[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-guarding-the-river-of-time":3,"chapter-guarding-the-river-of-time-guarding-the-river-of-time-chapter-54":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Guarding the River of Time",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},302879,569,"Chapter 54 - 53: Solar Divine Furnace, Tea by the Hearth, Farewell to the Other Shore","guarding-the-river-of-time-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>The item retrieved from the crocodile’s belly, at first glance, is a fireplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its shape resembles a bud about to bloom, and upon closer inspection, one can see exquisite flame-like patterns etched onto it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of the fireplace’s interior, there flickers a strand of candlelight, emitting a faint golden flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what means Su Mu tried, he was unable to extinguish this strand of candle flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Su Mu reached out his hand to touch the surface of the fireplace. After just a few seconds of contact, he felt a burning sting on his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Su Mu’s eyes lit up. This was definitely not an ordinary fireplace, for even with his strong physique, he almost got burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Approaching the fireplace, feeling the golden flame it emitted warmed his dantian and nourished it along with his entire body with soothing currents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the changes in his body, Su Mu was delighted; it seemed that this was an artifact that could aid in his cultivation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Mu set the fireplace aside and continued scavenging in the crocodile’s belly, hoping to find more treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, besides some internal organs, there wasn’t anything else to be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dismembering the Treasure Crocodile, he obtained crocodile skin, teeth, meat, and bones.....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ancient times, Pao Ding dissected a cow, now Su Mu dissects a crocodile. After being here so long, he hadn’t learned much else, but his dissection skills have certainly improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it was Su Mu’s first time dissecting a crocodile, and it took him half an hour to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the crocodile skin, he considered using it as a mattress because Su Mu preferred a harder bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the crocodile teeth and bones.... he couldn’t think of a use for them at the moment, so he decided to keep them for now, storing them inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, there’s the crocodile meat, which could be eaten directly, but he’ll store it for now since he’s had enough to eat today and needs a break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Congratulations, you maintained the riverbank and received a reward of 5000 Favor Points]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system’s rewards came late, but you finally arrived, just as I was about to give up~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another 5000 Favor Points added~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the willow tree, on this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Mu sat upright at a stone table with a fireplace in front of him, roasting a few spirit fruits beside him and warming a teapot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the table were slices of crocodile meat. Picking up a slice with chopsticks and placing it on the fireplace, in mere seconds, the tough crocodile meat was sizzling with oil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the cooked crocodile meat and put it in his mouth. With a gentle chew, it felt like beef, though a bit firmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing one piece, Su Mu felt a burning sensation throughout his body, his skin turning red from the heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the heated teapot beside the fireplace and poured himself a cup of Lycoris Tea. A cold sip brought instant relief to the heat, making him sigh with comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a small piece of crocodile meat filled his body with ample energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the meat roasted using this fireplace absorbed a special flame energy, continuously refining every inch of his flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lycoris Tea, being cold-natured, complemented the meat well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating a slice of crocodile meat and sipping the tea, Su Mu began meditating, running his cultivation technique to absorb the energy within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energies held in this crocodile meat and Lycoris Tea were so vast that after each slice and sip, he needed half an hour of rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fully absorbing, Su Mu’s aura grew significantly stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s undeniable that most of Su Mu’s cultivation was gained through eating. This Treasure Crocodile’s meat contained more and stronger energy than a carp. Even a small piece made it feel as if his entire flesh would melt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, after consuming five slices of crocodile meat and a half cup of Lycoris Tea, Su Mu was surrounded by an ethereal flame, his face flushed red, while strands of spiritual power turned into a fierce wind swirling around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a breaking sound emanated from his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four Tribulations Realm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than five days, he’d consecutively broken through two realms, skyrocketing from the second to the fourth tribulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rate of improvement made Su Mu doubt the authenticity of those ancient texts he had read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to ancient texts, when cultivators cross realms, just advancing by one tribulation requires enduring numerous near-death experiences, being reborn from the ashes to break through. Typically, it takes hundreds of years, and those who manage to break through a tribulation within decades are one in a billion geniuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, breaking through two tribulations in five days?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How does one explain this speed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Su Mu was trapped here alone, with nothing to compare to, he often wondered if he was cultivating as a fake immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing his meal, Su Mu took a short nap for an hour before getting up to start his chores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first went to the vegetable garden to check on the growth of the Lycoris Radiata and the White Kui Medicine King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon getting closer, Su Mu discovered that the Lycoris Radiata he transplanted a few days ago had withered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the White Kui Medicine King was thriving, its tiny radish-white body plump and healthy, while the Lycoris Radiata had withered, puzzling Su Mu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Kui Medicine King is a king among medicines, so if it can thrive, why can’t the Lycoris Radiata?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filled with this question, Su Mu slung a basket over his back, grabbed a sickle, and headed towards a quiet part of the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he reached a deeper, darker area of the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon arriving at this peculiar water region, he noticed that the faint black mist still shrouded it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, Su Mu waved his hand and temporarily dispersed the black mist, revealing the stone bridge underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Su Mu approached the stone bridge, he discovered a patch of Lycoris Radiata growing in the same location as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A while back, he plucked two of these; one he brewed into tea and drank, the other he planted in his vegetable garden only to see it die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, just a few days later, two new Lycoris Radiata bloomed where they had been uprooted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems the Lycoris Radiata can only grow here under these particular conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if he wanted to make tea in the future, he’d have to come here to gather them, but that’s no problem as it’s not far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Mu used a sickle to cut five plants and put them in his basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they’ll grow back, he might as well gather five at a time and return after consuming them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After harvesting, Su Mu prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he passed by the stone bridge, he noticed the endless stream of ants crossing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Mu had tried these ants before, they tasted of corpses and were not pleasant, so he paid them little mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Su Mu’s pupils contracted as his gaze spotted something unique among the swarm of ants.\u003C\u002Fp>",1201,"2026-05-29T18:57:15.941Z","2026-06-01T04:30:00.195Z",1,"novelbin.me","32f0c8fe9041f290b74b5831a9a4861103d341fd8f91a2a7b9fa3e832e4ed6a3","guarding-the-river-of-time-chapter-55","guarding-the-river-of-time-chapter-53",583,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fguarding-the-river-of-time-cover.jpg"]