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

The sky was beginning to lighten, and the cries of seabirds drifted from afar.

As soon as dawn broke, Fang He got up.

He checked his belongings, took a deep breath, and walked along the path toward the market.

Today is the first day of the sea monster cleanup mission.

A large crowd had already gathered in the square outside the Zhou family office.

More than thirty independent cultivators stood together in twos and threes, their expressions showing some tension.

Fang He glanced around but didn't see any familiar faces.

He found a corner to stand in and waited for the group to assemble.

A moment later, a middle-aged man in a blue guard uniform came out.

This person has a resolute face and sharp eyes, and his cultivation level is at the late stage of Qi Refining.

"Gentlemen."

He began in a loud voice, "Today is the first day of the marine mammal cleanup mission. There are two types of missions: coastline patrol and marine mammal cleanup. First-time participants will start with patrol."

"Patrolling may seem easy, but it is actually dangerous. Sea monsters are elusive, and the slightest carelessness could cost you your life."

"Let me make this clear from the start: anyone who disobeys orders or acts without authorization during the mission will be treated as a deserter, and the Zhou family will not tolerate it."

The square was quiet.

The guard officer paused for a moment, then began taking roll call in groups.

"Third group, team leader Zhou Qiang, team members..."

Fang He heard her name called and stepped forward.

The third group has five people.

The team leader was a guard at the late stage of Qi Refining, named Zhou Qiang. He had a serious expression and didn't say much.

The other three team members included a middle-aged rogue cultivator in his forties, who was thin, shrewd, and clearly a seasoned veteran.

One was a robust man in his thirties, with a calm face and a quiet demeanor.

There was also a young rogue cultivator, who looked nervous and whose eyes darted around nervously.

"Han Laosan".

The middle-aged rogue cultivator struck up a conversation, smiling and extending his hand, "What's your name, brother?"

Fang He.

"What level of Qi Refining are you at?"

"Three floors."

"Wow, you're young and promising."

Han Laosan gave a thumbs up and pointed to the burly man next to him, "This is Lin Qingshan. He's a man of few words, steady and reliable."

Lin Qingshan nodded to Fang He, which was considered a greeting.

The young rogue cultivator also came over, introducing himself as surnamed Zheng, a second-level Qi Refining cultivator, who was very nervous as it was his first time participating in such a mission.

Team leader Zhou Qiang glanced at everyone and said succinctly, "Stay with me and don't fall behind. Report anything unusual immediately, and do not act on your own."

"Yes."

The five responded and set off towards the coastline.

……

The northeast coastline of Qing'ao Island.

Fang He stood on the reef, gazing at the sea before her.

The waves crashed against the rocks, making a dull sound.

The air was filled with a salty, fishy smell, and the sea breeze felt damp and chilly on my skin.

The terrain in this area is complex, with numerous reefs and caves, making it an easy hiding place for marine animals.

"Today's patrol area is five miles east of here."

Zhou Qiang pointed to the coastline, "Work in pairs, looking out for each other. If you spot anything, immediately use your whistle to warn others."

He distributed several bronze whistles and gave a few instructions.

Fang He and Han Laosan were in the same group.

"Come on, bro, stick close to me."

Han Laosan said with a smile, "Patrol work looks easy, but there are actually a lot of tricks to it."

Fang He nodded and followed behind him.

The two walked slowly along the coastline.

As Han Laosan walked, he muttered to himself, "Sea monsters can easily hide in the crevices of rocks, in puddles, and in caves. Don't just look with your eyes; you have to use your spiritual sense to explore and even smell them."

"Sea monsters have a fishy, ​​foul odor, unlike the normal smell of the sea. If you can smell it, it most likely means there are sea monsters nearby."

"Also, don't go too deep. Some sea monsters hide deep in the reefs. If you go in, they'll pounce out and you won't even have time to run away."

Fang He silently made a note of it.

These are experiences that cannot be learned from books.

"How long did Uncle Han stay with the patrol team?" he asked.

"It's been more than two years."

Han Laosan was somewhat smug. "This job is hard work, but it pays a lot of contribution points. Once you've accumulated enough, you can exchange them for cultivation techniques, talismans, and the like at the Zhou family's place."

He lowered his voice: "I want to save up enough contribution points to learn a basic alchemy technique. I can't rely on cultivation in this lifetime, so learning a skill will help me in my old age."

Fang He nodded and said nothing more.

……

The two walked about two miles along the coastline.

Fang He suddenly stopped.

The "Sharpened Spiritual Senses" attribute continued to operate, giving him a wider range of perception than ordinary cultivators.

Just now, he noticed something unusual.

There was a faint fishy smell in the air.

It doesn't smell like a normal sea breeze; it smells more like...

A certain putrid smell.

Fang He frowned and focused his mind on perceiving.

The fishy stench was coming from the group of reefs ahead.

"Uncle Han".

He lowered his voice, "There's something going on up ahead."

Han Laosan's expression hardened, and he immediately dropped his joking smile.

He looked in the direction Fang He pointed and squinted to observe.

"where?"

"That group of reefs."

Fang He said, "There's a fishy smell in the air, which is abnormal."

Han Laosan took a deep breath, his expression changing slightly.

"It definitely has a strange smell..."

He slowed his pace and cautiously approached the rocky outcrops.

Fang He followed behind, his spiritual sense continuing to probe.

The closer you get, the more pronounced the fishy, ​​foul smell becomes.

He saw it.

Among the reefs, several rocks have obvious scratches on their surfaces, as if they had been rubbed by something rough.

The seaweed and barnacles nearby were crushed and scattered all over the ground.

"This is……"

Han Laosan squatted down and observed carefully.

"Traces left by sea monsters."

He said in a deep voice, "Judging from the depth of these scratches, it's at least a mid-grade first-tier sea beast."

"It came ashore, but has returned to the sea."

Fang He felt a chill run down her spine.

If that sea monster were still alive...

"Good observation."

Han Laosan stood up, glanced at Fang He, and said, "These kinds of traces are hard to detect; your spiritual sense is quite sharp."

"Just lucky."

Fang He said.

Han Laosan nodded, took out a copper whistle from his pocket, and blew it.

A sharp whistle rang out.

A moment later, team leader Zhou Qiang arrived with several other people.

"What's going on?"

Han Laosan pointed to the reefs: "Traces of a sea beast, mid-grade first rank. It once came ashore but has returned to the sea."

Zhou Qiang squatted down and examined it carefully.

"It is indeed the trace of a sea monster."

He stood up and looked at Fang He. "Who found out?"

"It was Brother Fang who discovered it."

Han Laosan said, "He smelled a fishy stench."

Zhou Qiang glanced at Fang He and nodded: "Good observation."

He took out a jade slip from his pocket and recorded his discovery.

"Continue the patrol, but be extra vigilant. This sea monster could come ashore again at any time."

"Yes."

The patrol continues.

Fang He and Han Laosan walked along the coastline for several more miles without finding anything unusual.

But Fang He remained vigilant.

The "Sharp Senses" attribute continued to operate, and he constantly sensed the changes around him.

The terrain in this area is complex, with numerous reefs, making it a good hiding place for marine animals.

If one suddenly jumps out...

Fang He was unsure of what to do.

……

evening.

The patrol mission has been completed safely.

Fang He followed the team back to the meeting point.

Today's patrol went smoothly, and we did not encounter any sea monsters.

He felt a little relieved.

But as soon as they arrived at the meeting point, they sensed something was off.

The independent cultivators gathered together, looking tense and whispering amongst themselves.

"Something's happened..."

"The second group encountered an attack by sea monsters..."

"Someone died..."

Fang He's heart sank, and she quickly walked over.

"What happened?"

A rogue cultivator glanced at him and said in a heavy tone, "During their patrol, the second group encountered a mid-grade first-tier sea beast. The sea beast suddenly darted out from a crevice in the reef, catching us completely off guard."

"How is the situation?"

"One person died and two others were injured."

The rogue cultivator sighed, "That sea beast was too fast; there was no time to react. The rogue cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining was bitten to death on the spot."

"The other two were injured, but fortunately the team leader came to their aid in time and drove the sea monster away."

Fang He's expression changed slightly.

One person died.

He recalled the group of reefs he had discovered during his patrol that day, and the traces of the sea creature that had once come ashore.

If I were to encounter this...

"Which sea monster is it?"

Han Laosan leaned over and asked.

"I don't know. It's a Blackscale Sea Beast, a mid-grade first-tier beast, and extremely fast."

The rogue cultivator shook his head. "Those who were injured said they couldn't even see the sea beast's movements before they were pounced on."

Fang He was alarmed.

A mid-grade first-tier sea beast is equivalent to the strength of a cultivator at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining.

He's only at the third level of Qi Refining, so he's no match for him in a head-on confrontation.

If you encounter...

He himself would probably not escape death.

……

"Today's mission looked easy, but it turned out to be so dangerous."

"Yes, what if we encounter that sea monster..."

"You never know when you'll encounter patrol work."

Han Laosan sighed, "That's fate. If you're lucky, you can patrol for months without any problems; if you're unlucky, you'll run into trouble on the very first day."

Lin Qingshan remained silent, but his expression was solemn.

The young rogue cultivator was even paler than usual, and his body trembled slightly.

Fang He stood aside, deep in thought.

During today's patrol, I discovered traces of sea creatures, which was approved by the team leader.

Early detection of danger is more important than direct confrontation.