Chapter 8

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In such familiar waters, the Red-Scaled Eel is both rare and hard to encounter. Even if one is lucky enough to come across it, ordinary fishing nets would be torn apart, and catching it would be a matter of luck and strength.

Of course, if one ventures into the dangerous waters of the Wild Marsh, the Red-Scaled Eel would not be so rare. However, those unexplored and perilous areas are home to countless dangerous creatures. Even if one's strength reaches the Spirit Platform Realm, venturing there would still be life-threatening.

With the capture of this Red-Scaled Eel by Wang Dinghai, the atmosphere reached its peak. The fishermen quickly mended their nets and continued their enthusiastic work.

Wang Dinghai personally led Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui back to the boat, returning to the Dingpu Ferry. After meeting up with the few guards left behind, they returned to the main residence.

It was already late, so they washed up and went to bed.

That night, Wang Shouzhe entered the Xuanwu cultivation state, familiarizing himself with the process due to the fusion of his memories. After a brief familiarization, he entered the cultivation routine.

The cultivation technique Wang Shouzhe practiced was called the "Wang Family Xuan Yuan Technique," which was said to be passed down from the earliest ancestors.

This technique cultivates a neutral and harmonious Xuan Yuan energy, lacking outstanding advantages but also free of fatal flaws. The more one cultivates, the more profound its subtleties become.

Cultivation Realm!

This is the process by which Xuanwu practitioners cultivate Xuan energy and use it to refine their bodies, continuously growing stronger. Pure Xuan energy circulates through the meridians and acupoints, nurturing and stimulating each acupoint. These acupoints generate invisible energy waves in a wondrous rhythm, which spread throughout the body, causing the blood and qi to vibrate.

The more acupoints the Xuan energy circulates through, the more intense the blood and qi vibrations become. When the Xuan energy connects all twelve acupoints in a closed loop, the consumption of Xuan energy reaches its peak, and the blood and qi vibrations reach their zenith.

Suddenly!

A cool sensation spread from the coccyx to the entire body. Wang Shouzhe felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if his soul were about to float away, and a misty aura rose from the top of his head.

The entire process lasted for about ten breaths. The intense blood and qi vibrations subsided like a receding tide, converging into an invisible energy in the lower abdomen.

A breath of turbid air was expelled from his mouth, and in the empty qi sea, a new stream of Xuan energy emerged like a bubbling spring, quickly filling the qi sea.

At this moment, Wang Shouzhe could faintly feel that the new Xuan energy in the qi sea was slightly stronger than before. The fatigue he felt earlier seemed to have been largely restored, and he felt a bit stronger.

This completed one cycle of the Xuan Yuan Technique cultivation. Xuanwu cultivation is a very long and cumulative process, and any strong practitioner is built up bit by bit.

However, during this process, the consumption of blood and qi is enormous. Xuanwu practitioners must replenish their blood and qi through food and medicinal pills. Otherwise, such cultivation would not only be detrimental to the body but could also lead to a deficiency in blood and qi, causing the body to collapse.

The deeper a Xuanwu practitioner cultivates, the greater their need for food and nutrients. This is why Xuanwu practitioners often form powerful families to acquire wealth and abundant resources to support their cultivation.

Fortunately, Wang Shouzhe had been well-nourished recently, and his blood and qi were robust and not yet depleted.

Based on his condition, he immediately began the second cycle...

By the time dawn arrived, Wang Shouzhe had completed four cycles of cultivation in about two hours. At this point, he felt extremely energetic, and his body seemed to have boundless energy. He could clearly feel that his cultivation realm had improved slightly.

However, the abundant blood and qi in his body had been significantly depleted, and he felt a "hunger" that was different from the usual feeling of hunger but was very clear and distinct.

At the same time, he felt a "soreness" and discomfort in his acupoints and meridians. Experience told him that even with abundant blood and qi, he could not continue cultivating under these conditions. He needed to let his overworked acupoints and meridians recover naturally.

However, the progress was encouraging. Combining the memories and experience of his previous self, Wang Shouzhe felt that if he could make such progress every day, he would have a chance to break through to the seventh layer of the Cultivation Realm within three months.

Unfortunately, achieving such an ideal state is extremely difficult under normal circumstances. After the massive consumption of blood and qi, replenishing and accumulating through ordinary food is very slow. A large amount of spirit rice and spirit food is required.

Even as the first in line for the family's cultivation resources, Wang Shouzhe currently receives only five pounds of white jade spirit rice, five pounds of spirit fish meat, and five pounds of spirit yak beef per month!

This amount of high-energy food is enough for only five meals, meaning he can replenish once every six to seven days. As a key cultivator in the first tier, he also receives one "Small Nourishing Essence Pill" per month.

The Small Nourishing Essence Pill is a higher-level cultivation resource, but it costs ten gold pieces per pill, making it extremely expensive. Cultivators in lower tiers can only apply for one pill from the family when they are about to break through to the next cultivation level.

If he could eat spirit food and take a Small Nourishing Essence Pill every day, Wang Shouzhe estimated that his cultivation speed would skyrocket...

"Lord, your breakfast is here." The servant Wang Gui knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Wang Shouzhe got out of bed, and as Wang Gui entered, he placed the breakfast on the side. After serving the lord with a basin of clear water for washing and brushing his teeth, he opened the food box and arranged the dishes.

"Huh? A large bowl of white jade spirit rice porridge and steamed spirit fish slices?" Wang Shouzhe looked at the lavish breakfast with some surprise. Besides the two precious spirit foods, there were also some pastries, snacks, and side dishes.

He knew that this breakfast was not the usual configuration. While eating spirit food every day could quickly replenish blood and qi and maximize cultivation progress, there is a principle of diminishing marginal utility.

Eating spirit food every day would inevitably lead to a significant waste of nutrients, reducing the cost-effectiveness ratio.

The Wang family is too poor to afford such a luxurious cultivation method. Moreover, the family has its rules, and even the patriarch cannot arbitrarily exploit other family members.

"Lord, this was sent by Lady Gongsun's attendant, Xia He," Wang Gui answered honestly. "She said that Lady Gongsun got up early and personally prepared this breakfast. She also sent a message, saying that Lord is at a critical stage of advancing to the later stages of the Cultivation Realm, and not to be picky."

Sure enough!

Wang Gui's words confirmed Wang Shouzhe's suspicions. This was Lady Gongsun Hui sparing her own rations for him. The message to not be picky also blocked any excuse he might have had.

Well, well, don't辜负 (neglect) Lady's kindness.

Moreover, he believed that the family's future would get better. At least, with his efforts yesterday, the fishing and hunting team led by Wang Dinghai would see a more than twofold increase in revenue, significantly easing the family's resource constraints.

After eating the spirit food, the depleted blood and qi were replenished somewhat. As the food was digested and converted, the blood and qi would become even more abundant.

After eating his fill, Wang Shouzhe pondered going to inspect other family assets. Whether he liked it or not, he was now thoroughly bound to the Wang family.

As the patriarch, he naturally needed to be well-versed in every aspect of the family. Only then could he consider the overall situation and find ways to revitalize this declining family.

...