120. The Dragon-Fish Corpse

Waiting is always a tedious process, as the days bleed into one another. Qi Fei knew that these past few days were the most critical for Tong He—a time for the meticulous preparation of his physical restoration.

The importance of Tong He to Qi Fei went without saying. Because Qi Fei’s path of cultivation differed drastically from that of ordinary practitioners and lacked any historical precedent to reference, he relied heavily on Tong He, his personal encyclopedia of cultivation, for guidance. Whether Tong He’s current attempt at body reconstruction succeeded would determine not only his own return to his peak but also the future direction of Qi Fei’s own cultivation techniques.

Qi Fei had placed all necessary provisions within the scripture archive to ensure they were easily accessible. He had even set aside a portion of fruit near Tong He. Although Tong He had remained motionless for days, Qi Fei knew he had entered a state of profound meditation. His awakening periods were brief, and to sustain his cultivation, he would inevitably feel hunger. As a soul entity, he had always relied on absorbing the true essence of heaven and earth, but these exotic fruits proved to be a great boon to him.

Fortunately, five days and nights were not an agonizing wait—not when Qi Fei had already endured half a year. Moreover, he still had critical aspects of his "Eight-Armed Wind-Thunder Fist" to ponder, so he was far from idle. Having a goal to strive toward made the time pass as quietly and imperceptibly as it had during his previous six months of training.

Yes, it was merely five days and nights, and soon the time to witness Tong He’s physical restoration would arrive. With the sun rising and setting, the moon waxing and waning, the time flew by while Qi Fei was absorbed in his martial practice.

For those five days, Qi Fei had focused entirely on his own training, paying little attention to Tong He. It was not until dusk on this final day that he suddenly opened his eyes and realized that the situation regarding Tong He had changed dramatically. The flames Tong He emitted had shifted from a pure white to the color of human skin. These white flames seemed to possess an extremely low temperature; even though Tong He appeared to be exerting great control, the fire still exuded a faint, chilling air.

This phenomenon astonished Qi Fei. He could have understood if the flames grew hotter, but that they carried a frigid chill was entirely unheard of. Could fire with such an icy aura even be called fire? Qi Fei muttered to himself, though his attention was quickly diverted by another development.

The body of the Dragon Fish had undergone a massive transformation. It was no longer a long, slender form but had become significantly shorter, sturdier, and more rounded. As Qi Fei continued to watch, the body, now almost triangular, continued to shift its shape within the icy flames.

The first change occurred in the upper half of the triangular form. Under Qi Fei’s wide-eyed observation, the top portion gradually molded into the nascent shape of a head. Before long, as the form continued to shift, a lifelike face, identical to Tong He’s, gradually revealed itself.

"Could it be," Qi Fei said, his eyes gleaming, "that the old master intends to refine this Dragon Fish body into his own?"

The more Qi Fei watched, the more amazed he became. He had previously assumed that Tong He was merely absorbing the essence within the fish to manifest a physical form, never expecting him to refine the carcass directly into his own likeness. Yet, the Dragon Fish was a dead object; even if refined into a human shape, how could it serve as a living body?

Driven by curiosity, Qi Fei watched the changes in the blade-storage room intently. Soon, as he had surmised, not only did the upper portion take on Tong He’s appearance, but the lower half also transformed into a human waist, hips, and legs. However, this body refined from the Dragon Fish looked more like a statue—lifeless, stiff, rigid, and wooden.

Estimating that it was now dusk, Qi Fei couldn't help but call out, "Grandmaster Tong He, didn't you say it would only take five days and nights? The time has passed; why haven't you formally begun the restoration?"

Qi Fei hadn't expected a reply, but the moment he spoke, Tong He seemed to hear him. He retracted the flames and laughed aloud. "Haha, young Qi Fei, there is no need to rush. I have waited thousands of years for this; a little more time is nothing. Just wait a while longer and watch me perform the art of the 'Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell'!"

Without further explanation, Tong He leaped into the air, chanting a series of obscure and difficult incantations.

At first, Qi Fei noticed nothing unusual, but gradually, his keen senses detected something—a manifestation of life force—emanating from Tong He’s soul body. It traced a strange arc in the air before plunging into the refined Dragon Fish body. As the chanting accelerated, more and more life force poured from his pure white soul into the lifeless vessel, eventually flowing like a surging river. At this point, Qi Fei finally understood what Tong He meant by "reforming his body."

Tong He was essentially refining the Dragon Fish carcass into a replica of his own body and then merging his soul into it.

As expected, the reality matched Qi Fei’s prediction. When the life force from Tong He’s soul reached its peak, he let out a long, resonant cry and dove headfirst into the refined form.

A moment later, a blinding white light erupted, forcing Qi Fei to shield his eyes. When he could see again, the Dragon Fish body appeared infused with infinite vitality. Not only was it pulsing with life, but its eyes now held the hue of a human’s, and the previously immobile limbs were making simple, albeit clumsy and stiff, movements.

"Grandmaster Tong He, have you succeeded?" Qi Fei asked joyfully.

Seeing the body attempt to move its limbs, Qi Fei felt a surge of excitement. Having seen many things beyond his experience at Danxia Mountain, he found Tong He’s miraculous methods somewhat easier to accept.

However, the body turned its head with the stiffness of a puppet and glanced at him. When it opened its mouth, only a sound like a babbling infant emerged. Through the eyes, Qi Fei could clearly see a strong desire to speak, yet the mouth could not form a single coherent word.

Qi Fei frowned. "What’s wrong? Did something go wrong during the restoration?" He circled the body, noticing that while the eyes expressed anxiety and unease, the body and mouth were too stiff to convey intent.

Feeling helpless, Qi Fei sighed, "Grandmaster Tong He! I don't even know if this is still you. What should I do?"

He sat down in frustration, at a loss. Suddenly, he was cast in shadow and heard a soft "iya-iya" sound. Looking up, he saw the body had crawled toward him, mouth agape, making infant-like noises as if seeking help.

Qi Fei regained his spirits. "Do you need me to do something? Nod if you do."

The body nodded stiffly.

"Do you need help with something?" Another stiff nod. "What is it? Are you hungry? Do you want me to open the stone door? Do you want me to help you change your state? Are there pills you left behind for me to find?"

After a dozen guesses, the body only offered puppet-like nods or silence. Exhausted and anxious, Qi Fei’s mouth went dry. Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed through the room.

Qi Fei froze, then slapped his forehead. "I'm such a fool! You're just hungry!"

He quickly caught a fish from the valley, grilled it, and returned to feed the body. Since the body couldn't move its arms properly, Qi Fei had to tear the meat and feed it piece by piece. Once finished, the body looked satisfied, nodded, and collapsed into the corner of the room, falling into a deep slumber with rhythmic snoring.

Qi Fei watched the sleeping form, musing that it looked just like a baby. But as he watched, he realized that the body had moved from the center of the room to the corner on its own—a vast improvement from its earlier state.

The next day, Qi Fei was awakened by footsteps. His eyes widened: Tong He was walking around the room with surprising lightness and could even lift his arms to wave or clap. His movements were far more natural than the day before.

Perhaps sensing Qi Fei’s gaze, Tong He stopped and turned to look at him. He opened his mouth and spoke, albeit haltingly, "Qi Fei, you’re finally awake. Haha, heaven has helped me! I can finally move on my own. I’m still quite unaccustomed to this body, so I must move about to master it and return to my normal standard."

Hearing Tong He’s familiar, albeit aged, voice speak in complete sentences brought Qi Fei immense relief.

"This Dragon Fish body truly is Tong He after his restoration," Qi Fei confirmed to himself, his heart settling. After a moment of contemplation, he asked cautiously, "Grandmaster Tong He, may I ask how much longer it will take for you to return to your full strength? I need to plan my next steps accordingly."