Becoming a saint begins with apprenticing under the last martial arts champion.

Soon, Lu Changqing surfaced from time to time to determine his direction and arrived at the area where Bao Zhi was.

It quickly descended and reached the bottom of the water.

Amidst mud and dust.

The precious plant, shimmering with a faint, ethereal blue glow, stood there quietly.

It swayed along with the ripples it created as it swam, as if welcoming Lu Changqing.

Seeing that the items were still there, a smile appeared on Lu Changqing's face.

The strong water pressure that I felt when I arrived at the bottom of the water has now completely disappeared due to the dual enhancement of [Life] and [Talent].

He reached out and grasped Baozhi, then gently pulled it out of the mud with almost no resistance.

When you put the precious root in your hand, it feels slightly cool to the touch, and there are still a few grains of damp river sand wrapped around its supple roots.

Lu Changqing carefully placed it into the fish skin bag he had prepared at his waist and tied it tightly.

Just as he was about to leave, his gaze swept over the patch of mud and sand where Baozhi had originally taken root, and he paused.

The mud and sand were stirred up and became somewhat turbid.

Between its gaps, dozens of tiny, pale blue lights, finer than grains of rice, shimmered and rippled gently with the flow of water.

Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be tiny, almost transparent shrimp that seemed to feed on the secretions of the precious plant's roots and were imbued with a faint spiritual aura.

"An unexpected surprise." Lu Changqing's heart stirred.

You can never have too many supplements; even a mosquito's leg is meat.

With a slight shift in his mind, his water control talent quietly activated.

Centered on him, the small shrimp were gently swept up by the water flow, without missing a single one, and all gathered in his palm.

All of them were put into small bags.

After gathering the shrimp, Lu Changqing did not immediately rise to the surface.

He stared thoughtfully at the shallow pit left after the precious plant was pulled out.

The precious plant grows here, and perhaps its root system extends beyond this point; there might be something else connected to it below.

He stretched out his hands, inserted them into the mud and sand, and used his strength to push them apart to both sides.

The mud and sand at the bottom of the water are much looser than on land, and with the help of water control, they can be easily moved aside.

Peel back one layer, and there's another.

Just as he probed down about half a foot, his fingertips suddenly felt nothing!

The next moment, the surrounding mud and sand lost their balance and collapsed inward with a roar!

A dark, gaping hole, about three feet in diameter, was revealed, its destination unknown.

Almost simultaneously, the Tai Chi diagram in Lu Changqing's mind trembled slightly, and he instinctively felt a surge of desire...

It's the effect of the innate water control ability on the treasure...

This longing was even stronger than when he sensed Baoyu and Baozhi!

This made his heart beat a little faster.

But then, within the Tai Chi diagram, the lantern demon fish's soul began to tremble, conveying a clear sense of unease.

Lu Changqing stood at the cave entrance, looking down into the dark, equally water-filled space below, his brows furrowed slightly.

After a moment's hesitation, he did not rush in.

There are treasures inside the cave, but there are also dangers.

His current strength is not weak, but it is not particularly strong either.

Since the demonic fish spirit in my mind gave me an instinctive warning.

He's being impulsive if he takes another risk.

"I'm not strong enough. I'll explore further later." He silently told himself, decisively suppressing his strong urge to explore.

Without further hesitation, he pushed off with both legs, his body rising rapidly like a fish.

...

...

When Lu Changqing returned to Pig Cage Village, the entire village was dark, as if the old buildings and everything else were fast asleep.

Just as he was about to hurry back to the courtyard, his brow suddenly twitched.

A feeling of being spied on suddenly arose...

He looked to his right rear.

About a hundred paces away, in an abandoned three-story building, a blurry figure flashed by!

The other party was extremely vigilant and retreated almost the instant Lu Changqing's gaze swept over them!

Lu Changqing's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly moved, rushing towards the ten-story building like a cheetah!

A hundred paces is nothing more than a few breaths for his current speed.

However, when he rushed into the abandoned tenement building, went straight up to the third floor, and broke into the room, he found only dust and broken furniture.

Fresh, slightly messy footprints were visible on the dusty ground, leading to a broken window on the other side.

The window faces the intricate, sewage-filled narrow alleys behind the tenement building.

Lu Changqing rushed to the window, but the narrow alley was winding and the night was thick; there wasn't a soul in sight.

The other side was not only alert, but also extremely familiar with the terrain, and had already planned their retreat route.

Lu Changqing frowned...

Are they remnants of the Umbrella Cult? Or... foreign influence?

He stood silently for a moment, carefully examining the room, but found no other clues besides the footprints...

The other party is very professional.

He had guessed there would be trouble, but he didn't expect the other party to act so quickly!

A sense of pressure enveloped him once again.

"I still need to become stronger!"

Lu Changqing took a deep breath, his eyes focused intently.

We must cultivate with all our might!

Only in this way can we survive better in this world!

...

...

Inside Pig Cage Alley.

A side room lit by a dim yellow light.

Liu Bai lay on the wooden bed, covered with a small quilt, seemingly already asleep.

At this moment, Old Zeng led the burly man Zhao Chang in, lifting the curtain as they entered.

Zhao Chang immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone respectful yet ruthless: "Lord Liu, the people from the Canal Gang, I don't know why, have set their sights on Lu Changqing."

"Should we kill him?"

"If necessary, we can also give their gang leader a warning and tell them to get lost."

Liu Bai opened his eyes, frowning in surprise. "That kid's got some skills now?"

"Have you offended the entire canal gang at once?"

Zhao Chang quickly shook his head: "Not the entire Grand Canal Gang."

"Probably someone from a gang."

Liu Bai understood, his brows relaxing. "How strong is this gang?"

Zhao Chang paused for a moment: "We didn't investigate everything."

"But one thing is certain: of the four strongest trainees, a scout just escaped; it was the second trainee."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bai closed his eyes again: "Don't worry about it."

"How can one succeed without pressure? I, the martial arts champion, fought my way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

"Practice without fighting, or fight without killing, is neither good enough."

"As long as they don't die, even if they're crippled, they can be saved."

"Let them do what they want."

Zhao Chang opened his mouth, then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and replied, "Understood."

After saying that, he left through the back door.

The room was quiet for a while.

Old Zeng sat down on the edge of the bed at Liu Bai's feet: "Liu Bai, you have to be realistic. When are you going to stop teaching this kid?"

Liu Bai rolled over, his tone flat: "That kid has good comprehension, talent, and temperament. It will take him at least five or six years, and at most seven or eight."

"If you have enough money, and you keep taking medicine and supplementing your diet, five years should be enough."

"Besides, what's the rush?"

"Wouldn't this be a good time for you to reconnect with the remnants of your southern army?"

Old Zeng chuckled twice, and the atmosphere seemed to lighten up a bit.

But soon, as if suddenly remembering something, Old Zeng said, "You said before that this kid is a good-for-nothing."

"Now they say everything is good."

"Then why don't you teach him those unique skills?"

Liu Bai was silent for a moment, then opened his eyes and shook his head slightly. "Let's observe further... Those techniques are powerful, but the side effects are too strong... Besides, I can't master any of them..."

"Don't end up with nothing but a broken body, not even a martial arts skill."

"Tomorrow, let the Twelve-Road Tan Leg technique teach that kid a lesson..."