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Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Snake Egg Hatching
Pinpoints of light burst forth, finally coalescing into two round, flawless beads—one blue, one white.
Water-Repelling Pearl: Mid Grade Magical Artifact, wielded to walk underwater where wild waves and torrents feel like level ground, and has a certain weakening effect on Water Element Magic.
Li Quanqing first took out the Water-Repelling Pearl, about the size of a dragon’s eye seed, with a pure blue color, lustrous as if it were glass jade.
With Mana activation, the surface of the bead instantly blooms with a halo of light, wrapping around the body like an invisible garment.
Whoosh!
The Hanhai sea churned, and Li Quanqing tested the effects of the Water-Repelling Pearl by jumping straight into the water, diving deep beneath the surface.
Exhale~ Inhale~
He attempted to breathe freely, to his discovery, it really worked; he could breathe under water effortlessly and safely.
Moo moo!
Li Quanqing stretched his limbs, channeling Mana, gliding through the water like a swift, mighty fish.
The Green Jade Carps swirled around him, flipping up and down, brushing him with their fins and scales, for the first time sizing up one another from an equal perspective.
The youth swam a large circle in the fishpond, dancing with the school of fish, moving in unison with the Spiritual Crabs, an unparalleled exhilarating experience.
If one does not utilize a Cultivation Technique or external objects, one needs to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm to complete the internal circulation of one’s own body.
Feeding on the aurora and absorbing Spiritual Energy, practicing asceticism, freely walking under water.
Previously when he dived, he had to come up for air from time to time.
Now, however, he felt as if he had truly become a creature of the water, freely roaming and touring the depths, better observing the growth of the Spiritual Beasts.
"Not bad, it’s a good treasure!"
Li Quanqing swam back to the reef and stowed away the Water-Repelling Pearl, then began to examine another treasure.
Treasure Spirit Pearl.
Li Quanqing had heard this name many times before.
But now was his first time actually touching it.
The Treasure Spirit Pearl was much larger in size, comparable to a lychee, shining dazzlingly white with a subtle flow of quintuple-colored light, extremely extraordinary.
However, no matter how Li Quanqing looked at it, he felt it resembled a Spirit Stone, only it had been meticulously polished by the Bright Moon Shell.
After sensing it for a moment, the Spiritual Energy contained within the bead was roughly between that of a Cultivator at the Qi Refining Fourth Level and Fifth Level.
This was based on the reference of his own Mana. If it were a High Grade Cultivation Technique, it might be slightly less.
"Such abundant Spiritual Energy, can I absorb several Treasure Spirit Pearls at once to break through the bottleneck?"
Li Quanqing suddenly had a whimsical idea.
Cultivators stuck at a bottleneck often lack sufficient Mana.
Once refined, the Treasure Spirit Pearl acts like an external Dantian, capable of releasing all the Mana in an instant.
Quite an interesting idea!
"When all the Bright Moon Shells are mature, if there are enough Treasure Spirit Pearls harvested, I’ll give it a try!"
The family competition was imminent, and Li Quanqing felt that his Cultivation at the Qi Refining Fifth Level was still not quite solid.
It was unfortunate that due to the previous insect disaster, the Big Green Fish suffered heavy losses, and the third batch of Green Jade Carps was still in the mother’s belly as eggs.
Relying on the Spiritual Energy Group for a breakthrough, there might not be enough time.
"Unexpectedly, after being so laid back for so long, I still have to roll up my sleeves and get busy myself!"
Li Quanqing stuffed two Spirit Stones fiercely into the body of the mature Bright Moon Shell.
If I’m working this hard, the rest need to put in even more effort!
Only when we all work hard together, can it be a real effort!
...
A month later.
A hundred miles away from Qingpan Island, an isolated sea area.
"Water Dragon Technique!"
Li Quanqing grasped the Water Dragon Pendant, his Mana surged, pouring into it entirely.
Chant!!
Accompanied by a faint dragon chant, a water dragon emerged from the Jade Pendant, plunging into the sea like a stream of blue light.
Waves surged up to the sky, all merging into the body of the water dragon, finally transforming into a colossal creature ten zhang in length, with scale armor vividly lifelike.
Li Quanqing held the Water Dragon Pendant, his Mana gently sustaining the existence of the water dragon, commanded by his will, hitting wherever he pointed.
"So this is how this Spell is cast..."
Li Quanqing maneuvered the water dragon’s vast body to encircle the Spirit Boat, personally touching and feeling with his hands.
The Water Dragon’s body was not just stagnant water, but was in constant flow.
Dark currents surged, mana led, interwoven into veins of runes, capable of bursting forth with astonishing might and power in an instant.
This was the essence of the Water Dragon Technique.
To merely condense seawater into the shape of a dragon and smash it forward was nothing but a water ball spell with a changed shape.
"Water Dragon Technique!"
Li Quanqing pinched a spell gesture and tried to cast this spell.
The water whirled in front of him, gathering slowly, and formed into a five to six-meter-long colossal Water Dragon.
Although the shape was somewhat rough, and the details like the Dragon Scales were almost indistinguishable, the power it conveyed was indeed genuine.
Bang!!
The Water Dragon’s tail swept out, crashing directly towards several underwater reefs, rumbling loudly, and exploding into a splash of water, promptly shattering the rocks.
"Quite powerful."
Li Quanqing looked at the stones scattered around, the roiling and boiling sea that affected an area of dozens of yards, and was quite satisfied.
He shook the Jade Pendant in his hand, cutting off the mana, and let the mighty Water Dragon dissipate slowly, returning to the sea.
This sort of strong force, comparable to a strike from the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, he dared not truly release.
This place was too close to the Green Jade Islands, even such a disturbance might attract an investigation by the family’s experts.
After a month of arduous practice, he had barely grasped two High-Grade Spells, this speed was already quite fast.
With waves slapping against the boat’s underside, Li Quanqing piloted the Spirit Boat back home.
Unexpectedly, there were visitors waiting for him outside the fish pond.
It was a woman with a cold temperament, draped in a moon-white lotus dress, with picturesque eyebrows and eyes, carrying a long sword, exuding an ethereal and immortal air.
It was indeed Li Quanyi.
"Greetings, cousin."
Li Quanqing nodded, his attitude neither warm nor cold.
"Here’s the Nourishing Spirit Mud that was refined last time; give me a new mud shell."
Li Quanyi handed over a large-bellied bottle, her voice indifferent, her gaze hazy, as if pondering something.
"Alright."
Li Quanqing took the large-bellied bottle and handed over the new mud shell shed by the Stone Spirit Loach.
The young girl hummed, took the mud shell, and left on a Spirit Boat, her white dress fluttering elegantly.
From beginning to end, the two did not exchange any superfluous words, merely a nodding acquaintance.
"I can sell it for Spirit Stones in the shop again."
Li Quanqing looked at the Nourishing Spirit Mud, smiling broadly.
During this time, his shop in Baoying Fang had officially opened, called the Quanqing Pavilion, too lazy to wrack his brain for a name.
Li Quanfu would come over from time to time and report to him, this hands-off manager.
Backed by the name of the Green Jade Li Family, coupled with the care from the fourth aunt Li Yujiao, it truly attracted a group of customers.
But what sold best wasn’t the Magic Artifacts, but rather this seemingly ordinary Nourishing Spirit Mud.
Moo! Moo!
Ao Qing surfaced from the water, followed by his own little brothers, blowing bubbles begging for food.
Nearly a hundred Green Jade Carp fry formed a school of fish, cute and even daring to compete with Ao Qing for food, the calves were not afraid of the tiger.
The second batch of Green Jade Carp, one after another, have all laid their fry.
But given the fish pond’s Spiritual Energy and size, it definitely could not raise them all; only the best could be selected.
After feeding the school of fish and the Iron Bone Crabs, it was already well into the late morning.
Li Quanqing felt a bit tired himself and was about to meditate and rest when he suddenly heard an extremely faint thumping sound.
Bump~bump~bump~
Could it be...
A delight appeared in Li Quanqing’s eyes, he quickly checked, and indeed saw one of the Snake Eggs trembling non-stop, about to hatch.
Crack!!
Finally, the eggshell broke apart, a small bluish snake poked its head out, breathing its first breath of fresh air.
The Azure Water Python juvenile was simply too beautiful; its round and blunt snake head, the gradient-colored scales shining like Jade, refracting shimmering light under the sun.
Its eyes were big, with the color of the pupils resembling emerald, it cocked its head, charmingly looking at Li Quanqing, sly as a little cat.
[A Curious Hatchling] Azure Water Python: "Ao ao, just like that, bursting forth from the shell with such vivacity!"
[Maturity: 3%]
