Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

At Qing'ao Island Wharf, sea mist lingered, and moisture clung to the deck, condensing into a fine layer of water droplets.

Fang He arrived half an hour early. Zhao Hengdao and Zhou Qing were already waiting by the boat, with six elite Zhou family soldiers lined up on either side, fully equipped and solemn. In the morning mist, their figures resembled several silent stone sculptures.

"Counselor Fang," Zhao Hengdao said softly, clasping his hands in a fist salute, his voice low as if afraid of disturbing something.

Fang He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the supplies on the ship. Everything that had been checked yesterday had been rechecked by Zhou Qing this morning; everything was neatly arranged and watertight. The seals on the storage boxes were intact, the array flags were tightly bound, and the spirit stone troughs were full of spirit stones.

Everything is ready.

Footsteps approached from the direction of the dock.

Qin Wujiu, dressed in a blue robe, arrived with his hands behind his back. He was slender, but his steps were extremely steady. The sea breeze fluttered his clothes, and he was like a sharp sword hidden in its sheath. His gaze was indifferent, as if this trip was nothing more than an ordinary outing.

"Guest Minister Qin." Fang He clasped his hands in greeting.

Qin Wujiu nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Counselor Fang looks quite well today; it seems he slept soundly last night."

Fang He said frankly, "I didn't sleep very soundly, but it was enough."

Qin Wujiu glanced at the supplies on the ship and said calmly, "The preparations are quite thorough. But too much of a good thing can be bad; sometimes, preparing too much can actually slow down the journey."

Fang He's heart stirred slightly. This person's words always had a hidden meaning.

"Supplies are consumed faster on the open sea than on the inland sea. It's better to have extra supplies, not to be a burden," Fang He said.

Qin Wujiu did not refute, but simply smiled faintly and walked towards the cabin with his hands behind his back.

Zhou Xiaolan arrived shortly after. She had changed out of her light blue dress into a sharp, tailored outfit, a spirit sword at her waist, and her long hair tied up, exuding an aura of authority. She walked to Fang He's side, her gaze sweeping over the people on the boat before finally settling on his face.

"Is everyone here?" she asked.

"We're still missing Xu the boatman," Fang He said.

Zhou Xiaolan frowned slightly. "Won't he be late?"

Fang He shook his head. "This person is extremely reliable and won't delay in fulfilling his promises."

As soon as he finished speaking, steady footsteps echoed from the end of the dock.

Xu Haichuan strode over, his bronze face appearing and disappearing in the morning mist. He wore a short, oilcloth-lined robe, a compass at his waist, and his sharp, eagle-like gaze swept over every corner of the dock.

He walked straight onto the deck, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Fang He. His gaze was scrutinizing and weighing, as if he were judging the man's true worth.

"Counselor Fang," Xu Haichuan's voice was deep, carrying the roughness of sea breeze, "the outer sea is not like the inner sea; once you go in, there's no turning back. One last question: are you sure?"

Fang He met his gaze without flinching. "I'm sure."

Xu Haichuan stared at him for a moment, a slight, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Good. You're more reliable than I expected."

Without another word, he turned and walked to the bow of the ship, shouting, "Set sail!"

Zhao Hengdao and Zhou Qing stood on either side of the ship, while the six elite soldiers took their positions. The sails were raised, the sea breeze filled the air, and the ship slowly sailed away from the dock.

The outline of Qing'ao Island gradually blurred in the morning mist. The figures of people seeing off guests on the dock shrank into a few small dots, eventually disappearing into the fog.

Fang He stood at the bow of the boat, his gaze fixed ahead.

She heard soft footsteps behind her. Zhou Xiaolan walked to his side, saying nothing, simply standing quietly. The sea breeze ruffled her hair, a few stray strands clinging to her forehead, which she gently brushed aside.

"Did you not sleep well last night?" Zhou Xiaolan suddenly asked.

Fang He didn't turn around; her gaze remained fixed ahead. "Slept alright. Thinking about some things."

"Xiao Yichen?" she asked.

Fang He nodded. "There's also the array-breaking bead, the sea clan's array, and Ye Chen. These four things are intertwined; it's hard to feel at ease without figuring things out."

Zhou Xiaolan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "You're carrying too much on your shoulders."

Fang He glanced at her sideways. Her gaze was calm, but worry lingered in her eyes.

"This is a burden I have to bear," Fang He said. "These things have been tied to me since the day I became the Zhou family's assistant manager. There's no escaping them."

Zhou Xiaolan didn't speak, but her gaze was fixed on the island that was gradually disappearing behind her. The outline of Qing'ao Island was almost invisible, leaving only a blurry gray line.

After a long silence, she said softly, "This is the first time I've been so far from Qing'ao Island."

Fang He turned her head to look at her. Her voice was calm, but there was a barely perceptible undercurrent of emotion within it. Zhou Xiaolan was the eldest daughter of the Zhou family, and she had grown up on Qing'ao Island since childhood; it was her entire world. Now, she was about to step into a completely unfamiliar sea area, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous.

"The trip to the open sea is a new challenge for everyone," Fang He said.

Zhou Xiaolan turned her head to look at him, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. "With you here, I'm not worried."

Fang He didn't reply, turning his gaze forward. Those words carried too much weight for him to handle at that moment.

The sea is vast, with waves rising and falling. The morning light shines on the water, creating shimmering silver spots, as if paving a road to the unknown.

---

After sailing for half a day, the ship sailed out of the inland waters.

Fang He was the first to sense the change.

The spiritual energy shifted from stable to chaotic, sometimes sparse and sometimes dense, like scattered gas wells distributed irregularly. When the boat reached a place where the spiritual energy was thin, even breathing became heavy, as if a stone was pressing on the chest; after traveling several miles, the spiritual energy suddenly became dense again, rushing towards us, making our chests feel suffocated.

"Spiritual energy..." Zhou Qing murmured softly, his face pale.

Zhao Hengdao frowned and said in a low voice, "The spiritual energy in this place is as chaotic as a pot of porridge."

The seawater turned from clear to murky, its dark color concealing a violent energy. The ship cut through the water, the splashes carrying a heavy, oppressive force, landing on the deck with a dull thud, as if every drop of water was heavier than the water of the inland sea.

The air was thick with a salty, fishy smell; every breath felt like swallowing half a mouthful of seawater. A bitter aftertaste lingered on the tongue, and a burning sensation ran deep in the throat.

His spiritual energy spread out, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea. The perception range of the entries was compressed, the analysis speed slowed down, and the efficiency of setting up the formation was greatly reduced. The spiritual energy of the outer sea was like an invisible net, wrapping his spiritual energy layer by layer, and each advancement required more effort.

He crouched down and attempted to set up an early warning array on the deck. Spiritual energy flowed into the array patterns, and the nodes took shape, but its stability was far inferior to that of the inner sea. The array patterns swayed precariously, like a spiderweb fluttering in the wind.

Forty percent.

Fang He's gaze darkened.

The array's power was only 60% of its usual strength, meaning that his first-tier array might not even be able to maintain a full early warning function in the open sea. A second-tier array was out of the question. His core advantage had been reduced by nearly half in this area.

Qin Wujiu walked up to him at some point, glanced down at the array patterns on the deck, and said in a deep voice, "Your array skills will be less impressive in the open sea."

Fang He stood up and looked out at the vast sea. "I can feel it. The remnants of the sea race's formation are like a large net, covering this area, and it's interfering with the spiritual energy nodes of the human race's formation."

Qin Wujiu stood with his hands behind his back, his tone calm, but his words held a profound meaning. "This is the danger of the outer sea. Your advantages will be diminished here, while second-tier sea beasts and sea creature relics will thrive. The timing and the terrain are not on your side."

Fang He nodded, already considering a countermeasure in his mind.

He recalled the strategy he had discussed with Qin Wujiu: the Formation-Breaking Bead targets the fixed nodes of human formations, while the nodes of sea formations move with the tides, potentially rendering the Bead ineffective. If this conjecture was correct, Xiao Yichen's Formation-Breaking Bead would also be limited in the outer sea.

Both sides are at a disadvantage; whoever adapts faster will gain the upper hand.

"Guest Qin," Fang He suddenly asked, "did you also use suppression when you set up the formation?"

Qin Wujiu glanced at him, a smile playing on his lips. "Yes. But my foundation in formations is deeper than yours, so the effect of suppression is less."

Fang He's heart stirred slightly. There was another meaning hidden in this person's words. His mastery of formations was higher, and the environment of the outer sea had less of an impact on him, which also meant that he had a greater advantage in the outer sea.

"If I can adapt to this suppression in a short period of time..." Fang He said.

Qin Wujiu shook his head. "It can't be done in a short time. The remnants of the sea race's formation cover the entire outer sea. To adapt to it, we need to understand its operating rules. This is not something that can be done overnight."

Fang He remained silent for a moment, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

"Then let's start understanding now."

Qin Wujiu glanced at him, a hint of barely perceptible approval in his eyes. "Good attitude. But remember, understanding is one thing, actual combat is another. The outer seas won't give you time to learn slowly."

Fang He took a deep breath and looked out at the vast open sea.

The first hurdle has arrived.

---

On the second day of the voyage, at noon.

Fang He was studying the jade slip containing information on the sea creature's formations in the cabin when he suddenly sensed something unusual.

The rocking of the ship stopped.

The sound of the waves disappeared.

Even the sea breeze has stopped.

Fang He looked up abruptly; the outside of the cabin was deathly silent. He strode out of the cabin and saw a chilling scene.

The sea was as still as a mirror.

All the waves vanished, the seawater remained still, as if held down by some force. The seabirds stopped calling, and the distant schools of fish disappeared; the whole world seemed to have been frozen in time.

"This..." Zhou Qing's face turned pale, and he murmured softly, "How could the sea surface..."

Zhao Hengdao frowned and whispered, "Something's not right."

Fang He's neck hairs stood on end.

A powerful aura rose from the seabed, more ferocious than any he had ever sensed before. This aura was as heavy as a mountain and as dark as an abyss, pressing directly upon his spiritual consciousness.

"Everyone on high alert!" Fang He shouted sternly.

Xu Haichuan stood at the bow of the ship, his expression suddenly changing. He stood up abruptly, his eyes fixed on the sea, his pupils contracting, and a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead.

"Oh no! Something big is coming!"

His voice was low, but every word was urgent. Xu Haichuan was a veteran of the open seas, having spent over twenty years at sea and seen all sorts of sea creatures. But at this moment, his voice trembled.

"Boatman Xu, how big is this?" Fang He walked quickly to the bow of the boat.

Xu Haichuan stared intently at the sea surface, his voice low and menacing: "Second-tier... at least second-tier. The sea is still; it's suppressing it. This thing..."

The moment the words left his mouth, the sea exploded with a deafening roar!

A column of water shot skyward, and waves tens of feet high, carrying violent spiritual energy, poured outwards. A massive body burst from the water, its scales as hard as iron, gleaming with a dark blue light. Water droplets rolled off the scales like countless shattered spirit stones.

Giant python!

A giant sea serpent ten zhang long!

The snake coiled around the side of the boat, blotting out the sun. Its eyes, cold as two eerie green lanterns, locked onto the people on board. The snake opened its mouth, spewing out a torrent of poisonous mist, a grayish-green vapor carrying a pungent stench, enveloping the boat.

His aura was comparable to that of a cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment!

Second-tier sea beast!

Fang He's heart sank, but she didn't hesitate at all.

"retreat!"

Xu Haichuan formed hand seals, channeling spiritual energy into the array patterns on the ship's hull. The ship abruptly swerved, narrowly avoiding direct coverage by the poisonous fog. However, a small amount of fog still clung to the edges of the ship, causing the wooden planks to sizzle and corrode, and grayish-green smoke rose from the deck.

"The hull is corroded!" Zhou Qing exclaimed.

"It's nothing, just the surface!" Xu Haichuan shouted, his hands continuously forming hand seals to activate the ship's array to resist the spread of the poisonous fog.

Zhao Hengdao drew his sword, channeling spiritual energy into the blade, and the edge slashed out with a sharp arc of light, heading towards the giant python's body.

clang!

The blade struck the scales, leaving only a shallow white mark, failing to even break the scales. The recoil struck back, causing Zhao Hengdao's hand to go numb and the blade to tremble slightly.

"The scales are too hard!" Zhao Hengdao gritted his teeth and retreated, his expression grave. "My swordsmanship can't break through its defenses!"

Zhou Xiaolan drew her spirit sword, its sword energy as cold as frost, and unleashed three swift strikes. The three sword lights were fierce, but they were blocked by the giant python's tail fin; the strikes only caused the scales to tremble slightly.

"All three swords were blocked..." Zhou Xiaolan gritted her teeth, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

Fang He's gaze swept across the battlefield, his mind racing with calculations.

Zhao Hengdao's swordsmanship was fierce and powerful, but it couldn't penetrate the scales of a second-tier sea beast. Zhou Xiaolan's swordsmanship was sharp, but the giant python's tail fin defense was equally sturdy. Both of their attacks were ineffective, yet the giant python could counterattack at any moment.

This situation is not right.

The giant python roared in fury, its tail fin sweeping across!

The force of the impact slammed into the ship, causing it to rock violently and the planks to creak. Two members of the exploration team lost their footing and nearly fell into the water, but Zhou Qing grabbed them and pulled them back.

"Hold on!" Zhou Qing shouted, channeling his spiritual energy into his feet to stabilize himself.

The rudimentary form of the trapping array had barely emerged when it was shattered by the aura emanating from the giant python. The spiritual energy nodes were already unstable in the outer sea, and the giant python's aura was like a raging storm, smashing the array patterns he had laid out one by one.

"The suppression from the formation is too severe..." Beads of sweat appeared on Fang He's forehead. "A first-order formation simply can't be formed!"

The giant python opened its mouth again, and venomous mist gathered within, thicker and more potent than before. This time, its target was the entire ship.

"It's about to spray poison!" Xu Haichuan exclaimed. "The ship's defensive formations can't block so much poisonous mist!"

Fang He's heart sank.

At the critical moment, Qin Wujiu made his move.

He stood at the bow of the boat, his hands forming a hand seal, and spiritual energy surged forth like a tide. A trapping array instantly formed, confining the giant python to a radius of three zhang!

The array patterns flowed and the spiritual light flickered. Qin Wujiu's foundation in array formations was far deeper than Fang He's. Even under the suppression of the outer sea, he remained as stable as a rock, and his spiritual energy nodes were like iron stakes driven into the seabed, completely unmoved.

"Mr. Qin!" Fang He's eyes lit up.

Qin Wujiu said in a deep voice, "This formation can only trap it for half a cup of tea's time. Think of something quickly!"

Half a cup of tea.

Fang He forced herself to calm down. Panic would only hasten her death.

The spiritual energy penetrated the giant python's body like silk threads.

Fang He gritted his teeth and pushed his spiritual power forward inch by inch. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and slid down his cheeks.

The hardness of the scales, the direction of the muscles, the distribution of the bones, the flow of spiritual energy—all this information rapidly converged in his mind. Each layer of analysis required even more effort, as if he were dissecting the giant python's body inch by inch with a knife.

The scales are as hard as a second-tier magic weapon, making them difficult to break with swords and blades.

The muscles are extremely resilient and will automatically contract to cushion the impact.

The bone density is astonishing, and there are nodes to protect it when spiritual energy flows.

But... the circulation of spiritual energy follows certain rules.

Fang He constructed a spiritual energy diagram of the giant python in his mind.

The giant python's spiritual power radiates outwards from its seventh inch, forming a vortex that absorbs and condenses the surrounding spiritual energy. At this seventh inch is a spiritual energy node, the linchpin of its entire body. Disrupting this node disrupts the python's spiritual energy flow, weakening the defenses of its scales, muscles, and bones.

"Found it!" Fang He opened his eyes and shouted sharply, "Seven Inch! The spiritual energy node is at the seven inch! Attack the seven inch with all your might!"

Zhou Xiaolan understood, and her spirit sword transformed into a stream of light, aiming straight for the vital spot.

Zhao Hengdao's blade flashed like thunder, following closely behind.

The three of them worked together, and three attacks landed simultaneously on the seven-inch spot!

boom!

Spiritual energy exploded, scales shattered, and blood gushed out. The giant python let out a mournful roar, its body writhing wildly, and cracks began to appear in Qin Wujiu's trapping formation.

"One more time!" Fang He shouted.

But the giant python had learned its lesson. It protected its seven-inch mark beneath its body and swept its tail fin, forcing the crowd back. The trapping formation was broken, the spiritual light shattered and dissipated, and the python's body, like a streak of blue lightning, vanished into the deep sea.

Blood stained a patch of seawater red, and the giant python's figure disappeared into the abyss.

"It got away..." Zhou Qing gasped for breath, his face pale. "That thing... it was too fast..."

Zhao Hengdao's hand gripping the sword trembled slightly, his tiger's mouth went numb, and he whispered, "A second-tier sea beast... as hard as an iron plate..."

Fang He's gaze remained calm. "It's severely injured enough; it won't reappear in the short term."

He turned to the crowd, his gaze sweeping over each face. "Check everyone's injuries. Boatman Xu, how's the corrosion on the hull?"

Xu Haichuan crouched down to examine the hull, then shook his head and said, "It's nothing serious, just the surface. We can still sail. But the wood contaminated by the poisonous fog needs to be treated, otherwise it will spread."

"Zhou Qing, arrange for two people to clean up the poison stains on the deck," Fang He said.

Zhou Qing nodded and made the arrangements immediately.

Fang He walked to the side of the boat. Floating on the sea were seven or eight scales left behind by the giant python, varying in size, the largest as large as a human face and the smallest as small as a fist. Fragments of the venom sac also floated on the water, a grayish-green liquid slowly seeping out, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.

He used his spiritual power to wrap the scales and venom sac fragments and put them into his storage bag.

The gold finger panel lights up:

[Retrievable historical traces detected]

[Item: Scales and venom sac fragments of a deep-sea giant serpent]

[Historical Imprint: Deep-sea Serpent's Poison Resistance (White), a second-tier sea beast's natural resistance to poison attacks]

【Whether to extract? 】

Fang He confirmed.

Extraction successful

[Acquired stat: Poison Resistance (White)]

[Affix Effect: Poison Resistance +15%]

Fang He activated the new entry and felt a faint anti-toxic barrier appear inside his body.

The battle was over, but he felt no relief whatsoever.

Zhou Xiaolan walked to his side, her gaze complex. "You found his Achilles' heel... how did you do that?"

Fang He calmly said, "The spiritual energy node is at the seven-inch mark. If we break that node, its defense will be weakened."

Zhou Xiaolan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "You can still calmly analyze things during battle... I can't do that."

Fang He glanced at her. "You can do it. You just need time to gain experience."

Zhou Xiaolan's eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent.

Qin Wujiu walked slowly over, stood with his hands behind his back beside Fang He, and looked into the deep sea.

"You did well," Qin Wujiu said calmly. "You were able to find a weakness even when the formation was suppressed. But remember, this giant python is only one of the weaker second-tier sea beasts. There are even stronger creatures in the outer sea."

Fang He nodded. "I know."

Qin Wujiu said in a low voice, "You need to find the commonalities between human and sea race formations. Otherwise, this disadvantage will be fatal when you encounter stronger sea beasts or Xiao Yichen next time."

Fang He gazed at the deep seabed and murmured, "If my formation could function properly in the open sea, the battle just now would have been much easier."

Qin Wujiu stood with his hands behind his back, his tone calm. "That's inevitable. The remnants of the sea race's formations cover the entire outer sea, naturally limiting human formations here. To break through this limitation, you need to understand the operating rules of the sea race's formations."

Fang He remained silent for a moment. "The core of the sea tribe's formation is the rhythm of the tides."

Qin Wujiu glanced at him, a smile playing on his lips. "You're quick to figure it out. The sea race's formation is governed by the tides; the nodes move with the ocean currents, and the spiritual energy rises and falls like breathing. To understand it, you must go with it, not fight it."

Fang He's gaze remained calm. "But this will take time."

Qin Wujiu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. "We still have time."