Chapter 119: Sinew and Bone Achieved, The Terrifying Talent of the Little Ones

"Another breakthrough... reaching the peak of Jin Gu Jing."

Standing in the courtyard, Lu Qing quietly absorbed the state of his body.

Indeed, just moments ago, he had successfully ascended to the peak of Jin Gu Jing.

The cultivation opportunity from observing a Xian Tian cultivator’s breakthrough truly was extraordinary.

Only a day after achieving the initial stage of Jin Gu Jing, he had once again broken through—now fully mastering his sinews and bones. Such cultivation speed would leave any other martial artist utterly stunned.

Moreover, Lu Qing sensed that the Qi White Mist, transformed into life-giving energy, had not been entirely consumed. The remainder still lingered deep within his body, silently nurturing his flesh and bones.

If this continued, reaching the ultimate stage of Jin Gu Jing Wan Man wouldn’t be far off.

"A Qing, what was that just now?"

A voice of astonishment rang out.

Lu Qing turned to see Zhang Da Ye and several other villagers, their faces full of shock, staring at him.

They had clearly been startled by the thunderous cracking of his sinews and the violent surge of qi that had filled the air.

"Oh, nothing much," Lu Qing replied calmly. "Just a sudden insight during my martial practice. I’ve just completed another breakthrough."

In truth, he had been aware of their presence during his training. He could feel their movements outside. But since they hadn’t interrupted, he hadn’t bothered to acknowledge them.

Now, seeing their anxious expressions, he realized he should probably shift his training to the Back Mountain Bamboo Grove from now on.

This time, it was only because Xiao Yan and Xiao Li were both asleep that he’d chosen to train in the courtyard.

"Ah, so that’s it. Good to hear," Zhang Da Ye and the others exhaled in relief.

Though they didn’t understand cultivation, they could tell from Lu Qing’s tone that this was a positive development—and they were genuinely happy for him.

Once assured he was fine, the villagers slowly dispersed.

Back inside the dwelling, Lu Qing found Xiao Yan and Xiao Li still deeply asleep. He didn’t disturb them and instead prepared a simple dinner for himself.

It wasn’t until the next morning that the two little ones finally stirred awake.

As soon as they opened their eyes, they both cried out, "I’m hungry!"

Lu Qing served the breakfast he’d already prepared—warm porridge and grilled fish—and the two little ones devoured it with great enthusiasm.

While they ate, Lu Qing activated his Abilities to examine their conditions.

First, he checked Xiao Yan.

A deep crimson glow, streaked with a faint golden light, flared suddenly before him.

【Lu Xiao Yan: A human infant, female.】

【Lucky little one—after consuming the Dipulse Spiritual Fluid, she unexpectedly awakened a unique talent.】

【Ice Skin and Jade Bones: Pure constitution, untainted and immaculate. Like ice and jade, she is a natural-born cultivator seed. Her cultivation of water-cold combat techniques will be exceptionally efficient.】

【Having absorbed the life-rich Heavenly and Earthly Qi White Mist formed during the Xian Tian breakthrough, her body carries a faint essence of the Primordial Dao Body.】

Hiss!

Lu Qing was first struck by the golden light flickering within Xiao Yan’s Abilities aura.

Then, upon reading the final line, he inhaled sharply.

Primordial Dao Body?

This was a legendary physique revered even within the Divine Seal Sect Heritage.

Legend said those born with such a body were true darlings of heaven and earth—prodigies of destiny.

No matter what cultivation path they chose, progress would be swift, almost without limits.

To put it plainly: Script Dao was already incredibly difficult—only true geniuses could even hope to enter it. But before a true Primordial Dao Body, Script Dao would become nearly effortless. Entering it would be as simple as eating or drinking.

He never expected Xiao Yan to possess even a trace of such a body.

Though it was just a whisper of the Primordial Dao Body, it was more than enough to prove just how extraordinary her talent truly was.

Had the Divine Seal Sect still existed, they would have fought over her, eager to claim her as a disciple.

After reviewing Xiao Yan’s status, Lu Qing turned his attention to Xiao Li.

Another crimson glow appeared, this time interwoven with a slightly brighter golden light.

【Nighttime Spirit Fox: A young spirit beast from the mountains, female.】

【Extremely fast, claws sharp enough to shatter stone and split metal—capable of slicing through anything.】

【Natural talent: Fur can bend light, allowing it to merge seamlessly with darkness.】

【Legend says: The Nighttime Spirit Fox loves fish—but hates water, forced to gaze at fish with longing.】

【After absorbing the life-giving Qi White Mist from the Xian Tian breakthrough, it shows signs of evolving toward a Primordial Spirit Beast.】

The golden light emanating from Xiao Li was even denser than Xiao Yan’s.

And again, an extra line appeared.

Primordial Spirit Beast? What is that?

Lu Qing didn’t know what this term meant.

The Heritage of the Divine Seal Sect contained no record of such a being.

But judging from Xiao Yan’s case, this Primordial Spirit Beast must be something truly extraordinary.

He hadn’t expected both little ones to gain such immense benefits after a single night’s rest.

Compared to that, his own hard work—breaking through after a full day of training—now seemed almost ordinary.

"Brother, what’s wrong? Is there rice on my face?" Xiao Yan, noticing Lu Qing’s dazed stare, reached up and touched her own cheek, puzzled.

"No, nothing. I was just thinking. Eat up," Lu Qing smiled, snapping back to reality.

But inwardly, he made a firm resolve.

The greater their talent, the more careful he must be in nurturing them. Otherwise, he’d be wasting such a rare chance.

"Mm-hmm." Xiao Yan nodded, then buried her face back into her bowl.

Then Lu Qing felt a tug at his pant leg.

He looked down and saw Xiao Li sitting upright before him.

"What is it, Xiao Li?" he asked.

Xiao Li pointed a tiny paw at her empty bowl.

Lu Qing glanced over—indeed, it was completely empty.

"So fast?" He blinked in surprise.

He had given her the usual portion of fish. Normally, she’d eat for quite a while.

Had the Qi White Mist boosted her appetite as well?

"Xiao Li, are you still hungry?"

"Awooo!" She nodded eagerly.

"Then I’ll get you more."

It seemed her appetite had truly increased.

Lu Qing stood and headed toward the kitchen.

But when he arrived, he realized the fish tank was nearly empty—only a few small fish remained.

For days, he’d been so focused on training and waiting for the Master’s breakthrough that he hadn’t gone fishing at all.

Now, the family’s fish supply was almost gone.

He scooped up the last few small fish and placed them in front of Xiao Li.

"Xiao Li, that’s all we have left. Is it enough?"

The little fish jumped in the bowl, and Xiao Li stared at them—then at Lu Qing. Her large eyes welled up with tears.

"Stop! Stop! I get it—I’ll go fishing right after. Don’t cry!" Lu Qing blurted out.

The tears slowly receded.

"Brother," Xiao Yan piped up, "did Xiao Li eat all her fish?"

"Yeah, I haven’t had time to fish these past few days. All the fish are gone," Lu Qing said.

Hearing that, Xiao Li’s eyes filled with tears again.

"Xiao Li, be good," Xiao Yan patted her back soothingly. "We’ll go fishing together later. Then you can eat the freshest fish ever!"

Xiao Li’s eyes immediately lit up, turning to Lu Qing.

He nodded. "Sure. We’ll go together."

After all, Xiao Li could vanish completely—no one would see her.

She’d accompanied them on fishing trips before.

Seeing her happiness, the little black beast’s tail shot straight up.

She loved going fishing with Lu Qing.

To her, it was magical how he could use a simple bamboo pole to keep pulling fish from the water—fish she could only stare at, never catch.

Knowing she’d get to go out soon, Xiao Yan ate even faster.

Gulp, gulp, gulp!—in just a few seconds, her bowl was empty.

"Brother, I’m done! Can we go fishing now?"

"Wait a bit. Let me clean up first."

Lu Qing shook his head, gathered the dishes, washed them, and put them away.

Then he retrieved his fishing gear—fishing rod, fish basket, net, bait…

Once everything was ready, the two little ones stood patiently by.

Xiao Yan wore a small backpack—a bamboo basket made by an old villager skilled in weaving. She often followed Lu Qing around, going fishing or exploring, and needed her own little storage for toys and trinkets.

"Brother, I’ll help!" Xiao Yan stepped forward, expertly taking the bamboo tube of earthworms and slinging it around her neck.

Then she shouldered the net, marched forward, and pointed dramatically. "Onward!"

She dashed toward the door first.

Lu Qing chuckled, locked the door behind him, and followed.

As for Xiao Li, she had already slipped into invisibility and leapt into Xiao Yan’s backpack.

Xiao Yan’s current physical strength was more than enough to carry her—no problem.

Outside, the village path unfolded.

Xiao Yan raced ahead, Lu Qing trailing behind at a relaxed pace.

A villager spotted them and immediately understood.

"A Qing, off to fish again?" he called.

"Yeah, just a quick session," Lu Qing replied.

"Seriously, how do you keep doing this? You must be sick of fish by now!"

The villagers couldn’t understand his obsession.

They saw him go fishing every time, always returning with a good haul.

If it were them, eating fish daily would be unbearable—too much fishy smell.

"Still, it’s my thing. And I do like fish. Master even enjoys fried baby fish with his wine," Lu Qing laughed.

He couldn’t say, Well, I’ve got a fish-eating monster at home.

"Fried? That must be heavenly! No wonder Old Doctor loves it!"

The villagers’ eyes widened.

They could barely imagine how delicious fried fish must be.

But oil was expensive. Even if they knew the recipe, they wouldn’t dare use it.

"It is good," Lu Qing said. "If you’re ever free, come by. I’ll treat you."

"Ha! Next time, I’ll definitely take you up on that!"

After chatting with a few neighbors, Lu Qing and Xiao Yan headed to the river just outside the village.

His first stop was always the same: the Strange Fish Fishing Spot.

It had become a habit.

Every time he fished, he came here first, hoping—just hoping—to catch another Strange Fish.

After all, he had promised Xiao Li he’d let her taste it again.

But since catching those two Golden Loach, he’d never seen a single Strange Fish.

Earlier, he’d thought the river was unusually rich with Strange Fish.

Now he realized—it wasn’t that the river was full. It was that he’d been in the beginner protection phase when he first arrived in this world.

Now that phase was over.

Not only had he not caught another Strange Fish… he hadn’t even pulled up a single scale from one.

He’d tried searching other sections of the river—up and down the stream for ten li—but found no other spot where Strange Fish appeared.

There were plenty of regular fishing spots, but none listed Strange Fish.

Eventually, Lu Qing concluded: this river likely had only one Strange Fish Fishing Spot.

The reason? The few Blood Apricot Trees lining the bank.

They were undoubtedly the source of the Strange Fish’s presence.

But their origin remained a mystery.

He’d once picked a few Blood Apricot fruits and offered them to the Master.

The Master didn’t recognize them—only tested their medicinal properties and declared them a valuable herb.

But why they attracted Strange Fish? He still had no answer.

Sitting at the fishing spot, Lu Qing expertly threaded two Blood Apricot fruits onto the hook and cast it into the water.

Over the past days, he’d upgraded his fishing rod.

The line remained Snow Silk, but the rod and hook were new.

Especially the hook—crafted by a master blacksmith in the city, at Lu Qing’s request through Ma Gu.

It had cost quite a bit.

Ten hooks, ten taels of silver—each one a tael.

By weight alone, each hook was more valuable than the same amount of gold.

When Ma Gu heard the price, he’d nearly dropped his jaw, staring at Lu Qing with a strange expression.

He never thought Lu Qing had such a lavish hobby—just for a few fishing hooks?

But Lu Qing didn’t care about Ma Gu’s opinion.

He wasn’t short on money. Besides the silver from Kuai Hua Village, the Master had left them with a fortune in gold and silver—more than they knew what to do with.

Spending a few taels on fishing hooks? No problem.

Besides, as the saying went—you get what you pay for.

The master blacksmith’s hooks were truly exceptional.

Their toughness was nearly on par with Lu Qing’s War Blade.

They could easily serve as odd weapons—far more than just fishing tools.

Once the hook was in the water, Lu Qing settled in, waiting patiently.

Xiao Li reappeared beside him, eyes fixed on the float.

Xiao Yan, meanwhile, had pulled out her toys from her backpack.

She knew Xiao Li and Lu Qing would be too absorbed in fishing to play with her. So she entertained herself.

Watching Xiao Li’s intense focus, Lu Qing couldn’t help but smile.

The little one really had the soul of a fishing enthusiast.

If only her paws weren’t so clumsy—he’d have made her a tiny fishing rod to play with.

Time passed.

The float remained still.

Lu Qing wasn’t surprised.

He’d long suspected the river was empty of Strange Fish.

He kept coming out of habit.

And, perhaps, a small hope—just in case.

After a while, seeing no movement, he reached to reel in.

Just as his hand touched the rod…

Suddenly, the float—motionless for so long—jolted once… then plunged straight down into the water.

"Damn! Another ambush!" Lu Qing gripped the rod instantly.

At the same moment, Xiao Li’s eyes widened, pupils like saucers.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end