Chapter 221: Respective Trials! Facing Contempt!
Crash!
The water around the end of the fishing line suddenly began to tumble.
A dark shadow appeared at the very bottom of the lake and rapidly approached the surface.
Before Chen Xuan could react, the shadow had already reached the water’s surface.
Then...
Bang!
Water scattered in every direction.
Under Chen Xuan’s stunned gaze, a massive figure emerged.
It was a fish.
Yet unlike any other fish he had encountered in the past, this one was completely different.
Stretching for dozens of feet from head to tail, its enormous body looked like a miniature mountain floating above the lake.
Its body was covered in countless tiny white scales that shimmered beneath the faint light. Its streamlined shape, combined with its enormous size, made it look strangely majestic.
If anyone did not know better, they might have mistaken it for a white dragon.
Chen Xuan was shocked.
Especially when he noticed the faintly anthropomorphic look in its eyes.
There was a hint of excitement regarding the bait, as well as something else...
Ridicule?
Yes.
That was the only word Chen Xuan could use to describe the strange expression in its eyes.
This discovery left him somewhat speechless.
Soon, though, he understood where that ridicule came from.
Faced with the bait dangling from the end of the fishing line, most intelligent beasts would have been wary. Even if they were attracted by it, they would have carefully investigated it before making a move.
But this fish seemed unable to shake off its instincts.
In a fluid motion, it appeared before the bait, opened its enormous mouth, and swallowed it whole.
Then...
Nothing happened.
The fishing rod seemed to have completely lost its ability to "trap" fish.
Without facing the slightest resistance, the fish pulled away from the fishing line and leisurely dove back into the water.
Chen Xuan did not know if it was his illusion, but he sensed the fish look back at him.
There was contempt in its eyes.
More importantly, as though it had done so deliberately, its enormous tail suddenly slapped against the surface.
Splash!
Water scattered in every direction, most of it aimed directly at Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan grumbled.
He raised his hand and casually erected a barrier, preventing the water from falling onto him.
Not a single droplet managed to touch his body. Yet he had no willingness to celebrate.
His gaze remained fixed on the fishing rod. More precisely, on its tip.
He could be certain that the fish had devoured the original bait attached to the fishing line.
But even so, the bait was still there.
It was as though it had been replaced without him realizing it.
Chen Xuan frowned.
He carefully examined the fishing rod once more, trying to find some hidden mechanism.
Nothing.
There was no Spiritual Energy fluctuation.
It looked completely ordinary.
He then looked around him, examining both the grassland beneath his feet and the vast lake before him.
He understood that this place was mysterious, as expected of the inheritance left behind by the Goddess of the Sea.
Yet this trial still left him speechless.
To catch a fish?
This went against every expectation he had previously formed.
He had imagined countless possibilities, but none of them included this.
’Is this white fish the only creature in the lake?’
’If that’s the case, catching it will be extremely difficult.’
’Although it doesn’t possess the aura unique to sea beasts, its strength is quite overwhelming. It seems similar to the giant turtle outside.’
’It doesn’t cultivate like an ordinary beast. Instead, its body has simply grown to an astonishing degree, and with it, its physical strength.’
Chen Xuan grumbled inwardly.
He had already confirmed that he could not personally take action against the fish.
Every time his power entered the lake’s range, it immediately disappeared, as though an invisible barrier existed above the surface.
Even his divine sense was affected.
It could enter the lake, but the moment he attempted to use it to influence anything within, the connection would immediately be severed.
Similarly, it was almost impossible to bring the white fish onto the pier.
After all, the fish had already demonstrated a certain degree of intelligence.
It had swallowed the bait without hesitation, yet somehow avoided being caught.
It clearly understood that something was wrong.
There was no way to simply lure it onto the pier.
Chen Xuan shook his head.
It seemed that the only thing he could rely on was the useless fishing rod in his hand.
With that thought, he couldn’t help but take another deep look at it.
’Could it be that this thing is a Magic Weapon or even an Artifact?’
Unfortunately, no matter how carefully he examined it, he still failed to discover anything noteworthy.
It appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary fishing rod.
If one had to name its only special characteristic, it would be the seemingly infinite bait.
No matter how many times he took it off, another piece would appear afterward.
Of course, whether this was an ability of the fishing rod itself or a function of the lake was impossible to determine.
Chen Xuan did not want to believe that the inheritance trial of the Goddess of the Sea could really be this ridiculous.
But after several more minutes of investigation, he had no choice but to accept reality.
In the end, he could only sigh.
Raising the fishing rod, he let the fishing line fall into the water once again.
This time, he was far more careful than before.
The moment any creature appeared, he would immediately use all his strength to pull it onto the pier and catch it before it could react.
Unlike before, Chen Xuan believed that he would receive some sort of response almost immediately.
Unfortunately...
Minutes passed.
Nothing happened.
The lake remained completely silent.
Not even a ripple appeared on its surface.
The previous encounter seemed to have been nothing more than a coincidence.
Perhaps the white fish had simply happened to pass by and been attracted by the bait.
Chen Xuan waited patiently.
Another minute.
Then another.
Still nothing.
He gradually began to wonder whether his previous guess had been completely wrong.
But just when this thought had begun to take root in his mind, a familiar crashing sound reached his ears.
Crash!
A black shadow appeared beside the fishing line.
It rapidly approached from the depths before finally revealing its true appearance.
An enormous body. White scales. A massive fish head.
It was the white fish!
Chen Xuan’s eyes lit up.
The same fish had appeared again.
Just like before, it moved toward the bait without the slightest hesitation.
Its enormous mouth opened.
Munch!
The bait disappeared.
The fishing line vanished into its mouth as well.
Chen Xuan immediately reacted.
He pulled the fishing rod backward with all his strength, wanting to drag the white fish onto the pier before it could escape.
However, he didn’t even have the chance to complete the motion.
Halfway through the movement, the white fish suddenly exploded.
Bang!
Its enormous body transformed into dense white mist, blending seamlessly into the mist that lingered above the lake.
Chen Xuan was stunned.
He had already checked with his divine sense and confirmed that this fish had been real.
Yet now it had simply disappeared.
Before he could ponder this matter, his expression changed once more.
Another black shadow appeared beside the fishing line.
Chen Xuan stared at it.
Sure enough...
The same white fish emerged once again.
It opened its mouth and swallowed the bait.
Then it turned around and disappeared beneath the water.
This time, Chen Xuan knew he had not been mistaken.
The fish looked back at him before leaving.
That contemptuous gaze was unmistakable. Its enormous tail slapped against the water.
Splash!
A wave crashed toward Chen Xuan.
Had it not been for his quick reaction, he would have ended up completely soaked.
Chen Xuan’s expression darkened.
The white fish had disappeared once more.
’Damn it! What is this trial about?’
’Do I really need to reel in this white fish?’
’At least give me some kind of instruction!’
He couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
He raised his head and looked toward the empty sky of the secret realm, his teeth gritting slightly.
Was this truly a trial that ordinary cultivators would set? Could it be that the Goddess of the Sea had something wrong with her head?
Sighing, he could only drop the fishing line in the water once more.
--
While Chen Xuan was having trouble with the fish and repeatedly falling under its contempt, the other challengers were not faring much better.
"No! Don’t put it there!"
"Put it in! Put it in! With all your strength!"
"Idiot! Is this your first time?"
Several arguing voices echoed through a certain part of the secret realm.
Had Chen Xuan been here, he would have immediately recognized them.
Huo Ling’er. Chi Yao. Xiao Lingxi.
The three disciples were facing a completely different trial.
But judging from their voices, they were having just as much trouble as their Master.