"Ceremony? Dragon Immortal?"
Li Pingcan was startled by this important revelation. Any being addressed as "Immortal" by the treasure fish must be a spiritual creature akin to the White Lady.
Forgetting all about the red algae cultivation secrets, he imdiately questioned Little Gold for details.
"Dragon Immortal is a flood dragon... very powerful, very wise, the mightiest being in these waters who often protects us... fights against the bandits from the east."
"The ceremony... happens when the great tide rises..."
"Offerings? Anything will do, sincerity matters most. Dragon Immortal is quite approachable..."
Through Little Gold's stumbling yet reverent words, an image gradually ford in Li Pingcan's mind - a righteous flood dragon protecting the weak.
'If I create an aquatic avatar, I could attend the ceremony too, right?'
At the very least, according to Little Gold, the ceremony would be lively with many treasure fish present. Friendly ones could be traded with, while unfriendly ones... well, they'd beco resources themselves.
The underwater world operated with straightforward rules - conflicts happened openly, like with the red fish, eliminating worries about backstabbing.
If Dragon Immortal proved as amiable as described, deeper interactions might be possible.
"Enough thinking. I'll max out my Water Manipulation skill before the tide cos and unlock its special trait."
A sense of urgency gripped Li Pingcan.
Without mushrooms underwater, predicting water currents beca crucial, making higher Water Manipulation levels essential.
After obtaining the Water Spirit, leveling Water Manipulation had beco significantly easier. Ti for so intensive training!
.........
Little Gold's unique mucus sustained the red algae fields, aning mass cultivation was impossible - a slight disappointnt.
According to the fish, while the Qing River teed with resources, competition proved fierce. Hence its choice to cultivate algae in a secluded spot. Constant battles over treasures often ended with third parties benefiting from others' conflicts.
"Fighting breeds trouble, while farming brings peace," Li Pingcan agreed internally, reminding himself to avoid conflicts when traveling.
Today's "diverting the calamity" strategy served as perfect example - handling threats without personal risk.
After gathering his harvest and bidding farewell to Little Gold, he transford into an eagle for covert return ho.
The eight red algae strands floated like reddish-brown kelp, emitting a faint briny aroma.
Lady Qin prepared them in an egg soup - surprisingly sweet with a smooth texture.
While processing the fish catch, she marveled at the unusual scales: "These strange scales shimr beautifully."
"Perfect for Yuan Yuan's accessories," Li Pingcan suggested. The iridescent scales indeed made ideal decorative material.
Though treasure fish usually possessed special organs for weapon crafting (like fishbone swords), this specin proved too small, its soft scales unsuitable for armor either.
Lady Qin collected the scales while steaming the flesh.
Little Gold's violent feeding had damaged the at, reducing its market value, making ho consumption the better option.
That evening, exhausted Li Rongzhou and Li Pingfu returned to an extraordinary dinner, their eyes narrowing in recognition.
Frequent black market visits had familiarized them with rare goods - this red fish clearly qualified.
"Where'd this co from?" Li Pingfu stared at his younger brother in amazent. While the brothers could handle land beasts, aquatic prey posed greater challenges.
"Lucky find."
Li Pingcan chuckled truthfully - Little Gold's involvent made this effortless acquisition possible.
Li Rongzhou pushed the stead fish toward his sons: "Can'er, share this with Pingfu and Yuan Yuan."
Though the youngest described it casually, "lucky finds" required both capability and fortune.
With diocre martial talent himself, the patriarch saw no point wasting this precious resource.
As the family's sheltering tree, he'd weathered countless storms.
But as saplings grew sturdier, he began retracting his canopy, allowing sunlight to nurture their growth.
Xie Yuan gracefully served rice, smiling: "Brothers should eat. I'm not craving fish today."
Though decently talented in martial arts, she lacked competitive drive, preferring embroidery and cooking under Lady Qin's guidance.
The fish was divided equally.
Li Pingfu accepted his portion - recent martial bottlenecks made this valuable. Upon breaking through to Divine Execution Realm, buying treasure fish for his brother would be trivial. He enthusiastically gave the tail section to Li Pingcan.
This slightly annoyed Li Pingcan.
Childhood preferences for tender belly at had led him to claim liking the tougher tail, creating this persistent misconception.
Endless tail servings grew tireso.
Yet under his elder brother's expectant gaze, he tasted it - surprisingly sweet and crisp without bones. "Delicious," he admitted, sparking cheerful family laughter.
.........
The diuretic red algae soup caused frequent nightti bathroom visits.
Next day, Li Pingfu sold the remaining algae at black market for 120 taels.
The treasure fish al boosted both brothers' Blood Qi trendously.
In following days, Li Pingcan felt ridians unblocking like opened floodgates. Coordinated breathing techniques facilitated smooth energy circulation, effortlessly advancing him to Blood Qi's second transformation - Blood Qi Smoke tier.
Finishing his exercises, he exhaled slowly as crimson mist dissipated from his body.
This minor breakthrough felt completely natural.
"Elder Brother's hitting bottlenecks?"
Li Pingcan observed Li Pingfu's morning training.
His elder brother's Blood Qi growth appeared less dramatic, having already peaked while accumulating strength for major breakthroughs.
Typically, martial breakthroughs depended on:
Innate talent Age and vitality Rare dicinal resources
Earlier breakthroughs indicated greater potential.
Zhou Enxian exemplified those who aged beyond pri, with declining Blood Qi abandoning Divine Execution Realm hopes for family continuation.
The Li brothers, young and diligent with ample resources, progressed smoothly through minor realms.
"Breakthroughs enhance not just physique, but also Breath of the Tree progress - estimated five extra years."
As Breath of the Tree grew harder to advance, each longevity gain beca precious.
anwhile, Li Pingfu concluded his Black Tiger Technique routine drenched in sweat, deep in thought.
"After Divine Execution breakthrough, perhaps I should learn new techniques."
While Black Tiger Technique emphasized power over White Crane's agility, compatible advanced techniques existed - though prohibitively expensive, often costing hundreds of taels.
"If only I could rge Tiger-Crane styles or create new techniques..."
This fleeting fantasy drew self-mocking laughter.
Original technique creation belonged only to prodigious geniuses.
His gaze unconsciously drifted toward Li Pingcan.
"Elder Brother?" Li Pingcan noticed the odd look.
"Nothing." Li Pingfu shook his head.
His younger brother's recent busy schedule made this wild imagination not worth ntioning.
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