Chapter Thirty-Two: Swallowing the Serpent Bone, the Golden Fish Worm

“You want me to give up this serpentine bony fish?”
A commotion swept across the deck, and Bai Xuan’s brows knitted together.
Clearly, the other party had been watching the deck’s movements closely, explaining their swift reaction.
There was no reason to monitor the fishing process so intently; typically, a fishing vessel had the right to handle its own catch, with only the final handover requiring oversight.

At this moment—
“Did you not hear what I said earlier? Stop immediately!”
The black-clad pirate approached, overbearing and intimidating, causing the surrounding sailors and fishermen to grow nervous and fearful; many halted their work.
The strength of their adversaries, compared to the Qianliu, was overwhelming—ordinary sailors dared not oppose them!

“Impossible. Handling the catch is our business.”
Bai Xuan spoke calmly, his hands never ceasing, methodically cutting up the serpentine bony fish. With a single stroke, he carved out over ten pounds of blood-red flesh, lifting it in his hand.
He certainly wouldn’t abandon his precious medicine just because of the pirate’s demands. His eyes narrowed, strength gathering within him, ready to erupt at any moment.
Hearing his words, the sailors who had paused their work now stood together, many gripping the hilts of their long knives at their waists.
In recent days, Bai Xuan had earned their trust; Gao Hong, for instance, stood by his side, fully prepared for a fight.

“Impressive nerve!”
The pirate leader’s face turned instantly grim; blades were drawn in a chorus of steely whispers. The pirates faced them across the water, long knives in hand. For a moment, insults and provocations flew between the two ships, tension crackling—violence was on the verge of erupting!

“What’s going on?”
First mate Bai Yuanji hurried up the deck. Seeing the scene, his scarred face twitched, but without hesitation he barked, “Ready the ballistae!”
He didn’t bother asking for details; his support was firmly with Bai Xuan.
In an instant, a dozen fishermen swiveled the ship’s ballistae, and the balance of power shifted; the pirates’ faces went pale!

Although they still had the advantage in numbers and strength, here, with blades unsheathed and ballistae primed, the first volley would see them all dead before they could retaliate!

“You—”
The pirate leader’s scalp tingled, his tone softening.
But before he could say anything conciliatory, the scene fell silent. Suddenly, a figure flashed and appeared at Bai Xuan’s side, speaking with a voice like thunder:

“Get back!”
The words echoed, thunderous and commanding—energy surging up to the throat, revealing astonishing power. This was the mark of a third blood energy breakthrough!
On the opposing ship, the pirates winced in pain, their eardrums ringing.
Someone gasped in terror, others gripped their weapons tightly; dozens of pirates were thrown into chaos.
The man standing there was none other than Bai Xuanji!

“Go back and ask your boss Qian. You pay us to do our job—if you have questions, bring them to me!”
Bai Xuanji’s voice was icy, brooking no argument.
The pirates dared not respond; their ship gradually retreated, blades returned to their sheaths, and a bloody conflict faded before it could begin.

“All bluster—don’t take their threats too seriously. We are not so easily cowed.”
Bai Xuanji turned to Bai Xuan and spoke in a low voice:
“Even if Qian himself comes, you have nothing to say to him. Just keep working.”

Soon after—
On the pirate ship—
“Bai Xuanji intervened?”
Boss Qian snorted coldly.
“Let those fishermen enjoy their peace a few more days.”
His tone was indifferent, a world apart from the warmth of their first meeting.

…
“There was a conflict in broad daylight—clearly, there is friction. The pirates do not trust us.”
Bai Xuan was well aware.
A lack of trust led to endless trouble.

“Quickly prepare a third-level serpentine bone broth.”
“One jin of tianhai flower, one jin of bupleurum, two jin of saffron, one jin of serpent fruit grass…”
Bai Xuan took out the twelve medicinal herbs he had previously acquired, measuring them according to the prescribed proportions.
This time, he did not entrust the task to Old Li, as the value and nature of the third-level serpentine bone broth was now beyond Old Li’s reach.
After all, an unwitting man carrying a treasure invites disaster!
Old Li’s previous attempt to trade the secret recipe had nearly brought catastrophe and ruin upon his family.
If word got out, someone might try to force the recipe from Old Li and silence him afterward.
Ignorance was safer.

“Spider liquor… limitless power!”
Bai Xuan spent over two hours here, stirring and simmering the third-level serpentine bone broth through several meticulous steps.
The essence and flesh of the serpentine bony fish, originally blood-red and somewhat unnerving, gradually faded in color as the heat rose. The medicine neutralized the bloodiness, vapor carrying it away, until the flesh gleamed translucent like the meat of a spirit fish.
“How fragrant!”
Bai Xuan’s heart leapt.
He could feel every muscle, membrane, and vessel of his body hungering with desperate thirst—a primal craving for more blood energy to repair his own deficiencies!
“It’s time to eat!”
He ladled a bowl of the fish broth and swallowed it down. His mouth brimmed with savory flavor, distinct from the monstrous fish, and as he savored it, waves of heat rose from his belly.
“Ah…”
Within the cabin, Bai Xuan practiced the Nineteen Forms of the Azure Scale Art, circulating his blood energy until it surged like flame.
“As expected, with the essence of this monster fish, it’s as if the fire has found its fuel.”
He could clearly feel it.
His blood energy was burning and rising, reaching ever greater heights.
Skin, muscles, bones, and organs all greedily absorbed the power, life force bursting forth, his body subtly fusing into a unified whole. The blood energy steadily climbed!
“The third blood energy breakthrough…”
Anticipation filled Bai Xuan’s heart.
The third level of the Azure Scale Art, it was said, would transform his eyes into vertical azure pupils, blood energy ablaze like fire, undimmed even underwater!
At this level, he could employ the Bai family’s secret blood-burning technique and match the strength of a giant whale.
This was truly top-tier power, enough to command a ship or hold status on the islands.
“Continue training.”
Joy welled up in him.

…
As the fishing continued, more exotic species were hauled up.
Most of them Bai Xuan did not recognize and dared not taste carelessly.
A joke, really—
If one of these strange fish’s blood energy transformed to poison, a single drop could kill half the crew.
Sure enough—
Within two days, a sailor, tempted by curiosity, secretly sliced up a strange “coatfish” and ate nearly half its flesh raw. The taste delighted him.

But before midnight, he was struck with violent diarrhea, which continued until he died of exhaustion. Only then was it discovered that his body was covered, inside and out, with dense clusters of eggs—already hatching, writhing beneath his skin!
“Some people will eat anything, and raw at that.”
Bai Xuan shook his head.
“Throw his body far from the ship.”
He quickly issued a command: no one was to eat any unknown fish.
On land, there would at least be a pharmacy or a physician; at sea, there was nothing but pirates and isolation, and poisoning meant certain death.

However, this did not stop Bai Xuan from eating the third-level serpentine bone broth.
In the span of a week, he consumed the entire ten-plus pounds of flesh.

In his cabin—
“Ah…”
Bai Xuan’s blood energy was now deeply concentrated, and a faint azure hue shone in his eyes.
This was the mark of blood energy refined to the utmost—reaching even the pupils!
He was a mere step away from the third blood energy breakthrough.
“I must continue fishing.”
He felt deeply content.
These days, he remained constantly on guard.
Every time he handed over the catch to the pirates, he saw their crew armed to the teeth, with crossbows cocked and ready—on high alert.
If not for open war, they harbored murderous intent.
This forced Bai Xuan to be vigilant, but his growing strength gave him confidence.

As the fishing continued, a second serpentine bony fish was caught—this one smaller, with only seven or eight pounds of flesh.
“So be it.”
Bai Xuan remained calm.
To have any at all was good fortune. These huge serpentine fish ate prodigiously, and it was rare to find even one in a current, let alone several.
If there was a second, perhaps there would be a third!
“Back to training.”
He returned to his cabin to prepare more third-level serpentine bone broth.
He was so close to his third breakthrough!

…
The sun was bright, the sky cloudless.
“Come on! Put your backs into it!”
A dozen sailors hauled in the nets, which were soon spread on the deck, revealing a massive catch.
With a great splash, the nets opened, spilling out countless silver-scaled hairtails, and among them, a huge serpentine bony fish that brought a flash of joy to Bai Xuan’s heart.
But his brow furrowed at once.
“This serpentine fish is struggling in pain? No, its blood energy is being consumed by something!”
A shock ran through him.
In that instant, a flash of gold shone within the belly of the great fish, amid the sea of silver.
That golden spark leapt into the air in a lightning-quick streak!
The crew didn’t even have time to react before a sharp hiss split the air—a sailor was pierced through by the golden flash, blood spraying everywhere!