Hidden quest triggered, the powerful lotus lamp, and a huge haul!

He exclaimed in surprise, this ability was indeed somewhat similar to the Hand of the Void, but it was far more profound and powerful.

Unexpectedly, this old man fishing is also a master of mental techniques!

"Drink!"

The old man roared, and with a flick of his right hand, the pitch-black ghost claw swiftly plunged into the water.

"Hiss... hiss..."

The moment the ghost claw came into contact with the river water, it seemed to be corroded by something, making a series of sounds, and its size rapidly shrank.

Shen Xing clearly felt the old man's body tremble, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

This is quite normal, since mental energy is part of one's own body, and when it is eroded, the person releasing it will also experience the pain.

Moreover, unlike physical pain, this pain directly affects the depths of your soul, and most people simply cannot withstand it.

However, the old man did not pause at all.

He continued to hold the fishing rod with one hand, manipulating the "ghost hand" to dive deeper and deeper, as if trying to forcefully pull the giant creature out of the river.

As the ghostly hand drew closer, the creature that had taken the bait became visibly anxious and began to pull hard on the fishing line.

"Crunch! Crunch!"

The slender fishing line was stretched taut, and the fishing rod bent repeatedly, making a creaking sound as it struggled under the strain.

"Got you!"

The old man's deep voice rang out, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Everyone could clearly see that the taut fishing line loosened a bit, as if the giant creature in the river had stopped struggling.

"Rise!"

The old man gave a low shout and suddenly lifted the fishing rod with his left hand.

The red light rose rapidly, accompanied by a huge shadow, as if something was about to emerge from the water.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, even the boatman couldn't help but turn his gaze over.

Is he finally going to succeed this time?

Just then, the red light seemed to have reached its limit.

It dims rapidly in a short time, then shrinks to the size of a grain of rice before disappearing completely.

The previously taut fishing line relaxed in that instant.

When the hook was fully pulled up, it was completely empty.

"Sigh... another failure..." The old man sighed, slumping down on the boat.

Shen Xing asked, puzzled, "Senior, what's going on? Wasn't it caught right away?"

The old man shook his head helplessly. "The bait's energy is exhausted. Without a light source to hold it in place, these 'Soul Crystal Bream' will instantly transform into souls and escape."

Shen Xing nodded again in realization, thinking to himself that catching this 'Soul Crystal Bream' was really not easy.

"Senior, do you have any more bait? Want to try again?"

He comforted her, saying, "You were so close to success just now; maybe you'll catch one next time."

"There's no need to try. The Earth Fire Stone bait I made doesn't have enough energy."

"To catch this kind of fish, it would probably take combining the energy from ten large firestone mines and refining it into Heaven Fire Stone, even then there would be no chance."

He paused, then looked at the boatman. "Let me down when we reach the shore. I probably won't be coming back to this Blackwater River anytime soon."

"Hehe... okay." The hunchbacked boatman nodded, a rare smile appearing on his face.

Perhaps to him, this old fisherman, having traveled so many times by boat, was already an old friend.

Shen Xing sat in his wheelchair, lost in thought.

According to the old fisherman, a stronger light source is needed to attract the Soul Crystal Bream and hold it in place.

A kerosene lamp is clearly not enough.

Well... how about we try that lamp?

With that thought, he flipped his right hand, and an ancient seven-petaled Lotus Lantern appeared.

The flame in the wick was lit, and a pure green light shone.

The green light seemed to pause for a moment when it touched the white mist on the river surface.

And in the very next second...

An unprecedented and dazzling green light suddenly erupted!

"Buzz—"

The white mist, covering an area of a kilometer, was instantly dispelled, and countless dark figures within it let out screams before disappearing.

The entire surface of the Blackwater River was completely illuminated, and even the reflections in the water were clearly visible.

At that moment, everyone on the ship was stunned, followed by an unprecedented shock!

Chapter 215: Triggering a Hidden Quest, a Powerful Lotus Lantern, and a Bountiful Harvest!

"Buzz—"

The light emitted by the Lotus Lantern illuminated the entire Blackwater River.

At that moment, everyone on the ship was stunned.

Even the hunchbacked boatman stared blankly at the Lotus Lantern in Shen Xing's hand, forgetting even to make the motion of rowing the boat.

Shen Xing was also somewhat bewildered.

He simply wanted to test whether the Lotus Lantern could be lit in the white mist; he never expected it to be so powerful.

This instantly illuminated almost the entire heart of the Blackwater River!

Then, with lightning speed, he swiftly put the Lotus Lantern into his backpack.

The entire Blackwater River was plunged into darkness once more, and white mist slowly billowed in.

At this moment, the atmosphere on the entire small boat had become extremely tense.

The old fisherman stared intently at Shen Xing with his eyes that had turned green. "Young... no, young man, what did you just take out?"

Shen Xing asked blankly, "Did I take anything out? No, you must have misread it, senior?"

He underestimated the power of the Lotus Lantern.

The white mist, capable of suppressing an entire flint mine and a level 10 lantern, had no effect whatsoever on the Lotus Lantern, and even instantly illuminated the entire river surface.

This thing is absolutely an extraordinary treasure.

This old man and the boatman were clearly not ordinary people; they were quite powerful.

If they covet my Lotus Lantern and harbor malicious intentions, then I'll be in trouble.

However, Shen Xing quickly regained his composure.

Anyway, this Lotus Lantern has 5 seconds of invincibility and a group teleportation function, so I'm not afraid of them forcibly taking it.

If it really comes down to a life-or-death situation, I'll just shake Old Black out and take them down.

With this in mind, he regained his confidence.

The old fisherman realized that his reaction had been a bit too extreme.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Young man, I will not take your treasure."

"Could you... let me see that lamp one more time?"

Shen Xing breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Based on their current observations, they do not appear to be the kind of vicious people.

After boarding the boat, the elderly fisherman showed no ill will and even answered many questions.

It wouldn't be a problem to show it to him.

However, there is still an unstable factor on the field.

He glanced at the boatman who was punting the boat.

The hunchbacked boatman finally realized what was happening and sneered, "Heh... I'm just a boatman, my soul and body are bound to this 'Soul-Ferrying Boat' for life."

Do you think I would steal your treasure?

The old fisherman said in a deep voice, "If he dares to make a move—no, if he dares to utter a single word—I'll be the first to kill him!"

Shen Xing glanced at the old fisherman in surprise. He was actually going to kill him. How ruthless!

Moreover, the fact that the other party didn't refute it shows that this old man really has the ability.

This made Shen Xing a little curious about the old man's skill level.

Grandmaster... or above Grandmaster?

But no matter what level the other party is at, they are not someone Shen Xing can afford to offend.

If you can befriend someone like that, it might bring them considerable help.

"Senior, you can only take a look," Shen Xing said.

"Alright, just one glance." The old man nodded vigorously.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Shen Xing took out the Lotus Lantern.

However, he did not light the wick, and the whole lamp looked very old and worn.

The old fisherman and the boatman turned their heads at the same time, staring wide-eyed as if trying to imprint every detail of the Lotus Lantern into their minds.

However, after looking at it for a long time, they still couldn't figure it out, and doubts appeared in their eyes.

After a moment, the old fisherman looked at the boatman. "Do you recognize this lamp?"

The hunchbacked boatman slowly shook his head. "Never seen one before."

Upon hearing this, the old fisherman sighed, "Indeed, our knowledge is still too shallow."

"Although the origin of this Lotus Lantern is unknown, it is likely no ordinary object, perhaps connected to that forgotten ancient era..."

Shen Xing listened to their discussion, a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

After a moment, he said, "Seniors, I have examined the lamp, so I will take it back."

"Wait a moment."

The old fisherman, realizing what was happening, hurriedly said, "Young man, your Lotus Lantern is incredibly powerful; its light source is countless times stronger than that of the Earth Fire Stone."

"This level of light will definitely attract those Soul Crystal Bream to take the bait."

"Could you please use this lamp to try and catch a few fish?"

Upon hearing this request, Shen Xing remained silent for a moment, appearing somewhat hesitant.