I Practice Farming While the Rest Cultivates

After a short while, Lu Xuan returned to the vicinity of Shi Zichen.

"Friend Stone, Lu Mou has just purchased a relatively ordinary set of fishing gear from the Fish Shop Owner."

He chose a suitable fishing spot about twenty or thirty yards away from the middle-aged cultivator, took out the Ink Jade Spirit Rod, Ice Silkworm Silk, and other items.

"The Ink Jade Spirit Rod, fourth grade fishing gear, is quite decent for cultivators who are newly entering the ranks of treasure fishing," Shi Zichen simply appraised.

"I hope it brings me good luck."

Lu Xuan smiled, carefully wrapped the Ice Silkworm Silk around the Ink Jade Spirit Rod, then attached the Agilawood Hook, and accurately threw a fist-sized bait not far ahead.

The water flow was relatively calm where he chose to fish, and the bait rapidly sank into the Thousand Treasures True River.

"First, I’ll bait the spot."

He thought to himself, as he attached a small ball of special bait to the Agilawood Hook and cast it into the True River.

Afterward, his attention fell on the area around the Agilawood Hook.

The Pagoda Instrument Spirit had already warned him when it brought him here; the special river water of the Thousand Treasures True River had strange effects on both the flesh body and the divine soul, so he dared not probe the True River with his Spiritual Sense.

Fishing time passed quickly, and two hours had blinked by.

Lu Xuan and Shi Zichen each occupied a spot, quietly sensing changes in the fishing line and float.

"Friend Stone, there is something that puzzles me, and I hope you can enlighten me."

Lu Xuan communicated telepathically to Shi Zichen not far away.

"Please speak, Friend Lu."

Shi Zichen, without averting his eyes, sent a telepathic message back.

"The Spirit Fish and Water Beasts that can live in such a peculiar place as the Thousand Treasures True River, or other beings for that matter, are all of comparatively high rank."

"Logically speaking, their Spiritual Intelligence shouldn’t be low, so how come they are caught by some special baits?"

"Friend Lu doesn’t know, the living beings in the True River all have quite simple Spiritual Intelligences."

"They have lived in the Thousand Treasures True River generation after generation; their flesh bodies have long been integrated with the river water, and under the long-term erosion of the water, their Spiritual Intelligence can be said to be reduced to only the most basic instincts, hence they would not easily notice the traps behind the bait," the middle-aged cultivator telepathically explained to Lu Xuan.

"I see," Lu Xuan nodded lightly.

"So, Friend Lu must remember not to enter the True River, lest you lose your divine soul, assimilate with the flesh body, and become a living dead."

"I have been fishing for treasures in the Thousand Treasures True River for over a hundred years, and I’ve seen more than once a cultivator reduced to a living dead being fished up," Shi Zichen said.

"Many thanks for your reminder, Friend Stone. Lu Mou will certainly pay close attention," Lu Xuan hastily said.

The two exchanged a few simple words, and then returned to their respective spots, each becoming like a statue, motionless, and immersed in the treasure fishing.

Without realizing it, three days had passed, and Lu Xuan still came up empty-handed.

He lifted the Ink Jade Spirit Rod, and there was no change to the bait on the Agilawood Hook.

"Friend Lu need not be anxious. Fishing for treasures in the Thousand Treasures True River is more difficult than ordinary fishing in the secular world, requiring a great deal of patience."

"It’s quite common not to have a bite from a Spirit Fish or Water Beast for several months, even years."

"Haha, Lu Mou might not have much else, but patience I do have in abundance," Lu Xuan laughed and relayed telepathically.

"Not to hide from you, Friend Stone, Lu Mou is a Spirit Plant Master. Cultivating a single high rank Spirit Plant to maturity usually takes decades, so in comparison, this bit of time spent in treasure fishing is nothing," he explained to Shi Zichen.

Shi Zichen nodded and refocused his attention on the Obsidian Spirit Rod in his hands, no longer minding Lu Xuan.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Lu Xuan’s mind.

"Darkminnow, a fourth-grade spiritual fish, with simple spiritual intelligence, harbors pure Yin Qi within its body. It feeds on Yin attribute and water attribute natural treasures. After processing, its flesh is exceptionally delicious, and consuming it can resolve Yang Poison and Fire Poison, speeding up the cultivation of Yin attribute techniques."

"At last, it ate my bait."

Lu Xuan felt joy in his heart.

"A fourth-grade spiritual fish isn’t bad, but the problem is, after eating my bait, why can’t I detect any change with the fishing line and hook?"

He thought to himself.

"Maybe it just nibbled a little of the chum bait, or it didn’t swallow the hook."

His mind stayed focused near that patch of water, but that thought did not appear in his mind again.

"Let’s adjust the bait."

With a light flick of his Ink Jade Spirit Rod, the rod, over thirty feet long and weighing over a thousand pounds, was lifted high.

Lu Xuan drew in the Agilawood Hook and took out the wooden box that held the bait.

"It likes Yin attribute and water attribute natural treasures… let’s add something else to the mix and try."

He took out two stalks of Ice Firefly Grass from his storage bag, crushed them, and mixed the azure grass fragments with the bait emitting a faint ice-cold aura.

Then, he added a drop of Fifth Grade Spiritual Liquid from the Ink Yin Spring into the bait, the Spring containing incredibly pure and rich Yin Qi.

With both ingredients combined, he didn’t believe the Darkminnow could resist such temptation.

Lu Xuan thought with full confidence.

He swung his Ink Jade Spirit Rod with force, and the Agilawood Hook swiftly sank into the surging undercurrents of the Thousand Treasures True River.

After a brief wait, a familiar thought came to his mind.

"Here it comes, feast to your heart’s content!"

Lu Xuan instantly became extremely alert, feeling every slight change through the rod’s handle.

The Darkminnow in the depths of the True River had never tasted such delicious bait before; its simple spiritual intelligence had not considered the potential danger as it frenziedly devoured the bait Lu Xuan had specially prepared.

In the air, the Ice Silkworm Silk suddenly sank.

Lu Xuan was ready and pulled hard upward.

Giant waves surged from the water below, as a dark, huge fish appeared and disappeared intermittently.

"Have I fished up a treasure?"

Not far away, Shi Zichen, attracted by the commotion at Lu Xuan’s side, fixed his Obsidian Spirit Rod on the riverbank with a formula method, and with a flash, appeared beside Lu Xuan.

"It looks like a Darkminnow, a fourth-grade spiritual fish—Friend Lu is quite fortunate."

Having fished in the Thousand Treasures True River for over a hundred years, he had caught many Darkminnows and, with his wealth of experience, recognized the origins of the huge fish below.

Lu Xuan didn’t have the time to answer, as his arms turned into transparent jade color, bending the Ink Jade Spirit Rod into a bow shape.

When he felt that the dark giant fish had relaxed, Lu Xuan suddenly flung it upward, the Agilawood Hook firmly hooked onto the fish, pulling it ashore.

"It really is a Darkminnow."

Envy flickered in the middle-aged cultivator’s eyes.

For a fishing enthusiast, there’s no greater pain than choosing the same fishing spot, where one catches plenty, and the other catches nothing.

It’s not so bad to catch nothing oneself, but it’s unbearable when another constantly hauls in fish.

He felt somewhat this way at the moment.

Having kept watch at this fishing spot for over a month, he could not even begin to say he’d successfully fished up a treasure, let alone sense the opportunity of a spiritual fish or water beast taking the bait—how could he not feel envious?

"Hehe, just luck, luck—somehow fished up a big fish."

Lu Xuan Laughed as he spoke.

His success was entirely due to his special ability, astutely improving the bait to increase the chances of catching a Darkminnow.

"That method really worked."

He felt sheer delight in his heart.