Experience Soared

Li Hao hid nothing and told the old man the truth.

Upon learning that it was Wild Bull Strength, Li Muxiu nodded slightly without comment, then tossed Li Hao a knapsack.

"The bait you'll be using is inside. Demons in the Power Through Realm love it. What kind you catch will depend on your luck."

With that, he made to take Li Hao downstairs.

"What about my fish basket?" Li Hao asked.

"Ha..." Li Muxiu chuckled. "Let's see you catch something first. If you really do, you can share mine."

"All right."

Li Hao did not insist.

The two had barely gone downstairs when they saw Li Fu waiting outside the building.

"Second Uncle, are you..."

Seeing the fishing rod in Li Hao's hands, Li Fu froze, then his eyes widened slightly.

"Do you even need to ask? We're going fishing." Li Muxiu glanced at him, clearly having little interest in talking to this block of wood.

Li Fu felt like crying, but no tears came. "Second Uncle, Hao'er learned Wild Bull Strength and mastered it in just three months. His talent for Body Refining is exceptional. You-you can't hold him back!"

"You said that yesterday too. Can you try a different line?"

Li Muxiu dug at his ear. "What future is there in Body Refining? Train yourself to death, and you'll only reach your level. Let me ask you, are you such a great fighter? Could you stop ten thousand troops?"

Li Fu was speechless.

The ten thousand troops Li Muxiu mentioned were naturally no ordinary soldiers, but the Li Family's Yuan Character Camp, filled with their most elite warriors. Ten thousand of them could trample half a city. How could he possibly stop them?

"Hao'er, ignore him. Let's go."

As though afraid Li Fu might influence Li Hao's thinking, Li Muxiu took the boy's little hand and left.

"Uncle Fu, don't worry."

Li Hao waved at Li Fu. Though the man was stern and rigid, Li Hao would never disregard his concern.

"Hao'er..."

Li Fu parted his lips, wanting to stop him. But seeing Li Hao being led away, his little face turned back with a radiant smile, he suddenly felt as though something had blocked the words at his lips, leaving him unable to speak.

"Can the great Divine General Residence really not afford to raise one child?"

Yesterday's words seemed to echo in his ears again, syllable by syllable.

Li Fu fell silent.

Perhaps, at this moment, Hao'er was happy.

At least he could have a happy childhood...

The old man and the boy vanished in an instant, leaving only the man rooted to the spot. After gazing after them for a long time, he let out a soft, low sigh...

It felt like riding clouds and mist. With Li Muxiu holding his hand, Li Hao sped through the sky.

The courtyards of the Divine General Residence swept past beneath his feet. Li Hao saw maids and servants up early to draw water and cook, First Madam already taking a stroll in her courtyard, and Fifth Madam sending her child off to the Martial Arts Arena, still earnestly giving instructions at the courtyard gate...

These scenes flashed past, stirring a sigh of wonder from Li Hao. He had never imagined that while he usually slept in, the world was already so full of life.

"Are you scared?"

Li Muxiu looked down and asked calmly.

"Of heights? Not really," Li Hao said.

Beneath his feet, it felt no different from standing on level ground, as though an immensely solid force supported him.

The cold morning wind rushing toward them also seemed to have been filtered, leaving only a cool breeze brushing his face and stirring his hair.

Li Muxiu smiled faintly. "I'm going to speed up."

As soon as he spoke, the scenery before Li Hao blurred. They raced like the wind and lightning.

In the blink of an eye, they had flown out of Qingzhou City toward the vast mountain wilderness beyond.

Half an hour later, Li Muxiu brought Li Hao slowly down beside an immense lake.

The lake stretched beyond sight, its black waters rolling.

Green water was deep; black water was an abyss.

Clearly, this great lake was bottomless. At the moment, only faint ripples stirred its surface, making it appear calm and peaceful.

Yet precisely because of that, it inspired a hair-raising sensation of standing at the brink of an abyss.

Several mountains surrounded the lake across the open terrain. Some rose steeply beside the water, while others were low, rounded, and broad.

They landed at the foot of a mountain. Li Muxiu scanned their surroundings and said with practiced assurance, "The water's shallow here. Cast your hook here, and I'll head to the middle of the lake to catch the big ones. Hold on to this. It can shield you for a moment in an emergency. Don't worry. If anything happens here, shout, and I'll be over right away."

"All right."

Li Hao nodded and accepted the golden talisman the old man handed him.

"Do you know how to bait the hook? I'll watch you cast first."

Li Muxiu did not rush to leave. With a sweep of his palm, the large rock beside them changed as though weathered away, becoming a fishing platform.

He waved again, clearing the tangled vegetation around them so the line would not snag on branches or weeds when cast. For a beginner like Li Hao, untangling it would inevitably waste some time.

Li Hao hopped onto the stone fishing platform and opened the knapsack. Inside was a packet of soft, wet red dough.

"Dead bait will do for these little Power Through Realm demons. Once you're strong enough, I'll give you live bait. You'll have a better chance of getting a bite," Li Muxiu said.

Li Hao was not picky. He nodded and deftly pulled off a lump of bait, immediately catching its pungent, fishy smell.

He kneaded the bait around the hook. The hook was the size of a fist, and it took quite a lot of bait to cover it completely.

Seeing how Li Hao handled it, Li Muxiu was somewhat surprised. "Have you fished before?"

"No."

Li Hao asked, "Isn't this how you do it?"

"It is." Li Muxiu nodded and glanced at Li Hao without dwelling on it. From their brief exchange yesterday, he had already seen how bright the child was.

"This will mask your scent."

Li Muxiu produced a handful of powder from somewhere and patted it onto Li Hao. Then he said, "Cast your hook. If you catch one today, I'll bring you out again tomorrow."

"All right."

Li Hao nodded.

Then he swung the fishing rod, letting the line out to its full length and casting it into the lake a hundred zhang away.

As the hook plunked into the water, text appeared before Li Hao's eyes:

[Fishing Dao: rank zero (1/100)]

[Fishing experience +2]

Li Hao smiled inwardly. Sure enough, the fishing art from the game could also be recorded on the panel.

What surprised him, moreover, was that merely casting his hook had earned him two experience points!

Usually, playing an entire game of chess only earned him one.

Only a game requiring a little skill would give him two experience points.

It seemed fishing worked like the Chess Dao. That also meant this lake was relatively dangerous, making it more challenging to fish in.

"Remember, be patient. Don't make a sound or disturb anything underwater."

"Don't look around. Keep your eyes on the Fish Float."

"You might find fishing a little dull at first, but once you get a bite, you'll realize all that tedious waiting was worth it."

Li Muxiu instructed him earnestly, worried that Li Hao's childish disposition would make him give up in no time.

After all, fishing was mostly something old fellows like them did. A seven- or eight-year-old child was at the age of constant activity. How could he endure such solitude?

"Mm."

Li Hao nodded.

Seeing how calm and composed Li Hao looked, Li Muxiu's lips curved into a faint smile. He said no more and watched quietly from beside him.

Since he was not the one fishing, he secretly extended his spiritual sense to investigate underwater. He saw that something was already swimming toward them: two little fish at the fourth and seventh levels of the Power Through Realm.

The beginner's grace period really is something. A bite already! Now let's see if he can land it.

Li Muxiu felt envious. Though he could secretly use his abilities to make the fish take the hook, greatly nurturing Li Hao's interest in fishing, his own love of the pastime would not allow anyone to do something so dull.

Before long, Li Hao saw the Fish Float move.

His eyes lit up. He held back briefly, waiting until the Fish Float was more than halfway under before swiftly lifting the rod.

The line instantly pulled taut. Something caught on the other end of the hook struggled fiercely, sending tremendous force through it.

Yet in Li Hao's hands, that tremendous force felt like the brush of willow fluff. With a strong tug, he dragged the other end toward him against its will.

"Don't rush! Careful it doesn't slip the hook," Li Muxiu hurriedly said beside him.

Li Hao's heart tightened, and he quickly eased off. Then, under Li Muxiu's guidance, he began playing the fish, alternating tension and slack.

Waves churned through the black lake water, throwing up huge splashes.

Only after ten minutes or so did Li Hao haul the exhausted demon fish ashore. It was a full four or five meters long, its mouth packed with sharp fangs. It could swallow an adult whole.

Anyone who slipped into the water would surely become a feast for this fish demon.

Fish in the Power Through Realm had yet to learn shapeshifting, and their intelligence was only beginning to emerge. All they possessed was a bloodthirsty, savage demonic nature.

As the fish was dragged ashore, text appeared before Li Hao's eyes.

[Fishing experience +37]

Li Hao's eyes widened slightly. Good grief! That's almost half an experience bar in one go!

Once ashore, the fish demon thrashed violently, then opened its mouth and lunged viciously at Li Hao, intent on devouring this human.

Li Muxiu flicked a finger. The fish demon's body shrank into a pellet-sized fish, which he casually scooped up and tossed into his basket.

"Kid, I never thought you'd land your first catch so quickly."

Li Muxiu laughed and asked Li Hao, "How did that feel? Tired? That fish was at the seventh level of the Power Through Realm, and it could unleash even greater strength underwater. Even someone at the eighth level might not have held on to the rod. You've got some ability, kid!"

"Not tired."

Li Hao grinned.

"Good. Keep at it, then. Perfect timing-I'll use this fish as bait."

Li Muxiu was itching to try his hand. With that, he picked up his fish basket and stepped into the air, flying into the distance. In an instant, he was no more than a black dot.

Li Hao focused his gaze into the distance and saw that the old man had gone to the center of the lake. Even with his eyesight, he could barely make out a tiny speck.

Shaking his head, Li Hao stopped looking and got back to grinding experience without wasting time.

He wrapped the hook in bait again and cast.

[Fishing experience +2]

Li Hao sat on the fishing platform, watching the Fish Float and waiting quietly.

His earlier catch had shown that landing a fish would grant more experience, so he did not let himself get distracted.

Time slowly passed.

Perhaps playing the last fish had taken too long, and the splashing had disturbed the fish nearby. Li Hao sat there for an entire hour without seeing the Fish Float move.

Could something have secretly eaten all the bait?

The thought arose in Li Hao's mind. He wanted to pull up the hook to check, but restrained himself.

Earlier, he had tried exploiting a bug by casting repeatedly. That would grind experience far faster than actually fishing.

Yet his second cast had only earned one experience point.

The third had earned none.

Clearly, if he cast too frequently without getting a bite, there was a limit to how much experience casting alone could grant.

Just then, the motionless Fish Float suddenly jerked.

Li Hao's nearly glazed-over eyes instantly brightened. But before he could continue waiting, the Fish Float plunged beneath the water and vanished.

Li Hao hurriedly lifted the rod. With a whine, the line pulled taut and straight, and a tremendous force instantly surged from the other end, weighing dozens of ding.

(End of chapter)