Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit-Chapter 41 - 24: Gods Pounce, Demons Stumble!

"I need to quickly grasp dark strength to increase my power."

Chen Jichuan felt an added sense of urgency.

He calmed his mind.

His gaze shifted to the package that Chen Shaohu had carried back.

Taking two steps forward, he opened it to reveal today’s spoils—excluding the Spiritual Dates and Spiritual Jujube Tree.

Chen Shaohu’s sharp eyes noticed it immediately.

He spotted a more exquisite silk pouch inside, grabbed it excitedly, and said, "Such a beautiful pouch! The treasures inside must be immensely valuable."

Chen Jichuan watched attentively.

He recognized the pouch as something retrieved earlier today from Xu Lang, the only fourth-grade master among the six Feiying Hall members of the Lishui Gang he had killed. When he casually inspected it earlier, he’d found two marble-sized pearls inside.

"They might be pearls."

Chen Jichuan chuckled.

"Pearls?"

Chen Shaohu’s eyes gleamed as he tilted the pouch into his hand. Two perfectly smooth, glistening pearls rolled out, feeling cool to the touch and exuding a faint fragrance that was soothing to the heart.

"They really are pearls!"

Chen Shaohu’s eyes lit up even brighter. "These should fetch quite a sum, right?"

He knew his fourth brother had been struggling these past days, not only practicing martial arts but also hunting in the mountains and fishing in the rivers for rice, oil, salt, vinegar, and tea—a tiring routine.

With these two pearls, life would surely be much easier.

"But."

"Pearls are too conspicuous to sell, and if someone suspects and investigates, it could be trouble."

Chen Shaohu frowned slightly, handing the pearls to his fourth brother while pondering how to sell them safely.

"Sell?"

Chen Jichuan took the pearls, smiled, but shook his head at Chen Shaohu. "Such treasures can’t even be bought for money—why would I sell them?"

Holding the pearls in his hand.

He felt a burst of joy, and all his earlier doubt now vanished.

[Lishui Clam Pearls: Produced by freshwater clams in the Lishui Water Mansion, these treasures hold significant medicinal value. They contain spiritual energy, which, when cultivated, can enhance inner breath and inner strength. Ground into powder, they can also enrich soil quality, boost crop yields, and accelerate medicinal plant growth.]

A month ago.

On the way to Yangshuo County, Chen Jichuan encountered a grain merchant named Bao Zhongliang, who mentioned a secret formula held by the Lishui Gang capable of increasing grain yields by seventy to eighty percent.

Chen Jichuan memorized the information.

He even contemplated obtaining that secret formula but hadn’t seen it since.

But now it clicked.

This so-called ’yield-boosting secret technique’ was none other than the Lishui Clam Pearls.

"Lishui Water Mansion."

"Lishui Clam Pearls."

The Wusheng Sect has Black Prison, which contains Iron-repellent Ore and Spirit Stones.

Golden Sun Sect has the Hidden Peach Valley with exceptionally high crop yields.

And the Lishui Gang has the Water Mansion producing pearls that serve both cultivation purposes and agricultural enhancement.

Each side has its own unique resources.

No wonder these three factions could dominate Shi’an County, maintaining a mutual balance.

"Though I wonder."

"If there are Spirit Stones in places like the Hidden Peach Valley or Water Mansion."

Chen Jichuan pondered, carefully repacking the two pearls.

The pearls were indeed beneficial for cultivation.

He could save them for when he taught Chen Shaohu how to cultivate, ensuring the latter could use them.

"Cultivation?"

"Fourth brother said my body hasn’t fully recovered yet."

Chen Shaohu perked up at the mention of cultivation, eagerly glancing at his fourth brother.

"Yes, it’s not fully recovered."

"I meant that we’ll save them for when your body heals enough to start training."

Chen Jichuan shook his head, amused.

This Old Fifth was so obsessed with martial arts, he was almost deranged. If not for his obedience and fear of death, he would have long pestered Chen Jichuan into teaching him already.

Still.

Practicing abnormal skills hardly yielded progress—it was impossible to grasp its secrets.

Chen Shaohu trained daily, seeing no advancement whatsoever, making his longing for martial arts even stronger.

Name: Chen Shaohu

Age: 16

Level: 4

Talent: Fire Control (4)

"Patience rewards the diligent,"

"First nourish your body well so that training later brings double the results."

Chen Jichuan reassured him.

Chen Shaohu’s long imprisonment in Black Prison had left his physical condition in a dire state.

After a month of good food, drink, and consistent exercise, he’d finally made some recovery. However, advanced techniques were still beyond his grasp.

"I know, I know."

"Sharpening the axe won’t delay the chopping."

Chen Shaohu was eager yet reasonable. He understood the logic.

In this regard, his fourth brother was the expert, and he would entrust everything to him.

He spoke while flipping through a booklet from the package.

A glance.

Instantly annoyed: "Why is it martial arts again!"

Trying not to think about martial arts and suddenly being reminded of it frustrated him.

"Martial arts?"

Chen Jichuan ignored him, picked up the booklet, and opened it.

As expected.

The cover bore the bold and flamboyant title ’Divine Pouncing Saber.’

Joy spread across his face.

He quickly examined the other booklets and unearthed another martial arts skill: "Ghost Fall Sword!"

"Divine Pouncing Saber."

"Ghost Fall Sword."

Chen Jichuan’s smile grew broader and brighter.

He opened the ’Divine Pouncing Saber’ and browsed through it.

This was undoubtedly a secret martial arts manual, illustrating a technique called ’Divine Pouncing Saber.’ The booklet contained detailed diagrams and accompanying text, outlining a saber technique along with its corresponding mental method.

Killing.

Looting manuals.

It sounded strange.

But Chen Jichuan only needed a brief look to comprehend the reasoning: the manual had densely written, crooked annotations—small notes that recorded insights on cultivating the saber technique and inner methods.

Evidently, the original owner carried the manual as a constant reference, noting down anything insightful during practice.

Better an imperfect memory than none at all.

This diligent learning philosophy also applied to martial arts practitioners.

And now it conveniently benefited Chen Jichuan.

"I wonder how this compares to brother’s martial arts."

Chen Shaohu, seeing his fourth brother repeatedly flipping through the manuals, felt his earlier frustration dissipate. He looked at the manuals with growing anticipation.

Even though he couldn’t train in martial arts for now, the manuals might prove invaluable to his fourth brother.

"It’s not the same system."

"My skills focus on refining the body and building strength. These techniques require mastering Qi Sensing, following accompanying mental methods, and strengthening inner breath and inner power to subtly nourish the physical body. In combat, inner breath and inner power enhance one’s striking force."

Chen Jichuan skimmed through the manuals.

Although he couldn’t fully grasp their intricacies yet, he realized these skills followed an entirely different martial arts framework from his own rigid practices.

"But they may not be entirely unrelated."

"My cultivation of ’Iron Bull Skill,’ ’Impact Training Skill,’ and ’Lying Tiger Skill’ also involves specific breathing rhythms."

"These could potentially be considered inner strength techniques."

Chen Jichuan mulled over this and decided to collect all four manuals, telling Chen Shaohu, "The manuals state that training mental methods for inner strength requires guidance from a tutor. Without supervision, Qi circulation errors may lead to severe consequences, even leaving one crippled. I’ll take these techniques to the Great Yann World to try them first. Once I can ensure their safety, I’ll teach you."

Chen Shaohu, being young, might not resist meddling with the manuals and hurt himself in the process.

As his guardian, Chen Jichuan had to be cautious.

"Fourth Brother."

"I understand, I’m too afraid to die."

Chen Shaohu understood his brother’s concerns, grinned, and eagerly said, "Once you perfect them, teach me then. No swords for me—too feminine—I want to practice the ’Divine Pouncing Saber.’"

Chen Shaohu swung his Ghost Head Blade twice, brimming with energy.

He didn’t want to worry his fourth brother.

"Alright."

Chen Jichuan smiled.

He planned to head to the Great Yann World soon to test out the techniques.

He carefully packed the manuals away, not prioritizing rote memorization immediately in the real world. The Great Yann World offered a time acceleration factor of four hundred, enabling him to record and study the techniques comprehensively there.

Using this method.

He could memorize the contents within minutes in real time.

In the past days.

Across the past years.

While practicing martial arts in the Great Yann World, Chen Jichuan had also amassed and memorized numerous texts.

So much time.

Being devoted solely to martial arts training was a waste.

Knowledge is priceless.

Whether practical or not, learning and retaining more knowledge is always the better choice.

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