I galloped to feast and feast.
Liang Qu wielded his chopsticks with fervor, scavenging crab roe, while also tossing chunks of crab leg meat to the two beasts, making sure none was wasted as the crab cooked.
The two beasts, lacking hands, faced the challenge of the crab monster's hard shell.
The Immovable could just barely gnaw through it, but the Fat Catfish stood no chance and struggled, relying entirely on Liang Qu, their master.
Munching and digging, nothing was delayed.
After a quarter of an hour.
"Burp~~~~"
Liang Qu let out a loud belch.
He was stuffed, unable to eat any more.
Just the crab roe was overwhelmingly rich, making him want to retch—halfway through, he was already forcing it down.
The stomachs of the two beasts, however, were far larger and capable of massive consumption.
They devoured with vigor, their appetites a blessing.
Liang Qu hoped they would eat more, gather more Water Essence, so they might evolve sooner into Hornwood Crocodile and Tiger-Head Catfish.
The evolved names sounded so impressive, doubtlessly powerful.
Next time they slew a crab monster, it wouldn't be as difficult as today.
Liang Qu became a free laborer for a moment, madly fetching and cooking meat, laying it out on the boat’s bow to dry, using heat to kill bacteria and prolong its shelf life.
Whatever he couldn’t cook in time, he threw to the two beasts to finish.
The crab monster's body was large enough that breaking the shell wasn't necessary.
He reached in and pulled out all the snow-white crab meat.
Once the crab meat was removed, Liang Qu didn't even spare the crab gills.
He washed them and cooked them, avoiding them himself because they filter impurities, but the beasts weren’t as picky—they devoured them.
Before gaining intelligence, they swallowed crabs whole, without washing.
Doing so now was a luxury.
After eating, Liang Qu began practicing martial arts, trying to speed up digestion and, after half an hour, resumed eating.
The Water Essence consumed was continually absorbed, enhancing the fusion of the Water Monkey Marsh Spirit.
Every quarter of an hour, the fusion rate on his mental panel would tick up by several points.
An endless array of glowing particles scattered from the Marsh Cauldron, gradually merging into the Spirit Monkey Phantom.
Beyond his mental vision, an ethereal white-haired monkey phantom loomed behind Liang Qu as well.
On either side of the small fishing boat, The Immovable and Fat Catfish swam frantically, attempting to burn energy, but the appearance of the phantom invoked a mysterious reverence, halting them in their tracks.
Though searching around yielded nothing, they soon realized that the source lay with Liang Qu, crouching at the boat’s bow.
Their master seemed increasingly godlike.
Meanwhile, Liang Qu’s body underwent deeper transformations.
The improvement in Marsh Spirit fusion offered more than innate ability enhancement; it bolstered his physical attributes too.
Thanks to this, during his first encounter with the Pig Dragon, Liang Qu hadn't succumbed to exhaustion.
By about four in the afternoon, exercising vigorously for four consecutive meals, Liang Qu stood shirtless at the boat's bow, his skin a deep crimson reminiscent of blood.
His body temperature soared, yet strangely, he felt no discomfort.
Sweat beaded and evaporated, leaving only salt and grease.
He had no choice but to intensively practice Ape Fist to expend energy.
The moment he moved, breath filled his chest—it surged, growing stronger by the second.
With each breath, arrows of white mist shot from his mouth and nostrils.
Contracting and diffusing, rolling relentlessly!
At one point, Liang Qu almost felt scalding liquid at his mouth and nose, nearly bursting forth, yet his relentless practice kept it below the breaking point.
Too agonizing!
Liang Qu suppressed it, not daring for it to escape.
Blood and energy welled endlessly.
Initially as thin as a chopstick, the energy in his chest expanded to a finger-thickness and beyond.
Finger-thickness!
According to Hu Qi, it was already sufficient to start skin strengthening.
Yet Liang Qu had no idea what to do next.
Damn it! If only he'd asked sooner! Why does he always pretend to be mysterious at crucial moments and not explain?
Like a novel leaving on a cliffhanger!!? The ever-mounting heat waves clouded Liang Qu's mind.
He endured bravely, guiding the inner energy to this breath.
Thicker, stronger!
From countless days of observation, the thicker the energy in his chest, the better his physique.
More practice never hurts.
Who knows how long this continued, but eventually, the burgeoning sensation dissipated with his relentless practice.
Gradually slowing, Liang Qu sensed the inner heat receding.
By then, the energy in his chest was finger-sized, much thicker than before!
Even after stopping, it continued to circulate resiliently.
Exhaling deeply, Liang Qu released a breath of pure white over three feet long.
Cold winds washed over him, the crimson of his skin fading to a healthy glow.
His muscles sculpted smoothly without exaggeration, showing hints of shark-like lines at his diaphragm, rising and falling like gills with each breath.
Strength filled his every move, a swing of his fist carried the faint sound of wind.
Refreshing!
As calmness returned, Liang Qu discovered another boon, or rather recognized an advantage he'd never fully appreciated.
Where others only absorbed energy from Treasure Fish flesh, he gained additional Water Essence.
As Water Essence boosted the Marsh Spirit, further feeding back to enhance his physical state!
The Nanfu Energy Ring, twice the power!
I have double the energy!
Communicating with the Marsh Cauldron.
[Cauldron Master: Liang Qu]
[Refined Marsh Spirit: Water Monkey (White) (Fusion Rate: 36.6%↑)]
[Water Essence: None]
[River Affinity: None]
[Aquatic Beast Command: Grand Marsh Crocodile, Six-Whiskered Catfish]
[Evaluation: The Water Monkey Marsh Spirit stems from the great Huai Whirlpool Lord, but its activation is insufficient for those barely significant and fragile.]
Through his four meals, Liang Qu accumulated 33.2 points of Water Essence, though the upgrade wasn't complete—it was expected to be done by nightfall.
If Water Monkey's fusion rate was an energy bar, he filled nearly half of it in one go!
His water control reached three hundred pounds, lifting two adult males quickly if needed!
Regrettably, finer manipulation saw little advancement, but Liang Qu felt content.
[Consume 41.4 points of Water Essence to evolve the Grand Marsh Crocodile into Hornwood Crocodile.]
[Consume 46.7 points of Water Essence to evolve the Six-Whiskered Catfish into Tiger-Head Catfish.]
Checking the energy needed for both creatures’ evolution saw a significant reduction.
With the entire crab monster's remnants, even considering some waste, nearly a hundred Water Essence points were contributed!
No, it could still increase!
Liang Qu eyed the remaining thirteen crab roe sacks.
His mental capacity limited dominion over them all—most would have to be eaten.
Choosing the prime ones was crucial.
Liang Qu lifted the abdominal plate onto the boat, observing each roe sack in the sunlight, noting how they swelled, almost breaching their membranes, revealing size, vitality, and growth stage.
Discarding the weak, undersized...
Only two stood as viable choices, but one was a female—thus it too was set aside.
Not him being picky, but female crabs tended not to grow as large as males.
Choosing subordinates meant picking the strongest warriors.
It's settled, it's you!
Liang Qu sliced his finger, drawing a Water Glyph on the crab roe’s back!
(End of the chapter)