The Mysterious Elder's Great Gift: A Guide to Raising the Fish King! (Continued)

Even those old monsters at the Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster levels regard this Blood Soul Crystal as a priceless treasure.

"I might have to go to your territory to ask for a couple more someday."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xing was startled and realized that the Blood Crystal Bream King was indeed far more valuable than the Common Soul Crystal Bream.

"You are most welcome." He said solemnly, "If I am able to cultivate more 'Blood Crystal Bream' in the future, I will definitely leave you the best Blood Soul Crystal whenever you come."

"Very good." The old man nodded in satisfaction, then took out a small black wooden box. "Here, this is the reward I promised you, the Water-Repelling Pearl."

Shen Xing glanced at it but didn't take it. "I'll pass on this. Senior has already given me enough."

He originally thought that the only reward for this task was a [Water-Repelling Pearl].

As a result, they not only gave him the fish, but also taught him how to raise them.

Asking for further rewards at this point would make one seem greedy.

The old man gave him an approving look. "Knows when to advance and retreat, knows his limits, and isn't blinded by profit; he's a promising talent."

[Due to your words and actions, Barton the Hermit's favorability has increased]

[Current Affection Level: 15 (Friendly)]

Shen Xing glanced at the system notification that flashed before his eyes, his heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

The old man said in a deep voice, "Although you have already obtained those fish, it is enough to pay for the reward of this mission."

"But I, Barton, have traveled the Land of Mist for many years, and I have never gone back on my word."

"Take it, it's nothing to me."

Seeing that he had already said that, Shen Xing stopped refusing and solemnly accepted the small wooden box.

"Thank you very much, Senior Barton!"

The old fisherman named Barton waved his hand, then looked at the hunchbacked boatman. "You'd better keep what happened today to yourself."

"If anyone else finds out, I'll come and smash your lousy little boat, leaving you trapped in this river forever, unable to get ashore."

The boatman glanced at him and said quietly, "I don't have that many mouths..."

That's good.

Barton nodded in satisfaction.

Next, the hunchbacked boatman continued to pole his boat across the river.

The white mist that had been dispersed by the Lotus Lantern surged back in, drastically reducing visibility.

Then, that eerie crying sound rang out, its shadowy forms appearing in the mist.

But after experiencing the shocking scene earlier, the fear in everyone's hearts had long since vanished, and they even had the leisure to appreciate the 'scenery' along the way.

Shen Xing put the entire fish tank into his backpack and then returned to the bow of the boat.

Next, he took out another Xiao Hei box given to him by Barton the Hermit Fisherman and slowly opened the lid.

"Buzz..."

A soft light flashed and disappeared, and a white jewel lay quietly inside the box.

The pearl is about the size of a baby's fist, and you can feel its coolness when you hold it in your hand.

I glanced at the attributes.

[Water-Repelling Pearl]

[Quality: Orange (Epic)]

[Item Type: Special Item]

[Item Effect ①: Water-Warding Barrier (Can create a barrier with a diameter of about 10 meters in the water, allowing free movement as if on land, unaffected by water pressure, undercurrents and low temperature.]

Lasts 180 minutes, cooldown: 24 hours)

[Item Effect ②: Water-Parting Corridor (Activates the full power of the Water-Repelling Pearl, creating a water-dividing channel 20 meters wide and 1000 meters long in the water ahead.]

The water flowed vertically on both sides of the passage like walls, allowing large armies to pass side by side.

Duration: 20 minutes; Cooldown: 48 hours

(Note: If used by a unit proficient in water elements, the power of the Water-Repelling Pearl will be enhanced; the specific increase depends on the caster's strength.)

"Just as this old fisherman... no, Senior Barton said, this [Water-Repelling Pearl] has the ability to travel through all kinds of water bodies."

"It's a pity that the second special effect, the 'Water-Parting Corridor,' is only 1000 meters long."

"Otherwise, with just this bead, I could lead my army across the Blackwater River without having to go through all that trouble to come here by boat."

Shen Xing thought to herself silently.

Of course, even if he couldn't directly dredge the entire river, this bead could still be of great help to him.

The first special effect alone, 'Water-Warding Barrier', is already incredibly powerful.

Three hours of diving time was more than enough for him to lead his elite troops across the Blackwater River.

Of course, this is on the premise that they can deal with the dangers beneath the Blackwater River.

After all, the trouble in this river isn't just the buoyant water; countless terrifying monsters lurk beneath its surface.

Therefore... before he has enough strength, Shen Xing still has to honestly take the boat across the river.

"However... this [Water-Repelling Pearl] is not the most important gain this time."

"Most importantly, these dozen or so 'Soul Crystal Bream'!"

"According to Barton, the Soul Crystal within them are priceless, but they require a hundred years to mature."

"For other lords, this will take a long time, and it's difficult to see any benefits."

"But for me, as long as there are enough resources, I can even mass-produce 'Hundred-Year Soul Crystal'!"

After all, Lord Shen is a man who owns the Legendary Rank Lotus Pond.

If I set the time flow rate to 1000 times, it would only take me 37 days, but internally it would be equivalent to a hundred years passing by!

"I could even sell these Soul Crystal and exchange them all for Soul Stone."

"If the number of Soul Stone obtained is enough to maintain the Lotus Pond's thousand-fold Time Acceleration, then continue to sell them to obtain new Soul Stone, achieving a virtuous cycle."

"In this way, it can generate massive profits every so often."

"Even lotus seeds can grow into Thousand-Year Lotus Seed, or even ten-thousand-year-old lotus seeds, in a short period of time."

Shen Xing thought with anticipation.

Of course, all of this requires him to have enough Soul Stone as start-up capital.

After all, at a time speed of a thousand times, 24 hours would require 24 million Soul Stone.

It will take 888 million Soul Stone in 37 days, which is nearly 1.8 million Greater Soul Stone...

This number sounds terrifying; it's simply not something he can obtain right now.

Another issue is the transaction.

Such a large quantity of Soul Stone certainly cannot be obtained through trading with players on Blue Star.

The only way to achieve this is through the local merchant guilds of the Land of Mist, relying on their powerful gathering capabilities.

In addition, there is the worry of other powerful individuals coveting it.

Therefore, many problems need to be solved before this idea can be realized.

While he was thinking about these things, the small boat had already passed through the fog, and visibility had improved considerably.

Everyone looked up.

Across the river, a desolate black landscape was faintly visible, with several jagged rocks scattered along the shore, appearing and disappearing in the gray mist.

The small boat continued to glide smoothly forward and soon reached the shore.

The hunchbacked boatman gently lifted the bamboo pole, his deep voice ringing out.

"The Black River has been crossed, the other shore has been reached..."

"Passengers, please disembark..."

His gaze, hidden beneath his bamboo hat, swept across the ship, as if reminding Shen Xing and the others, or perhaps pointing out something special.

Shen Xing clearly felt a few cool breezes passing by.

Something unseen seemed to leave the ship's side and silently disappear into the gray fog on the shore.

The group exchanged glances, all feeling a bit strange.

Shen Xing didn't disembark immediately, but asked, "Boatman, where do we board the boat to return?"

The hunchbacked boatman explained, "I'll be staying here for half a day. You can board the boat within the designated time, and I won't charge you a toll."

"If you miss the time, you'll have to wait for the next one."

"Of course... I don't know when the next trip will be, haha..."

Shen Xing thought about it and realized that half a day, which is about twelve hours, would be enough.

At their current speed, they are able to explore a very large area.

"Let's go down."

Shen Xing waved, then led his generals to jump off the ship.

The old man named Barton also put away his fishing rod and walked to the shore alone.

"Young man, until we meet again." He waved his hand. "I look forward to returning to this Blackwater River someday and seeing you fully grown up."

With that, he walked straight ahead.

"Wait a minute, Senior Barton."

Shen Xing suddenly remembered something and asked, "You said you'd go to my territory to ask for two Blood Soul Crystal later, but do you know where my territory is?"

Barton turned and glanced at him, chuckling, "Heh, don't underestimate my strength."

The hunchbacked boatman, standing at the stern, explained, "He's memorized your scent; he can find you even from dozens of kilometers away."

"Oh..." Shen Xing nodded in realization, then solemnly said goodbye, "Goodbye, Senior Barton."

The old man waved his hand, walked forward with steady steps, and soon disappeared into the mist.

At this moment, only Shen Xing and his four companions remained on the shore.

"Boss, what do we do next?" Gorehowl asked as he stepped forward.

Shen Xing gazed at the plains shrouded in gray fog ahead, then looked at the large unknown area shown on the mini-map, lost in thought.

After a moment's thought, he ordered, "Next, we'll split up and explore, maintaining contact at all times using the communication crystal."

"Remember not to go too far, and report any unusual situations immediately."