Symbiotic panel, I am cultivating immortality in the world of immortality

Chapter 164 Lake Fishing Pot, Potato Dragon's Miraculous Effect

Soon, Li Ye arrived at the Zhou family's residence.

This time, the treatment was different from before; they were directly ushered into the main hall.

All the elders of the Zhou family accompanied him, and even the maids and servants beside him were clearly carefully selected.

Each one of them can be described as having excellent looks.

Li Ye, who had never experienced such a grand display in the sect before, found it quite interesting.

He accepted it quite readily.

For prominent families, this is a necessary display of status and represents the etiquette of welcoming distinguished guests.

As long as they don't force him to accept maids or servants... he won't make things difficult for them.

Zhou Qiumai had naturally arrived long ago upon hearing the news. Since starting the business of the local feed store in cooperation with Li Ye and Senior Brother Qian, his status in the Zhou family has risen accordingly.

They are now considered a key target for development.

However, his attitude towards Li Ye remained the same, and he came up to him very warmly: "It's been a while since we last met, Fellow Daoist Li."

There wasn't much of a sense of distance due to their different statuses in their conversation.

This made Li Ye happy, because he didn't want to climb higher and higher without having fewer friends who couldn't keep up.

"It has indeed been a while since we last met. We'll have another chance to catch up later, but let's take care of business first."

“Okay.” Zhou Qiumai nodded and sat down in the last row.

There was no other way; given his position, he could only sit there.

Li Ye then took his seat at the head of the hall, glanced around, and spoke:

"Besides some basic things, you'll have to figure out everything else about the sweet potato plant you gave to the Zhou family on your own."

"The findings will be compiled into a book and handed over to Huiya Market. In the future, these books will be selected and sent to various places along with the potato dragons that will be transported later."

"If the book contains meaningful content, or offers new discoveries and suggestions, the Four Seasons Sect will also provide some rewards."

This is truly an immense benefit, not to mention the rewards from the Four Seasons Sect.

The mere fame gained from compiling the book was enough to make these elders, who were wholeheartedly devoted to the Zhou family, ecstatic.

Who wouldn't want their family to be better off?
"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

We will do our best!

"Any family member who dares to disobey will be dealt with according to family law!"

These people were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, so naturally they didn't dare to presume to call each other "young friend" or "fellow Daoist," and only dared to respectfully address each other as "Imperial Envoy."

"Ah."

Li Ye nodded, his tone suddenly becoming sharp:

"I'll make it clear: I won't interfere in the Zhou family's affairs in the slightest, but I absolutely cannot let it affect the spread of the Potato Dragon."

"I don't need to spell it out, you all probably know what I mean. I just hope this kind of thing doesn't happen."

Li Ye abandoned his previous approachable demeanor and sharply scanned the crowd present.

Whether they were Golden Core cultivators or Foundation Establishment cultivators, they all felt a tremor in their hearts under his extremely oppressive gaze.

All the words of loyalty I wanted to express could be summed up in one word:

"Yes!"

Li Ye was very satisfied.

The carrot and stick approach—this simple method always works.

……

After half a cup of tea.

The Zhou family had originally prepared a banquet to welcome Li Ye.

But Li Ye had no liking for this kind of thing; it was useless except for wasting his time.

So I refused outright.

He also refused to let anyone else follow him, only allowing Zhou Qiumai to take him to the area where the mortals under the Zhou family's command lived.

Speaking of choosing Huiya Market as the first choice, it is certainly because this place is the one that Li Ye remembers the most, and also because the environment is very suitable.

The area surrounding Huiya Market is mostly filled with lakes and waterways, just like the area where ordinary people like the Zhou family live. There is a large lake not far from the city.

This large lake was Li Ye's target; he had already planned everything out in his mind.

They arrived at the large lake, rented a small boat, and cruised around it. After testing the water quality, Li Ye nodded and said:

"This place is nice."

Zhou Qiumai looked puzzled: "Is the spiritual energy here a bit lacking?"

In places inhabited by mortals, even if there is some spiritual energy, it won't be abundant. In the cultivation world, this lake would at most be considered a place with a little bit of spiritual energy.

In Zhou Qiumai's mind, spiritual plants should naturally be planted in places full of spiritual energy—the family even designated the most fertile spiritual land for this purpose.

"Actually, that's not the case. These kinds of 'potato dragons' need to choose places with slightly less spiritual energy, and besides, I have some other ideas."

"You come with me."

Li Ye slowly walked onto the water's surface and strode into the depths of the lake, his movements as leisurely as if he were walking on flat ground.

Seeing this, Zhou Qiumai quickly followed.

The two gradually walked deeper into the lake.

The lake actually covers a fairly vast area. Putting aside their identities as cultivators, the two of them walking on this lake were like tiny flying insects on a mirror.

The surrounding lake water was deep and dark, and the cold water vapor rose and condensed into wisps of mist on the lake surface, making it appear even more eerie.

If it were someone else, they might be afraid that there might be some monsters lurking beneath the surface of the lake.

But one of them is a newly established Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the other is a somewhat abnormal Foundation Establishment cultivator, so naturally they have nothing to worry about.

Brother Li's purpose in coming here... could it be the fishermen here?

Zhou Qiumai became increasingly curious about what Li Ye was doing here, until he saw a small floating fortress made up of fishing boats in the lake.

That's when I confirmed my thoughts.

Inside that floating fortress, fishermen who have lived here and made their living on the water since ancient times are busy at work.

Regardless of age or gender, almost everyone carries an inescapable chill or yin energy within them.

Living here for a long time, even sunbathing cannot dispel the yin energy.

Li Ye's eyes lit up. That's it! This is the place!
"who are you!"

When the fishermen discovered Li Ye and his group, they realized that there were always legends about water monsters and ghosts in the folk. Their first reaction was not that they had encountered a fairy, but that they had encountered a water spirit.

They even warily raised weapons like bows, crossbows, and harpoons, ready to launch a counterattack if Li Ye and his group got any closer.

Those things seemed to have some faint spiritual patterns on them, clearly indicating that they were low-level, unranked magical artifacts.

It's probably not very useful against cultivators, but it should be more than enough to deal with some common demons and monsters.

"I am a member of the Zhou family of the Immortal Clan!"

Fearing that these people would anger Li Ye, Zhou Qiumai quickly took out the Zhou family's token and stepped forward, loudly proclaiming, "These are immortals from the Four Seasons Sect of the Immortal Sect!"

Clearly, the Zhou family managed the mortals in their vicinity quite well. As soon as the token was produced, the fishermen, who had been on high alert, immediately lowered their guard. They hurriedly welcomed Li Ye and his companion onto the fortified village formed by the interconnected boats. The leader of the village—a dashing and spirited woman—also immediately came to greet them.

"My two immortals, my name is Hong Ying."

"What brings you two immortals here...?"

She seemed to have seen some immortals, and she managed to maintain a respectful but not arrogant demeanor in front of Li Ye and Zhou Qiumai.

Li Ye spoke gently, employing a touch of empathy:

"What do you usually eat here? Let me see."

"This……"

Hong Ying hesitated for a moment, but didn't ask anything more. She just ordered them to hurry up and prepare the meal, and to bring up their pot as well.

Zhou Qiumai noticed that Li Ye, who had previously been indifferent to the Zhou family's banquet, was now showing interest in the fisherman's food.

Li Ye's eyes lit up with curiosity when he saw them take out some dogwood, peppercorns, and other ingredients to cook fish and sweet potatoes.

"I come!"

He took the ingredients from the woman next to him who was at a loss and was the best cook, added some beef chunks, and started making hot pot on the spot. Of course, he didn't forget to add the potato meat as well.

When the hot pot started bubbling and steaming, the spicy and stimulating aroma combined with the unique fragrance of beef tallow filled the air, and everyone present couldn't help but swallow hard, including Zhou Qiumai.

Li Ye served himself a bowl and tasted it.

The fish and other vegetables were nothing special; after all, you can't really expect fishermen to make anything that's close to the food served in the sect.

The only thing that really stood out was the potato meat.

Furthermore, he could sense that the Xuan Shui Jiao's ability to dispel the cold and damp air was taking effect.

—This is his real purpose for coming here.

He ate the small bowl of food clean, and then gestured for the others to try it.

Although fishermen often eat spicy food to ward off cold and dampness when they feel unwell, this time the food had a unique flavor.

It wasn't just about expelling the cold; they could also feel the cold and dampness that usually lingered around their joints and arms dissipating, bringing a sense of comfort to their bodies.

"Fairy..."

Because Li Ye was very approachable, and with the power of the Tongqing Melody, they all let go of some of their fear.

One of the bolder boys spoke up and asked:

"Did you put some kind of magic potion in there?!"

"It's amazing! I don't feel any pain in my legs anymore!"

"And I don't feel cold anymore!"

It was only a short time since the beginning of spring, and the chill of winter had not yet completely dissipated.

Moreover, they were in a lake, a place where even energetic young people would inevitably feel a bit cold.

"It is not a magic elixir."

Li Ye shook his head and released a sweet potato vine.

After entering the water, the strange-looking creature didn't rush to dive away, but instead obediently nestled beside the boat.

"Dragon!"

"W-w-we just ate the flesh of a dragon!"

"God……"

Most people living near water have heard the legend of the dragon, and they were immediately terrified, but also secretly pleased—this was something they could brag about for a lifetime!
"This thing is indeed a dragon." Li Ye didn't explain it clearly, since explaining would take time, so it was better to let them believe it was.

He touched the head of the Potato Dragon and continued, "I will give some Potato Dragons to you to raise. The dragon blood in their bodies can dispel your coldness."

Perhaps it will also help you adapt to the wetland environment.

There is still a possibility of embarking on the path of seeking immortality and enlightenment in the future.

Upon hearing this, everyone around was stunned, their faces showing undisguised shock and disbelief.

—They, fishermen who make a living on the water, raise dragons? And they even seek immortals and Taoist masters?

It's no exaggeration to say that I never dared to do this even in my wildest dreams.

Even Zhou Qiumai thought it was unlikely, but he still went along with Li Ye's words: "This is an immortal from the Four Seasons Immortal Sect, who is far more powerful than our Zhou family."

"It is your good fortune to have these dragons cared for."

Upon hearing this, for some reason, the fishermen turned pale, trembled, and looked at the serpent dragon with fear.

"Hmm?" Li Ye was about to ask when he realized the reason and shook his head helplessly: "This thing does not need to be fed with flesh and blood, it only needs clean water and a little spiritual energy."

"Who among you has confidence, come forward now, and I will pass on a secret technique to you."

The fishermen looked at each other, and finally the woman named Hong Ying gritted her teeth, stepped forward, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Let me do it, Immortal!"

Seeing the look of defiance in her eyes, Li Ye gently pointed his finger at the shovel dragon.

A wisp of five-colored light traveled from the tail of the serpent dragon to its forehead, eventually transforming into a five-colored spirit stone, which Li Ye casually wove into a bracelet and handed to Hong Ying.

"Here, try it on."

Hong Ying looked at the dazzling, multicolored bracelet, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes, before carefully putting it on her wrist.

The instant she put it on, she suddenly felt a slight connection with the potato dragon that was half-submerged in the water, a connection that was only faint and indistinct.

"If you spend a lot of time with the Potato Dragon, you will eventually reach a state of perfect understanding. At that time, it will tell you where there are schools of fish and whether there is any danger. Only you can take its meat."

"Let's try to figure out how to extract the meat."

Li Ye casually took out a dagger and handed it to her. Hong Ying looked at the dagger and decisively attacked it.

In no time, a pile of meat was peeled off.

But his face turned pale and his hands trembled slightly.

She has lived here since birth, and has killed at least eight or ten thousand fish, if not a hundred thousand, yet there are times when she can't hold the knife properly.

But soon she sensed the pleasant mood emanating from the potato dragon, as if it were telling her not to worry.

The sweet potato vine has already submerged into the water, intending to nurture the next sweet potato dragon.

Li Ye smiled:
"See, it's not that difficult."

"I have more than a dozen here, who else wants to come?"

As soon as he finished speaking, many people, mostly teenagers, eagerly expressed their desire to have it.

Li Ye didn't make many selections; he simply designated the first few to speak up and helped them cast the spell. Then he watched them happily go into the water and frolic with the potato dragon.

The Potato Dragon was very gentle, and with the supernatural powers given to him by Li Ye, the two got along very well.

My mood instantly became very pleasant.

"Brother Zhou, if you have something to do, you should go back first. I want to stay here for a few more days to observe whether it is useful."

"If you're not going back, I dare not go back."

Zhou Qiumai quickly shook his head. To be honest, he was still a little confused about Li Ye's actions.

These potato dragons... do they really have the ability to make people seek immortality and enlightenment?
Seeing that he was really confused, Li Ye simply had the bamboo ants build a boat, intending to go to a distant place to answer his questions.

(End of this chapter)