From Family Fisherman to Water Virtue Immortal

[Ironbone Pill: A body-refining spiritual pill. Long-term consumption can temper the bones, making them as hard as iron and granting immense strength.] 

The scattered light points dissipated, transforming into a palm-sized white jade bottle containing twelve pills. 

Li Quanqing poured out one Ironbone Pill. It was snow-white and smooth, with a few blood-red streaks on its surface and a faint medicinal aroma. 

"It tastes sweet, like eating chocolate." 

He popped it into his mouth and chewed. The texture was a bit hard, crunchy, and satisfying. 

After swallowing, a warm, tingling sensation spread through his bones, like soaking in a hot spring. 

"My skin is as hard as rock. If I add the strength of iron bones, I should be comparable to a body-refining cultivator at the early Qi Refinement stage, right?" 

Li Quanqing held the large crab in his hand. Its sharp claws no longer posed any threat to him. 

With such a strong physique, perhaps he could cultivate a body-refining technique. 

Li Quanqing manipulated the formation to gather the Ironbone Crabs and inspected them one by one. 

Sure enough, he found several mature light sphere rewards. 

[Harvested one Qi Refinement stage Ironbone Crab. Reward: One portion of Golden Metal Finger experience!] *2 

[Harvested one Qi Refinement stage Ironbone Crab. Reward: Five mid-grade Golden Light Talismans!] 

"No experience rewards for the Golden Metal Sword Art?" 

Li Quanqing spread his five fingers, each emitting a golden light, like small, highly intelligent snakes, sharp and menacing. 

Unfortunately, he was still more eager to see the power of the sword art once it reached a proficient level. 

As night fell, the moon rose over the sea, and the tide followed. 

Over two thousand large green fish surfaced, their dark green backs shimmering under the moonlight. 

Moo! Moo! 

Twenty Azure Jade Carps stretched their silk-like, cloud-shaped fins, swimming slowly in the pond, their calls deep and powerful. 

They were now nearly two feet long, their scales tightly and orderly arranged, smooth and delicate, moving through the water like flowing ancient jade. 

Especially the largest one, its green body adorned with golden patterns, exuding a mysterious and noble aura. 

Its lifeless eyes burned with the fiery determination to transform into a dragon, its spirit unyielding. 

Moo! Moo! 

The spirit fish opened their mouths wide toward the moon, continuously inhaling and exhaling, as if performing a mysterious ritual. Wisps of lunar essence descended. 

Li Quanqing couldn't help but admire the fish's perseverance. 

They did this every night, day after day, year after year, tirelessly cultivating. 

Tap! Tap! 

The Ironbone Crabs tapped on the reefs, eager to dive back into the water and continue absorbing spiritual energy. 

But tonight, the fish were unusually irritable. They surrounded the crabs in unison. 

Spit! Spit! Spit! 

Over a thousand water arrows erupted simultaneously, creating a spectacular scene, like a giant water lotus blooming, stirring the pond into chaos. 

The twenty-plus Ironbone Crabs were directly smashed to the bottom, their shells creaking, nearly falling apart, and meeting their ancestors. 

Li Quanqing frowned, noticing that the large green fish were behaving strangely. 

Not only were they spitting at the crabs, but they were also fighting among themselves, colliding and brawling fiercely. 

For a moment, the water churned, waves rolled, and the once tranquil sea surface became murky and chaotic. 

Splash 

The tide surged, and beams of light descended from the sky, spreading ripples across the pond. 

It was the thirty Moonlight Clams, once again drawing in lunar essence, its cool and icy energy gradually calming the agitated fish. 

The silvery moonlight bloomed like mist, illuminating every corner of the water, as if thirty large lamps had been installed underwater. 

Finally, the fish regained their calm, drifting with the waves and slowly sinking back into the depths. 

"Could it be that they're unhappy with the small size of the pond and the lack of spiritual energy? These large green fish are so temperamental!" 

Li Quanqing picked up a few green fish to examine them closely but found nothing unusual. 

He could only attribute it to the cramped living space, which had triggered the fish's wild instincts. 

He couldn't help but think of Xie Hongyu's private spirit island, feeling a pang of envy. 

Once his cultivation advanced and he saved up enough spirit stones, he would become an island owner, leasing thousands of acres of the sea to create his fishpond! 

On the reef, the Ironbone Crabs climbed up dejectedly, their large claws hanging limply. 

They no longer had the bold and unyielding demeanor they once displayed. 

Li Quanqing found it amusing and took out some nutrient-rich iron ore to feed them, comforting these silly creatures. 

"I didn't expect the Moonlight Clams to be so bright despite their small size!" 

Li Quanqing marveled at the brightly lit seawater. 

The clams didn't draw in much lunar essence, but when they opened their shells and refracted the moonlight, it created an astonishing brightness. 

The boy widened his eyes, able to see through the dense school of fish to the dozen or so mud mounds at the bottom, lying motionless. 

These Stone Spirit Loaches had long since matured. They required no feeding and were easy to care for. 

Li Quanqing had an experiment in mind. 

The loaches were currently at the first layer of Qi Refinement. What would happen if they broke through to the second or third layer, or even reached the mid-stage of Qi Refinement? 

Would they produce new light sphere rewards? 

Exploring the capabilities of his golden finger was essential. 

Li Quanqing took out the two magical tools he had acquired earlier, preparing to refine them and imprint them with his spiritual energy. 

The Mystic Turtle Shield looked like a large black turtle shell, adorned with blue patterns and engraved with spiritual runes. 

In addition to its inherent durability, it could summon seawater to form a protective barrier, blocking various spells. 

Among mid-grade magical tools, this shield was only average in quality, but it was sufficient for now. 

The Bone Nether Needles consisted of twenty-eight pale white needles, shimmering with a ghostly light and imbued with potent poison. They were swift and silent. 

Li Quanqing particularly liked these needle-shaped tools. They were small, delicate, and perfect for sneak attacks, making far less noise than flying swords. 

He couldn't help but cherish them. 

Li Quanqing channeled his dantian's spiritual energy, first erasing the residual imprints left by the tools' previous owners before imprinting his own. 

Blue-gold spiritual energy bloomed in his palm, penetrating deep into the tools. He encountered significant resistance, and the process was as slow as a snail crawling. 

"I'll ditch this trash cultivation technique sooner or later!" 

Li Quanqing sighed, unable to stop thinking about the Foundation Establishment technique he had been longing for, " Tides of the Blue Sea." 

The family competition was still a year and a half away, and he now had 640 family contribution points. 

With both paths open, he was confident that the technique would eventually be his. 

The Li family had ruled the Qingyu Archipelago for nearly a millennium, their foundation solid. Normally, nothing major ever happened. 

Li Quanqing returned to his peaceful life of fish farming, embracing simplicity and tranquility. 

The large crabs gradually matured, yielding a total of 7 bottles of Ironbone Pills, 20 Golden Light Talismans, and 4 Golden Metal Finger experience spheres. 

Only the largest Ironbone Crab King remained, still in its growth phase, taking its time. 

With the experience spheres, the Golden Metal Finger reached a proficient level, becoming smooth and effortless to use. 

By extension, the Golden Metal Sword Art also reached a proficient level, making it suitable for actual combat. 

When used with the Green Carp Sword, the Golden Metal Sword Qi became Li Quanqing's most powerful offensive technique. 

During this time, Li Quanqing also completed his foundational studies in artifact refinement, successfully passing the Earth-level academy's graduation exam. 

The title of family artifact refiner was within his grasp!