Chapter 149: Chapter 108: Poisonous Snake

Chen Qing slowly opened his eyes, an indescribable sense of clarity filling his entire body.

He subconsciously clenched his fist, and his knuckles let out a crisp cracking sound.

The Cyan Wood True Qi surged within him, flowing like a spring flood through a newly widened and reinforced river channel. It moved more swiftly and circulated with greater smoothness and ease. Wherever his thoughts went, his True Qi arrived instantly, without the slightest sluggishness or hesitation.

’Judging by the feel of my bones, I should be at the Five Elements level now.’

Chen Qing felt his ribs, sensing the tremendous changes in his body.

It felt as if his muscles, bones, and skin had been completely reforged. They were tougher and denser, containing far greater explosive power and resilience.

His meridians seemed to have been widened and reinforced by an unseen force. Not only had their capacity greatly increased, but his True Qi also flowed more smoothly through them.

Chen Qing carefully savored the all-encompassing benefits brought by the improvement of his Root Bone.

’The Root Bone is the foundation of Martial Arts. The stronger the foundation, the faster the cultivation speed, and the easier it is to break through bottlenecks. A Five Elements Root Bone is considered average among the disciples of the Wutai Sect.’

With a flicker of his thoughts, Chen Qing’s consciousness sank into the depths of his sea of consciousness.

Within his mind, the Fate Plate still flickered with golden light.

He could clearly feel that as his Root Bone improved, the efficiency of his Heaven Rewards Diligence Fate Plate seemed to have increased as well.

A realization dawned on Chen Qing, and he muttered to himself, “Improving my Root Bone has increased the conversion rate of Heaven Rewards Diligence! The same effort now yields greater returns!”

He immediately sat down cross-legged, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, and began to circulate the Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique.

As his True Qi circulated at high speed, the golden mark of the Fate Plate in his sea of consciousness lit up in sync. His mind was clear, his focus absolute.

For the next few days, Chen Qing immersed himself in cultivation, experiencing the benefits of his improved Root Bone.

Two days of hard cultivation were now equivalent to three days in the past!

This wasn’t just a vague feeling; it was a conclusion drawn by comparing his progress with the Fate Plate.

This was the terrifying efficiency brought about by the combination of a Five Elements Root Bone and the enhanced Fate Plate!

What did this mean?

It meant the time he needed to reach the Mid-stage Embracing Pill Power would be drastically shortened!

It meant his speed in cultivating Martial Techniques, comprehending Cultivation Techniques, and tempering his Flesh Body would all accelerate!

It meant that in the same amount of time, he could accumulate a much deeper foundation of strength!

If his Root Bone continued to improve, his efficiency would increase even further.

Two days after Chen Qing’s Root Bone advanced to the Five Elements level, the Affairs Department sent three new disciples to the Fishery to help maintain its operations.

One of them, named Zhou Tai, was an Inner Courtyard Disciple from the Geng Metal Institute. He had a sturdy build, a dark complexion, and a steady gaze. With his Cultivation at Great Success in Transmutation Force Realm, it was clear at a glance that he was a seasoned practitioner.

The other two were Outer Courtyard disciples. One was named Qian Xiaoliu, who was quick-witted and agile; the other, Sun Dacheng, had an honest and simple appearance but was gifted with great power. Both were at the level of Great Success in Dark Force.

Zhou Tai had clearly done his homework before arriving and got the hang of the Fishery’s affairs very quickly.

Although Qian Xiaoliu and Sun Dacheng were less experienced, their strengths were their diligence and obedience.

Under Chen Qing’s guidance, the three quickly familiarized themselves with the patrol routes, the Fishery’s layout, and various procedures. They coordinated well, which saved Chen Qing a lot of trouble.

The Fishery once again returned to orderly operation.

On this day, Chen Qing slowly walked out of his house and called out, “Liu He!”

Liu He, who was cleaning the living room, hurried forward. “Steward Chen.”

“Don’t prepare my meal tonight. I need to make a trip back to the Sect.”

“Yes!” Liu He nodded in acknowledgment.

Chen Qing went to the rear courtyard of the Cyan Wood Institute again. Without a word, he slipped five new one-thousand-tael silver notes through the crack in the door, gave a solemn bow, and then departed quietly.

’The last time was to open the door. This time is a thank-you gift, but it’s also to test the waters.’

Thoughts raced through Chen Qing’s mind.

He needed Li Baichuan to understand his intentions: that he was grateful, but without seeming overly eager or obscenely wealthy.

Five thousand taels was a substantial enough amount to express his gratitude.

Chen Qing headed toward his own small courtyard, planning to tidy up a bit before going to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to make some purchases.

As Chen Qing was returning from the Cyan Wood Institute, he happened to see a familiar figure—Zheng Xiuhong.

Her face was as pale as paper, her eyes were vacant, as if all life had been drained from her.

“Senior Sister Zheng.”

Out of courtesy as a fellow sect member, Chen Qing greeted her softly.

Zheng Xiuhong’s steps halted, and she turned her head with extreme slowness.

Her gaze rested on Chen Qing’s face for a moment. She gave a slight nod in response, then walked into her courtyard with heavy steps. The gate closed with a CLANG.

Chen Qing stared at the closed gate, still puzzling over Senior Sister Zheng’s unusual state, when the gate of the courtyard opposite his opened with a CREAK.

His junior brother, Zhang Ting, who had joined the sect five months after Chen Qing, peeked his head out, his face a mixture of sorrow and lingering fear.

“Brother Chen, did you see Senior Sister Zheng?”

Zhang Ting lowered his voice and leaned in closer.

Chen Qing nodded. “I just greeted her. Senior Sister Zheng… she doesn’t seem to be doing well?”

Zhang Ting let out a heavy sigh and lowered his voice even more. “Brother Chen, you haven’t heard? It’s about Bai Ming… Brother Bai is gone.”

Chen Qing was taken aback for a moment. “Gone?”

’Bai Ming had been doing so well with his regular team. He’d been to the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp seven or eight times and always returned safely. How could he just be gone, just like that?’

Fear crept onto Zhang Ting’s face. “I heard it was gruesome. Near Miasma Snake Valley, they ran into a mature Cyan Phosphorus Poisonous Snake. That beast was terrifyingly fierce—it could spit poisonous fire and miasma, and its Scale Armor was impervious to blades and spears. Even Brother Zhang was injured. Their team… a senior brother at the Early-stage Embracing Pill level died on the spot! Brother Bai was critically injured, and they said he was barely breathing when they carried him back…”

Chen Qing’s brow furrowed. “And then?”

“And then?”

Zhang Ting shook his head, his tone heavy. “His injuries were too severe. His internal organs were completely corroded by the virulent poison. Even the Elders from the Elixir Medicine Pavilion were helpless. Brother Bai held on for less than three days, and then… sigh. Seeing Senior Sister Zheng like this is just heartbreaking. I heard Brother Bai took that risk because he was looking for a ’Seven-Heart Lotus’ to break through to the Embracing Pill realm. They couldn’t save him, and Senior Sister Zheng used up all her savings trying to get him treated. They say she even owes a lot of debt to other sect members now. Her life from now on…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep