Return to Linghua Island

April 3, Year 5493 of the Yuangguang Calendar.

A small boat cut through the spring seawater, slowly making its way toward Linghua Island.

Dressed in close-fitting black clothes, Zhao Yi stood at the bow, feeling the spring sea breeze and savoring its faint warmth. Several seabirds flew above the boat, occasionally plunging into the sea to forage.

Watching this, then thinking of how he had left with internal injuries and returned fully healed with greatly improved cultivation, Zhao Yi could not help feeling full of vigor. He lifted his head, thrust out his chest, and let out a long cry toward the sky, shaking feathers loose into the air.

Before long, he reached Linghua Island's harbor. Liu Yu, Wang Qing, and Li Hai were already waiting on the pier.

Zhao Yi greeted them, then began unloading the demon beast bones onto the pier.

There were one turtle shell, five large bundles of shark bones, and over a dozen sacks of soil mixed with demon beast blood in all.

The others came forward to help, and before long, everything was piled on the pier. The enormous turtle shell and savage-looking shark skull radiated a dangerous aura.

Feeling the pressure emanating from them, the islanders were too frightened to approach.

Several yellow dogs were so frightened that they collapsed onto the ground, leaving puddles behind.

"Eldest senior brother, is this a turtle shell? Is this a skull?"

Wang Qing stroked the enormous turtle shell, then the shark skull beside it, exclaiming in astonishment.

Liu Yu and Li Hai also looked at Zhao Yi in surprise.

"Yes. Get a few islanders to carry them up the mountain first. I'll tell you the details afterward!"

Zhao Yi smiled, then shouldered the turtle shell, picked up a bundle of bones, and strode forward.

Behind him, Liu Yu began directing the islanders to carry the bones and soil.

Over two hours later, everyone returned to the mountain. Liu Yu waved a hand, signaling for the islanders to leave.

Zhao Yi sat on the steps, pointed at the turtle shell and enormous shark skull, and smiled as he told them in detail how the snipe and clam had fought while he, the fisherman, reaped the rewards.

When he reached the dangerous moments, the three repeatedly cried out in alarm.

"Senior brother, that was too risky. Next time, you should stay out of the way!" Liu Yu said with a frown.

Wang Qing and Li Hai nodded repeatedly, both agreeing with Liu Yu.

Zhao Yi smiled helplessly. "How could I stay out of the way? Where could I hide? If that Giant-Toothed Shark had really advanced to the Spirit Attraction Stage and taken over the waters around Jade Pearl Island, I would have been trapped on the island until I died."

"Don't worry. I won't fight head-on. If I really encountered an uninjured Spirit Attraction Stage demon beast, I couldn't run away fast enough. How would I dare face it?"

His tone shifted.

"The risks were great, but so were the rewards. This time, I got nearly four thousand jin of demon beast meat, and I ate it all during my three months on Jade Pearl Island."

"Not only did all my internal injuries heal, but I also opened two more unorthodox meridians, bringing me another step closer to perfection of meridian opening. One fight to the death saved me nearly two years of cultivation!"

"Not to mention, I also got a Spirit Attraction Stage Demon Core, a Spirit Attraction Stage demon beast egg, and these two thousand-odd jin of demon beast bones."

"Just think how much Spirit-Nurturing Powder we can prepare with these demon beast bones ground into powder!"

"We might even be able to open up another mu of spirit fields!"

Liu Yu gave a wry smile. "All right, senior brother. You're right about everything."

"Eldest senior brother, where's the demon beast egg?"

Wang Qing's eyes widened as he looked at Zhao Yi expectantly.

Zhao Yi smiled. Rather than tease him, he took the Sea Turtle Egg straight out of his robe.

"Here, this is it. That Spirit Attraction Stage sea turtle had weakened because it was producing offspring, which was why the Giant-Toothed Shark targeted it. I found the eggs when I was butchering it for meat afterward. There were three altogether. I ate the two dead eggs, but this one was still alive, so I kept it."

Wang Qing gazed longingly at the Sea Turtle Egg. Seeing this, Zhao Yi understood what the lad was thinking. With an amused smile, he handed the Sea Turtle Egg straight to him, and Wang Qing hurriedly took it.

"I'll leave this Sea Turtle Egg to you to hatch, then. Once the demon beast hatchling emerges, you can form a contract with it."

"Have Liu Yu give you that scroll of Wang Xuanmu’s First Record of Beast Taming we found on Jade Pearl Island last time. Read it carefully and study the art of beast taming. In the future, you can add another craft to Linghua Island!"

"There's no need to give it to him. He took it to read back in winter. He was just waiting for spring so he could hurry to Jade Pearl Island and try forming a contract with a Spirit Fish!"

Liu Yu teased Wang Qing as he watched him holding the demon beast egg and grinning foolishly.

"Haha, isn't that a coincidence? Wang Qing had only just started studying beast taming, and now we've brought him a demon beast egg. Wang Qing, you must study the art of beast taming properly."

"I will, I will. Thank you, eldest senior brother!"

Wang Qing carefully tucked the Sea Turtle Egg into his robe and grinned foolishly at Zhao Yi and Liu Yu.

Leaving Wang Qing aside, Zhao Yi looked at Li Hai beside Liu Yu. After a brief inspection, he noticed that the lad had grown taller and sturdier, with clearly defined muscles appearing on his body.

"Li Hai, how are your studies of Daoist script, fist techniques, and swordsmanship coming along?"

"Eldest senior brother, I've begun studying the second section of the True Explanation of the Yuanhua Dao Text. I practice the fist routine ten times a day and the sword routine twenty times a day. I've kept at it."

Li Hai smiled shyly, withdrew his gaze from the shark skull, and bowed to Zhao Yi as he answered.

"Good. Your second senior brother is better at swordsmanship. You can learn more from him!"

"Understood, eldest senior brother."

Li Hai nodded.

Zhao Yi turned to Liu Yu. "How is your cultivation coming along?"

"I've taken all three bottles of Essence Qi Pills and opened over fifty meridians of the Lesser Celestial Circuit. I reckon I'll be able to open them all in another year and reach great completion of meridian opening."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhao Yi looked at Liu Yu with delight. Once Liu Yu reached great completion of meridian opening, there would be many things they could do.

"Come on, let's have a drink!"

Early the next morning, Zhao Yi got up and went outside. Li Hai was already waiting outside the door. Zhao Yi nodded, and Liu Yu and Wang Qing had also come out. The four began their Morning Cultivation.

Their Morning Cultivation followed a fixed routine. After finishing the sword routine, Zhao Yi twirled his sword toward Li Hai.

"Li Hai, let's test those months of hard practice."

With that, he thrust his sword forward.

Li Hai had finished his Morning Cultivation but had yet to sheathe his sword. Seeing Zhao Yi attack, he hurriedly raised his sword to block.

Clink!

The two swords collided. Li Hai immediately felt a powerful force travel into his sword, leaving the web of his hand numb. Unable to control the force, he was pushed several steps backward.

White light flashed as Zhao Yi slashed downward. Li Hai blocked again, only to be driven back repeatedly by the impact.

Seeing this, Zhao Yi restrained his strength and attacked Li Hai with twenty percent of his power. Only then could Li Hai withstand his blows.

With the force now suitable, the two exchanged blows, sword light flashing.

Zhao Yi's sword strikes came like a gale and driving rain, while Li Hai wielded his sword steadily, guarding himself so tightly that not even splashed water could get through.

For a time, the two fell into a stalemate.

A clang rang out, sparks flew, and the two separated.

"Li Hai, your turn to attack."

His sword stance changed, and Li Hai's gaze instantly sharpened. His wrist turned, sword light flashed, and he unleashed a sequence of the Wind-Chasing Spirit-Slaying Sword, every move aimed to kill as he tried to find an opening in Zhao Yi's defenses.

Zhao Yi, by contrast, remained calm and composed, his steps steady.

The sword in his hand seemed to move casually, yet it always countered Li Hai's fierce attacks with perfect precision.

Every block looked effortless, with everything under control.

Clink!

With a soft ring, Zhao Yi knocked Li Hai's sword to the ground and stopped his blade at Li Hai's neck. Sheathing his sword, Zhao Yi looked at Li Hai with delighted surprise.

"Li Hai, you've practiced for less than a year and already reached this level. Your talent for swordsmanship is truly impressive. It looks like we're going to have a Sword Cultivator among us!"

With a composed expression, Li Hai picked up his sword and sheathed it, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Thank you for your guidance, eldest senior brother!"

"Go see your second senior brother later. He has all the sword manuscripts Master left behind. They record Master's decades of experience cultivating the way of the sword. There's plenty there for you to learn!"

"All right!"