Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 557 - A Grand Harvest, Preparation

When Qing Shui saw the last reward, he felt completely satisfied. Even though the time he could stay in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal remained the same, the time ratio had changed. It increased exponentially from the original 1:150 all the way to the present 1:200. This way, the growth speed of the medicinal herbs, the special fruits, as well as the some of the aquatic animals in the realm would be increased significantly.

In short, Qing Shui felt really contented. After he finished reviewing the rewards, he immediately looked towards a place near the stone tablet. It was where the Strength-Enhancing Fruits previously were. Five additional strong saplings once again grew out from there. The saplings were almost equal in size. Compared to before, it seemed to have grown a bit taller. The Strength-Enhancing Fruit Tree from before still remained one and a half meters tall. These five rows of fruit trees, on the other hand, they were almost 200 meters tall.

The five Five Elements Fruit Trees basically all looked the same. However, the fruits atop the different trees had different colors. They were yellowish brown, aqua blue, leaf green, fire red and light green respectively.

They were all the same size, each as big as a fist. Furthermore, the fruits glowed. The bottom part of the fruit looked like a calabash, Qing Shui could clearly feel the tremendous spirit fluctuations. They were much stronger compared to the fruits in the Country of Strength.

Qing Shui looked at these ripened fruits and straight away plucked the fruits down from their trees. These were the rules of the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. The things that they rewarded were all things that had ripened and fully grown.

Fifty of them! Ten for each of the respective elements!

After that, he found some three thousand years medicinal herbs which stood out and looked really unique. The fineness of the spiritual Qi spreading out from them were on a whole otherlevel compared to those thousand years medicinal herbs.

Qing Shui looked through everything once. He realized that the number of things that he got were all fixed at ten. No more, no less.

He walked to the side of the pond which was now the size of a small lake and started looking for the Rainbow Trout Fish. Even though there were only three hundred of them, Qing Shui could already recognize them with only one glance.

A Rainbow Trout Fish was only one foot long. It had a round body which was as thick as an adult’s arm. Its entire body would give out a faint rainbow-colored light. It may look like it was just one color from afar, but if one looked carefully, one would notice that there were a few kinds of colors. In addition, it had sharp teeth and a long tail at the back. ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, it may look really small, but when it was in the water, it would be so tenacious that even adults wouldn’t be a match for it. Not only was its speed extraordinarily fast, its teeth were even capable of crushing iron. Its tail resembled a sharp sword when waved.

Legends had it that the Rainbow Trout Fish was also capable of undergoing limitless evolutions. Apparently, there was a Rainbow Trout Fish with tremendous strength in the Southern Sea. Even some of the more powerful Demonic beasts underwater didn’t dare to provoke it.

This may just be a legend, but it wasn’t entirely baseless. However, the chances of finding such a Rainbow Trout Fish was basically zero. It’s just like the legend about a carp jumping over the dragon’s gate to become one of their kind from its previous incarnation.

(TL NOTE: story is about the carp wanting to surpass the boundary of a carp to become a dragon, but it’s very unlikely it will happen)

After a year, he would be able to eat as many of these fishes as he wanted. Not only could it increase one’s cultivation level and clear one’s mind, it also had the effect of strengthening the consumer’s meridians and their five visceral and six bowels.

“Erm, why is that one so big?” Suddenly, Qing Shui spotted a Rainbow Trout Fish which was a few times bigger than the others. It was a meter long. Furthermore, its tail was also the same length. It’s almost as thick as the waist of an adult man. Its spherical body, to one’s surprise, made it looked well-proportioned. When it waved its huge tail, it would generate a small whirlpool.

It looked like a champion when it swam. Graceful and mighty, there were at least ten Rainbow Trout Fish following it around.

“What’s this? Is it the leader? Shall I leave this fish for later?” Qing Shui saw that the fish was capable of killing the blackfish and the turtles in the pond with ease.

Next up, when Qing Shui saw the Shenji Fruit, he felt a bit agitated. A two meters tall small tree that was entirely jade green. It was as thick as an arm and looked really strong, sturdy and vigorous. However, each and every one of its branches were less than two meters long. Among the branches and leaves, there was a golden fruit which was the size of a peach. Even though the fruit was small, it was like a star in the night sky, eye-catching and bright.

“Such an abundant essence. It may be such a small fruit yet it possesses such powerful and insane energy. Too bad I still needed a bit more luck.” Qing Shui plucked the fruit and contained it in a medicine bottle.

(TL NOTE: Stating that percentage for success is very low, needs more luck)

Qing Shui didn’t take down the fruit even though it was really alluring. After all, there was only a one-tenth chance he would succeed. But if he did, his strength would definitely take a huge leap.

Luck was a really funny thing. Sometimes, it wasn’t really reliable. Luck was something that would only happen once in awhile. If one possessed formidable strength and wealth, once they ran into this kind of opportunity again, they would seize it. This would lead to other people believing that they were really lucky. Hence, sometimes, it wasn’t wrong to say that luck was a representation of strength.

There were ‘Shenji Pellets’ across the World of the Nine Continents, but it was an endangered item. Each and every one of them cost a fortune. This fruit had an unknown energy hidden within it. If one was really lucky, they would very likely be able to change their fate. Hence, across the World of the Nine Continents, such kind of fruits were also known as the ‘Fruit of Good Fortune’ or the ‘Fruit of Fate’.

It had only been half a moment and Qing Shui had found the Jade Emperor Bee. This was because Qing Shui was able to communicate with them just like the way he could with the Fire Bird.

“Am I considered to be a Beast Tamer now…..”

At present, the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal had gotten a few times bigger than before. Qing Shui walked towards the ‘Hundred Blossom Tree’ not too far away from him. Even though it wasn’t as large as the Chinese Parasol Tree, it was still twenty meters tall. It would take quite a number of people to completely embrace the tree. There was no leaves on the tree, there were only branches. On top of the branches were all large flowers.

The colorful and large flowers made the Hundred Blossom Tree looked extraordinarily beautiful.

Onggg, ongggg…..

Qing Shui could already see the Jade Emperor Bee with a glance. Even though he had imagined a few times how they would look like prior to seeing them, he was still stunned. The Jade Emperor Bee was about the length of an adult man’s leg. It was almost a meter long. There were yellow, white and black stripes on its body.

“This is the Jade Emperor Bee?” Qing Shui was a bit spaced out. He wasn’t able to accept it even after a long time. As he raised his head and looked at the large beehive on the Hundred Blossom Tree, he thought that even an adult man would be able to fit inside. The only thing that he didn’t know about was what the Queen of the Jade Emperor Bee looked like.

Qing Shui tried to summon it. To his surprise, it actually flew out. Compared to ordinary Jade Emperor Bees, the Queen of the Jade Emperor Bees looked as white as jade. It was three meters long and looked a lot more beautiful compared to ordinary Jade Emperor Bees.

As he looked at the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal which had gotten bigger and the hundreds of the Jade Emperor Bees, he felt really relieved. If it hadn’t been for the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal upgrading, the entire place would have turned out to be a bit cramped up.

For now, the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal had an area of a thousand and four hundred hectares. Thus, more than half of the area was empty. Since this was the case, he could try planting other stuff.

“Erm, and there is still the Jade Emperor Bee’s Nectar. It’s a really useful thing!” Qing Shui had already known that the nectar was much more nutritious than honey since his previous incarnation. Hence, the nectar produced by the Jade Emperor Bees would naturally be incomparably powerful.

Qing Shui used a slightly bigger bottle and took out around five jin of it. Actually, it would be fine even if he had taken ten jin out, it’s just that Qing Shui felt that it would be better if he left some for the baby bee.

The Jade Emperor Bee’s nectar was a golden yellow color. It looked like an amber, yet also resembled a jade. The fragrance and spiritual energy it gave out was really appetizing. But Qing Shui didn’t eat any of it.

On the new land in the expanded Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, Qing Shui found two violet jades. He immediately put it together with the metal that he got from the Flowerfruit Mountain treasure map.

As for the other flavorings and tea-leaves, Qing Shui also conveniently collected them. What Qing Shui was the happiest about was the last reward regarding the change in time ratio.

In other words, one day spent in the outside world would be equivalent to fifty days in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Before this, it was only thirty-seven days.

……

With a blink of an eye, three days had passed yet again. Qing Shui left behind the Jade Emperor Bees nectar for his mother. Despite it being just five jin, it was enough for the entire Qing Clan to eat for one year.

Luan Luan’s body type was the Flame of Five Elements. Her own flame elements were already considerably abundant, it’s comparable to the earth element of the Ancient Strengthening Technique which Qing Shui cultivated. The little brat swallowed ten of the Fruit of the Flame of Five Elements. Soon after, her body instantly became one time stronger than before. This kind of strengthening wasn’t in terms of just strength, it’s in terms of the toughness of the body, for example, the toughness of the meridians and the vitality of the organs. As for the more significant benefits of the fruits, it would be shown as she slowly carried on with her cultivation. Basically, it would benefit her in a way that she would only have to give out half of her effort to get twice the results.

As for the Wood of Five Elements fruit, Qing Shui gave it to his mother. Even though it was quite difficult for Qing Yi to increase her cultivation level, but the effect of this fruit in terms of strengthening the vital energy and the toughness of the body was still really significant.

……

“Qing Shui, you’re here!”

Qing Shui arrived at Yiye Jiange’s courtyard. At present, everyone in Qing Clan basically had their own courtyard. As soon as he walked in, he could already see Yiye Jiange sitting on the couch. She was holding a book called the .

“Where’s Luan Luan?” Qing Shui smiled as he approached Yiye Jiange who had already stood up.

“Since when has this little brat been satisfied? She must have gone out again!” Every time Yiye Jiange mentioned Luan Luan, her face would be filled with a contented smile.

“This is for you!”

Qing Shui had felt Yiye Jiange’s pulse before, therefore, he knew that she possessed the water element. This was also the reason why he came to see her. This girl was very talented and had been a huge help for him on many occasions. Qing Shui was aware that she would one day turn out to be really successful. Hence, if there was anything which could aid her, he would naturally give her some, even if it had been something with the Earth Element, he still wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

Yiye Jiange looked at Qing Shui. She was a bit puzzled.

“I won’t harm you……”

“Of course I know you won’t harm me……” as Yiye Jiange looked at Qing Shui, she started smiling. She felt that there was a special connection between her and this little man.

Furthermore, she would even feel a bit dependant on him. Of course, Luan Luan might have also played a part in it.

As Qing Shui looked as Yiye Jiange swallowed the Water of Five Elements fruit, despite her being only at peak Martial King Grade, he felt really confident that she would definitely make a huge progress in terms of her cultivation skills in the future.

“Have you confirmed the time when you will leave?” Said Yiye Jiange as she looked at the flocks of Yellow Luans that were flying in the sky.

“After three days!”

“Alright! I will send you off then!”

……

Heavenly Palace!

Qing Shui once again went to meet Elder Ge. Since he didn’t know what attributes his was yet, he planned to only give him the fruit on his next visit. Because the most formidable warriors from Jin Clan and Jiang Clan were crippled, they were immediately removed from the list of the best clans. Most importantly, Jiang Clan still harbored bad intentions towards the people in Qing Clan, therefore, they were immediately slaughtered by Elder Ge.

The ruthless method right away kept the people under control. After all, he was the one and only Martial Saint Warrior in Green Cloud Continent.

Qing Shui gave Elder Ge quite a lot of alcohol, flavorings, and tea-leaves. This made Elder Ge really happy. To an aged person, all they wanted was just to be able to enjoy their meal and watch their younger generations.

He didn’t have any relatives. The favor that Qing Shui did for him gave him a new lease on life. His life of being treated like a lunatic for the past two hundred years had let him see through the cruelty of life. Even though previously, he knew more than anyone else that he needed to walk out of the situation, it’s easier said than done.

At the very moment he recovered his strength as a Martial Saint, everything was finally resolved. Without realizing it, he had begun to see Qing Shui as his own son. Everyone from Qing Clan was like his family. After being insulted and humiliated for two hundred years, this kind of familial affection was something that he cared the most about. It was also something which he could sacrifice himself to protect. Therefore, he wouldn’t allow anyone to harbor any ill intentions to Qing Clan.

After saying goodbye to Elder Ge, Qing Shui proceeded to the Misty Hall Palace.

Like usual, the Misty Hall Palace still didn’t allow any men in. Hence, Qing Shui asked a few people to inform Di Chen.

“So you will be leaving in three days?” Di Chen asked in shock.

“Yeah, I’ll have to leave sooner or later anyway. So why don’t I just do it now?” Qing Shui knew that the reason why he was leaving early was because of the upgrade in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Otherwise, he would have needed to stay for one and a half months more.

“Yeah… Make sure you bring all the things that are important. Qing`Er’s personality can be a bit extreme sometimes. I hope that you can tolerate her sometimes. In any case… She wouldn’t be a match for you too, so…”

Qing Shui was stunned. From the way she said it, wasn’t she asking him not to hurt her?

“Sister, what are you talking about? Why would he disgrace himself to bully a fragile woman…” Di Qing rolled her eyes at Di Chen. She also conveniently did the same thing to Qing Shui.

Her? A fragile woman? Qing Shui remembered both the times when she hit him during the first two times they met. But as for now, he really couldn’t do anything about it, let alone these two women weren’t only pretty faces. Hence, Qing Shui wasn’t really worried.

“Sister Chen, which of the five elements are you?” Qing Shui remembered the last two remaining fruits of the metal and earth elements.

Di Chen glanced towards Qing Shui. After that, she answered: “I possess the metal element. Among the five elements, this is considered as one of the rarer elements.”

Qing Shui felt really happy. In the past, Qing Shui had always felt that her attacks were inexorably sharp during combat. To think that she really possessed the metal attribute.

“Just right! Then this is for you!” Qing Shui took out ten Golden Fruits.

“Fruit of Five Elements!” Di Qing shouted out in surprise.

“You have heard about it before?” Qing Shui had never expected Di Qing to recognize it. She did mention the right name and her expression was full of shock.

“I have unintentionally heard about it before. To think that you will actually bring something like this over and give it to sister, I see some improvements here.” Di Qing chuckled.

“Qing Shui, this thing is too precious, why don’t you…”

“Sister Chen, what are you talking about? Forget about this, even if it had been a thousand times more precious, I would still give it to you.” as Qing Shui said this, he was really sincere and serious.

When Di Chen heard these words, her body trembled slightly. She didn’t really have a response to what he just said.

On the other hand, Di Qing laughed softly. Her smile looked extraordinarily beautiful and happy. This time, she too, didn’t really have much to say.

“Can I share half of it with Qing`Er……” After hesitating for a while, Di Chen asked Qing Shui.

“She also possesses the metal attribute?” Qing Shui looked at Di Qing.

“Sister, that’s something Qing Shui gave. I can’t take it.” Di Qing chuckled as she joked about it. Her expression looked really natural. This made Qing Shui’s impression of her become a bit better. She knew these fruits were precious, furthermore, her element was also match with the element of the fruits. However, she didn’t express any greed over it.

This made Qing Shui respect her a lot.

“Sister Chen, there is no need for this. Wait until when I’m in Central Continent, I will give her the same thing, is that alright with you?” Qing Shui looked at Di Chen and said with a serious look.