bookbashuk Chapter 96 Cultivating Immortality is Not as Good as Slacking Off
Chapter 96 Cultivating Immortality is Not as Good as Slacking Off
Half a month passed quietly in the tranquil mountains and waters of Yunyin Sect.
For the past two weeks, Chen Anran had devoted almost all his energy to cultivation. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining. This made Chen Anran even more frustrated.
On this day, the afternoon sun shone brightly, warmly bathing the courtyard.
Chen Anran had just finished a cycle of Qi circulation and was about to take a short rest when a series of cheerful footsteps and clear children's voices came from outside the courtyard gate.
"Junior Uncle! Junior Uncle!"
With a shout, Xiaoling ran in like a butterfly. Today she was wearing the light yellow dress that Zhao Mengmeng had given her, her pigtails swaying back and forth, her face flushed with excitement.
Following closely behind her was Feng Xiaolu, who was carrying three brand-new green fishing nets wrapped with bamboo poles, and had a mysterious smile on her face.
"Junior brother! Stop meditating, get up and move around!" Feng Xiaolu shoved a fishing net into Chen Anran's hands and handed another to Xiaoling'er. "Come on, let's go down the mountain to catch fish! The stream behind the mountain has been nourished by spiritual energy lately, the silver threadfin fish in it must be plump and tender!"
Little Bell, carrying a fishing net almost as tall as herself, hopped and skipped along, exclaiming, "Let's go catch fish! Sister Mengmeng said silver threadfin bream are delicious grilled!"
Chen Anran looked at the fishing net in his hand, then at his junior nephew who was staring at him expectantly and his third senior sister who was pleading with him. He was about to refuse, but his heart softened.
"Senior sister, the river behind the mountain is shallow; there aren't any big fish there," Chen Anran tried to reason with her.
"Who says there aren't any!" Feng Xiaolu said confidently. "I secretly went to check yesterday, the water was crystal clear, and there were plenty hiding in the crevices of the rocks at the bottom! Besides, the important thing is the process, the fun! You're always buried in your cultivation, you're practically turning into stone! Little Ling'er, don't you think?"
Little Bell nodded vigorously, her big eyes blinking as she looked at Chen Anran with anticipation: "Junior Uncle, let's go together! Third Uncle said it's so much fun!"
Faced with those two pairs of expectant eyes, Chen Anran's initial thought of refusing vanished instantly. He smiled helplessly and ruffled Xiaoling'er's hair: "Okay, let's go together."
"Yay! Junior Uncle is the best!" Little Bell cheered.
Feng Xiaolu proudly raised her chin: "That's more like it! Let's hurry, let's go while the sun is still shining!"
The three of them took their fishing nets and, chatting and laughing, went down the mountain to the crystal-clear stream behind the mountain.
The stream babbled and shimmered in the sunlight. Just as Feng Xiaolu had said, there were quite a few fish, each about an inch long, with a silver line along their back, swimming nimbly in the water.
"See that! I told you so!" Feng Xiaolu said triumphantly, rolling up her trousers and wading into the cool stream. "Little Ling'er, come down quickly, your Uncle will teach you!"
Little Bell followed suit, carefully entering the water and staying close to Feng Xiaolu.
Chen Anran looked at them, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. He placed the fishing net on the shore, found a flat, large rock to sit on, and didn't rush into the water. He simply watched Feng Xiaolu clumsily instruct Xiaoling'er on how to time the net casting, listening to Xiaoling'er's exclamations or giggles when she caught nothing or small stones, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.
The mountain breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a soft, rustling sound that mingled with the babbling of the stream and the two people's laughter.
Seeing this, Chen Anran's heart gradually calmed down.
"Junior brother! Don't just stand there watching! Come down and help!" Feng Xiaolu, having failed to catch a single fish and instead splashed water all over herself, angrily shouted at Chen Anran.
Little Bell looked over with her big, watery eyes.
Chen Anran smiled, finally got up, took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers, and stepped into the cool stream.
"They're here."
The stream water was cool and clear, reaching above her ankles. Chen Anran bent down, picked up the fishing net, and, imitating Feng Xiaolu, scanned the bottom of the stream with her eyes. The silver threadfin bream were very agile; at the slightest movement, they darted into the crevices of the rocks, leaving only a flash of silver.
"Oh no! It got away again!" Little Bell, holding a fishing net that was almost as tall as herself, stomped her foot at a fish that was quickly slipping away, splashing water everywhere.
Feng Xiaolu focused intently, holding her breath, and spotted a fat fish lingering in the shallows. Suddenly, she scooped it up with her net! With a splash, the net was lifted, revealing it to be empty except for a few water plants.
Chen Anran couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Feng Xiaolu, enraged and embarrassed, glared at him: "What are you laughing at! Come on, try it if you dare!"
Chen Anran shook his head, his smile fading, and his gaze locked onto a silverfish leisurely swaying its tail beside a bluestone. Unlike Feng Xiaolu, he wasn't impatient. Instead, he slowly moved his feet, adjusted his angle, and with a flick of his wrist, the net's opening traced a subtle arc in the water, perfectly catching the fish. He then lifted it up smoothly!
Water droplets dripped from the mesh of the net, and a palm-sized, shimmering silver fish was jumping and frolicking at the bottom of the net.
"Wow! Junior Uncle is so amazing!" Little Ling'er immediately abandoned her "failed teaching" Third Uncle and ran to Chen Anran's side, standing on tiptoe to look at the fish in the net, her big eyes full of admiration.
Feng Xiaolu stared in disbelief, then leaned closer and protested, "Luck! It must be luck! You try catching another one!"
Chen Anran smiled, put the fish into the small bucket that Feng Xiaolu had brought, and looked at the stream again.
He followed the same method, aimed carefully, cast the net, and then pulled it up.
Article 2, Article 3...
In less than fifteen minutes, Chen Anran had caught five or six fish in his net, while Feng Xiaolu and Xiaoling'er still hadn't caught anything.
Feng Xiaolu looked at the silver threadfin fish swimming in the bucket beside Chen Anran's feet, then at her own empty fishing net, and completely deflated. She threw the net onto the bank, sat down on a large rock in a pouting manner, and muttered, "I'm not playing anymore!"
Little Bell was tired too, so she sat on the bank like Feng Xiaolu, splashing her little feet on the water.
Chen Anran sat down next to Feng Xiaolu and pushed the bucket in front of her. "Alright, senior sister, I'll grill fish for you tonight as an apology."
Feng Xiaolu glanced at the lively fish in the bucket, snorted, but couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile: "That's more like it! To make it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, add plenty of cumin!"
"Okay," Chen Anran replied with a smile.
Feng Xiaolu looked at Chen Anran, "Junior Brother, is something on your mind?"
Chen Anran was taken aback, and then Feng Xiaolu continued, "I see that you don't even farm your land anymore, and you lock yourself in your room or training room every day."
Little Bell also looked up at Chen Anran with a worried expression.
Chen Anran didn't hide anything: "I've been stuck at the peak of the early stage of Qi Refining for some time now. I always feel like there's a thin membrane between us, but I just can't seem to break through it."
"I knew it!" Feng Xiaolu slapped her thigh. "The path of cultivation is about balance! You've been too tense. Sometimes, the more you cling to something, the harder it is to break through. Don't you always say you want to 'follow the natural way'? Be careful not to go astray like this!"