Chapter 153: Chapter 109: Water Realm

“What a fine ship!”

Lin Wei praised, “Brother Song, this Water-Splitting Shuttle must have cost you a fortune, right? The Iron Heart Wood hull alone must be worth a pretty penny.”

Song Ming laughed heartily and slapped the side of the ship. “Junior Sister Lin has a sharp eye! It did indeed cost me a lot of my savings and Contribution Points, but it’s worth it! The currents deep within Qianchuan Marsh are complex, with countless hidden reefs and undercurrents. An ordinary ship would be destroyed upon entry. With this Water-Splitting Shuttle, our safety is guaranteed. It’s also fast, which will save us a lot of time.”

Wu Yuanhua also nodded slightly, a flicker of approval in his eyes. “With this Treasure Ship, Brother Song has prepared thoroughly.”

Chen Qing silently sensed the Spiritual Mechanism emanating from the ship’s hull. This vessel could indeed be considered a small Treasure Artifact, and its cost was surely exorbitant.

Everyone boarded the ship. The interior was spacious, with a simple and practical layout.

Song Ming skillfully activated the mechanism at the stern. The twin paddle wheels turned silently, and with a shudder, the ship cut through the thin mist and headed into the depths of the tributary, its speed far exceeding that of an ordinary vessel.

Lin Wei stood at the bow and let out a few strange, low calls.

The Profound Water Snake on her arm shot into the water with a SWOOSH, leaving only a swift black shadow to guide them from ahead, its ice-blue pupils glowing brightly beneath the surface.

The ship sailed smoothly. Reeds grew thick on both banks, and the network of waterways gradually grew more complex and intertwined.

Lin Wei looked at Song Ming. An idea struck her, and she took a slightly worn leather Water Map from her sleeve. Pointing to one of the markings, she asked, “Brother Song, seeing how familiar you are with these waterways, is the location of the Water Eye ahead near this spot on the map?”

Song Ming glanced at the Water Map and nodded. “That’s right. Junior Sister Lin has a keen eye; this map is quite accurate.”

Lin Wei put away the Water Map, relieved. She said, “Brother, you’ve been a Steward at this Fishery for quite a few years, haven’t you?”

Song Ming smiled, a touch of wistfulness in his voice. “Fourteen or fifteen years now. Don’t be fooled by my appearance—I may look like I’m just over thirty, but I’m actually forty-three.”

His mention of age naturally led the conversation toward their futures.

Song Ming sighed and continued, “Speaking of which, we Stewards may seem to control resources and have plenty of perks, but climbing any higher is incredibly difficult. Above the rank of Steward are the Elders who manage the branches. That requires not only reaching the Late-stage Embracing Pill in Cultivation but also seniority, merit, and connections. You can’t be missing any of them. Each position is filled, and too many people have their eyes on them.”

Lin Wei chimed in, “Isn’t that the truth. For people like us without powerful backgrounds, Steward is pretty much the ceiling. Unless…”

She looked at Chen Qing and Wu Yuanhua, her tone tinged with envy. “Unless you’re a young talent like Junior Brother Wu and Junior Brother Chen, with exceptional gifts and the potential to compete for the position of Chief Disciple in the future.”

The Chief Disciple is the head of all disciples within an institute, a position of great prestige, second only to the Dean.

Not only do they enjoy the best resource allocations and get to comprehend the Sect’s core secret teachings, but they also handle some of the institute’s affairs on behalf of the Dean. They are the default candidate for the next Dean.

Luo Xinyi and Xu Qi of the Cyan Wood Institute were locked in an open and hidden struggle, all for the position of Chief Disciple.

“Senior Sister Lin, you jest.”

Wu Yuanhua waved his hand dismissively. “Senior Sister Nie is a once-in-a-generation genius. Her Thousand Layered Wave Sword Technique has already reached the Great Success Realm. How could I possibly be qualified to compete with her?”

Although he was considered a prodigy among his peers, there was still a gap between him and Nie Shanshan, the most dazzling disciple the Gui Water Institute had seen in nearly twenty years.

Song Ming’s gaze fell upon the dark, deep waters in the distance. His voice grew serious. “We are currently in the Ping River, a tributary of Qianchuan Marsh. Another hundred li ahead is where three main channels converge. If we encounter anyone in these quiet waters, remember to be cautious, especially… experts from the other Three Sects.”

Wu Yuanhua looked confused. “Why? Our Four Great Sects are allies, united against the remnants of the Demon Sect. Not long ago, Elder Mo from Cold Jade Valley led his disciples to our Gui Water Institute for a friendly exchange. They seemed perfectly amicable.”

Hearing this, Song Ming added with a solemn expression, “Junior Brother Wu, you’re still too young. That’s all just for show. You must understand that although the Four Great Sects are all in Yunlin Prefecture and fight the remnants of the Demon Sect together, they’ve merely shifted their previous open conflicts into covert struggles.”

He lowered his voice, his tone cautionary. “Prodigies like the ’Five Heroes and Seven Talents,’ whose fame resounds through the Prefecture City—these people are the future pillars of their Sects. But they’re also thorns in the sides of other powers! If they can be eliminated ahead of time… Hmph. Have there been so few geniuses who have fallen under mysterious circumstances over the years? Take the story from over a decade ago. Rumor has it that Qixia Manor produced an exceptionally brilliant disciple with Twelve Dragon-shaped Root Bones. He managed to cultivate both the Cangwu Heart Method and the Liulan Heart Method simultaneously. The True Qi from the two Heart Methods fused and complemented each other within his body, giving him limitless potential! And what was the result?”

“The very first time he left the manor to carry out an important mission, he met with an ’accident’ at the edge of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp. Not even his bones were recovered! To this day, no one knows who was behind it. The Four Great Sects all pointed fingers at each other, and in the end, the matter was just dropped. That’s a bloody lesson for you!”

“Cultivating two Heart Methods at the same time?!”

Chen Qing’s heart pounded as if struck by lightning.

His expression remained calm, but inwardly, he was in turmoil. ’I just succeeded in cultivating Geng Metal True Qi, which now coexists with my Cyan Wood True Qi in my Dantian. Doesn’t that mean…’ He forcibly suppressed his chaotic thoughts and feigned curiosity, asking, “Is it that difficult to cultivate two types of True Qi? Difficult enough to invite a fatal disaster?”

Lin Wei took over the conversation, her voice tinged with awe. “Difficult? It’s harder than ascending to the heavens! Junior Brother Chen, think about it. To cultivate one type of True Qi, you need to open the corresponding Main Meridians, temper the specific internal organs and acupoints of that attribute, and condensing a Fire Seed is already immensely difficult. The difficulty of cultivating an additional type of True Qi with a completely different attribute isn’t just a simple matter of addition!”

“Different attributes of True Qi are like fire and water inside the body. The slightest mistake can lead to conflict and backlash, resulting in Qi deviation. It requires a supreme Root Bone, exceptional comprehension, and control over your True Qi that is precise to the extreme just to barely maintain a balance. It’s said that for every additional type you successfully cultivate, the difficulty increases exponentially!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep