The mighty body of the Armored Beast surfaced from the water.

Liang Qu first set up the iron net, took out a firestarter to light the charcoal beneath the net, and blew robustly, sending sparks flying.

This time, to change the taste, he decided against boiling it, opting for charcoal roasting instead.

Boiling always made everything taste bland.

Liang Qu drew out the Azure Wolf Blade but didn’t rush to butcher the prey.

Instead, he carefully examined it.

After a few moments, Liang Qu finally understood why the Armored Beast seemed so familiar, like something he had seen before.

It resembled the Ankylosaurus he remembered from dinosaur movies he used to watch as a child, which always fled in large groups at the first sign of danger.

Except now, the Armored Beast had no limbs and had evolved into fins, seemingly becoming a carnivore with a mouthful of sharp teeth.

Liang Qu inserted the Azure Wolf Blade along the seams of the Armored Beast’s protective shell, slicing it open like a turtle shell, and prying it open with his fingers amidst effort.

Tendons and blood vessels clung stubbornly to the back shell, and Liang Qu had to sever them one by one with a knife, finally removing the entire shell and throwing it onto the boat.

The Armored Beast’s red flesh was exposed to the air, with some of the muscles still twitching.

It was incredibly "fresh."

Ah Fei and A Bu, salivating uncontrollably with their mouths watering, couldn't eat a bite, as there was no room on the boat for such a large creature, leaving them serving as makeshift tables.

The meat yield from this creature was rather low.

Liang Qu surveyed it.

The interior of the Armored Beast was simple; most of its weight was in its shell.

The bones were large and thick, with the meat making up less than fifty percent of its weight.

After discarding the innards, there remained only about thirty or forty percent of it that was edible.

Fortunately, the size was sufficient, providing ample materials for evolving the Marsh Spirit.

With practiced hands, Liang Qu began cutting the meat from the Armored Beast in pieces, some thick, some thin, grilling and eating them over the iron net.

Fist took the opportunity to clamp some of the innards into his fists, devouring them eagerly at the boat's bow.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Water Centipede, Ah Wei, slipped inside the Armored Beast’s body, sucking its blood with great gusto, its belly swelling and contracting.

The Heavenly Water Centipede was the most peculiar of the four beasts; despite being the smallest, it could consume several liters of blood at a time, making Liang Qu wonder where all that blood went.

In the air, the aroma grew stronger.

Ah Fei and A Bu, heads weighed down by meat they couldn’t taste, drooled rivers into the water below.

Liang Qu took out a small cloth bag and unwrapped it, revealing fine white salt he had procured from the Yang Manor’s kitchen.

Unlike the coarse salt sold to commoners, it had a much milder bitterness, hardly noticeable, purely salty and savory—a real luxury.

He sprinkled a pinch over the thin meat slices, flipping them deftly as the color changed, and popped them into his mouth.

The taste was acceptable—slightly salty with a unique flavor between mutton and chicken, truly a novelty.

{Water Essence +0.1}

{Water Essence +0.2}

The pieces were small, but the Water Essence was quite substantial.

After a quarter of an hour, Liang Qu’s mouth was almost numb from the heat.

He communicated with the Marsh Cauldron.

There was still a little more Water Essence needed.

Compared to eating crab before, Liang Qu’s appetite had significantly increased after breaking through.

Still, he didn't expect that even after eating to his fill, it wasn't enough, and he had to continue.

Just thinking of the bloated feeling last time made his stomach ache.

There was no helping it, everything was for a better future!

Liang Qu took a breath, cutting a whole tail section into several pieces, placing them on the iron net to roast while he moved to the boat’s stern to practice stance training.

Fist noticed and, imitating Liang Qu’s method, used tongs to help turn the meat pieces rapidly over the coals, ensuring even heating.

The blood and energy from the meat were absorbed continuously, turning into fuel for the fire, refining his vitality more fervently.

Currently, Liang Qu knew how to refine flesh without forcing the blood and energy to be locked in place, allowing it to circulate freely.

Whenever energy was generated internally, under his guidance, it merged into muscles and sinews, transforming into the best nectar, rapidly strengthening himself.

His vitality surged continually, the robust vigor erupting outward.

His chest heaved, and smoke escaped through his nostrils.

Soon, Liang Qu was so warm he stripped bare of his upper garments.

In the frigid river winds of winter, his skin was flushed and steaming, as if he had just emerged from a sauna.

Each muscle slowly pulsed, swelling and contracting, becoming more refined, the lines more perfect.

Having finished a full set of Ape Fist, and through two rounds of flesh refinement, the aroma of the roasted tail meat from the furnace was fully unleashed.

Ignoring the heat, Liang Qu grabbed a thick piece and took a bite.

It wasn't as easy to chew as thin slices, with a large bone in the center akin to tough jerky, but still chewable.

{Water Essence +1.1}

{Water Essence +1.2}

With the last slightly burnt tail tip crammed into his mouth, Liang Qu’s stomach swelled uncomfortably, unable to move, resting against the boat’s side while breathing for relief.

He communicated with the Marsh Cauldron.

After mentally calculating the Water Essence amassed, there was enough to fill the final gap.

Liang Qu used all the Water Essence to enhance his fusion rate.

Every few minutes, the numbers would jump, constantly rising.

Full conversion, however, would take some time.

"The rest is yours," Liang Qu gestured, unconcerned about any lingering toxins from Ah Wei.

Ah Wei's toxin needed to enter the bloodstream to effect, and with much of the Armored Beast's blood gone, any remaining toxins in raw meat could only be minimal.

At worst, it might cause a stomachache?

Upon hearing those words, Ah Bu and Ah Fei happily descended into the water, no longer propping the Armored Beast, and Fist and Ah Wei followed, all jumping into the depths to feast.

The robust bones of the Armored Beast were only manageable by Ah Fei and Ah Bu, though it was challenging; they found joy in gnawing them, savoring the marrow earnestly.

Half an hour later, the fusion rate finally crossed the last threshold, reaching a hundred percent! The Marsh Cauldron shone brightly.

Behind Liang Qu, a Spirit Monkey Phantom emerged—fur strands vivid and lifelike, fully overlapping him, the whole body radiant, smooth as jade.

Every pore was breathing frantically, and each cell thrived robustly.

Dense mist surged around him, dispersing like fog.

Beneath the Black Canopy Boat, waves moved without wind, gently spreading to both sides.

{White Marsh Spirit Water Monkey fully fused}

{Marsh Spirit Upgrade Condition: Gain a trace of the River's Blessing, fully fuse with White Marsh Spirit Water Monkey.}

A trace of the River's Blessing? Liang Qu's eyes sparkled.

He realized that by unexpected chance, he had already satisfied all the conditions for an upgrade!

After confirming repeatedly without mistake, Liang Qu took several deep breaths to calm his mood, casting his mind into the Marsh Cauldron, initiating the Marsh Spirit's upgrade.

Countless lights flew out from the cauldron, merging into the Spirit Monkey Phantom, serving as the fuel, nurturing the fire of advancement.

Ancient characters slowly emerged before Liang Qu’s eyes.

{Marsh Monkey: Born an anomaly, possesses immense strength, fiercely formidable, beloved by rivers, fusion grants Dragon Tendons and Tiger Bones.}

{Dragon Tendons and Tiger Bones: Tendons as vast as dragons, bones as mighty as tigers; strength inexhaustible, force unyielding, pulling nine bulls backward with unstoppable power.}

(End of Chapter)