Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

A golden light emanated from Chen Yongqiang's body, transforming into an invisible protective shield that restrained the violent medicinal power that was about to tear his flesh apart.

The burning and excruciating pain remained, but it was no longer a chaotic destruction. Instead, guided by this protective shield, it began to erode his bones and muscles in a more brutal yet orderly manner.

Chen Yongqiang could hear a sound from inside his body like a blunt instrument striking leather; it was his muscles and bones being strengthened and his flesh being reshaped.

After an unknown amount of time, the rampant medicinal power finally began to weaken, combining with some kind of primal power deep within his body.

The cool sensation of the mountain god's protection quietly faded away, as if its mission had been accomplished.

Chen Yongqiang slowly opened his eyes. He exhaled a long breath of stale air, which carried some grayish-black impurities and had a foul, fishy smell.

"Phew... I finally made it through." He murmured to himself, his voice filled with relief.

Chen Yongqiang tried to move his neck, and immediately a series of dense "crackling" sounds came from it.

Chen Yongqiang was stunned for a moment, then moved his shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and his joints cracked like popping beans.

He looked down at his hands, his skin still covered in dirt.

Chen Yongqiang clenched his fist, feeling the strength emanating from his fingertips: "My strength seems to have increased quite a bit."

He walked to the spirit spring and exchanged his Blessing Points for several buckets of spirit spring water, the cool spring water touching his skin.

Feeling the intangible yet abundant vitality within my body, I understood.

This is the benefit of body tempering, pushing the potential of the mortal body to near its limit.

But that's all.

The slight excitement on Chen Yongqiang's face slowly subsided: "Successfully tempering the body only means making the body stronger, like building a house, finally laying a solid foundation. What's lacking now is a cultivation technique."

Despite having sharp hearing and eyesight, great strength and a healthy body, one still ultimately remains confined to the realm of the "ordinary".

There is an unseen chasm separating us from the "immortals" who absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and open up their dantian and purple palace.

"The road ahead is still long." He shook the water droplets off his hands, his eyes regaining their firmness and calm.

"However, at least we've taken a step forward. The next step is to complete the system's tasks and obtain the real cultivation technique."

When I came out of the system space, the sky outside the temple was already dusky.

"I didn't expect to stay in this space for so long?" Chen Yongqiang muttered to himself.

Time seemed to flow differently in that secluded space than in the outside world.

Although it was getting dark and birds were chirping in the woods, he was not in a hurry to go down the mountain.

His gaze fell on the thin layer of snow and withered leaves piled up outside the mountain god temple.

He walked to the corner of the temple, where an old broom, left behind at some unknown time, was leaning against the wall.

Chen Yongqiang picked up a broom, walked to the door, and began to sweep away the snow and debris inside and outside the threshold and on the temple floor.

Swish—swish—

The increased physical strength after tempering made this simple task easier.

Before long, a clean open space was cleared around the mountain god temple.

Chen Yongqiang put the broom back in its place and walked to the mountain god statue.

The wild boar's head on the offering table was frozen solid, and the three incense sticks had long since burned out, leaving only fine ashes.

He looked up at the silent clay sculpture of the deity, which appeared particularly ancient and desolate in the twilight.

However, it was this unassuming statue that changed everything for him.

Chen Yongqiang said very seriously to the statue of the mountain god, "Mountain God, we will find a way to give you a new golden robe next year."

These words are simple and straightforward, without any flowery promises. This is not a request, but a promise that must be fulfilled.

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to walk out of the mountain god temple.

Walking home, Chen Yongqiang's mind was clear.

Ever since that muddle-headed hunter accidentally received the mountain god's inheritance here more than half a year ago, his life has taken a trajectory he never imagined.

With increased strength and a better catch, the family's life became more prosperous.

More importantly, he encountered a completely different, vast, and real world.

Looking back on the changes over the past six months, even he feels a little dazed, yet he has taken each step very steadily.

It was already dark when I got home.

The sound of Lin Xiulian and another woman laughing and talking came from the courtyard. Chen Yongqiang pushed open the door and saw Liang Meie sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a handful of melon seeds in her hand.

"Brother Yongqiang is back?" Liang Meie, with her sharp eyes, greeted him first, her gaze habitually glancing behind him and onto his hands, finding them empty.

"Didn't get anything today?"

Chen Yongqiang casually hung his hunting rifle on the wall by the door, patted the chill off his body, and said with a normal expression, "Yeah, it's freezing cold, there are hardly any footprints in the mountains, and after wandering around for a while, I didn't find anything decent, so I came back."

This makes perfect sense; winter hunting is like that all the time, and it's common to go empty-handed five or six times out of ten.

Lin Xiulian got up and poured him a bowl of hot water: "It's alright, warm yourself up quickly. Sister-in-law Mei'e has been waiting for you for a while."

Chen Yongqiang took the bowl, sat down at the table, and looked at Liang Meie: "Sister-in-law Meie, is there something you need?"

Liang Meie leaned forward: "There is something I need. Brother Yongqiang, would you like to find another way to make money? It might be more reliable than trying your luck hunting in winter."

Chen Yongqiang took a sip of hot water. "What's the secret?"

"Ice fishing!" Liang Meie uttered two words.

"Isn't the reservoir frozen solid now? I heard someone drilled a hole in it to fish, and wow, the fish were so fat and stupid, they caught them every time!"

She got more and more excited as she spoke: "I was thinking that you spend all your time in the mountains, you're strong and brave, you must be good at chiseling ice and drilling holes."

Chen Yongqiang naturally knew about ice fishing. Liang Meie was really obsessed with money, but that was normal, since her whole family depended on her to earn money and support them.

Her suggestion is indeed a viable approach.

"Ice fishing is different from hunting. I'll prepare for it in the next couple of days."

Hunting in the mountains during the dead of winter is becoming increasingly difficult, and many return empty-handed. Ice fishing, if done well, could indeed be a reliable source of income.

In addition, since Lin Xiulian is pregnant, it would be good if she could catch a few more fish and make some fish soup to nourish her body.

"That's exactly what I've been waiting for!" Liang Meie's face immediately lit up with a smile.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Liang Meie left, satisfied.

Lin Xiulian said with some worry, "Honey, is the ice really stable? I'm feeling uneasy about it."

"It's alright, I know what I'm doing. I'll go to the reservoir and check things out in the next couple of days," Chen Yongqiang replied calmly.

At night, Chen Yongqiang lay on the kang (a heated brick bed). His body, refreshed after the tempering process, was full of energy and his senses were sharp. He could even hear the faint whistling sound of the cold wind whistling through the eaves outside the window.

Ice fishing, he thought about what he would need.

Thick fur coats and boots are a given, and you'll need a handy ice scoop. You can have fishing rods and lines at home, but you might need to modify the short rod for ice fishing.

As he pondered, he recited the rudimentary method of Qi cultivation again. His body tempering was now complete; theoretically, he could begin to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

However, without the proper techniques, one can't grasp the essence of things. It always feels like there's a thick layer of frosted glass between you and the object; you can see the shadow but can't touch the substance.

"There's no need to rush," he told himself.

The next morning, Chen Yongqiang got busy.

He first dug out the long-neglected ice chisel head, found a sturdy hardwood stick, and reassembled it.