Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

There were six types of Spiritual Silkworms being raised in the silkworm house, but after looking around, Zhao Lin didn’t find any to his liking.

The Cold Ice Silkworm and Fire Cloud Silkworm were already in his Spirit Beast Scroll, and the other silkworms just had different attributes.

His Spiritual Root was already set, so it was pointless to absorb another attribute.

’Looks like what I’m looking for isn’t here.’

With this thought, Zhao Lin said to the old silkworm farmer, "Thank you, Elder. I’ve learned a lot today. I won’t disturb you any further. Please help me thank your Senior Brother..."

After leaving the Sang Garden, Zhao Lin stood under a large tree by the path and thought for a moment before deciding to head over to the opposing Songyu Peak to have a look.

Songyu Peak was covered with numerous Spirit Fields and Tea Gardens. It was said that many small Spirit Beasts like Cyan Wood Sparrows, Long-tailed Pheasants, and Six-clawed Yin Toads were raised free-range there to control pests.

Although he already had a general understanding of these Spirit Beasts’ characteristics and habits, he wouldn’t be at ease until he saw them with his own eyes.

As he descended Guangze Peak and passed through the valley between the two peaks, a clear, azure lake appeared before him.

The lake was named Qingyi Lake. Its waters were cold and teemed with a type of cold-water fish that was plump, white-fleshed, delicious, and rich in Spiritual Qi.

Because a "bone sword" was hidden within the fish’s skull, it earned the elegant name Hidden Sword Cold Fish.

Zhao Lin had heard from one of his instructors that during the annual festivals, the Spirit Dao Institute would prepare Spiritual Cuisine using the Hidden Sword Cold Fish for the disciples to enjoy.

A layer of white mist drifted over the lake’s edge, a clear sign that a restrictive formation had also been placed here.

’I wonder if there are any other members of the Aquatic Race in this lake besides the Spirit Fish?’

Zhao Lin pondered for a moment. ’Since I’m here,’ he thought, ’I shouldn’t miss the opportunity. I might as well go in and see for myself.’

Thinking this, he took out his jade token and flashed it at the formation...

"Ah, a junior brother from the Spirit Dao Institute. You are most welcome."

The one guarding Qingyi Lake was a young cultivator in a blue robe. Though his words said "welcome," his expression was cold and distant.

Upon learning the purpose of Zhao Lin’s visit, the blue-robed cultivator summoned a man in yellow robes who was over forty years old.

"Brother Hu, please show this Junior Brother Zhao around. Call me if you need anything."

With that, he sauntered off.

The man in yellow was also a cultivator, but his cultivation level didn’t seem to match his age.

Currently, Zhao Lin only had a basic grasp of two fundamental skills: the Qi Observation Skill and the Spirit Blade Skill.

He had just used the Qi Observation Skill and saw that the yellow-robed man’s Spiritual Qi was weak, only at the level of Early-stage Qi Refining.

Logically, even with poor talent, cultivating for over twenty years should have resulted in a higher realm than this.

A thought flashed through Zhao Lin’s mind, and he guessed the man must be a cultivator with a Mortal Spirit Root.

Cultivators with Mortal Spirit Roots were a rather special case. Because they could cultivate the Dao and refine Qi, they couldn’t be considered mortals.

However, cultivators with Mortal Spirit Roots only had one or two spiritual root nodes, and their ability to sense the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was very weak.

Most of them would spend their entire lives stuck in the Early-stage of Qi Refining. A few might reach the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, but that was their absolute limit.

Therefore, most cultivators with Mortal Spirit Roots took on support roles, using their limited Mana to help mainstream cultivators with tedious and menial tasks.

"Greetings, Brother Hu."

Zhao Lin said earnestly, cupping his hands in a salute.

"Not at all, not at all! What is it Junior Brother Zhao wishes to know? I will be sure to tell you everything I know and hold nothing back!"

The cultivator surnamed Hu responded with great enthusiasm.

Zhao Lin noticed the man’s hands were covered in calluses. He glanced toward the lake and saw a small boat moored on the bank, and an idea formed in his mind.

"Brother Hu, you must patrol the lake often, right? Why don’t you go about your work, and I’ll just watch from the side? If I have any questions, I hope you won’t mind answering them."

The cultivator surnamed Hu laughed. "That works too. As it happens, I have to make a patrol every morning and evening."

With that, he invited Zhao Lin onto the boat. As he skillfully rowed, he began explaining some of the finer points of caring for the Spirit Fish.

The Hidden Sword Cold Fish were delicate and had extremely high standards for water quality. Brother Hu’s main job was to observe the health of the fish schools and check if the lake water was contaminated.

If malicious pests like the Contraction Insect, Anchorhead Snail, or Fish-eating Louse appeared in the lake, he also had to lead a team to exterminate them.

Zhao Lin listened for a while, observing silently.

He saw that the lake water was so clear you could see to the bottom, where Hidden Sword Cold Fish swam about freely. ’This lake...’ he thought, ’...probably doesn’t have the Essence Soul I’m looking for.’

When the boat reached the center of the lake, the cultivator surnamed Hu suddenly tossed aside his oar, formed a hand seal for a spell, and shot a "Water Arrow" into the water.

SWOOSH!

The water arrow plunged into the lake. A moment later, a palm-sized, striped fish floated up from the depths.

The cultivator surnamed Hu snatched the fish and laughed heartily. "Got another one!"

The fish was quite peculiar. It had a small head and a large tail, a wide, flat body covered in horizontal stripes, and thick, fleshy lips that resembled a sucker.

Zhao Lin asked curiously, "What kind of fish is this? Why does it look so strange?"

The cultivator surnamed Hu laughed. "This is a Pipa Catfish. Doesn’t it look like a pipa?"

As they were talking, the Pipa Catfish suddenly twitched and began to struggle violently, its fins rubbing together to produce a GURGLING croak.

Zhao Lin was slightly taken aback. "This fish is quite sturdy," he said in surprise.

The Water Arrow Skill was formed from condensed Water Element essence, and it was as fast as a sharp arrow. Even a beginner’s version could easily pierce the body of an ordinary fish.

Brother Hu’s cultivation wasn’t high, but because of that, he had spent years diligently studying this one technique. His Water Arrow Skill had already reached the "Proficient" level.

For the Pipa Catfish to be hit by the spell and still be able to flop around, full of life, was definitely extraordinary!

Brother Hu nodded. "You’re right, Junior Brother. The Pipa Catfish has tough skin and hard flesh. It’s especially resistant to Water Element Skills."

His expression then turned serious as he said, "In fact, the biggest threat to the Hidden Sword Cold Fish in this lake is this very Pipa Catfish."

Zhao Lin played along. "Please explain, Brother Hu!"

Brother Hu continued, "Don’t be fooled. It usually feeds on the sludge and algae at the bottom of the lake, so it seems harmless and even helps clean the water."

"But if a Hidden Sword Cold Fish suffers even the slightest injury, the Pipa Catfish can smell it, track it down, and latch onto the wound, sucking the injured fish dry."

"What’s more, it steals and eats the eggs of the Hidden Sword Cold Fish. It’s truly a villain through and through!"

Hearing this, Zhao Lin felt the Pipa Catfish’s habits were similar to the scavenger fish from his previous life. ’Could this thing be an invasive species too?’ he wondered.

After speaking, Brother Hu placed the Pipa Catfish on the boat’s gunwale and grabbed a small hatchet from under the side of the boat.

Zhao Lin was startled. "Brother Hu, are you going to chop it to pieces?"

Brother Hu shook his head and said seriously, "Junior Brother Zhao, you may not know this, but the Pipa Catfish’s skull is abnormally hard, making it difficult to kill. Plus, its self-healing ability is extremely strong. If you don’t kill it completely, it might just come back to life in a few days."

Zhao Lin understood. Many animals possessed self-healing abilities, like sea cucumbers, starfish, geckos, and salamanders. They could lose a part of their body, or even their internal organs, and still recover completely.

But when he voiced this thought, Brother Hu shook his head repeatedly. "It’s not the same. The animals you’re talking about can regenerate lost limbs, but it takes months, or at least dozens of days at the fastest."

"But this Pipa Catfish..."

As he spoke, he used the hatchet’s blade to slice a deep gash in the Pipa Catfish’s body. Fresh blood immediately gushed out.

However, after just a few breaths, the wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, the wound was gone!

Zhao Lin sucked in a sharp breath, speechless for a long moment.

Seeing his astonishment, Brother Hu was quite pleased with himself. "What do you think? In my opinion, though this vile beast is incredibly ugly, its regenerative ability is truly rare."

Zhao Lin nodded silently, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Amid his amazement, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.

With such a self-healing ability, if he were ever in danger and suffered a grievous injury, he could recover as long as his vital points weren’t hit. No matter how you looked at it, this would make an excellent Essence Soul.

’Unfortunately, there’s only one slot left in the Spirit Beast Scroll.’

’If it can’t speed up my cultivation, then no matter how good the Essence Soul is, I’ll have to give it up, as painful as it is.’

"Brother Hu, how long do Pipa Catfish live?"

"Only two or three years. If they were long-lived, it would be a disaster, wouldn’t it?"

’It seems its super-strong regenerative ability doesn’t increase its lifespan...’

Zhao Lin sighed silently with regret. He bid farewell to Brother Hu, planning to head over to Songyu Peak for a look before it got dark.

"Alright, I’ll take you back to shore, Junior Brother."

Brother Hu steered the small boat and rowed toward the shore.

Halfway to the shore, a realization struck Zhao Lin like a bolt of lightning. His gaze fixed on empty space for a moment, and then he forcefully struck his palm with his fist.

"Yes, that’s it!"