Gou Zai Qingluo Cave Heaven Cultivation

When he got tired of riding the blue crab and his main consciousness returned to his human body, it was already close to dusk.

Zhou Baoqing opened his eyes. Zhao Fanghua was no longer in the house, and the smell of firewood wafted through the courtyard.

"Gurgle."

My stomach was growling, and the smell of food made me even hungrier.

He estimated the distance.

Qinglin Bay is winding and lush with aquatic plants. Several wooden stakes can be seen stuck in the water, marking the boundaries for fish farmers to raise fish in nets.

According to the speed of the blue crab, it would take about half an hour to get from the river bend to the water intake of its own yard.

There's no point in rushing it.

The longer you lie down, the more dizzy you become.

Zhou Baoqing slowly sat up, supporting himself on the edge of the bed. He glanced at the celadon teacup on the bedside table and picked it up.

A handsome face was reflected in the rippling water.

She had a fair face and bright eyes, but her eyebrows were slightly sparse, and her lips were bloodless, making her look rather lifeless.

He knew that this was due to lying down for too long, which made his blood and qi stagnant, and also because he had only been eating liquid food for the past three days.

After a period of rest, he will be able to recover and become a handsome young man with rosy lips and white teeth.

The teacup is a humble treasure; the water is always at a constant temperature. One gulp and the brow relaxes instantly.

Zhou Baoqing put on a fine linen long gown and, following the fragrance, walked slowly, searching his memory to recognize the faces of his family members.

Before long, they arrived at the dining room.

He glanced at it.

The room was quite spacious. My grandmother and mother were busy at the stove, while my cousin Zhao Fanghua was polishing a square table and six stools until they shone.

Grandfather Zhou Changgeng was sitting at the head of the table, his brows furrowed, seemingly lost in thought.

He had a thin face, was in good spirits, and had a cultivation level of four in Qi Refining. He looked to be no more than forty years old.

"Why are you up?"

Hearing the noise, Zhou Changgeng casually looked up and was startled to see that it was Zhou Baoqing. He took off his outer robe and draped it over his grandson.

Zhou Baoqing wanted to say, "Grandpa, I'm not cold," but the words only came out vaguely: "I'm hungry."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Li immediately said with heartache, "That scoundrel Wang has done such a terrible thing, he's made my precious grandson so thin!"

The food was quickly served, and the family gathered around the octagonal table to eat.

Zhou Baoqing sat on the left at the head of the table, next to his grandfather, while his mother, Chen, sat next to him.

The eldest aunt, Zhou Yulan, sat to the left of the grandmother, along with her cousin Zhao Fanghua and cousin Zhao Yuanqiu.

The father, Zhou Wenyuan, was not present.

In my memory, my father practiced asceticism at the mountain gate and only returned home once or twice a year.

In the center of the octagonal table, there is a plate of steamed green-skinned fish, a semi-spirited creature with white skin, tender flesh, and clear broth.

On both sides were braised pork, soy sauce duck, and fried liver. The food looked plentiful, but it was actually enough for ordinary people to eat. If cultivators ate too much, it would cause them to accumulate turbid energy, which would be detrimental to their cultivation.

Two servings of staple food.

White rice was placed in a large bowl, while a small bowl contained spirit rice, the grains of which were crystal clear. It was placed only in front of Zhou Changgeng and Zhou Baoqing.

In Zhou Baoqing's bowl, there were also two jade-shelled spirit bird eggs, their whites glistening and emitting a delicate fragrance.

There's only one available on weekdays.

He glanced at the Azure Spirit Egg, which was unique to him, and then at the ordinary food in his family's bowls, and sighed inwardly.

The family's financial situation doesn't seem very optimistic.

The Azure Water Spirit Eggs are small, one bite at a time, and they're gone in two bites.

After eating, a warm feeling immediately rose in my stomach, and the sore, swollen wound on my forehead gradually stopped hurting.

It really is a good product.

Grandmother Li added another piece of fish belly to his bowl: "Eat more. You haven't eaten for three days, so you're weak."

"Grandma, you should eat too."

Zhou Baoqing scooped half a piece of the fish belly and put it back into his grandmother's bowl.

Goodness, my little darling has become so sensible and filial!

Mrs. Li looked pleased, her eyebrows raised high. She picked up the bowl and took a sip of soup, finding it even more delicious than usual.

Halfway through the meal.

Zhou Yulan put down her chopsticks, glanced at Zhao Yuanqiu who was burying his head in his rice beside her, and moved her lips twice before speaking: "Father."

Zhou Changgeng's hand holding the chopsticks didn't stop, and he hummed in agreement.

"Yuanqiu is almost ten years old this year. I'm thinking, should I send him to the clan school? I don't dare to ask for anything else, but if he learns some basic breathing techniques, he won't end up like his father."

Towards the end, his voice softened.

The table fell silent.

The sound of blue water chickens clucking came from the courtyard.

Ms. Chen put down her chopsticks.

"Big sister!"

She suppressed her anger: "Why bring up the past? I've said it before, not just anyone can cultivate immortality! Yuan Qiu has a low-grade spiritual root; at best, he can only reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, and Foundation Establishment is out of the question. If his spiritual root is inferior, one step behind means falling behind at every step! If we send Yuan Qiu to the clan school, Bao Ge'er's spiritual aptitude will be reduced, affecting his cultivation—what then?!"

Zhou Yulan lowered her head.

Zhou Changgeng scooped up a spoonful of soup, drank it, and then put the spoon down.

"The clan school charges five low-grade spirit stones a year for tuition, and writing materials, talismans, paper, and pills are extra. All in all, it's about ten stones, which is quite tight. Right now, Bao-ge'er is laying a solid foundation, so we absolutely cannot skimp on it."

Tuition fees are only a small part; the main cost of cultivation lies in elixirs and spiritual materials, and this cost increases year by year.

To support Bao Ge'er's spiritual practice, the family sold three of their ten mu of low-quality fishponds, barely enough to make ends meet for a year.

With only four mu of medium-grade fishponds and seven mu of low-grade fishponds left, after deducting the costs of fish fry and feed, the profit is only fourteen or fifteen spirit stones a year.

This was during a good year.

If they encounter a cold frost or a great sun fire, it is common for the blue-scaled fish to die out completely.

Thinking of this, he paused, "Let's postpone Yuan Qiu's matter for now."

Slowly?

A cultivator begins their initial studies at the age of ten. If this step is delayed, the cultivation process will be many times more difficult in the future!

Zhou Yulan's eyes reddened, but she didn't argue anymore.

Zhao Yuanqiu buried his head in the bowl, stuffing rice grains into his mouth one by one, his cheeks bulging out, but he didn't seem to swallow.

Unlike before, Zhou Baoqing didn't either pretend not to hear or impatiently blurt out, "It's just a waste of spirit stones for my cousin to go," his mouth was incredibly rude.

He casually said, "Aunt, why don't you let my cousin practice with me first? Although it's not as comprehensive as Master Zhou's teachings, I can teach him the basic cultivation methods taught in the clan school, such as introductory breathing exercises, character recognition, etc. It won't delay his progress."

The table fell silent.

The chopsticks in Zhou Yulan's hand fell to the table with a "thud".

Zhao Fanghua's mouth was open, and she couldn't close it for a long time.

Zhao Yuanqiu suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide with surprise.

Chen was the first to react, her voice a little shrill: "Bao-ge'er... what did you say?"

Zhou Baoqing put down his chopsticks.

The idea that a mischievous little devil would suddenly change his ways and say such a thing is untenable.

He needed to give the adults at the table a reasonable explanation.

He deliberately snorted, "Wang Gou'er made me fall on the rock, causing me a great loss. Next time we meet, with my cousin's help, I'll definitely beat him to a pulp!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Changgeng nodded secretly.

"Brothers fight tigers together, fathers and sons go to war together." Although the saying is crude, the principle is sound.

The Zhou family was able to establish themselves in Qinglin Bay thanks to the mutual assistance among villagers.

But Chen became anxious.

"No way!"

She grabbed her son's sleeve: "Bao-ge'er, you have a mid-grade spiritual root, ranking among the best in the clan school, highly valued by the teacher. You've put so much effort into teaching others, how can you neglect your studies? Your most important task now is to cultivate true skills, so as not to disappoint the whole family's expectations!"

"Mother, don't worry."

Zhou Baoqing patted his mother's hand and comforted her, "My cousin has the same water elemental root as me. I can also take this opportunity to review my own foundation and learn something new by reviewing what I've learned before. It can only be beneficial."

He spoke with certainty.

Chen looked at Zhou Changgeng, the head of the family, with some skepticism.

Zhou Changgeng remained silent.

He looked after his grandson first.

After bumping his head and waking up for half a day, the little grandson's restlessness had subsided somewhat.

Then she looked at her grandson.

Zhao Yuanqiu noticed his grandfather's gaze falling on him, placed his hands on his knees, and straightened his back.

The child was trying to appear calm, his face tense, his eyelashes blinking rapidly.

"Yes, I can teach."

Zhou Changgeng pondered for a moment, then made his decision, saying, "Bao-ge, copy this down for Yuan-qiu. The breathing techniques should be the basic ones, but remember them well too. Don't let it interfere with your own cultivation. Your well-being is the best outcome for our family!"

Only after Zhou Baoqing seriously agreed did he look at Zhao Yuanqiu again.

"Once your cousin recovers, you'll start learning from him. You have to follow the rules; you must learn whatever he teaches you. No slacking off, no cheating, and absolutely no showing off outside. Without the clan's official invitation, this is considered private tutoring, understand?"

"Understand!"

Overjoyed and deeply grateful, Zhao Yuanqiu wept, vowing, "I will definitely listen to my cousin!"

…………

night.

The Zhou family courtyard fell silent, with only the chirping of insects remaining.

Zhou Baoqing lay on his side, listening to the sounds of his mother tidying up in the outer room. Gradually, the footsteps stopped, and only a small oil lamp shone through the crack in the door.

He closed his eyes.

My body relaxed, and my consciousness drifted to the other side.

The snail, perched on the back of the blue crab, was jostled and disoriented by the crab's jostling.

Ever since we hitched a ride on the Wind Crab, the journey has been incredibly bumpy and shaky.

With great difficulty, they finally reached a low crevice in the rocks.

The water flowing from the cracks in the rocks was clear and bright; it was the source of the living water channel that the Zhou family brought into their courtyard.

As soon as the snail got off the bus, the crab sprang into action, its eight legs moving in unison, and it vanished in a flash.

They slipped away so fast!

Are you afraid I'll take bribes?

Zhou Baoqing regained some of his composure, put on a jacket, and quietly opened the door to go out.

The place where he lived was called "Zhishuixuan," the only separate courtyard in the family. It was originally set up by monks to cultivate in peace and quiet, undisturbed by worldly affairs.

And Xiaochi was in the courtyard.

Two clumps of water hyacinths were planted by the pond, and the moonlight fell on the water, breaking into small pieces of white.

Several red-tailed koi fish surfaced to beg for food when they saw people coming.

Zhou Baoqing pushed aside the bighead carp and squatted down by the edge of the pond.

He rolled up his sleeves and dipped his hand into the water.

The water was cool; as soon as my fingertip touched it, several very fine ripples appeared.

The palm is outstretched, suspended above the sandy surface at the bottom of the water.

With a thought, a patch of turquoise at the bottom of the pool moved accordingly.

But then the snail pushed off with its belly and slowly climbed onto his palm.

It was cool and moist; the snail shell adhered to the lines of my palm, and I could feel a very strong suction force.

He held the small snail in his hands and examined it closely by the moonlight.

It's about the size of a baby's fist, with a bluish-green shell that spirals upwards in concentric circles, each with ten clearly visible spirals. The tip looks like it's been rubbed smooth by a fingertip, making it very round and also very hard.

A very faint blue glow floated on the shell, sometimes bright and sometimes dim; it was more of a sensation than a sight.

It is quite mysterious.

"But how can I enter that mysterious world within Qingluo's memories?"

The idea had only just come to mind.

"call out!"

My palm suddenly felt heavy.

Before Zhou Baoqing could even cry out "Mom!", he was pulled by a soft force and sank into the snail shell.

…………

"Gurgle gurgle".

Zhou Baoqing took a couple of sips of water, then hurriedly stood up straight.

This is a vast expanse of water.

The water was waist-deep, crystal clear, and you could see a layer of fine sand at the bottom. Unlike the muddy riverbed, the sand was a more tender shade, like the color of spring buds.

look up.

Above him was a pale blue dome that spiraled upwards, circle after circle, until it became blurred and transparent at the very top, allowing him to glimpse the outside world like a frog at the bottom of a well seeing the moon.

The surroundings were empty; there was nothing but water.

Am I being sucked in?

Zhou Baoqing was stunned for a moment.

He looked down at himself; the cuffs and hem of his sleeves were completely soaked in water, dripping wet.

However, it doesn't feel cold; instead, it gives one a refreshing and invigorating feeling, like a cool breeze in the sweltering heat.

The longer the soaking time, the deeper this clarity.

His soul merged with his mind, his spirit became clear, his brain was no longer dull, and his eyes reflected in the water became brighter and brighter. It was as if his whole being had been sublimated.

Memories of a struggling working class, ten-year-old Zhou Baoqing in the southern border, the water plants of Qingluo, like three stacks of paper, their edges perfectly aligned, forming a stack.

He exhaled a long breath.

Memories flow like water, merging into one, ultimately becoming smooth and flawless.