essence!

A stream of Innate Water Essence Qi, purer and more condensed than every previous current, as though it contained the origin of all waters, burst from the tip of the banner. It did not attack, but instead, like gentle living tendrils, instantly enveloped Su Miao's entire body!

"Eek!"

Su Miao jumped in fright, thinking the Dharma Treasure was about to lose control again.

But the Water Essence Qi did not harm her.

Instead, it seeped incomparably gently into every limb and bone of her body, producing a wondrous resonance and fusion with the origin of her Pure World White Lotus!

Purification and nourishment were, by nature, important facets of water's virtues!

She only felt warm and damp all over, immensely comfortable.

The faint fatigue from practicing her control over spiritual power during the day was swept away, leaving her even more refreshed.

At the same time, an inheritance of information far more vast and profound than before—

Fragments of the foundational Law of the Great Dao of "water," as well as deeper methods for wielding the Profound Origin Water Control Banner—

Though they were still far too difficult for her at present.

Like floodwaters bursting through a breached dam, they surged fiercely through the bridge formed by that Water Essence Qi and crashed into Su Miao's utterly unprepared Sea of Consciousness!

"Ugh..."

Su Miao instantly clutched her little head, feeling as if a whole pile of new things had been stuffed into her mind.

"Water benefits all things and contends with none," "the highest goodness is like water," "nothing under heaven is softer or weaker than water, yet nothing surpasses it in overcoming the hard and strong"...

Along with countless exquisite fragments of techniques for controlling water, transforming into water, and commanding water...

The sheer volume of information was immense and abstruse, battering her until she was dizzy and disoriented, her little face scrunched into a ball.

She did not notice at all that, at the instant she was struck by that enormous flood of information—

The dormant Chaos Bead within her Sea of Consciousness trembled faintly once more, releasing a cool, lofty Dao Resonance.

It swiftly helped stabilize her churning Sea of Consciousness, Then rapidly sorted, organized, and compressed the overwhelming influx of excessively profound information, Sealing it away in an area she could currently comprehend, lest she be knocked unconscious by the impact again.

The entire process was silent and incomparably efficient.

However, at the very instant the Chaos Bead's power intervened—

The Profound Origin Water Control Banner in Su Miao's hand, which had been intimately interacting with her, seemed to sense something abruptly!

The banner trembled violently!

Its gentle deep-blue radiance instantly became somewhat unstable, and the Innate Water Essence Qi spraying from its tip fluctuated chaotically, as though it had been drawn toward—and absolutely suppressed by—some existence on a higher level?

The rotating black lotus pattern on the banner abruptly froze, releasing an exceedingly faint hum filled with boundless ancientness and reverence!

That hum was not directed at Su Miao. It pierced through her Sea of Consciousness and pointed straight at the bead emanating Chaos Dao Resonance!

It was the instinctive reaction of an inferior being when facing a supreme existence!

As though a stream had sensed the vastness of the sea, or stars had perceived the boundlessness of the heavens!

This sudden change, along with the subtle pull of spiritual auras and hierarchical suppression between the two treasures, left Su Miao, who had only just recovered from the information assault, dumbfounded again.

She looked at the little Banner in her hand, its light flashing wildly and its humming unceasing, as though it wanted to draw close to her yet could not stop itself from trembling faintly, Then sensed the Broken Bead in her Sea of Consciousness, which still showed no major reaction, Only silently helping her "pack her schoolbag," and her tiny head filled with huge question marks and a faint unease.

This... what was going on?

The little Banner... seemed to be afraid of the Broken Bead?

Weren't they both my Spiritual Treasures?

Why were they ranked first and second?

Were they even having an internal feud?