On the white sands, where waves mixed with black ink swept across the shore, Lin Yue could only sit there catching her breath. Her chest rose and fell unevenly, her hair a mess and soaked, whether from sweat or seawater she did not know.
The golden fish was still swimming unsteadily around her, then drifted toward the freshly slain octopus. Its round eyes seemed to gleam with a strange light.
"Thank you for saving me!" the fish cried happily.
Lin Yue, on the other hand, showed no sign of joy. Her brows furrowed as she continued to think about how this fish had dragged trouble straight to her doorstep.
"I should've let that ugly octopus catch you," she muttered, still dissatisfied.
"No!" The fish panicked and hurriedly said, "That octopus was a menace. Every creature in the sea was afraid of it!"
"And humans?" Lin Yue asked.
"I don't know…" The fish hesitated as it circled the octopus. "But it's often hunted. Especially a baby like this one."
"Baby?!" Lin Yue stared at the massive corpse. Something this size was still a baby? She didn't even want to imagine how large it would be once fully grown. It could probably swallow her whole in a single bite.
Her gaze shifted to the severed tentacle, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Maybe it was edible.
It didn't take long for Lin Yue to prepare a simple fire. She gathered coconut shells and branches, washed the tentacle clean of blood and ink, and roasted it until it reached just the right level of doneness.
As she looked at the roasted tentacle, the golden koi fish oddly enough also wanted a taste. If it were human, it would probably be drooling by now.
"Can I have some?" it asked.
Lin Yue remained silent for a moment, staring at the fish's pitiful round eyes. She was still annoyed, but she wasn't heartless enough to eat while letting something else starve.
"Take a little."
At her words, the golden fish practically sparkled, which for some reason only annoyed Lin Yue more.
They ate the roasted octopus together. Perhaps this, too, was a small reward for Lin Yue's harsh training.
The meat was not only delicious, but also left her feeling refreshed and energized afterward. The spiritual energy within the octopus was clearly abundant.
Unfortunately, she still felt no signs of Qi accumulating within her body. Worse, she couldn't store the remaining meat either. It would rot long before she could finish it all.
Technically, it was a waste.
But Lin Yue wasn't someone who accepted waste easily. She quickly started thinking again.
What about selling it at the sect's Treasure Exchange Pavilion?
According to the guidebook, hunted beasts and discovered items could be exchanged for crystals, usually called Spirit Shards, like the ones Yu Han had given her before.
Not just crystals. Artefacts, herbs, weapons, pills, and medicine were also possible, depending on the item's value.
That sounded like a good plan.
The sect would only cover their basic needs for a few days. After that, they had to earn their own resources.
With a satisfied look, Lin Yue finished eating, tidied her appearance, and dragged the three-meter-tall octopus corpse toward the Treasure Exchange Pavilion.
Luckily, she had explored the area before and didn't waste time getting lost.
The golden fish followed her like a chick trailing after its mother. Lin Yue didn't even bother commenting.
The Treasure Exchange Pavilion was even more extravagant and arrogant than she expected. The building itself was magnificent, rare treasures displayed prominently everywhere. The surrounding arrays formed complex patterns, no less intricate than the jade carvings embedded in the walls.
Disciples came and went constantly. No surprise. This was the sect's central trading hub and mission hall.
From time to time, disciples glanced at Lin Yue. Someone without sect robes, without cultivation, yet dragging along a massive octopus. It was an unusual sight, bound to draw whispers.
Most ignored her entirely. Some quickened their pace, clearly annoyed by the visual disruption.
After waiting in line for quite a while, Lin Yue finally reached the exchange counter. The octopus was too large to place on the table, so she left it on the cold floor.
The staff member on duty lazily asked what she wanted to exchange. Dark circles ringed his eyes. He looked exhausted.
"I want to exchange this octopus for Spirit Shards," Lin Yue said.
"What kind of octopus?" the staff member asked impatiently.
"This… octopus." Lin Yue gestured toward the corpse on the floor.
Only then did the staff member look properly, visibly startled.
"You call this an octopus? Three meters tall, no energy core… This is a baby Kraken."
He frowned, clearly questioning her basic knowledge.
Beasts usually possessed energy cores, varying by species. These cores represented both their power source and their weakness, forming when the beast was ready to cultivate.
But the creature Lin Yue brought had no core at all. It was still a baby.
"So it can't be sold?" Disappointment crept into Lin Yue's voice.
"Not exactly." The staff member coughed lightly. "Kraken usually fall under mission targets, not direct exchanges."
Given how rare baby Krakens were, this was understandable.
"For now, we can give you four hundred white Spirit Shards as a deposit. After we examine it properly, you can come back for the rest."
They clearly couldn't inspect it immediately with so many disciples waiting.
Lin Yue accepted the note and the four hundred Spirit Shards.
"Oh, by the way," the staff member added, "what about that golden koi? Want to exchange it too?"
Only then did Lin Yue remember the floating fish that had followed her the entire way.
She briefly considered it. Feeding another mouth was troublesome.
But the fish looked at her with pleading eyes, swimming anxiously in the air as if it might fall at any moment.
Helpless, Lin Yue let out a long sigh. The koi's pitiful act was annoyingly effective.
"Forget it," she said. "It's mine."