The lake is not vast, spanning ten miles in all directions.
At this moment, it's sunset, the evening glow reflects off the lake, the water ripples, shimmering with myriad silver fish leaping out, silver light suddenly bursting forth, a resplendent view.
However, these fish don't seem plump, somewhat lean.
"Junior Brother, I've been waiting for you!"
"Lately, no one has been feeding the silverfish, they've become much leaner, I'm about to die of worry!"
The burly man with a face full of meat led Gu Yuan to a lakeside residence, offered tea, and kept smiling wryly.
"There are many Daoist School disciples, those who ingest Spirit Water should not be few, why has no one been feeding the silverfish?"
Gu Yuan did not drink the tea, only curiously asked.
"Originally, there was no shortage of manpower, but lately, an incident occurred, causing the silverfish to be left unfed."
"What was the incident?"
Gu Yuan knew about some incident but was unclear about the specifics.
"It seems a Silver Fish King was born among the silverfish, with considerable spiritual nature, able to resist the Dharma Seal's allure, even leading other silverfish to fast."
"Feeding silverfish is a tough task, previously undertaken by disciples who had ingested low-grade or middle-grade Water Element Spiritual Water. But with the Silver Fish King's emergence, these disciples lacked sufficient Spiritual Sense, unable to fully express the Dharma Seal's power, thus the feeding of silverfish was postponed."
"I've posted the task several times in Fate Hall, even some junior brothers came, but all lacked sufficient Spiritual Sense to feed them."
"Therefore, I specifically noted that only those who have ingested high-grade Spirit Water can come."
"Since Junior Brother has come to the island, you must be confident!"
The burly man looked at Gu Yuan with anticipation.
"I should not fail Senior Brother's trust!"
Gu Yuan had ingested Top-Grade Spiritual Water, his Spiritual Sense comparable to True Inheritance, feeding fish was naturally a breeze.
"Junior Brother, your bold words, I'm certainly convinced, but since this is important, I still ask Junior Brother to give it a try!"
The man, full of joy, did not hesitate further. With a mana snap, he fetched a golden box from his Storage Bag.
The golden box was square, without any ornamentation, used merely to isolate Spiritual Qi. But when the man opened the golden box, a heavy power flowed incessantly.
Inside was a jade seal the size of a cup, engraved with a figure carved from jade, with mystical Dao Patterns below, the white jade floating and lively, seemingly ready to ride the wind at any moment.
The entire jade seal shimmered constantly, appearing to switch between solidity and illusion, possessing a peculiar force.
"This is the 'Mirage Cloud Seal' crafted by the young Fox Sword Fairy in the Golden Core Ascendant stage, able to deceive the five senses, confuse truth with falsehood!"
The man pointed at the jade seal, speaking respectfully.
Gu Yuan couldn't help but exclaim.
Upon reaching the Golden Core Realm, the Dharma Seal inherits a strand of Gold-Attribute, able to manifest physically, persisting between heaven and earth.
If passed to a disciple, one or two Golden Core Techniques can be unleashed, quite profound.
However, ordinary Golden Core Seals cannot linger long between heaven and earth, they need periodic return to nurture within the body. If the Golden Core perishes, the seal vanishes immediately.
Yet, the Golden Core possesses a strand of Immortal Golden Nature, immensely mysterious, if before death, all Gold-Attribute is imbued into a Dharma Seal, the seal can eternally remain in the world.
Whoever refines it, gains access to Golden Core Method!
Dharma Seals are versatile, highly practical, unlike the rigid Dharma Artifacts, hence, they surpass Artifacts to become the contemporary mainstream.
"Junior Brother, try it!"
The man held the jade seal and handed it to Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan nodded and, without exchanging pleasantries, immediately unleashed his Spiritual Sense, enveloping the jade seal.
He didn't shape his Divine Sense into a Flood Dragon form, but refined the jade seal with pure Spiritual Sense.
"Buzz buzz!"
The jade seal, influenced by the rippling water-like Spiritual Sense, began trembling incessantly, its base Dao Patterns naturally illuminated, stirring the Spiritual Qi in the world.
The Golden Core Seal autonomously gathers Spirit, without needing the cultivator's internal Spiritual Qi.
As long as the Spiritual Sense is sufficient, it can be activated.
"Whew!"
From the jade seal, wisps of ethereal Cloud Qi surged forth, seemingly carrying a mind-bewitching power.
With each gathering of a Mirage Cloud, Gu Yuan felt his Spiritual Sense deplete substantially.
Once four Mirage Clouds flowed out, Gu Yuan felt the majority of his Spiritual Sense was consumed.
Although he could continue to stimulate the seal, he sensed that four Mirage Clouds should be the high-grade limit. He then pretended to sweat on his forehead, looking at the man.
"Senior Brother Ding, how is it?"
Senior Brother Ding was originally observing Gu Yuan, upon hearing the voice, he immediately exclaimed: "Enough, enough!"
"Junior Brother, may I ask under which elder you studied? To truly possess high-grade Spirit Water, indeed a good fortune!"
The man shouted with joy.
"Luckily received Fox Ascendant's favor, introduced to the gate!"
Gu Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with a smile.
"It's truly Fox Ascendant who introduced you in?!"
The man looked astonished.
Promptly he shouted outside the residence: "Where's the child! Where's the child, quickly bring the Spirit Soup for Junior Brother to refresh!"
Although the man was only at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, he held a Steward position in Pill Furnace Hall, similar to Qiu Mingshan, thus he had a child servant.
Under his urging, a child servant with a knotted hair quickly brought in a portion of Spirit Soup for Gu Yuan.
"Come, Junior Brother, this soup made from silverfish can compensate for mana expenditure, enhance cultivation, just tired yourself out!"
The man's attitude promptly became solicitous.
Despite not expending any mana, Gu Yuan was not modest and drank it immediately.
Being used to borrowing the Golden Core's prestige, he was accustomed by now.
Moreover, the silverfish, worthy of Daoist School treasure, upon ingesting a mouthful, Gu Yuan's complexion flushed, akin to downing hot wine, his mana pulsating intensely.
A while later, his face returned to calm.
"What a silverfish!"
Gu Yuan couldn't help but praise.
Just one silverfish soup equaled ten days of hard cultivation.
"Haha, naturally, otherwise our Pill Furnace Hall wouldn't go to such lengths to cultivate them."
"Since Junior Brother came in through Ascendant's introduction, I can't be stingy either!"
"Feed once every three days, three Spirit Stones each time; Junior Brother only needs to feed for a month, I have a means to relieve Junior Brother, then I'll send you three silverfish, how about it?"
Feeding every three days, three Spirit Stones each time, amounts to thirty Spirit Stones per month, plus three silverfish value total should be fifty-six Spirit Stones.
This compensation was quite good, considering ordinary Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivators would earn about sixty-seven Spirit Stones a year.
Were it not for Gu Yuan's high-grade Spiritual Sense, he wouldn't obtain such compensation.
However, Gu Yuan's goal wasn't Spirit Stones; his real aim was for the azure fate opportunity.
But since here, not bargaining would be unjust to himself?
Gu Yuan raised the price somewhat, asking for five more Spirit Stones, which the man agreed to.
Then, accompanied by the man, Gu Yuan embarked on the "fish-feeding journey."