The Traces of a Demon Beast

Rumble!

Demon might surged in mighty waves, more like an ancient sea beast pouncing from the depths, filled with savage force capable of tearing all living things apart.

What Evil Tiger Diagram? Compared with a true demon beast, it was nothing more than an insignificant crawling insect on the ground.

"This life force is truly terrifying—more than ten times stronger than mine!"

Chen Fusheng gazed into the distance. Amid the black fog, a massive silhouette burst from the surface of the river, sending a large ship flying. It then leaped down, opened its bloody maw, and swallowed the ship whole with a thunderous roar.

"Ah..." Dozens of fishermen were buried in the demon beast's belly.

Chen Fusheng was horrified. "So this is a demon beast. It's far too powerful. Calling it a river demon is more fitting, of course—they're all monsters that cultivated intelligence in the Black River."

He had grown up in Star Gazing Manor and had never seen such a spectacle. Fortunately, the treasure ship had already fled at top speed.

Mu Zhen felt regretful. If she had been traveling with a Star Master of the Other Shore Realm, why would she fear a demon beast? Killing it would have made them rich!

In truth, demon beasts possessed terrifying combat strength in the river. Even if the few of them managed to win, they would probably suffer losses that outweighed their gains.

"Lie-ge, how many Star Stones does this treasure ship cost?" Chen Fusheng honestly helped kill the fish.

"What, have you come around? You don't want to work hard anymore?"

Wang Lie gave an evil grin. "The lowest-grade treasure ship costs around five thousand Star Stones. Of course, that's just an empty shell. Liu Bai got the greatest benefit from that old woman... Senior Sister. It had to be her storage pouch. Heh heh, that thing costs at least ten thousand!"

Chen Fusheng was numb with shock. A Ten Thousand Star Household was already a rarity among the Outer Sect Disciples.

Besides, once they bought a treasure ship, where would they put it? Equipping all those things would cost ten to twenty thousand, and that was still for the lowest grade.

"A few hundred Star Stones used to be an extravagant hope for me, but to cultivators, that makes us nothing but paupers..."

Chen Fusheng knew that the Inner Courtyard of Star Gazing Manor possessed a Flood Dragon Ship. It was grand and enormous, its construction cost unimaginable. It was a colossus that roamed the Black River, and a hereditary treasure of Star Gazing Manor.

"Other Shore, Other Shore!" Wang Lie grumbled. After working hard for several years, he had accumulated only two thousand Star Stones, far short of the resources he needed for his future breakthrough.

To reach the Other Shore Realm, one had to rely either on powerful spiritual mental force or on resources!

The Star Palace had specially forged cultivation rooms that allowed them to resonate more effectively with the stars of the heavens, thereby probing for and adapting to their own Natal Star. But purchasing cultivation time required three thousand Star Stones.

Mu Zhen was different. She possessed five points of spiritual mental force. Whether in cultivation speed or meditative perception, she was five times stronger than someone with one point. She could even rely on herself to search the boundless cosmos for a Natal Star suited to her.

Throughout Star Gazing Manor's history of more than ten thousand years, someone had once emerged with seven points of spiritual mental force.

Seven points was also known as a Heavenly Star Master. It was a full ten times more powerful than one point of mental force, making them a true favored child of heaven!

After hearing Wang Lie's complaints, Chen Fusheng sighed inwardly. Without talent for the Meditation Method, one was doomed to advance only by inches.

"Since the scripture left behind by the Ancient Prodigy was burned, perhaps they were unable to cultivate both paths at once."

"I wonder who founded the Star Master path and the Meditation Method?"

It was already deep into the night.

The treasure ship was nearing the two-hundred-li stretch of river.

Its speed gradually slowed, because making too much commotion would easily attract demon beasts.

The large pot on the stove bubbled and gurgled, sending out an enticing fish fragrance.

Chen Fusheng suddenly felt hungry. He had not eaten since beginning his cultivation.

"Food's ready!"

Wang Lie lifted the lid. Steam mixed with the fragrance of fish and medicinal herbs billowed out. He laughed. "Hahaha, come eat, my lords. Put smiles on your faces!"

Liu Bai set down the mended fishing net and snorted. After handing over ten Star Stones, he began eating heartily.

Naturally, those Star Stones were payment for the medicinal herbs. Old medicines with sufficient age were inherently valuable. Wang Lie had originally tried to return the Star Stones Chen Fusheng gave him, but Chen Fusheng had shaken his head. "Rules are rules."

"Haha, you're quite good at learning on the spot!" Liu Bai laughed and scolded him. He hated petty people who took advantage of others.

Chen Fusheng chuckled, filled a large sea bowl to the brim with fish, and sat down to enjoy it. The taste was fairly decent.

Wang Lie's cooking naturally could not compare with Old Huang's. But as the broth and tender fish poured into his belly, Chen Fusheng felt a fire ignite in his abdomen!

Chen Fusheng's eyes shone. He wolfed down the food as hot currents surged like magma through every limb and bone, rapidly raising his body temperature until he was drenched in sweat.

"Refreshing! This is too refreshing!"

The more Chen Fusheng ate, the more addicted he became. The fresh, tender fish and spicy broth made him sweat nonstop.

He even discovered that the hot sweat he discharged was actually the impurities within his body!

His fleshly body took on a sense of transparency, an entirely different change from his usual cultivation.

He could even deeply feel his physical foundation growing stronger!

"So this is nourishment through food. It nourishes the foundation of my fleshly body. The stronger that foundation is, the stronger my physique becomes, and the greater my room for growth."

As he ate, Chen Fusheng turned around at the strange looks from Wang Lie and the others. Only then did he realize that his entire body was steaming...

"Chen Fusheng, do you have a special constitution?" Liu Bai noticed the qi and blood steaming within Chen Fusheng, as though a great furnace had been lit inside him.

The instant Mu Zhen looked over, a vigorous masculine aura rushed toward her. Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and she could not help tightening her legs.

A strange color surfaced on Mu Zhen's exquisite face. For the first time, she truly looked at Chen Fusheng. Could he possess a Pure Yang Body?

Chen Fusheng knew he could no longer hide it, so he nodded. "I had just succeeded in attracting a star when I felt as if something had awakened in my limbs. I don't know what kind of constitution it is."

"Chen Fusheng, you really hit the jackpot." Liu Bai was incredibly envious. If he possessed such a fierce physique, wouldn't his Senior Sister worship him?

Moreover, given Chen Fusheng's current condition, his fleshly body was clearly absorbing the nutrients from the fish, which meant his constitution still had room to grow.

Instead, they relied on refining energy through their qi seas. Although that could also nourish the fleshly body, its room for improvement was far too limited.

"The three realms of a Star Master. Even if one doesn't focus on the fleshly body, it remains important for the future," Mu Zhen suddenly said.

Liu Bai lowered his head and kept eating. Those born into great lineages truly were different—every other word they said concerned the future...

Of course, Mu Zhen left one thing unsaid: without five points of spiritual mental force, there was no such thing as a future.

"Fusheng, once we return, I'll teach you Vajra Fist. Temper your fleshly body properly."

Wang Lie also paid no mind to Mu Zhen's words. After achieving the Other Shore Realm, one would have hope of becoming a Star Official!

As for the three realms beyond that? They had never considered them.

"Right, when we go out onto the river next time, Old Bai, you'll need to prepare a larger fishing net." Wang Lie laughed loudly.

"Easy, easy." Liu Bai agreed readily. The stronger his physique became, the faster he could cast the net. This junior team member needed special attention.

By contrast, although qi-sea energy could control the casting of the net, it could not match the finer control of a purely physical body.

Chen Fusheng's senses were sharp, and he noticed Mu Zhen glancing at him now and then.

He looked toward the young woman sitting diagonally at the bow. Her graceful figure was wrapped in a black dress, her snow-white legs long and slender, her waist narrow enough to encircle with one hand. Her magnificent chest was draped in loose blue-black hair, and her coldly beautiful oval face glowed with a lustrous pale sheen.

When Chen Fusheng's gaze traveled upward from below and reached her limpid autumn eyes, she fiercely glared at him.

Chen Fusheng hurriedly lowered his head and continued eating. Mu Zhen shook her head, barely suppressing a laugh. Turning to look into the distance, she let the night wind lift her hair and ribbons. Amid the black fog, they shone with a jade-like whiteness.

Wang Lie quietly turned sideways and whispered, "What are you staring at, boy? She's the legitimate daughter of a wealthy Aristocratic Clan in Tian Yuan City. Keep your eyes where they belong."

Chen Fusheng's body jolted. Star Gazing Manor bordered the Black River to the east, Tian Yuan City to the west, and primeval forests to the north and south.

Tian Yuan City had a population of more than ten million. Any family qualified to be called a wealthy Aristocratic Clan had a powerful Star Master guarding it. He had never expected Mu Zhen's background to be so impressive. No wonder even Inner Sect Disciples pursued her.

Wang Lie and Liu Bai were even less daring to entertain thoughts of her. Mu Zhen had joined the team simply because she had grown restless and wanted to seek an opportunity to break through. She was about to become an expert of the Other Shore Realm!

"In the Other Shore Realm, the qi sea gives birth to Natal Star matter, and combat strength rises by at least tenfold!"

When he thought of this, Chen Fusheng fell silent. He wondered what grade of star recognition Huang Li had received.

Natal Stars ranged from first to ninth grade. Huang Li possessed five points of mental force. If her luck was good, she could receive recognition from a sixth-grade star. Seventh-grade stars were collectively known as Heavenly Stars, eighth-grade stars as Dao Stars, and ninth-grade stars as Saint Stars!

Of course, let alone a Saint Star Master, in the tens of thousands of years of Tian Yuan Star Gazing Manor's history, only one Heavenly Star Master had ever emerged. As for sixth-grade stars, receiving recognition from one qualified a person to compete for the position of one of the Ten Great Disciples!

At present, more than ten pounds of Yellow Orange Fish had been completely devoured. Using the leftover spicy broth, Wang Lie then cooked a great pot of river crabs, shrimp, and clams.

Chen Fusheng ate and drank wildly until he was so full that he could barely walk. His entire body was sticky and uncomfortable. Irritated, he grabbed the corner of the ship with one hand, plunged into the water, and gave himself a thorough cold-water bath. He felt as though he had shed several layers of skin.

After climbing back onto the ship dripping wet, Chen Fusheng circulated his power to dry his robes. He felt refreshed all over.

He closed his eyes and cultivated, pushing the medicinal power through his body to nourish his physique. Every aspect of his condition had clearly improved!

"Food nourishment can raise the fleshly body in every way. I can feel my internal organs growing stronger. I'll soon be able to reach the third layer of heaven."

"Hm? As my skin and flesh toughen, my sinews and bones can continue growing stronger!"

"I feel as though if I continue cultivating, my skin and flesh will become impervious to blades and spears, while my bones will grow as strong as mountains of gold and jade. The path of the fleshly body truly is wondrous beyond words."

"Once I complete these two stages, I'll refine my internal organs. Compared with that, the realm bottlenecks are secondary to me."

Chen Fusheng pondered his cultivation path. It was already the latter half of the night. He used Star Stones to charge the Spirit Snake Diagram and cultivate. He even wanted to try charging the Flood Dragon Diagram.

But he discovered something absurd: after dozens of Star Stones were exhausted, the Flood Dragon Diagram had emitted only a sliver of light...

"I still need to make money!"

The next morning, the treasure ship moved intermittently, casting its net three times along the way.

Liu Bai had already been scolded into depression by Wang Lie. After casting the net twice, he pulled up a chamber pot. He had no idea which bastard had thrown it away. What was truly infuriating was that there was only a tadpole inside the chamber pot.

Wang Lie immediately mocked him, saying that the goods had already been offered up.

As for the third attempt, Mu Zhen pulled up dozens of pounds of fish, but they were all worthless.

Because of the first harvest, the team members entrusted Chen Fusheng with an important task. He lay down to conserve his energy, waiting for his teammates to cast their nets at the chosen coordinates!

Chen Fusheng did not want to stand out. After casting the net five times in succession, he pulled up a little over a hundred pounds—neither too much nor too little, just enough to seem reasonable.

Liu Bai was becoming impatient. The expenditure simply was not matching the returns.

"Demon beast—a powerful demon beast! Retreat at once!"

Mu Zhen spoke up. The treasure ship changed direction and retreated. Yet before half an hour had passed, another surge of demon-beast energy appeared in the distant mist!

Wang Lie frowned. They had encountered two in succession? That was not a good omen.

The treasure ship swiftly changed course again, but what horrified them was that they discovered traces of yet another demon beast!

"What the hell is going on? This is unbelievably unlucky!" Liu Bai cursed. They were currently in the two-hundred-and-fifty-li stretch of river, yet they had encountered demon beasts in all directions.

Wang Lie decisively ordered, "Stop the ship. Keep silent."

Chen Fusheng lay at the bow with one hand submerged in the river. He sensed more than a dozen fierce-beast auras, though they were scattered fairly far apart.

"Something's wrong. These demon beasts are swimming around as if they've gone mad. Are they searching for something?" Chen Fusheng was puzzled. Surely they could not be treating them as targets and surrounding them for a hunt?

The sky gradually darkened, and the black fog around them grew denser. The vast Black River resembled a colossal beast choosing its prey, filled with dangerous fluctuations.

The treasure ship extinguished its light and drifted with the current. Wang Lie and the others kept watch in every direction. Leaving now would truly be unwise.

"Hm? Such a dense fluctuation of moonlight. Could it be..."

Chen Fusheng suddenly sensed a group of unusual fish. They moved extremely quickly. Could they be spirit fish?

He even discovered that the unusual fish were approaching this place. They were already less than thirty zhang away!

"Splash!"

Suddenly, a silver fish leaped from the water. It was about as thick as a baby's arm and nearly as long. As it swished its tail, it drew in the moonlight and star radiance from the sky, then plunged back into the river, sending up great waves.

"Silver Moon Spirit Fish!" Mu Zhen's large black-jewel eyes lit up!

"Boom!"

Just as Liu Bai was about to determine its position, Chen Fusheng suddenly flipped upright, snatched up the silver-wire net, turned around coldly, and with a sharp snap, flung it out. "Any brothers here who like fishing? I grew up by a river when I was little. Casting nets is too difficult, so I prefer feeling around for fish in the river, even though I can't swim."