Chapter 163: Going Upstream Against the River, the Golden Scale Law is Formed

With the "Han the Runner" pearl and jade before him, although Chen the Runner didn't have much experience, he still handled things in an orderly and comprehensive manner.

Chen Ci first returned to his residence in Qingyun Workshop and spent about half an hour packing up the things that needed to be packed.

In truth, there wasn't much; he had come empty-handed, and the few items he had purchased weren't worth much, but without this sense of ritual, running away didn't feel right.

Immediately after, Chen Ci left a note for He Cheng; he had found this person quite handy to order around, and while he couldn't be considered his subordinate, he was someone useful among the people he knew in Liangjiang Sea Market, so he could keep this connection alive, and perhaps open up a trade route later once he was settled.

Although the market for Peiyuan Yangshen Wine wasn't large, it wasn't without some profit.

As for the rest, there shouldn't be anything left out.

Chen Ci pondered for a moment, dismissed the absurd idea of carrying a bucket, shook his head with a faint smile, and didn't even bother to lock the door, just pulling it shut before heading straight for the pier.

"What, no ships?"

Chen Ci frowned slightly; although it was late, as a major shipping thoroughfare, the Liangjiang Sea Market pier shouldn't lack for multi-story ships or cargo ships, and at most, he could rest for a night and set off the next morning.

"I must inform this master that going upstream from the Sea Market is no easy task, especially now that there are floating ice floes in some sections of the Yun River; except for some large ships and Treasure Ships, ordinary small boats cannot make the journey, and one must wait more than half a month for the river water to warm up."

But Master Chen couldn't wait even a bit; he thought setting off tomorrow morning was already too slow, and when it came to running away, one must never hold onto the idea of leaving things to luck.

Shaking his head, Chen Ci employed his movement technique, ignoring the slightly curious gazes of others, and headed upstream along the Sea Market pier, soon disappearing into the night.

"During the day, I almost became one of the real-power elders of He Mountain Nine Peaks."

It was only two thousand li or so; Master Chen had plenty of leg power.

He didn't have any protagonist halo.

Things had reached this point, did he even have a choice?

The night passed without incident.

No choice, leave first and talk later.

Not to mention some wasted talismans, the cultivation world of Jiangzhou was far more prosperous than that of Quanzhou's Xishan Prefecture; with Chen Ci's small stature, if he put on too much of a show, he feared being struck down, and if he really wanted to practice his flight techniques, he would probably have to return to the countryside like Changping County to be safer.

When the sky grew slightly bright and the moon hid behind sparse stars, Chen Ci was already seventy or eighty li away from the Sea Market; looking back, unless he climbed high to gaze into the distance, he could no longer see the scene of the harbor, and he figured he had already left the scope of Liangjiang Sea Market.

Fly back?

Chen Ci rubbed his chin, seemingly tempted, but immediately suppressed the urge to show off, feeling a bit regretful.

Five days later.

The voice of this pier manager interrupted Chen Ci's thoughts, and Master Chen waved his hand, sighing lightly.

"Phew, I suppose it should be fine now."

A pier manager said respectfully: "As for Treasure Ships and multi-story ships, it is currently bustling in the Sea Market, and the nearest Treasure Ship will not depart for another five days, so I hope this master will forgive us."

As for the journey, Liangjiang Sea Market was about two thousand li from Xishan Prefecture, and following the Yun River upstream would ensure he didn't lose his way, it was just that the distance was still a bit far.

Master Chen couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow, feeling a bit bitter: "In the end, when night came, sigh, this pie was eaten in vain."

Chen Ci stretched his muscles and bones, watching the surging river water flow eastward; the faint unease that had shrouded his heart while at the Sea Market finally dissipated completely; he didn't believe that after running so far from the Sea Market, any disaster could still befall a harmless little cultivator of He Mountain like him.

Chen Ci slowed his pace slightly, moving upstream along the riverbank, adjusting his breathing to recover while pondering serious matters.

"This master, would you like to board the Treasure Ship first and rest for a few days?"

He was taking this opportunity to leave Liangjiang Sea Market, and there were also a few things that needed to be done urgently.

First, go to Dongshan Prefecture to find the descendants of that Senior Brother Geng.

This matter was not difficult; that letter contained all the information about his descendants, as well as Senior Brother Geng's personal seal, and as long as nothing went wrong, he could bring them back to Xishan Prefecture in at most a month.

The only slightly troublesome thing was that Dongshan Prefecture was the territory of Longhu Shan Jiuzhuan Guan, so if Chen Ci had any business to conduct, it would be better to keep a low profile.

Second, the practice of the Five Ghosts Method and the Golden Scale Wonderful Method could not be neglected.

Chen Ci's mind stirred, and his own panel unfolded in the void, displaying all his cultivation progress before his eyes.

Five Ghosts Transportation Method: Perfected/41/100

Five Ghosts Possession Method: Entry/8/100

Soul Fixing Talisman Method: Proficient/13/100

Supreme True Loach Golden Scale Wonderful Method (Fragmented): 0/108

"I left in too much of a hurry and forgot that Essence Refining is a big problem."

Chen Ci pinched the bridge of his nose, speechless.

Although Liangjiang Sea Market was a place where fish and dragons mixed and lacked a sense of security for a small cultivator like Ah Ci, it had one advantage: as long as one had money, all cultivation resources could be bought.

And while Changping County in Xishan Prefecture was safe, it was a bit too barren; Chen Ci now consumed more than ten drops of Essence Refining and over a thousand catties of flesh and blood every day to practice his techniques, and while that wasn't too much, it was truly troublesome if he wanted to rely on legitimate means.

"Fortunately, I still have some remaining assets, and the Five Ghosts Transportation Method can be maxed out in about two months; if I grit my teeth, I can still think of some ways."

Chen Ci withdrew his gaze from the panel and let it fall upon the Yun River, remaining silent in thought.

That night in the sea, he had vaguely felt that this Golden Scale Wonderful Method seemed to have other benefits when practiced in great rivers, so he could try it out in the Yun River in a moment.

Third, it was how he would conduct himself after returning to Xishan Prefecture.

As for the words of his cheap boss, Master Chen only believed eight parts out of ten.

As for his relationship with Ahu, Ah Ci wasn't quite sure, and for now, it could only be half sincere and half guarded.

Now that there was an acting Altar Master at the Fuhu Altar in Xishan Prefecture, Chen Ci was neither inside nor outside, which was truly a bit awkward; fortunately, these were subsequent situations, and he could ponder them slowly.

Chen Ci had a plan in mind, so he simply let go of his pace and hurried another ten or twenty li; once there were no more people around, he found a jumping platform, first took a large sip of the prepared Peiyuan Yangshen Wine from his small gourd, and then jumped into the Yun River with a perfect entry.

Following the techniques of the Supreme True Loach Golden Scale Wonderful Method, Chen Ci digested the essence of flesh and blood while silently sensing the mass of Essence Yuan beneath his abdomen; while absorbing the Qi and blood of his whole body, he exhaled strands of Essence Yuan, which very naturally headed toward the Kidney Pass at his lower back, where they condensed into a mass again.

As the ice-cold river water washed over his body, Chen Ci's figure moved slightly, and he really seemed like a white strip in the waves, moving upstream; in just a few breaths, he had swum over ten zhang, with a strangely slippery feeling.

"They say that the Force Path eventually leads to the transformation into a divine demon body, immortal and indestructible."

Chen Ci's mouth twitched a few times, a bad feeling arising; would he transform into a golden-scaled loach?

"Seven Turns Secret Volume, seven turns..."

Master Chen seemed to have an epiphany, and the techniques of the Supreme True Loach Golden Scale Wonderful Method flowed through his whole body very naturally, but as he swam, he felt inexplicably hungry; a large fish in the river swam past his eyes, and his mouth began to secrete saliva crazily, and he swallowed his spit.

Chen Ci: "."

What's going on? Why the more I look at these river fish, the more fragrant they seem? Why do I want to eat sashimi so badly?

As soon as this thought appeared, Chen Ci subconsciously lunged toward the river fish ahead, but unfortunately, even as a cultivator, one isn't necessarily more agile than a swimming fish in the water.

"Hong Zhong, go!"

Chen Ci felt inexplicably annoyed and embarrassed. With a shift of his mind, the five little ones instantly jumped off his back, vanished into the river water, and ferociously lunged toward a river fish weighing over ten jin.

Hong Zhong: If Ah Ci didn't have us, he wouldn't even be able to eat. Sigh, this household relies entirely on Master Hong Zhong.

By the time Chen Ci came to his senses, that river fish, perhaps a type of grass carp, had already been captured by the five ghosts and was being gripped tightly in his hand.

Take a bite of it?

An uncontrollable appetite surged inexplicably in Chen Ci's mind. He subconsciously opened his mouth, but being choked by a gulp of cold river water made him clear-headed for a moment.

"Strange!"

Chen Ci shook his head violently, his brows slightly furrowed: "How did this kind of appetite, or rather, this desire to hunt, pop up?"

But the feeling of comfort and freedom throughout his body told Chen Ci that he shouldn't have any problems.

"True Self, Heart Fire?"

Chen Ci looked at the big fish in his hand, and suddenly his mind stirred. The five little ones lunged onto it, and in just a single breath, the river fish that had been struggling just a moment ago lost all signs of life, looking like a salted fish, inexplicably pale and shriveled.

A small wisp of warmth from an unknown source abruptly appeared in Chen Ci's abdomen, slightly easing this sense of appetite and hunger.

The five little ones were also somewhat satisfied and began to frolic and play around Chen Ci.

"The Golden Scale Wonderful Method for Acupoints, I'm afraid it doesn't just imitate the body of gods and demons, perhaps it also needs to imitate the habits of gods and demons?"

Chen Ci had a realization. Although the Essence-Nurturing Soup could assist in cultivation, fresh 'Blood Food' was likely the key foundation and even more beneficial.

Moreover, practicing this Force Path method in the river water, although there was an inexplicable hunting appetite, the previous restlessness seemed to have weakened significantly, and with the eating, this craving for Blood Food was also diminishing.

It's just that in the water, little Chen was still hanging on in a high gear, severely affecting Master Chen's forward speed, stirring up a long trail of water behind him.

"Still so hungry!"

Chen Ci rubbed his head. He suddenly discovered that after the Five Ghosts Transportation Method reached Perfected, this strange art of devouring flesh and Essence Yuan, although not quite as good as swallowing Blood Food directly, had other wonderful uses.

For instance, it's not disgusting.

For instance, it's faster.

As a giant water vein spanning the Liang Kingdom, the Liuyun River is ten thousand li long, over a thousand zhang wide, and several dozen zhang deep. It naturally nurtured countless living beings, and even spirits that had gained a bit of intelligence were not rare in the river, but they never dared to show themselves in the Liang Kingdom section, fearing they would be beheaded or captured by passing high-level cultivators, losing their lives in vain.

In a certain stretch of water, a nearly zhang-long carnivorous Green-Scaled Tiger Fish was hunting a school of fish. As a hegemon in the water, no ordinary aquatic tribe was its match, and even ordinary fishermen would flee in terror upon seeing its shadow.

But today, this Green-Scaled Tiger Fish inexplicably felt that the water temperature in its hunting ground seemed to have dropped. The school of fish fleeing ahead inexplicably slowed their swimming speed, and then one by one, they dropped to the river bottom, which was quite eerie.

Not right!

The Green-Scaled Tiger Fish suddenly spat a wave of water from its mouth and then wanted to turn and flee, but after hearing a few giggles from nowhere, it only felt a chill on its body. After a few breaths, the fierce Green-Scaled Tiger Fish, which originally weighed two or three hundred jin, became completely stiff, shriveled by more than half, and drifted down to the river bottom.

*Hiccup! *

Several dozen zhang away, a human figure seemed to rub his lower abdomen in satisfaction, stretched, and continued upstream against the river current.

In a dark, deep part of the river, a giant turtle the size of a millstone was chewing on water grass, very leisurely. Suddenly, the turtle seemed frightened and violently retracted into its shell, but then it weakly poked its head out, constantly whimpering, as if begging for mercy from something that didn't exist, with tears seeping from the corners of its eyes.

After a few breaths, the turtle looked as if it had aged several decades, lying weakly on the river bottom, but the terrifying cold feeling from just before slowly faded. Although it had lost some Essence Yuan and blood, it had survived after all.

River fish, giant turtles, alligator dragons... The number of giant creatures in this Liuyun River far exceeded those in the mountains and forests. Chen Ci sometimes went ashore to travel, and sometimes went upstream against the river. He soaked in the water for a full month before leaving the Jiangzhou basin and entering Dongshan Prefecture in Quanzhou.

He felt like he had been soaked until he was bloated.

It could also be that he had gained weight.

"I actually dawdled in the river for over a month?"

Chen Ci circulated his True Qi and wiped his hand, and the river water all over his body was wiped clean. He squeezed the increasingly firm and condensed muscles on his body, and Master Chen's expression was a bit strange.

How is it that after the Five Ghosts Transportation Method was practiced to a high level, it seemed to be of great help to this Supreme True Loach Golden Scale Wonderful Method, unexpectedly forming a closed-loop triangle?

Is this really luck being on my side?

"Impossible, I don't have a protagonist halo."

Chen Ci slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. As the five little ones slowly fed wisps of blood and Essence Yuan back into his physical body, the mass of Essence Yuan in his lower abdomen suddenly shook, as if it were boiling. Streams of heat rushed from his lower abdomen straight to the Kidney Pass in his lower back, gathering into a mass all at once, condensing into an identical mass of Essence Yuan behind his left kidney, making Master Chen's whole body go numb, and then an endless amount of strength surged from top to bottom.

Hmm, about thirty jin worth.

"Has my cultivation improved?"

Chen Ci rubbed his chin. So, the Force Path method he was practicing before was practiced incorrectly, right?

It turns out that hunting Blood Food in the great rivers and lakes to vent one's desires is the appropriate way.

He subconsciously clicked on his own panel. Master Chen didn't expect that although he hadn't been traveling seriously for the past month, both wonderful methods had made progress.

Five Ghosts Transportation Method: Perfected/51/100

Supreme True Loach Golden Scale Wonderful Method (Incomplete): 1/108

He had finally refined his first Force Path acupoint.

It's just that he doesn't yet know if the help to the Five Ghosts Possession Method and the Five Aggregates Yin Demon Art is more beneficial than harmful, or more harmful than beneficial.

(End of this chapter)