Jianghuai Marshlands.
The Fat Catfish swam freely in the water, the stream gliding past him felt exhilarating, like soaring through the sky.
No other big fish could match his speed; he was like a black lightning bolt streaking through the depths, sending schools of fish fleeing in panic.
With a twist of his long tail, he darted next to a grass carp weighing over ten pounds.
The commotion scared the carp, making it attempt to escape, but just as it turned, the Fat Catfish appeared before it again, baring sharp teeth as if about to bite.
After chasing the carp in circles dozens of times, the grass carp was utterly exhausted, floating weakly in the water.
Playing around for a while longer, and seeing the carp remain unresponsive, the Fat Catfish lost interest.
With a flick of his tail, he sent it flying with great force.
The carp soared out of the water, glistening in the sunlight, splashing down onto a fishing boat with a loud thud.
The startled fisherman on the boat almost jumped into the water in fright, but turning around, he saw the unexpected catch—a large lively grass carp lying there, its gills moving, though rendered powerless and making no struggle.
It seemed as if it had willingly let itself be captured.
Having caught no fish all morning, the fisherman gazed at the empty river surface, pausing in shock before kneeling at the boat's bow and started worshipping in gratitude.
“Thank you, Great River God, for your blessing!”
Underwater, the Fat Catfish scratched his head with his whisker, confused but amused, as he dove back down and continued sending large fish flying onto the boat.
Thud.
Thud.
Fish were forced out of the water, constantly landing on the boat with loud thuds, a symphony the fisherman found most pleasing to his ears.
A true miracle!
Each catch prompted another worship from him, his face glowing with fervor and devotion, chanting happily, “The River God has manifested, truly manifested!”
It was the seventh day of the first lunar month.
The apprentices were still on their spring break, set to return tomorrow, leaving only Liang Qu and Hu Qi in the martial training grounds.
The sound of wooden sticks clashed without pause, creating shadows with every strike.
After about half a quarter of an hour, Liang Qu, breathless, emptied of energy, leaned on his short staff.
Hu Qi massaged his wrist, waves of shock surging through his heart.
Though he had held back, not attacking intensely, Liang Qu's rhythm remained unbroken.
His internal energy wasn't exhausted from being disrupted; instead, it was steadily depleted from beginning to end as he practiced.
How long had Junior Brother Liang been working on the Force Manipulation Technique? Half a month? To master it to the point where it became instinct and reach such progress without disruption in half a month was astounding.
Normally, it’d take two or three months at least, but Hu Qi saw Liang Qu grow from awkwardness to proficiency little by little, especially after the first few days when Liang Qu seemed to hit a breakthrough, advancing rapidly.
A fact is a fact.
Even beyond the Force Manipulation Technique, it held true for his combat style, too.
As long as he kept his emotions in check while fighting, his form was commendable.
The ninth disciple of our master, truly remarkable.
Whether crossing the river or being crossed, a dragon seed remains a dragon seed.
Recalling Liang Qu’s fate pattern, Hu Qi felt wistful, his thoughts drifting to the target Master Yang had set at the New Year's Eve meal.
Senior Brother Xiang had already been marked, and by next year, it might be his turn.
Yet, Hu Qi harbored no ill will, finding comfort in a talented junior.
Liang Qu’s achievements could benefit all brothers.
“We all know,” they say, "three-year-olds understand the importance of having connections."
Leaning on the stick, gasping for air, Liang Qu plopped on the ground. “I’m done for today, Senior Brother; no more energy.”
“Not training with half a day left? Tomorrow, with the apprentices back, this quiet moment won’t come again. While your fate pattern may be promising, don’t succumb to laziness. Every path is walked one step at a time.”
Liang Qu chuckled, “To be honest, Senior Brother Hu, I plan to attempt breaking through the Flesh Barrier this afternoon.”
Hu Qi’s eyes widened. “So soon? During the New Year's Eve dinner, didn’t you say it’d take half a month?”
“Yes, but I caught another Treasure Fish yesterday. After soaking in medicinal baths daily and spending quite a bit of silver, I progressed faster than expected.”
Liang Qu’s rationale left Hu Qi speechless, and after a moment of silence, he dryly agreed, “Alright then, you get the afternoon off.”
“Haha, thank you, Senior Brother Hu! I’ll bring back some good fish for you to eat.”
Revitalized, Liang Qu jumped up, dusted himself off, and departed.
In truth, he wasn’t aiming to break through just yet; the half-month estimate already accounted for medicinal baths and the treasure fish diet, making an early breakthrough improbable.
What Liang Qu sought was a more immediate advancement.
It was his Marsh Spirit.
In recent days, his two beasts had been assisting with catching the big ones, and today they finally found something significant.
Liang Qu sensed that once his Marsh Spirit ascended a level, the transformation would be tremendous—a leap in physical capabilities.
Breaking through the Flesh Barrier would naturally follow.
Thus, fibbing to Senior Brother Hu wasn’t entirely deceitful.
Not long after, Liang Qu had his Black Canopy Boat on the water.
Resting for a while, he summoned his three beasts.
Fat Catfish and the Immovable surfaced in that order, followed closely by Fist.
Seeing Fist’s growing size, perching on Immovable’s head didn’t seem as fitting anymore.
“Anything unusual these past days?”
Recalling the fishermen kneeling and praying to the invisible, the Fat Catfish shook his whiskers and firmly shook his head.
Nothing happened.
Just the fishermen acting bizarre, kneeling to thin air.
Liang Qu nodded, glad that his beasts hadn’t caused undue attention, especially the simple-minded Fat Catfish.
While the presence of strange things wasn’t unfamiliar underwater, he preferred staying low-key.
Content, he sat on the boat's edge, “In these days, I’ve been pondering that since you’ve both evolved, keeping childish names doesn’t quite fit. Thus, I decided to give you new names; the old ones will be your nicknames.”
New names?
The two beasts didn’t quite understand.
They’d never compared names, seeing nothing wrong with theirs, but neither did they object.
“If it’s bestowed by the celestial being, it’s good as is!”
“Immovable, from now on, your name will be Ironwood Mountain! Fat Catfish, you shall be Mighty Fang General! A Bu and Fatty, those will be your nicknames!”
Proud of his creativity, Liang Qu reveled in his naming prowess, which blended their characteristics with a touch of grandeur.
Ironwood Mountain, Mighty Fang General?
Though baffled, the new names resonated better.
At least to their ears.
No matter, as long as we act happy.
Thrashing water excitedly, the two circled the boat, Fist joining in clapping his claws enthusiastically, heightening the event.
Liang Qu felt validated for his name choice.
“Let’s go to where you two found the big one, see if today’s the day! Today’s the day for fortune and feasting!”
With Vibration Wave and Azure Wolf in hand, Liang Qu leapt into the water, fastening a hemp rope to A Bu, letting him lead the way.
Unless he used water manipulation to propel himself, Liang Qu’s natural swimming speed couldn’t match Immovable.
Controlling the water consumed considerable energy, so relying on Immovable was preferable.
With its size and strength, pulling a cart was child’s play for him.
Fatty nudged his head in, eager to help.
Liang Qu entertained the dual-drive notion, but the test didn’t quite work.
Fatty’s slippery surface hindered secure fastening unless a special saddle or mouthpiece was crafted in the future.
He wound the rope around his wrist, Fist clasped it tightly, and Immovable surged forward, dragging both man and crab at great speed.
Fatty trailed right behind.
Soon, the water depth reached over fifty meters, yet Liang Qu felt no discomfort.
The Marsh Spirit of the Water Monkey eased oxygen consumption and pressure effects alike.
At these depths, pressure felt akin to a human diving down ten meters.
For the beasts, it was a breeze.
Oddly, as they ventured deeper, things changed.
Dense aquatic plants formed around, and the thriving water foliage reached waist-high, much like wading through lush grasslands.
Tasting a leaf confirmed it was ordinary water grass—peculiar nonetheless.
The muddy ground felt soft, akin to walking on a marsh.
Underwater, strange terrains were diverse, no less than on land.
Dragged along by the beasts, Liang Qu arrived at a mud patch clear of water plants.
His senses discerned the vague outline of an enormous creature hidden beneath the silt.