Chapter Twenty-Six: The River Demon

It was late at night, and the world was as dark as ink, with only a scattering of moonlight providing a faint glimmer of light.

"What was that noise?"

Chen Xuan’s body tensed as he looked toward the mountainside. The sound had seemed to come from the bushes there. But there was nothing—only the night wind blowing through, making the weeds sway low. The area was completely empty.

"A wild beast? Or a passing spirit?"

Chen Xuan was extremely cautious. He immediately secured the treasure fish, made his way over to inspect the area thoroughly, and only after confirming there was truly no danger did he return to the mountain to continue processing the fish.

"In this cold weather, it is a perfect day for fish soup."

The mountain treasure fish was a rare, potent medicine of flesh and blood. Its scales were harder than refined iron and razor-sharp; a moment of carelessness would result in a cut hand.

He wrapped his jade hairpin in white *qi* and used the sharp edge of that energy to scrape away all the scales from the fish. The meat beneath was snow-white and delicate, containing a rich and vigorous spirituality. It looked as if it had been carved from jade, radiating a silvery light and emitting a clean, fragrant scent that made one’s mouth water.

"A wonderful tonic indeed."

Chen Xuan cleaned the two-pound treasure fish, then dropped it into a pot of boiling water.

Sitting by the pot, he waited patiently while pondering the newly acquired Green Deer trick. He compared it to his other two techniques, summarizing and internalizing their principles.

The *Yellow Millet True Scripture* was more advanced, but before one could practice it, one had to first cultivate a strand of green *qi*. Moreover, the *Yellow Millet True Scripture* was overly profound and difficult to understand. Although Chen Xuan had relied on his formidable comprehension to commit it to memory, the truth was that the entire text was written in ancient seal script, and he didn't even recognize nearly half of the characters. For a time, he had no idea where to begin.

"I need a teacher who understands ancient seal script," Chen Xuan thought.

*Gurgle!*

Time passed slowly. The boiling water surged, and the entire pot of fish soup began to glow with a silvery light, the aroma becoming rich and thick. After simmering for three or four hours, the sky began to brighten. Only then did Chen Xuan confirm that the fish was thoroughly cooked and safe to eat.

"Sss, how delicious." When he tasted the first bite, Chen Xuan’s eyes lit up. This was no ordinary fish; the flavor was beyond imagination. The meat melted in his mouth, a delicacy rarely found in this world.

After only a few bites, he felt a warmth rising within his body. The effect was immediate; the energy and blood in his body surged rapidly.

"Hoo!"

Chen Xuan exhaled a breath of cold air and immediately began to feast. Soon, he had finished the fish, and finally, he drank every drop of the soup, not wasting a single bit.

"The medicinal effect is fierce!"

Chen Xuan stood up, feeling his entire body burning. He began to practice his martial arts in the morning light. His body was wreathed in white mist, flowing with a faint, silvery-white glow, his flesh and blood brimming with vitality.

Each punch and stance brought forth gusts of whistling wind and thunder. He practiced for a full half-hour before the medicinal effect of the treasure fish finally began to fade.

"Eight thousand catties."

Chen Xuan could clearly feel the changes in his physique. His strength had increased, his bones and tendons were sturdier, and his senses had become even sharper.

"During the process of transcendence, one can clearly feel the shedding of the old self and the transformation of the body toward a more powerful state."

He felt the vast reservoir of energy and blood surging within him, a scene of thriving prosperity. Subsequently, he noticed his physical state gradually calming down until it finally stabilized completely.

It had taken fifteen days for Chen Xuan to complete the first path of transcendence.

"Eight thousand catties of strength—that is my limit."

If any outsider knew that Chen Xuan had reached this stage, they would surely be stunned, for this number was truly exaggerated—it was two thousand catties higher than the most outstanding genius in the Red Crow City territory!

"Next, I must continue to practice my tricks, constantly accumulate strength, and prepare for the second transcendence."

In the Transcendence Realm, a Qi Practitioner can undergo at most three transcendences, allowing the body to shed its mortal coil, ultimately achieving complete sublimation and unlocking the human body’s hidden treasures to ascend to a higher level.

...

The morning light was dim, and a light breeze blew away the mist, revealing ten thousand miles of green mountains.

Li Hansong led his descendants into the Great Southern Wilderness, preparing to head to Little Stone Lake to flex their muscles and catch some treasure fish.

"Grandfather Patriarch, have you heard?"

A young man from the Li family whispered, "There is a bounty posted at the foot of Green Deer Mountain, a warrant for a Qi Practitioner named Chen Xuan... I heard this Chen Xuan did something huge in the Southern Wilderness last night, ambushing and killing several disciples of Green Deer Mountain."

This had happened this morning; Shen Lingfeng had entered Little River Village alone and posted a bounty with an extremely generous reward, causing a massive stir in the village.

Startling news spread: Green Deer Mountain had actually had its whiskers plucked by a rogue cultivator named Chen Xuan! Many Qi Practitioners found it hard to believe; they didn't think there was anyone in the world so bold.

Some Qi Practitioners who had come by way of Willow Town had heard the name Chen Xuan vaguely. After sharing what they had seen and heard on the road with others, it sparked a heated debate.

Li Hansong glanced at the young man and said sternly, "Don't let your imagination run wild. This Chen Xuan dares to oppose Green Deer Mountain; he must be a fierce, death-defying thug. Let us not go looking for trouble."

The young man quickly said, "I know the stakes, but this Chen Xuan, daring to offend Green Deer Mountain, is truly amazing. Like Wang Chan, who was in the spotlight a few days ago, they are all remarkable heroes... Heh, I heard that one of the dead Green Deer Mountain disciples was named Wang Chan. So many people have that name."

Some speculated that Chen Xuan’s attack on Green Deer Mountain was precisely because of that Wang Chan, who also hailed from Willow Town.

The young man sighed sincerely, "Lately, more and more powerful figures have been pouring into the Southern Wilderness."

"Wang Chan? Just a shared name. Neither of them are good things."

Li Hansong said coldly, "How can he compare to Chen Xuan? They are as different as heaven and earth. Wang Chan only dared to rely on martial arts techniques to show off in front of rogue cultivators—what kind of skill is that? Chen Xuan is facing the infamous Green Deer Mountain; that is what a true hero should do... But you lot need not emulate Chen Xuan. By offending Green Deer Mountain, he will surely die once he leaves the Southern Wilderness."

The young man was speechless. He knew that his Grandfather Patriarch looked down on that Wang Chan, and he could vaguely guess the real reason, but it wasn't his place to say anything.

Just as he was about to change the subject, his gaze froze, and he whispered, "Grandfather Patriarch, that... that is Wang Chan..."

At the turn of the mountain path ahead, a figure appeared, walking toward them.

Chen Xuan had already spotted the Li family group, thinking to himself, "There are still four corpses at Little Stone Lake. I wonder what their reaction will be when they see them later."

Li Hansong stopped, a friendly, kindly smile appearing on his face as he took the initiative to greet him: "Fellow Daoist Wang, heading back to Little River Village? You must have had a great harvest last night..."

"Hmm, a little..."

Chen Xuan nodded in acknowledgment. Since they weren't familiar, he responded perfunctorily and walked straight past them.

Li Hansong kept his smile until Chen Xuan’s back had completely disappeared. Then, his expression faded, and he turned to lecture his clansmen:

"That man returned empty-handed. He must have run into people from Green Deer Mountain at Little Stone Lake last night and been scolded and chased away, suffering a setback... Heh, look at that dejected look, he didn't even have the spirit to talk to people; he must be suffering from a blow to his heart... In the future, you must be steady and down-to-earth. Never lose your fighting spirit just because of a temporary setback."

"..."

The group looked at each other in silence.

The Li family continued on their way. Not long after, Little Stone Lake came into view, and a scene of tragic carnage—multiple corpses—was about to unfold before their eyes...

...

Peaks stood tall, ranges upon ranges, and narrow paths twisted and turned. A river wound its way through the cracks between the mountains, with willow trees on the banks swaying in the wind like a painting.

As Chen Xuan walked north along the mountain path, he adjusted the rhythm of his breathing. Huang Liangmeng was dead, so he was attempting to practice the breathing method recorded in the *Yellow Millet True Scripture*.

This was the Twelve Spirit Qi Breathing Method that Wang Chan had written in Chu script. He compared it with the *Yellow Millet True Scripture*, and there seemed to be no errors, so he could try practicing it first... He wasn't planning to immediately abandon the Dark Cat Breathing Method from the Little Yin Realm; he simply believed in not putting all his eggs in one basket.

"Hoo!"

As Chen Xuan exhaled until his breath turned to mist, he admired the scenery along the way, his heart quite peaceful.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed. He looked into the deep river by the roadside, where a ripple was spreading as if something were swimming underwater.

"A big fish?"

Chen Xuan wondered if he had stumbled upon another good thing. But the next moment, his eyes widened.

*Splash!*

Ripples surged in the river as it flowed toward the bank. Then, a woman crawled out from the water.

She was young, dressed only in a thin, dark-green dress. She was soaked through, the fabric clinging to her curvaceous body, becoming almost translucent. Her snow-white skin was faintly visible beneath the dark silk dress.

She had beautiful, slender legs and was barefoot. As she crawled out of the riverbed, she arched her delicate waist, stepping onto the damp mud. She lifted her head slightly, a pair of clear, bright, yet fox-like, vulnerable eyes looking forward.

Her gaze met Chen Xuan’s.

"..."

"..."

Chen Xuan knitted his brows. In these wild mountains, a breathtakingly beautiful young woman suddenly crawling out of a river...

That could not be anything good!