Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

‘Golden Flesh Carp?’

Though the golden shadow was fast, it didn’t escape Chen Cheng’s eyes.

He had read about it in the resource manual last night. This type of Treasure Fish, called a Golden Flesh Carp, had a nourishing effect that directly helped one generate Blood Qi.

A Golden Flesh Carp like the one just now, about thirty centimeters long, could generate an amount of Blood Qi for a Martial Artist equivalent to three days of arduous training once eaten and fully digested.

Of course, the specific effects varied from person to person; what was written in the resource manual was just an average.

‘It can save me three days of hard training…’

Chen Cheng calculated silently, his gaze fixed on the direction where the golden shadow had disappeared. A faint heat rose in his chest.

Three days of hard training wasn’t just about saving time.

It also meant saving the resources that would have been consumed during those three days: one Mountain and Sea Blood-Nourishing Pill, plus thirty pieces of Golden-backed Exotic Bear Dried Meat.

Added together, that was no small sum.

Besides, Chen Cheng was currently very ‘poor’.

Not be tempted?

That was definitely impossible.

The problem was, the identity of the woman from before was a mystery. She might even be an Inner Sect Disciple from the Sea Courtyard.

Crucially, her intuition was extremely sharp. Chen Cheng had already activated his Endless Moon Breath, almost merging completely with the surrounding aquatic plants. But even so, he had the faint feeling that when the woman suddenly turned her head, she must have sensed something.

Chen Cheng couldn’t fathom the depths of such a person.

Revealing himself to her for the sake of a Golden Flesh Carp could lead to major trouble if any conflict arose.

“WHOOSH—”

As Chen Cheng was lost in thought, he suddenly sensed something behind him cutting through the water at extreme speed. From the sound of the disturbance, it seemed very much like the Golden Flesh Carp from before.

It was!

The moment Chen Cheng turned his head, he saw the golden shadow rushing toward him.

Its swimming speed was phenomenal, and it was still accelerating, as if being chased by something and desperate to find a place to hide.

The patch of aquatic plants where Chen Cheng was hiding was lush and dense, its layered leaves creating a dark shadow underwater—exactly the kind of shelter that small fish and shrimp loved.

Crucially, Chen Cheng was currently circulating his Endless Moon Breath. The Golden Flesh Carp couldn’t detect him at all, simply mistaking the spot for an excellent hiding place.

And so, it charged straight over.

This was an outcome Chen Cheng truly hadn’t expected.

In that split second, he had no time to think.

The instant the Golden Flesh Carp dove into the patch of plants, his arm shot out like a cold, white serpent. His index finger struck casually, yet with unerring precision, right on top of the Golden Flesh Carp’s head.

Transforming Force penetrated it.

The fish’s brain, along with its spinal column, disintegrated in an instant.

The Golden Flesh Carp was dispatched before it even realized what had happened, feeling almost no pain.

Chen Cheng grabbed the fish’s body.

Without a shred of hesitation.

He shot off to the side like a sharp arrow, moving at his top speed.

The woman had been right behind the Golden Flesh Carp and was now almost upon him.

Chen Cheng didn’t want to cause trouble; escape was his best option.

His body swayed, perfectly manipulating the water to his advantage, and in the blink of an eye, he had shot several meters away. With the addition of his stacking Trait, each sway of his body caused his speed to surge, layering one boost on top of another and accelerating him continuously.

In an instant.

His fair, pristine body carved an elegant arc through the water, his afterimage stretching into a line tens of meters long. He increasingly resembled a White Dragon, riding the currents in haste.

Immediately after, the patch of aquatic plants where he had just been hiding was pushed aside by the woman.

The woman had been chasing the Golden Flesh Carp, her own swimming speed also extremely fast, her long hair trailing behind her like a jet-black tassel.

However, when the woman saw Chen Cheng’s retreating figure, her forward momentum came to an abrupt halt.

Her beautiful, crystal-clear eyes were locked onto Chen Cheng’s back.

The first things to flash through her eyes were icy coldness and fury.

‘That cunning brat not only hid in the shadows to spy on me, but he even ‘stole’ the Treasure Fish that was practically in my grasp. He deserves to die!’

This thought lasted in her Heart Spirit for less than two breaths.

Immediately after, the anger in her beautiful eyes was swiftly washed away by astonishment. Even her icy-cold demeanor showed clear signs of thawing.

‘How can that brat swim so fast!?’

‘And his swimming form is so peculiar!’

‘Even more incredibly, his speed surges every time he twists his body!’

‘And the most important point…’

‘That brat can stay underwater for far longer than an ordinary person, which means his lung capacity is far superior to a normal person’s.’

‘This area of water is near the Outer Sect.’

‘But when has there ever been such a talent among the Outer Disciples?’

‘Could he be new?’

‘If his Root Bone test showed his lungs were special, why didn’t Zhou Wansen report it to the Sea Courtyard immediately?’

‘Outer Disciples are strictly forbidden from entering the water. How are Zhou Wansen and Li Wenrou managing things?’

‘Or is that brat an outsider? To trespass in the Sea Marsh… he’s audacious beyond belief!’

In an instant, countless questions flooded the woman’s mind.

She subconsciously wanted to give chase.

With her prowess in the water, even though the brat was fast, she wasn’t necessarily unable to catch him.

But just as she was about to push off, she abruptly remembered something.

Her smooth, jade-like cheeks suddenly burned hot. She subconsciously crossed her arms over her chest. After a long moment, her lips pressed into a thin line, and in the end, she resentfully remained where she was.

The glistening light of the water shattered the complex emotions in her eyes, scattering them into the morning glow.

…

「Dong Chuo’s Private Core Disciple Courtyard.」

Ding Lu held the wooden box with both hands, recounted the previous night’s events with utmost respect, and then said with a wide smile on her face:

“I asked around yesterday. Even if you exchange for these Red Jade Fruits at the General Affairs Hall, you have to wait one or two months to get them.”