Still Water Village
Although it was already two or three o’clock in the early morning, the factory area, under constant round-the-clock construction, remained very lively with roaring machines and a steady stream of workers.
Inside the room, Xiao Tudou (Little Potato) was meditating.
Stillwater Village
Although it was already two or three in the morning, the factory area, which operated day and night, was bustling with activity. Machinery roared, and people moved about tirelessly.
Inside the room, Little Potato was meditating.
These days, as the earth spiritual energy from the dried-up well grew increasingly dense, Little Potato had been cultivating relentlessly, rarely venturing out.
For ordinary people, sleep is the best way to regain energy.
But for those who practice cultivation, meditation is not only the best way to restore energy but also a means to enhance one’s cultivation.
Shui Miao entered the room quietly and also began meditating.
After calming his mind and focusing his spirit, Shui Miao turned his attention inward to his dantian. He noticed that the immortal energy within him was still only the size of a grain of rice, and the gap to the Heavenly Gate in his mental realm remained a slender crack. He couldn’t help but feel anxious. At this rate, when would he ever make another breakthrough?
Having reached his current level of cultivation, further progress had become exceedingly difficult.
The spiritual energy resources on Earth were dwindling, especially in today’s society, where development and pollution were rampant. Unless one ventured into deep mountains and forests—places rarely touched by humans—finding rich spiritual energy in a metropolis was nearly impossible.
After meditating for over ten minutes, Shui Miao opened his eyes, feeling somewhat conflicted.
In the past, he had enhanced his cultivation through meditation and refining energy.
Now, however, his body automatically absorbed the immortal energy from his mental realm to strengthen his cultivation, without the need for deliberate meditation.
Thus, for Shui Miao, meditation had become merely a way to restore energy.
The room felt a bit stuffy.
Shui Miao opened the windows and doors, making a slight noise.
Little Potato, awakened by the sound, stopped meditating and struck up a conversation with Shui Miao.
After exchanging a few casual words, Shui Miao asked Little Potato how he managed to use spiritual energy to alter his appearance.
Little Potato smiled and explained that it was quite simple: by controlling spiritual energy to gather beneath the surface of the skin, one could change their overall appearance. However, to alter hair texture or create wrinkles, one needed to manipulate spiritual energy outside the body. Of course, voice could also be adjusted using spiritual energy. But Little Potato could only transform into an old man because he had only cultivated earth spiritual energy, which was particularly effective in creating wrinkles.
Hearing Little Potato’s explanation, Shui Miao felt as if a window had been opened in his mind.
After finishing his explanation, Little Potato handed Shui Miao a mirror and encouraged him to give it a try.
Shui Miao nodded, feeling slightly excited.
In truth, the principle of transformation was very simple… Shui Miao just hadn’t tried it before and found it novel.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and focused on envisioning Little Potato’s appearance. Gradually, an image of Little Potato appeared in his mental realm, and he felt his immortal energy automatically circulating around his face. When the circulation stopped, he opened his eyes and looked into the mirror. The reflection was no longer himself—it was unmistakably Little Potato!
Little Potato opened his eyes, stunned as if turned to stone.
“Wow, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Shui Miao felt that the art of transformation was quite easy and didn’t consume much immortal energy. It merely required mobilizing the energy usually stored in his skin and blood.
“Senior Brother, how… how did you manage that? When I first attempted to enlarge my nose, it took me more than a month! Yet, you accomplished it in just a few dozen seconds, and it looks so precise!” Little Potato was nearly overwhelmed with excitement, clutching Shui Miao’s hand and almost leaping with joy.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, focused his mind slightly, and his immortal energy returned to normal. His face reverted to its original form.
“Haha! This is amazing!”
Shui Miao exclaimed with excitement. Earlier, he had to maintain mental focus and avoid exaggerated expressions or strong emotional fluctuations, which was why he had appeared so calm. Now that he had mastered the art of transformation, it was as if he held multiple trump cards. From now on, he could assume anyone’s appearance at will—it felt like a dream, and the thought alone was thrilling!
“Yes, Senior Brother, you’re incredible! Tell me quickly, how did you do it?”
Little Potato’s mental realm was far inferior to Shui Miao’s, and Shui Miao possessed a complete balance of Yin-Yang and Five Elements immortal energy—something Little Potato couldn’t hope to match.
“It’s nothing special. I just calmed my mind, envisioned the appearance I wanted to assume in my mental realm, and then my body automatically began to change.”
Shui Miao wasn’t entirely sure how Little Potato did it; he simply shared his own experience.
Just then, a commotion arose from outside.
Sensing something, Shui Miao stood up and walked out…
Li Lan was holding a walkie-talkie, repeatedly calling for Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu had fallen asleep in his tent in the vegetable patch area, his snores rising and falling rhythmically. The walkie-talkie had been left outside the tent, so he couldn’t hear it at all.
“What’s going on, Sister Li Lan?”
Shui Miao closed Little Potato’s door, urging him to continue refining his energy, and then approached Li Lan. Li Lan anxiously explained, “The surveillance cameras captured someone trespassing into Xiao Liu’s area. I’ve called him multiple times, but there’s no response.”
“Don’t worry. How many people are there?”
Shui Miao turned and headed toward the monitoring room. Inside, Zhao Xiaolu had just been awakened by Li Lan. Still in her sleepwear, she was startled when Shui Miao entered and hurriedly wrapped her clothes tighter.
“Just one. He looks sneaky—definitely not up to any good,” Li Lan pointed at the monitor. “He came from the Stillwater River and is now hiding under the corner of the wall.”
“Just a petty thief. Xiao Liu and the others must be asleep. Hand me a walkie-talkie; I’ll go check it out myself.” Shui Miao glanced around, looking for a walkie-talkie. Zhao Xiaolu happened to have one nearby and quickly handed it to him. As Shui Miao took it, he noticed that one of the buttons on her chest was undone, revealing a glimpse of her bare skin, pale and soft like a freshly steamed bun. He felt a wave of embarrassment, quickly took the walkie-talkie, and turned to leave.
Noticing Shui Miao’s awkward expression, Zhao Xiaolu looked down and realized she had exposed herself. Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment, all the way to her neck.
Li Lan glanced over and thought to herself, “What’s the big deal? It’s not like Shui Miao cares.”
“Boss, should I go with you?” Li Lan asked, still concerned, as she followed him out.
Shui Miao shook his head. “How serious could it be?”
Just then, Shui Miao spotted a familiar female figure running toward them from the direction of the village. “Huh? Why is Sister Lin Xue here so late?”
“Lin Xue! So that’s Lin Xue!”
Li Lan had heard about Lin Xue from Wang Xiaomi and knew she was a tough, highly skilled woman. She had always wanted to meet her but never expected it to happen so suddenly.
“Sister Lin Xue, what brings you here?”
Shui Miao greeted her with a smile.
Lin Xue let out a sigh of relief. “Sharp eyes! spotting me in such darkness. So, did you find someone climbing up from the Stillwater River?”
“How did you know?” Li Lan asked, curious.
Lin Xue shrugged at Li Lan. “I’m helping a friend solve a case—capturing a criminal from the island nation. I had a feeling he’d show up here and be caught on your surveillance, so I rushed over. Since he’s here, shall we discuss the details on the way?”
Lin Xue looked questioningly at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao immediately nodded. “Sure, Sister Lin Xue, I’ll go with you.”
“Alright, no problem. I have a gun, Squad Leader Li Lan, so don’t worry.”
Lin Xue smiled at Li Lan and quickly headed south, with Shui Miao following closely behind.
In front of the tent, Li Lan furrowed her brow deeply and murmured to herself, “Strange… How does she know me? She’s never been here before, yet she knows we have surveillance. That’s not normal! The cameras by the river are very well hidden—she shouldn’t have been able to spot them. Could there be a spy in our team? Or has spyware been installed on our computers?”
With that thought, Li Lan hurried back to the monitoring room.
For ordinary people, sleeping is the best way to recover energy.
However, for cultivators, meditation is the optimal method to regain energy. Moreover, meditation can also enhance one’s cultivation.
Shui Miao silently entered the room and also began to meditate.
Stillwater Village
Although it was already two or three in the morning, the factory area, which operated day and night, was bustling with noise and activity. Machinery roared, and people moved about tirelessly.
Inside the room, Little Potato was meditating.
These days, as the earth spiritual energy from the dried-up well grew increasingly dense, Little Potato had been cultivating relentlessly, rarely venturing outside.
For ordinary people, sleep is the best way to regain energy.
But for those who practice cultivation, meditation is the optimal method not only to restore energy but also to enhance one’s cultivation base.
Shui Miao entered the room quietly and also began to meditate.
After calming his mind and focusing his spirit, Shui Miao turned his attention inward to his dantian. He noticed that the immortal energy within him was still only the size of a grain of rice, and the gap to the Heavenly Gate in his mental realm remained a slender crack. He couldn’t help but feel anxious—how long would it take for him to make another breakthrough?
Reaching Shui Miao’s current level of cultivation made further progress exceedingly difficult.
The spiritual energy resources on Earth were dwindling, especially in today’s society, where development and pollution were rampant. Unless one ventured into deep mountains and forests—places rarely touched by humans—finding rich spiritual energy in a metropolis was nearly impossible.
After meditating for over ten minutes, Shui Miao somewhat frustratedly opened his eyes.
In the past, he enhanced his cultivation through meditation and refining qi.
Now, even without actively meditating to refine qi, his body automatically absorbed immortal energy from his mental realm to strengthen his cultivation.
Thus, for Shui Miao, meditation had become merely a way to recover energy.
The room felt a bit stuffy.
Shui Miao opened the windows and doors, making a slight noise.
Little Potato, awakened by the sound, stopped meditating and struck up a conversation with Shui Miao.
After exchanging a few casual words, Shui Miao asked Little Potato how he managed to use spiritual energy to alter his appearance.
Little Potato smiled slightly and explained that it was quite simple: by controlling spiritual energy to gather beneath the surface of the skin, one could roughly change their appearance. However, to alter hair texture or create wrinkles, one needed to manipulate spiritual energy outside the body. Of course, voice could also be adjusted using spiritual energy. But Little Potato could only transform into an old man because he solely cultivated earth spiritual energy, which was effective in creating wrinkles.
Hearing Little Potato’s explanation, Shui Miao felt as if a window had been opened in his mind.
After finishing his explanation, Little Potato handed Shui Miao a mirror and encouraged him to give it a try.
Shui Miao nodded, feeling slightly excited…
In truth, the principle of transformation was very simple… It was just that Shui Miao had never tried it before and found it novel.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and focused. Then, he visualized Little Potato’s appearance. Gradually, an image of Little Potato appeared in his mental realm, and he felt his immortal energy automatically circulating around his face. When the circulation stopped, he opened his eyes and looked into the mirror—the reflection was no longer himself but unmistakably Little Potato!
Little Potato opened his eyes, stunned as if turned to stone.
“Wow, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Shui Miao felt that the transformation technique was quite easy and didn’t consume much immortal energy; it merely required mobilizing the energy usually stored in his skin and blood.
“Senior Brother, how… how did you manage that? When I first tried to enlarge my nose, it took me more than a month! And you did it in just a few dozen seconds, and it looks so precise!” Little Potato was nearly beside himself, clutching Shui Miao’s hand and practically bouncing with excitement.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, focused his intention slightly, and his immortal energy returned to normal, his face reverting to its original form.
“Haha! This is amazing!”
Shui Miao also cheered excitedly. Earlier, he had to maintain mental focus and avoid exaggerated expressions or strong emotional fluctuations, which was why he appeared so calm. Now that he had mastered the art of transformation and disguise, it was as if he held multiple trump cards. From now on, he could assume anyone’s appearance as he wished—it felt like a dream, and the thought alone thrilled him beyond measure!
“Yes, Senior Brother, you’re incredible! Tell me quickly, how did you do it?”
Little Potato’s mental realm was far inferior to Shui Miao’s, and Shui Miao possessed a complete balance of yin-yang and five-element immortal energy—something Little Potato couldn’t hope to match.
“It’s nothing special. Just calm your mind, visualize the appearance you want to assume in your mental realm, and your body will automatically begin to change.”
Shui Miao wasn’t entirely sure how Little Potato did it; he simply shared his own genuine experience.
At that moment, a commotion arose outside.
Sensing something, Shui Miao stood up and walked out…
Li Lan was holding a walkie-talkie, repeatedly calling for Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu had fallen asleep in the tent in the vegetable patch area, his snores rising and falling in waves. The walkie-talkie had been left outside the tent, so there was no way he could hear it.
“What’s going on, Sister Li Lan?”
Shui Miao closed Little Potato’s door, urging him to continue refining his qi, and then approached Li Lan. Li Lan anxiously explained, “The surveillance footage caught someone trespassing into the area where Xiao Liu and the others are. I’ve called him many times, but there’s no response.”
“Don’t worry. How many people are there?”
Shui Miao turned and headed toward the monitoring room. Inside, Zhao Xiaolu had just been awakened by Li Lan. Still in her sleepwear, she was startled when Shui Miao entered the room and hurriedly wrapped her clothes tightly around herself.
“Just one. He looks sneaky and definitely isn’t up to any good,” Li Lan pointed at the display screen. “He came from the Stillwater River and is now hiding under the corner of the wall.”
“Just a petty thief. Xiao Liu and the others must be asleep. Give me a walkie-talkie; I’ll go check it out myself.” Shui Miao glanced around, looking for a walkie-talkie. Zhao Xiaolu happened to have one nearby and quickly handed it to him. As Shui Miao looked at her, he suddenly noticed that a button on her chest was undone, revealing what looked like a freshly steamed bun underneath. Feeling awkward, he quickly took the walkie-talkie and turned to leave.
Noticing Shui Miao’s unusual expression, Zhao Xiaolu looked down and realized she was exposed. Her face instantly flushed red with embarrassment all the way to her neck.
Li Lan glanced over and thought to herself, “What’s the big deal? It’s not like Shui Miao cares.”
“Boss, should I go with you?” Li Lan asked worriedly, following him out.
Shui Miao shook his head. “How serious could it be?”
Just then, Shui Miao spotted a familiar female figure running toward them from the direction of the village. “Huh? Why is Sister Lin Xue here so late?”
“Lin Xue! So that’s Lin Xue!”
Li Lan had long heard from Wang Xiaomi about Lin Xue, knowing she was a tough woman with impressive martial skills. She had always wanted to meet her but never expected it to happen so suddenly.
“Sister Lin Xue, what brings you here?”
Shui Miao smiled and went to greet her.
Lin Xue breathed a sigh of relief. “Keen eyes! You recognized me in such darkness. So, did you discover someone climbing up from the Stillwater River?”
“How did you know?” Li Lan asked, curious.
Lin Xue shrugged at Li Lan. “I’m helping a friend solve a case—capturing a criminal from the island nation. I had a feeling he’d show up here and be caught on your surveillance, so I rushed over. Since he’s here, shall we discuss the details on the way?”
Lin Xue looked questioningly at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao immediately nodded. “Alright, Sister Lin Xue, I’ll go with you.”
“Sure, no problem. I have a gun, Squad Leader Li Lan, so don’t worry.”
Lin Xue smiled at Li Lan and quickly headed south, with Shui Miao following closely behind.
In front of the tent, Li Lan furrowed her brow deeply and murmured to herself, “Strange… How does she know me? She’s never been here before, yet she knows we have surveillance? That’s not normal. The cameras by the river are very well hidden—she shouldn’t have been able to detect them. Could there be a spy among us? Or has spyware been installed on our computers?”
With that thought, Li Lan hurried back to the monitoring room.
At Shui Miao’s current level of cultivation, further advancement had become extremely difficult.
The spiritual energy resources on Earth were becoming increasingly scarce, especially in today’s society, where development and pollution were everywhere. Unless one ventured deep into remote mountains and forests, areas rarely touched by humans, finding good spiritual energy in a bustling metropolis was nearly impossible.
After meditating for more than ten minutes, Shui Miao opened his eyes with a hint of frustration.
Previously, he had enhanced his cultivation through meditation and qi training.
Now, he no longer needed to meditate for qi training, as his body automatically absorbed the immortal energy from his spiritual vision to strengthen his cultivation.
Therefore, meditation for Shui Miao had become merely a way to recover energy.
The room felt a bit stuffy.
Shui Miao opened the windows and doors, making a slight noise.
Xiao Tudou was disturbed and stopped meditating, beginning to chat with Shui Miao.
After some small talk, Shui Miao asked Xiao Tudou how he managed to change his appearance using spiritual energy.
Stillwater Village
Although it was already two or three in the morning, the factory area, which operated day and night, was bustling with activity. Machinery roared, and people moved about busily.
Inside the room, Little Potato was meditating.
These days, as the earth spiritual energy in the dried-up well grew increasingly dense, Little Potato had been practicing cultivation nonstop, rarely venturing out.
For ordinary people, sleep is the best way to regain energy.
But for those who cultivate the Dao, meditation is the optimal method to restore energy. Not only that, but meditation also enhances one’s cultivation.
Shui Miao entered the room quietly and also began to meditate.
After calming his mind and focusing his spirit, Shui Miao turned his attention inward to his dantian. He noticed that the immortal energy within him was still only the size of a grain of rice, and the gap to the Heavenly Gate in his mental realm remained a slender crack. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat anxious. At this rate, when would he ever make another breakthrough?
Reaching Shui Miao’s current level of cultivation made further progress exceedingly difficult.
The spiritual energy resources on Earth were dwindling, especially in today’s society, where development was rampant and pollution was everywhere. Unless one ventured into deep mountains and forests—places rarely visited by humans and difficult to access—finding rich spiritual energy in a big city was nearly impossible.
After meditating for over ten minutes, Shui Miao somewhat frustratedly opened his eyes.
In the past, he enhanced his cultivation through meditation and refining qi.
Now, he didn’t need to meditate to refine qi; his body automatically absorbed the immortal energy from his mental realm to strengthen his cultivation.
Thus, for Shui Miao, meditation had become merely a way to restore energy.
The room felt a bit stuffy.
Shui Miao opened the windows and doors, making a slight noise.
Little Potato was awakened by the sound and stopped meditating, striking up a conversation with Shui Miao.
After exchanging a few casual words, Shui Miao asked Little Potato how he managed to use spiritual energy to alter his appearance.
Little Potato smiled slightly and explained that it was quite simple: by controlling the spiritual energy to gather beneath the surface of the skin, one could change their overall appearance. However, to alter hair texture, wrinkles, or other finer details, one needed to control spiritual energy outside the body. Of course, voice could also be adjusted through spiritual energy. But Little Potato could only transform into an old man because he had only cultivated earth spiritual energy, which was effective in creating the appearance of wrinkles.
Hearing Little Potato’s explanation, Shui Miao felt as if a window had been opened in his mind.
After finishing his explanation, Little Potato handed Shui Miao a mirror and encouraged him to give it a try.
Shui Miao nodded, feeling slightly excited…
In truth, the principle of transformation was very simple… It was just that Shui Miao had never tried it before and found it novel.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and focused. Then, he visualized Little Potato’s appearance. Gradually, an image of Little Potato appeared in his mental realm, and he felt his immortal energy automatically circulating around his face. When the circulation stopped, he opened his eyes and looked into the mirror. The reflection was no longer himself—it was unmistakably Little Potato!
Little Potato opened his eyes, stunned as if turned to stone.
“Wow, it’s not that hard, is it?”
Shui Miao felt that the art of transformation was quite easy and didn’t consume much immortal energy. It merely involved mobilizing the immortal energy that usually filled his skin and blood.
“Senior Brother, how… how did you manage that? When I first attempted to enlarge my nose, it took me more than a month. Yet, you accomplished it in mere seconds, and it looks so incredibly similar to mine!” Little Potato was nearly overwhelmed with excitement, clutching Shui Miao’s hand and almost leaping with joy.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, focused his intention slightly, and his immortal energy returned to normal. His face also reverted to its original form.
“Haha! This is amazing!”
Shui Miao also cheered excitedly. Earlier, he had to maintain mental focus and avoid exaggerated expressions or strong emotional fluctuations, which was why he appeared so calm. Now, having mastered the art of transformation and disguise, Shui Miao felt as if he held multiple trump cards. From now on, he could change his appearance to resemble anyone he wished. It felt like a dream, and the mere thought of it thrilled him beyond words.
“Yes, Senior Brother, you’re incredible! Tell me quickly, how did you do it?”
Little Potato’s mental realm was far inferior to Shui Miao’s, and Shui Miao possessed a complete balance of Yin-Yang and Five Elements immortal energy, something Little Potato couldn’t hope to match.
“It’s nothing special. I just calmed my mind, visualized the appearance I wanted to take on in my mental realm, and then my body automatically began to change.”
Shui Miao wasn’t entirely sure how Little Potato did it; he simply shared his own genuine experience.
At that moment, a commotion arose outside.
Sensing something, Shui Miao stood up and walked out…
Li Lan was holding a walkie-talkie, repeatedly calling for Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu had fallen asleep in the tent in the vegetable patch area, his snores rising and falling in waves. The walkie-talkie had been left outside the tent, so there was no way he could hear it.
“What’s going on, Sister Li Lan?”
Shui Miao closed Little Potato’s door, urging him to continue refining his qi, and then approached Li Lan. Li Lan anxiously explained, “The surveillance footage caught someone trespassing into the area where Xiao Liu and the others are. I’ve called him many times, but he hasn’t responded.”
“Don’t worry. How many people are there?”
Shui Miao turned and headed toward the monitoring room. Inside, Zhao Xiaolu had just been awakened by Li Lan. She was wearing sleepwear, and when she saw Shui Miao enter the room, she was startled and quickly wrapped her clothes tightly around herself.
“Just one. judging by his sneaky figure, he’s definitely not up to any good,” Li Lan pointed at the display screen. “He came from the Stillwater River and is now hiding under the corner of the wall.”
“Just a petty thief. Xiao Liu and the others must be asleep. Hand me a walkie-talkie; I’ll go check it out myself.” Shui Miao glanced around, looking for a walkie-talkie. Zhao Xiaolu happened to have one nearby and hurriedly passed it to him. When Shui Miao looked at Zhao Xiaolu, he suddenly noticed that a button on her chest was undone, and she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Her exposed skin was pale and soft, like freshly steamed buns. He felt a wave of embarrassment, quickly took the walkie-talkie, and turned to leave.
Noticing Shui Miao’s unusual expression, Zhao Xiaolu looked down and realized she was exposed. Instantly, her face flushed red with embarrassment, the blush spreading to her neck.
Li Lan glanced over and thought to herself, “What’s the big deal? Shui Miao isn’t even interested.”
“Boss, should I go with you?” Li Lan asked worriedly, chasing after him.
Shui Miao shook his head. “What’s there to worry about?”
Just then, Shui Miao spotted a familiar female figure jogging from the direction of the village. “Huh? Why is Sister Lin Xue here so late?”
“Lin Xue! So that’s Lin Xue!”
Li Lan had long heard Wang Xiaomi mention Lin Xue and knew she was a tough, highly skilled woman. She had always wanted to meet her but never expected it to happen so suddenly.
“Sister Lin Xue, what brings you here?”
Shui Miao smiled and walked toward her.
Lin Xue let out a sigh of relief. “Keen eyesight! You recognized me in such darkness. So, did you discover someone climbing up from the Stillwater River?”
“How did you know?” Li Lan asked curiously.
Lin Xue shrugged at Li Lan. “I’m assisting a friend in solving a case and apprehending a criminal from the island nation. I had a hunch he would appear here and be caught by your surveillance, so I hurried over. Since he’s here, shall we discuss the details on the way?”
Lin Xue looked questioningly at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao immediately nodded. “Alright, Sister Lin Xue, I’ll go with you.”
“Alright, no problem. I’ve got a gun, Squad Leader Li Lan, so no need to worry.”
Lin Xue smiled at Li Lan and quickly headed south, with Shui Miao closely following.
In front of the tent, Li Lan furrowed her brows deeply and murmured to herself, “Strange, how did she know about me? She’s never been here before, yet she knew we have surveillance. That’s not normal! The cameras by the river are very well hidden; she shouldn’t have been able to detect them. Could there be a mole in our team? Or has spyware been installed on our computers?”
With that thought, Li Lan hurried back to the monitoring room.
Hearing Xiao Tudou’s explanation, Shui Miao felt as if a window had been opened in his mind.
After explaining, Xiao Tudou handed Shui Miao a mirror and told him to try it out.
Shui Miao nodded slightly, feeling a bit excited inside…
In fact, the principle of transformation was very simple… it was just something Shui Miao had never tried before, so it felt fresh to him.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and visualized Xiao Tudou’s appearance. Gradually, Xiao Tudou’s image appeared in his spiritual vision. At the same time, he felt his immortal energy automatically flowing across his face. When the energy stopped flowing and he opened his eyes to look in the mirror, it was no longer himself staring back—it was clearly Xiao Tudou!
Xiao Tudou opened his eyes wide, shocked like a statue.
“Wow, is it really that easy?”
Shui Miao found the transformation technique very simple and not consuming much immortal energy—just redirecting the energy that usually filled his skin and blood.
“Senior apprentice-brother, you… how did you do it? It took me over a month just to make my nose bigger the first time, but you did it in just a few dozen seconds, and it looks so accurate!” Xiao Tudou was nearly beside himself with excitement, grabbing Shui Miao’s hand and almost jumping up and down.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, subtly shifted his focus, and his immortal energy returned to normal, his face reverting to his original appearance.
“Haha! That felt great!”
Shui Miao also excitedly exclaimed. Just now, while focusing his mind, he couldn’t make exaggerated expressions or show intense emotions, so he had appeared calm. Now that he had learned the shape-shifting technique, he gained many new advantages. From now on, he could transform into anyone he wanted—it felt like a dream, making him feel incredibly thrilled just thinking about it!
“Exactly, senior apprentice-brother, you’re amazing! Quickly tell me, how did you do it?”
Xiao Tudou’s spiritual vision was far inferior to Shui Miao’s, and Shui Miao possessed the complete set of Yin-Yang and Five Elements immortal energies, something Xiao Tudou couldn’t possibly match.
“It’s nothing really, just calm your mind and visualize the appearance you want to transform into within your spiritual vision, and your body will automatically start changing.”
Shui Miao didn’t exactly know how Xiao Tudou did it, he just described his own genuine experience.
At that moment, a noise from outside interrupted them.
Shui Miao’s senses heightened, and he stood up to go outside…
Li Lan was holding a walkie-talkie, continuously calling Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu was asleep in the tent in the vegetable area, his snoring rising and falling in waves. The walkie-talkie was placed outside the tent, so how could he hear it?
“What’s going on, Sister Li Lan?”
Shui Miao closed the door to Xiao Tudou’s room, letting him continue cultivating, and then went to Li Lan’s side. Li Lan anxiously said, “The surveillance camera captured someone sneaking into Xiao Liu’s area. I’ve called him many times, but he hasn’t responded at all.”
“Don’t panic. How many people?”
Shui Miao walked toward the monitoring room. Inside, Zhao Xiaolu had just been woken up by Li Lan. Still drowsy, she was startled when she saw Shui Miao enter and hurriedly wrapped herself in her clothes.
“Just one person. The figure looks suspicious, definitely not a good person.” Li Lan pointed at the screen. “He came up from Still Water River and is now hiding in the corner of the wall.”
“Just a petty thief. Xiao Liu and the others must be asleep. Give me a walkie-talkie; I’ll go check it out myself.” Shui Miao looked around for a walkie-talkie. Zhao Xiaolu had one nearby, and she quickly handed it to him. As Shui Miao glanced at Zhao Xiaolu, he suddenly noticed that one of her buttons was undone, revealing she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath. Her pale skin looked like a freshly steamed bun, making him feel awkward. He hastily took the walkie-talkie and turned to leave.
Realizing Shui Miao’s odd gaze, Zhao Xiaolu looked down and saw that she had exposed herself. Her face immediately flushed red, all the way to her neck.
Li Lan glanced at her and thought to herself, “So what? Shui Miao doesn’t even care.”
“Boss, should I come with you?” Li Lan followed out, somewhat concerned.
Shui Miao shook his head. “What’s the big deal?”
At that moment, Shui Miao saw a familiar female figure running from the direction of the village, “Hmm, so late? Why is Sister Lin Xue here?”
“Lin Xue! That’s Lin Xue!”
Li Lan had heard from Wang Xiaomi about Lin Xue before. She knew Lin Xue was a tough woman with high martial arts skills, and she had always wanted to meet her. She never expected it would happen so suddenly.
“Sister Lin Xue, why did you come here?”
Shui Miao smiled and walked forward to greet her.
Lin Xue exhaled in relief. “Good eyesight! You could spot me even in this darkness. So, did someone climb up from Still Water River and get discovered by you?”
“How did you know?” Li Lan was quite curious.
Lin Xue shrugged at Li Lan, “I’m helping a friend solve a case, chasing a criminal from an island nation. I guessed he would appear here and be caught by your surveillance, so I came over. Well, since he’s already here, let’s talk about the details on the way?”
Lin Xue looked questioningly at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao immediately nodded, “Okay, Sister Lin Xue, I’ll go with you.”
Stillwater Village
Although it was already two or three in the morning, the factory area, which operated day and night, was bustling with activity. Machinery roared, and people moved about tirelessly.
Inside the room, Little Potato was meditating.
These days, as the earth spiritual energy from the dried-up well grew increasingly dense, Little Potato had been cultivating relentlessly, rarely venturing outside.
For ordinary people, sleep is the best way to regain energy.
But for those who practice cultivation, meditation is the optimal method to restore energy. Not only that, but meditation also enhances one’s cultivation.
Shui Miao entered the room quietly and also began to meditate.
After calming his mind and focusing his spirit, Shui Miao turned his attention inward to his dantian. He found that the immortal energy within him was still only the size of a grain of rice, and the gap to the Heavenly Gate in his mental realm remained a faint, slender crack. He couldn’t help but feel anxious. At this rate, when would he be able to make another breakthrough?
Reaching Shui Miao’s current level of cultivation made further progress exceedingly difficult.
The spiritual energy resources on Earth were dwindling, especially in today’s society, where development and pollution were everywhere. Unless one ventured into deep mountains and forests—places rarely touched by humans—finding rich spiritual energy in a metropolis was nearly impossible.
After meditating for over ten minutes, Shui Miao reluctantly opened his eyes.
In the past, he enhanced his cultivation through meditation and refining energy.
Now, he didn’t need to meditate to refine energy; his body automatically absorbed the immortal energy from his mental realm to strengthen his cultivation.
Thus, for Shui Miao, meditation had become merely a way to restore energy.
The room felt a bit stuffy.
Shui Miao opened the doors and windows, making a slight noise.
Little Potato was awakened by the sound and stopped meditating, striking up a conversation with Shui Miao.
After exchanging a few casual words, Shui Miao asked Little Potato how he managed to use spiritual energy to alter his appearance.
Little Potato smiled and explained that it was quite simple: by controlling spiritual energy to gather beneath the surface of the skin, one could change their overall appearance. However, to alter hair texture or wrinkles, one needed to manipulate spiritual energy outside the body. Of course, voice could also be adjusted using spiritual energy. But Little Potato could only transform into an old man because he had only cultivated earth spiritual energy, which was particularly effective in creating the appearance of wrinkles.
Hearing Little Potato’s explanation, Shui Miao felt as if a window had been opened in his mind.
After finishing his explanation, Little Potato handed Shui Miao a mirror and encouraged him to give it a try.
Shui Miao nodded, feeling slightly excited.
In truth, the principle of transformation was very simple… Shui Miao just hadn’t tried it before and found it novel.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and focused. Then, he visualized Little Potato’s appearance. Gradually, an image of Little Potato appeared in his mental realm, and he felt his immortal energy automatically circulating around his face. When the circulation stopped, he opened his eyes and looked into the mirror. The reflection was no longer himself—it was unmistakably Little Potato!
Little Potato opened his eyes, stunned as a statue.
“Wow, it’s not that hard, is it?”
Shui Miao felt that the art of transformation was quite easy and didn’t consume much immortal energy. It simply involved mobilizing the energy usually stored in his skin and blood.
“Senior Brother, how… how did you manage that? When I first attempted to enlarge my nose, it took me more than a month. Yet, you accomplished it in just a few dozen seconds, and it looks so precise!” Little Potato was nearly beside herself with excitement, clutching Shui Miao’s hand and almost leaping with joy.
Shui Miao closed his eyes, focused his intention slightly, and his immortal energy returned to normal. His face reverted to its original form.
“Haha! This is amazing!”
Shui Miao exclaimed excitedly. Earlier, he had to maintain mental focus and avoid exaggerated expressions or strong emotional fluctuations, which was why he appeared so calm. Now that he had mastered the art of transformation, it was as if he held multiple trump cards. From now on, he could change his appearance to resemble anyone he wished. It felt like a dream, and the thought alone thrilled him beyond words.
“Yes, Senior Brother, you’re incredible! Tell me quickly, how did you do it?”
Little Potato’s mental realm was far inferior to Shui Miao’s, and Shui Miao possessed a complete balance of Yin-Yang and Five Elements immortal energy—something Little Potato couldn’t hope to match.
“It’s nothing special. I just calmed my mind, visualized the appearance I wanted to take on in my mental realm, and my body automatically began to change.”
Shui Miao wasn’t sure exactly how Little Potato did it; he simply shared his own experience.
Just then, a commotion broke out outside.
Sensing something, Shui Miao stood up and walked out…
Li Lan was holding a walkie-talkie, repeatedly calling for Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu had fallen asleep in the tent in the vegetable patch area, his snores rising and falling in waves. The walkie-talkie had been left outside the tent, so he couldn’t hear it at all.
“What’s going on, Sister Li Lan?”
Shui Miao closed Little Potato’s door, instructing him to continue refining his energy, and then approached Li Lan. Li Lan urgently explained, “The surveillance cameras captured someone trespassing into Xiao Liu’s area. I’ve called him many times, but he hasn’t responded.”
“Don’t worry. How many people are there?”
Shui Miao turned and headed toward the monitoring room. Inside, Zhao Xiaolu had just been awakened by Li Lan. She was wearing sleepwear, and when she saw Shui Miao enter the room, she was startled and quickly wrapped her clothes tightly around herself.
“Just one. He looks sneaky and definitely isn’t up to any good,” Li Lan said, pointing at the display screen. “He came from the Stillwater River and is now hiding under the corner of the wall.”
“Just a petty thief. Xiao Liu and the others must be asleep. Give me a walkie-talkie; I’ll go check it out myself.” Shui Miao glanced around, looking for a walkie-talkie. Zhao Xiaolu happened to have one nearby and quickly handed it to him. As Shui Miao took it, he noticed that one of the buttons on her chest was undone, revealing a glimpse of her bare skin, pale and soft like a freshly steamed bun. He felt a wave of embarrassment, quickly took the walkie-talkie, and turned to leave.
Noticing Shui Miao’s awkward expression, Zhao Xiaolu looked down and realized she had exposed herself. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, all the way to her neck.
Li Lan glanced over and thought to herself, “What’s the big deal? Shui Miao isn’t even interested.”
“Boss, should I go with you?” Li Lan asked, feeling uneasy as she hurried after him.
Shui Miao shook his head. “What’s there to worry about?”
Just then, Shui Miao spotted a familiar female figure running toward them from the direction of the village. “Huh? Why is Sister Lin Xue here so late?”
“Lin Xue! So that’s Lin Xue!”
Li Lan had heard about Lin Xue from Wang Xiaomi and knew she was a tough, highly skilled woman. She had always wanted to meet her but never expected it to happen so suddenly.
“Sister Lin Xue, what brings you here?”
Shui Miao smiled warmly as he went to greet her.
Lin Xue let out a sigh of relief. “Sharp eyes! You recognized me in this darkness. So, did you guys find someone climbing up from the Stillwater River?”
“How did you know?” Li Lan asked, curious.
Lin Xue shrugged at Li Lan. “I’m helping a friend solve a case—catching a criminal from the island nation. I had a feeling he’d show up here and be caught by your surveillance, so I rushed over. Since he’s here, shall we discuss the details on the way?”
Lin Xue looked questioningly at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao immediately nodded. “Sure, Sister Lin Xue, I’ll go with you.”
“Okay, no problem. I have a gun, Squad Leader Li Lan, so don’t worry.”
Lin Xue smiled at Li Lan and quickly headed south, with Shui Miao following closely behind.
In front of the tent, Li Lan furrowed her brow deeply and murmured to herself, “Strange. How does she know me? She’s never been here before, yet she knows we have surveillance. That’s not normal! The cameras by the river are very well hidden; she shouldn’t have been able to detect them. Is there a mole in our team? Or has some spyware been installed on our computers?”
With that thought, Li Lan hurried back to the monitoring room.
Lin Xue smiled slightly at Li Lan and quickly walked southward, with Shui Miao closely following.
In front of the tent, Li Lan frowned deeply, murmuring softly to herself, “Strange, how did she know me? She’s never been here before. How could she even know we have surveillance? That’s not normal! Those surveillance cameras along the riverbank were placed very secretly; she shouldn’t have been able to find them. Could there be a spy among us? Or maybe some spyware was planted in the computer?”
Thinking this, Li Lan hurried back to the monitoring room.
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