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

Fang He stood by the spirit field, gazing at the distant coastline.

The early winter sea breeze carried a chill, causing robes to flutter in the wind.

The atmosphere at sea has become increasingly turbulent lately. The news brought by Captain Chen is becoming more and more unsettling.

The migration route of the second-order marine mammal herd is approaching Qing'ao Island.

Once they actually attack, Qi Refining cultivators will be powerless to resist.

Staying on patrol means facing this danger head-on.

He was originally recruited temporarily, not an employee of the Zhou family. He had already earned enough contribution points and could theoretically leave at any time.

It's time to leave.

The patrol team's base is located on the east side of Qing'ao Island, near the coast, and is a simple courtyard.

The yard was piled with various weapons and miscellaneous items, and several patrol members were cleaning their equipment. Fang He's arrival did not attract much attention.

He has been participating in fewer patrol missions lately because he is studying alchemy.

Han Laosan was sharpening a rusty long knife in the yard when he saw Fang He approaching. He looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Brother Fang, what a rare guest! We haven't seen you around lately!"

Fang He walked to his side and whispered, "Brother Han, I'm here to say goodbye."

Han Laosan paused for a moment, then nodded knowingly.

"Are you going to cancel?"

"Um."

Han Laosan put down his long knife, sighed, and lowered his voice:

"A wise move."

He looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, continued:

"You don't know, things at sea have been getting increasingly strange lately. A few days ago, Captain Zhou privately revealed that traces of second-tier sea beasts have been discovered in the open sea. Second-tier sea beasts! That's equivalent to the strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator! If we Qi Refining cultivators encounter one, it's suicide."

Fang He's heart sank. Captain Chen's information was indeed true.

Han Laosan patted Fang He on the shoulder and said with emotion:

"Brother Fang, you're smarter than me. When I was young, I just buried myself in work and missed a lot of opportunities. You're different; you're quick-witted and have learned alchemy. You have a bright future ahead of you."

He pulled a dusty gray stone from his pocket and handed it to Fang He:

"Here, this is a small parting gift for you."

Fang He took it and saw that it was a gray stone about the size of a thumb, with a rough surface and nothing special about it.

"This is?"

"The Breath Collection Stone,"

Han Laosan explained, "It can conceal your aura, making it harder for others to detect your cultivation level when you wear it. It's not worth much money, but it can come in handy sometimes. I picked it up from the corpse of a rogue cultivator when I was young, and I've kept it without using it. It's perfect for you."

Fang He felt a warmth in her heart. Although the stone was inconspicuous, Han Laosan had kept it for many years and now gave it to her; this gesture of kindness was profound.

"Thank you, Brother Han."

Han Laosan waved his hand: "Don't be so polite. If anything comes up in the future, we can meet again at the market. Once you've mastered alchemy, I'll buy pills from you, so you'll have to give me a discount."

Fang He smiled and said, "Of course."

Just then, Lin Qingshan returned from his patrol.

He saw Fang He, paused slightly, and then walked over.

"Are you going to cancel?"

Fang He nodded.

Lin Qingshan didn't say much, only briefly saying, "Take care."

Fang He cupped his hands in greeting: "Take care, Brother Lin."

Although the two didn't communicate much, they had developed a certain understanding after fighting side by side for so long. Lin Qingshan was a man of few words, but his words of "take care" were a rare expression of his affection.

Fang He bid farewell to everyone and left the patrol team's camp.

He walked a short distance away, took out the gray stone, and focused his mind on sensing it.

The panel appears.

[Retrievable historical traces detected]

[Item: Concealing Breath Stone]

[Historical Imprint: Introduction to Breath Concealment (Gray), the Basic Methods of Breath Concealment and Form Hiding]

【Whether to extract? 】

Fang He was overjoyed. Sure enough, the gray stone given to him by Han Laosan could also be used to extract entries.

He confirmed the extraction.

Extraction successful

[Acquired entry: Introduction to Breath Concealment (Gray)]

[Introduction to Concealing Aura (Gray): Can conceal one's own spiritual energy fluctuations, increasing concealment by 10%]

Some vague perceptions surfaced in my mind.

How to control your breathing, how to conceal your spiritual energy, how to make yourself less conspicuous in a crowd...

These were not systematic techniques, but rather fragmented experiences, yet they were enough to elevate his stealth abilities to a new level.

Fang He carefully put away the gray stone and continued walking towards the guard team's camp.

The guard's camp was located in the center of Qing'ao Island, adjacent to the Zhou family mansion, and was much more impressive than the patrol team's camp.

The imposing courtyard gate and the solemn guards all demonstrated the Zhou family's prestige.

Fang He arrived at the office and explained his purpose.

The clerk was a middle-aged man with a stern face, flipping through the case files.

"Name?"

Fang He.

"Belong?"

"Temporary conscription, patrol team, number seventy-three."

The clerk flipped through a few pages, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Fang He... temporarily conscripted... contribution points are sufficient..."

He put down his pen and looked up at Fang He:

"Your withdrawal request requires additional approval."

Fang He raised an eyebrow: "Additional approval? I've heard that temporary recruits can withdraw at any time once they've accumulated enough contribution points, so why would they need approval?"

The clerk replied expressionlessly, "This is a new regulation from above. The threat from sea monsters has become severe recently, and we're short-staffed. All withdrawal applications must be personally approved by Captain Zhou."

Fang He became suspicious.

Is marine mammal threat serious?

Are you short-staffed?

That's true.

But he didn't quite believe the explanation of the new regulations.

A sense of crisis began to stir, and a vague warning sign surfaced in my mind.

It seems someone is targeting him.

With his keen spiritual senses working together, he sensed several pairs of eyes looking at him from not far away, each carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Fang He remained calm and asked, "How long will it take?"

"It's hard to say." The clerk closed the file. "Go back and wait. We'll let you know when we have any news."

Fang He was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

He turned and left the office, his mind racing with thoughts.

In theory, rogue cultivators temporarily recruited can leave once they have enough contribution points. This is a rule set by the Qingyuan Sect, and the Zhou family has no right to change it.

The additional approval process is clearly a deliberate attempt by someone to make things difficult.

Who is it?

As Fang He walked out of the guard station, several possibilities came to mind.

Captain Zhou? Unlikely. While Zhou Tieshan is strict in his official duties, he never deliberately makes things difficult for lower-level cultivators. He has no motive to target me.

Manager Zhou? Impossible. Zhou Mingyuan has a high opinion of himself and wouldn't set obstacles for him over such a trivial matter.

Who could it be?

Fang He thought of someone.

Zhou Xiaolan.

That beautiful and arrogant eldest daughter of the Zhou family once mocked him in the pharmacy, saying that a rogue cultivator was not qualified to learn alchemy.

Could it be her?

Fang He shook his head, suppressing the thought.

There was no evidence, only speculation. But he had already made a mental note of this.

If someone is deliberately making things difficult for him, he will find out the truth eventually.

Fang He left the guard team's camp and walked along the path towards the spirit field.

As darkness fell, the sea breeze carried a chill.

He recalled Han Laosan's words.

When the second-tier sea beasts arrive, Qi Refining cultivators will be nothing but cannon fodder.

If he doesn't leave the patrol team as soon as possible, he might not even have a chance to escape if the sea monsters really attack.

We must find a way to speed up the process.