Chapter 223: Xiao Huo’s Confidence! Mysterious Master! Caught!
As expected, Xiao Huo had not arrived here by accident.
Instead, he had relied on the knowledge of his Master and her many abilities to reach this place.
Originally, Xiao Huo had not believed that the inheritance of a legendary Immortal could possibly exist in the Mortal World. After all, this was impossible to believe for any experienced cultivator.
Yet after receiving repeated confirmations from his Master, and even arriving here in person, he finally realized that she had not lied.
There was indeed an Immortal’s inheritance waiting for him to obtain!
Yes!
In Xiao Huo’s opinion, the inheritance of the Goddess of the Sea was already within his grasp.
’It was worth it to spend so many months growing closer to those lowly beasts and becoming their son-in-law.’
’I’m afraid even they never expected that they were guarding the entrance to an Immortal’s secret realm.’
Recalling the humiliation he had suffered over the past few weeks, being forced to "persevere" under the hands of female beasts and almost becoming a stallion to breed, Xiao Huo couldn’t help but grit his teeth.
’I will definitely avenge this humiliation! As long as I obtain the inheritance, my cultivation will surely soar!’
’Then, you lowly beasts will have to kneel before me! Empress! Just wait for me!’
’I’ll soon include you into my harem!’
Xiao Huo spent several minutes daydreaming about the future, imagining his triumphant return to the Tianxuan Domain.
It was only when his Master suddenly probed him with her divine sense that he finally woke up.
He immediately pretended that nothing had happened.
"Master, don’t worry. I will surely claim the treasures and help you rebuild your body."
He promised solemnly, much to the satisfaction of the mysterious cultivator.
Then, Xiao Huo’s gaze returned to the lake.
He knew that he would have to complete several trials if he wanted to obtain the inheritance.
However, he was not afraid.
He knew that any challenge he encountered would eventually be overcome by him.
Not only because of his extraordinary talent and intelligence, but also because he had his Master!
Sure enough, before Xiao Huo could say anything, the soul residing within him suddenly spoke.
"The first trial of the inheritance tests one’s control over their power. You should have already practiced the technique I previously taught you."
"With its assistance, you should be able to easily pass the first trial."
After saying that, the mysterious cultivator continued explaining.
Had Chen Xuan or Chi Yao been here, they would have been extremely surprised.
This cultivator was simply too knowledgeable.
Without Xiao Huo having to do anything, she had already laid out everything he needed to do in order to pass the first trial.
This was quite shocking.
Even Chi Yao, a former powerhouse far surpassing the Immortal realm and someone who had personally interacted with the Goddess of the Sea, did not know as much as her.
Just what was the actual identity of this woman?
The Goddess of the Sea’s clone?
Or perhaps someone closely related to her?
Unfortunately, no one was here to provide an answer.
--
Meanwhile, Chen Xuan had no way of knowing that Xiao Huo had also appeared within the inheritance, much less that his mysterious Master seemed to possess such an extraordinary understanding of it.
At the moment, he was still being entangled by the white fish.
The hook of his fishing rod remained beneath the water, patiently waiting for his prey to appear.
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
Suddenly, the waters became turbulent.
The dragon-like fish leaped out from beneath the surface and swallowed the bait in one bite.
Yet just as Chen Xuan’s hand trembled, ready to pull it toward the pier, the fish suddenly exploded into white mist.
Several more white fish immediately appeared, all rushing toward the bait.
Chen Xuan had no time to react.
Every time he tried to pull one of the fish back, its body would explode into mist.
This was a characteristic he had discovered long ago.
The white fish could create clones.
Not only did these clones possess an identical appearance, but even their strength and aura were exactly the same.
Even under the scrutiny of Chen Xuan’s divine sense, there was no way to distinguish them.
This placed Chen Xuan in a strange predicament.
If he pulled the fish back, there was a chance that it would turn out to be a clone, allowing the real body to take advantage of the opportunity.
Yet not pulling on the fishing rod was not an option either.
After all, the entire trial was clearly related to fishing!
Chen Xuan was truly at a loss.
Again and again, the bodies of the white fish exploded, leaving the bait exposed to more "assaults."
The number of fish around the bait continued increasing, and Chen Xuan’s patience was gradually wearing thin.
He had already tried various methods.
He had attempted to distinguish them through their movements. He had tried sensing their aura. He had even attempted to predict their movements through subtle fluctuations in the surrounding water.
Nothing worked.
Every single time, the result was the same.
The fish would explode into mist, leaving behind another batch of identical creatures.
The process repeated over and over.
Chen Xuan’s expression gradually darkened.
He had fought countless powerful cultivators throughout his life.
Yet he had never imagined that one day he would be driven to the verge of a mental breakdown by a group of fish.
His entire face was red, and he looked ready to lash out at the next moment.
However, despite his appearance, he had not truly lost his composure.
He continued waiting.
Again and again, the white fish appeared before disappearing into mist.
The lake remained eerily calm outside the small area around the fishing line.
There seemed to be no end to this strange cycle.
Chen Xuan’s patience was pushed to its limit.
Then, just when it seemed that another round of failure was about to begin, his expression suddenly changed.
The fish had begun to disappear one after another.
One.
Two.
Three...
The number continued decreasing.
In the end, less than a dozen remained.
Chen Xuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.
The crimson on his face disappeared, as though every bit of his previous anger had been a mere disguise.
"It’s now!"
Without the slightest hesitation, he violently pulled the fishing rod backward.
What met this sudden action was not an explosion of white mist like before.
Instead, Chen Xuan felt a powerful force counteracting his own from the opposite direction.
His eyes widened.
He was not disappointed.
If anything, he became even more excited.
He knew that he had finally attracted the fish’s true body.
The right person. The right time. The right location.
Everything was in place.
Now, all that remained was to drag it out of the water.
The white fish struggled desperately.
A trace of panic appeared in its eyes, accompanied by shock.
It seemed unable to understand how the puny cultivator before it had discovered its true identity and reacted at precisely the right moment.
Of course, Chen Xuan had no intention of explaining anything to it.
He immediately called upon the Law Mark of his true body and poured every bit of physical strength he possessed into the fishing rod.
The fishing line tightened.
The white fish’s enormous body began to move.
One second. Two seconds. Three...
The stalemate between the two lasted for quite some time.
The white fish’s body was simply too enormous.
Even with Chen Xuan’s physical strength, dragging it out of the water was not an easy task.
The creature continued struggling, causing the surface of the lake to surge violently.
Enormous waves crashed against the pier.
The wooden pathway shook violently beneath Chen Xuan’s feet.
Yet he remained firmly planted.
His fingers tightened around the fishing rod until the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
He could feel the tremendous force coming from the other end of the line.
It was far greater than what one would expect from the fish’s appearance.
For a moment, the stalemate seemed impossible to break.
Yet Chen Xuan refused to release his grip.
His muscles tensed, and his Spiritual Energy surged through his body.
Bit by bit...
The white fish drew closer to the pier.
Its massive body dragged through the water, creating enormous ripples that spread toward the distant edges of the lake.
The creature continued struggling, but its movements gradually became weaker.
Chen Xuan’s eyes remained fixed on it.
He did not dare relax even for an instant.
Several minutes later, its enormous body was finally pulled completely out of the water.
The moment its body left the lake, the entire world seemed to fall silent.
Chen Xuan froze.
The white fish also stopped struggling.
Then, a dazzling white light suddenly flashed with them as the center.
It engulfed Chen Xuan, the fish, and even the entire lake.
For a brief moment, Chen Xuan’s vision was completely swallowed by white.
Then...
"Roarrrr!"
A furious dragon roar erupted.
The sound shook the entire secret realm.