Chapter 346: From Slingshot to Cannon

As a veteran general, a beloved general, of exalted status and impossible to surpass, it enjoys top-tier privileges.

It swished its tail past several beasts, arriving beside the barge to swim alongside, its nine-meter-long body extending far beyond the barge, its tail towering majestically.

The two short, stump-like horns atop its head added an air of mysterious authority.

Liang Qu communicated with the Zé Ding, replenishing the final dozen or so points of water essence.

With a thought, ripples instantly formed within the Zé Ding.

From the center of the ripples, three emerald glows emerged and slowly rose to the ding's mouth, shining brilliantly.

The scene was identical to when Bai Awei evolved.

Indeed, this was a phenomenon unique to the third evolution.

I wonder if the fourth or fifth evolution will have something similar?

Liang Qu's consciousness parted the grayish and crimson qi, touched the glowing light, and information flooded his mind, revealing the three directional focuses available to "Bu Neng Dong"'s evolution.

【Sharp Teeth】

【Whirlwind】

【Revival】

Liang Qu examined each one in turn.

The descriptions largely matched their literal meanings.

【Sharp Teeth】: Enhances biting force, shatters gold and stone, delivers devastating damage.

【Whirlwind】: Spins the body forward in a thrust, creating an effect similar to the fierce gale of a galloping martial master, with powerful suction and area-of-effect damage, making escape impossible for opponents.

The third option was more unusual.

【Revival】: Two inches of hornwood grow, granting area-wide restoration of stamina, vitality, lush plant growth, accelerated development, extended lifespan, and health free from calamity.

A single burst temporarily restores partial stamina and vitality to surrounding lifeforms; the effect vanishes after several days.

【Revival】!

Liang Qu did not hesitate. He first tried pulling all three glows together—failed. Then tried pairing them two at a time—still useless. Finally, he decisively chose the third!

When you have a unique trait, you must leverage it.

"Bu Neng Dong" has always stimulated spiritual plants; the lotus growth in the water zone relied entirely on "Bu Neng Dong." The central patch of water essence had now grown to seven or eight points.

I never expected the third evolution would transform it into such a powerful area-support ability!

Temporary restoration of stamina and vitality is critically useful.

Extended lifespan is even more valuable.

One beast evolves, the whole family benefits!

Thin strands of emerald light peeled off 【Sharp Teeth】 and 【Whirlwind】, winding into 【Revival】.

When 【Revival】's glow swelled to twice its original size, it shot abruptly into "Bu Neng Dong"'s body.

"Bu Neng Dong" closed its eyelids, its aura retracting inward.

The light cocoon wrapped around it, shattered, and dissolved into nothingness with the river wind.

In the Heishuihe, "Bu Neng Dong" stretched its body, growing another full circle—nearly four zhang, twelve meters!

Its scales gained a deeper, ancient green hue, like moss-covered ancient trees in a forest, pulsing with vitality.

"Bu Neng Dong" lifted its head; its two horns grew even sturdier and thicker.

Liang Qu stared at the horns. A faint breeze brushed his face—he couldn't quite articulate the feeling, but his entire body felt blissful, as if spring had slipped into a field of rapeseed, and he inhaled deeply the scent of golden flowers, while fuzzy bees buzzed wildly around him.

In addition, "Bu Neng Dong"'s teeth had changed—clearly, like Bai Awei, it retained residual traces of the other two evolutions.

"Let's test it."

Liang Qu leapt into the Heishuihe, activated Gan Shui, and his perception range extended several-fold. With a thought, the mighty river reversed and surged upward.

Deprived of replenishment, the front of the river vanished, while the rear piled up rapidly; the middle section was abruptly severed, exposing dark-brown silt, and large fish leapt, flinging mud.

The fat catfish poked its head out from the half-wall of piled water, stunned.

Gan Shui functioned like a lever—the more Liang Qu aligned with the river's flow, the greater the boost; the more he resisted, the harder it became.

Within just four or five breaths, Liang Qu's stamina was drained.

"Bu Neng Dong" seized the moment; its horns glowed, and a green light surged into Liang Qu's body.

Instantly, stamina surged anew from every limb and organ, nearly matching his pre-drained state!

"Whoa!"

Liang Qu's eyes widened.

Could "Bu Neng Dong"'s burst fully restore my stamina?

With his Wu Bone, Qilin Pill, and Zé Róng's foundation, Liang Qu's stamina far exceeded that of an ordinary galloping martial master—by several times, no exaggeration.

"Bu Neng Dong" was merely a Spirit Peak creature, yet its burst was this powerful—unbelievable.

Liang Qu restored his stamina, controlled the water to catch up with the severed front section of the Heishuihe, avoiding alarm from boats or fishermen, and climbed back aboard.

After communicating with "Bu Neng Dong," Liang Qu discovered 【Revival】 was even more potent than imagined.

Under 【Revival】's burst, the fewer the beneficiaries, the stronger the effect—and it could prioritize restoration of either vitality or stamina.

For example: restoring a dying creature to moderate injury with less stamina recovery, or restoring it to severe injury with greater stamina recovery.

Neither could be fully discarded, for they were inherently intertwined—each contained the other, inseparable.

"Powerful!"

Liang Qu patted "Bu Neng Dong"'s head, delighted.

"Bu Neng Dong" remained calm and composed, swishing its tail beside the barge, unperturbed by praise or blame.

It exuded the demeanor of Tie Mu Shan, the supreme general under the Heavenly God.

Liang Qu turned to the fat catfish.

Having witnessed "Bu Neng Dong"'s tremendous transformation, the fat catfish drooled, raised its head to the boat's edge, and waved its two long whiskers.

"Don't rush—the next one is you."

Liang Qu spent over twenty points of water essence to fill the final gap; three glows emerged once more within the Zé Ding.

He probed and summarized.

【Mouth of the Tiger】

Enhanced biting force, sharp fangs; the "Wave" skill extended, widened, and deepened penetration, increasing interference capability.

【Fierce Body】

Physical enhancement: faster, higher, stronger, more durable and resilient—a universal boost.

【Vortex】

Physical enhancement, differing from Fierce Body in focus: enables brief entry into "Ink Mist" state; while swimming, generates numerous water vortices, creating powerful suction and pull, trapping prey with no escape.

As Liang Qu read the last one, he unexpectedly recalled the six-barbel catfish's signature technique.

Six-barbel catfish are ferocious; when attacking, they first flap their pectoral fins to create powerful vortices that disorient prey.

This move was extremely effective for catching fish.

After taking command of the fat catfish, Liang Qu's daily catch surged, becoming his first bucket of gold for his rise.

Later, when Liang Qu left his fisherman role and became a martial cultivator, he rarely saw the fat catfish use this move again.

"Ink Mist… sounds like it has no true physical form?"

He pondered for a moment.

Liang Qu chose 【Vortex】.

When a new skill appears, you must choose the new skill.

The Zé Ding's glow shifted; most of it flowed into 【Vortex】 and surged into the fat catfish's body.

A light cocoon enveloped it, then shattered.

The fat catfish stretched its graceful body, growing to nearly the same length as "Bu Neng Dong"—approaching four zhang, twelve meters.

Its dark-green back gleamed smoothly; its fins resembled drifting black ink in clear water, flowing elegantly.

Its mouth was now utterly unlike ordinary catfish—once merely similar, it had fully transformed into the shape of a tiger's maw.

Fierce and imposing.

This first evolution had already distanced the fat catfish dramatically from its original form—so majestic and powerful it no longer resembled a broad-mouthed catfish.

Otherwise, the old toad wouldn't have half-believed a catfish was a "frog."

Evolution complete, without waiting for orders.

The fat catfish darted off joyfully, plunged with a tail flick, and instantly transformed into a massive "Ink Mist."

Where the black mist passed, invisible waves spread, and countless vortices formed, colliding and churning the underwater into chaos.

Sensing the flow, the fat catfish ceased its wild charges and began circling a central point.

Countless vortices overlapped and merged into a single giant vortex, dozens of meters wide—like a colossal brush plunged into the water, stirring, its ink-drenched tip faintly visible, releasing vast clouds of black mist.

The river trembled, the mountains shook; stones on the shore cracked and tumbled into the vortex, ground to shards.

The barge remained motionless beside the vortex; Liang Qu looked down and saw the riverbed silt exposed at the vortex's center.

It resembled the Great Sage stirring the Eagle Sorrow Gorge.

Liang Qu ordered the fat catfish to stop churning and approach the boat in "Ink Mist" state.

The "Ink Mist" rippled; when he reached in, his hand met a thick, gelatinous mass—it couldn't yet resist physical attacks.

"Not now, but maybe later."

Liang Qu thought of the unimaginable abilities of Grand Masters—perhaps at that level, the fat catfish would evolve further.

He stilled his thoughts.

Liang Qu looked at the two Great Protectors standing side by side, his mood cheerful.

"Well done!"

One is a team buffer, one is a team controller—the overall strength of the Water Beast Team has greatly increased!

Yuan Tou and Brother Quan Tou arrived one after another at the boat's side.

Liang Qu immediately acted, drawing upon the essence to fully replenish both beasts.

Six beams of brilliant light slowly rose from the Inside Ze Ding.