Transcending the Nine Heavens

Chapter 44: Spirit-Absorbing Sacred Fish

After bidding farewell to Wu Yunliang, Meng Chaoran fell silent again on the way back to the Purple Bamboo Garden.

Chu Yang knew that Meng Chaoran was worried about him but didn’t know how to alleviate that worry. He wanted to say something, but felt that no matter what he said, it would only sound weak and powerless, unable to dispel Meng Chaoran's concern, so he chose to remain silent.

Just as they arrived at the entrance of the Purple Bamboo Garden, they heard Tan Tan’s penetrating shout from inside: “Don’t run! If you keep running, I’ll stew you for soup!”

Both of them were taken aback and hurriedly entered, only to see Tan Tan squatting at the edge of the pool, splashing water everywhere. With a cheer, he jumped up holding a fish high above his head, laughing heartily, clearly overjoyed.

Meng Chaoran was momentarily stunned and suddenly dashed forward.

Chu Yang was also astonished! He didn’t expect Tan Tan to have caught such a precious thing!

It was a peculiar fish, completely black, without scales, and its head was round with no eyes. It turned out to be a Blind Fish! It wasn’t very big, probably less than half a pound.

“Tan Tan, put it down.” Meng Chaoran said urgently, “Don’t kill it!”

Tan Tan turned back with a confused expression and excitedly exclaimed, “Master, Chu Yang, look, I caught a strange fish.” As he spoke, the fish suddenly wriggled free from his grasp, drawing a graceful arc in the air as it tried to return to the water.

Meng Chaoran was quick to react, leaping out and catching the fish just before it could land back in the water. Then, without a moment’s pause, he flipped it over, already holding a basin of water in his hand, and returned to the pool front to scoop up half a basin of water, placing the fish inside.

Then he wiped his face, which had been splashed with water, and smiled as he handed the basin to Tan Tan: “Keep it in your room and take good care of it. This fish is extremely precious; don’t let it die.”

Tan Tan said perplexedly, “Master, what kind of fish is this? It’s so small… not enough for soup at all.”

“Soup?! All you think about is eating!” Meng Chaoran chuckled with a hint of frustration as he lightly tapped Tan Tan on the head, scolding, “This is a priceless treasure! It would be such a waste to eat it!”

“Priceless treasure?” Tan Tan scratched his head, looking curiously at the fish. It was just a fish after all, no matter how strange it looked, it wasn’t a dragon…

“This is the Spirit-Absorbing Sacred Fish.” Chu Yang crouched down to look at the fish. “I can’t believe Tan Tan actually discovered such a treasure! Luck is indeed on your side.”

“Spirit-Absorbing Sacred Fish?”

“Indeed, the Spirit-Absorbing Sacred Fish, according to ancient legends, is a treasure of the Three Star Holy Clan. This type of fish doesn’t grow large, its meat isn’t tasty, and it doesn’t have any powerful skills. But if you keep this fish in a fish tank in your room, it can absorb the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy and gather it here! For martial artists, it can significantly enhance their training effectiveness! It is truly a treasure that martial artists dream of!”

Chu Yang said gently.

“Moreover, there’s another great benefit: with this fish around, the heaven and earth spiritual energy it absorbs is pure and untainted. That’s the most valuable part. The existence of this fish has become a legend; it has only been recorded in texts for many years, and no one has seen it before. Tan Tan, how did you discover it?” Meng Chaoran asked, looking at Tan Tan with surprise.

“It was just now. I was scooping water by the pool when suddenly the sky turned completely dark, and I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I was scared and didn’t dare to move by the pool for a full half-hour, and then the sky finally lightened up. That’s when I noticed the mud at the bottom of the pool was stirring, as if something was trying to burrow out. Then I just kept watching…” Tan Tan shrugged, “And then this guy popped out of the mud... I thought it looked strange, so I caught it.”