The ninth-rank [White Fang] swordfish before him was an old rival of the giant crab he had consumed
The two had often fought over territory and resources in their memories.
Following those memories, Jing Qian found the swordfish without difficulty and just as easily cut it down.
In less than half a day, he had harvested yet another White Fang–rank resource.
After refining his third [Tidal Wave] life pattern, his cultivation foundation was firmly established, and his combat system had taken shape.
With unmatched agility combined with the overwhelming spatial might of the [Sumeru] life pattern, he was virtually invincible among peers of the same tier.
Swordfish like the one before him, lacking bloodline heritage and nothing more than blank slates at the ninth rank, were reduced to mere practice dummies for Jing Qian to slaughter at will.
And now, his battle system suited his nature perfectly.
He had practiced the sword for many years, and the intent of the blade had long since seeped into his very bones, swift as a dragon, one strike to kill.
He pursued sharpness and precision, fluidity and ferocity.
With life patterns empowering him, Jing Qian felt his combat had been unshackled on every front. Strength, speed, and battle instinct all had risen to unprecedented heights.
Standing in the sea, aura surging around him, he was like an unsheathed sword, radiating deadly brilliance.
Though he had merged with the [Tidal Wave] life pattern, none of water's gentleness showed in him. Instead, he embodied an icy sharpness, like frozen steel.
Adjusting his stance, Jing Qian lifted his iron spike and carved the massive swordfish apart.
He could not carry much, so he kept only a hefty piece of fatty belly meat, tossing the rest to sink into the deep.
Then, he returned to the [Void Realm], his consciousness diving straight into the stele space.
A strand of silken thread lashed out, dragging the newly formed swordfish soul against the barrier of the safe zone. With one concentrated assault, he crushed it.
Life Essence and memories absorbed.
Jing Qian had already perfected his standard procedure.
To be his enemy was sheer misfortune
; death once in reality was not enough; as a soul, you would be tormented again, unable to find peace even in death.
Within the stele space, where not even water existed, no matter how mighty a fish was, it was utterly helpless.
The swordfish's soul was casually subdued by Jing Qian and converted entirely into nourishment.
From its essence, his fifth White Fang Life Essence successfully condensed.
He also obtained the refining method of a ninth-rank [Swordfish] life pattern, which granted the power of the slain fish.
Additionally, he absorbed knowledge of the seafloor terrain in this region.
There were no unexpected treasures this time like the sunken ship from the giant crab's memories; such finds were rare exceptions, not the norm.
But his true purpose in hunting this swordfish was not resources.
It was to truly test the actual effect of the [Life-Casting Opportunity].
Inside the stele space, Jing Qian shifted the [Tidal Wave] life pattern onto the monument, where it appeared as a wave-shaped rune.
Then, he exited the Void Realm, carrying the jade-white fishbone, and sank once more into the sea.
This was his second time refining the [Tidal Wave]. By now, the process was smooth and effortless.
With a surge of power in the depths, Jing Qian's second refinement of the Tidal Wave succeeded.
Now, one life pattern lay in his sea of consciousness, and another was inscribed upon the stele.
Even without using the Life-Casting Opportunity to fuse them, he could already feel his power strengthening.
Without hesitation, Jing Qian sent his spirit back into the stele space.
Pressing his palm against the monument, he invoked his authority as its master and activated a Life-Casting Opportunity.
Instantly, a force of supreme rank erupted from the monument.
The [Tidal Wave] rune on the stele shattered in one blow.
The freshly refined Tidal Wave life pattern also collapsed under that strike.
Both runes crumbled, formless.
But under that mysterious power, the remnants of the two patterns began to merge.
This was the wondrous effect of the Life-Casting Opportunity.
Before long, a new rune was born. Still shaped like a cresting wave, yet utterly renewed.
Jing Qian looked upon the information carved into the stele:
Host: Jing Qian
Lifespan: 150 years
Life Essence: 5.72 (White Fang)
Life Patterns:
Sumeru (Golden Root)
Soulweaver (Azure Wing)
Tidal Wave (Azure Wing 2/10)
Life-Casting Opportunities: 0
Gazing at the newly refreshed information on the stele, a surge of indescribable exhilaration welled up in his chest.
The [Tidal Wave] life pattern had indeed fused successfully under the miraculous effect of the Life-Casting Opportunity, its grade elevated.
Now it had opened the path toward advancing into Azure Wing. With eight more Life-Casting Opportunities, it could undergo a full transformation.
He felt the surging tide of power within his sea of consciousness, like waves endlessly crashing against the shores of his heart.
For a moment, a cultivation path paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood stretched out before Jing Qian.
In cultivation, whether in the way of the sword or otherwise, he had always sought perfection. That was his nature.
So long as there was even a sliver of hope to reforge and elevate his life patterns, he would never let it slip away.
And this would, without doubt, be a process that demanded both endless grinding and ruthless sacrifice.
Judging from the very nature of the Life-Casting Opportunity, "grind and bleed" likely meant killing until the air itself turned black with slaughter.
What worried Jing Qian now was not the process but whether there would be enough enemies to provide the materials needed to reforge his life patterns.
Yet when he thought about the endless oceans before him, teeming with boundless marine life, he felt he was simply overthinking.
The road ahead was long; it was best to set his feet firmly on the ground and push forward with all his strength.
Exiting the Void Realm, Jing Qian plunged into the sea, guiding the [Tidal Wave] life pattern as he swam freely.
The ship sent to fetch him was probably already on its way. Until then, he had to push himself further.
Every increment of strength meant a firmer grip on his destiny.
Within half a day, he had traveled a thousand li and slain another fish.
Kill!
South of Jiangzhu Island, seventeen thousand two hundred li away, there was a fate island where cherry blossoms bloomed in full splendor.
On the gentle slopes of the long, narrow isle, every hundred meters stood an ever-burning green lantern.
The lantern light fell upon the blossoms, casting an eerie, ghostly air over the scene.
The bases of each lantern were carved into lifelike figures of beautiful women.
When an object resembled humanity too closely, it inevitably gave rise to an unsettling ghostly aura, stirring uneasy imaginings.
At the island's center stood a shrine called Shouli Shrine, the seat of power on this isle.
And at this very moment, furious shouts echoed from within its halls:
"Fools! Useless trash!"
"How dare you return to face me!"
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