Harvest (Seeking Recommendations)

Several days later.

Splash.

A spirit fish with a mouth like a long spear and a crimson-gold body leaped from the sea, abruptly opening its lips.

Puff puff puff!

Jets of pitch-black water instantly formed and shot toward Fang Qing like bolts from powerful bows and crossbows.

Fang Qing's expression did not change as he formed a hand seal.

Ji Water spiritual power surged, and streams of seawater appeared, forming an enormous wall of water.

The black arrows entered the water wall and instantly dissolved, as though they had been corroded away.

"A spirit fish? A true demonic beast!"

"Who would have thought that a casual fishing trip at sea would hook a Golden Spearfish?"

A faint smile appeared on his face. "Since you've emerged from the sea, don't go back."

With a lift of his hand, he activated a Golden Blade Talisman. A pale-gold phantom blade appeared in midair and slashed across half the Golden Spearfish's body, sending sheets of crimson scales falling away.

The Golden Spearfish twisted its body and tried to plunge back into the sea, only to discover that all the nearby seawater had been controlled by Fang Qing, transformed into a sphere of water, and lifted into the air.

His figure flashed, and Fang Qing was already on the other side of the water sphere. The muscles across his body bulged, his hand coated in a strange sheen as he struck heavily at the point where the lines behind the fish's two eyes intersected.

Bang!

The fish's skull instantly caved in, and the Golden Spearfish stopped moving at once.

Fang Qing carried the huge fish back onto the boat, sliced off a piece of flesh, lightly roasted it, and took a bite.

"Mmm... it really is a spirit fish. It tastes even better than Treasure Fish."

As the fish meat entered his stomach and turned into a warm current that even began nourishing his body and spiritual power, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

If this Golden Spearfish were brought back to the sect, it would be worth at least a hundred spirit stones! It could be refined into pills that aided breakthroughs past the early Qi Refinement bottleneck.

If Li Yusu had possessed a Golden Spearfish back then, his breakthrough could not possibly have failed.

"The ocean... truly is an immense treasure trove."

Fang Qing was deeply moved. Azure Sea Sect records contained many tales of cultivators who had fallen into miserable straits, even been poisoned by deadly toxins, then fled into the deep sea and luckily eaten a spirit fish. Their toxins were purged, their spiritual power greatly advanced, and even their aptitudes improved—stories of defying fate and the return of the Dragon King.

"I only meant to put on a show... I never expected a spirit fish to truly take the bait. Once I bring it back to the sect... everything will be resolved."

"Wait. Where spirit fish are active, there might be underwater spirit treasures as well?"

At that thought, his heart stirred with inexplicable excitement.

Although Fang Qing did not particularly enjoy taking risks, he could still pick up an opportunity that had practically been delivered into his hands.

He formed the Water-Repelling Formula and entered the sea, beginning a careful search.

Three days later.

Fang Qing stopped before an enormous clam shell and exerted force with both hands.

Crash!

The clam shell was pried open by brute force, revealing a pearl the size of a fist within.

The pearl was incomparably bright, carrying a moist, lustrous spiritual aura and radiating an ethereal glow.

"A fine pearl. It's worth at least one mid-grade spirit stone..."

Fang Qing could not help but sigh.

Within the Azure Sea Sect, one mid-grade spirit stone equaled over a hundred low-grade spirit stones. Ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators could not even come into contact with them; only Foundation Establishment cultivators could possess such wealth.

"Not only is its spiritual aura astonishing, this pearl is also an excellent artifact blank. It can be refined into a water-element artifact..."

He had long felt how poor he was. Apart from some talismans and the Green Leaf Boat for traveling, he did not even possess a single truly suitable artifact.

If he could find a good artifact refiner to make a few alterations to this pearl, it would at least become a First-Order Mid Grade artifact. With good luck, it might even have a chance of reaching First-Order High Grade!

"A tremendous haul... When Li Yusu followed the Double-Fang Ship out to sea last time, he might not even have gained as much as I did..."

After taking the Sea Pearl, Fang Qing returned in high spirits, steering his boat home.

Myriad Treasures Island, Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs.

"Junior Brother, this harvest of yours..."

Hua Lian looked at the Golden Spearfish and Sea Pearl Fang Qing displayed, his face full of envy. "I've seen plenty of fleets, but those with gains like yours have only appeared a handful of times..."

"Just luck."

Fang Qing handed the Golden Spearfish to Hua Lian. "Please consign this item for sale, Senior Brother... As for the Sea Pearl in my possession, I want to refine it into an artifact."

"Oh? Then you should seek out Huo Tianhuo... He knows quite a few brothers and sisters who cultivate fire-attributed techniques. Among them, Ming Lingzhen is a First-Order High Grade artifact refiner."

Hua Lian replied with a smile. This was how one built connections within the sect. "Your pearl is brimming with spiritual aura. You truly need to find a good artifact refiner—you cannot let it go to waste."

"Oh? Then I must thank you, Senior Brother."

Fang Qing felt a flicker of delight. He followed Hua Lian to find Huo Tianhuo, bought another batch of talismans, and asked him to introduce Ming Lingzhen.

Ming Lingzhen looked middle-aged, with a face full of thick whiskers and knotted muscles, yet he was an exceedingly forthright man.

He took the Sea Pearl and examined it carefully before nodding. "Not bad... It's filled with spiritual aura, naturally an excellent blank. Even a First-Order Low Grade artifact refiner could turn it into a mid-grade artifact with a little care... If I handle it, it should become high grade."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."

Fang Qing immediately presented the deposit.

"Mm. What kind of high-grade artifact do you want, Junior Brother? For artifacts in the shape of pearls, I only know two kinds. One is called the Light-Fixing Shield, a defensive artifact. Once activated, a layer of spiritual light covers the entire body. It is exceptionally effective at defending against all five-element spells, though it is somewhat weaker against attacks from physical artifacts."

"The other is to transform it into something half-storage in nature. It can normally store a hundred thousand jin of seawater, which can be released against enemies. Combined with the Water Control Art, it carries a rather unique power... Moreover, ordinary seawater can be refined. If you can find spirit water, poisonous water, or the like, Junior Brother, it will inflict even greater harm on enemies."

"This..." Fang Qing considered it. For cultivators, defensive artifacts were clearly better than offensive artifacts.

Moreover, in the Lesser Vast Sea Cultivation Realm, water was hardly a resource at all.

But the Land of Ancient Shu was different!

The Land of Ancient Shu was an inland region. As a water-method cultivator, having vast quantities of accessible water vapor at hand during battle would naturally be a tremendous advantage.

Even if I can't beat metal and fire, I should still be able to bully earth and wood, right? But the mutual generation and restraint over there is utterly unreasonable... Water Virtue cultivators might end up being the weakest among the five elements.

Fang Qing thought without much confidence.

Still, I have body-tempering techniques for defense... I should enhance my offense instead.

"Then I'll take the offensive artifact."

He spoke and made his decision.

"Oh?" This decision clearly exceeded Ming Lingzhen's expectations. He smiled. "For a high-grade artifact, I'll need to borrow the sect's fire vein for the refinement. Come collect it in a month. Oh, and... according to the rules of alchemy and artifact refinement, if the process fails, I will not compensate you for the raw materials."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

After silently grumbling about those refining rules, Fang Qing returned to his own cave abode.

Pill Island.

Fang Qing returned to his cave abode.

His cave abode had not possessed much decoration to begin with, but now an additional stone chamber had been opened up. Within it was a Pool of spirit water, bubbling with a fountain and connected to the external water veins.

"A First-Order Mid Grade Spirit Spring? Thank you, Senior Sister..."

Using a finger to lift a thread of spirit spring water and sensing the spiritual aura within it, Fang Qing immediately thanked Senior Sister Qin.

Senior Sister Qin wore a blue robe, her legs long and slender. She had the appearance of a gentle woman. Hearing this, she smiled. "I was merely entrusted by someone else, so there is no need for courtesy... Your spirit spring is normally only First-Order High Grade, but I left behind a Formation Disk. If you wish to use a First-Order High Grade spirit spring for alchemy in the future, you only need to fill the Formation Disk with spirit stones to temporarily raise this spirit spring to First-Order High Grade... Besides that, I arranged the Little Maze Formation around your cave abode according to your prior requirements. It can prevent others from disturbing you, and it should be sufficient within the sect."

This Little Maze Formation did not truly possess much ability to repel or trap enemies. At most, it could provide some warning when someone intruded.

Furthermore, it was useless against high-level cultivators.

But within the Azure Sea Sect, if high-level cultivators could brazenly storm the cave abodes of low-level disciples, then nothing anyone said would matter anyway.

"As expected of a First-Order High Grade formation master, Senior Sister."

Fang Qing took out the remaining payment in a pouch of spirit stones and handed it to Senior Sister Qin, inwardly marveling at how artifact refiners and formation masters truly made money.

If he had not caught a Golden Spearfish this time, he would probably have needed to be lucky enough to find another rogue cultivator's cave abode and inherit its legacy just to barely afford it.

"Mm, payment and goods are both settled."

Senior Sister Qin inspected the spirit stones and nodded in satisfaction. Before leaving, she turned back thoughtfully and stared at Fang Qing. "You have joined the Five Dragons Society, so you are considered one of Five Dragons Child's people... The next True Disciple contest will likely become increasingly fierce. Five Dragons Child and I are allies, so I have no choice but to offer you a few words of advice... Avoid dealing too much with Clouddrift Adept's faction."

"Mm?"

Fang Qing was startled. Then he recalled Xu Wusu's usual behavior, and his heart stirred. Could it be that Xu Wusu recruited me not merely because my talent is passable, but because he is competing with Clouddrift Adept's faction, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

And now... seeing that Zha Zhu and I seem to be tangled together again, she came to give me a warning?

This sect's True Disciple struggle is truly troublesome...

But outwardly, Fang Qing naturally gave repeated assurances. He said that he needed to devote himself to alchemy next and improve his Water-Method Alchemy, and that he had long had no relationship with Zha Zhu.

"Good."

Senior Sister Qin smiled, rode a streak of light, and flew away from Pill Island.

"Wait... I never even asked which member of Clouddrift Adept's faction is competing with Five Dragons Child. It can't be Zha Zhu, can it? She's too young—perhaps the contest after next. She has more hope than Hua Lian..."

"Could it be Gong Susu, or Hua Lingsu?"

Fang Qing returned to his cave abode and looked at his spirit pool. This time, he truly had some hope that Senior Brother Five Dragons Child could rise above the rest in the next True Disciple contest.

"But if I had felt humiliated before and wanted to seek revenge with everything I had, Xu Wusu and the Five Dragons Society would probably have helped me too?"

"What is this? No matter how powerful the enemy, don't be afraid—so long as you charge in, the system will automatically match you with teammates?"

"Unfortunately, I only want to cultivate immortality and live forever..."