Longevity through Upgrading Buildings Chapter 5: Seeing Through

Over the ensuing three days, Ji Yuan remained indoors, immersed in cultivation. Alongside devouring Spirit Eggs and drawing in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to advance his cultivation, he mastered the rudimentary Water Shield Technique.

During those three days, his furthest excursion was merely to the backyard fish pond.

Seated in meditation to restore his spiritual energy, he seized the chance to check if any half-Spirit Fish had transformed into Spirit Fish.

Alas, chances truly are nothing more than chances.

In stark contrast to the chicken cage's Spirit Eggs, which yielded three daily without fail.

Ji Yuan depended on these three eggs to scarcely meet his daily cultivation requirements—especially since he had rarely spent even one Spirit Stone monthly in the past.

The Spirit Eggs he absorbed daily now equaled 1.5 Spirit Stones in value.

This dramatic shift in cultivation approach had already filled Ji Yuan with immense satisfaction.

On the fourth day, perhaps tired of being housebound, Ji Yuan decided to take a short stroll by the entrance.

Cloud Rain Marsh swallows people mercilessly anyway—let others venture there.

Zengtou City should be avoided unless absolutely needed, to prevent becoming a target from too many visits.

After just a few paces near the door, Lin Youwei's subdued voice echoed from the adjacent Lin Family courtyard.

"As the ancients warned, beware lust in one's youth!"

"I'm not rebuking you as your father."

"Look at you—three days since the wedding, and you've only left your room for meals?! Cultivation aside, you'll ruin your body like this!"

"..."

Ji Yuan smirked quietly, sensing footsteps approaching from behind.

Old Man Huang showed up with his aged pipe, chuckling, "Young folks, once they savor that delight, they hate leaving the bed."

"What delight?"

Pretending cluelessness, Ji Yuan silenced Huang with a look.

Hearing Old Man Huang, Lin Youwei swung open the courtyard gate and stepped out.

"Uncle Huang."

"Hmm."

Lin Youwei eyed Ji Yuan briefly, then bent close to murmur, "Any big incidents in Cloud Rain Marsh recently?"

Ji Yuan stayed silent but pricked up his ears.

"Big incident? Cloud Rain Marsh's Marsh Lord craves a daily human meal or he grows restless—does that qualify?"

Old Man Huang drew his pipe, packed it full, and sparked a small flame with a thumb flick.

This trick proved mighty convenient—no fear of thieves snatching your fire starter... Ji Yuan mused, chuckling inwardly at the irony.

"It's that in Zengtou City's northeast corner, word is several fishermen met their end there lately?"

Lin Youwei voiced his burning concern at last.

Old Man Huang puffed out smoke, his expression growing grave.

"True enough. Steer clear of that zone these days—likely a late-stage Spirit Fish escaped from the depths."

At 'late-stage,' Ji Yuan shivered instinctively.

A late-stage Demon Beast matched a late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivator, yet battling a late-stage Spirit Fish in water... even a late-stage Qi Cultivation expert could hardly fend for themselves.

To slay it for real, multiple late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators would need to team up.

Or the Water Dragon Sect dispatching a Foundation Establishment powerhouse.

"Got it, got it, got it."

Lin Youwei nodded vigorously. His clan boasted just a mid-stage Qi Cultivator at best—he himself sat at fourth-layer Qi Cultivation.

Beside him, Zhou Ling lingered at third-layer Qi Cultivation, with Lin Hu and Wu Qin at second layer. Such a modest household would court disaster against a mid-stage Spirit Fish, never mind late-stage.

Pipe clenched in teeth, Old Man Huang pivoted to the quiet Ji Yuan, grinning faintly, "Never figured you'd quietly hit third-layer Qi Cultivation, kid."

Ji Yuan's heart skipped.

Old Man Huang's senses were sharp; Lin Youwei, same fourth-layer Qi Cultivation, missed Ji Yuan's aura shift entirely, but not Huang.

"What?! Third-layer Qi Cultivation?"

Lin Youwei gasped in shock.

"You've been drilling spells at home for days—if not third-layer Qi Cultivation, where'd all that spiritual energy come from?" Old Man Huang shot back.

Lin Youwei finally sized up Ji Yuan thoroughly, then verified it.

"Impressive, aren't you?"

Yet Lin Youwei's tone mixed complicated feelings.

No comparison, no pain—as fellow four-Spirit Roots bearers, Ji Yuan had achieved third-layer Qi Cultivation, but Lin Hu?

Still lost in marital bliss daily, loath to rise from bed.

Much less cultivate to build power.

Recalling Ji Yuan's prior words, Lin Youwei birthed a daring notion... Ji Yuan might be dead set on the Dao path, aiming to flee Zengtou City.

Under their piercing stares, Ji Yuan realized concealment was futile and pointless.

He offered a modest smile, "Pure luck, pure luck."

Turning to Old Man Huang, he added, "Those two Qinghuang chickens I got last time produced two Spirit Eggs. I first thought to trade them for Spirit Stones, but curiosity won—I tasted them myself."

"And surprisingly, post-consumption, I broke through to third-layer Qi Cultivation."

Old Man Huang puffed leisurely, "This season's prime for Qinghuang chickens to lay. Lucky boy, you are."

Ji Yuan kept brushing it off as "just luck."

Soon after, he retreated indoors, fetched the day's three Spirit Eggs from the chicken cage, and resumed cultivation.

Not long thereafter, Zhou Ling's yells rang out from next door at the Lin Family.

"You wastrel! Qinghuang chickens fetch several Spirit Stones apiece—don't you know? Hu Zi just wed, where'd we scrape Spirit Stones for them, let alone two?"

Ji Yuan: "..."

Cultivation days dragged on monotonously; beyond daily Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi intake, spell contemplation filled the time.

Thankfully, past lessons showed Ji Yuan he could row out each day without straying far—just to a nearby islet for spell practice.

Thus evading notice from sly veterans like Old Man Huang, while gearing up for future Spirit Fish dealings.

In this period, early on only Lin Youwei and his spouse from the Lin Family fished nearby.

By day four, Lin Hu aimed to bring his bride fishing too, sticking to Cloud Rain Marsh's shallows for half-Spirit Fish.

Good hauls brought the pair home beaming.

Empty ones left them glum.

Fishing clans knew this routine—nine in ten faced it.

Lin Hu still flushed seeing Ji Yuan, maybe from snatching his love interest, or assuming he'd claimed Ji Yuan's castoff.

Newlyweds harbored tangled thoughts.

Ji Yuan paid no heed; after five more cultivation days, on a tranquil night, a thunderous splash rocked the fish pond.

Rousing Ji Yuan from slumber.

Yet another half-Spirit Fish had evolved!