From Family Fisherman to Water Virtue Immortal

The white, cloud-like light sphere burst apart, transforming into shimmering specks of light that flowed into the crown of his head. 

A vast and astonishing amount of knowledge suddenly materialized, as if a giant hand had forcefully crammed it into his mind. 

Learn it! 

This was the first time Li Quanqing had encountered such an overwhelming stream of information. His head felt like it was about to explode, the veins on his forehead throbbing. 

Yet, his mind remained unusually clear, forced to absorb the unfamiliar knowledge of artifact refining. 

The Refining Method of the Green Carp Sword! 

Material identification, ore smelting, artifact forging, spirit rune engraving... 

All sorts of foundational knowledge about artifact refining flooded in, including many unique refining techniques of the Li family. 

Li Quanqing sat cross-legged on the lotus platform, steadying his mind and striving to digest this immense knowledge. 

Moo! Moo! 

Freed from the spell's control, the male Azure Jade Carp flicked its tail and swam into the water, snuggling up to its mate. 

It took over an hour before Li Quanqing slowly opened his eyes. 

"Becoming an artifact refiner is indeed not as simple as it seems." 

He exhaled a turbid breath, massaging his slightly aching temples, feeling both amazed and intimidated by the complexity and depth of artifact refining. 

Just the refining method for a single mid-grade magical artifact was as vast as an ocean. Without talent, one could spend a lifetime and still fail to master it. 

Fortunately, he had a shortcut. 

Li Quanqing reflected on the knowledge, which was now vividly clear in his mind. Every refining technique and key point was memorized. 

But without practical experience, it was all just theoretical. 

"Perhaps... I could try joining the Artifact Refining Hall?" 

The thought crossed Li Quanqing's mind. 

The Artifact Refining Hall required significant spirit stone expenditures. Beyond the basic tuition fees, purchasing extra materials for practice, hiring family refiners for private lessons, and even socializing with fellow students all cost a considerable amount of spirit stones. 

But now that he had firmly memorized these refining basics, he could quickly skip the novice stage of apprenticeship. 

It was like entering an exam with the answers already in hand. 

Not only would he save a lot of spirit stones, but he could also leap straight into becoming an artifact refiner, elevating his status within the family. 

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Quanqing finally decided to join the Artifact Refining Hall. 

He took out the storage bag Li Quanzhu had delivered and began counting the spirit stones. 

The Third Elder's words had struck a chord with him. The family competition was indeed worth a shot. 

"Why are there exactly five hundred and twenty low-grade spirit stones?" 

Li Quanqing frowned, noticing something was off. 

He had only lent out five hundred spirit stones. 

"Did Uncle have a sudden pang of conscience and add some interest?" 

Li Quanqing shook his head, dismissing the idea. 

Li Yuheng was stingy and miserly, treating spirit stones as more precious than anything else. There was no way he would do such a thing. 

The image of a gentlewoman appeared in his mind. After some thought, he concluded that his aunt was the most likely source of the extra spirit stones. 

"Then tomorrow, I'll bring two green carp as gifts and visit my newly wealthy uncle." 

Li Quanqing put away the spirit stones, feeling completely at ease. 

Moo! Moo! 

The water surface rippled as the male Azure Jade Carp slowly surfaced, its lifeless eyes seemingly devoid of their usual spark. 

[Lazy Fish] Azure Jade Carp: "Rising to greatness is too scary. I'll just stick to being a lazy fish eat, sleep! Sleep, eat!" 

[Cultivation: Qi Refinement Level 1 (1%)] 

Li Quanqing was puzzled by what had happened when the female Azure Jade Carp surfaced right after, clinging to her mate and chirping excitedly. 

Most importantly, the female Azure Jade Carp's plump belly was now covered with a dense layer of fresh fish eggs. 

[Motherly Instincts] Azure Jade Carp: "So happy! I finally have babies today. My husband was so strong earlier~" 

Li Quanqing: 

He hadn't expected the two of them to move so quickly. 

In the blink of an eye, they had already conceived. 

"The more abundant the spiritual energy, the better the development of the fish eggs after hatching. It seems I'll need to stay in this Class B fish pond for a few more days." 

Li Quanqing smiled, filled with anticipation for this batch of Azure Jade Carp fry. 

The offspring of a Golden-Striped Azure Jade Carp would undoubtedly have extraordinary bloodline traits. He wondered what kind of rewards they would yield. 

The next day, after feeding the fish, Li Quanqing took two green carp as gifts and headed to his uncle's house on the spirit island. 

He arrived early, but to his surprise, a crowd of visitors had already gathered at Li Yuheng's doorstep. 

"Why are there so many people?" 

Li Quanqing was baffled. In his memory, his uncle didn't have many friends. 

"Hey, young man, haven't you heard? Master Yuheng has broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement. Rumor has it he's about to be promoted to a family steward!" 

An elderly man nearby spoke with envy, but when he saw the two green carp in the young man's hands, he shook his head discreetly. 

Such a shabby gift would surely not earn the host's reception or favor. 

A sixth-level Qi Refinement cultivator was considered a pillar of the Li family, even among the direct lineage, let alone the weaker and poorer branch families. 

Fortunately, the mortal servants recognized him and led Li Quanqing into the cave residence without any disrespect. 

"Young Master Quanqing, please wait. The master is currently receiving esteemed guests in the main hall." 

Li Quanqing looked up at the pavilion hidden within the garden, faintly hearing a familiar, hearty laugh. 

The laughter was unrestrained as if releasing decades of pent-up frustration. 

He couldn't be bothered to wait any longer. "Take me to see my aunt. I doubt my uncle wants to see me right now." 

In the backyard, his aunt was with two cooks. She was delighted to see him. 

Li Quanqing handed the green carp to the cooks and mentioned the extra twenty spirit stones. 

"It must have been your uncle who added them. He's stubborn and wouldn't thank you directly." 

Li Yurou smiled softly, her slightly dark skin revealing two dimples, gentle as water. 

"In that case, I'll go thank Uncle now." 

At these words, the woman panicked and quickly stopped him. 

Li Quanqing confirmed his suspicions and handed the fish pond deed to his aunt. "This is the deed to the fish pond. My Azure Jade Carp has just laid eggs. Can I return the formation token a few days later?" 

"Of course, no problem. Your uncle has tasted success in his recent exploration and is now obsessed with it. He probably won't care about the fish pond for a while." 

Li Yurou sighed deeply, her eyes filled with worry and unease. 

This was something Li Quanqing couldn't get too involved in. 

After chatting for a while, he bid farewell and returned to the fish pond. 

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed. 

During this time, Li Quanqing visited the Evergreen Hall to repay the spirit stones he had mortgaged to the family. 

He then borrowed another hundred spirit stones using his contribution points. 

This time, he didn't plan to return them, intending to use them to enroll in the Artifact Refining Hall. 

"I still have four hundred family contribution points as a backup. If I fail in the family competition in two or three years, I can still gather enough points to exchange for the 'Tides of the Blue Sea Art.'" 

Li Quanqing rowed his boat across the fish pond, tapping the side of the boat with his fingers, creating a unique sound. "Cafeteria's open!" 

The fish surged out, the water churning and boiling. Countless green scales filled his vision, smooth as a mirror, a spectacular sight. 

Moo! Moo! 

The two Azure Jade Carps followed closely, leisurely eating the Earth Spirit Worm bait, their demonic energy surging. Not a single green carp dared to compete for the food. 

Around them swam a circle of Azure Jade Carp fry, each no thicker than a finger but with surprisingly large appetites. 

"1, 2, 3... 38 fry!" 

Li Quanqing counted them and checked the female Azure Jade Carp's belly, confirming that all the eggs had hatched. He nodded in satisfaction. 

"It's time. Let's move!"