Tao Qian almost subconsciously wanted to open his fish mouth and swallow the Bo Dragon Driving Origin Qi.
Mind had already made it clear that this was equivalent to the foundation for Tao Qian's entry into the Dao.
Daoist families, along with countless heresy and heterodoxy, recognized the levels of cultivation, and the first realm was called "Energy Introduction."
So-called Energy Introduction refers precisely to drawing Source Qi into the body.
But different sects attract different Source Qi into the body depending on the Lifebound Scripture they cultivated.
Tao Qian was currently an unknown small fry with no mentor, naturally having nothing to do with those famous Great Books and Scriptures.
To obtain a type of top-grade Source Qi was already considered great luck.
Although it might not be possible to step into the Energy-Introducing Realm with this "Bo Dragon Driving Origin Qi," the fact that just swallowing it yielded benefits meant Tao Qian, a freeloader, couldn't possibly refuse, right?
But just as Tao Qian was about to open his mouth, suddenly, a sharp pain came from the face of the fish.
In front of him, a Flashing of red light.
Snap!
In the crisp sound, Tao Qian was slapped away, once again.
"I...I..."
Tao Qian was truly angry this time, with Golden Light flashing in his eyes as he glared at the culprit.
A fish with a delicate body, covered in Red Scales, much larger than Tao Qian.
Lin Xiaohua!
Tao Qian had just recognized it was the Rigui Daoist who had transformed into a Red Fish when the latter immediately bullied its way closer, relentlessly ramming into the small fish Tao Qian had transformed into, without distinguishment.
Although both were Light Fish, one's true form was a Mortal, and the other's was a Cultivator.
For the latter to beat up Tao Qian, it was simply effortless.
In the midst of the storm, Tao Qian was dumbfounded.
But soon, he realized something.
"Am I being bullied?"
"No, could it be that this fellow, through this form of abuse, wants me to give up on swallowing that Bo Dragon Driving Origin Qi or even give up on continuing to cultivate the Immortal Fish Technique?"
"After all, he is a Cultivator from a Great Sect, he must also know the traps behind the Immortal Fish Technique; perhaps seeing that I am a newbie, he thinks I can still be saved, thus employing this method to persuade me?"
A few thoughts Flashed through Mind, and Tao Qian felt like he had grasped the blind spots.
Then, Tao Qian got somewhat frantic.
At this moment, he really wanted to grab Lin Xiaohua and hand him a Good Person Card.
He wanted to say to this Rigui expert: Daoist, your intentions are good, but I'm different from you guys; I'm here to freeload.
Tao Qian was on the verge of tears; ordinarily, encountering a kindly senior would be very heartening.
But at this moment, Tao Qian felt that he had suffered a great loss.
Just when Tao Qian was helpless, the senior Red Fish seemingly felt it was enough and abruptly stopped the bullying, then spat out a mouthful of water toward Tao Qian.
What was displayed was a "bubble" about the size of Tao Qian's fish head.
The moment the two contacted, Tao Qian suddenly heard a strange, clear voice, full of pride.
"Who is this reckless youngster; get out of here."
"Also, from now on, refrain from cultivating the Immortal Fish Technique, or I will beat you each time you come."
After finishing speaking, the bubble popped.
The Red Fish flicked its tail, ready to turn and leave.
Its posture was proud and carefree, instantly drawing the attention of numerous male fish.
But at this point, Tao Qian couldn't hold back anymore.
Adding that he now knew the means of communication in the Immortal Realm, he stopped being polite.
Tao Qian flicked his fish tail and swiftly darted in front of the Red Fish, before the latter could even react.
Tao Qian opened his mouth, and went "ptui, ptui, ptui," seven or eight times in a row, seven or eight bubbles hitting Lin Xiaohua's head.
The bubbles didn't contain Tao Qian's retaliatory curses.
On the contrary, all of them were Good Person Cards plus flattery delivered by Tao Qian.
Tao Qian was no mindedly rigid scholar, unbending and unwilling to adapt; being a newcomer and having encountered a kind-hearted senior, he naturally wouldn't let go of the opportunity.
A series of kind words made the Red Fish Lin Xiaohua transformed into freeze in place.
This person was indeed kind-hearted, often assuming a tsundere posture but couldn't bear to witness some unspeakable things happening before his eyes.
Using bullying tactics to dissuade Tao Qian, he knew he had done a good deed but was also ready to accept the other's insults; this kind of operation wasn't his first time, and he was very familiar with the process.
Who would have expected to encounter someone who didn't play by the rules?
Tao Qian's flattery combined with the "understanding card" Good Person Card instantly broke Lin Xiaohua's defenses.
"All these years I've practiced benevolence and accumulated virtue, finally, finally I've met a junior who appreciates the heart of a good person."
"Indeed, the saying of my master is too true, perseverance brings reward."
Xiao Hua Daoist appeared calm on the surface, but deep down his heart burst into bloom.
He immediately felt that this newcomer was very perceptive and had prospects.
So afterward, when Tao Qian became a question-filled baby, throwing queries one after another, Lin Xiaohua was more than happy to answer them for Tao Qian.
Tao Qian had gained some general knowledge about the Cultivation World from the "Nameless Secret Manual" written by Seeking Immortal Hermit Wu Ming.
Now acquiring some from Rigui Daoist Lin Xiaohua, another perspective.
Despite differences, combining both gave Tao Qian a general, yet fairly complete, understanding of the Cultivation World.
The two fish talked happily, seemingly completely forgetting their environment.
Other fish, big and small, were all swallowing Source Qi, and some with daring even directly nibbled on the "Bo Dragon Pearl," while Tao Qian and the other stood out as Alien Species in this Immortal Realm.
Fortunately, as the conversation progressed, Lin Xiaohua finally remembered the urgent matter.
Turning his fish head, he "ptuied" once again, and a large bubble collided with Tao Qian.
Inside, Lin Xiaohua's clear voice came through:
"Brother Tao, as you enter the Cultivation World, you must remember one iron rule: In all matters of cultivation, there must be a price."
"I don't know where you got this Immortal Fish Technique from, but as soon as you leave this place, you must force yourself to forget this method and not cultivate it again unless you are in utter despair."
"Don't look at this place as if it's the Immortal Realm, making one feel comfortable all over, and sometimes Dragon Balls and many other treasures descend, but all of this... is a trap."
"If you cultivate this technique and consume the Source Qi treasure, you will become addicted; with each visit, the cravings deepen until one day, you can no longer break free."
"If you remain weak, at worst, you'll lose your life and assimilate into this land."
"If you gain opportunities and grow stronger, then one day you will be ensnared by that..."
"The subsequent words are too high-ranking, even if they enter your ears, you seem unable to hear them."
"I, for certain reasons, can ignore the cravings several times, but I too have reached my limit; the next time I enter this place, I fear it will be when I have made my Breakthrough."
"You have touched the Transcendent, and I know I cannot stop you from continuing your cultivation, after all, with the world outside in turmoil, having some power to protect oneself is very good."
"I cannot share the teachings I have inherited, but over the years I have accumulated some, and if you heed my words and discard the Immortal Fish Technique, I will pass to you a spell of decent power with a very small price. Although you can only cultivate to the Energy-Introducing Realm for life, with diligent practice, you can strengthen your body and extend your lifespan by at least several decades."
"Moreover, your abilities in that aspect will also receive a huge boost."
...
As these words were spoken, Tao Qian almost wanted to give the Daoist a whole stack of Good Person Cards right then and there.
Before, when he read the Nameless Secret Manual, he lamented Seeking Immortal Hermit Wu Ming's tragic fate and also sighed at the darkness and cruelty of the Cultivation World.
Who would have thought that personal experiences could differ so greatly?
Tao Qian had incredible luck and had stumbled upon a kind-hearted senior.
He not only imparted common knowledge but also intended to gift him a Magic Skill.
If Tao Qian were truly just an ordinary newcomer to the Cultivation World, he would have agreed right away.
Unfortunately, he was not.
The "bait" Tao Qian wanted had not yet been swallowed, and he had no intention of giving up practicing the Immortal Fish Technique.
So he could not agree to Lin Xiaohua nor could he deceive him with empty promises.
Just as Tao Qian was in a bind, suddenly, there was a mishap within the Immortal Realm.
The source was shockingly the "Bo Dragon Pearl."
This bead, for some reason, at this moment, abruptly erupted in an extremely brilliant, dazzling green glow.
In an instant, the entire Immortal Realm was rendered into a world of green light.
"Crack crack,"
In the silent atmosphere, this sound of fracturing was unbearably harsh.
All the fish turned to look.
Cracks began to appear on the surface of the Bo Dragon Pearl and continued to expand, with a stronger scent than ever before madly spreading out.
Witnessing this turn of events, Tao Qian watched as every fish except himself seemed to enter a bizarre state.
Before this, although most cultivators couldn't help trying to consume the Source Qi and touch the Bo Dragon Pearl, they all resisted the idea of swallowing it whole.
In other words, the fish, big and small, were somewhat aware of the conditions in the Immortal Realm.
They were greedy, and they needed this place, needed treasures like the Bo Dragon Pearl, but they all maintained restraint.
Now, however, the eyes of every single fish were instantly bloodshot, a potent desire whirling within, shocking Tao Qian to his core.
This included Lin Xiaohua's transformation into the Red Fish.
Amid the crackling sound, Lin Xiaohua seemed to do something, as his Red Fish body suddenly became transparent, as if it might dissipate at any moment.
Before leaving, he spit at Tao Qian one last time.
"Brother Tao, there's no time left."
"If you trust me, stop your cultivation now and leave this place immediately."
"If you don't leave now, it will be too late."
"Afterwards, if you still insist on pursuing cultivation, you may travel to Southern Yue, and if we are destined, we will meet again, and then I will pass on the Magic Skill to you."
"Pop,"
As his voice fell, the bubble shattered.
Together with the disappearance was the Red Fish that the Daoist had transformed into.
And at the same moment, numerous alert and clever cultivators also interrupted their cultivation and left this place.
Tao Qian quickly learned why, the Bo Dragon Pearl had completely shattered.
Boom!
A vast explosion of ghastly green light filled the Immortal Realm.
Almost all the "fish" that had not managed to escape went completely mad.
Mind?
This thing had already disappeared from their eyes.
The next moment Tao Qian heard all sorts of bizarre howls, sounds that neither fish nor humans could make, echoing everywhere.
And what he saw with his eyes was like a scene from a true purgatory.
All the fish that hadn't left began to "mutate."
Their glittering bodies began to swell and burst, bright tumors bulged out, some turned inside out revealing tusks, some their flesh rotted, wriggling parasites like "iron thread worms" surged out, some even grotesquely sprouted dual heads, and some fish exploded and transformed; their entire bodies turned into cloths covered with flesh buds, fluttering and swimming around...
The Immortal Realm and purgatory were separated by mere seconds.
At this moment, these mutated cultivators revealed an extremely ferocious and terrifying side.
They began to fight over the Bo Dragon Pearl Fragments of various sizes.
A brutal and nauseating slaughter unfolded in various places within this realm.
And the Big Fish that swallowed the "Fragments" were not the victors either.
A bizarre thin line that shone brightly became apparent; every Fragment was connected to a line.
When the Big Fish took the bait, that thin line would suddenly pull tight.
Accompanied by a streak of green light, the true body, perhaps that of some Great Cultivator's "fish," disappeared without a trace.
Witnessing all this, Tao Qian finally understood Lin Xiaohua's warning and the reason for the swift escape of the many clever cultivators.
They fled to save their lives.
Originally, Tao Qian also intended to leave, but at that moment.
Quite by chance, a small piece of Dragon Ball Fragment drifted in his direction.
Around him, temporarily, there were no ferocious mutated Big Fish.
Tao Qian hesitated for just half a second before he reached out and touched it.
Immediately, a stream of information in a strange format emerged in his mind.
He didn't have time to look at the earlier Records.
He only saw the last one, those three large characters that shone like golden light.
Exempted!
Right then, Tao Qian also saw several ferocious fish like giant sharks approaching, their true identities only brought question marks to Tao Qian's senses.
"Never mind, since I am already here."
"If I can freeride, why would I let it go?"
This thought flashed by quickly, and Tao Qian gritted his teeth and directly opened his mouth to swallow the small Fragment.
As the bait entered his mouth, Tao Qian immediately interrupted his cultivation.
"Disconnect!"
He practically roared as he issued the command.