13: Re-exploring the Yangtze River, its strength is beginning to show!
The Clone continued to cruise slowly along the dim riverbed, wandering aimlessly in all directions.
Devouring the small fish and shrimp that appeared occasionally.
[evolution value: 107.92/500]
Li Qing looked at the System panel before him.
This number hovered in his mind, as annoying as a swarm of midges.
"No, I must go back to the Great River!"
The Great River was dangerous, but the Opportunity was equally immense.
Although the Iron-Toothed Crocodile from last time was perilous, the massive gains from the ink spirit grass were still fresh in his memory.
Wealth is sought in danger; on the path of Martial Dao, if one does not advance, one retreats!
With a thought, Li Qing paddled his limbs and slid into the pitch-black river water like a ghostly shadow.
Under the moonlight, the river's surface shimmered with ripples.
Relying on his sensitivity to subtle changes in the water current and his memories from the previous visit...
Li Qing carefully avoided the reed marsh where the Iron-Toothed Crocodile resided.
Li Qing did not want to experience the terror of that Third Tier Fierce Beast again.
He headed toward a relatively unfamiliar area of the Great River to explore.
In this area, the current was swifter and the riverbed deeper, exuding an aura of the unknown.
Entering unfamiliar waters for the first time, Li Qing was exceptionally cautious.
Caution keeps the ship sailing for ten thousand years.
He crept along the riverbed, his Turtle eyes flashing with a faint blue light as he vigilantly scanned his surroundings.
[Devoured Blue-Backed Fish, evolution value +0.5]
[Devoured Three-Tailed Silver Carp, evolution value +0.6]
A few blind, ordinary river fish became Xiao Jia's snacks, and his evolution value rose rapidly.
The Spiritual Qi contained in ordinary fish from the Great River was also richer than that of the fish and shrimp in the small river.
Soon, his evolution value broke through 115 points.
Just then, a sudden disturbance came from the current ahead.
A dark shadow nearly a meter long shot forward like an arrow from a bow, its entire body radiating a fierce and violent aura.
It was a strange fish, pitch-black all over, with interlocking sharp teeth on its head and a pair of fish eyes flashing with bloodthirsty red light.
[Sharp-toothed Fish (First Tier Vicious Beast)]
[Ferocious temperament, extremely fast, a mouthful of sharp teeth can easily tear prey apart.]
"A First Tier Vicious Beast!" Li Qing was pleasantly surprised rather than alarmed.
If it were his first time entering the Great River, he would have certainly chosen to avoid such a fierce creature.
But now, the Spirit Turtle Clone had not only grown in size but also possessed multiple talents; its strength was no longer what it used to be.
This Sharp-toothed Fish was perfect for testing his skills!
Instead of retreating, Li Qing actively accelerated toward the ferocious Sharp-toothed Fish.
Seeing that this Turtle, which was a size larger than itself, dared to provoke it...
The Sharp-toothed Fish became even more enraged, its cold-gleaming sharp teeth snapping open.
It lunged viciously toward Xiao Jia's head, intending to crush his skull in one bite!
"Good timing!"
Li Qing's thoughts raced, and his [Water Control] talent activated instantly!
*Splash!*
Several small water vortexes abruptly formed in front of the Sharp-toothed Fish, acting like invisible barriers that caused its forward momentum to suddenly stall.
The Sharp-toothed Fish felt the water around it fall into chaos and its speed drop sharply, leaving it somewhat bewildered.
When experts clash, victory or defeat is decided in an instant.
At the very moment the Sharp-toothed Fish was hindered by the water...
Li Qing's [Great Strength] talent erupted!
His seemingly clumsy Turtle head shot out like lightning, avoiding the Sharp-toothed Fish's bloody maw.
His sharp beak bit with absolute precision into its relatively soft belly!
*Crunch!*
With a crisp sound, the scales on the Sharp-toothed Fish's belly shattered.
The sharp Turtle beak embedded itself deeply into its flesh!
The Sharp-toothed Fish let out a silent wail, the intense pain causing it to twist its body frantically.
Its thick tail, carrying immense force, lashed out violently against Li Qing's Turtle shell!
"Armor Defense!"
On the Turtle shell, pale blue spiritual patterns suddenly lit up, forming a solid light shield.
*Bang!*
The fish tail slapped heavily against the light shield, producing a dull thud.
Li Qing only felt a surge of great force, and his body shook slightly.
But the Turtle shell was undamaged, and not even a hint of pain was felt.
"Hmph, this much force isn't even enough to tickle me!"
Li Qing thought to himself.
The Sharp-toothed Fish's dying counterattack failed to work; instead, its violent struggling caused Xiao Jia's beak to tear even deeper.
Without hesitation, Li Qing exerted force with his beak and gave his head a violent shake!
*Rip!*
Blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out as the fierce Sharp-toothed Fish was torn into two pieces!
[Killed First Tier Vicious Beast Sharp-toothed Fish, evolution value +15]
[evolution value: 130.12/500]
[Obtained ferocious beast essence blood x1]
The System notification sounded in his mind, and Li Qing was delighted.
He didn't stand on ceremony, controlling Xiao Jia to swallow the two halves of the fish carcass in a few bites.
The flesh of the Sharp-toothed Fish contained quite pure energy, with every bite bringing an increase in evolution value.
[Devoured Sharp-toothed Fish flesh, evolution value +0.5]
[Devoured Sharp-toothed Fish flesh, evolution value +0.5]
...Soon, the entire Sharp-toothed Fish was eaten clean.
[Devouring complete; the First Tier Vicious Beast Sharp-toothed Fish provided a total of +5 evolution value.]
[evolution value: 135.12/500]
Fifteen points for the kill reward, and another five points from devouring.
A single First Tier Vicious Beast contributed twenty evolution value points!
It was a bit less than the first First Tier Vicious Beast he encountered, the "Spined Catfish."
But this was much more efficient than painstakingly fishing in the small river for half a day.
"System, extract the ferocious beast essence blood."
Li Qing did not hesitate.
A warm current instantly spread to all his limbs and bones, nourishing every inch of his flesh.
The Spiritual Patterned Turtle's body visibly expanded, growing a bit larger!
Li Qing looked around; it had grown to about 1.5 meters long.
Feeling the stronger power surging within the Clone and the noticeably larger body size, Li Qing was overjoyed.
With the Clone's current strength, it had no rivals among First Tier Vicious Beasts.
Li Qing was not satisfied with just this.
He continued to explore this unfamiliar river area.
Relying on his keen perception of danger and increasingly skillful hunting techniques...
He successfully hunted several more river fish that were also rich in Spiritual Qi.
He even encountered and dealt with an aquatic Vicious Beast whose strength was slightly inferior to the Sharp-toothed Fish.
The depths of the Great River were indeed full of Opportunities everywhere.
After a night of hard work, when the eastern sky began to turn fish-belly white, Li Qing ended this hunt, still wanting more.
[evolution value: 215.1/500]
Looking at this number, a sense of indescribable satisfaction welled up in Li Qing's heart.
In just one night, his evolution value had skyrocketed by over a hundred points!
Such a speed of improvement was something he wouldn't have dared to imagine before.
Dawn was approaching; it was not suitable to stay long.
Li Qing quietly returned to the familiar tributary.
He devoured some more small fish and shrimp near the entrance of the tributary before withdrawing his consciousness back to his main body.
The room was still dim, but Li Qing's mood was bright.
He stretched his muscles and bones, feeling the subtle increase in his main body's strength after sharing the talents.
His confidence soared.
However, his main body's current strength was still up for debate.
The previous Zhao Si was just a low-life thug.
He was still far from being a Martial Artist.
But Li Qing was not in a hurry; it had only been a few days, and his strength had already progressed rapidly.
The Great River was his true hunting ground!