Qingyu Archipelago, Li Family of Foundation Establishment.
As the morning sun barely peeked through the clouds, the sky was still early, yet many members of the Li family were already heading to their fish ponds.
A small boat cut through the thin mist on the water, agile and nimble, its ripples reflecting scattered golden light.
Li Quanqing sat on the boat, appearing no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. His posture was upright, and his features were well-proportioned. Even in simple clothing, his spiritual aura was hard to conceal.
Without using an oar or pole, he manipulated the fishing boat effortlessly with threads of magical power, allowing it to ride the waves and move swiftly forward.
Amid the flurry of boats, the cool, refreshing mist greeted the early risers, invigorating their spirits.
Before long, a vast expanse of lotus flowers came into view pink and white buds on the verge of blooming, with dewdrops rolling off the emerald-green leaves.
These lotus flowers were arranged in an orderly pattern, dividing the water into numerous fish ponds. Faintly visible were the schools of fish swimming beneath.
"Qing'er, up so early again!"
A fishing boat approached, carrying an elderly man with graying hair and beard, wearing a raincoat and bamboo hat. A purple clay teapot on a small stove bubbled with steam.
"Nineteenth Uncle, have you eaten yet? I meditated all night and felt refreshed, so I came a bit earlier," Li Quanqing replied with a smile, holding up the dry rations he had brought.
The old fisherman, named Li Kunshui, was two generations senior to him in the family and had a cultivation level of Qi Refinement Stage Five.
"Practicing is good, practicing is good! Unlike that rascal son of mine, he deserves a good beating from his father!"
The old man rambled on, his rough, calloused hands gripping a jade-mouthed smoking pipe, which he tapped against the side of the boat.
Over the years, the copper-wood boat edge had noticeably dented and blackened from the constant exposure to flame.
"Qing'er, you've changed a lot over the past year or so!"
Li Kunshui exhaled a puff of smoke, his weathered face relaxing as he spoke with a tone of feeling. "But after such a major upheaval, it's only natural."
Li Quanqing, however, simply smiled without responding.
As per the usual trope, he was a transmigrator.
Due to the sudden death of his parents, the original host had died from overwhelming grief, allowing Li Quanqing to take over the body.
Splash!
Waves churned against the bow of the boat, sending up sprays of water.
Li Quanqing stopped the boat, revealing a square fish pond ahead. The water surface was broad, covering nearly twenty acres, encircled by a ring of lotus flowers.
Area C-Si, Fish Pond No. 13.
Li Quanqing took out a token and channeled his spiritual energy into it. Instantly, the lotus flowers glowed with runes, emitting a radiant light that revealed the formation enveloping the entire pond.
These elegant lotus flowers were not mere plants but served as the foundation of the formation.
The runes covered the water, not only preventing the spirit fish from escaping but also gathering spiritual energy, locking the surrounding area's reiki into the twenty-acre pond.
A spiritual lotus bloomed, transforming into a millstone-sized platform. Li Quanqing stepped onto it with the token in hand and slowly entered the formation.
Splash!
Undercurrents stirred as several large green carp surfaced, spitting out streams of water arrows.
Thwack! Thwack!
These water arrows, about the thickness of a thumb, would have drenched any ordinary person, sending them tumbling into the water.
But the lotus platform flashed, and the patterns on its petals formed a protective barrier, deflecting the water arrows.
"These ungrateful fish, let them go hungry for now."
Li Quanqing shook his head, forming a hand seal to cast a basic spell.
Water Control Technique!
The water condensed into ropes, binding the carp and tossing them back into the depths with a splash.
These green carp were not yet true spirit creatures, existing somewhere between ordinary animals and demonic beasts.
However, nourished by spiritual energy, they were quite strong, and their flesh was highly nutritious, making for a delicious fish soup.
They were quite popular among early-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
As the lotus platform glided across the water, it became clear that the pond was divided into two sections one large and one small.
The larger section housed over a thousand mature green carp, while the smaller one contained immature fry.
"Little fishies, time to eat."
Li Quanqing looked at the smaller pond and scattered handfuls of fish food across the water's surface, sparkling brightly.
The specially crafted bait was highly fragrant, and soon the water churned as the young fish rushed to the surface to feed.
Li Quanqing watched intently, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he spotted his target.
It was a half-foot-long green carp with vibrant scales and strong fins, swatting away its competitors to monopolize the food.
Most importantly, in Li Quanqing's eyes, this carp had a bright white light sphere above its head!
"Got you!"
He chuckled, using the Water Control Technique to form a watery hand that lifted the young fish into the air.
Even if the carp was strong, it was powerless once out of the water.
Li Quanqing reached out and easily touched the light sphere, which burst into strands of white light and merged into his body.
[Harvested an adult green carp, rewarded with a spiritual energy cluster!]
As the text flashed before his eyes, a large amount of pure spiritual energy appeared in his meridians.
Li Quanqing circulated the "Gold-Water Art", refining the energy into strands of pure spiritual power that flowed into his dantian.
The sensation of his cultivation rapidly increasing was utterly intoxicating.
This was the golden finger Li Quanqing had awakened after transmigrating.
Every time he raised a creature to maturity, capable of reproduction, he would receive a light sphere reward.
One effort, double rewards!
"Since you've reached maturity, it's time to join the adults."
With a flick of his wrist, Li Quanqing tossed the carp into the larger pond, where it swiftly swam away and disappeared.
He turned his attention back to the hundreds of fry, searching for more light spheres.
[Harvested an adult green carp, rewarded with a spiritual energy cluster!]
[Harvested an adult green carp, rewarded with a spiritual energy cluster!]
[Harvested an adult green carp, rewarded with a spiritual energy cluster!]
Three more clusters of spiritual energy entered his body, leaving Li Quanqing feeling so relaxed that even his bones seemed to tingle.
The thrill of gaining without effort, without the need for meditation, was utterly addictive.
He estimated that in less than a month, he could break through to the third level of Qi Refinement.
Among the younger generation of the Li family, that would make him a prodigy.
Perhaps his frequent fish catching had provoked the ire of the fish, as one particularly thick-scaled carp suddenly leaped out of the water, spitting a crystalline water arrow.
Such an attack naturally couldn't breach the Lotus platform's defenses.
But Li Quanqing's heart raced this fish also had a light sphere!
"Daring to spit at me? You're mine now!"
A small spirit fish was no match for him.
[Harvested an adult green carp, rewarded with Water Control Technique experience!]
Seeing the text, Li Quanqing excitedly rubbed the fish's head.
He had received this kind of experience reward twice before, each time significantly boosting his mastery of the Water Control Technique.
The white light merged into his mind, and a flood of text appeared, which he effortlessly absorbed.
After digesting the experience, Li Quanqing no longer needed to form hand seals.
With a simple gesture, he could now cast the Water Control Technique effortlessly, with fluid precision.
The water, though formless, obeyed his will, easily taking on countless shapes.
Water Control Technique Mastered!
A watery green carp surged into the pond, lifelike and vivid, splashing waves as it darted about, stirring up the fish and muddying the water.
The fry was forced to the surface, their dead fish eyes glaring as they blew bubbles in protest.
Seeing no new light spheres, Li Quanqing gave up his search and prepared to feed the fish in the larger pond.
Li Family Generational Names: Chang, Qing, Cheng, Zong, Kun, Yu, Quan, Jin, Yong, An, Ji, Shi, Zu, De, Wan, Qing.