The sand beneath the water was as white and fragrant as milk. The seaweed possessed the hue of spring grass, and the various shells emitted intermittent glimmers, each a music box emitting a faint melody upon opening and closing.

He Yiming settled in this manner at the seabed near the island, quietly observing the underwater world.

In the last great storm, his efforts had come to naught; he had failed to grasp the Water Flower. After several days of rest, his state of mind entirely settled, He Yiming resumed his path of cultivation.

Though on this island there resided a white horse with a horn, and an unfathomably profound Venerable master, and on another island a countless swarm of black vultures, at this moment, He Yiming cast them all completely aside.

He walked slowly along the seabed, seemingly adopting the guise of an aquatic creature himself, examining and sensing the underwater world through his own unique perception.

He held a faint premonition: if one day he could survive freely underwater, just like these marine beings, that would be the moment he could calmly comprehend the Water Flower.

Suddenly. A flat, long fish, over three feet in length, twisted its body and shot past his eyes.

He Yiming’s gaze immediately followed the great fish upwards. He took a step, pushing off the sandy floor gently with the tip of his foot, his body already curving.

He was actually imitating the movement of that great fish, undulating as he swam upward.

The great fish seemed to sense something. Its small head turned, looking inexplicably at the awkwardly shaped He Yiming, before continuing to writhe away.

He Yiming was utterly immersed in his own world; the image of that great fish filled his mind. He vaguely felt that this was a strange method of movement, and if he could integrate this motion into his martial techniques, it would surely yield unimaginably immense power.

This was an idea born of sudden inspiration, yet in this world, nearly all circulating martial arts and combat techniques were products of such instantaneous epiphanies by predecessors.

He Yiming slowly explored this sudden thought, in a state akin to enlightenment, yet not quite true enlightenment.

He had already advanced to the Venerable rank; his true qi was refined to the absolute extreme. Even submerged in the sea, the skin of his entire body could automatically breathe. While this imposed a massive burden on his physique, given his current constitution, unless he remained underwater day and night, there was no way any issue would arise.

Thus, a full day and night passed. He Yiming constantly twisted his body beneath the waves, using the ocean’s force to comprehend and gradually correct the flaws in his movement technique.

Finally. A flash of clarity crossed his eyes, and he awoke from that almost obsessive state of immersion.

This time, he did not touch the ground with his toes. Instead, his body gave a slight shudder, and he began to writhe in an uncanny manner.

In the water, he truly seemed to have transformed into a swimming fish, shooting upward with astonishing speed, as if flying.

If the great fish from a day prior were present, it would surely doubt whether it had encountered a companion, although this companion was perhaps a little too large...

Soon, He Yiming breached the surface of the sea.

The moment his head cleared the water, he heard a soft thump. Turning, he saw Treasure Pig also drilling up from the depths. It held a fish in its front hooves, a fish much larger than its own body, while its hind hooves trod the water’s surface.

It was as if some force supported its feet, allowing it to sprint toward the shore with incredible speed.

He Yiming paused briefly, gazing out, then laughed aloud.

Not far from the shore, Bai Lingba had already set up the roasting frame, a wisp of black smoke curling upward. Seeing this scene, He Yiming instantly understood why Treasure Pig had suddenly become so industrious.

He laughed and strode forward; even on the sea surface, his body twisted and turned. Though the appearance was hardly graceful, his speed was undoubtedly superior to before.

A moment later, He Yiming reached the shore. He very directly picked up a fish and began devouring it.

However, the moment he bit down, he paused slightly.

The fish smelled indeed fragrant, but the taste was mediocre at best. Apart from a faint saltiness, it could not compare to what he had experienced before.

Glancing over, He Yiming asked, "Brother Bai, the flavor of this thing is off."

Bai Lingba replied in a deep voice, "There are no seasonings, only salt water. It can only be this way."

He Yiming acknowledged this, and suddenly an idea struck him. He took out the silver ring, opened the spatial storage within, and retrieved a massive bundle.

Bai Lingba and Treasure Pig watched him inexplicably, unsure of what mischief he was plotting.

He Yiming unrolled the bundle. Honestly, this was the first time he had opened it since receiving it from Jin Zhanyi.

Inside, there was indeed an iron pot and a spatula, along with many iron bottles and jars, each labeled. A single glance assured He Yiming that the variety of condiments prepared within was even more complete than what was stocked in the small boat's galley.

He sighed inwardly: Jin Zhanyi truly lived up to his reputation as a true epicure; his talk of cultivating the Way of Food might actually hold merit.

Bai Lingba’s eyes lit up. He swept his gaze over the jars, selected a few, took an empty iron bowl, poured the seasonings in, and mixed them together.

After finishing, Bai Lingba re-wrapped and handed the bottles and jars back to He Yiming.

From start to finish, he never inquired about the origin of these items, nor did he find it strange that He Yiming had prepared so many seasonings; it seemed entirely natural.

He Yiming tucked the large package back into the ring space, carefully stowing it away.

Perhaps Jin Zhanyi was right; he should prepare more. But thankfully, he possessed the silver ring's spatial storage. Without it, no matter how much he prepared, everything would likely have been lost in those towering waves.

With the seasonings in hand, Bai Lingba’s skill shone again, and waves of fragrance drifted out, immediately stirring the appetite of all present.

Before long, Bai Lingba took the three fish off the roasting frame and handed them to He Yiming and Treasure Pig respectively.

Treasure Pig was already impatient. It snatched the iron skewer and, ignoring the heat of the grilled fish, immediately opened its large mouth and began gnawing contentedly.

What was truly astonishing was that the little creature never set its food on the ground. Instead, mimicking He Yiming, it used its front hooves—which seemed to possess some adhesive quality—to clamp the skewer between them, devouring the large fish until not a scrap remained.

He Yiming watched its gluttonous display with amusement. Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, and he looked toward the forest.

A person slowly emerged from there—the same old man who had been wrestling with the white horse when He Yiming first arrived on the island days ago.

A hint of surprise crossed He Yiming’s gaze.

Since their last encounter, he hadn't seen the elder or the white horse again.

He knew the elder lived in the west of the island, the white horse in the east, and he himself had chosen a random cave to reside in between them. Although the island was far smaller than the mainland, it was entirely possible for them to live out their days without ever meeting if they chose not to.

So, when the elder suddenly appeared, He Yiming felt a distinct strangeness. A few days ago, the elder’s attitude toward him was exceedingly cold, even wary and vigilant. Why would he come forward proactively after only a few days?

Regarding the elder's arrival, only He Yiming looked up to observe. Bai Lingba and Treasure Pig acted as if they saw nothing.

One kept rotating the iron skewer on the fire, the other kept his head down, gnawing the large fish held between his hooves, as if the roasting rack and the fish were far more important than the arriving elder.

The old man approached the campfire. He emulated He Yiming and the others, plopping down onto the sand.

He inhaled deeply, his throat moving slightly, and his gaze settled on Bai Lingba’s roasting frame.

He Yiming gave a soft laugh. If he couldn't guess the elder's intention now, he would be truly dense.

In his hand, he held two more skewers, each bearing a fragrant roasted fish. After a brief pause, He Yiming extended his hand, smiling at the elder.

The elder stared deeply at He Yiming, seeming to hesitate for a moment, before finally reaching out and accepting the offering.

He brought the grilled fish close to his nose and inhaled the rich aroma deeply, his face revealing an expression of extreme satisfaction.

Then, he opened his mouth and devoured the fish with speed that in no way paled in comparison to Treasure Pig, cleaning it utterly.

He Yiming watched the old man, dumbfounded. What shocked him was that the old man's eating mannerisms rivaled Treasure Pig's, and he swallowed the entire fish, leaving not even the bones behind.

Looking at this elder behaving like a starved ghost returned from the dead, He Yiming truly didn't know how to describe him.

The elder finished the fish quickly, in three bites. Only then did he notice He Yiming’s strange look and his old face flushed slightly.

He coughed lightly, and the elder spoke as if casually, "It’s been forty years. This is the first time I’ve eaten anything cooked."

As he said this, he wasn't looking at He Yiming but toward the distance, as if he weren't speaking to them at all.

He Yiming found it amusing, yet he understood why the elder had acted with such impatience. If a person were exiled to a desert island for forty years without eating cooked food, smelling roasted fish—perfect in aroma, appearance, flavor, and texture—it would be difficult to resist the cravings of one's stomach.

Handing over the other iron skewer, He Yiming murmured softly, "Treasure Pig, go catch a few more fish."

Treasure Pig grunted in dissatisfaction. He Yiming frowned slightly, shot a glare, and Treasure Pig immediately dropped the empty skewer, scrambling into the sea in a panic...