Su Ping fished all the way back to East King Temple.
Other than some river delicacies caught by physical means, he obtained nothing.
However, all this was within his expectations; without a Fishing Compass, it was less likely to encounter fruitful fishing points.
His journey had successfully tamed a Rat Army, which was considered quite an achievement.
Su Ping had initially chosen rats as Spiritual Pets simply because they were the most spiritual and their size made it convenient to move around on Water Blue Star without drawing attention.
Being able to indirectly control a Rat Army on Water Blue Star was a pleasant surprise.
Though the abilities of these Water Blue Star rats were quite ordinary.
But the beauty of it was that after a successful initial investment, they no longer required continuous consumption of Mana to be driven!
This was very important for Su Ping, who was still in the middle period of Qi Cultivation and had limited Mana, which wouldn't last long on Water Blue Star.
If used properly, it could save a lot of unnecessary expenditure.
Compared to the small investment in these rat groups, for Su Ping, it was merely a trivial and painless strategic move.
Upon returning to East King Temple, he left three small gold bars on the table, took the remaining sugar, and then returned to the Immortal Cultivation World with White and Grey.
Taoist Zhouxuan had meditated all night and when he woke up to cook, he noticed the gold bars on the table and immediately realized that the accomplished master had come back.
He hurriedly ran a round in East King Temple and soon stopped in the storeroom, somewhat disappointed as he looked at the mostly emptied storeroom.
Zhou Xuan sighed, knowing that the master had left quietly.
However, the master had taken the sugar both times.
It seemed that his guess might have some truth to it?
Real Immortal Cultivation might indeed require consuming more sugar to replenish energy!
Thinking of the ten thousand words of praise about the importance of sugar he had found online, Zhouxuan felt increasingly that he had discovered a little secret on the path to cultivation.
Pleased with his secret discovery, he no longer planned to leave for breakfast but worried the master might return at noon. He decided to set out early to restock the storeroom!
Frost Moon Manor, Su Ping took White and Grey back to the bedroom.
To reward the two Spiritual Rats, Su Ping had also prepared miniature bathtubs and proportionately reduced Body Tempering Medicine Bags for them.
He then forcibly fed them Qi Blood Waste Pills.
The Spiritual Rats squeaked through the night in both agony and joy.
Afterward, Su Ping checked the state of the two Spiritual Rats and found that the Body Tempering Medicine Bag and Qi Blood Waste Pills could amplify their abilities twice.
However, this method, like normal Cultivators popping pills, would quickly lead to various health issues, leading to diminishing effects and eventually cutting off the possibility of further advancement.
In the eyes of other Cultivators, this was a dead end.
But for Su Ping, who possessed Purification Spirit Medicine, it was a broad avenue that allowed Spiritual Pets to advance rapidly!
Su Ping checked his system inventory:
"The coins are enough to exchange for three bottles of Purification Spirit Medicine, sufficient for use before the next fishing trip."
"Right, I haven't taken out the Big Bluefish I caught fishing yet; I don't even know what this delicious meat tastes like."
Su Ping murmured and directly took out a Big Bluefish weighing over three pounds from the system storage.
[Big Bluefish, Quality: Ordinary, delicious meat with few bones, edible, can nourish Yin and replenish the kidneys!]
Su Ping glanced over the nourish Yin and replenish the kidneys part and silently began to deal with the Big Bluefish in his hands.
He took out pots and pans and started a fire with the Fire Control Flag.
He then had White and Grey bring various seasonings and side dishes from the kitchen.
In just over twenty minutes, Su Ping had made himself a complete fish feast.
Chopped hot pepper fish head, boiled fish slices, deep-fried fish bones, cold dressed fish skin...
Su Ping was the first to pick up his chopsticks, and the leftovers were cleanly dealt with by White and Grey, ensuring not a single scrap was left.
The aroma of the full fish banquet had already spread across much of the Frost Moon Villa.
The chefs were amazed as to what kind of fish could produce such a tempting scent.
Most people were envious, continuously swallowing their saliva, silently marveling at the magical abilities of their Inspector lord.
Perhaps, it was an Immortal Fish that their lord had caught from the heavens, which smelled so enticing?
"The flavor is good, and it leaves a lasting fragrance in the mouth after eating."
"Moreover, I can vaguely feel a gentle energy within my body, slowly harmonizing my internal organs and meridians, boosting my vigor."
"Is this what they call nourishing the yin and strengthening the kidneys in the scriptures?"
"It can completely compare with demon beast meat... No, this Big Bluefish, with its milder medicinal properties, is even better in terms of safety!"
"It's just that eating one more of these Big Bluefish means using up five Fishing Coins!"
"Besides, such Spirit Fish are too good, to the extent that I dare not exchange them for Spirit Stones."
"So, I can only use them myself and give some to these two fellows as well."
Su Ping knocked on the heads of the two Spirit Rats, who were still longing for more.
He then continued to meditate and cultivate.
Thus, he practiced Qi Cultivation by day and Body Refining by night.
When he felt bored, he would watch dances and listen to music, or go back to East King Temple to scroll through his phone and relax his mind with the entertainment resources accumulated over twenty years.
Several days had passed in a blink.
The day when the Fishing Point would refresh was nearing again.
Su Ping had been secretly looking forward to that day's arrival.
Suddenly, Su Ping felt a vibration from his Identity Token.
Not wanting to delay, Su Ping immediately stopped eating his fish meat hotpot, took out the Token, and saw the text that had appeared on it.
"The Immortal Ascension Conference is to be held ahead of schedule?"
"Telling me to prepare for reception?"
After reading the message, Su Ping's expression was somewhat dazed.
He then showed a hint of confusion:
"According to previous practices, the Immortal Ascension Conference would normally be held after the start of autumn."
"Has it been brought forward half a year because the Immortal Sect is short on miners, or is there a large gap in Spiritual Farmers?"
"Or maybe, there is something else I don't know of that has happened?"
Su Ping thought for a while and decided to go to the workshop to find someone to send a message to the few acquaintances he had in the Outer Sect, to see if he could learn anything and better prepare early.
After finishing the fish meat hotpot, Su Ping then walked out of the room, ostentatiously rode in a carriage, and headed straight for the City Lord Mansion in Golden Sparrow City.
Upon seeing Su Ping arrive at the City Lord Mansion, people from the Ji Family rushed to follow his lead.
To this, the other families were not surprised.
During this period, the Ji Family's determination to align with the Inspector had been palpable to the entire city.
Ji Hu had been running to Frost Moon Villa every two to three days, relentless even if he did not get to meet anyone, as if his sole purpose was to present gifts.
Su Ping, naturally, did not reject such proactive allegiance.
However, he would not confer any benefits just to win them over before they proved their worth.
Su Ping entered the conference hall and immediately took the head seat. Once everyone had gathered, he then informed them about the Immortal Ascension Conference being held ahead of schedule.
This immediately sparked a flurry of whispering.
Some could not help but worry about whether the young members of their families, who were studying abroad, would be able to return in time.
Yet, no one dared to question or even complain about the decisions of the Immortal Sect.