The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 121 Water in its Right Position (Ten Thousand Character Chapter)

Accompanied by the cry of deer, wisps of spiritual light rose like pale blue ink paintings, firmly holding the five-colored energy cluster.

With all four hooves exerting force, it continuously dragged backward.

The cries of "yoyo" continued incessantly. Although it was a transformed fairy, it still seemed powerless against this kind of "Tao" magic.

The pale blue ink is even darker, as if a thick background has been applied to a colorful painting.

Chu Xun sat upright beneath him, his Taoist magic wondrous.

From afar it looks like a painting; up close it's a scene.

The spiritual energy of the mountains was drawn out, along with the vegetation, water, metals, and a faint hint of fire.

The five-colored clouds rose upwards, surrounding and protecting them.

Yo-yo—

The calls became more urgent, and the snow-white deer opened its mouth to bite the pale blue ink, pulling its neck downwards with force.

The rocks beneath their hooves were crushed to pieces, and their four hooves disappeared into them.

The clouds in the sky seemed to sense something, and slowly descended, merging with the air mass.

It then transformed into a mysterious and wondrous five-colored spiritual light, which entered Chu Xun's body.

With eyes open, the colors of the five elements alternate, eventually settling into a state of tranquility.

Chu Xun stood up and pointed forward.

A sapling appeared out of nowhere and grew tall and lush in the blink of an eye.

A gentle breeze blows, and the branches are covered with white petals.

As the petals fell layer by layer, covering the ground with a layer of white frost, the tiny fruits gradually became visible.

In the blink of an eye, it grew to the size of a fist.

Plump and glossy, like yellow gems hanging from the branches.

Its fragrance is delightful and refreshing.

In this valley filled with vines and moss, pear trees bearing abundant fruit appeared in the blink of an eye.

The pure white spirit deer, with a few spots, trembled and reverted to the form of an adult woman.

With another shake, she transformed back into a six- or seven-year-old girl.

Panting heavily, glistening beads of sweat dripped from the tip of his nose.

Chu Xun walked over, reached under her armpits, picked her up, and placed her on the pear tree.

Wei Youyou blinked, her eyes widening as she looked at the yellow pear within reach.

"Oh! It's a pear!"

She craned her neck and opened her mouth to bite into the yellow pear.

Its small mouth slammed open the pear.

Then he remembered he had hands, so he immediately reached out, grabbed it, and started munching on it.

Her already large and round eyes became even brighter.

The joyful sound was as crisp as a wind chime.

"Sir, it's delicious!"

Chu Xun smiled, picked a pear, and took a small bite.

It's very juicy and incredibly sweet.

This is not an illusion, but a profound manifestation of the Tao.

Some birds and animals sensed the aura that attracted them and, no longer afraid, began to climb, run, crawl, and fly towards this direction.

Birds landed on the branches, causing the branches to sway.

It looked down at the branches and leaves at its feet, and then pecked at the pear.

Some animals also came, but they couldn't climb the tree.

Wei Youyou then picked a few pears and threw them at them.

The beast stepped forward, sniffed it, and then took a bite.

There were also monkeys, leopards, and snakes climbing up the trees.

Wei Youyou looked at them and timidly tightened her toes.

Especially when looking at that wild leopard, its eyes were wide open and its ears were practically standing up.

"Yo————"

Chu Xun smiled faintly and looked at his own information.

[Cleric Rank 15839/30000: Unconferred Scattered God (Water Official, in charge of winter storage, feng shui, and commanding the spirit of the Ji River), gains supernatural powers: Dream of the Yellow Millet, Concealment, and Observation of Qi (can use supernatural powers ten times per year as a pseudo-god), can hide for 2785 hours per year (can gain the supernatural powers of a true god after conferment, and can possess a soul to die in place of another)]

The Five Elements Taoist Method:

Within a thousand feet, the wondrous Daoist arts can be practiced, perfectly formed naturally. Current Five Elements foundation: 0/5:

The five elements return to one, the Great Dao is formless, and the Dao follows the natural way.

He transforms heaven and earth and all things, establishes the pillars of heaven and earth, and governs the laws of heaven and earth.

Chu Xun raised an eyebrow slightly as he read it. The divine titles hadn't changed much; only the suffixes had been added.

But the implications are extraordinary.

No matter what they are called—daffodils, water gods, water elders, etc.—they are all simply exercising the "power" of water.

And water, strictly speaking, is about bestowing.

Just like the Minister of Revenue, no matter how great his power was, it was still granted by the emperor.

I can give it to you, or I can take it back.

The same applies to water.

However, judging from the later description of the spirit of the Ji River, the current "Water Official" is only at the level of the Ji River.

It's somewhat like the monarch of a small country within a large country; though small, it is independent.

Even the largest countries should be treated with sufficient respect and should not be offended lightly.

In terms of position, there is no difference between the two.

The concept of "managing winter storage" and "feng shui" becomes easier to understand.

Winter hibernation signifies the closure of heaven and earth, the seclusion of sages, the subduing of yang energy, the flourishing of yin energy, the return of all things to their roots, and the return of primordial energy to its storage.

Therefore, Chu Xun, the water official of the Ji River position, is in charge of winter, water, storage, hiding, and closing.

To put it simply, within the territory of the Ji River, he was the emperor.

Further down, the Five Elements techniques have completely changed, becoming the Five Elements Taoist arts.

The description may seem abstract, but it actually represents a great deal of freedom.

Within a thousand feet, the Five Elements Daoist techniques flowed freely without hindrance.

Chu Xun looked ahead and gently blew out a breath.

A large locust tree has sprouted again from the soil outside the valley.

But the locust tree bears gold and silver treasures.

A gust of wind blew, and gold and silver fell all over the ground, turning into flowing streams.

Several clumps of mountain mud transformed into human figures, climbed up from the stream, wobbled around for a while, and then turned back into loose soil.

Like Nuwa creating humans, but they are not real people.

However, the manifestation of Taoist principles cannot be taken literally.

As for the foundation of the Five Elements, it is easier to understand.

By gathering the Qi of the Five Elements and establishing the Five Elements pillars, one can control the laws of heaven and earth.

Chu Xun already knows how to gather the essence of metal, but the remaining wood, water, earth, and fire are still unknown.

Moreover, collecting and erecting pillars are two completely different things.

Just like finding a lump of mud is easy, but turning it into a pillar that supports the heavens and the earth is not so easy.

"No rush, take your time," Chu Xun muttered.

At the foot of the mountain, Cheng Congyi and his wife had already bought wine and food.

Cheng Shan sat in the courtyard, gazing in the direction of the mountains and forests.

The little boy, wearing open-crotch pants, squatted at his feet.

Sometimes I look up at the mountain, but more often I look down at the ants crawling up my toes.

The colorful clouds had disappeared long ago, but the person hadn't come down. I wonder if something was wrong.

Or perhaps, like last time, they left in another direction?

After a long period of anxiety, I finally saw two figures, one large and one small, slowly emerging from the forest.

Cheng Shan quickly got up and was about to call his son over to help him to greet them when he saw two figures arrive in a few steps.

Wei Youyou, holding some yellow pears in her arms, ran up to the boy and said, "They're delicious."

The boy looked at the large, glistening yellow pears, their fragrant aroma filling the air.

He swallowed hard, reached out and grabbed one, taking a big bite.

Juice splattered everywhere, dripping down the corners of his mouth.

His eyes widened, and he nodded vigorously: "Delicious!"

Wei Youyou's eyes narrowed as she smiled.

Chu Xun also carried a bunch of yellow pears and smiled at Cheng Shan, saying, "I picked some pears for you."

It wasn't pear blossom season yet, and Cheng Shan didn't know where he found the pears, but they looked quite good.

Cheng Congyi came out of the house, took the pear, and smelled it.

"It smells so good!"

Wei Youyou's eyes narrowed even wider as she shouted, "Delicious!"

The boy stood next to her, munching on a pear, and exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Everyone laughed.

It was lunchtime, and everyone took their seats.

While eating, we chatted casually about everyday things.

Especially when he taught Chu Xun blacksmithing, the sword he forged prompted Cheng Shan to ask, "Is that sword still usable?"

"It's already broken," Chu Xun said.

It was already damaged during the battle with the old bat.

The sword body is merely a container, used to hold the essence of metal.

"However, I found a good blank, and once I forged the sword, it won't break easily," Chu Xun said.

Cheng Shan nodded, and asked with great anticipation, "May I have a look then?"

Cheng Congyi added, "I also want to see what kind of divine weapon it is."

Chu Xun glanced at Cheng Shan's life force; his life flame was dim, and he wouldn't live much longer.

Perhaps he gleaned some clues from his eyes.

Cheng Shan turned to Cheng Congyi and said, "I'm too old to walk anymore. You'll have to help me take a look at what kind of sword it is."

The little boy called out from the side, "Grandpa, let me help you go see!"

Cheng Shan chuckled and patted his grandson's head without saying a word.

After finishing his meal, Chu De bid farewell to Wei Youyou.

The Cheng family members were reluctant to part with him, but they didn't want to persuade him to stay.

Before leaving, Chu Xun asked, "Do you still have the twenty taels of silver I gave you earlier?"

Cheng Shan nodded quickly: "It's still here."

He then asked Cheng Congyi to bring over a sandalwood box, which was exquisitely crafted and carved with beautiful patterns.

The box was lined with thick red silk cloth, and the twenty taels of silver were well preserved.

Chu Xun picked it up, ran his fingers over it, and then put it back.

The boy ran over and gave Wei Youyou a piece of fruit.

It's made by coating sugar in flour and frying it until it's crispy and crunchy.

I received two during the Chinese New Year; I ate one and kept the other.

"This is delicious," the boy said.

Wei Youyou looked at the fruit in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then put it in her mouth.

After chewing a few times, she smiled, her eyes narrowed, "It's not bad."

The boy chuckled, "Your fruit isn't bad either."

Cheng Congyi wrapped the silver in red silk cloth, locked the wooden box, and put it back in its original place.

When I came out, I saw my father still at the gate of the yard, gazing into the distance.

"Father, they've left," Cheng Congyi said.

Cheng Shan sighed, "Yes, they're gone. We'll never see them again."

The last time we met was thirty years ago, when he was still a strong and healthy middle-aged man.

Now I am old and frail, and there is no next thirty years to wait for.

Cheng Congyi didn't know what to say. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are inevitable for everyone.

Looking at my once strong father, now with a full head of white hair, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

Cheng Shan turned his head and saw that he looked a little sad, so he said, "Don't think too much about it. Remember to take a look at it for me when he forges that sword."

Cheng Congyi nodded emphatically, then added, "I'll watch it with you then."

Cheng Shan chuckled but didn't reply.

He looked up into the distance and murmured to himself, "What kind of sword could cut down all evil spirits in the world?"

On the long journey, Chu Xun glanced at Wei Youyou, who was struggling to get something stuck in her teeth and was jumping around in frustration, trying to push it out with her tongue.

Wei Youyou doesn't like cooked food. Although it's sweet, she doesn't like radish leaves as much.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Chu Xun asked. "Do you need my help?"

Wei Youyou stopped and opened her mouth wide at him.

Two rows of snow-white teeth, and a pink tongue darting around in her mouth.

Chu Xun blew a breath, blowing the candy stuck to his teeth off.

With the annoying feeling gone, Wei Youyou became happy again.

"Do you like sweets?" Chu Xun asked.

"dislike."

Wei Youyou said, "But it doesn't taste bad."

Chu Xun laughed. In the past, she only had two concepts: delicious and not delicious. Now she has learned that it is not bad.

Wei Youyou jumped to his side, like a curious child: "He's dying, aren't you going to take him home?"

"I won't answer."

Why?

Chu Xun thought for a moment and said, "There are too many people in the world to receive them all."

"Then how did you answer my father and mother's questions?"

"Because I owe your father a favor."

"What is human kindness?"

"I received help from others."

Wei Youyou opened her big eyes, seemingly deep in thought.

After walking a while longer, she suddenly said, "I owe the master a favor. When he is about to die, I will bring you to our home."

Chu Xun paused, then looked up.

Wei Youyou was already skipping and hopping, picking out flowers and grasses that smelled delicious and looked very appetizing.

Chu Xun chuckled.

"Thank you so much."

Upon returning to the village, Chu Xun did not deliberately rush.

The Five Elements Techniques have been upgraded to the Five Elements Daoist Arts, and the entire world is different from what it used to be.

It's like seeing mountains as not mountains and water as not water.

This undoubtedly brought a great sense of novelty, and walking slowly was very pleasant.

Besides, with a lively little girl by my side, I won't feel bored.

"Hey, it's a river!"

Wei Youyou pointed ahead and exclaimed.

This is still the Songliu River, only it's a bit wider than the section near Songguo Village.

A fisherman was casting his net from his boat on the river. Chu Xun glanced at Wei Youyou, and the girl looked over at the same time.

Three words seemed to be written in her bright, dark eyes.

I want to go play.

There was no rush to go back, and having been here for nearly a hundred years, upon careful reflection, it turned out that he had never been on a boat.

Chu Xun then took Wei Youyou over, and soon after, the fisherman reached the shore.

Or perhaps they were just unlucky, casting their nets several times without catching much fish, just a few small fish and shrimp.

Sun-tanned and wearing a straw hat, the fisherman sighed, lamenting his lack of catch and impoverished household.

"Would you be willing to charter this boat?"

The fisherman turned his head and saw a man standing on the shore who seemed to be a bit older than himself.

And a little girl with pigtails, fair skin, and a few freckles on her face.

"You want to rent a boat?" the fisherman asked, somewhat surprised.

He only has this one old and small awning boat. What's the use of renting it?

The fisherman was both amused and exasperated. He said, "My boat smells terrible, but you're all dressed quite decently. Don't worry about getting your clothes dirty. I'll take you for a few laps."

Since I can't catch any fish anyway, I might as well just sit around doing nothing.

It's nice to have someone to chat with for a while.

As for making money from this, I haven't really thought about it.

Relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to draft water.

He's a fisherman who earns his living by casting nets to catch fish; he still has that much backbone.

Chu Xun didn't act coy and reached out to hug Wei Youyou.

Wei Youyou struggled and kicked her legs, shouting, "I'll go myself! I'll go myself!"

She slipped out of Chu Xun's arms and skipped across the water.

When they reached the edge of the boat, the fisherman saw that she was small and reached out to pull her up.

Wei Youyou jumped up and landed steadily on the deck.

The fisherman paused, turned to look below the boat, and was astonished.

Out of the corner of my eye, I vaguely saw a figure fall.

When he turned back, Chu Xun had already boarded the ship.

The fisherman suddenly realized and said admiringly, "So you have martial arts skills to rely on."

Chu Xun smiled and said, "It's not really martial arts."

The fisherman sighed, "When I was young, I wanted to learn martial arts. Unfortunately, it was too expensive, and I was of low social status. Now I'm too old; even casting my net is difficult. I have the will but not the strength—"

Wei Youyou jumped around on the deck, the boat rocking constantly, making her eyes grow brighter and brighter.

"Yo!"

The river water rippled, and waves spread out along the bottom of the boat.

Curious, she leaned over the edge of the boat and reached out to touch it.

The large ripples were broken up into smaller ripples.

The boatman warned, "Be careful, don't fall in."

"It's alright," Chu Xun said.

The boatman, having already determined that they were formidable warriors, said no more.

Then they started rowing, and the awning boat swayed gently, heading towards the center of the river.

It was Wei Youyou's first time on a boat, and she was filled with a sense of novelty.

One moment they'd tug at the fishing net, the next they'd pull out tiny shrimp, watch them flailing about, then be so scared they'd put them back.

They then crawled in and out under the awning, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Chu Xun stood at the bow of the boat, the wind carrying the fishy smell of the river, completely different from that on the shore.

After a while, Wei Youyou ran over, pulled Chu Xun aside, and asked, "Master, may we cast the net?"

Chu Xun looked at the fisherman, who laughed and said, "You're too young to carry that much."

The fishing net appears thin and full of holes, but a lead weight is tied to the bottom corner.

Even for adults, it's not easy to cast such a fishing net completely.

If you're not careful, you might fall into the water.

Wei Youyou looked at him with wide eyes: "Is it okay?"

The fisherman looked at her and thought of his daughter at home, saying, "If you can pull it, you can try."

Wei Youyou immediately reached out and picked up the head of the fishing net, which was neatly bundled together, and asked, "How do we cast it?"

The fisherman released the paddleboard, held it loosely with both hands, twisted his body, and then swung it out forcefully: "Like this."

Although he demonstrated it, he didn't find it useful.

This net isn't very big, but it still weighs ten pounds.

With a low center of gravity, you absolutely need strength and skill to succeed.

Wei Youyou mimicked him, holding the head of the fishing net with one hand and the net rope with the other, turning around to ask, "Like this?"

The fisherman laughed out loud: "That's right, then throw it out."

In his view, the little girl would only turn red in the face because she couldn't swing the fishing net properly.

But before he could finish speaking, he heard a "whoosh".

The fishing net flew dozens of meters away from in front of me, unfolding into a near-perfect circle in mid-air before falling into the water under the pull of the weight.

The net ropes tied to the hull were taut and straight, causing the awning boat to tilt by nearly half.

Chu Xun lightly touched the ground with his toes, and the boat regained its stability.

Wei Youyou blinked at the fisherman: "And then?"

The fisherman stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

How much strength does that take?!

He only came to his senses when Wei Youyou asked him again.

He rushed over and pulled the net rope: "Bring in the net! Bring it in quickly!"

Pull the fish fast, pull the shrimp slow – that’s an old saying.

"I'll do it! I'll do it!"

Wei Youyou gripped the net rope and kept pulling upwards.

Knowing that she was incredibly strong, the fisherman let go of her.

I didn't have high expectations for the catch.

In recent years, the fish catch in this river has not been plentiful. I don't know if they've been eaten by something or scared away.

This has made life very difficult for the fishermen in the vicinity.

Before long, the head of the fishing net was pulled out of the water.

As the fishing net itself rose to the surface, the water began to thrash and gradually became more intense.

The fisherman was astonished; had he caught a fish in his net?

Once most of the fishing nets are pulled up, the underwater activity becomes even more intense.

Various fish could be seen shaking their heads and tails in the water, trying to break through the fishing net and escape.

Once the entire net was pulled onto the boat, although it wasn't full, it still yielded at least a hundred pounds of fish.

"Yo!"

Wei Youyou happily squatted down and reached out to poke the fish.

Several large fish, weighing eight or nine pounds each, slapped their tails, splashing water, which startled her and made her jump away.

Only after the fish gradually calmed down did they carefully return.

The fisherman was dumbfounded; he had cast more than a dozen nets, yet he couldn't catch as many fish as this one.

The look in his eyes when he looked at Wei Youyou now carried a hint of amazement.

He's strong and lucky.

But these fish—

The fisherman hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat embarrassedly to Chu Xun, "Although it's my net, we're really struggling to make ends meet at home. I just want to keep a few for my family to eat."

"Where are you going? I'll row you there!"

He had made up his mind to use his physical strength to exchange for some food to take back; it was better than returning empty-handed.

Chu Xun did not refuse, saying, "Let's just go downstream."

The fisherman nodded and rowed vigorously, while sighing, "The catch has been getting worse and worse these past few years. I heard there's a water god in the lower reaches of the river who keeps two snake spirits, and they're incredibly big."

"I reckon the two snakes scared the fish away, otherwise it wouldn't have turned out like this."

Chu Xun frowned slightly. The three large pythons were hiding in the river to avoid frightening people.

Unexpectedly, it will have such a big impact on fishermen upstream.

Think about it too.

Both the green python and the white python were nearly twenty zhang long, with the green and white pythons being even more exaggerated, reaching as many as sixty-two zhang.

Such a colossal creature is a behemoth without any natural enemies in a tributary like the Songliu River.

Moreover, these giant pythons often swim hundreds of miles to catch fish, and ordinary fish probably wouldn't dare to approach them easily.

With his Water-Positive Personality, Chu Xun easily sensed the lingering aura of the giant python in the river.

It's very strong, far stronger than fish, and it doesn't dissipate for a long time.

Following the information carried by the river, he sensed a giant python in the far distance.

The distance is at least several hundred miles, completely beyond the scope of Taoist magic.

This is supernatural power.

At the same time, hundreds of miles away, in a much wider body of water.

Three enormous creatures are hunting underwater.

The fish scattered in panic, but they couldn't outrun the speed of the fish.

It opened its mouth wide and bit down on a group of fish, swallowing them whole.

At this moment, the largest blue-white python seemed to sense something.

He twisted his body rapidly in the water, looking downstream.

In those seemingly cold eyes, a kind of spiritual doubt was revealed.

It sensed a familiar and intimate feeling, yet it was different from before.

It is more sacred, and also more oppressive.

Without saying a word, the blue-white python immediately swung its tail and swam in that direction.

Seeing this, the green python and the white python quickly followed behind.

On the covered boat, Wei Youyou kept casting her net.

Each net yielded dozens or even hundreds of kilograms of fish, and the boat quickly began to sink heavily.

The fisherman, both surprised and delighted, shouted, "Don't release it! Don't release it! Any more and the boat will sink!"

The entire boat was piled high with fish; I never imagined that one day I would be troubled by having too much fish.

Wei Youyou was still a little reluctant to leave, but she obediently put the net down.

The fisherman rowed the boat vigorously, looking at the full catch, his eyes filled with both longing and embarrassment.

There are so many fish, I wish they had come from the net themselves.

I really don't understand how, even if the little girl scattered the water much farther than him, so many of them could be found online.

Unbeknownst to them, the awning boat had already traveled dozens of miles downstream.

As dusk fell, Chu Xun, standing at the bow of the boat, saw the waves coming from upstream.

The rapidly approaching familiar presence made him realize something.

Looking at the fisherman who was panting heavily from exhaustion, Chu Xun asked, "You said earlier that you wanted to be a warrior when you were young?"

The fisherman, panting heavily, took the opportunity to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

They rowed tirelessly the whole way without ever complaining.

Hearing Chu Xun's question, he replied, "Yes, he is highly skilled in martial arts and chivalrous. It's a pity that he is now trapped on a riverboat and can't go anywhere."

According to the household registration laws of the previous dynasty, people of low social status, such as fishermen, were not even allowed to disembark, let alone marry people on land.

Even the founding emperor did this when he first established the dynasty.

This rule was abolished only after Emperor Changning ascended the throne.

Fishermen who had spent their entire lives on boats were finally able to settle down on land.

Chu Xun nodded and said, "Then let's enter the martial world and take a trip."

As the supernatural power of the Yellow Millet Dream was unleashed, the fisherman's expression gradually became bewildered, and he felt as if his eyelids weighed a ton.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, all I could hear were shouts.

Turning his head, he saw his master, a man with a square face and a thick beard, scolding him, "Xie Yun, why did you stop!"

Xie Yun, also known as the fisherman.

He looked around in a daze, then remembered that he had already joined a martial arts school.

He was very happy, and he didn't mind being kicked in the butt by his master.

"practice!"

After reprimanding him, the master said loudly, "If you want to stand out from the crowd and have superb skills, you must study and practice diligently, and you can't be careless for even a day!"

""

"What is kung fu?"

As the master spoke, he suddenly punched the wooden dummy next to him.

Click—

The wooden dummy snapped in two with a snap, and the master stood proudly, declaring, "This is kung fu!"

His clothes fluttered in the wind, exuding an imposing aura.

Xie Yun watched with a face full of admiration and his blood was boiling.

"I want to have that skill someday!"

The fisherman was fast asleep leaning against the edge of the boat when three giant pythons approached.

It remained submerged underwater, not daring to surface directly.

Chu Xun looked down at them from his high vantage point, the aura of the giant python growing even stronger, not to mention the surrounding fish.

Even the fish that had already been caught on the boat were startled and jumped around wildly.

"Yo yo yo yo!"

Wei Youyou panicked and shouted, trying to hold the fish down, but afraid of being hit.

Chu Xun extended his finger, and a wisp of black spiritual light fell.

The spiritual light slowly drifted down onto the forehead of the blue-white python, merging into it like a drop of water.

In an instant, the aura emanating from the blue-white python was no longer just foul and menacing.

It was replaced by a more "righteous" aura, gentle yet carrying a hint of majesty.

This is a small amount of authority granted to it by Chu Xun, who was the head of the Ji River.

It allows for better water control and also prevents the fish from being frightened by the scent.

Even the green and white pythons following beside them were the same.

The three giant pythons shook their heads and wagged their tails happily, stirring up waves underwater.

Wei Youyou curiously tiptoed to look, and when she saw three giant pythons for the first time, she was so surprised that she pricked up her ears.

"Yo!!!"

There are also giant pythons in the mountains and forests, which can strangle any beast within a few dozen meters, and are much more ferocious than jackals, wolves, tigers and leopards.

The giant python in front of us was far more than ten meters long.

Then, the blue-white python crawled under the boat.

The ship shuddered slightly, as if it had been lifted up.

With a flick of its tail, it sped forward at incredible speed.

Wei Youyou's eyes were full of surprise as she watched the water surface constantly passing by, wanting to reach out and try.

But seeing the green and white pythons following closely behind, it timidly shrank back.

She looked like a little girl, but she was really timid.

Before long, the Songliu Water God Temple could be vaguely seen.

The blue-white python then stopped, poking half its head out from underwater and hissing at Chu Xun.

Chu Xun laughed and scolded, "You beast, you've only swum for a short while and you already want rewards."

Talk is talk, criticism is criticism.

Chu Xun still reached out and flicked it lightly.

The essence of Ren water was condensed almost instantly.

The methods of the Five Elements Daoist arts are far beyond the level of mere magic.

Several strands of Ren Water essence fell into the mouths of the blue and white pythons, and Chu Xun gave some extra to the blue and white pythons.

The three giant pythons were overjoyed and raised their heads.

Chu Xun smiled and wiped them off one by one, then patted them lightly a few times, saying, "Remember not to use this power to harm the waters, or I won't forgive you."

Three giant pythons shook their heads, pushing the awning boat towards the shore. Chu Xun pulled Wei Youyou and jumped down.

Then, the blue-white python, carrying the awning boat on its back, swam upstream.

Chu Xun didn't interfere much; everyone had their own thoughts.

It's not a bad thing that the blue-white python wants to do more things.

Wei Youyou tugged at his sleeve and asked, "Master, do you want to play some more?"

Chu Xun chuckled: "Let's play again next time."

"When is the next time?"

"Next time you encounter a boat."

Wei Youyou blinked her big, bright eyes, full of anticipation for "next time".

Chu Xun smiled, took her hand, and walked towards the village.

Soon after, the awning boat was returned to its original location.

The blue-white python poked its head out from underwater to look at the still-sleeping fisherman Xie Yun, hissed twice, and then disappeared back into the water.

Xie Yun, in his sleep, had been practicing kung fu for twenty years.

Despite having average talent, he has achieved some success through diligent study and practice.

After completing his apprenticeship, he roamed the martial arts world, upholding justice and making quite a name for himself.

I've made many different friends in the martial arts world, fought side by side with them, and shed blood together.

I witnessed the ups and downs of some people and also saw the dangers of the world.

Until his hair turned white and his blood and energy declined, he could no longer muster the strength to throw a punch.

He then retired from the world and built a thatched hut on a riverbank.

Fishermen would row by in their boats and exchange a few words with him.

Looking at their boat full of fish, Xie Yun could only smell the fishy odor.

He couldn't help but wonder, "What would my life have been like if I hadn't practiced martial arts and had instead become a fisherman who made a living from the water?"

The fisherman on the boat waved and shouted, "Old Xie, here's a big fish for you to make soup, here you go!"

A large fish weighing seven or eight pounds was tossed over. Xie Yun reached out to catch it, but he was too old and the fish slipped from his grasp and hit him in the face.

The icy sensation startled him.

I suddenly opened my eyes and heard the sound of the river water rippling.

Turning my head to look, I was shocked.

I was still on the boat, but the boat had already docked.

The fishy smell was very strong, indicating that the boat was indeed full of fish.

He then remembered that he was not Xie Yun, a chivalrous knight-errant, but a fisherman.

A sound came from underwater. Xie Yun, holding onto the edge of the boat, glanced over and vaguely saw something swimming away.

But it was getting late, and it was difficult to see clearly.

He was filled with a sense of loss: "It was all just a dream after all —"

Recalling the events of my dream, they were so vivid, as if I had truly lived a life as a knight-errant.

After a moment of sighing, Xie Yun remembered that the old man and the little girl who had gone boating earlier hadn't taken their catch with them.

Perhaps you find it inconvenient?

But I clearly rowed dozens of miles, so how did I end up back here against the current?

Xie Yun suddenly remembered that before he entered his dream, he vaguely heard that old man say, "Then let's go into the martial world and take a trip."

He was taken aback. He had heard storytellers say that there were immortals traveling in the mortal world.

Could it be that I've encountered this today?

I recall the little girl who could easily cast her fishing net dozens of meters away, and how each net was full of fish.

And given the unusual nature of traveling dozens of miles upstream, Xie Yun immediately understood that he had encountered a master.

He immediately knelt on the boat, cupped his hands in greeting, and exclaimed, "Thank you, Immortal, for granting my wish! Xie Yun is deeply grateful!"

There was no response. Xie Yun knew that if it were truly a legendary immortal, it would have already gone far away.

It's a bit of a pity that I can't thank you in person.

He slowly exhaled and climbed up from the boat.

Recalling the scene in his dream, Xie Yun assumed a fighting stance.

Huha threw a few punches with a practiced air, then chuckled.

Even though it was just a dream, I have no regrets.

He then selected some fish from the boat's full catch, threaded them through the gills with fishing rope, and tied them together.

He jumped off the boat with the tarpaulin on his back, covered the boat with the tarpaulin, and ran towards his home, which was not far away.

They ran all the way, shouting and yelling all the while.

On the way to Songguo Village, Wei Youyou asked curiously, "Master, what is Jianghu?"

Chu Xun smiled and said, "Wherever there are people, there is the martial world."

"And what about chivalrous acts?"

"Helping others to be good people is to be a chivalrous person."

Wei Youyou blinked, seemingly not quite understanding.

She had lived in Fenggu City for over twenty years and had never witnessed any acts of chivalry or justice.

I only barely learned how to be a person.

It was the end of the twelfth year in Changning.

Emperor Changning personally led an expedition and defeated the invading Ma tribe on the northern border.

Immediately, an army of 80,000 men ventured deep into the northern desert, intending to wipe out the Ma tribe in one fell swoop and eliminate any future threat.

The crown prince oversaw the state affairs, residing in the capital.

Under the management of Chancellor Zhang Jingheng, countless grains and fodder were transported to the border throughout the Jing Kingdom.

This great battle came extremely swiftly, and even the Ma tribe did not expect that Emperor Changning, who always valued the people's livelihood, would suddenly launch a large-scale attack.

The northern desert region, with its complex terrain including plains, Gobi, and desert, has never been a good battlefield.

It's so vast that even if you hide it, you can't find it.

However, the determination of Emperor Changning and Chancellor Zhang Jingheng was unwavering, and no one was allowed to raise any objections to this battle.

A civil official died remonstrating with the emperor, but the crown prince, being soft-hearted, could not bear to rebuke him.

It was Zhang Jingheng in the imperial study who dismissed the civil officials.

"Grand Tutor, is this battle absolutely necessary?" the Crown Prince asked, filled with worry.

The horse tribe only occasionally invades, so why not continue to recuperate and rebuild?

Isn't a peaceful and prosperous era with a prosperous country and its people a good thing?

Zhang Jingheng looked at him, leaning on his cane, his voice old and deep: "A fight is inevitable."

Before the Crown Prince could say anything more, Zhang Jingheng interrupted him.

"This battle is fought for the future of the Jing Kingdom for the next hundred years."

"If we win this battle, the Crown Prince will no longer have to fight wars."

The crown prince was taken aback.

He was very clever and quickly figured out the reason, so he lowered his head.

Zhang Jingheng had a chair brought over, put on his outer robe, and sat outside the Imperial Study.

Anyone who wants to offer advice or stop this war must first get past him.

Although the prime minister is old, his power and influence are even greater.

He is the Duke Protector of the State of Jing and the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty!

His mentor, Tang Shijun, paved the way with his death, making him the sharpest blade in the Jing Kingdom.

It healed the festering wounds of the Jing Kingdom, leveled the rugged fields, and enabled all the people of the world to have a pair of chopsticks to eat with.

Now he also has to pave the way for the future of Jing Kingdom. When the time comes, what will be handed to the Crown Prince will not be a knife, but a golden age!

A dull ache rose in his chest; he was seventy-four years old, as old as could be.

He slowly reached out and pressed his hand to his chest. His eyes, which were already somewhat cloudy, did not droop but stared straight ahead.

"These old bones, let's hold on a little longer."

"It's not time to leave yet."

A year later, good news came from the northern desert.

The Jing Kingdom army found the Ma tribe's royal tent deep in the northern desert.

After the great battle, they killed two kings of the horse tribe, captured thousands of prisoners, and obtained warhorses and a large amount of provisions.

But one of the horse tribe's kings successfully broke through the encirclement.

Even now, by integrating the remnants of the northern desert forces, they remain a force to be reckoned with.

Having learned of the strength of the Jing Kingdom's army and understood Emperor Changning's resolve, they ceased their confrontation and chose to hide.

The vast northern desert is so expansive that it can even be compared to the Jing Kingdom.

Finding such a deliberately hidden nomadic army is not easy.

At the end of the year, Liao Xingbang brought back a dark red stone.

It was obtained unexpectedly from a mountain cave after a long period of wandering in the martial arts world.

It is extremely hard; ordinary weapons cannot damage it at all when they strike it.

Although it lacks the wondrous power of meteorite iron from outer space, it possesses its own domineering aura.

He brought it back, hoping Chu Xun would help him forge weapons.

Chu Xun did not refuse this time, because the material was indeed quite good.

It was immediately apparent that there was a hint of anger within it.

This fiery energy is no ordinary fire, but the essence of fire in the Five Elements.

Chu Xun cut off a portion of the material and spent some time using the other half to forge a long knife for Liao Xingbang.

The blade was thick and heavy, with a few traces of golden essence mixed in.

With the addition of that wisp of fire essence, the blade, once sharpened, revealed strange patterns resembling the movement of dragons and snakes.

With a single swing of the sword, the air itself seemed to heat up.

Liao Xingbang took the long knife and sliced ​​through the iron billet as easily as cutting tofu, without even a clanging sound. He was overjoyed.

"What a formidable blade! It's probably no weaker than the Heaven-Reliant Sword of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader!"

Chu Xun said, "It's much better than that one."

"You've never even seen the Heaven-Slaying Sword, how do you know it's far superior?"

Xie Ji's sword was merely mixed with a trace of golden essence; Chu Xun had thousands of such swords in his side room.

The long sword before them not only possessed more metallic energy, but also a trace of fire energy.

"No matter what, this is a good knife!"

Liao Xingbang chuckled and asked, "Uncle Chen, why don't you give this knife you forged a name?"

Without hesitation, Chu Xun replied, "Slay the dragon."

Liao Xingbang was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Isn't it a bit too big?"

"Are you afraid you won't be able to hold it?" Chu Xun asked.

Liao Xingbang, his eyes reddening, stammered, "What's there to not hold!"

"That's the name!"

"The Dragon-Slaying Saber!"

Without the Heaven-Slaying Sword, who can rival it?

With the Dragon-Slaying Saber revealed, none dare disobey!