Chapter 9: Feast of Strength and the Hunter’s Gambit

Shen Li placed the two ox fish into a wide basin of water, watching their instincts take over. The creatures, each resembling a small brown ox with hardened scales and curved horns, immediately began a vicious battle. Treasure beasts, even at this low level, always sought to devour and evolve—a law that Shen Li had learned firsthand.

For a brief moment, the water churned violently as the two ox fish clashed, their horns slamming into each other in a brutal underwater duel. One struck faster, twisting its body to impale the other through the side, and within moments, the weaker fish floated lifelessly in the blood-tinged water.

The survivor grew noticeably larger, its horns extending, their tips sharpened like spears. It had absorbed the essence of its rival.

Shen Li grinned and grabbed a long-handled iron net, carefully scooping the victorious fish out of the cauldron's water and into a wooden bucket filled with clean water. Now, it was time to prepare his meal.

Shen Li had never tasted ox fish before, but he had no plans to waste this opportunity. Treasure fish were not just food—they were a cultivation resource, capable of accelerating body refinement.

He grabbed his bone knife,

and made the first cut along the ox fish's spine. The flesh split cleanly, revealing a dense layer of golden muscle fibers, faintly shimmering with energy. Unlike normal fish, there was almost no blood left inside—only pure essence sealed in every muscle.

Shen Li worked quickly:

He sliced the fillet into thick portions to retain its rich Qi content.The bones were crushed into powder—he had read that ox fish bones could be boiled into a marrow-strengthening broth.The horns were removed and set aside—perhaps they could be useful for refining Gu worms later.

Next, he set up his stone stove and lit a high flame. Cooking treasure meat was different from normal food—exposing it to low heat would waste its essence, but too much heat would destroy its properties entirely.

He heated a pan, poured in thick beast marrow oil, and placed the sliced ox fish fillet onto the surface. The moment it touched the pan, golden Qi wisps escaped from the flesh, sizzling as the rich fragrance filled the air. The fish seared instantly, a perfect crust forming on the outside, sealing its potent energy inside.

For seasoning, Shen Li added: Sea salt—to draw out more of the ox fish's essence. Crushed fiery pepper—to improve blood circulation and help his skin absorb the fish's strengthening properties. Wild spirit herbs—enhancing the natural toughness effect of the meat.

After a short time, the fish was ready. Shen Li didn't hesitate—he sat down, grabbed a piece with his bare hands, and took his first bite.

The moment the ox fish entered his mouth, Shen Li felt a strange sensation spread through his body.

Normally, when cultivating skin refinement, the process was agonizing—like having thousands of tiny blades slicing through his skin at once. But now?

A comfortable warmth spread through his flesh, as if he were being tempered from the inside out.His skin tightened, reinforcing itself without pain—normally, refining this much would take six months of brutal training.Every bite carried a trace of Qi, strengthening him without discomfort.

Shen Li licked his lips, looking at the remaining fillets. If I had ten of these fish, I could reach the peak of skin refinement in just a few months.

But that was the problem. Treasure fish were rare. Even the Shen Family could not cultivate them—they could only be caught by sheer luck.

Shen Li clenched his fists. If I want to grow stronger faster, I need a way to catch more treasure fish on my own.

Shen Li turned his gaze toward his cauldron, deep in thought. He knew that the Shen Family's rules were strict—only the highest-ranking elders were allowed to leave the island. Even high-grade managers were closely watched to prevent exposure of their location.

Leaving was impossible. That meant he had to find another way to increase his access to treasure fish.

If I can't catch them myself… then I'll create something that can.

I need a species that is easily accessible in the market—something common, so no one would suspect my plan.The species must be a natural predator of smaller fish—so it will instinctively hunt down treasure fish.It must be trainable—so I can command it from a distance.

Shen Li paced back and forth in his dimly lit room, his mind racing with possibilities. After analyzing various predatory fish, he finally settled on the Electric Catfish as the foundation for his next Gu refinement experiment.

"Speed and ambush are great, but against a Treasure Fish, nothing beats incapacitation."

He reasoned that stunning was far superior to chasing, especially since Treasure Fish were extremely agile. A Gu that could paralyze its prey would be the most effective means of capturing them alive.

Acquiring the Electric Catfish wasn't easy. Unlike the common species found around the island, these fish were imported from far-off waters, caught by the few long-range fishermen who dared to venture beyond the safe zones.

Even with his newfound monthly allowance from the Shen family, the availability was the real issue—not the price.

"Only a handful of fishers bring these in… That means there's a limit on how many I can buy."

After some bargaining with the traders, he managed to secure 30. It wasn't the hundreds he had hoped for, but it would have to do.

"Thirty should be enough. If I can create a superior fish from them, I won't need an army of them—just one perfected hunter."

Back at his residence, Shen Li filled the cauldron with seawater before releasing all 30 Electric Catfish into its depths. As soon as the cauldron's lid sealed shut, the battle began.

The runes on the cauldron's surface pulsed, signaling the onset of the life-and-death struggle within.

Through the engravings, he could watch their silhouettes clash, each fish releasing bursts of electricity, attempting to overpower its rivals.

Flashes of blue arcs illuminated the constantly shifting etchings on the cauldron, as the fish entered a frenzy of combat, their survival instincts honed to the extreme.

"This is different from refining bugs… The way fish fight is much more brutal and direct."

One after another, the weaker fish fell, their bodies disintegrating into liquid, their essence absorbed into the victors.

Shen Li observed as the strongest contenders emerged, each one larger, faster, and more potent than the last.

The battle lasted for hours, but in the end, one single fish remained.

When the cauldron lid creaked open, Shen Li stepped forward cautiously.

The fish that emerged was no longer an ordinary Electric Catfish.

Size Increase – It had grown nearly twice the original size, making it a true behemoth among its kind.Color Change – Its body had shifted from a dull gray to a deep obsidian black, with faint streaks of electric bluerunning along its scales.Teeth Morphology – Unlike before, its fangs were visibly longer and sharper, giving it an even deadlier predatory edge.Electric Field Expansion – Shen Li could feel the air buzzing with an unsettling hum as if the fish passively generated an electric field around itself.

"It's not just an ambush predator anymore. This thing is a moving lightning storm."

Shen Li reached out cautiously, and the moment his fingers hovered over the water, the fish snapped its jaws, releasing a sudden jolt of static energy that numbed his entire arm.

He recoiled, eyes wide with exhilaration.

Shen Li didn't waste any time.

With a bucket filled with seawater, he carefully scooped out the Thunderfang Gu from the cauldron, making sure to avoid its electrically charged body. As he placed the mutated fish inside, arcs of blue sparks danced across the surface of the water.

"I should be careful with this thing. If I mishandle it, I might end up paralyzed in my own boat."

Holding the bucket firmly, he hurried down to the docks.

For the past few weeks, he had been focused entirely on Gu refinement. His fishing boat—his old source of income—had been left untouched during that time. But now, things were different.

Stepping aboard his small fishing skiff, Shen Li released the Thunderfang Gu into the sea, watching as its black-and-blue form disappeared beneath the waves.

Training a fish was supposed to be impossible—even the most skilled beast tamers required a specific bloodline or long years of bonding to form a proper connection.

But this wasn't an ordinary fish.

Thanks to the cauldron's mysterious ability, the moment Thunderfang was refined, a subtle mental link had been forged between them. Though it wasn't as strong as a soul contract, there was a sense of understanding between master and Gu.

"Alright, let's see if this thing can follow orders."

Shen Li knelt by the edge of the boat, placing his hand in the water.

Through their mental link, he sent a simple command.

"Return."

For a moment, there was no movement—only the steady rocking of the boat against the tide.

Then, without warning, the water churned violently.

A shadow streaked through the waves, moving at an unnatural speed. Before Shen Li could even react, the Thunderfang Gu breached the surface, coiling its sleek body through the air before landing back in the water with a splash.

"Hah. Not bad. It actually listens."

The next step was harder.

Shen Li needed to train the Gu to recognize a specific prey—Treasure Fish.

Normally, a predator hunted whatever it could catch, but he needed Thunderfang to prioritize a single species—to capture it alive and bring it back.

"If I let it hunt at will, it might just kill every fish in sight."

With that in mind, Shen Li reached into his supply box, pulling out a dried Treasure Fish scale—one he had saved from his meal.

He lowered the scale into the water, letting the scent and residue mix into the waves.

Through the mental link, he pushed one clear message to Thunderfang.

"This is your prey."

The fish in the water shuddered, reacting instantly.

A low hum vibrated beneath the waves, the water distorting as faint arcs of electricity crackled along the surface.

"Good. It understands the scent."

Now came the hardest part.

Thunderfang was a predator.

All it had known before its refinement was hunting and killing.

Getting it to capture prey without instantly frying it to death was going to be difficult.

"Alright, let's test this out."

Shen Li cast his net into the sea, dragging it slowly, hoping to lure a few common fish into the area.

Within minutes, a group of small silver fish swam near the boat.

"Thunderfang, go."

There was a sharp burst of motion.

In the blink of an eye, Thunderfang dove forward, its obsidian-black body flashing beneath the waves.

Then—

CRACK!

A massive arc of electricity exploded underwater.

The fish that had been swimming nearby were instantly paralyzed, floating limply to the surface.

"...Yeah, that's not going to work."

Shen Li sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I need to teach it how to weaken its output. Otherwise, all we're going to get is fried fish."

Thunderfang, sensing his frustration, let out a low electric hum, circling beneath the boat.

"Alright, let's keep at it."

The training had only just begun.