Chapter One: On the Whaling Ship, the Fisherman's Journey

"I've transmigrated?"

Bai Xuan opened his eyes, his head splitting with pain.

Before him was a cramped, oppressive, damp and gloomy room. The walls were all wood, carrying a faint scent of mold, but more prominent was a familiar salty tang of the sea.

"So... I've transmigrated to the turbulent seas, becoming a fisherman whose life hangs by a thread!"

In the blink of an eye, more memories flooded his mind, swiftly absorbed by Bai Xuan.

In this lifetime, he was a collateral member of the Bai family on Thousand Mountain Island. The Bai clan lived by fishing and hunting, and all the men, starting at fifteen, were required to follow the boats out to sea.

Though he was called a Bai family member, in truth, Bai Xuan was from a remote branch, orphaned, with only obligations but no rights in the family. Even if he died, no one would care.

In Bai Xuan's memory...

Life at sea was anything but peaceful.

The winds and waves were perilous enough, but there were even more dangerous giant fish lurking in the ocean—often over ten meters long. If a hunt failed, someone would inevitably end up in a fish’s belly.

Three months ago.

This fishing boat, Star of Kaiyang, tracked a giant fish for sixty miles, wounded it with powerful crossbows, and over a dozen skilled men plunged into the sea to try and capture it.

But in the end, only two returned to the boat; the rest were swallowed whole by the beast.

The wounded fish escaped as well.

Therefore, before Bai Xuan transmigrated, he was deeply resistant to life on board, longing only to escape the family, leave the sea, and eke out a living as a small merchant on shore, marry a wife, and settle down.

“It’s not so easy to break free… Once you’re on the boat, you have no say over your fate. Unless you have enough prestige and strength to stand on your own.”

Bai Xuan was clear-headed.

He knew he couldn’t leave the fishing boat for now. Still, the terrifying scene from months ago—the waves stained with blood—sent a chill through his heart.

As a transmigrator, he recognized that it wasn’t just some giant fish—it was a whale!

This was a whaling ship.

“To hunt whales at sea—given my current physique, that’s practically suicide.”

Bai Xuan remained calm.

“I’ll keep a low profile, haul nets and catch fish, play the part of an ordinary deckhand... Most importantly, I need to stay alive.”

Just then—

Knock, knock, knock!

“Get up! Time to work! Come up to the deck!”

A knock sounded from outside.

“Coming.” Bai Xuan replied, rolling off his bed. Nearby stood a copper mirror, its surface hazy from wear, barely reflecting a pale youth’s face—handsome and proper in features.

He pushed open the door, and with a creak, was met by a gust of sea wind.

A few quick steps brought him onto the deck. Scanning the horizon, he saw sparkling waves; the vast blue sea was calm, with no sign of storms.

This was the safest time.

At the bow stood a massive harpoon cannon, silent and imposing, its dark stains hinting at blood, radiating a chilling aura!

Only with this powerful ballista-fired harpoon could a whale be truly wounded, giving the whalers a chance.

At that moment, the deck echoed with creaks as several fishermen used ropes to tighten the large net below the gunwale, hauling it up section by section.

"Bai Xuan, come help with the net!"

Not far off, a burly man called out in a booming voice, his gaze sharp.

Bare-chested, hands behind his back, he supervised the crew, his body marked by shocking scars yet rippling with muscle, his arms radiating immense strength.

“Yes, Third Brother!”

Bai Xuan responded.

He recognized the man as Bai Tiannian, the third mate.

Though not familiar, he knew this man possessed formidable martial skills; it was said blades and swords couldn’t harm him, and his arms held the strength of a thousand pounds.

On a whaling ship, to participate in the hunt without martial prowess?

Going into the water would be courting death.

The power of a giant whale—one slap could shatter a person’s internal organs, break their bones, leaving nothing but a skin bag, the flesh turned to pulp.

“Heave ho! Put your backs into it!”

Seven or eight fishermen were hauling the net, bare-chested and sweating profusely. Most had no martial skills, just brute strength, ordinary sailors.

Bai Xuan’s standing on the ship was even lower than theirs—a deckhand in waiting, mainly due to his young age and lack of fishing skills.

Net hauling was a skill in itself.

At sea, dragging a net could bring up several thousand or even tens of thousands of pounds of catch—it was routine.

So many fish and shrimp, relying on manpower alone, couldn’t be pulled up in one go, even with martial prowess. The weight was such that if you tried to haul it all at once, the net would burst, and the loss would be tremendous.

A fishing net took a long time to weave.

Fortunately, Bai Xuan had memories from his previous life and knew that net hauling required “pinching the bundle”—segmenting and encircling, lifting the catch onto the deck section by section.

You needed sharp eyes and quick hands; it was both a labor and a skill.

“Just having memories isn’t enough.”

Once he started, Bai Xuan realized trouble was brewing.

He knew about pinching the bundle, but his arms lacked strength, and his technique was poor. Relying only on recalled experience, he strained to haul the net, and within half an hour, his arms were aching unbearably.

Splash!

The net was finally hauled onto the deck, and as it opened, a cascade of fish and shrimp poured out, covering the floor, wriggling and lively.

Bai Xuan’s pupils narrowed; he immediately retreated behind the mast.

“There’s a monster fish!”

“Look out, get back!”

Among the fish and shrimp on the deck was a giant fish, slate gray, with several tendrils extending from its mouth, three or four meters long, looking utterly grotesque.

It suddenly leapt, lunging at a sailor!

Rip!

The sailor had no time to react; half his body was torn open by the monster fish, blood spraying instantly, the deck awash in red!

“Bold creature!”

A shadow flashed—Third Mate Bai Tiannian strode forward, muscles bulging, and struck with a palm, the wind howling fiercely, smashing the monster fish’s head askew.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bai Tiannian unleashed a rapid flurry of blows—so fast that Bai Xuan could only see a blur of afterimages.

Crunch!

The monster fish’s head caved in, shattered, rolling several times across the deck, its brains splattering, convulsing briefly before lying still.

“Sort the catch! Stow everything properly, don’t mix it up.”

Third Mate Bai Tiannian stood with hands withdrawn, surveying the fearful sailors, frowning slightly, then spoke out loud:

“All you youngsters on deck, listen up. This week, your performance will be evaluated. If you do well, you’ll be promoted to full sailor—two hundred coins a day!”

“Life and death are decided by fate, wealth by heaven. Fear is useless… Get to work!”

On hearing this, the sailors resumed their tasks. Their expressions were wary, but clearly accustomed to such dangers; only boys like Bai Xuan were truly shaken.

“How can this be?”

“What is that monster fish?”

Bai Xuan broke out in cold sweat.

At that moment, he felt his arms trembling, numbness so intense he could barely feel them as if they no longer belonged to him.

This was the result of being physically weak—his first time working so hard, overexerting himself, and it would take six or seven days to recover.

He watched as the monster fish was dragged to the side and tossed overboard. The sailors avoided it like plague—clearly inedible.

“This world is indeed different from my previous one.”

Hardship was one thing, but now there was mortal danger. If this was the life of a lowly sailor, he couldn’t be sure he’d live to retirement.

As Bai Xuan’s mind wandered, his vision suddenly brightened as if a slender bronze sapling sprang up before him.

A bud unfurled, extending a fragile branch from the trunk, bare but adorned with a line of tiny script:

“Haul the net, sort the catch… You have embarked upon the path: Fisherman.”

“Current available Dao Points: 1.”

“Practice this path—Dao Points will increase daily. They will be imprinted upon the Tree of Longevity, and supernatural abilities will emerge.”

“Current skills available for selection: Shark Fighting, Net Hauling, Swimming, Diving, Sea Watching, Helmsmanship, Celestial Navigation!”