Liu Qing Returns Home

After successfully completing the experiment of connecting the herbs in the fields, Liu Feng threw himself into an even harsher daily training routine.

Every day at dawn, when the sky had only just begun to pale, he had already arrived beneath the waterfall.

The surging water crashed down like galloping horses, smashing into the deep pool and sending spray flying in layers.

Liu Feng stood tall beneath the torrent, letting the bone-chilling water batter his body.

Every inch of his muscles tensed and trembled against the current. He gritted his teeth and persevered as sweat mingled with the waterfall spray and ran down his cheeks.

Day after day, he lasted longer beneath the waterfall. From its edge to its center, from half an incense stick at first to a full incense stick now, his physique grew ever stronger and his willpower ever firmer, as though he had become one with the immense power between heaven and earth.

At the same time, Liu Feng did not neglect to record the growth of the herbs in the fields.

He found a thick notebook and solemnly wrote the words "Herb Growth Record" across its cover.

Every day, during breaks in his training, he would head to the fields and carefully observe the growth of herbs connected in different ways.

He squatted down and gently parted the herb leaves, diligently measuring their height with a ruler. He examined whether the leaves were lush green or somewhat dull, carefully counted them, checked the plants for signs of disease or pests, and recorded every detail in the notebook.

After observing for some time, he delightedly discovered that the herbs connected to the Blue Silver Grass network grew noticeably faster. Their leaves gleamed a vivid green, and their stalks were thicker and straighter.

The herbs connected only to themselves, however, showed ordinary growth.

The herbs connected to other herb networks did not grow as quickly as the former, but their quality seemed to be quietly improving. Their medicinal fragrance was richer, their leaf veins clearer, as if they contained a different kind of vitality.

Liu Feng often stood beneath the old locust tree at the village entrance, gazing down the winding road in the distance as he repeatedly pictured his father's return.

Finally, one noon after half a month of waiting, the scorching sun blazed like fire, mercilessly baking the earth. The entire village seemed to have been placed inside a massive steamer.

Liu Feng finished his training beneath the waterfall and dragged his slightly exhausted body home. Just as he reached the entrance, he heard a burst of noisy voices from the village entrance.

His heart jolted. A powerful intuition told him that his father might have returned.

Without stopping to rest, he hurried toward the village entrance.

From afar, he spotted his father Liu Qing's tall, burly figure. Zhang Niu and Zhang Ma followed behind him, and the three men were pulling an ox cart.

A gigantic Azure Water Python lay silently across the cart, drawing villagers to stop and gather around. Waves of astonished exclamations and discussion rose from the crowd.

Liu Feng quickened his pace. When he drew closer, he saw that the Azure Water Python was nearly ten meters long. Its scales glinted with a faint, icy sheen beneath the blazing sun, like countless tiny mirrors.

The three striking green markings on the python's tail resembled mysterious runes, adding to its fierce and enigmatic aura.

Blood still slowly seeped from the wounds on its body, and a heavy stench of blood spread through the air, making the surroundings feel oppressive and stifling.

When Liu Qing saw Liu Feng, a relieved smile immediately blossomed on his face, which had looked somewhat weary from the long journey.

He turned and took a bundle from the ox cart, handing it to Liu Feng. "Xiao Feng, Dad had this gift specially made for you in Prosperous Dragon Town. It's a set of iron armor. From now on, you can wear it for weighted training."

Liu Feng accepted the bundle with both hands. Its weight made his hands sink uncontrollably, but his heart was filled with joy and excitement as he eagerly opened it.

The iron armor was entirely black and gleaming. Every plate had been polished with exquisite care, its edges smooth and cold to the touch.

He gently stroked the iron armor, unable to stop himself from imagining wearing it beneath the waterfall for tempering. Fighting spirit instantly flared in his already bright eyes, as though he could already feel its crushing weight and the exhilaration and satisfaction of breaking through himself.

Zhang Niu and Zhang Ma strode over as well. Zhang Niu gave Liu Feng's shoulder a hearty slap and laughed. "Liu Feng, this is the Azure Water Python we worked so hard to hunt during this soul hunting trip. It took every ounce of effort we had!"

Liu Feng looked toward the Azure Water Python, his eyes filled with curiosity and amazement, and quickly asked for the details of how they had captured it.

Zhang Ma scratched his head and was just about to speak when Liu Qing interrupted with a smile. "No rush. There'll be plenty of time to talk later. Everyone's exhausted, so let's go home and rest first."

The group arrived at Liu Feng's home. Hearing the commotion, Liu Bai hurried out from inside the room to greet them.

When he saw the gigantic Azure Water Python on the ox cart, he paused in surprise before bursting into laughter. "What a beast! Such a huge python—looks like we're in for a treat today!" With that, he warmly ushered everyone inside.

At noon, with the scorching sun hanging high overhead, Liu Bai nailed the massive python to the large locust tree outside the house and began skillfully processing it.

Holding a sharp blade, he expertly slit open the python's belly. The blade sliding across its skin made a dull, palpitating sound.

Liu Feng stood nearby, watching with equal parts nervousness and curiosity. Every one of Grandpa's movements was clean and decisive, completed in one fluid motion. Clearly, he was highly experienced.

Next, Liu Bai gripped the python skin tightly with both hands and shouted as he pulled hard. Accompanied by a piercing rip, the skin came off whole, exposing the python's firm, taut muscles and crisscrossing blood vessels. The texture of its muscles was clearly visible beneath the sunlight.

After skinning it, Liu Bai carefully removed the python's venomous fangs. Each was as thick as a finger and glimmered with a chilling light beneath the sun.

He took out a clean cloth and carefully wiped the fangs before properly storing them away.

Next, he carefully collected the venom from the venom sac into a specially made bottle. The venom was ink green and gave off a pungent odor that made one want to vomit.

After dealing with that, Liu Bai gently removed the snake gallbladder. It was round and smooth, faintly giving off a strange gleam, as if it contained endless mysterious power.

He set the gallbladder aside to dry, intending to add it to the medicinal wine he had prepared earlier and give the wine several unique effects.

Then, Liu Bai drained the python's blood, removed its bones, and placed them in a large pot to make soup.

He added ginger, scallion segments, Sichuan peppercorns, and various other ingredients to remove the odor, along with precious herbs such as ginseng, lingzhi, and He Shou Wu.

As the water in the pot gradually boiled, the herbs and seasonings rolled and blended together, slowly releasing a rich, mellow fragrance. Before long, the entire courtyard was filled with the enticing scent, making everyone's mouths water.

As for the snake meat, Liu Bai showed off his culinary skill and turned it into all sorts of dishes.

Shredded snake meat was stir-fried with vibrant green peppers and bright red peppers. When it came out of the wok, its fragrance filled the air, with the spicy peppers perfectly complementing the tender snake meat.

Sliced snake meat was made into a thick soup with tender tofu and golden egg. The broth was rich and delicious, and every bite was intoxicating.

The cubed snake meat was slowly stewed with mushrooms, red dates, and other ingredients. The resulting meat was tender and flavorful, while the broth was rich and sweet. One bite spread a deep sense of happiness across the tongue tip.

Before long, a lavish feast of snake dishes filled the table, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, making everyone's appetites stir.

Liu Qing brought out medicinal wine from the wine cellar that had been steeped two years ago with Jade Marrow Ganoderma, tiger bones, and deer bones. He poured a cup for everyone, including Liu Feng.

Everyone sat around the table, looking at the spread of food and unable to stop themselves from praising it.

Liu Feng picked up a piece of stir-fried snake meat and put it in his mouth. The tender meat spread over his tongue at once, while the numbing spice stimulated his taste buds. He could not help giving a thumbs-up.

He sincerely praised, "Grandpa, your cooking is absolutely incredible. I thought such a big python would be tough!"

"Tough? Who said this snake meat is tough? This is amazing," Zhang Ma said, stuffing a large piece of meat into his mouth.

The others all chimed in, and soon the room was filled with laughter and cheer, lively beyond compare.

After drinking a cup of wine, the medicinal effect quickly went to their heads. Everyone's faces turned red like ripe apples, their whole bodies heated up, and bean-sized sweat drops continually emerged from their foreheads.

The grown men took off their upper garments and continued drinking and eating, making the scene so lively it was nearly wild.

Liu Feng also felt a surge of heat rolling inside his body, his cheeks flushed red. Yet he endured the discomfort and fully enjoyed this rare liveliness and joy, feeling the warmth between family and friends.

After eating and drinking their fill, the five men went beneath the shade of the jujube tree in the courtyard and brewed a pot of fragrant tea.

Liu Qing cleared his throat and began recounting the thrilling events of this soul hunting trip to Liu Feng in detail.

"The mountain forest we went to this time was truly dangerous beyond measure."

Liu Qing lifted his teacup, took a small sip, and slowly continued, "That Azure Water Python was hiding in a deep valley, surrounded by dense woods and steep cliffs as if carved by an axe. We searched all over the forest and only found its trail after a long time."

Zhang Niu continued, "That Azure Water Python was incredibly cunning. The moment we got close, it noticed us and immediately assumed an attacking posture. Its blood-red eyes were like two red lanterns, glaring viciously at us. It coiled itself up, ready to go and prepared to launch attack at any moment. It scared us into a cold sweat."

Zhang Ma added, "Yes, none of us dared act rashly then. Zhang Niu and I first tried using our soul skills to lure it out, but it refused to take the bait. It even suddenly exhaled a stream of venom. That venom was highly corrosive and nearly splashed onto us. If even a little had touched us, we would have been in serious trouble."

Liu Qing continued, "Later, I seized the right moment and circled behind it, using the beast capturing net I brought to restrain it. Only then did Zhang Niu and Zhang Ma take the chance to launch a fierce assault. The three of us worked together and fought it for several hours. Danger was everywhere during this period, and we nearly got injured several times before finally subduing it."

Liu Feng listened with great interest. Sometimes he nervously clenched his fists until his palms were drenched in sweat; other times, he opened his mouth wide in amazement. It was as if he had been there himself, witnessing his father and the two uncles' perilous battle against the Azure Water Python.

A deep admiration for them rose in his heart, and his resolve to train hard and become a powerful Soul Master grew even firmer.

After hearing the story, Zhang Ma looked at Liu Feng and said seriously, "Liu Feng, we already know what you're thinking, and we're willing to cooperate with you in analyzing soul skills."

"Actually, we had considered analyzing soul skills before, but we never found a suitable method. If we can analyze them, our descendants won't have to hunt for the same soul skills anymore. They'll have a wider range of choices, and everyone will have greater room to develop in the future."

Liu Feng was overjoyed to hear this. "Analyzing soul skills will take a long time. Uncle Niu, Uncle Ma, are you planning to stay here permanently?"

Zhang Niu thought for a moment before answering, "We'll go home and discuss it first, then see how best to arrange things. After all, there's a pile of matters at home that need handling. But don't worry, we'll definitely support you with everything we have. Whenever you need us, we'll be there on call."

Afterward, everyone continued discussing the analysis of soul skills in depth.