Jing Qian waited quietly.
The slip of paper had stated clearly that the Dragon Gate Grass Dumpling could attract Red-Scaled Dragon Carp from within a radius of three thousand li.
At such a distance, he expected it would take quite a while.
But to his surprise, after no more than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, before he could even finish a few bites of crab meat, a streak of golden-red light shot straight toward him from afar.
As it drew near, the streak revealed its form: a strange carp, no larger than a palm.
Its body was elegant, scales shimmering with alternating hues of gold and crimson. Four long whiskers hung down from its mouth, each one longer than its body.
The little carp arrived and dove headfirst into the Dragon Gate Grass Dumpling. It devoured it, but overwhelmed by the dumpling's power, it failed to digest it fully and soon drifted off to sleep.
To be honest, this was the first time Jing Qian had ever seen a fish asleep!
Through the Void Realm, he could see the fish's entire body wrapped in a white glow of spiritual power, with only a faint trace of purple along its back.
In terms of strength, the carp was also of the White Fang rank. But it lacked size, and its Life Essence didn't seem abundant.
Jing Qian sensed no real threat from it.
So, he struck.
A figure appeared directly beneath the Dragon Gate Grass Dumpling.
With both arms, he scooped the dumpling into his embrace.
At once, two fine threads already hidden within the dumpling tightened suddenly, binding the Red Carp firmly so it could not escape.
The next second, both man and fish vanished.
Inside the Void Realm, Jing Qian easily subdued the carp's struggles with the realm's spatial force. Holding it in his hands, he examined it closely.
To his surprise, the carp was astonishingly soft!
Its scales felt like tender tofu; one careless squeeze and they might split apart.
And unlike ordinary fish, it had no sliminess or foul smell. Instead, it exuded a unique, delicate fragrance that set Jing Qian's appetite alight.
Following instinct, he lifted the carp to his lips and bit off a grain-sized piece from one of its whiskers.
The fragment melted instantly on his tongue, transforming into a stream of pure energy that nourished his body.
He felt both his spirit and flesh strengthened in that moment.
After this direct experience, he concluded:
This carp was harmless and edible!
Without hesitation, he treated the palm-sized fish like a pastry snack, devouring it in a few swift bites.
Immediately, a torrent of pure energy burst forth inside him, flooding his entire body.
His vision was filled with brilliant light, drowning out all perception of the outside world.
He did not know how long it lasted before he awoke from the trance.
It felt as though he had fallen asleep facing the sea, the spring breeze brushing his face, and now awoke refreshed, every fiber of his being at ease.
And his body had changed; he had grown another half-foot taller, now standing over four feet.
His consciousness leapt to the stele of fate, where his personal information was recorded:
Host: Jing Qian
Lifespan: 1 / 150 years
Life Essence: 4.11 (White Fang)
Life Patterns: Sumeru (Gold Root), Soulweaver (Azure Wing)
Simply from eating one fish, his lifespan had increased by six full years, and his White Fang Life Essence had grown by an entire unit!
At last, he understood why someone would use an Azure Wing–rank treasure just to lure these White Fang–rank carp.
The flesh of a Red-Scaled Dragon Carp could extend lifespan, a treasure of unimaginable value!
And even now, outside the safe zone, the carp's very soul had drifted into this realm as well.
Jing Qian almost overlooked it at first. The figure was so small that if not for its lively hopping on the ground, he might have missed it entirely.
He raised his hand, sent out a ray of light, and pulled the tiny fish spirit over, pressing it against the outer membrane of the safe zone.
Then, leaning closer, he swallowed it down in a single bite.
It suddenly struck him that this stele space was perfect for suppressing the souls of aquatic creatures!
Once removed from the water, any aquatic being would inevitably lose much of its strength.
That made harvesting their souls far easier, nothing like facing the Snow Maiden on the other side. Her Manifestation Form cloaked her in an aura of biting cold, one he couldn't even pierce, let alone dare to approach.
This fish-fry-sized dragon carp spirit, however, only gave him a 0.1 increase in Life Essence, hardly worth mentioning.
But within it was a cluster of memories, containing an innate bloodline secret art of the Red-Scaled Dragon Carp:
The Art of Dragon Swimming.
The name sounded impressive, but in essence, it was a technique for manipulating water currents to boost swimming speed.
It was one of the very reasons for the carp's astonishing swiftness.
Although Jing Qian wasn't a fish, he lived by the sea and frequently entered the water.
Even without the corresponding Life Pattern to fully unleash the art, he could still use its knowledge to refine his swimming posture and harness water currents, reducing drag and moving with far greater agility. A very practical gain.
Jing Qian was more than satisfied with his harvest.
The Red-Scaled Dragon Carp truly was a treasure, not something to refuse, but the more the better.
He returned to the Void Realm, eyes fixed on the Dragon Gate Grass Dumpling, waiting for more prey.
Surely, within three thousand li of ocean, there had to be more than just one carp.
Indeed, before long, another streak of crimson-gold light tore through the current and plunged headlong into the dumpling, devouring it eagerly.
To Jing Qian's surprise, this carp was more than twice the size of the one he had eaten earlier, nearly as long as a grown man's arm.
One fish like this could probably extend its life by twenty years. Its value was exponentially greater!
He waited patiently, hoping it would gorge itself and then, like the smaller one, fall asleep.
But this larger carp was hardier. Even under the overwhelming flood of the dumpling's power, it continued eating, devouring a full third of the grass dumpling without showing signs of fatigue.
Jing Qian dared not act rashly. If the carp transformed into golden light within the water, he wouldn't even be able to touch it.
A precious opportunity was right before him, yet his strength was still insufficient to seize it.
And so, this chance could easily slip through his fingers.
Sure enough, the dragon carp suddenly shivered. One moment it was feasting madly, the next it turned into a streak of golden light and shot away like lightning through the sea.
But just then, a streak of black light cut in from the side, intercepting it head-on, and lunged at the carp with deadly force.
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