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

Early morning at Qing'ao Island Market.

Fang He pushed open the window of the pharmacy, and the cool, damp air rushed into the room.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, radiating a warm, gentle light.

In the corner of the pharmacy, a few faint rays of light flickered.

Those were the newly reinforced protective array patterns from yesterday, which, in Fang He's eyes, pulsed like the heartbeat of a living being.

"The flow of spiritual energy at the junction of the array patterns here is slightly rough and needs to be smoothed out with spiritual ink."

Fang He muttered to himself.

He extended his finger and made a gesture, a wisp of spiritual energy overflowing from his fingertip, subtly adjusting the direction of the array patterns.

He can perceive microscopic levels that were previously inaccessible.

This surgical-like precision gave him peace of mind and made him more sensitive to changes in his surroundings.

As a transmigrator, Fang He knew all too well how difficult it was for rogue cultivators at the bottom of society to survive.

Without this caution, he would have long since turned to dust in that sea monster turmoil.

As the footsteps drew closer, Su Yun'er carried a wooden basin into the alchemy room.

"Brother Fang, there seem to be quite a few unfamiliar faces in the market today."

Su Yun'er put down the wooden basin, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and her beautiful face showed a hint of bewilderment.

"You noticed?" Fang He turned his head, his gaze deep.

"Hmm. The number of independent cultivators buying healing medicine and detoxifying powder at the pharmacy has surged in the past two days. Most of them look hurried, buy and leave immediately, and are no longer as fond of haggling as before."

Su Yun'er frowned and continued, "Just now when I went out to fetch water, I saw several unfamiliar cultivators gathered on West Street. They were burly, wearing black robes, and exuded a strong aura of menace. Even the spirit cat on the street corner didn't dare to approach them."

Fang He nodded.

He had noticed this trend long ago.

The fluctuations in spiritual energy indicated that most of those people had cultivation levels above the fourth level of Qi Refining.

"Chaos is imminent, so be careful in everything you do. Keep the windows of the alchemy room tightly closed, so that no outsiders can smell the aroma of the medicine. If anyone suspicious inquires, just say that there are old debts left by Master Wu before his death that have not been settled, and that I am currently in seclusion."

Fang He spoke in a serious tone.

He stayed in the alchemy room for another half an hour, finishing sealing the several bottles of Spirit Gathering Pills he had on hand.

This batch of pills is of medium quality and is key to keeping the pharmacy running.

After finishing his business with the locksmith, Fang He decided to take a stroll through the market stalls.

Purchasing medicinal herbs was a pretense; their real purpose was to gather intelligence.

The streets of the market were still bustling, but the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

Where once the sounds of vendors hawking their wares rose and fell, now most of the cultivators gather together and whisper among themselves.

His eyes darted around, and his voice was kept extremely low, as if some invisible pressure was slowly descending from the air.

Fang He walked up to the stall selling spirit ore.

The stall owner was an old acquaintance, nicknamed Qian Laosan, who was squatting on the ground, puffing on his pipe.

"Third brother, what's been going on on the island lately? The quality of this iron seems to be worse than last month."

Fang He casually picked up a piece of iron essence and asked, seemingly casually.

Qian Laosan exhaled a puff of smoke, his cloudy eyes glancing around before he lowered his voice: "The sea monsters are behaving strangely. I heard that the Zhou family's guards discovered several deep-sea monster corpses on the north shore. Their deaths were extremely gruesome, as if they had been drained of their life force by some evil force. Everyone is saying that this is a sign of the approaching high tide."

Fang He's heart sank. A sea monster's corpse?

"Where exactly was the body found? Has the Zhou family reached a conclusion?"

"Near the rocky beach. The Zhou family has blocked the news and strictly forbids independent cultivators from approaching. However... I heard that the color of the seawater there has changed, and it has an eerie red glow."

Qian Laosan took another drag of his cigarette, his expression grave.

Just as Fang He was about to ask more questions, a figure hurriedly passed by.

He was a middle-aged monk wearing a tattered gray robe.

He was thin, with a slightly hunched back and a dull expression.

Qian Laosi.

Fang He had a deep impression of this person.

A rogue cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining who had long lingered at the bottom of Qing'ao Island.

In Fang He's memory, Qian Laosi was extremely low-key.

He makes a living by collecting seaweed and salvaging waste ore year-round, and never participates in any sect disputes. He is the kind of person who would be easily lost in a crowd.

Their eyes met.

Qian Laosi's eyes narrowed sharply, and he quickly lowered his head. He quickened his pace, almost jogging, and headed towards the outskirts of the market.

[Crisis Intuition] A sudden throbbing.

A viscous, chilling malice surfaced in Fang He's mind.

This feeling wasn't directed at his personal murderous intent, but rather at an extreme sense of incongruity, like a venomous snake coiled around him.

"This person is a ghost."

Fang He did not give chase immediately.

He stood still, pretending to select ore.

Only after Qian Laosi disappeared around the street corner did he bid farewell to Qian Laosan.

Instead of returning to the pharmacy, he used the alleyway as cover and lingered far behind Qian Laosi.

Fang He maintained a safe distance of thirty zhang.

In this location, it would be extremely difficult for a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator to detect being followed unless they deliberately used their divine sense to scan.

Qian Laosi walked very fast.

He neither went out to sea nor returned to that dilapidated wooden house.

Instead, they bypassed Lingtian District, followed the rugged mountain road, and ventured into the rocky beach on the north side of the market.

The area is filled with jagged rocks, which are constantly eroded by the sea wind, making the strange rocks look like ghostly shadows.

The area was shrouded in thick fog, and very few independent cultivators ventured there.

Qian Lao's four-line tracking was extremely professional.

He would stop and listen every hundred steps.

They used the shadows cast by the rocks to observe what was behind them, and even scattered colorless and odorless detection powder at several narrow intersections.

If Fang He hadn't worked tirelessly year after year, knowing every plant and tree around the spirit field like the back of his hand, he probably would have already triggered the restrictions.

"A rogue cultivator who only gathers algae actually possesses such counter-surveillance techniques?"

Fang He held her breath and lowered her heart rate to the lowest setting.

Its body moved like a raccoon dog, weaving through the crevices of the rocks and avoiding any dead branches that might make a sound.

Low voices could be heard coming from ahead.

Fang He climbed up a leeward slope. Under the cover of a huge rock, he held his breath and focused intently.

Two figures stood facing each other in a depression in the rocky beach.

Qian Laosi was bowing respectfully to a cultivator wearing a dark cloak.

His respectful attitude was a stark contrast to his usual dull and unassuming demeanor.

"My lord, this is the coordinate distribution map of the various array points this month. I went to great lengths to obtain the complete map from an inside contact within the Zhou family."

Qian Laosi's voice was low and hoarse. He handed over a jade slip that gleamed with a faint light.

The cloaked monk did not accept the jade slip.

With a cold snort, a sense of oppression, like that of an iron hammer, spread out.

"Too slow. The Lord is extremely dissatisfied with the current progress. The sea beast tide will be formed in half a month. If the formation interference fails by then, you should know the consequences."

The sound was chilling, like a blade scraping against iron ore.

As the sea breeze blew by, Fang He caught a faint fishy smell.

That wasn't the usual smell of seawater.

Instead, it smelled of the slime of a high-level sea monster that had been improperly processed, mixed with the sweet and fishy odor of rotting flesh.

This smell is extremely pungent, and only cultivators who have been indulging in evil arts and dealing with sea beast materials for many years will be tainted by it.

"Reporting to you, sir, the Zhou family has recently increased their patrols. In particular, that array master surnamed Qian has led several apprentices to set up numerous combined defensive arrays. I have to avoid spiritual energy nodes with every step I take, which is indeed inconvenient."

Qian Laosi lowered his head, his tone filled with trepidation.

Cold sweat was already seeping from his forehead.

"A defensive array?" The cloaked cultivator let out a piercing laugh, like the cawing of a crow. "A mere first-tier array is useless against the 'Dark Abyss' secret technique. Take this."

The cloaked monk took out a small, emerald-green porcelain bottle from his sleeve.

The bottle was engraved with a twisted snake pattern and was tossed to Qian Laosi.

"Find an opportunity to sprinkle this substance at the three main array points. After it's done, you'll be rewarded with pills to advance to the late stage of Qi Refining. If you dare to try anything funny, the restrictions in your sea of ​​consciousness will instantly detonate."

"I dare not! I will do my utmost!" Qian Laosi knelt on the ground.

Fang He was deeply shaken.

Dark Abyss Pavilion!

The mysterious force that Captain Chen mentioned earlier, which specializes in plundering various islands and causing beast plagues.

They've actually infiltrated the core area of ​​Qing'ao Island?

Qian Laosi was actually an inside agent deeply embedded within the organization.

Fang He desperately suppressed his spiritual pressure.

He had seen that aura before.

When the rusty bronze fragment was first encountered in the first chapter, the overwhelming bloodlust emanating from the historical scene was exactly the same as that of the cloaked cultivator.

The cloaked monk looked around before leaving.

His gaze, sharp as a falcon's, swept across the boulder where Fang He was hiding.

Fang He's pupils contracted.

He quickly lowered his gaze, recalling the growth patterns of the spirit rice in his mind, and forcibly calmed his emotions.

He knew that looking directly at a powerful person could easily trigger some kind of unseen perception.

A moment later, the wind stopped.

Qian Laosi stayed there for a while, making sure no one was following him.

He carefully put away the porcelain bottle, turned around, and his expression returned to its dull and mediocre state. He staggered away, taking a detour.

Fang He lay in the crevice of the rock for a full quarter of an hour.

He remained motionless as the cold dew soaked his back.

Only when the surroundings were completely silent did he slowly stand up.

Walk to the spot where the two had just met.

The gravel on the ground had an eerie dark color.

It exudes a faint, burning spiritual energy, as if it had been corroded by some kind of sulfuric acid.

"The aura of the sea beast material... it's at least second-tier or higher Wave-Swallowing Whale oil. This substance can not only corrode formations, but also incite sea beasts to go berserk."

Fang He stretched out his finger, picked up a bit of black sand, and gently sniffed it.

A chill rose up my spine.

Ordinary cultivators, let alone possessing such a thing, would be corrupted by its evil energy simply by getting close to it.

"The Zhou family is in the open, while the Dark Abyss remains in the shadows. This drama on Qing'ao Island is far more grand and deadly than I imagined."

Fang He quietly returned to the pharmacy.

Su Yun'er was sitting behind the counter organizing medicine labels.

As Fang He pushed the door open and entered, she was about to ask a question, but was stopped by a stern look from Fang He.

Fang He fastened the door bolt with his backhand.

"Brother Fang..." Su Yun'er put down her pen, her voice trembling slightly.

"Keep today's events to yourself. During this time, unless absolutely necessary, do not leave the market area. Ignore any noises or knocks."

Fang He gave the instructions in a low voice.

He went straight into the inner room and spread out a simple map of Qing'ao Island.

He lightly drew a bright red X at that spot on the rocky beach.

The deployment of defensive formations, the unusual behavior of sea monsters, the lurking traitors...

All the fragments pieced together in my mind to form a terrifying picture.

"The porcelain bottle in Qian Laosi's hand is definitely the key to breaking through the Zhou family's spiritual field defenses. If the formation is broken, sea beasts will enter the island, and this place will become a living hell."

Fang He touched the storage bag at his waist.

Inside lay several array stones, gifts from Master Qian yesterday.

He lived on this island for eighteen years.

I have never felt so uneasy, as if the ground beneath my feet might crack open into an abyss at any moment.

He originally only wanted to avoid this cross-factional struggle and find a place to settle down.

But now, he's caught in the middle of it all.

The pharmacy was entrusted to him by Master Wu Dan, and it was also the foundation upon which he made his living; he would never allow anyone to destroy it.

"It seems that the defensive array of this pharmacy needs to be reinforced several more times. A single first-order array won't be enough to stop those lunatics."

Fang He blew out the candle.

In the darkness, his eyes were clearer than ever before.