“Primordial Yin Spirit Body?”
The Spirit Cod King furrowed her elegant brows, pondered for a long moment, then retrieved a jade slip from her storage ring and handed it over. She spoke with some uncertainty:
“You can examine this method to see if it might offer a solution.”
“I obtained this cultivation method a hundred years ago from a secret realm I explored. I never studied it in detail, only skimming the introductory notes at the beginning, which mentioned this Primordial Yin Spirit Body.”
“Many thanks for this gift, Senior!”
Deng Tianyu and Qu Qirong were momentarily stunned before their faces simultaneously lit up with joy.
Regardless of whether this technique was truly suitable for cultivating a Primordial Yin Constitution, the mere fact that it contained such information meant they had already made a significant gain.
One had to understand, the two of them had searched for so long without finding even a shred of relevant information. To discover something related here, quite unexpectedly—how could they not be overjoyed?
The Spirit Cod King asked again, “Aside from this, do you have any further requests?”
She had learned from the two little ones that the couple had originally bought them and set them free. Later, in their most desperate moment at the Stone Gate, the two had even helped them heal their injuries and shattered that violently raging Spiritual Qi tide ripple, ultimately enabling their successful metamorphosis.
By her reckoning, she now owed the two people before her two requests.
“To receive this technique is already a monumental stroke of fortune. We are more than satisfied!”
Deng Tianyu and Aunt Rong exchanged a glance and smiled slightly.
Neither of them were greedy individuals. Faced with the gains before them, they were already content.
“Very well. In that case, consider this King as owing you a single request. If one day you encounter trouble, or think of something you need, come seek this King at West Rime Lake.”
The Spirit Cod King pondered briefly and spoke thus.
As if recalling something, she looked at the two little ones. “The reason this King sought you two out, aside from repaying the favor, is also to make an unworthy request!”
Deng Tianyu smiled and said, “Senior, please speak freely. If it is within our power to help, we certainly will not decline!”
From his conversation with the Spirit Cod King thus far, he could sense that she was an extremely upright and straightforward senior. Whatever she wished to do, whatever she wished to express, she did so directly, without harboring any extraneous schemes. In response, Deng Tianyu would not beat around the bush either; he would treat her with equal sincerity.
Meeting his gaze, the Spirit Cod King slowly explained, “The matter is thus. Although these two little ones crossed the Stone Gate, gaining great fortune and beginning their metamorphosis, they are still within the metamorphosis period. This period may lead to success, or it may lead to failure. Success means metamorphosing into Kings; failure means being reverted to their original forms. During this process, they require the nourishment of Nurtured Nimbus—purely flawless Nurtured Nimbus from the heavens and earth. Only by absorbing enough can they successfully complete their metamorphosis.”
Deng Tianyu and Qu Qirong were both somewhat puzzled. “And what exactly is this purely flawless Nurtured Nimbus?”
“This purely flawless Nurtured Nimbus is what you humans refer to as emotions,” the Spirit Cod King replied. “Emotions such as friendship, familial affection, and love—the Nurtured Nimbus born from these can all provide nourishment. Of course, this will not affect you yourselves in any way. As the King of the Spirit Cod Clan, I can perceive the fluctuations and density of Nurtured Nimbus. Coincidentally, you two possess all three types of Nurtured Nimbus upon your persons, and in extremely dense concentrations.”
Under the Spirit Cod King’s explanation, Deng Tianyu and Qu Qirong suddenly understood.
But then, the latter’s peerlessly beautiful jade countenance became tinged, at some unknown point, with a layer of exquisitely alluring red clouds.
She and Tianyu possessed these three Nurtured Nimbuses of friendship, familial affection, and love? Without a doubt, they did!
In the beginning, before they acknowledged each other, they had interacted as friends. At that time, Qu Qirong had greatly admired her Tianyu’s talent in the merchant’s path, even changing her form of address to “Mister.” From this, the purity of their friendship was evident.
After that, she had formally acknowledged Deng Tianyu, becoming a relationship of elder and junior, the emotion therein being familial affection. And as their feelings developed through interaction—learning sketching, removing the Heart-Controlling Gu, delving into the [Cloud Carved Stone Carving], guiding and refining the Baleful Yang Energy within the Sleep-Sealing Curse Mark—their feelings had quietly undergone a transformation. Finally, they had distinctly become what the Spirit Cod King called love! This feeling now was merely separated by an extremely thin layer of window paper; it was just that the two had a tacit understanding and had not yet poked through it.
Seeing the atmosphere become somewhat subtle, Deng Tianyu changed the subject. “Senior, do you mean to leave these two little ones by my and Aunt Rong’s side?”
The Spirit Cod King nodded. “That is precisely this King’s intention.”
“That is no problem at all. Aunt Rong and I can agree to this.” Deng Tianyu looked towards Aunt Rong. After receiving her permission, he consented.
Although the two Spirit Cods before him were still in their metamorphosis period, they had already fully developed spiritual intelligence and could use their spirit whiskers to remove impurities contained within spiritual energy. No matter how one looked at it, keeping them by his and Aunt Rong’s side would be beneficial and without harm.
“That is excellent. Then I leave them in your care.” The Spirit Cod King nodded and ruffled the two little ones with her slender hand. Her lips moved slightly, clearly instructing them to be obedient and well-behaved.
The two little ones nodded repeatedly, but then, very abruptly, they looked towards the three-tailed fox sleeping soundly in the rush cushion, and with extreme terror, hid behind the Spirit Cod King.
The Spirit Cod King had naturally noticed that little fox. Her expression filled with reverence, she revealed Yingying’s origin: “A Heavenly Fox Descendant!”
Deng Tianyu asked curiously, “Senior also knows of her origin?” He had initially not known the origin of the little fox he had lured away. Had Shizun not mentioned it, he would never have imagined Yingying possessed the Celestial Fox Bloodline.
The Spirit Cod King explained the reason: “This King’s clan, in the ancient era, were descendants of the Heng Cod Clan and once received the protection of the Heavenly Fox Ancient Emperor.”
“So that’s how it is!” Upon hearing this, Deng Tianyu immediately understood why the little fox Yingying had been eyeing those two little ones. She must have sensed the dormant bloodline of the ancient Heng Cod Clan within their bodies. In the ancient era, the Heng Cod Clan was also an immensely powerful Demon Clan. One could intuitively feel the strength of the Horizontal Cod just from the Spirit Cod King’s own might.
His thoughts pausing there, Deng Tianyu rubbed the heads of the two little ones and spoke, “Don’t worry! The little fox won’t bully you anymore.”
At this moment, Qu Qirong inquired, “Dare I ask, Senior, do they have names?”
“Names?” The Spirit Cod King furrowed her brow. “What use are they?”
Deng Tianyu’s expression became strange. “A name is a symbol of oneself. For instance, my name is Deng Tianyu. Could it be that Senior has no name?”
“No,” the Spirit Cod King shook her head. From the time she could remember, no such concept existed in her mind. There was only cultivation, crossing the Stone Gate, breaking her own shackles, and becoming the Spirit Cod King.
“Senior, might I give them names?” Qu Qirong looked at the two exceedingly adorable little ones before her, a feeling of fondness rising within her.
“You may,” the Spirit Cod King nodded, unconcerned by this point.
