Chapter 23: Spring Thunder (Please Follow! Please Favorite!)

This day.

The sky was gray and hazy, the surging clouds seemed to be brewing something.

On the sunbathing platform of Huanhu Dao, a turtle half the size of a millstone stood still.

Eyes closed, motionless, it seemed asleep.

But its pose was odd: three feet planted on the stone, one foot lifted, stepping forward, yet it never came down.

Even, if someone observed closely now, they would find it wasn't breathing at all, like a statue.

A gust of wind blew.

Ripples shimmered across the lake surface, yet they caused no disturbance to the turtle.

But when a black mud loach's head poked out of the lake, the turtle finally opened its eyes.

Looking at the sudden bulge on the mud loach's head, the turtle showed an extremely human-like expression of helplessness.

"Going to cause trouble for those black fish again?"

This turtle was naturally Yunhe's demon beast body.

He slowly lowered his raised foot.

The held breath slowly exhaled from his lungs.

The lungs, originally a bit fiery, instantly eased considerably with the influx of air.

Over these three months, Yunhe's demon beast body has been practicing the Turtle Breath Body Forging Technique.

This technique was originally a body‑forging art humans devised by imitating the demon beast turtle to strengthen the body; he reversed its derivation, and it became one of his daily health‑building methods.

No need to mention how dramatic the effect is.

But after three months, Yunhe genuinely felt his bodily strength improving.

It seemed to understand Yunhe's gaze, or perhaps their tacit understanding had grown.

The mud loach blinked its seemingly clueless eyes twice and rolled in the water.

"Not listening, not listening, the turtle chants sutras."

For this, Yunhe could only shake his head.

Three months ago, due to turmoil at the lake bottom, large numbers of ordinary fish gathered, while many demon beasts disappeared.

But what Yunhe didn't expect was that, besides his own calm, a school of fish also remained calm, withdrawing far to the shore near Huanhu Dao.

And these fish were a school of black fish.

Moreover, within this black fish school there was no less than one demon beast!

Back then, the demon beast black fish he and the mud loach caught by 'fishing' together was one of them.

Of course, most importantly.

Among these demon beast black fish, the strongest one actually possessed First Stage Middle strength!

Though not top‑tier among First Stage Middle demon beasts, its cultivation base was comparable to a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator, yet it still far surpassed most Early Stage demon beasts.

In just a few short days it became the local tyrant!

How can one allow others to snore beside the bed?

Thus Yunhe and the mud loach dwelling on Huanhu Dao became a thorn in the side of that black fish school.

Therefore.

Yunhe also fought the First Stage Middle black fish leader once.

That fight.

Yunhe relied on the advantage of his Water Arrow Technique and fought the opponent to a standstill.

In the end, neither could best the other, so they called a truce.

They demarcated their territories and borders.

However, from Yunhe's little brother the mud loach's perspective, the waters near Huanhu Dao were already the boss's territory; these outsiders hadn't won, so why should they be allotted a share?

So every now and then the mud loach goes to stir up trouble for the black fish.

Several demon beast black fish also often come to provoke it.

Back and forth, it often ends up fighting a few of those black fish, usually returning with some injuries.

Yunhe doesn't stop it either.

Anyway, if that black fish leader makes a move, he'll join in.

But the two seem to have good rapport, neither interfering in their subordinates' friction.

"That black fish surely has something wrong with it."

He gave a glance at the embarrassed mud loach.

Yunhe stretched out a long yawn.

He lay down on the sunbathing platform.

"That black fish leader looks smarter than ordinary demon beasts, and its spiritual intelligence is developing faster."

This is what he sensed from fighting them.

"Either he had some fortuitous encounter, or he ate some treasure or spiritual plant."

So Yunhe looks forward to: if he could slay the black fish leader and devour it, would the Source Refining Method grant him any benefits?

But for now he can't beat it, so he can only let it rest temporarily beside his den.

He waved his claw.

Instantly a wisp of water vapor appeared in the air.

Following the gaps in his claw, it drifted upward and soon dissipated into the air.

"The humidity is getting heavier; I don't know when it will be able to."

Boom!!

A thunderclap thundered and exploded.

The loach lingering near the water surface was instantly frightened, giving a sudden shudder.

It hurriedly moved toward the shore.

Demonic beasts innately possess an almost instinctive awe of thunder.

And Yunhe, who had been lazily lying on the sunbathing platform, suddenly sprang to his feet.

He lifted his head.

He gazed at the rapidly darkening clouds.

Within the churning, dark black clouds, the nascent blue-purple thunder juice flickered in and out of view.

"Coming!"

Facing the thunder, Yunhe showed a look of joy.

After waiting a month, he finally got this somewhat belated spring thunder.

He immediately signaled the loach not to run around, to guard the cave dwelling entrance properly, then opened the seal on the island and crawled underground along the passageway.

Soon after.

He arrived at the cave dwelling that had been repeatedly renovated and altered, becoming more spacious and tidy.

His steps did not stop.

The breeding room.

The breeding room had also been decorated by Yunhe, with much glowing moss laid on the floor and walls.

It was not very bright.

But it made the visibility in the breeding room fairly decent.

However, the originally decently bright glowing moss now appeared somewhat dim.

Then, in the corner of the breeding room,

a vigorously growing spiritual plant was flashing with bright streaks of thunder light.

Especially at its top, there was a plump, round blue-purple juice fruit.

Ziz—ziz—

On the fruit's surface, fine currents quickly vanished and then abruptly reappeared.

In a flash, it seemed to form a thunderbolt spiderweb.

"This twin thunder juice fruit has finally ripened!"

Electric arcs continually jumped across the fruit, and the originally damp, dark breeding room also became hot and dry.

The air was filled with dense thunder-attribute spiritual energy.

Actually, about two and a half months ago, Yunhe had successfully kept this twin thunder juice fruit plant alive.

Moreover, perhaps because he often watered and fertilized it, or perhaps a fruit had already been mature before it was transplanted, it grew extremely quickly.

But a month ago, Yunhe noticed that the growth of the twin thunder juice fruit had stalled.

No matter how he watered and fertilized, the fruit on the branch showed no sign of further change.

At that time, Yunhe understood.

The twin thunder juice fruit needed a heavy rain to fully mature!

More precisely, it needed a thunderstorm!

And for this thunderstorm, he had waited a full month.

Now.

It finally reached full maturity!

Just by approaching, Yunhe felt a hint of dry heat.

And a fragrance with a slight numbing ting.

This fragrance spread rapidly as the twin thunder juice fruit matured.

He had no hesitation; as he opened and closed his mouth, the thunder light inside the breeding room quietly faded.

"So numb."

This was his first sensation upon holding the fruit in his mouth.

At first only his mouth went numb, then his whole body began to go numb.

After the tingling numbness came intense heat, followed by pain.

He had no time to dwell on it; Yunhe immediately sprang up and ran out of the breeding room.

He followed the pre-dug passageway, crawling deeper underground.

He himself did not know how deep this passageway was.

He only knew that whenever the image of that giant python, after its cultivation base breakthrough and shedding, being besieged flashed in his mind, he would come to dig some earth and scoop out a pit.

Slowly

The deafening thunderclaps faded, and the howling wind pouring into the holes and cracks also gradually subsided.

"It should be about done."

That was the thought.

Puchi—

His mouth snapped shut.

The fruit in his mouth instantly burst open.

The viscous juice carried a hint of spiciness.

As the throat wriggled.

Instantly, a stream of extremely pure Spiritual Power flowed along the stomach into the meridians, filling the limbs and bones.

Soon after.

Crack, crack-crack!!

The turtle shell on Yunhe's back quickly dried, cracked, and fell off.

"This time, I'm afraid I'll have to 'sleep' a bit longer."

"Mm."

Yunhe, rubbing his temples, woke up from the mat.

He glanced at the pitch-black outside the window.

"If the Demon Beast Body goes smoothly, I should be able to break through to First Stage Middle."

By then, the Demon Beast Body will have a Cultivation Base equivalent to the fourth layer of Qi Refining for a cultivator, and the Spiritual Power feedback to his Cultivator Body will become abundant again.

It can also let the Cultivator Body's Cultivation Base increase faster.

Yunhe inwardly inspected with his Spirit Sense.

The Spiritual Power of the third layer of Qi Refining flowed slowly within his body; compared to three months ago, although it had become much stronger, it had not yet reached the limit of the third layer of Qi Refining, nor reached the level to impact the fourth layer.

"There's always a feeling that the Cultivator Body's talent is far inferior to that of the Demon Beast Body."

He stood up.

He came to the resting room.

He opened the hidden panel on the bed.

He took out the Red Pattern Spirit Honey stored therein one by one.

In total, twelve jars.

Each jar is worth five Low-grade Ling Stones, a total of sixty!

Adding the three Low-grade Ling Stones he still has on him, this is a "huge sum" of sixty-three Low-grade Ling Stones.

"How to sell these Red Pattern Spirit Honeys is a problem."

With a thought, he formed a seal with one hand.

Buzz—

From the various hidden corners of the house, a Red Pattern Spirit Bee with a tiger head and tiger brain flew out.

The Red Pattern Spirit Bee Queen, whose abdomen was completely dyed a deep red, also hovered beside Yunhe.

By means of the Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique, Yunhe could feel the affectionate intent transmitted by the Red Pattern Spirit Bee Queen.

His gaze swept over.

Fifty Red Pattern Spirit Bees.

Among them, one bee king had reached the first-stage early demon beast level, three had seven patterns, eight had five patterns, twenty had three patterns, and the rest had two red patterns.

This is his current confidence.

It's not simply because the number of Red Pattern Spirit Bees reached fifty, combined with the Insect Fighting Formation, that they could rival a mid-stage cultivator.

Moreover, because these Red Pattern Spirit Bees have been carefully cultivated by him for three months, their individual strength has also made great progress.

Is there a double monthly ticket event? Can I humbly ask for a monthly ticket? Newbie hasn't seen the world.

(End of chapter)