At first glance, the object resembled a translucent bracelet. But upon closer inspection, Lin Feng realized it was actually a coil of thread wound into a circle. Sweeping it with his spiritual sense revealed the truth: this ring, thinner than a little finger, was composed of a single filament, fine as a human hair, wound countless times upon itself.
This coil appeared utterly ordinary, yet Lin Feng could sense an extraordinarily potent spiritual energy fluctuation emanating from it. Without a doubt, it was a magic treasure, and its grade was not low—a high-grade spirit artifact.
Lin Feng examined the dead Flying Shadow Fish in his right hand more carefully. Its body bore almost no visible wounds. Only with his spiritual sense did he detect the cause of death: a tiny, almost imperceptible puncture wound behind its eye, smaller than the eye of a needle.
The filament treasure in his left hand was the only item within the storage ring that could have possibly created such a wound.
"What makes this treasure so special that it can effortlessly kill a Flying Shadow Fish?" Lin Feng couldn't help but feel curious. He stored the fish away and focused on the filament treasure resting on his palm. With a focused thought, a soft "WHOOSH" sounded as his Exotic Fire materialized, enveloping the treasure. He began the process of refining it immediately.
The treasure was masterless. Lin Feng didn't expend much effort before achieving initial refinement. Once refined, the coiled filament underwent a dramatic transformation. One end of the thread lifted from its position as if alive, then rose and began to fly, swirling around Lin Feng. It circled him rapidly, layer upon layer, weaving a cocoon-like barrier around him.
Lin Feng withdrew the Exotic Fire and looked up at the fine filament dancing before him. He couldn't suppress a murmur of admiration, "So that's how it works... Truly an uncommon type of treasure. Agile, versatile, and with an impressive operational range. It seems perfectly suited for dealing with Flying Shadow Fish. I wonder about its offensive power, though..."
Though fine as silk thread, the filament possessed a metallic structure. Lin Feng had also examined it with his Repair Technique. Its primary material was 'Lightning Whisker Crystal', a relatively rare Tier 6 material renowned for its extreme flexibility and malleability. It was typically the best material for crafting treasures like gauntlets or soft armor. Using it to create a filament-type treasure was indeed unusual.
The length of this single filament was likely no less than five hundred meters. When deployed, its range would be considerable. Its fineness made it difficult to discern and hard to detect. Furthermore, it could channel thunder energy. Used skillfully, it would undoubtedly be an excellent treasure.
After observing it for a while, Lin Feng willed a thought. One end of the filament instantly coiled around his right wrist like a living serpent. Then, with astonishing speed, it began retracting coil after coil. In just a few breaths, the silken cocoon surrounding Lin Feng vanished completely. In its place, a unique 'bracelet' now adorned his wrist.
Lin Feng's eyes flickered thoughtfully as he extended his senses, seemingly searching for something. Suddenly, he flicked his right hand downward. A barely perceptible glint shot from his hand. Below, the seawater churned violently, and a bizarre fish as thick as a man's thigh 'flew' upwards. A closer look revealed it was ensnared by a fine filament. It hung motionless; the filament's tip had pierced its skull, killing it instantly.
Casually storing this Level 2 demon beast away, Lin Feng looked at the filament bracelet on his wrist with satisfaction. "Impressive power," he murmured to himself. "It should handle ordinary Level 3 demon beasts without issue. Hmm... I'll call it Spirit Snake Thread."
Lin Feng now had a clearer picture. Gu Yu Lu's murder of that other rogue cultivator likely wasn't just about some alleged 'love triangle'. The Spirit Snake Thread probably played a significant role. Seeing the cultivator possess such an excellent treasure likely ignited Gu Yu Lu's greed, prompting him to kill and seize it. Ultimately, it didn't matter now. The man was dead. Case closed.
......
…
A day later, Lin Feng returned to the sea vessel precisely on schedule. Within his storage ring were exactly ten Flying Shadow Fish.
With the Spirit Snake Thread, capturing the elusive fish had become significantly easier. Once deployed, no matter how agile the Flying Shadow Fish was, it couldn't escape the equally agile pursuit of the Spirit Snake Thread. Nearly every Flying Shadow Fish Lin Feng encountered afterwards had ended up in his possession.
"Fellow Daoist Lin." "Fellow Daoist Lin…"
As soon as Lin Feng stepped aboard, several cultivators approached to greet him. Lin Feng smiled and responded to each in turn, exchanging pleasantries with the group. Many wore expressions of joy, indicating successful hunts over the past day. After chatting for a while, Lin Feng learned that most had only managed to catch one or two Flying Shadow Fish. Those with three or four were a rare minority, usually the result of coordinated team efforts. By comparison, his personal haul of eight (two acquired fortuitously) made him the most successful hunter aboard.
Lin Feng continued mingling and chatting with the cultivators on the deck. After some time, the scheduled departure time arrived. It seemed everyone had returned, but Lin Feng overheard murmurs about a few missing individuals – roughly seven or eight. Their chances of survival were grim.
As the murmurs spread, Yu Ping emerged. However, just as he appeared, a middle-aged cultivator approached him, whispering something. Yu Ping's brows furrowed slightly, and his expression seemed to darken.
He stepped closer to the assembled group and announced solemnly, "The departure time has arrived. Prepare to set sail…"
He paused briefly, then continued, his voice low, "There is one more matter. Has anyone seen Gu Yu Lu?"
"Gu Yu Lu? The little disciple of the Zhenhai Alliance's Deputy Leader? What about him?" "Huh? Now that you mention it, he did go out with us, didn't he? But I don't think he came back..." "Didn't return? Are you sure? Could he have met with an accident? Could he be... dead?" "If Senior Yu is asking, he must be missing. Heh, seems he really might have perished out there." "..."
A low buzz of conversation immediately rippled through the surrounding cultivators. Yet, no one answered Yu Ping's question directly. Clearly, none knew Gu Yu Lu's whereabouts—they couldn't know. Gu Yu Lu had initially left to 'teach a lesson' to the cultivator he had a grudge against, deliberately concealing his trail to avoid being followed. Later, upon seeing his target possess a unique treasure capable of easily capturing Flying Shadow Fish, he had formed a murderous intent, ensuring the deed was done far from prying eyes. His misfortune was encountering Lin Feng emerging from the sea.
Lin Feng stood impassively among the crowd. He carefully filtered the other cultivators' conversations for more information about Gu Yu Lu while observing Yu Ping's reaction. Yu Ping waited a moment longer. Receiving no answer, a flash of anger crossed his eyes—whether directed at the assembled cultivators or the absent Gu Yu Lu was unclear. After a few breaths of silence, he commanded expressionlessly, "Time is up. Set sail!!"
...
Five days later, the sea vessel finally docked at Zhenhai City. Gazing at the now-familiar cityscape, Lin Feng felt a brief sense of unreality. Though the voyage had lasted only a month, the events that transpired far exceeded his initial expectations. There had been peril, but also immense opportunity. All things considered, the journey had been remarkably successful—another return with a full haul.
The shared experience fostered a sense of camaraderie among the cultivators onboard. As they parted ways at the harbor, warm wishes and promises to stay in touch were exchanged. Lin Feng and Lei Yan naturally received the most attention. However, Lei Yan wasn't a resident of Zhenhai City and was preparing to depart immediately, much to the regret of many. Fortunately, Lin Feng remained. Numerous cultivators expressed their intention to visit him in the future and promised to recommend his Repair Technique services to friends.
After bidding farewell to everyone, Lin Feng returned alone to the city. He didn't make any detours, heading straight back to his rented cave dwelling. Having returned from a long journey, rest was naturally the first priority.
The next morning, refreshed and alert, Lin Feng made his way to the Sea Treasure Pavilion. He secured a private room on the second floor. Just as he finished ordering, the door to the room swung open, accompanied by a hearty voice.
"HAHA!! Lin Feng! Finally, you're back! You rascal! Going treasure hunting at sea and you didn't even invite me? That's hardly fair!!"
Wang Chen strode in, a wide grin on his face. He 'complained' good-naturedly while giving Lin Feng a playful, light punch on the shoulder. His eyes, however, were fixed intently on Lin Feng, burning with a mixture of surprise and intense curiosity.
Lin Feng felt slightly unnerved under the scrutiny. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and asked, puzzled, "What's with the stare?"