Late at night, Lu Shui was still reading.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling were also sensing their Spiritual Energy. They discovered that the cold here actually helped them improve their control over Spiritual Energy and build up their reserves.
If Lu Shui hadn't reminded them, they might not have realized it until their Spiritual Energy was depleted. No, even then, they wouldn't have realized it.
They had visited Wind Frost River before. Back then, they had always thought it was a place for punishing people.
They hadn't expected it to be a place that could help with cultivation, too.
As they sensed the Spiritual Energy, they suddenly heard the sound of splashing water.
The moment they heard it, they opened their eyes.
Then they saw two fish appear in Wind Frost River. They were both fiery red.
They swam around in front of the Fishing Platform.
As they swam nearby, much of the cold dissipated.
Lu Shui looked up as well.
Yang Yan Fire Fish? What were Yang Yan Fire Fish, which appeared only once every few thousand years in Wind Frost River, doing here today?
Lu Shui could feel Wind Frost River's hostility toward him.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling, beside him, recognized them, too.
Zhen Wu cried out in surprise:
"Yang Yan Fire Fish? Young master, they're the legendary Yang Yan Fire Fish!"
Zhen Ling was just as astonished:
"I heard the last time Yang Yan Fire Fish appeared was eight thousand years ago. Whenever they appear, they can dispel Wind Frost River's extreme cold. Once the extreme cold is gone, we can enter the Bottom of Wind Frost River. They say there might be a miraculous place down there."
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling were very excited. No one in the entire Lu Family knew what lay at the Bottom of Wind Frost River—not even the clan leader, unless it was the Three Elders.
And now they had a chance to see it for themselves.
How could they not be excited?
Lu Shui closed his book and waved a hand. With a boom, both Yang Yan Fire Fish were blasted out of the river, landing right in front of Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling stared at the still-flopping Yang Yan Fire Fish, unable to make sense of it. Then they both looked at Lu Shui.
"I'm hungry. Roast them," Lu Shui said lazily.
Then Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling saw Lu Shui go back to reading.
"Y-Young master, those are Yang Yan Fire Fish," Zhen Wu stammered.
Lu Shui glanced at him.
"I know. Is it hard to roast them?"
Zhen Wu: "..."
Zhen Ling: "..."
Young master, these fish weren't for roasting and eating. They—they were incredibly rare treasures.
"Make sure they taste good," Lu Shui said again.
Young master had gone mad. That was what Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling thought.
They watched the Yang Yan Fire Fish flopping in protest and sighed inwardly.
Their chance to witness a miracle was gone.
Then the two of them started roasting the fish.
Lu Shui turned his gaze back to his book and sighed inwardly as well.
Serendipitous encounters came one after another. If he followed the river downstream, the entire Lu Family would be alerted, and the encounters waiting beyond would only grow bigger.
Although he had never gone down Wind Frost River in his previous life, there was indeed something down there. It seemed to be no small matter.
There was no way he could go down there now.
So he could only snuff out these serendipitous encounters himself. However many came, he'd eat them all. He refused to believe he couldn't finish them.
In the end, Lu Shui ate a whole fish, while Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling each ate half.
"They're pretty tasty," Zhen Ling whispered to Zhen Wu.
Zhen Wu thought they were pretty tasty, too. But were these things meant to be eaten?
What a waste.
After that, they stopped dwelling on it. They'd better focus on improving themselves.
After Lu Shui finished eating the Yang Yan Fire Fish, he found that Active Method had activated automatically. At 2.4, what he needed was Fire Attribute Power.
And the Yang Yan Fire Fish were Fire Attribute Spirit Fish.
"..."
Fine. A little serendipity was nothing to worry about.
Back to reading.
But not long after, the sound of splashing water came from Wind Frost River again.
Lu Shui looked up. This time, a giant crab appeared, looking rather heavy.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling jumped to their feet in shock.
"T-This is... the Myriad Law Spirit Crab, which hasn't appeared in ten thousand years! It can..."
BOOM!!
Before Zhen Wu could finish, the Myriad Law Spirit Crab was blasted onto the Fishing Platform.
Then Lu Shui's lazy voice rang out again:
"Roast it."
Zhen Wu: "..."
Zhen Ling: "..."
They were completely dumbfounded. This was the Myriad Law Spirit Crab!
"Young master, if you drip Essence Blood onto the Myriad Law Spirit Crab, it can derive the cultivation method best suited to you. This... this thing is a priceless treasure. How can you roast it?" Zhen Ling thought Lu Shui should know what the Myriad Law Spirit Crab could do and how precious it was.
Lu Shui looked over, thought for a moment, and nodded. Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling were delighted. Was young master finally listening?
Then they realized they had been wrong. Completely wrong.
"Mm. Then steam it."
In the end, they steamed the Myriad Law Spirit Crab.
There was a chance that the cultivation method created by the Myriad Law Spirit Crab could trigger a Heavenly Tribulation. Lu Shui obviously couldn't let it hang around here; even its aura might be enough to set one off, and that would make a huge commotion.
Besides, steamed, it still tasted pretty good.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling had given up on their young master completely.
They could only hope that nothing else precious would show up.
Young master was seriously ill. He might have lost his mind.
Morning.
When the sunlight drove away the night, Old Man Withered Tree made his way to Wind Frost River.
He had spent quite some time picking out a magical treasure yesterday. Today, he had come to complete his task.
He only hoped young master had managed to last until today. After all, he had prepared a magical treasure that could just about withstand the cold. It should help young master hold on for five days.
But he would have to deliver it this evening. If young master hadn't lasted that long, there was nothing he could do.
Of course, if young master couldn't hold on until noon, he could also turn a blind eye and deliver it early.
After all, that would already be quite an achievement.
Old Man Withered Tree soon reached the inner part of Wind Frost River.
He took a different route from Lu Shui, so he went around them and made his way deeper in.
As soon as he reached the depths, he found a new Fishing Platform and took out a mirror.
"All right, let me see how young master's doing. I hope he's still gritting his teeth and holding on."
After Old Man Withered Tree cast his spell, the mirror soon showed the Fishing Platform where Lu Shui and the others were.
But as soon as he saw the platform, Old Man Withered Tree was puzzled. Why was there a pile of bones over there?
There was a faint trace of Spiritual Energy. Were those the bones of Spirit Beasts or something?
"Did they eat Spirit Beasts? Where did they get them?"
Old Man Withered Tree quickly figured it out. With Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling there, young master must have forced them to do it.
He must have done it to help himself hold on.
"Even if he cheated, he did manage to last. I'll turn a blind eye, then."
Old Man Withered Tree figured he was probably right. After all, young master seemed to be in decent shape now. He could even distract himself by reading.
"Not bad, not bad.
"It's just that Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling don't look too good. They probably didn't get to eat any Spirit Beasts and had to help clean them up."
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling didn't just look bad. They were both in utter despair.
They couldn't understand what had happened last night. One precious Wind Frost River Spirit Beast after another had shown up at their doorstep.
And their young master had eaten them without a word.
The spiritual items they'd eaten would have made the Third Elder blow a gasket and spit blood.
Last night had been sheer torment for them.
All night long, they'd kept begging the Heavenly Emperor not to send them any more spiritual items.
They couldn't take it anymore.
Before you continue