From Family Fisherman to Water Virtue Immortal

Threads of white light bloomed, suddenly shining brightly before eventually dissipating, returning to a state of calm. 

Li Quanqing, however, knew that this was a sign that the light orbs had fully formed. 

In a short period, four Stone Spirit Loaches had broken through to the Qi Refining stage. 

A faint demonic aura seeped through the mud, carrying a primal, ancient energy. 

Li Quanqing stared at the motionless mounds of dirt, hesitating slightly. 

When light orbs appeared, they always clung to the skin on the foreheads of the demon beasts. 

He was considering whether to use external force to break through the mud layer so he could touch the light orbs. 

Fortunately, in the next moment, the Stone Spirit Loaches struggled to emerge on their own. 

Crack! Crack! 

Cracks spread from within, piercing through the mounds of dirt. 

Finally, with a bang, the mounds exploded, mud surging and chunks of dirt flying everywhere as a large loach emerged! 

After becoming a demon beast, the Stone Spirit Loach's dark body had grown larger, now sleek and powerful, looking like a nutritious delicacy. 

On its skin, earthy yellow patterns had formed a ring around its tail, resembling a stone bracelet, rough and hard to the touch. 

A fragment of the mud shell floated toward Li Quanqing, and he reached out to touch it. 

Over time, the mud that had encased the loach's body had been infused with spiritual energy, becoming harder than stone. 

When processed using a certain alchemical method, it became the famous Beauty Spirit Mud. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

The other three Stone Spirit Loaches emerged shortly after, gathering together and blowing bubbles as if communicating. 

Li Quanqing looked at the radiant white orbs with anticipation, taking out a bag of Green Spirit Mud to lure the loaches closer. 

The loaches, unable to resist the temptation of the spirit mud, eagerly swam over, diving into the black mud. 

[Harvested a Qi Refining Stage Stone Spirit Loach. Reward: A gourd of Beauty Spirit Mud!] 

[Harvested a Qi Refining Stage Stone Spirit Loach. Reward: Ten low-grade Falling Stone Talismans!] 

[Harvested a Qi Refining Stage Stone Spirit Loach. Reward: A gourd of Beauty Spirit Mud!] 

[Harvested a Qi Refining Stage Stone Spirit Loach. Reward: A mid-grade magical artifact Stone Spirit Seal!] 

The light orbs burst like fireworks, transforming into a dazzling array of rewards. 

Since he was underwater, Li Quanqing only gave them a quick glance before storing them in his storage bag. 

[Sleep-Loving] Stone Spirit Loach: "Had such a long, long dream. Now, time for the next one!" 

[Cultivation: Qi Refining, First Layer (1%)] 

The loaches, now covered in mud, burrowed back into the bottom of the pond, some crawling in the shadows, others falling asleep. They were truly easy to care for. 

Seeing that the other loaches showed no signs of maturing, Li Quanqing collected the broken mud shells and swam back to the surface. 

The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery veil over the water. The waves rose and fell, their rhythmic sounds filling the air. 

Li Quanqing sat cross-legged on his lotus platform, using the cold moonlight to take stock of his rewards. 

Two portions of Beauty Spirit Mud, already prepared, were stored in ordinary yellow gourds. 

He poured out a small amount, about the size of a fingertip. The mud was white, with a fine texture, translucent under the moonlight, and exuded a faint, elusive fragrance. 

It smelled expensive. 

"Not bad. I'll give one gourd to my aunt tomorrow and keep the other for myself." 

Li Quanqing happily stored them away. 

Ten Falling Stone Talismans, which could summon a large rock to fall from the sky, were quite powerful. 

Even a mid-Qi Refining cultivator, if caught off guard and without a strong body, could be severely injured. 

These were also valuable, so he placed them in a separate storage bag along with his Water Arrow Talismans, ready to be used as a surprise attack. 

Finally, the main attraction is the mid-grade magical artifact, the Stone Spirit Seal. 

It was the size of a walnut, carved from yellow jade, with loach and dragon patterns encircling the ancient characters for "Stone Spirit" on its surface. 

Li Quanqing channeled a stream of spiritual energy into the seal, and instantly, a stream of information flowed from it. 

[Stone Spirit Seal: A mid-grade magical artifact, carved from Yellow Kun Jade. Capable of manipulating earth and stone, with the ability to transform mud into stone and stone into mud.] 

Li Quanqing's eyes widened in surprise. Just these two abilities alone made it a top-tier mid-grade artifact. 

He played with the warm, smooth seal. Under the moonlight, the semi-transparent jade revealed faint mountain patterns inside, adding to its mystique. 

"Let's test this artifact's power!" 

Li Quanqing dove back into the water, as the pond's bottom was the only place with mud and stones. 

Hum! 

Spiritual energy swirled around the Stone Spirit Seal as it spun above his head, casting a yellow haze. 

Li Quanqing focused his mind, and wherever the yellow light touched, he felt complete control over the earth and mud. 

"Stone Spikes!" 

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! 

The mud churned, rapidly forming seven or eight bamboo shoot-shaped spikes. 

Under the yellow light, the soft mud hardened into sharp stone spikes, rising from the ground like jagged teeth, stirring up bubbles as they emerged. 

Li Quanqing nodded in satisfaction. 

"Transform stone into mud!" 

Another beam of yellow light descended, and the stone spikes crumbled into fine sand, falling back to the ground. 

"What a treasure! Perfect for reshaping the terrain and renovating the fish pond!" 

Li Quanqing couldn't put it down. 

Despite being an offensive artifact, he was already thinking of ways to use it for fish farming. 

He swam around the pond's bottom, turning any unsightly, rough stones into fine mud and sand. 

The seabed became much smoother. 

Finally, he gathered dozens of large rocks, fusing them into a rocky reef that protruded above the water's surface. 

The reef was hollow, with numerous caves carved inside to serve as a den for the Ironbone Crabs, enriching the pond's ecosystem. 

Manipulating the Stone Spirit Seal, Li Quanqing felt the same joy he had experienced in his past life when setting up aquariums and designing landscapes. 

He was having a blast. 

Over the next half month, twelve more Stone Spirit Loaches matured, all of them rewarding him with Falling Stone Talismans. 

But with the last few loaches, a new reward finally appeared. 

[Harvested a Qi Refining Stage Stone Spirit Loach. Reward: Three Stone Skin Pills!] 

[Stone Skin Pills: Body-refining spiritual pills. Dissolve in spring water and apply to the skin to temper it, making it as hard as stone.] 

Li Quanqing held the three black stone-like pills, surprised by such a valuable reward. 

"No need to endure hardship or train the body to strengthen it. Perfect for a lazy guy like me." 

He eagerly fetched a bucket of spring water, dropped the pills in, and dissolved them with his spiritual energy. 

The pills, each the size of a longan, turned into a sticky, black jade-like mud, overflowing from the bucket. 

There was enough to last a long time. 

"Let's test the effects!" 

Since no one was around the pond, Li Quanqing stripped off his clothes and covered his body with the thick black mud. 

A medicinal fragrance mixed with a fishy smell filled his nostrils. 

At first, his skin felt cool, like a gentle autumn breeze. 

But after a short while, the coolness vanished, replaced by a burning sensation. 

The potent medicinal energy seeped into his skin as if hammering and refining it, causing a fiery pain that was still bearable. 

Two hours later, the black mud lost its color, turning into a grayish-white plaster devoid of any spiritual energy. 

Crack! 

Li Quanqing shattered the mud shell, emerging like a statue coming to life, dust falling away. 

He rubbed his skin, peeling off a layer of dead cells. The new skin was tough and resilient, with a jade-like smoothness. 

"Hmm... feels pretty good." 

Li Quanqing swam around the pond to wash off the residue, then floated with the waves, absorbing spiritual energy as he entered a meditative state.