Fishing Rare Fish Again, the Golden Loach

The Old Doctor looked at Lu Qing as though he were some rare treasure.

He was both excited and shocked.

"Master?"

Lu Qing was baffled by his somewhat fervent gaze and could not help calling out.

The Old Doctor came back to his senses. As a master at the Inner Organs Realm, he reined in the astonishment on his face.

Yet the excitement in his heart remained impossible to conceal.

"I never expected you, A Qing, to possess such talent in martial arts cultivation. I truly misjudged you."

The Old Doctor sighed.

"That state you entered while practicing the fist techniques yesterday—if I'm not mistaken—should have been the Sudden Enlightenment that all martial artists dream of."

Only Sudden Enlightenment could explain why Lu Qing had mastered the Body Nourishing Fist to such a level overnight.

"Sudden Enlightenment?"

Lu Qing thought about it and realized that cultivating with his ability really was not much different from Sudden Enlightenment.

The difference was that he could actively enter his "Sudden Enlightenment" state repeatedly.

"That is precisely Sudden Enlightenment," the Old Doctor said. "According to legend, Sudden Enlightenment is an incredibly wondrous state of comprehending the Dao."

"Once one enters that state, it is as though Heaven itself has bestowed a gift. The mind becomes exceptionally sharp and nimble; no matter what one learns, one can draw inferences from one instance and swiftly grasp it."

"But for ordinary people, attaining Sudden Enlightenment is harder than scaling the sky."

"Take martial arts cultivation, for example. Usually, only truly gifted martial arts prodigies, or powerful martial artists with deep foundations and profound accumulated experience, can glimpse this mysterious state after their long accumulation finally bursts forth."

"You mastered the first through ninth forms of the Body Nourishing Fist overnight. Clearly, you accidentally entered the realm of Sudden Enlightenment yesterday."

"Master, do you mean that I'm fairly talented in martial arts cultivation?" Lu Qing asked.

"Not fairly talented—exceptionally talented!" the Old Doctor said solemnly. "To enter Sudden Enlightenment during one's very first cultivation session... In all my years, yours is the first martial arts talent like this that I have encountered."

It seemed this little demonstration of his had worked remarkably well.

Feeling his master's excitement, Lu Qing nodded inwardly.

Naturally, he had deliberately displayed his "martial arts talent" before his master.

With his ability aiding him, his future progress in martial arts cultivation certainly would not be slow.

This was the perfect chance to establish an image for himself and make his master think he was a once-in-a-generation martial arts prodigy.

That way, in the days ahead, he could freely improve his martial strength.

"Since you have already gained an initial grasp of the first nine forms of the Body Nourishing Fist, we cannot delay refining the Blood Replenishing Qi Boosting Pill."

After learning that his disciple was actually a rare martial arts genius, the Old Doctor's heart had remained in a state of excitement.

He immediately decided to enter seclusion and help Lu Qing refine that Centennial Wild Ginseng into pills.

As a result, Lu Qing did not even have time to ask him about the questions he had regarding the Treatise on Acupuncture Points.

Watching his master hurry into the Medicine Room to refine medicine, stating clearly that it would take at least a full day and night to prepare and refine the pills,

Lu Qing could not offer any help and had nothing else to do.

So he simply took Xiao Yan home, brought out his fishing rod, and prepared to go fishing by the river.

The Black Little Beast had given him such a generous gift. He had to show some gratitude in return.

After bringing Xiao Yan to the riverbank, Lu Qing set down the fishing gear on his back one piece at a time.

After replenishing his supplies over this period, Lu Qing's fishing equipment had become much more complete.

Fishing rod, landing net, fish basket—he had everything he needed.

Of course, his fish basket was not the kind from his previous life. He had asked an elderly villager skilled at weaving to make it: a large, long fish creel.

Not only could it hold fish, it could also hold fishing gear. He could carry it on his back and leave, making it exceptionally convenient.

This time, Lu Qing chose the Strange Fish Fishing Spot.

Looking at the circle of dense White Light ripples on the water's surface, Lu Qing nodded in satisfaction.

This was the first time he had returned here since catching the Red Moon Carp.

It seemed the fishing conditions here were good. The White Light emerging from the fishing spot was still dense.

Unlike that small fish fishing spot, which had long since become dim and lightless after the villagers repeatedly ransacked it. Who knew when it would recover?

For that very reason, the villagers' enthusiasm for fishing had dropped considerably lately.

After all, they did not possess Lu Qing's ability to easily discover fishing spots.

When they searched for places to fish on their own, their catches were often meager.

Thus, aside from those who genuinely loved the activity, most villagers no longer came to fish by the river.

Once everything was ready, Lu Qing picked several fruits from the Blood Apricot Tree, hooked one onto his line, and waited quietly.

That was right. He had come here this time to see whether, after so long, he could catch another Rare Fish from this spot.

Lu Qing fished quietly, while Xiao Yan played by herself beneath a tree behind him, holding a Bamboo Dragonfly.

Having accompanied her brother fishing every day, she was long used to it. Even playing by herself nearby, she could still amuse herself.

Lu Qing bit a grass stem and quietly watched the float.

After a long while, the float did not stir in the slightest, yet he remained calm and unhurried.

If a fisherman did not even have this much patience, then what the hell was he fishing for?

After quite some more time, a faint ripple spread from the float. Watching it tremble lightly, Lu Qing smiled.

At last, there was movement.

He gently placed his hand on the fishing rod, ready at any moment.

After fishing for so long, he had learned that the big fish in this Otherworld all liked launching sneak attacks.

Sure enough, just as his hand touched the rod, the float suddenly sank beneath the water. Lu Qing fiercely lifted the rod.

A powerful force surged through it.

Hooked!

Feeling the force transmitted through the rod, Lu Qing's face lit up with delight.

With such a strong pull, the one on the line had to be either a big fish or a Rare Fish.

What followed was a contest of strength and wits between Lu Qing and the fish.

Relying on his abundant fishing experience, Lu Qing continuously bled off its strength.

After playing it for a while, Lu Qing judged that what he had caught this time was probably neither an Azure Armor Fish nor a Red Moon Carp.

Because the way this fish exerted force beneath the water was completely different from those two species.

It simply kept drilling in one fixed direction toward the riverbed, looking as though it would never rest until it broke free.

But now that it had taken the hook, how could Lu Qing possibly let it escape so easily?

Over this period, he had upgraded the fishing rod in his hands once more.

Other than the fishing line, which was still made of Snow Silk, both the hook and rod had been replaced with brand-new ones, making them sturdier.

Not to mention that his physical condition was now far better than before.

Even when his body had been weak, he had managed to catch Red Moon Carp and Azure Armor Fish.

Let alone now, after cultivating the Body Nourishing Fist.

Thus, as expected, after a round of struggle, the fish beneath the water was eventually played until it had no strength left.

The moment the fish surfaced, Lu Qing scooped it up with his landing net.

Then, when he clearly saw the true appearance of the newly caught fish, he froze for a moment.

It was a creature as thick as two or three fingers, about two feet long, golden all over, and shaped like a loach.