After the fish in his stomach was digested, Zhou Qing felt refreshed and full of energy.
However—
As the blood in his body was no longer concentrated in the digestive system, Zhou Qing's thoughts began to resurface.
Why would a soul beast appear in this small stream?
The large white carp—according to villagers from Saint Soul Village who had been to Nuoding City to sell grain—was said to be a very ordinary type of fish, dirt cheap, just two jin per copper soul coin.
Yet this particular large white carp had become a soul beast!
Wasn't this practically no different from a carp leaping over the dragon gate?
Even the weakest ten-year soul beast would be no match for Zhou Qing in water. After all, even though he had managed to grab the gill of the fish, it still dragged him along while swimming, and only when Tang San stepped in were they able to subdue it.
Moreover, there was a bite mark on the carp's head, as if it had been attacked by something.
Any creature capable of using a ten-year soul beast carp as food must itself also be a soul beast. But since the carp was able to escape, that creature couldn't be much stronger and was likely also aquatic.
Soul beasts follow the laws of nature too. Aquatic soul beasts lose a significant amount of fighting strength on land. In the original story, even the hundred-thousand-year Devil Spirit Great White Shark was greatly weakened when it transformed into human form and came ashore. Not to mention the soul beasts birthed in this small stream.
Thus, Zhou Qing decided to investigate further.
Just in case—
"San'er, how about we go check upstream?"
With Tang San accompanying him, their safety was much more assured.
This was someone who, with just tenth-rank soul power and Tang Sect techniques, managed to completely outmaneuver a four-hundred-year Mandrake Snake!
Although Yu Xiaogang was often mocked as the disgrace of Soul Grandmasters, his soul power was still at rank twenty-nine. Even he couldn't handle the Mandrake Snake, yet Tang San in the original story had slain it—undeniable proof of Tang San's strength!
Even though he was only four years old now, he shouldn't have any problem dealing with aquatic soul beasts that could only fight at full power in water. And even if they couldn't win, they could always retreat to land.
"Alright!" Tang San agreed without hesitation.
He had already eaten the fish, and the benefits were clear—his cultivation had accelerated. If there were more soul beasts around, they certainly had to investigate.
The two tidied up the trash, buried it, dressed, and climbed the slope beside them to reach the top of the waterfall.
Above the waterfall was another small stream. The deepest part was only about forty centimeters, and the water was so clear that the aquatic plants and pebbles at the bottom could be clearly seen.
"Brother Qing, look over there. It looks like a tree is lying across the stream!" Tang San's sharp eyes spotted a green tree laying horizontally a hundred meters away and spoke softly.
"It's been there for a while," Zhou Qing said thoughtfully. "The forest on that side is much denser than this side. There are a lot of weeds, so I've never gone that way. Most of the villagers are busy working in the fields and don't have time to go in there to forage for wild herbs…"
As he spoke, Zhou Qing suddenly felt that it wasn't so strange after all for one or two ten-year soul beasts to appear in such a place.
"Shall we go take a look?"
Tang San was itching to explore.
"Wait."
Zhou Qing scooped up some mud from the edge of the stream and smeared it on his clothes. Then he did the same for Tang San. Seeing Tang San's puzzled expression, he explained, "Soul beasts have a sharp sense of smell. Even though we bathed in the pool earlier, our clothes were left on the shore. The scent might have lingered and could be picked up."
Tang San nodded silently, inwardly scolding himself for forgetting such a basic thing about masking scent.
After walking nearly a hundred meters, the two boys arrived at the tree lying across the stream.
They looked at the silt underneath and the densely packed branches growing from the tree trunk. Zhou Qing couldn't help but marvel at the vitality of plants: "This tree must have fallen decades ago, yet it's still growing. Look at all these branches and green leaves—it's grown over a meter high!"
"Indeed. Plants are incredibly resilient," Tang San observed, looking toward the roots. They had worked their way deep into the soil, and he nodded in acknowledgment.
Zhou Qing grabbed a branch and began to climb.
The intertwining branches on the fallen tree were so dense that they could actually support his weight.
"Come on up," Zhou Qing said. "These branches may look thin, but they're tightly intertwined and very sturdy. I'd bet even someone like your father could stand on them."
Tang San tugged at the foliage. Sure enough, it was firm and strong. He marveled quietly to himself, then followed Zhou Qing up. "Wait for me."
One after the other, they climbed to the top.
Lying flat, their bodies sank slightly into the thick foliage, but the growth still supported them.
On the other side of this "green wall of branches," they could see a pile of pebbles and deadwood jammed against the branches, which caused the water on that side of the stream to deepen.
By Zhou Qing's estimate, it was over a meter deep!
Within twenty meters of their field of vision, the stream was murky. Only beyond that did the water become clear again.
It was as if this segment of the stream had been dug deeper by some creature.
Splash!
The water suddenly rippled.
Zhou Qing and Tang San exchanged glances, instantly slowed their breathing, and pressed their bodies deeper into the foliage. They gently parted the branches in front to peer into the murky water.
A large white carp leapt from the water—
No!
It was clamped in the jaws of a black head!
As the unknown creature swam toward the bank, Zhou Qing finally got a good look: short, stubby limbs; a round, raised head; and a black shell covered in water weeds.
It was a Spirit Resonance Turtle!
"Brother Qing, look!" Tang San whispered. "There's a crack on the turtle's shell—looks like it was smashed by something. And it's old too, overgrown with water weeds, even with a freshwater snail nesting in it… That wound's never healed, yet it's still alive! It must be a soul beast! Could this be the hundred-year-old Spirit Resonance Turtle?"
"Most likely," Zhou Qing replied, stunned.
He never thought that terrifying tale used to scare children was actually true!
And the Spirit Resonance Turtle had come this close to Saint Soul Village!
Yet this turtle's vitality was astonishing. Even with its shell cracked, caked in mud, and infested with weeds and snails, it had managed to survive.
By the looks of it, it wouldn't live much longer. It was nearing a natural death.
But since they had discovered it, they couldn't let it die for nothing. At the very least, they should cut away the rotten parts—surely the remaining meat could still be eaten.
Turtle meat was known to be extremely nourishing!
Zhou Qing's mouth was already starting to water.
Tang San was the same.