Chapter 18: The Azure Dragon Carp

"I am my teacher's apprentice, and due to my age, I haven't obtained a certificate yet."

The white-robed girl explained. Not every cultivator can apply to take the certification exams for the various arts of cultivation. To screen candidates and reduce the annual workload, the Immortal Sect has set age and professional restrictions.

For example, Chen Mobai, a high school student, does not meet the first requirement, which is age.

The white-robed girl also falls into this category.

The only drawback of water method alchemy is the long duration required. It is difficult for a single alchemist to monitor the entire process from start to finish.

Therefore, although the Immortal Sect stipulates that only alchemists can refine medicines, apprentices and helpers are tacitly allowed to assist with simple tasks and handle minor auxiliary herbs.

Chen Mobai thought the white-robed girl in front of him was likely an intern pharmacist.

He recalled the method of refining spiritual water recorded in the Black Water Technique. He had no idea how to start, but he wanted to ask for advice. However, he couldn't bring himself to do so without a reason.

"Farewell."

In the end, Chen Mobai said two words and turned to leave the pharmacy.

"Strange person."

Qingnü felt that Chen Mobai had something to ask but didn't know why he didn't say it in the end.

Watching the young man's figure disappear around the corner, she shook her head and turned back to the back room to continue extracting herbs.

...

Water Mansion.

Chen Mobai, a bit nervous, pulled out the black array flag. The hemispherical light barrier above his head began to ripple slightly.

He immediately followed the method described in the Chansi courseware, channeling spiritual energy into the array flag. Then, with his other hand, he made two simple gestures.

Rustle!

Soon, the originally flawless, spherical light barrier indented at the point where the black flag was pointed, forming a two-meter-wide opening.

Chen Mobai barely contained his excitement, reinserted the array flag, and walked to the entrance of the array he had opened.

He extended his hand, trembling slightly, and reached out beyond the light barrier, touching the water outside.

It was cool and smooth, like silk.

After playing with the water and confirming there was no danger, Chen Mobai began to extend half of his body outside.

Since he had not practiced any water-repelling techniques, he could only rely on his long breath to endure.

Even so, he saw a bit of the scenery outside the Water Mansion.

It was a vast lake, at least as far as he could see. At the bottom of the lake, a type of blue-glowing aquatic grass grew, standing out in the dim environment.

Among the grass, several azure carp swam and played.

Chen Mobai confirmed that they were the same type of fish he had eaten.

Lifting the needle box in his hand, he activated the Five Elements Technique, channeling spiritual energy into it, and a streak of golden light shot out.

Although he was still a bit stiff in using this magical tool, with Chen Mobai's generous use of spiritual energy, the flying needle, which required no skill to fly straight, directly pierced an azure carp that couldn't escape in time.

Seeing his successful catch, Chen Mobai raised his other hand, and with the spiritual energy from the Five Elements Technique, two glass beads flew out like two colorful rainbows, clamping the dead azure carp that was slowly sinking.

After retrieving the food and the flying needle, Chen Mobai pulled out the black flag again and sealed the opening of the Green Water Array.

He carefully examined the azure carp in his hand and noticed a deep blue line on its back, like a tendon, and two long whiskers by its mouth, which felt cold and smooth, like holding an ice cube.

"How is this carp so similar to the Immortal Sect's second-level protected spiritual beast, the Azure Dragon Carp?"

Chen Mobai muttered to himself. The bloodline of the Azure Dragon Carp originates from a blue dragon in the deep sea, which the Immortal Sect captured with great difficulty when they opened the sea area.

It is said that after cooking the Azure Dragon Carp with special methods, cultivators can absorb the water dragon aura contained in its flesh, randomly increasing their water spiritual root by 1-5 points.

However, the Immortal Sect's Azure Dragon Carp is only kept alive at the Kunpeng Academy and is considered a forbidden delicacy by the Yuan Ying Elder. Twenty years ago, this elder added the wild Azure Dragon Carp to the latest list of protected spiritual beasts, prohibiting cultivators from killing them for food.

Chen Mobai hesitated for a moment but couldn't resist the temptation and took out the short knife he had obtained from the old man.

The Immortal Sect stipulates that wild Azure Dragon Carp are protected spiritual beasts, but farmed ones can be eaten.

These azure carp, though similar to the Azure Dragon Carp, still have some differences. They lack spiritual energy and are raised outside the Water Mansion, so they can be considered farmed.

He skillfully scaled, gutted, and filleted the fish in one smooth motion.

The short knife was not a magical tool but was extremely sharp. He had tried cutting gold with it, and it was as easy as cutting tofu. Using it to fillet fish seemed a bit overkill.

This time, he planned to eat it chilled and brought ice and seasonings from home.

However, the fish meat was already cold, so the chilling process could be skipped.

Chen Mobai even brought a can of carbonated drink. If he had a highball glass, the ceremony would be perfect.

Unfortunately, he was eating alone.

A slight regret accompanied the cool, tender fish meat as it entered his mouth, paired with the aged vinegar he bought from Wangwu Cave Heaven, creating an indescribable tingling and refreshing sensation on his taste buds.

The fish meat in his stomach brought a cool energy that spread throughout his body, making Chen Mobai shiver. Then, he felt a pleasant and refreshing sensation, as if he had taken a cold shower on a hot day.

After finishing, Chen Mobai burped, and the first thought that came to his mind was: Cooking the previous one was a waste.

Of course, he didn't forget his main task.

After cleaning up with a cleansing spell, he sat on a cushion and circulated the Five Elements Technique for a full cycle.

The adaptive spiritual energy he cultivated had not yet returned to his dantian when Chen Mobai intercepted a portion and injected it into the newly bought spiritual energy test paper.

This was a simple tool for measuring spiritual roots, but it was only suitable for practitioners of the Five Elements Technique.

In the Immortal Sect, everyone is a cultivator, and almost every child is taught the basics of qi cultivation during their启蒙 stage. To measure spiritual roots more simply and quickly, the Imperial Medical Academy invented this spiritual energy test paper.

As soon as Chen Mobai's spiritual energy was absorbed by the test paper, it instantly turned into five colors. Then, a series of numbers appeared on the paper, reflecting the proportion of the five elemental lights.

【Gold 23, Wood 27, Water 25, Fire 17, Earth 10.】

Indeed, his water spiritual root had increased by 2 points.

Chen Mobai confirmed this and decided to conduct more experiments.

He suppressed his excitement, stood up again, and reopened the Green Water Array.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Streaks of golden light appeared outside the Water Mansion, and one by one, the azure carp eating the aquatic grass became Chen Mobai's food.