Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

Chen Ye carefully removed the egg-sized Spirit Pearl from the clam’s flesh. Its warm, smooth touch and the immense Spiritual Charm it contained invigorated his spirit.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Ye placed the Spirit Pearl into the pouch at his waist and immediately pushed off, swimming toward the surface.

Just then, a strange sense of dread suddenly washed over him. Immediately after, Chen Ye felt an extreme, yin-cold aura envelop his entire body.

KRAK.

The Exorcism Talisman hanging around his neck shattered before it could even last five seconds.

In the biting cold, which felt powerful enough to freeze the blood in his veins, Chen Ye caught a glimpse of a hazy white mass approaching him from the corner of his eye.

It was the White Calamity Qi!

Chen Ye’s heart trembled. He immediately thought of the terrifying creature rumored to inhabit Black Water Lake.

Calling it a creature wasn’t entirely accurate, as no one had ever seen its true form—or rather, anyone who had was already dead.

People only knew that this thing was extremely bizarre. Whenever it appeared, the already frigid water would become even more terrifying. Only a handful of lucky individuals had ever managed to escape from it.

Chen Ye hadn’t expected to be so unlucky as to run into it this time.

However, recalling the strange fish that had ambushed him while he was collecting the Ninth Grade Spirit Pearl, Chen Ye had a realization.

’No doubt about it. These terrifying underwater existences must have been drawn by the aura of the Grade-Entering Spirit Pearl.’

These thoughts flashed through Chen Ye’s mind as the white mass of qi rapidly closed in.

But just as it was about to reach him, Chen Ye suddenly vanished from the murky depths.

The white qi lunged at empty water. It then began to drift about in confusion, clearly having no idea how Chen Ye had disappeared.

Meanwhile, on the surface of the lake, Chen Ye suddenly broke through the water, gasping for air.

Just now, Chen Ye had activated his Nightwalker Talent, merging with the darkness to escape the White Calamity Qi.

’Damn it. I’ll have to be more careful next time I go Pearl Collection,’ Chen Ye thought, making a mental note.

Besides, if an Eighth Grade Spirit Pearl attracted something as terrifying as the White Calamity Qi, what would happen if he tried to collect a First Grade Spirit Pearl?

Chen Ye shuddered, forcing himself to stop thinking about it. He climbed onto his small boat and returned to the cabin.

He changed into a set of dry clothes, rowed the boat to a secluded corner, and checked his surroundings. After confirming there was no one around, he chose to devour it.

The next moment, a familiar pulling sensation washed over him. The world before his eyes instantly distorted and peeled away, transforming into iridescent lines of light before finally dissolving into nothingness.

When Chen Ye opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a hard wooden bed.

The room wasn’t large, and was even a little dilapidated, but it was fully furnished with a table, chairs, bed, and a cabinet. There were even a few calligraphy scrolls hanging on the wall, which seemed strangely out of place.

Judging by the room’s decor, this was clearly an ancient era.

Before he could think any further, a massive torrent of memories flooded his mind.

A moment later, a look of someone who didn’t know whether to laugh or cry appeared on Chen Ye’s face.

He had transmigrated into a world where the Martial Dao flourished.

His new Identity was a minor patrol chief in the bandit fortress on Cyan Bamboo Mountain.

To put it bluntly, he was a bandit.

With a thought, Chen Ye called up his Professional Panel.

[Name: Chen Ye]

[Identity: Cyan Bamboo Mountain Patrol Chief]

[Profession: Bandit (Level 2) — Gathering in the Mountains, living life on the edge of a blade. Chaos is your soil, ferocity your capital. In the law-of-the-jungle greenwood, the only truth is the saber in your hand.]

[Talent: Fierce Body — Your body is stronger than an ordinary person’s. Stamina and damage resistance are slightly increased.]

[Martial Arts: Wind-Slicing Saber Technique Level 1]

Reading the description, Chen Ye breathed a small sigh of relief.

An Eighth Grade Spirit Pearl was indeed much better than a Ninth Grade one.

Last time, he had started as a helpless Little Scholar, at the mercy of others. This time, not only did he have a starting Profession and an accompanying Martial Arts technique, but more importantly, he also had the Identity of a patrol chief in charge of more than a dozen men.

This start was certainly much smoother.

Chen Ye stood up and walked over to the Copper Mirror, which looked like it had been plundered.

The mirror reflected the face of a man in his early twenties. He wasn’t handsome, perhaps even a bit simple-looking, but paired with his burly and robust physique, he naturally exuded a fierce, unapproachable aura.

Through the memories, Chen Ye gained a preliminary understanding of the martial power in this world.

The upper limits of the Martial Dao in this world far surpassed those of the last.

The Martial World was teeming with experts, and the legends of some top-tier powerhouses were almost indistinguishable from those of Land Immortals.

Even second-rate masters were capable of founding their own sects and dominating a region.

For instance, the Great Village Chief of Cyan Bamboo Mountain was said to be a genuine second-rate master whose Fist Technique was so domineering that splitting stones and sundering metal was a simple matter for him.

Just then, a knock came from the door, followed by a gruff voice.

"Chief, are you awake? It’s time for patrol."

Chen Ye collected his thoughts and replied in a deep voice, "I know. I’ll be right there."

He threw on the original owner’s coarse cloth clothes, took a heavy Ring-Headed Saber from the wall, and slung it at his waist before pushing the door open and stepping out.

Outside the door was an even more spacious courtyard. Beyond it, one could see layers of buildings constructed along the mountainside, extending all the way to the summit.

The entire fortress was massive. Armed lackeys patrolled everywhere, watchtowers were numerous, and the defenses were tight—a far cry from any makeshift operation.

Seventeen or eighteen men were already standing in the courtyard. Seeing Chen Ye emerge, they all called out in unison.

"Chief."

Most of these men were nearby Refugees or farmers who could no longer survive, having come to the mountain just for a meal. Though they didn’t have much combat strength, they were intimidating enough.

Chen Ye nodded without saying much and led the group toward the patrol path outside the fortress.

「The next month on Cyan Bamboo Mountain passed peacefully.」

During this time, Chen Ye’s days were extremely routine. He would lead his dozen or so men on patrol along a fixed route each day, then spend the rest of his time shut in his room, focusing on comprehending the "Wind-Slicing Saber Technique."

After all, with his Max Level Fast Blade experience, Chen Ye had a solid foundation. Learning this rudimentary Saber Technique was naturally a case of getting twice the result with half the effort.

In just a month, Chen Ye felt his understanding of the Saber Technique deepen.

[Martial Arts: Wind-Slicing Saber Technique Level 2]

But it was completely useless.

The Wind-Slicing Saber Technique was a commonplace manual that Cyan Bamboo Mountain handed out to every lackey. It was purely an Outer Sect skill. No matter how well one practiced it, its upper limit was fixed. It was fine for cutting down ordinary people, but against a true Martial Artist, it was a joke.

What Chen Ye wanted was a proper Cultivation Technique that could develop Inner Strength.

But in the Martial World, such things were more precious than gold. Although the several chiefs on the mountain were all masters of the Martial Dao, who would share the very skills they relied on to survive for others to practice?

However, Chen Ye wasn’t in a hurry.

’Cyan Bamboo Mountain looks imposing and is well-defended. It’s been entrenched here for many years with a stable foundation. It should remain secure for a long time to come.’

Therefore, Chen Ye felt he had plenty of time to plan slowly.

But in the end, Chen Ye had still underestimated just how dangerous this world was.

The New Year had just passed, and the snow hadn’t even fully melted, when trouble struck Cyan Bamboo Mountain.