Han Xuanji didn't bother with any extra movements; this sort of thing didn't require complex seasonings or deliberate cooking. It could be eaten directly.
Of course, if conditions allowed, it could be cooked, but that would take too much time. Perhaps he would have the chance to taste the delicacies of the Eternal Continent in the future.
"I heard from Hun Qianling that many foods on the Eternal Continent are highly beneficial for Cultivators. I wonder how they differ from the food in the Immortal Realm?"
Han Xuanji reached out and tore off a piece of fish about the size of his palm. The meat was firm, carried a faint coolness, and lacked any hint of fishiness.
He placed the fish meat into his mouth and chewed gently. To Han Xuanji's surprise, the texture was actually quite good.
While it couldn't be called a supreme delicacy, it was fresh, tender, and refreshing, without the astringency he had imagined.
As that mouthful of fish meat entered his stomach, a majestic yet gentle surge of eternal qi instantly erupted. It flowed down his throat and into his body, rapidly circulating through his limbs and bones. That feeling of being filled with energy was far more intense than simply absorbing eternal qi to Cultivate.
"Not bad. The effect is slightly inferior to the water of eternity, but for me, it might be more suitable."
A flash of surprise crossed Han Xuanji's eyes. He immediately closed them and, without further delay, silently operated his Cultivation Technique while chewing the Hongmeng Flying Fish meat, fully refining the skyrocketing eternal qi within his body.
The fish meat melted in his mouth, each bite providing a continuous stream of energy. The eternal qi in the cultivation chamber and the energy from the fish meat merged, swirling around him. This caused his aura to become increasingly solid at a pace visible to the naked eye, and the distance to the second layer of the Eternal Dao Master Realm was gradually closing.
At the same time, he could also begin attempting to practice a Soul Dao Divine Ability from the Great Thousand Soul Book: the Eternal Soul Sword.
The Hongmeng Sea held many dangers; any increase in strength was beneficial.
As the days passed, Han Xuanji devoted himself to practice in the cultivation chamber. He consumed the Hongmeng Flying Fish while refining eternal qi and attempting to master the Eternal Soul Sword Divine Ability from the Great Thousand Soul Book.
He ate at a steady pace, chewing each bite carefully and refining it with all his strength, not daring to waste a single bit. Under his day-after-day consumption, the Hongmeng Flying Fish was gradually finished.
When the final piece of fish meat entered his stomach, Han Xuanji slowly opened his eyes, a trace of melancholy flashing through them.
He could clearly feel that his cultivation was much more solid than before, and his practice of the Eternal Soul Sword had made initial progress, allowing him to condense a faint Soul Sword force at his fingertips. However, his Realm remained stuck at the Peak of the first layer of the Eternal Dao Master Realm, unable to break through that barrier to reach the second layer.
"As expected, relying solely on bitter cultivation and the Hongmeng Flying Fish is still lacking something."
Han Xuanji whispered softly. He wasn't too disappointed, as he had already anticipated this. A Breakthrough in the Eternal Dao Master Realm was inherently difficult, with a significant gap between each layer. The energy from the Hongmeng Flying Fish was, at most, enough to stabilize his Realm; it was far from sufficient to achieve a Breakthrough.
After a moment of thought, Han Xuanji stopped dwelling on it and reached out to take the remaining water of eternity from his System space.
A pure and majestic aura instantly filled the air, nourishing his Divine Soul and Physical Body.
"Regardless of whether this is a waste of precious resources, right now, being able to quickly increase my strength is what matters most."
Han Xuanji thought to himself. Without any hesitation, he raised the bottle and slowly poured the water of eternity into his mouth.
Having reached the Eternal Dao Master Realm, he had become much more unrestrained.
The cool, sweet liquid entered his stomach and instantly transformed into infinite, pure eternal qi that swept through his entire body. This was more than a hundred times more concentrated than the energy contained in the Hongmeng Flying Fish, yet it remained gentle as it washed over his Physical Body and dao foundation.
Han Xuanji no longer focused solely on refining energy. While operating his Cultivation Technique to absorb the power of the water of eternity, he sank his consciousness into his Divine Soul to continue tempering the Eternal Soul Sword Divine Ability, while simultaneously beginning to contemplate the condensation of a second Eternal Dao Principle.
"The Hongmeng Sea is full of dangers. The Law of Fate leans toward support and cannot handle direct combat. I must condense an offensive Dao Principle to stand firm among those of the same Realm, or at least have a means to counterattack."
After much consideration, Han Xuanji finally decided to condense the Sword Dao Principle. The Sword Dao Principle was sharp and domineering with extreme offensive power. It was compatible with the Eternal Soul Sword Divine Ability he was currently practicing. The two working in tandem would surely cause his combat power to soar. Once condensed, he would certainly not be among the weak, even within the Eternal Dao Master Realm.
Having decided on a direction, Han Xuanji focused entirely on his cultivation and deductions.
While consuming the water of eternity and using its pure power to nourish his dao foundation and push for a Breakthrough, he also devoted himself to deducing an Eternal-grade Sword Dao Principle, pushing his understanding of the Sword Dao to new heights.
Time flowed slowly as the thousand spirits vessel sailed steadily across the Hongmeng Sea. Its auto-navigation mode avoided countless perils. Outside the hull, powerful Primordial Chaos Alien Species occasionally swam by in the distance, yet they never discovered this vessel that had hidden its aura.
Before he knew it, a full year had passed on the Hongmeng Sea.
During this year, Han Xuanji never left the cultivation chamber, practicing day and night. The power of the water of eternity was gradually exhausted, and his efforts finally yielded a reward.
On this day, a majestic aura suddenly erupted within the cultivation chamber. Green and silver lights intertwined as dao-rhythm flowed around Han Xuanji. The faint sound of a sword's hum echoed, and a sharp, domineering Sword Dao pressure spread out, enveloping the entire cultivation chamber.
His eyes were tightly shut. At the center of his brow, a silver sword-shaped inscription slowly took shape upon his Eternal Dao Fruit. It resonated with the original Law of Fate, the two Eternal Dao Principles intertwining and emitting an even more powerful aura.
"It's done!"
Han Xuanji snapped his eyes open, a brilliant light flashing within them. His aura suddenly surged, and he stepped firmly into the second layer of the Eternal Dao Master Realm.
He could clearly feel that his strength was far greater than when he had first entered the Hongmeng Sea. As the Sword Dao Principle circulated, he could condense incredibly sharp Eternal sword force at his fingertips. Combined with the Eternal Soul Sword Divine Ability and supported by the Law of Fate, his combat power already far exceeded that of ordinary Cultivators at the second layer of the Eternal Dao Master Realm.
With a wave of his hand, a silver Soul Sword condensed out of thin air, its blade swirling with a faint eternal qi. Han Xuanji nodded in satisfaction.
"I feel that if I were to face a Cultivator of the same Realm from the Eternal Continent, I should have the strength to put up a fight."
To make such progress in just over a year was quite remarkable.
But in the next second, Han Xuanji's expression darkened slightly, and his tone carried a hint of melancholy:
"However, the water of eternity has also been completely consumed..."
This bottle of water of eternity was a precious resource he had brought from Chaos. Now that it was entirely gone, and without the System, it would likely be very difficult to find such pure cultivation resources relying solely on his current abilities.
However, Han Xuanji did not regret it. After all, by using the water of eternity, he had not only broken through to the second layer of the Eternal Dao Master Realm but had also condensed the Sword Dao Principle and mastered the Eternal Soul Sword Divine Ability.
This expenditure was ultimately worth it.
Han Xuanji stood up and stretched his body. As dao-rhythm flowed around him, he felt the abundant power within and really wanted to find someone to test his skills against.
But for now, there was only Hun Qianling, and she seemed to still be Cultivating, very close to the Eternal Dao Master Realm.
"I can't keep freeloading; it's time to do something."
Han Xuanji figured that Hun Qianling could hunt some weak Primordial Chaos Alien Species along the way. Now that he had broken through to the second layer of the Eternal Dao Master Realm and his combat power had greatly increased, he should be able to do so as well. He might even be able to capture more valuable Primordial Chaos Alien Species, which would both replenish his cultivation resources and allow him to temper himself.