Now that Jing Qian knew a ship would arrive, he no longer worried about where to go. All he needed was to calm his mind and focus on cultivation.
For someone who had undergone years of intense training, this was nothing but child's play.
He set his sights on the short, stocky cultivator and launched into relentless attacks.
Truth be told, he had already squeezed a great deal of valuable resources out of this "friend."
His entire lightning-fast, stormy journey across the sea had been built on the foundation provided by this stout fellow.
So when the time came to finish him off, Jing Qian was merciless but precise, striking swiftly and cleanly, never letting the opponent suffer a shred more pain than necessary.
His [Soul-Weaving] life pattern grew ever more proficient; with just a flick of his finger, the silk threads struck exactly where he aimed.
These threads, infused with his mana, were both hard and resilient. Against flesh, they instantly tore skin and muscle apart, viciously sharp.
Within a single day, Jing Qian slew the stocky cultivator three times in succession, finally annihilating him, completely erasing any chance of resurrection.
Across those three kills, not only did Jing Qian fully replenish the [White Fang Life Essence] he had consumed, but his cultivation also grew stronger. He was now close to condensing his fifth Life Essence.
On top of that, his victim left behind yet another small cluster of cultivation memories.
This set of memories contained all the experiences the stout cultivator had accumulated over years of developing and wielding the [Earth Ring] life pattern.
Though of little direct use to Jing Qian, it gave him new insights and ideas for refining his life patterns.
And since it was free loot, he never complained. Every shred of memory was a treasure, worthy of savoring.
He could not have been more satisfied.
But then, something completely unexpected happened when the stout cultivator was finally erased, the Stele of Fate gave Jing Qian an even greater surprise!
A new line of text suddenly appeared upon his Fate Stele, instantly catching his attention:
[Host: Jing Qian]
[Lifespan: 150 years]
[Life Essence: 4.96] (White Fang)
[Life Patterns: Sumeru (Gold Root), Soul-Weaving (Azure Wing)]
[Life-Casting Opportunity: 1]
"Life-Casting Opportunity? What does that mean?"
Jing Qian stepped forward and carefully examined the newly appeared line.
When his hand brushed across those words, a strange surge of information poured directly into his soul and consciousness.
Only then did he finally understand what a [Life-Casting Opportunity] truly was.
Ever since Jing Qian obtained the Fate Stele, he had already slain four different soul remnants.
The Life Essence and cultivation memories within those souls had been extracted and consumed as nourishment for his growth.
But the rest hadn't simply vanished. Instead, the stele absorbed it, transforming it into this mysterious Life-Casting Opportunity.
Sensing the stele's power, Jing Qian couldn't resist and activated the newfound ability.
In that instant, his [Soul-Weaving] life pattern, which normally resided in his sea of consciousness, was drawn into the Fate Stele itself, appearing upon its surface.
There, a glowing sigil representing the Soul-Weaving life pattern etched itself into the stele!
He had moved his life pattern into the stele, something impossible under normal circumstances.
After all, once a life pattern was refined, it was bound to one's sea of consciousness forever, immovable.
The stele's power lay far beyond his shallow understanding.
Jing Qian quickly withdrew his awareness from the stele and returned to the Void Realm.
He tested his Soul-Weaving life pattern, and to his astonishment, even though it now resided on the stele, he could still wield its powers as freely as ever.
Emerging once more into the real world, Jing Qian landed on the vast lotus leaf. With a casual flick of his finger, a silk thread shot out instantly.
The Soul-Weaving's might was undiminished.
Standing on the giant leaf, Jing Qian fell into deep thought.
This new function of the stele wasn't just about relocating life patterns.
When he moved a life pattern onto the stele, the original one vanished from his body.
That meant he could refine another instance of the same life pattern anew.
And then by consuming a Life-Casting Opportunity, he could fuse the two identical patterns, doubling their power!
Moreover, with enough Life-Casting Opportunities, this process could be repeated, continuously strengthening a life pattern until it ascended to an entirely higher tier.
Didn't this mean that, as long as he had the willpower and resources, a White Fang–tier life pattern could be cultivated and upgraded to Azure Wing, or even Blue Blood tier?
This was nothing short of defying destiny itself!
Because of the knowledge Jing Qian had gained so far, there had never been any method for directly upgrading the tier of a life pattern.
This revelation made the power of the Life-Casting Opportunity stand out even more.
Jing Qian realized he would have to drastically revise his cultivation path.
He returned once more into the Void Realm, sealing himself into a quiet retreat.
From the shipwreck's spoils, he withdrew a turtle shell and carefully studied it.
In his mind, the refinement method for the [Tidal Wave] life pattern replayed like a film, rolling again and again.
He threw himself into this study with complete focus, determined to craft his very first self-forged life pattern.
Three days passed in a flash. By then, Jing Qian had gnawed the giant crab claw clean and fully mastered the refinement method of the Tidal Wave pattern.
At last, he was ready.
Without hesitation, he returned to the lotus leaf and then dove straight into the sea below, clutching a smooth, yellow crab pearl in his arms.
The lotus leaf towered five or six stories above the water.
Jing Qian slipped into the ocean without a splash, though the momentum carried him deep into the sea.
At that moment, a surge of pure Life Essence erupted around him, stirring the calm waters into towering waves.
The source, of course, was Jing Qian.
In the deep, blue ocean, the crab pearl glowed softly in his hands, resonating with his mana.
A moment later, a complex sigil was inscribed into the pearl.
The hard shell melted, flowing over his legs and feet.
A cool sensation surged from his soles, rushing through his entire body in an instant.
Then, a new, flawless-white, jade-like life pattern emerged in his sea of consciousness.
Jing Qian had succeeded; he had personally forged his very first life pattern: the [Tidal Wave] life pattern.
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