Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 557 - A Grand Harvest, Preparation

When Qing Shui saw the last reward, he felt completely satisfied. Even though the time he could stay in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal remained the same, the time ratio had changed. It increased exponentially from the original 1:150 all the way to the present 1:200. This way, the growth speed of the medicinal herbs, the special fruits, as well as the some of the aquatic animals in the realm would be increased significantly.

In short, Qing Shui felt really contented. After he finished reviewing the rewards, he immediately looked towards a place near the stone tablet. It was where the Strength-Enhancing Fruits previously were. Five additional strong saplings once again grew out from there. The saplings were almost equal in size. Compared to before, it seemed to have grown a bit taller. The Strength-Enhancing Fruit Tree from before still remained one and a half meters tall. These five rows of fruit trees, on the other hand, they were almost 200 meters tall.

The five Five Elements Fruit Trees basically all looked the same. However, the fruits atop the different trees had different colors. They were yellowish brown, aqua blue, leaf green, fire red and light green respectively.

They were all the same size, each as big as a fist. Furthermore,  the fruits glowed. The bottom part of the fruit looked like a calabash, Qing Shui could clearly feel the tremendous spirit fluctuations. They were much stronger compared to the fruits in the Country of Strength.

Qing Shui looked at these ripened fruits and straight away plucked the fruits down from their trees. These were the rules of the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. The things that they rewarded were all things that had ripened and fully grown. 

Fifty of them! Ten for each of the respective elements! 

After that, he found some three thousand years medicinal herbs which stood out and looked really unique. The fineness of the spiritual Qi spreading out from them were on a whole otherlevel compared to those thousand years medicinal herbs.

Qing Shui looked through everything once. He realized that the number of things that he got were all fixed at ten. No more, no less.

He walked to the side of the pond which was now the size of a small lake and started looking for the Rainbow Trout Fish. Even though there were only three hundred of them, Qing Shui could already recognize them with only one glance.

A Rainbow Trout Fish was only one foot long. It had a round body which was as thick as an adult's arm. Its entire body would give out a faint rainbow-colored light. It may look like it was just one color from afar, but if one looked carefully, one would notice that there were a few kinds of colors. In addition, it had sharp teeth and a long tail at the back. 'Don't judge a book by its cover', it may look really small, but when it was in the water, it would be so tenacious that even adults wouldn't be a match for it. Not only was its speed extraordinarily fast, its teeth were even capable of crushing iron. Its tail resembled a sharp sword when waved.

Legends had it that the Rainbow Trout Fish was also capable of undergoing limitless evolutions. Apparently, there was a Rainbow Trout Fish with tremendous strength in the Southern Sea. Even some of the more powerful Demonic beasts underwater didn't dare to provoke it.

This may just be a legend, but it wasn't entirely baseless. However, the chances of finding such a Rainbow Trout Fish was basically zero. It's just like the legend about a carp jumping over the dragon's gate to become one of their kind from its previous incarnation. 

(TL NOTE: story is about the carp wanting to surpass the boundary of a carp to become a dragon, but it's very unlikely it will happen)

After a year, he would be able to eat as many of these fishes as he wanted. Not only could it increase one's cultivation level and clear one's mind, it also had the effect of strengthening the consumer's meridians and their five visceral and six bowels.

"Erm, why is that one so big?" Suddenly, Qing Shui spotted a Rainbow Trout Fish which was a few times bigger than the others. It was a meter long. Furthermore, its tail was also the same length. It's almost as thick as the waist of an adult man. Its spherical body, to one's surprise, made it looked well-proportioned. When it waved its huge tail, it would generate a small whirlpool.

It looked like a champion when it swam. Graceful and mighty, there were at least ten Rainbow Trout Fish following it around.

"What's this? Is it the leader? Shall I leave this fish for later?" Qing Shui saw that the fish was capable of killing the blackfish and the turtles in the pond with ease. 

Next up, when Qing Shui saw the Shenji Fruit, he felt a bit agitated. A two meters tall small tree that was entirely jade green. It was as thick as an arm and looked really strong, sturdy and vigorous. However, each and every one of its branches were less than two meters long. Among the branches and leaves, there was a golden fruit which was the size of a peach. Even though the fruit was small, it was like a star in the night sky, eye-catching and bright.

"Such an abundant essence. It may be such a small fruit yet it possesses such powerful and insane energy. Too bad I still needed a bit more luck." Qing Shui plucked the fruit and contained it in a medicine bottle.

(TL NOTE: Stating that percentage for success is very low, needs more luck)

Qing Shui didn't take down the fruit even though it was really alluring. After all, there was only a one-tenth chance he would succeed. But if he did, his strength would definitely take a huge leap.

Luck was a really funny thing. Sometimes, it wasn't really reliable. Luck was something that would only happen once in awhile. If one possessed formidable strength and wealth, once they ran into this kind of opportunity again, they would seize it. This would lead to other people believing that they were really lucky. Hence, sometimes, it wasn't wrong to say that luck was a representation of strength. 

There were 'Shenji Pellets' across the World of the Nine Continents, but it was an endangered item. Each and every one of them cost a fortune. This fruit had an unknown energy hidden within it. If one was really lucky, they would very likely be able to change their fate. Hence, across the World of the Nine Continents, such kind of fruits were also known as the 'Fruit of Good Fortune' or the 'Fruit of Fate'.

It had only been half a moment and Qing Shui had found the Jade Emperor Bee. This was because Qing Shui was able to communicate with them just like the way he could with the Fire Bird.

"Am I considered to be a Beast Tamer now….."

At present, the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal had gotten a few times bigger than before. Qing Shui walked towards the 'Hundred Blossom Tree' not too far away from him. Even though it wasn't as large as the Chinese Parasol Tree, it was still twenty meters tall. It would take quite a number of people to completely embrace the tree. There was no leaves on the tree, there were only branches. On top of the branches were all large flowers.

The colorful and large flowers made the Hundred Blossom Tree looked extraordinarily beautiful.

Onggg, ongggg…..

Qing Shui could already see the Jade Emperor Bee with a glance. Even though he had imagined a few times how they would look like prior to seeing them, he was still stunned. The Jade Emperor Bee was about the length of an adult man's leg. It was almost a meter long. There were yellow, white and black stripes on its body.

"This is the Jade Emperor Bee?" Qing Shui was a bit spaced out. He wasn't able to accept it even after a long time. As he raised his head and looked at the large beehive on the Hundred Blossom Tree, he thought that even an adult man would be able to fit inside. The only thing that he didn't know about was what the Queen of the Jade Emperor Bee looked like.

Qing Shui tried to summon it. To his surprise, it actually flew out. Compared to ordinary Jade Emperor Bees, the Queen of the Jade Emperor Bees looked as white as jade. It was three meters long and looked a lot more beautiful compared to ordinary Jade Emperor Bees.

As he looked at the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal which had gotten bigger and the hundreds of the Jade Emperor Bees, he felt really relieved. If it hadn't been for the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal upgrading, the entire place would have turned out to be a bit cramped up.

For now, the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal had an area of a thousand and four hundred hectares. Thus, more than half of the area was empty. Since this was the case, he could try planting other stuff.

"Erm, and there is still the Jade Emperor Bee's Nectar. It's a really useful thing!" Qing Shui had already known that the nectar was much more nutritious than honey since his previous incarnation. Hence, the nectar produced by the Jade Emperor Bees would naturally be incomparably powerful.

Qing Shui used a slightly bigger bottle and took out around five jin of it. Actually, it would be fine even if he had taken ten jin out, it's just that Qing Shui felt that it would be better if he left some for the baby bee.

The Jade Emperor Bee's nectar was a golden yellow color. It looked like an amber, yet also resembled a jade. The fragrance and spiritual energy it gave out was really appetizing. But Qing Shui didn't eat any of it. 

On the new land in the expanded Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, Qing Shui found two violet jades. He immediately put it together with the metal that he got from the Flowerfruit Mountain treasure map.

As for the other flavorings and tea-leaves, Qing Shui also conveniently collected them. What Qing Shui was the happiest about was the last reward regarding the change in time ratio.

In other words, one day spent in the outside world would be equivalent to fifty days in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Before this, it was only thirty-seven days. 

    ……

With a blink of an eye, three days had passed yet again. Qing Shui left behind the Jade Emperor Bees nectar for his mother. Despite it being just five jin, it was enough for the entire Qing Clan to eat for one year. 

Luan Luan's body type was the Flame of Five Elements. Her own flame elements were already considerably abundant, it's comparable to the earth element of the Ancient Strengthening Technique which Qing Shui cultivated. The little brat swallowed ten of the Fruit of the Flame of Five Elements. Soon after, her body instantly became one time stronger than before. This kind of strengthening wasn't in terms of just strength, it's in terms of the toughness of the body, for example, the toughness of the meridians and the vitality of the organs. As for the more significant benefits of the fruits, it would be shown as she slowly carried on with her cultivation. Basically, it would benefit her in a way that she would only have to give out half of her effort to get twice the results.

As for the Wood of Five Elements fruit, Qing Shui gave it to his mother. Even though it was quite difficult for Qing Yi to increase her cultivation level, but the effect of this fruit in terms of strengthening the vital energy and the toughness of the body was still really significant.

    ……

"Qing Shui, you're here!"

Qing Shui arrived at Yiye Jiange's courtyard. At present, everyone in Qing Clan basically had their own courtyard. As soon as he walked in, he could already see Yiye Jiange sitting on the couch. She was holding a book called the <Mysterious Phenomenon of the Continents>. 

"Where's Luan Luan?" Qing Shui smiled as he approached Yiye Jiange who had already stood up. 

"Since when has this little brat been satisfied? She must have gone out again!" Every time Yiye Jiange mentioned Luan Luan, her face would be filled with a contented smile. 

"This is for you!"

Qing Shui had felt Yiye Jiange's pulse before, therefore, he knew that she possessed the water element. This was also the reason why he came to see her. This girl was very talented and had been a huge help for him on many occasions. Qing Shui was aware that she would one day turn out to be really successful. Hence, if there was anything which could aid her, he would naturally give her some, even if it had been something with the Earth Element, he still wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Yiye Jiange looked at Qing Shui. She was a bit puzzled.

"I won't harm you……"

"Of course I know you won't harm me……" as Yiye Jiange looked at Qing Shui, she started smiling. She felt that there was a special connection between her and this little man.

Furthermore, she would even feel a bit dependant on him. Of course, Luan Luan might have also played a part in it.

As Qing Shui looked as Yiye Jiange swallowed the Water of Five Elements fruit, despite her being only at peak Martial King Grade, he felt really confident that she would definitely make a huge progress in terms of her cultivation skills in the future.

"Have you confirmed the time when you will leave?" Said Yiye Jiange as she looked at the flocks of Yellow Luans that were flying in the sky.

"After three days!"

"Alright! I will send you off then!"

    ……

Heavenly Palace! 

Qing Shui once again went to meet Elder Ge. Since he didn't know what attributes his was yet, he planned to only give him the fruit on his next visit. Because the most formidable warriors from Jin Clan and Jiang Clan were crippled, they were immediately removed from the list of the best clans. Most importantly, Jiang Clan still harbored bad intentions towards the people in Qing Clan, therefore, they were immediately slaughtered by Elder Ge.

The ruthless method right away kept the people under control. After all, he was the one and only Martial Saint Warrior in Green Cloud Continent. 

Qing Shui gave Elder Ge quite a lot of alcohol, flavorings, and tea-leaves. This made Elder Ge really happy. To an aged person, all they wanted was just to be able to enjoy their meal and watch their younger generations. 

He didn't have any relatives. The favor that Qing Shui did for him gave him a new lease on life. His life of being treated like a lunatic for the past two hundred years had let him see through the cruelty of life. Even though previously, he knew more than anyone else that he needed to walk out of the situation, it's easier said than done.

At the very moment he recovered his strength as a Martial Saint, everything was finally resolved. Without realizing it, he had begun to see Qing Shui as his own son. Everyone from Qing Clan was like his family. After being insulted and humiliated for two hundred years, this kind of familial affection was something that he cared the most about. It was also something which he could sacrifice himself to protect. Therefore, he wouldn't allow anyone to harbor any ill intentions to Qing Clan. 

After saying goodbye to Elder Ge, Qing Shui proceeded to the Misty Hall Palace.

Like usual, the Misty Hall Palace still didn't allow any men in. Hence, Qing Shui asked a few people to inform Di Chen.

"So you will be leaving in three days?" Di Chen asked in shock.

"Yeah, I'll have to leave sooner or later anyway. So why don't I just do it now?" Qing Shui knew that the reason why he was leaving early was because of the upgrade in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Otherwise, he would have needed to stay for one and a half months more.

"Yeah… Make sure you bring all the things that are important. Qing`Er's personality can be a bit extreme sometimes. I hope that you can tolerate her sometimes. In any case… She wouldn't be a match for you too, so…"

Qing Shui was stunned. From the way she said it, wasn't she asking him not to hurt her?

"Sister, what are you talking about? Why would he disgrace himself to bully a fragile woman…" Di Qing rolled her eyes at Di Chen. She also conveniently did the same thing to Qing Shui.

Her? A fragile woman? Qing Shui remembered both the times when she hit him during the first two times they met. But as for now, he really couldn't do anything about it, let alone these two women weren't only pretty faces. Hence, Qing Shui wasn't really worried.

"Sister Chen, which of the five elements are you?" Qing Shui remembered the last two remaining fruits of the metal and earth elements.

Di Chen glanced towards Qing Shui. After that, she answered: "I possess the metal element. Among the five elements, this is considered as one of the rarer elements."

Qing Shui felt really happy. In the past, Qing Shui had always felt that her attacks were inexorably sharp during combat. To think that she really possessed the metal attribute. 

"Just right! Then this is for you!" Qing Shui took out ten Golden Fruits.

"Fruit of Five Elements!" Di Qing shouted out in surprise.

"You have heard about it before?" Qing Shui had never expected Di Qing to recognize it. She did mention the right name and her expression was full of shock. 

"I have unintentionally heard about it before. To think that you will actually bring something like this over and give it to sister, I see some improvements here." Di Qing chuckled.

"Qing Shui, this thing is too precious, why don't you…"

"Sister Chen, what are you talking about? Forget about this, even if it had been a thousand times more precious, I would still give it to you." as Qing Shui said this, he was really sincere and serious.

When Di Chen heard these words, her body trembled slightly. She didn't really have a response to what he just said.

On the other hand, Di Qing laughed softly. Her smile looked extraordinarily beautiful and happy. This time, she too, didn't really have much to say.

"Can I share half of it with Qing`Er……" After hesitating for a while, Di Chen asked Qing Shui.

"She also possesses the metal attribute?" Qing Shui looked at Di Qing.

"Sister, that's something Qing Shui gave. I can't take it." Di Qing chuckled as she joked about it. Her expression looked really natural. This made Qing Shui's impression of her become a bit better. She knew these fruits were precious, furthermore, her element was also match with the element of the fruits. However, she didn't express any greed over it. 

This made Qing Shui respect her a lot.

"Sister Chen, there is no need for this. Wait until when I'm in Central Continent, I will give her the same thing, is that alright with you?" Qing Shui looked at Di Chen and said with a serious look.

558 Towards the Central Continent, The Triple-Eyed Grass Green Frog

"There's no need for that, Sister Chen. By the time we reach the Central Continent, give me some time and I will give her another set, alright?" Qing Shui sincerely told Di Chen.

"You still have more of these Five Elements Fruits?" Di Chen was surprised. Qing Shui had already gifted ten to her sister earlier so she didn't expect him to still have more…...

"But I need more time."

Everyone dropped the topic after that. The time had been set. They would set off in only three days' time!

Qing Shui returned to the Qing Clan and was prepared to spend some quality time with his family over these three days. After all, his trip to the Central Continent would take at least two years. It was impossible for Qing Shui to return home once a year due to the long distance.

He was happy whenever he thought of the Fire Bird. It was quite different than it was before. Not many human cultivators or demonic beasts under the Martial Saint level could defeat it.

Everyone naturally gathered together when they knew that Qing Shui was leaving soon. The cultivation of the few ladies had also improved by a lot. Canghai Mingyue and Yiye Jiange were now at the peak Martial King realm.

Ling Zhanhan oversaw the Qing Clan and his strength was considered one among the best of the Greencloud City. Furthermore, none of the Qing Clan's disciples were below Xiantian now. The Qing Clan's strength was no longer negligible.

Luan Luan and Yuchang were extremely clingy to Qing Shui. The little lasses were more sensible now, especially Luan Luan. She who possessed the Heart of Seven Orifices could almost match up to child of sixteen or seventeen years old, even surpass them.

Ever since Huoyun Liu-Li had a breakthrough in relationship, her face was almost glowing and she looked extremely beautiful. Qing Shui now felt guilty for not, since he had been busy with cultivation.

Over these three days, Qing Shui tried to squeeze out more time to be in their company. He mostly had to visit a few bedrooms at night. They were more daring perhaps because they knew he would be leaving soon again. This allowed Qing Shui to enjoy the boundless pleasures they could offer to the greatest extent.

He basically used every single position he knew. Even the reserved Canghai Mingyue allowed him to do her from behind once. The slapping noises generated from him ramming against that sexy, fair ass made Qing Shui felt like he was floating in the realm of the immortals.

He felt the entire world shaking with every movement of those beautiful hips…...

……..

Three days passed very quickly!

"Qing Shui, take care of yourself on your journey," Qing Yi worriedly reminded while pulling onto him.

"Don't worry, Mother. Your son is old enough not to worry you anymore," he assured Qing Yi.  The moment of parting was always the most depressing one.

"Have a safe journey!" Qing Luo smiled at Qing Shui. Lin Zhanhan nodded at him from the side. He didn't say anything but it was all conveyed in this small action.

"Qing Shui, Qing'er, travel safely!"

"I will be fine, sister!" Di Qing laughed at Di Chen. Qing Shui stood at one side and nodded with a smile.

"Daddy, hug!"

Luan Luan exclaimed, immediately leaping into Qing Shui's arms!

"Me too!" Yuchang stood at another side while tugging on Qing Shui's sleeve.

Qing Shui stretched out his other arm and lifted Yuchang into his embrace as well!

……...

"Qing Shui, let us be off. If we don't, they're going to cry!" Di Chen told Qing Shui softly in a mild tone.

He waved once again at the Qing Clan before climbing onto the back of Fire Bird with Di Chen!

Fire Bird let out a clear screech and spread its gigantic wings, slowly taking off. The figures standing in the distance gradually became smaller and smaller until they completely vanished from his field of vision.

"You hate to part with them?" Di Qing stood beside Qing Shui and asked softly.

"I haven't been around much after sixteen years old, so I'm never spending enough time with them," Qing Shui said slowly. His gaze was still fixed on the place where he could no longer see.

"You are a good person. A true man." Di Qing smiled at him.

Qing Shui choked at her statement. He didn't expect such a refined and beautiful woman to tell him something like this. It felt a little coquettish and he was mostly unused to it. 

"What I am saying is that you're someone who dares to admit and take responsibility for all your actions. You have many people who care and like you," Di Qing quickly continued. Perhaps she, too, felt that her previous statement had come off a little odd.

"Thank you for your praise. It is very rare to get a praise from you." Qing Shui chuckled.

"Why do you say that?" Di Qing looked at him. Her enchanting and beautiful eyes stared at Qing Shui's. She wasn't much shorter than him. With her hair pinned up, she had almost the same height as Qing Shui.

"We fought during our first two meetings. Do you think two opponents can praise each other?" Qing Shui recalled their first meetings and still thought it a little outrageous even now. 

"We weren't really fighting each other seriously. Besides, thinking back on it now, didn't you think that it was fun?" Di Qing couldn't hold her laughter in.

"Fun? I was almost killed by you if I hadn't been careful last time. I don't see how that would be fun." Qing Shui smiled wryly.

"You knew very well that you couldn't beat me that time, yet you were still so persistent. That makes me angry every time I think about it. It was rare for me to lower my voice, yet someone have the gall to even ignore me." Di Qing blinked her bright eyes at Qing Shui, as if she was anticipating what he would say next.

"I am from the Heavenly Palace and I have already considered destroying the Sword Tower during that time. I'm a little perverted and you're not bad-looking. I was just afraid of being unable to bring myself to kill you when the time came. What's more, I wouldn't have known how I died," Qing Shui rubbed his nose and laughed.

"It doesn't seem like you are acting in front of my sister. You have even admitted that you are a pervert. Have you ever thought of doing anything to sister….."

"I am not a good person, but I don't think I am a bad person either. I still have my morals. The favors that I owe to Sister Chen are not something I can ever repay with my entire life. I will not allow anyone to bully, insult, or betray her." Qing Shui softly interrupted Di Qing's question.

Di Qing watched how this man had casually made a statement like this, yet it didn't seem like it was a pretense. 

She didn't mention anything else about Di Chen. She knew that it would be meaningless to discuss those any further!

"What's your plan at the Central Continent? Do you mind telling me?" 

Fire Bird was now charging full speed ahead in the sky, reaching twice the speed of sound. With that speed, they could cover the distance of about 100,000 miles in a day. Even so, they'd still need a little more than three months' time to reach the Central Continent. The regions in the World of the Nine Continents was indeed vast. It was basically impossible to leave a region without a super powerful Flying Beast.

"I don't know. I haven't thought about that," Qing Shui replied in a serious tone after thinking for a while.

Di Qing was taken aback by Qing Shui's response. She then asked in a strange tone, "Are you thinking of visiting the Residence of the Sky Tyrant Lord?"

Qing Shui stared at the remarkably stunning beauty before him as she knitted her beautiful eyebrows together. "I still don't want to die yet. Even if I am going to the Residence of the Sky Tyrant Lord, it's not going to be right now." He lightly shook his head.

Di Qing smiled at Qing Shui after hearing his words. She stared into the mountain peaks that were disappearing quickly behind them. 

The continents in the World of the Nine Continents were not connected to each other and they were a few million miles apart from each other. There were oceans, rivers and wastelands in between them. Other than a few specific passageways that were a little safer, most of those areas were extremely dangerous.

Travellers who travelled between the continents usually had powerful Flying Beasts or Mythical Beasts as mounts. For those without a powerful Flying Beast, they opted for travelling by land. Otherwise, they might be finished off without a single trace left by a group of large flying beasts.

Compared to the sky, the land was a little safer since one had strategical advantages when using the terrain. It improved their chances of survival. In the air, the mount was the most crucial key to survival. If anything happened to the mount, you would probably be torn apart by a group of demonic beasts, leaving you with no bones before you even reached the ground.

That was why most people would opt to travel by land in a group. They would usually form a caravan and employ some powerful team to guard them as well.

The major teams that were specialized in undertaking these kinds of missions owned many powerful land-based demonic beasts. These beasts ran as if they could fly and were not in the least bit inferior to the Flying Beasts. On top of it all, they had high endurance.

Then again, most teams wouldn't normally accept this kind of escort mission which involved travelling between continents unless they came with extremely irresistible rewards. 

Qing Shui was not really worried about being attacked by any demonic beasts in midair because demonic beasts below the Martial Saint level would avoid Fire Bird as soon as they saw it. Furthermore, Qing Shui still had a Soulshake Bell with him.

They flew continuously until evening time, during which they stopped by a lake.

It was a very wide natural lake, much wider than Qing Shui's entire Realm of Violet Jade Immortal. The water of the lake was very clean thanks to the great ecology in the World of the Nine Continents, even though the water deeper than ten metres wasn't very visible. The lake water was light green in color, but the water plants, fishes, and prawns in it were quite a sight. 

There was a vast grassland that stretched on boundlessly beside the lake. Many herbivores could be seen roaming around, while some birds came to the lakeside for a drink. The lake and grassland basked in the evening sunset, creating a harmoniously tranquil scenery.

Qing Shui lied down on the slanted grass by the lakeside. He felt unusually serene in his heart. Although he didn't really know how to put it in words, he felt exceptionally tranquil.

Di Qing walked to his side and sat down with her arms wrapped around her knees. She crooked her head to look at Qing Shui who was lying by her side.

"Are you exhausted?" Di Qing softly asked him with a smile on her face.

"Why do you ask?" He turned his head around to look at this lady who was in very close proximity to him. She was indeed a gorgeous lady with bewitching beauty. 

"I've heard some things about you. Ever since your coming of age ceremony, you seem to have gone through quite a lot over the past ten year. I've heard you even have quite a handful of near death experiences. Are you miserable?"

"Not all all. When you have dreams and motivation, you won't feel the miserable at all. Every single time your dream comes true, it is like a great happiness and wealth. Besides, I'm doing all these things willingly. If someone is willing, they would not feel miserable no matter how difficult things can be," Qing Shui laughed as he recalled everything he had been through for these past few years. It was a very hearty laugh.

"That's true. You should be very blessed. You have a mother who loves you, many family members who are very close to you, even a few stunning ladies who love you. There should be many people who envy you." Di Qing blinked those intoxicating eyes as she gazed at him.

Qing Shui felt that women were always passive. The beauty of the lady standing before him was otherworldly, her pitch black eyes exuding an illusory aura. Her body was slender and lithe; the curves of her body were soft and delicate. She was stunningly elegant despite being plainly dressed. Her beauty was not icy cold, but the aura she exuded were a mix of dominance and coldness. Her beauty was ethereal and hazy, but one would be enchanted after seeing her alluring eyes! She was a woman that was extremely difficult to manage, yet one that was an elegant and noble. 

Although she was smiling, Qing Shui couldn't really tell what she was thinking. Her extraordinary grace was even harder to grasp than Di Chen, as she forever exuded an illusory air around her.

"Hehe, envious huh? Actually having one woman to love is the happiest thing. Give her all the love and love everything about her," Qing Shui randomly said.

He stood up and walked towards the lakeside after finishing his sentence, leaving Di Qing to sit there, a little baffled.

Pure Gold Fishing Rod!

After seeing the lake, Qing Shui had the sudden urge to fish. He naturally recalled his Pure Gold Fishing Rod, a heaven-defying graded treasure. 

"Something took the bait!"

He saw a green fish being hooked. It was a Grass Carp of about half a foot long, highly intelligent and delicious. It was considered to be a high grade consumable fish on the market.

He retrieved a water bucket that was filled halfway and tossed the Grass Carp in it!

He reeled in another three Grass Carps, two water snakes and a gigantic frog in his subsequent attempts. The gigantic frog was about the size of a three-years-old toddler. As long as something became too huge it would look extremely terrifying, no matter what it was. Although this gigantic frog was neither a demonic beast nor a wild beast, Qing Shui instantly dumped it back into the water after seeing its horrifying size.

He was ready to stop after one final reel!

Di Qing walked to Qing Shui's side as she watched him in great interest.

"Can I have a try too?" Her voice was very soft.

Qing Shui looked at Di Qing who was a little shy. At just a glance, he could tell that she seldom behaved like this. He passed the Pure Gold Fishing Rod to her.

"Thank you!"

Di Qing happily accepted the rod. Qing Shui could tell that she had fished a lot in the past from the way she skillfully handled the rod.

This time it took a little longer. Talking should be strictly avoided when fishing, so both of them stayed very close to each other, neither of them speaking. Qing Shui was waiting for her to reel in one or two more fish, after which they would go stew some fish soup.

Fifteen minutes passed but the fishing bobber remained still. When Qing Shui was fishing earlier, he could reel in about four Grass Carps and some other fishes in just fifteen minutes.

Di Qing turned her head around and threw Qing Shui a couple of questioning looks in between, as if asking him for an explanation. Qing Shui only shook his head with a smile!

"It moved!"

After the space of nearly half a breath, Di Qing immediately pulled the Pure Gold Fishing Rod with all her might. However, he threw the fishing rod and fled with a red face as soon as she saw what were reeled in. 

Qing Shui laughed at the things that were the size of two palms on the hook.

They were two frogs that were doing their naughty business. One was lying on top of the other and Qing Shui couldn't even identify which one was croaking in extreme dissatisfaction….. 

"Oh!"

The truth was that as soon as those two dark green sparkling and translucent frogs were reeled in, he thought that those two little things were quite attractive. However, there were too many beautiful things in the World of the Nine Continents so he didn't really think much of them.

But then, he suddenly noticed another eye situated slightly above and in between their eyes. It made them appeared to be mysterious and strange, yet attractive.

The Triple-eyed Grass Green Frog!

Qing Shui was suddenly excited to find a pair of them on top of that. He wasted no time in catching them and tossed them into the pond in the Realm of Violet Jade Immortal!

With that, the pond gained another species of living being. But Qing Shui was not excited because of that, he was excited because they were the Triple-eyed Grass Green Frogs! Although they weren't powerful demonic beasts, they were precious medicinal ingredients and were extremely scarce. This was because they could only be found far away from human habitation, in places with an abundance of spiritual qi. Their efficacy could be used in medicine to raise the quality of medicinal pellets, although the amount was uncertain. Their other uses were also unknown. Qing Shui knew from historical records that these kinds of things were definitely of the Gifted Earth Treasure grade.