Chapter Six: Promoted to Able Seaman, Peril at Sea!

“Today marks the end of the month.”
On the deck.
Ahead, Bai Tiannian stood with his hands behind his back, speaking in a deep voice, “Among you all, has anyone mastered the Azure Scale Technique?”
These past days, he had been so troubled by the missing Great Whale that he nearly forgot about this group of young sailors.
No one below responded.
The Azure Scale Technique was hardly so easy to learn.
At this moment, Bai Tiannian’s gaze betrayed little disappointment; he had clearly expected this outcome. His eyes swept over the crowd, pausing briefly on Bai Xuan, and seeing that no other youths stepped forward, he was about to shake his head.
But suddenly, Bai Xuan stepped forward!
“Hm?”
Bai Tiannian’s expression changed, surprise and delight flickering across his face.
“You really broke through the blood and qi barrier? Throw a punch!”
All eyes turned to Bai Xuan, who exhaled and threw a punch. A dull thud echoed in the air, force rippling through the space, and a faint azure hue appeared on his fist!
“Excellent, excellent, excellent!”
Bai Tiannian repeated his praise thrice. “Your talent is truly extraordinary… I’ll promote you to First-Class Sailor, and your wages will double!”
“As for the rest of you, without such talent, you’d best train less in this technique. The Azure Scale Technique is a body-tempering method; if you persist without the proper approach, it will ultimately harm you.”
Before leaving, Bai Tiannian patted Bai Xuan’s shoulder, urging him to continue striving, his words filled with approval.
Moments later, Bai Xuan maintained his composure, while nearby, other youths who had striven without breaking through gathered in small groups, lamenting quietly.
“Bai Xuan, you actually broke through! No wonder—you're so much more diligent than I am.”
A youth exclaimed in wonder.
His name was Bai Xiaozhen. His parents wielded considerable influence within the clan, both wealthy merchants, and his grandfather was even more formidable. If not for the clan’s strict requirement that every descendant undergo training on the ship, he would never have come aboard the whaling vessel.
His personality was affable and easygoing; after a few weeks on the ship, he too had trained hard in the Azure Scale Technique, always failing to break through, yet he considered himself and Bai Xuan to be kindred spirits, their bond deepening without notice.
He had not expected Bai Xuan to succeed!
True to his rough and chivalrous nature, he simply slapped Bai Xuan’s shoulder and offered hearty praise.
“Just luck. Nothing to be proud of.”
Bai Xuan replied calmly.
He was composed; originally, he had not planned to step forward. Raising his Azure Scale Technique to the level of a first blood and qi breakthrough had cost him much effort and resources, and he had the aid of the Longevity Dao Tree. While not all of these advantages were unspeakable, it was always prudent to keep some things hidden.
Ultimately, however, he stepped forward because the month’s deadline was clearly a talent selection. Once chosen, Bai Tiannian would pay special attention, and his care and status would rise.
In such circumstances, being visible on the ship was actually safer.
“Ah, forget it.”
Bai Xiaozhen sighed, somewhat frustrated. “I feel like I’m just not suited for this body-tempering technique. Other such methods are all about rubbing iron sand or striking logs… but the Azure Scale Technique emphasizes internal cultivation of blood and qi. How could those of us with mediocre talent possibly master it!”
Hearing this,
Bai Xuan’s thoughts stirred.
The bronze Dao Tree appeared before him, still showing only a single lonely fisherman’s path.
Meanwhile, the path representing body-tempering techniques had grown much larger, gleaming with bronze light, clearly accumulating strength.
But, it still had not truly branched out.
It seemed a single blood and qi breakthrough was not enough to embark upon the path.
Originally, Bai Xuan was puzzled.
Now he suspected the issue was not a matter of level, but rather that his cultivation was too singular.
“Never mind those things; I’ll just keep training.”
Bai Xuan’s thoughts were pure.
Since breaking through the Azure Scale Technique, he could sense blood and qi gathering beneath his skin, as if another layer of tough azure scales were about to grow.
With this layer, blades and swords would not harm him.
Of course, this was only an illusory feeling—a manifestation of blood and qi. To truly form these scales, a second breakthrough was needed.
The first breakthrough merely set his blood and qi apart from ordinary men.
For example, previously, Bai Xuan could throw thirty punches in one breath before his strength was spent and he gasped for air.
Now, he could leap and sprint, unleash punch after punch, and only after fifty-four blows did he begin to tire.
As long as his blood and qi remained strong, he could keep erupting with force, his fighting ability far beyond that of common folk!
Back in the cabin.
“Longevity Tree!”
With a single thought, Bai Xuan once again increased the Dao intent of the “trawling” branch on the Longevity Tree.
“Trawling (Proficient 1%)”
Crack!
His muscles surged with power, blood and qi rising before settling again.
“The Azure Scale Technique has advanced as well. Indeed, increasing strength is the fastest way to train body-tempering methods!”
Bai Xuan calculated carefully.
He prioritized Dao intent for trawling; the other abilities would have to wait.
…
At sea.
“Today’s harvest is impressive.”
Bai Xuan lifted the fishing net, swiftly catching a fleeing small silver fish and placing it with satisfaction into a porcelain jar.
Since his breakthrough in the Azure Scale Technique, his speed, strength, and stamina had all improved.
After that moment of breakthrough, his physical attributes had soared for a week, as if he’d entered another growth phase, rapidly improving like bamboo shoots in spring!
This was the essence of a blood and qi breakthrough—surpassing the limits of the body, making it tougher, each time a transformation. It was said that after three breakthroughs, one could wrestle with whale sharks.
Combined with the Longevity Tree’s strength enhancement, Bai Xuan himself no longer knew how strong he truly was.
Just then—
“Hm?”
Bai Xuan looked up, his brows suddenly knitting.
He possessed keen sight at sea, and with a glance, saw three swallowboats converging toward his position.
“What’s going on?”
A sense of foreboding crept over him.
He glanced inside the cabin and found a fish spear, which he took in hand. Looking out, he saw that the whaling ship was far away, nearly out of sight—if no one was paying attention, no one would see what happened here.
Moments later, the three swallowboats closed in.
“Bai Xuan, is it?”
On the lead boat, a tall, scarred middle-aged sailor spoke, his face twisted and fierce.
“You?”
Bai Xuan recognized him.
This was Zhou Yuan, the one who incited gambling.
On the other two boats were two sailors of other surnames, one named Wang, the other Li, both part of Zhou Yuan's little group.
“What are you doing here?”
Bai Xuan’s tone was calm, not smiling just because they were shipmates.
He had already guessed their intentions.
“Do you think you’re the only clever one?”
Zhou Yuan chuckled and said, “I roughly calculated the coins you spent renting swallowboats for fishing—at least fifteen hundred.”
“With such an expense, unless there’s a clear profit, who would pay? Besides, you broke through the blood and qi barrier. Without a vast supply of white-scaled fish, it’s impossible.”
As expected.
Bai Xuan’s heart sank.
He had considered this before—without fishing at sea, where would his gains come from? He had been as cautious as possible, but had no choice but to act.
His decision to step forward and be promoted to First-Class Sailor was meant to deter potential spies, but it seemed to have failed, instead drawing enemies.
“Let’s not beat around the bush. From your reaction, it’s clear you have a method to catch white-scaled fish—your daily earnings must exceed a thousand coins… tsk tsk, that's quite the income.”
Zhou Yuan crossed his arms, squinting.
“First, hand over your jar of white-scaled fish, then tell us your fishing secret. From now on, we’ll fish together, and the profits… well, those are negotiable.”
“And second…”
Zhou Yuan smiled coldly.
“Since we came here to surround you, you know exactly what it means.”
He clearly felt he had Bai Xuan cornered.
Even if Bai Xuan had stepped forward and become a First-Class Sailor, it was only a recent breakthrough; Zhou Yuan himself had also broken through once, and judged Bai Xuan’s strength as still weak, so he brazenly ambushed him.
Not interrogating him on the ship, but cornering him here on the open sea—this was a grave threat.
“So you’re threatening me…”
Bai Xuan’s expression darkened.
He was tempted to give in, for he had never fought anyone before and could not predict the outcome of a fight for life and death.