inspire-indiana Chapter 25 Young Clan Chief
Chapter 25 Young Clan Chief
Gu Shenyan could clearly sense that this body had not eaten for two days.
A sharp pain shot through my stomach, and every muscle in my body screamed for nourishment.
The number of spirit fish that were thrown down was far less than the number of merfolk.
More than fifty spirit fish, to feed over a hundred merfolk?
Chaos erupted immediately.
The stronger merfolk all came out, dragging their chains as they pounced on the nearest spirit fish.
Their movements were fierce and swift, driven solely by the instinct to survive.
As soon as a spirit fish swam close, it was caught by several male mermen at the same time.
They were locked in a fierce struggle, tearing at each other and fighting over the object.
The spirit fish struggled in their hands, its scales flying, its blood dissolving in the water, staining it crimson.
"Let go! I saw it first!"
"Get out of my way! I haven't eaten for days!"
"Get out of here, all of you!"
The roars, curses, and wails... intertwined to form a desperate lament.
Fratricide among their own kind—this is the scene that human cultivators desire to see.
Gu Shenyan did not act immediately; he hid in the shadows and calmly observed.
Ze's memories told him that he was always the last one to be fed.
Because they were too weak to compete with the stronger members of their own kind, they could only wait until the stronger members had eaten and drunk their fill before picking up scraps and leftovers.
Sometimes you can find half a fish tail, sometimes only a few scales.
More often than not, you find nothing at all.
This time, however, he was not going to be that useless trash-collecting man again.
Gu Shenyan carefully observed the swimming patterns of the spirit fish.
Although the silver-scaled fish is a spiritual creature, it is still ultimately a fish.
Their behavior patterns are predictable—they are attracted to light and avoid darkness, swim against the current, and instinctively turn away when encountering obstacles…
Those powerful merfolk, despite their formidable strength, had their water-controlling abilities greatly diminished due to the "Binding Spirit Iron".
The Binding Iron has a unique characteristic: the stronger the user, the greater the binding effect.
Those powerful individuals who could originally control the water flow precisely can now only rely on brute force to chase after the spirit fish.
Although their movements were swift, they appeared clumsy, and often after chasing for a long time, the spirit fish had already swum away.
And myself...
Gu Shenyan tried to activate his water control technique, and a mysterious feeling welled up in his heart.
As expected of the complete version, it even allows him to "see" the surrounding water flow.
The water was no longer an invisible and intangible liquid, but transformed into flowing threads that intertwined to form a huge net.
He gently raised his hand.
The Soul-Binding Iron on his wrist emitted a ghostly light, and a suppressive force emanated from it.
The suppression was much weaker than I had imagined!
"Ze" was the weakest group of merfolk, with negligible spiritual energy within them.
The Binding Iron is designed for powerful demons; its binding effect is less pronounced against weaker beings like this, who are almost negligible in strength.
Gu Shenyan gently flicked his finger in the water, and a subtle undercurrent was created in the distance.
The undercurrent flowed silently from behind a spirit fish, gently propelling it to change direction.
The spirit fish sensed something was wrong and instinctively swam in the opposite direction, ending up in a secluded corner.
He waited for the spirit fish to swim closer and closer.
Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang...
Just as the spirit fish was about to swim right in front of him, Gu Shenyan suddenly made his move!
The surrounding water solidified, forming an invisible cage that trapped the spirit fish inside.
The spirit fish struggled desperately, but no matter what it did, it couldn't escape this body of water.
Gu Shenyan did not stop there. He repeated the same method, creating undercurrents in two other directions.
Soon, the second and third spirit fish were also lured to the corner and obediently fell into his palm, thus capturing three spirit fish at once.
The surrounding mermaids noticed this scene, stopped fighting, and stared in disbelief.
That good-for-nothing who usually only picks up scraps actually caught three spirit fish in one go?
How is that possible?
"Ze... has he finally figured it out?"
"When did his water manipulation skills become so proficient?"
"No...it's because he's inherently weak, so the Binding Iron actually has the least binding effect on him!"
Some people realized what was happening, but it was too late.
Gu Shenyan grabbed the three spirit fish and quickly swam to a more secluded corner.
It was in the shadow of a huge stone pillar, dimly lit, and rarely noticed.
He hid in the shadows, making sure no one was watching, before opening his mouth.
The extent to which its mouth opened far exceeded human limits.
The upper and lower jaws are almost separated at a 180-degree angle, revealing the fine teeth inside.
He stuffed the three spirit fish into his mouth all at once, making it look as if he had swallowed them completely.
In reality, the three spirit fish were absorbed into the Three Elements Mirror as soon as they entered the mouth.
In his mind, the bronze mirror appeared.
Three squares lit up, and in each square lay a silver-scaled fish.
Silver-scaled Fish
[Rank: Common, Superior]
[Details omitted]
Although this kind of spirit fish was a treasure in the coastal waters during his time, it was still considered a precious species.
But this was in the mythical wilderness of countless millennia ago, so it was quite normal for these kinds of spirit fish to be mass-produced as bait.
He selected three spirit fish.
[Should we proceed with the synthesis?]
Main ingredient: Silver Scaled Fish (Common Grade, Superior) x3
[Auxiliary materials: None]
[Estimated Result: Silver Arowana (Spiritual Grade, Lower Level)]
[Currently, there is no source of Qi; the required cost is a small amount of life essence.]
[Note: This synthesis will consume six years of the host's lifespan.]
Six years of lifespan!
If this number were in reality, Gu Shenyan might hesitate, given that he doesn't have much life left to live.
But in this dream, since it's just consuming "Ze's" lifespan, what does it have to do with him?
"Refine!" he confirmed without hesitation.
In an instant, the three beams of light intertwined, merged, and sublimated in the mirror.
Gu Shenyan could clearly feel that the life essence of "Ze"'s body was being extracted.
A deep, soul-deep weakness washed over him, making him almost unable to stand.
Lifespan: 38/300 → 38/294
[Refined Successfully!]
The light faded, and a new square appeared.
A strange fish floats in the grid.
The fish was entirely silvery-blue, reflecting a dreamlike brilliance in the dim light.
The fish has a slender body, about three feet long, and is a whole size larger than ordinary silver-scaled fish.
Silver Arowana
[Rank: Spirit Grade, Lower Level]
【Characteristics: The three silver-scaled fish combine into one, resulting in a significant improvement in quality.】
This fish already possesses sufficient spirituality; if released back into the sea, it may grow into a dragon-like fish after a hundred years.
[Effects: Greatly enhances water-based blood circulation, strengthens muscles and bones, and enhances water-controlling abilities]
Gu Shenyan's heart raced as he looked at the words.
Great stuff, absolutely great stuff!
Without hesitation, he selected "use".
The silver dragonfish transformed into a streak of light, flew out of the mirror, and disappeared into his chest.
boom!
The terrifying spiritual energy within immediately erupted within his body.
Gu Shenyan gritted his teeth, desperately suppressing the urge to scream.
The bones were cracking and popping, the sound of the skeleton being tempered.
The originally fragile bones are becoming tougher under the impact of energy.
Each bone, like steel forged in a raging fire, emitted a faint luster.
The power of the fish tail increased dramatically.
Every muscle in the tail is expanding and reorganizing.
Those muscle fibers that were originally loose and weak have now become firm and full of explosive power.
With a gentle sway, it can stir up a large flow of water and create whirlpools.
The most obvious change is the ability to control water.
Gu Shenyan could clearly feel that his control over water had suddenly increased!
Originally, it could only control the water flow within a radius of three zhang, but now the range has been expanded to five zhang!
Originally, it could only create simple undercurrents, but now it can condense into substantial water whips, water spikes, and even water prisons!
In my consciousness, the interface of the Three Elements Mirror has been updated.
【Water Control (Spiritual Grade, Lower Level)】
[Proficiency Level: Beginner (8/100) → Beginner (35/100)]
Lifespan: 38/294 → 38/296
His lifespan increased by two years, and his proficiency in supernatural abilities increased by a whopping 27 points!
Gu Shenyan could feel the spiritual energy still circulating within his body, gradually being absorbed and refined, and his body was becoming stronger at an astonishing speed.
Four years of lifespan can be exchanged for this kind of improvement, and the lifespan consumed is not even his.
We made a killing! We made a fortune!
Just then, a cold voice came from behind:
"Ze, you're lucky."
Gu Shenyan suddenly turned around.
A burly male merman was slowly swimming towards them.
The merman's body was bulging with muscles, and his eyes were fierce and greedy as he stared intently at Gu Shenyan, as if he were eyeing a piece of fat meat that was about to be eaten.
The name "Reef" surfaced from the depths of my memory.
He is Ze's mortal enemy and has bullied Ze since childhood.
Every time he feeds the animals, he snatches away the scraps that Ze has painstakingly collected.
On several occasions, he even physically assaulted "Ze" just for his own amusement.
But now...
Gu Shenyan slowly raised his head and looked at the bully in front of him.
"I heard..." Jiao grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth:
"You just caught three spirit fish? Tsk tsk, what great luck. But..."
He swam a few points closer, his tone turning sinister:
"It's such a waste for a piece of trash like you to eat such good food."
"How about... you hand it over? We've grown up together, I have to 'keep' it for you."
The surrounding mermaids all looked over.
Their eyes held schadenfreude, indifference, and a touch of sympathy.
But no one spoke up to help.
In this dog-eat-dog world, everyone is too busy taking care of themselves to care about the lives of others.
Gu Shenyan didn't speak, but raised one hand in a gesture.
Water control technique activated!
The surrounding seawater gathered, and as if hearing a general's command, it surged toward one place in unison.
The water twisted and compressed in the air, instantly condensing into a long, transparent whip.
The whip was about three zhang long, and one could vaguely see water flowing rapidly within it.
"Snap!" A crisp sound.
The water whip, like a bullet fired from a gun, lashed fiercely at the reef's chest.
The compressed force exploded, and Jiao was sent flying!
He tumbled in the water, crashing into a stone pillar three zhang away, the chains binding him rattling loudly as they were whipped around.
Jiao clutched his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Fresh blood gushed from the wound and dissolved in the water.
"You..." He opened his mouth as if to say something, but could only let out a painful groan.
The entire room fell silent.
The merfolk stared wide-eyed.
That good-for-nothing "Ze" who usually doesn't even dare to breathe loudly actually whipped the reef away with a single stroke?
Gu Shenyan withdrew his hand, coldly staring at the reef lying on the ground, and did not continue to attack.
On the other side, hearing the commotion, a beautiful figure quickly swam over.
The young clan leader, Lan, was now re-examining this "Ze," who exuded an air of unfamiliarity.
She stopped about two zhang away from Gu Shenyan, without saying a word, just quietly watching him.
The two looked at each other.
For the first time, Gu Shenyan truly saw Lan's appearance clearly.
Those blue eyes were as deep as a deep-sea whirlpool capable of swallowing everything.
Lan turned around and slowly walked away.
But Gu Shenyan noticed that her swimming trajectory had changed.
Originally, when she inspected her people, she would deliberately avoid the area where "Ze" was located.
But now, her route is intentionally passing near Gu Shenyan.
Although they still maintain their distance, they no longer avoid each other.
Is this approval? Or curiosity?
Gu Shenyan didn't care; his purpose in entering the dream wasn't to mate with the mermaid.
Only by increasing the experience points gained from improving one's bloodline and forging supernatural abilities can one truly make the Nine Nether Soul-Guiding Incense worthwhile!