Chapter 10

Yuxiuxiu stood speechless for a long time after hearing the words, thinking of the crabapple flowers in the storm and the young girl who died unjustly. He clenched his fists tightly, his voice filled with determination: "Through a thousand calamities and ten thousand tribulations, I will never regret my path to immortality."

"Good, only with such resolve can one truly be one of us. A cultivator should face difficulties head-on and fear no dangers. If one hesitates, they deserve to turn to ashes," Jinscale laughed heartily.

This praise was not flattery but genuine admiration. He had not expected such courage from a young boy, which was truly rare.

Jinscale sized up Yuxiuxiu for a moment before saying, "The grace of enlightenment is greater than the sky. Although I am of the demon race, I also understand the meaning of gratitude. Since you have helped me achieve enlightenment, I cannot fail to show my appreciation."

Saying this, Jinscale suddenly pressed his brow, and the next moment, a thumb-sized, nine-colored, luminous, and melodious crystal pearl appeared in his palm.

This crystal pearl was a deep red, more desirable than the most precious jade in the world.

"What is this?" Yuxiuxiu looked at the jade but did not reach out to take it.

Jinscale's face was slightly pale: "This is the true blood of the ancestral dragon, a great blessing bestowed by the Dragon Gate after a fish leaps through it. There are only six drops in total, and I am giving one to you. This blood contains boundless blessings and will surely help you advance further on the path to immortality."

Seeing Yuxiuxiu about to refuse, Jinscale waved his hand: "It's not too late to refuse after you hear me out."

Yuxiuxiu stopped speaking, and Jinscale continued: "Human cultivators are naturally frail. As long as they have not achieved immortality, their physical bodies remain a weakness. Even an ordinary person can kill a cultivator if they get close enough."

"This drop of ancestral blood is even higher than the blood of a true dragon, left behind by the ancestral dragon at the beginning of creation. If you refine this blood, not only will it enhance your cultivation, but it will also temper your physical body, increasing its strength. Afterward, no ordinary weapon will be able to harm you," Jinscale said, staring at Yuxiuxiu.

Yuxiuxiu swallowed hard. Hearing Jinscale's words, this drop of blood seemed incredibly powerful. If he did not accept it, he would deserve to be struck by lightning.

Although he was wary of Jinscale, he saw that the ancestral blood was genuine and said solemnly, "Thank you, Brother."

Recognizing this brother-in-law was not a bad thing. Regardless of his thoughts, the treasure was real.

Jinscale flicked his finger, and the crystal pearl suddenly embedded itself in Yuxiuxiu's brow. "Circulate your spiritual power and infuse it into the ancestral blood, guiding it to your heart."

Hearing this, Yuxiuxiu did not hesitate to circulate his spiritual power, which flowed through his brow and into the ancestral blood.

The ancestral blood had a will of its own, initially trying to break free and escape, but it was suppressed by Jinscale's divine might.

Under the guidance of spiritual power, the drop of ancestral blood entered Yuxiuxiu's heart, hovering within. Each time blood flowed into his heart, it would cleanse and wash the ancestral blood, gradually merging and absorbing it, improving his blood and body.

Jinscale laughed heartily: "With this drop of ancestral blood, your body will surely become incredibly strong, giving you an advantage in battles. If you can carefully comprehend the mysteries of the ancestral blood, you might even gain a few divine abilities, who knows?"

Seeing Yuxiuxiu's grateful expression, Jinscale laughed inwardly: "Hahaha, I have already achieved the status of an immortal, becoming one of the strongest in the world. Although the ancestral dragon's blood contains the ancestral dragon's insights from the chaos, they are the ancestral dragon's great path, which can only be studied and not learned. I have already found my own path, so this blood is merely a useless appendage to me. This boy, unaware of the truth, will surely be grateful for this blood and follow my words without question in the future."

What Jinscale did not know was that the most valuable aspect of the ancestral dragon's blood was its powerful life force, which could extend life and increase longevity.

However, since immortals have lifespans as long as the heavens, whether this ancestral blood was truly useless to Jinscale was debatable.

Yuxiuxiu closed his eyes and quietly felt the integration of the ancestral dragon's blood. Even though it was just a tiny fraction, less than a millionth, he could feel his body's strength increasing, his bones becoming harder and denser, and his bone marrow undergoing an unknown transformation.

With each drop of ancestral dragon's blood that dissolved, Yuxiuxiu's spiritual power would increase slightly.

Time was precious on the path of cultivation. Since he had already embarked on this path, he needed to accumulate spiritual power to face the three calamities. He had to meditate and cultivate constantly, and even with Yuxiuxiu's temperament, it was not easy to do so for five hundred years.

"Thank you, Brother," Yuxiuxiu said, clasping his hands.

Jinscale waved his hand: "We are brothers, no need for such formalities. Our brotherhood is in our hearts."

Yuxiuxiu nodded: "Indeed, it is all in our hearts."

As they talked, it was already noon. Yuxiuxiu stood up and saw the bucket making a splashing sound, with several carp struggling and hitting the sides of the bucket.

Yuxiuxiu bent down and lifted the bucket out of the water: "This is a bountiful catch."

Jinscale laughed heartily, clapping his hands in praise.

It was strange, but despite being a fish demon, Jinscale could eat fish, which gave Yuxiuxiu a peculiar feeling.

But thinking about his past life, where big fish ate small fish and small fish ate shrimp, it no longer seemed strange.

As they walked back, Yuxiuxiu looked at Jinscale and said, "I currently have no magical techniques or divine abilities, and this body's spiritual power is useless. Why don't I learn some martial arts for self-defense?"

Jinscale nodded: "Martial arts are indeed useful. Even cultivators rely on martial arts, as magical techniques and divine abilities can be too costly or countered by the opponent. Only martial arts can truly win battles."

Saying this, Jinscale continued, "I can guide you in martial arts."

Jinscale had lived for countless years, and such an old being had experienced countless battles, making his combat experience extraordinary.

"Then I thank you, Brother."

"Brothers don't need to be so formal."

As they returned home, Yushiniang was mending a piece of clothing. Seeing Yuxiuxiu return, she put down the clothes: "Brother is back. We have fish soup again today."

Seeing his sister's gaunt face, Yuxiuxiu sighed inwardly. Even though they had been having fish soup for several days, her complexion had not improved.

It was easy to lose vitality, but restoring it was incredibly difficult. Illness comes like a mountain and leaves like a thread. It would take time to restore her vitality.

Killing fish was a bloody process. Fish were incredibly resilient, perhaps inheriting the strengths of the true dragon. Even with all their intestines removed, they still jumped and struggled, causing his sister to scream.

At lunchtime, Yuxiuxiu placed a large piece of fish in his sister's bowl: "Eat more. You are still growing, don't delay it."

After lunch, Yuxiuxiu and Jinscale stood in the courtyard: "The path of cultivation and martial arts are two different concepts. Magical techniques have various wondrous uses and incredible abilities, granting immortality and knowledge of the heavens, while martial arts are for combat."

Saying this, Jinscale looked at Yuxiuxiu: "Although martial arts are not as profound as the path of cultivation, you cannot underestimate them. Think about it, if your magical techniques and divine abilities are countered, what will you do? Will you submit to death or flee for thousands of miles?"

If your magical techniques are countered, martial arts become the key to combat. Or if your spiritual power is exhausted, martial arts will decide your fate. When two people have similar spiritual power, the one with higher martial arts skills will be the victor.

"The path of martial arts is the simplest. It involves constantly tempering your body, increasing your strength, and enhancing your combat abilities," Jinscale explained.

Yuxiuxiu nodded: "How do I temper my body and increase my strength?"

Jinscale crossed his arms and looked up at the sky: "There is no fixed method. You can consume immortal herbs, take medicinal baths, drink nourishing soups, and so on."

Hearing this, Yuxiuxiu's heart stirred, suddenly remembering the internal martial arts from his past life. These internal martial arts were combat techniques for life and death struggles, but he was unsure if they would work in this world.

"I cannot teach you the secret methods for tempering the body, lest you reveal any traces when you join a major sect. I will only guide you in the basics of combat," Jinscale said, looking at Yuxiuxiu.

Yuxiuxiu inwardly scoffed but did not show it, saying, "Please."