Chapter 54: Purchasing Spirit Talismans!

Although the harpoon was bent out of shape, the man's immense strength prevailed; with a fierce thrust, the weapon penetrated the fish's head, nailing the monstrous creature firmly to the planks of the boat. Foul-smelling blood spurted everywhere, making the scene truly horrifying.

Even with its head impaled, the monstrous fish did not cease its violent thrashing and desperate struggle. Shen Yan stood by, frowning in silence.

It was only after a while, as the stench of blood thickened, that the monster's resistance gradually ebbed and finally ceased altogether, death claiming it at last.

Shen Yan stepped forward and pulled out the harpoon, only to find its head twisted and even broken off at one end. Surveying his surroundings, he noted that the vast expanse of the lake was devoid of fishing boats. Only a few large vessels with conspicuous markings floated in the distance; those aboard seemed to have noticed the commotion and immediately dispatched several small boats in his direction.

Shen Yan said nothing more. With a swift motion, he kicked the monstrous fish into the hold, then seized the oars with both hands and rowed away with great force.

The pursuers rowed with all their might but could not catch up; they could only watch as he drew farther and farther away.

“No one’s following. As expected, everyone here on Little Lan Mountain is an old hand who knows when to quit.”

Seeing no one in pursuit, Shen Yan turned his attention to the monstrous fish.

“Tough scales, thick flesh, already a spiritual beast, further corrupted by fierce and baleful energy—its strength rivals that of a mortal martial artist.”

He crouched beside the carcass, studying it.

“Here, the fierce and baleful energy is inseparable from spiritual energy. Once spiritual energy enters the body, the baleful energy inevitably follows. If the cultivators here cannot resolve this dilemma, then the higher their cultivation, the greater their savagery. In the end, they’ll become nothing more than beasts themselves.”

“And it’s not just cultivators—all living things are the same. This monstrous fish is a perfect example!”

“So, what on earth is happening in this Azure Lotus Lake?”

Brow deeply furrowed, Shen Yan pondered for a long time, yet failed to unravel the mystery.

Information was lacking; no amount of speculation would help. Better to focus on the present.

He ducked into the cabin, produced a sharp knife for cleaning fish, and began to process the bizarre creature. The fish’s scales were like armor, exceptionally hard. Channeling his power, he forced the blade through, peeling off the armored scales and skin, taking with it slabs of pristine, translucent white flesh.

Unbothered by the blood, Shen Yan cut a thin slice of fish and placed it in his mouth to chew.

“The flesh is sweet and tender, brimming with vital energy, and contains traces of spiritual essence.”

“Hmm… The degree of baleful energy is much lower than if one were to absorb raw spiritual energy from the world.”

“If living things are like this, then…”

Shen Yan glanced at the fish meat in his hand and the dismembered carcass, shook his head, and set up a small stove.

Soon, smoke curled upward and fragrant aromas drifted out.

Here in Azure Lotus Lake, monstrous fish prowl the deep waters, so ordinary fishermen rarely dare venture into the center. They must make do with catching small fish and shrimp along the shore or in shallows, where competition is fierce.

On top of that, fishing gangs and government officials squeeze them from above… “Difficult” hardly begins to describe their lot.

No wonder they say, since ancient times, the three hardest trades are rowing boats, forging iron, and selling tofu.

A fisherman’s life is even harder than a farmer’s—truly battered by wind and sun, never sure of the next day.

By comparison, he was far luckier; even without the Heavenly Emperor’s Seal, he could climb to the summit step by step.

Before long, the soup boiled and the fish turned white.

There were no seasonings on board; the small jar of coarse salt had been given away the day before.

Yet this posed no problem for Shen Yan. With a wave of his sleeve and a surge of power, the blood pooled on the deck shone and rapidly crystallized into snow-white salt, pure and free of any fishy odor. This, he sprinkled into the pot, releasing waves of savory fragrance.

With no need for bowls or chopsticks, Shen Yan snapped two reeds, sat by his little stove, and began to eat.

The fish was snowy white and fragrant—delicious as raw slices, even more so cooked in broth. Were it not for the taint of baleful energy, it would be a top-quality ingredient.

Even with some taint, it was still highly sought after—why else would people go to such lengths to catch them?

Soon, a whole monstrous fish, a hundred pounds of meat, and a pot of soup, all found their way into Shen Yan’s belly. Even the bones were chewed and marrow sucked; only a few spiky bones, too tough to swallow, were discarded as scraps.

He felt a current of heat rise within, spreading through his limbs and bones.

Never one to waste, Shen Yan immediately sat up and began his cultivation.

…

“The Heavenly Emperor’s Seal can indeed absorb and refine baleful energy, but if I wish to continue for long, my physical strength must be increased.”

“In addition, I must find a way to gather the five elemental spiritual items…”

As he pondered, Shen Yan lowered his gaze and took out the inky black scales from the monstrous fish.

“This is water-aligned. Though the quality is poor and of little use alone, if I gather enough and extract one drop of water essence from each to refine a treasure, it would barely count as a water-elemental spiritual object.”

“Water is taken care of; earth is covered by the Spirit Spring’s Eye. With abundant spiritual energy here, and this vast Azure Lotus Lake, there must be a water vein or earth spirit beneath the lake. Extracting a portion and refining it into a treasure would suffice for Foundation Establishment cultivation.”

“That leaves metal, fire, and wood. Wood I could try growing myself, but as for metal and fire… Forget it, I’ll first find an island to settle down.”

After much thought and still no plan, Shen Yan rose, rowed his boat out of the reed marsh, and set out to find a secluded, uninhabited island as his base.

Azure Lotus Lake was vast and branching in all directions.

Naturally, the lake held many islands; some large ones were even occupied by river pirates and bandits, who built strongholds and raised havoc, vexing the authorities greatly.

Though Shen Yan was not a local and unfamiliar with the situation, it made little difference to his quest for a suitable place.

The size of the island did not matter; what mattered was the presence of the Dao.

This time, he deliberately avoided the central areas, headed to a place where fish were sparse, and chose an uninhabited island. The island was small and low, liable to be submerged during the flood season, so few people ever docked there.

Now, with flood season long past and autumn deepening, there was no risk of submersion. Shen Yan moored his boat, stepped ashore, and after a brief survey, nodded in satisfaction.

As the bearer of the Heavenly Emperor’s Seal, he saw at a glance that a subterranean water vein ran beneath the island, and its flow was peculiar—most schools of fish entered but rarely left, hence the scarcity of fish.

With few fish, there were few people; only the most desperate would venture here to fish. The place was secluded, rich in spiritual energy—not quite a spirit vein, but clearly superior to other spots. A few spirit-gathering formations would suffice for his cultivation.

Fed and content, Shen Yan left his home, piloted his boat toward the lake’s center.

Though he was already a late-stage Qi Refiner, he knew little of Azure Lotus Lake’s true nature; best to remain low-key for now.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xu Shengnan of the Xu family—one of the lake’s three great clans—stood gazing impassively across the vast Azure Lotus Lake and asked in a cool voice,

“Any results yet?”

“All arrangements are in place. Besides the cultivators recruited at Little Lan Mountain, there are thousands of mortals skilled in water arts standing by. Should any clue to the hidden treasure emerge, it will surely be presented to you, Young Mistress.”