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Chapter 222: Sixth-Rank Water Immortal, Fish-Devouring Grass, Azure Sea Cloud Vine
🕑 Added 2024-11-10 13:50:18 +0000 UTCZhao Xing carried two boxes, one was a toolbox, and the other was a Wenzhu Box.
The Wenzhu Box was handed over to Old Chen, while Zhao Xing opened the toolbox.
"What are these segmented things?" Long Xiao curiously circled around. "Why do they look like fishing rods?"
"They are fishing rods," Zhao Xing grinned widely.
Xia Jing: "..."
"."
"Seven-Star Hook, Milky Way Line, Hundred Vine Thread, Divine Luo Thread..." Ji Ziyun, who seemed knowledgeable, picked one up in his hand. "Eh? It's custom-made?"
Xia Jing, overwhelmed by the constant mentions of "fish," furrowed his brow and retreated behind the group.
"Brother, why are you backing off? You'll be fishing too," Zhao Xing pulled Xia Jing over with a grin. "You need to overcome it."
"I..."
"Kirin, Zhao Xing spent quite a bit of money on these, so don't let his efforts go to waste," Ji Ziyun said. "These are luxury goods, not cheap at all."
"Alright," Xia Jing reluctantly nodded, "I'll have to endure it sooner or later."
"That's the spirit." Zhao Xing nodded in satisfaction.
Ji Ziyun was right—buying all these items had indeed cost Zhao Xing quite a bit of money.
However, during his conquests at Fire Dragon Pass and Sacrificial Soul Pass, Zhao Xing had collected a good share of spoils.
Liao Rulong, Wen Shaoyang, and the other generals had been quite generous.
They didn't keep the majority of the loot for themselves, instead distributing the larger shares to the mid- and lower-ranking officers.
As a result, Chen Shijie, Zhao Xing, and Long Xiao ended up wealthier than Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang.
Upon returning to Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, Zhao Xing had exchanged all his earnings for points.
Before heading out to explore Sun City, Zhao Xing had asked Long Xiao and Chen Shijie for their points.
Pooling their resources, they bought a large number of items.
As for Xia Jing, he also contributed, but his finances were much more limited.
After all, he wasn't exactly wealthy either, having been a main commander in the Xuanjia Army, like Liao Rulong, who had also distributed his spoils to his subordinates.
Moreover, Xia Jing was even more generous. After the ceasefire, with no more battles to fight, he left very little for himself.
Ji Ziyun, who wasn't very close with them at the time, hadn't participated since everything had already been prepared.
In short, the collective funds of Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, and Xia Jing were mostly converted into goods stored aboard the Kirin Airship.
"Extreme Night Sea has always been a famous location. I knew we had to come here at some point, and now the items in this box will finally come in handy."
Zhao Xing asked, "Brother Ji, how’s your fishing technique?"
Ji Ziyun replied modestly, "I know a little."
Ji Ziyun, being a gentleman of modesty, meant that his skills were actually quite good.
Zhao Xing immediately let him pick a rod first.
"Wait, there's actually technique involved in fishing?" Long Xiao scratched his head. "Isn't it just about casting the line and waiting?"
"Preparing bait, choosing a spot, understanding the behavior of fish, the water conditions, the weather changes, the flow of energy... Which of these doesn't require skill?" Chen Shijie explained. "You're oversimplifying things."
"When did you become a fishing expert?" Long Xiao looked at his close friend in bewilderment.
"When we first arrived in Gucheng, I often felt restless and anxious, so I frequently went fishing at Dong Lake," Chen Shijie said. "It helped me cultivate patience."
Listening to their conversation, Zhao Xing picked up two rods from the box: "Long Xiao, you can use this Divine Luo Rod."
The sixth-rank Divine Luo Rod was simple to use, perfect for beginners like Long Xiao.
"Old Chen, you'll use the Heaven and Earth Rod."
"And Xia Jing, you’ll use the Divine Luo as well."
After distributing the rods, Zhao Xing turned to Ji Ziyun and said, "Brother Ji, could you help them assemble the lines and teach them how to cast? I have some other matters to attend to with Old Chen."
Ji Ziyun smiled, "No problem."
"Kirin, Long Xiao, let's go."
The three of them immediately jumped off the airship.
A bone-chilling cold wind swept across them as they landed on the ice.
Ahead of them were four or five ice holes that had already been drilled.
Pei Yuanchang had been generous enough to leave these for them.
There had originally been about fifty ice holes, but many had since refrozen, leaving only a few supported by ice well formations.
Next to the ice holes were a few simple, makeshift shelters.
"Brr, it's freezing!" Ji Ziyun quickly cast a spell, a blue light enveloping his body as he adjusted his temperature.
As for Xia Jing and Long Xiao, they relied purely on their physical resilience to withstand the cold.
Seeing the three jump down, Zhao Xing restarted the Kirin Airship and flew off elsewhere.
The military-grade Wenzhu Box was quite large—practically a container. Zhao Xing and Old Chen stood next to it, chatting.
"After stepping outside earlier, even with the harmony of the five elements within me, I could still feel the bone-chilling cold. The Major Cold Solar Term here is truly unbreakable," Zhao Xing observed, surveying the surroundings.
Neither he nor Old Chen attempted to release their Solar Term Commands to adjust the environment.
It would be pointless.
Even a fifth-ranked Shennong from the Heaven School couldn't change the weather here with their Solar Term Command.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t need to drill ice holes—at most, a fifth-rank Shennong could only reach a depth of about five hundred meters.
"Using Solar Term Commands here is a waste. You'd be burning through them one by one," Chen Shijie said, "The Heavenly pressure is too overwhelming; the Solar Term Commands are practically useless here."
"The Earth Advantage Law is similarly ineffective," Zhao Xing agreed, "There's no land at all, just layers of ice."
"So, did you bring only cold-water plants?" Chen Shijie asked, not having inquired about Zhao Xing’s purchases before.
"Not entirely," Zhao Xing replied, "I also brought some soil."
"You plan to set up a warm shelter?" Chen Shijie, being experienced, immediately understood. "But isn’t this military-grade Wenzhu Box too low-tier for that? Can it really be dismantled to form a warm shelter?"
The warm shelter was essentially a magical version of a greenhouse, capable of creating a self-contained environment. While Solar Term Commands and Earth Advantage Laws were ineffective outside, they could be easily used inside the warm shelter.
However, setting it up here would be quite a challenge.
The military-grade Wenzhu Box they had was only fifth-rank. While large, it wasn’t big enough.
Building a warm shelter here was a massive undertaking.
"I did bring enough," Zhao Xing laughed. "Didn't you notice that the warm storage compartment has become much larger?"
"I hadn't noticed. I haven’t been inside for a few days," Chen Shijie glanced back, suddenly realizing the difference.
"You really are bold. The Kirin Airship was a royal gift, and you dared to modify it."
"Hahaha, you caught me! How does it look? Not bad, right? Only an expert would notice."
"It’s well done," Chen Shijie praised after taking a closer look.
Zhao Xing had shortened a section of the Kirin Airship and added another. He had removed some of the decorative elements and installed a camouflage formation.
From the outside, it looked no different from before.
"The Kirin Airship is a royal-exclusive model with top-notch components and materials. It’s hard to buy anything of this quality quickly, so I figured it was more practical to modify it."
"I’m sure His Majesty won’t hold it against me. After all, I’m a Shennong. Practicality is key."
"No wonder you said the majority of the wealth is in this airship," Chen Shijie said, "Turns out you meant it literally."
"Exactly," Zhao Xing replied. "Unfortunately, it’s still lacking. Having a modular airship isn’t as satisfying."
"If I could reach the Pure Essence Realm, master the Deep Earth Returning Technique, perfect the second layer of the Yin-Yang Self Technique, and weave the five elemental energies seamlessly, I could plant crops directly within my Dantian."
"That’s difficult," Chen Shijie said. "Most fifth-ranked Shennongs specialize in Heavenly Timing or Earth Advantage Laws; they wouldn’t waste time on the Self School."
"Each of the conditions you mentioned is incredibly challenging."
The fifth-rank Pure Essence Realm was just the entry-level for the Self School.
Creating Pure Essence Soil within the body, enabling self-planting and manifesting a "Pure Essence Projection ," was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Many Shennongs who reached the fifth-rank only dabbled in the Self School.
During the battle at Sacrificial Soul Pass, both Liu Tianning and the fourth-rank Shennong, Li Yuanzhen from the Xuanjia Army, had appeared on the battlefield.
However, Li Yuanzhen had been overshadowed by Liu Tianning.
This was because Li Yuanzhen used Heavenly Timing Law, a technique that, while profound, wasn’t rare. Many fourth-rank Shennongs could alter the Yin Five Element Heavenly Timing.
Though not as proficient as Li Yuanzhen, they could still manage.
Liu Tianning, on the other hand, had used the Pure Essence Projection to instantly grow a line of divine trees on the battlefield!
Numerous plant soldiers had formed a seventh-rank defense line!
Li Yuanzhen could only bow to his superior since he hadn’t yet cultivated Pure Essence Soil , knowing how difficult the path was.
"Difficult, yes, but it’s worth attempting," Zhao Xing said. "I’m still young and have plenty of time."
If he could find Mi Fu and obtain the Xuanhuang Essence Breaking Technique, and combine it with certain rituals and materials, he could significantly shorten the time, possibly becoming even stronger... Zhao Xing mused.
But Mi Fu’s whereabouts were still unknown.
Nonetheless, Zhao Xing wasn’t in a rush. He hadn’t reached the fifth-rank yet, after all.
"What do you think of this spot?" Chen Shijie suddenly pointed below. "The ice layer here is thinner, and the surrounding mountains block the wind. The cold isn’t as intense."
"Looks good. Mark it, and let’s keep looking," Zhao Xing replied.
He wanted to choose the perfect spot for setting up the warm shelter. Otherwise, it would be a waste of time if they had to redo the work.
On Pei Yuanchang’s ship, the grandson of King Lingshuang was overseeing the fishing operations.
The day’s haul was moderate—about a thousand pounds of fish, but the quality wasn’t great.
He wasn’t the only one—the other top exploration teams were experiencing similar results.
Firstly, their equipment wasn’t up to the task. Upon arrival, they realized they needed a higher grade of gear.
Secondly, Night Fortress No. 98 had yet to yield a large scale of spiritual fish. The ones that jumped into their nets were few, and it was difficult to catch more.
"Today’s haul is about twelve hundred pounds of fish, mostly consisting of spiritual fish."
The investment was far greater than the returns, but Pei Yuanchang continued to increase his efforts.
He had another icebreaker ship on the way, and he was constantly recruiting skilled people to join his team.
"Master, Zeng Changguang from Taixi Prefecture is willing to join you," a scholar reported. "He’s a martial artist in the early stages of the Pure Essence Realm, and his ‘Cold Ice True Spirit Technique’ has reached the seventh layer, granting him the ‘Cold Spirit Martial Body.’"
"Oh?" Pei Yuanchang raised an eyebrow. "He’s a decent candidate. What’s his demand?"
"His demands are quite high," the strategist replied. "He wants to take one of the Advanced Exploration Officer slots."
"Seventy percent of the catch will go to him, with only thirty percent to us. He also demands that the slot be permanently his and that he can’t be dismissed midway."
"Seventy percent? And a permanent slot?" Pei Yuanchang sneered. "He’s got some nerve."
A mere early-stage Pure Essence Realm martial artist wasn’t worth much to Pei Yuanchang.
Plenty of fifth-rank experts wanted to come to Extreme Night Sea but lacked the qualifications and remained stuck in Sun City.
There were also many waiting outside Ten Sun Cave-Heaven.
Right now, qualifications and slots were the most valuable resources—not manpower.
Demanding seventy percent and a permanent slot was far too excessive.
"If it weren’t for his Cold Ice Martial Body, I wouldn’t even consider him," Pei Yuanchang said. "Give him two options."
"First, he gets thirty percent, and the Advanced slot is revoked after the Extreme Night Sea expedition ends. He goes back to wherever he came from."
"Second, he can use the Advanced slot for two months, but for one of those months, he must stay in Extreme Night Sea, and all his gains belong to me."
"My terms are already much better than what other factions offer."
Pei Yuanchang added, "If he doesn’t agree, there’s no need for further negotiations."
The Seven Major Exploration Teams had formed an alliance, sealing off the sea from other factions.
Though they cooperated, they also competed, engaging in a sort of arms race. Each wanted to expand their territory and control more of the spiritual resources.
Pei Yuanchang’s territory was currently the smallest.
His conditions were indeed more generous than those of other factions.
But an Advanced Exploration Officer slot was extremely precious.
It could earn someone royal favor, yet this fifth-rank martial artist thought he could claim it just by working for a few days? Impossible.
"Understood. I’ll approach him again to see if he’s bargaining or truly lacks self-awareness," the strategist said.
"There’s also a fifth-rank Shennong named Ren Fang waiting outside Ten Sun Cave-Heaven. He’s connected to Marquis Mingwei."
"What does Marquis Mingwei say?" Pei Yuanchang asked. Marquis Mingwei was the commander of the Xuanjia Army, while Marquis Mingwu led the Hujiao Army.
"Marquis Mingwei just passed along a message, not directly vouching for him."
"Does Ren Fang possess even a tenth of Liu Tianning’s ability?" Pei Yuanchang inquired.
"I don’t believe so."
"Does he follow the Self School?"
"He primarily practices the Heavenly Timing Law."
"Reject him," Pei Yuanchang said. "In the current conditions of Extreme Night Sea, both the Heavenly Timing and Earth Advantage Laws are nearly useless. Only Self School Shennongs might be of some use."
Even Self School Shennongs, however, needed to cultivate Pure Essence Soil to be truly effective.
Otherwise, they were still of limited value.
But since Ren Fang was a Heavenly Timing practitioner, there was no point in considering him further.
Not all fifth-rank Shennongs could be like Liu Tianning.
If Ren Fang had even a tenth of Liu Tianning’s abilities, Pei Yuanchang would have personally welcomed him with open arms.
After the strategist left, Pei Yuanchang continued handling other affairs.
As the leader of his faction, Pei Yuanchang, having reached the pinnacle of the Pure Essence Realm, didn’t need to endure the cold outside. Still, there were many matters that required his attention.
After two hours of busy work, he finally thought of Zhao Xing.
Mostly because he received news about Liu Tianning: "Liu Tianning is arriving at Extreme Night Sea tomorrow? I wonder how Zhao Xing and the others are doing... Someone, come here!"
"Yes, young master."
"How are Zhao Xing and his group?"
"Young master, Marquis Yuanrang and the others have set up a warm shelter about twenty li southeast of us. It appears to be of the sixth rank."
"Oh?" Pei Yuanchang raised an eyebrow, "Has Liu Tianning’s team already arrived? Why wasn’t I informed?"
"No, young master, no one else has arrived."
"Then where did they get the sixth-rank warm shelter materials?" Pei Yuanchang trailed off before realizing. He waved his hand. "Never mind, you may leave. Don’t mention this to anyone."
"Understood."
Once his subordinate had left, Pei Yuanchang couldn’t help but smile.
"Good for you, Marquis Yuanrang. Truly unconventional in your methods."
The Kirin Airship was a symbol of status and honor, a gift from Emperor Jing. Others would be eager to keep it pristine, but Zhao Xing had modified it for practical purposes simply because its materials and technology were useful.
"This man embodies the practical spirit of a Shennong perfectly."
"I hear he mastered high-level Self School techniques back when he was still seventh-rank. No wonder Liu Tianning took a liking to him. I wonder what marvels he’s planning to create now," Pei Yuanchang thought with some anticipation.
"Fifth-rank seedlings—Water Immortal, Fish-Devouring Grass, Azure Sea Cloud Vine."
"These three, already fifth-rank in their seedling stages, are all derivative species cultivated by high-ranking Shennongs. Just purchasing them cost a fortune, and once the conditions are right, they might grow to the sixth rank."
"Old Chen, it’s up to us to maximize those chances," Zhao Xing said, pointing at the black soil where the seedlings were planted.
Chen Shijie stared at the three seedlings in awe.
Among the three plants Zhao Xing mentioned, he had only heard of the Water Immortal. The other two? He had never even heard of them!
Why? Because they were derivative species!
They didn’t naturally exist in the world but were instead artificially cultivated and bred.
Old Chen was knowledgeable about native species, but derivative species were beyond his expertise.
Moreover, these two weren’t just ordinary derivatives.
They were the results of high-level research conducted by the Shennongs at [Shangluo Academy] in the military realm.
In other words, they were cutting-edge, high-end products, known only within a small circle and not yet publicly available.
How did they obtain them? Of course, through Zhao Xing’s connection with Liu Tianning.
"You only bought sixty plants?" Chen Shijie asked, realizing that this quantity of seedlings was quite small.
Despite reading reports on cutting-edge technology every day, when faced with the reality of it, Chen Shijie felt a bit apprehensive.
He feared ruining these precious seedlings. A single misstep, and the entire investment could go down the drain.
No matter the rank of a plant, during its seedling and sprouting stages, it was particularly fragile.
If it wasn’t properly nurtured, it would die before it even had a chance.
As for mutation or downgrading, that was even more common.
"Old Chen, be bold. Don’t be afraid," Zhao Xing smiled. "You’ve already undergone a transformation within Heaven’s Gate."
"You’ve achieved a high level of foundational strength techniques. In fact, your advanced foundational technique is perfect for cultivating the Azure Sea Cloud Vine."
After spending time with Zhao Xing and encountering such high-level things, Chen Shijie still hadn’t fully adjusted.
He hadn’t yet realized that he had become quite exceptional himself, a genius among sixth-rank Shennongs.
But with Zhao Xing’s reminder, Chen Shijie regained his confidence.
"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the Azure Sea Cloud Vine."
"Not just that, you’ll also be managing more. You’ll be responsible for controlling the Solar Term fluctuations within the warm shelter," Zhao Xing said.
His own Solar Term Command skills were inferior to Chen Shijie’s, primarily because he hadn’t had much time to cultivate. The closed-door session at Sacrificial Soul Pass had only lasted less than two months.
That was enough time to practice individual techniques, but it was far too short to study the core classics of a school.
"Alright," Chen Shijie immediately got to work.
Zhao Xing also began tending to the Water Immortal and Fish-Devouring Grass.
These two plants served as bait.
The Water Immortal emitted low-frequency vibrations that attracted most fish, drawing them in and inducing them to breed earlier than usual.
Fish-Devouring Grass produced seeds that fish found irresistible, similar to how cats were attracted to catnip.
These two plants were used to prepare the fishing grounds.
It might seem wasteful to use sixth-rank plants for this purpose.
But in this situation, it was entirely justified!
"We can’t dive into the water, so we’ll let the fish come to us," Zhao Xing smiled. "These fish, blessed by the world’s spiritual energy, are still just fish. They won’t be able to resist the bait."
As long as the fishing ground was prepared properly, no fisherman would return empty-handed!
"Let’s get to work!"
The two of them were filled with enthusiasm.
At the Ice Well Formation, Long Xiao, Ji Ziyun, and Xia Jing were fishing with their backs to the mountains.
They had been left with plenty of third- and fourth-rank bait earlier by Zhao Xing, so they had no shortage.
"It moved! It moved!" Long Xiao shouted excitedly, lifting the Divine Luo Rod with a swift motion.
"Whoosh~" The rod and line snapped up, sending a blur of blue light streaking through the air.
It hit both Ji Ziyun and Xia Jing squarely as they fished.
Xia Jing: "..."
Ji Ziyun: "..."
Ji Ziyun sighed and began untangling the fishing line wrapped around him.
"Brother Long, maybe...you should take a break."
"Long Xiao, do you even know how to fish?" Xia Jing scolded. "You’ve hit both of us thirteen times in the past two hours!"
"Are you fishing or catching people?"
Xia Jing grumbled as he pulled the hook out of his hair.
The Seven-Star Hook grew in size when it encountered large fish and shrank for smaller ones.
If a fish had weak spiritual energy, the hook would remain normal-sized.
But if the fish had strong energy, the hook would rapidly expand in size.
There was a reason the hook was sixth-rank, after all.
Just now, when it had struck, the Seven-Star Hook had morphed into a Seven-Star Anchor!
The hook also had a homing effect, making it impossible for Xia Jing to dodge.
Fortunately, he had reacted quickly, suppressing his energy, which caused the hook to shrink back to a smaller size.
"Sorry, sorry," Long Xiao apologized awkwardly. "I’m just not cut out for this."
"Listen to Brother Ji, and take a rest," Xia Jing suggested.
"How can you be so focused when practicing your sword, yet so restless when fishing?" Xia Jing wondered aloud.
He had sparred with Long Xiao many times during their time together.
Sword cultivators were known for their intense focus, and Long Xiao was the kind of man who could practice for days without sleep, even sleeping with his sword in his arms.
"I don’t know, I just get this urge to reel it in the moment the hook moves," Long Xiao scratched his nose. "Fishing is way harder than practicing swordsmanship."
"Forget it," Xia Jing said. "Why don’t you come over here and rest while I fish for you?"
"Great!" Long Xiao packed up his gear and moved to Xia Jing’s side.
Oddly enough, over the past two hours, the one who had caught the most fish wasn’t the skilled Ji Ziyun.
It was Xia Jing.
As soon as Xia Jing finished speaking, he lifted the Divine Luo Rod again. The rod shrank rapidly, and the line reeled in quickly.
"Splish~"
A fish shimmering with a faint silver glow leaped from the water. With a flick of Xia Jing’s wrist, the fish came off the hook and landed twenty meters away in a fish basket in front of him.
"Thump~ Thump~"
The fish flopped around in the basket, full of energy.
But soon, it stopped moving.
"Kirin, you’re amazing!" Long Xiao ran over to take a look, then dashed back excitedly. "You’ve caught fifteen fish already! Brother Ji has only caught seven."
"I guess I’m just lucky," Xia Jing said with a slight smile.
He didn’t like eating fish and felt nauseous at the smell.
Yet, with his streak of good luck, he had caught more fish than his cousin Ji Ziyun, and he was starting to enjoy fishing.
"We’re all beginners. How are you doing it?" Long Xiao humbly asked for advice.
"This Divine Luo Rod...you have to..." Xia Jing began sharing his experience, sounding very serious.
Ji Ziyun, fishing not far away, couldn’t help but feel puzzled. How was he losing to his cousin?
After another two hours of fishing, Zhao Xing flew over to check on them.
"How’s the fishing going, Xia Jing, Brother Ji, Long Xiao?"
"I didn’t catch a single one," Long Xiao admitted. "But Xia Jing caught a lot! Look!"
He lifted the fish basket, where several colorful fish were swimming around.
"Hmm? Xia Jing caught all of these?" Zhao Xing was surprised. Was this the beginner’s luck phenomenon?
Xia Jing lifted his head proudly, puffing out his chest a little.
"Impressive!" Zhao Xing praised.
Though one thing hadn’t changed—Xia Jing still kept his fish basket twenty meters away from him.
"And Brother Ji?"
"I’ve only caught ten small ones," Ji Ziyun admitted, looking a bit frustrated. Despite being skilled, his haul was less than half of Xia Jing’s.
"Hahaha, no worries. We’re moving to a new spot," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "You’re about to get a lot busier."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Ji Ziyun asked.
"Follow me, and you’ll see."
Outside the warm shelter, the Kirin Airship had been reduced to just a small portion of its original size.
The rest had been used to construct the warm shelter.
It spanned seven or eight acres. How could it be so large?
Because the main structure of the warm shelter was built from blocks of ice.
The materials and components dismantled from the Kirin Airship were embedded within, expanding the shelter to its current size.
"Wow, you really took the airship apart," Xia Jing laughed. "You’re quite the spender."
"What’s there to save? There will be plenty of rewards after we accomplish something great," Zhao Xing replied. "Come on in, all three of you."
Inside the ice door, the temperature immediately rose, and though the dominant color remained white, a vibrant patch of green stood out in the middle.
Amidst the snow, there was a grassland.
On either side of the shallow pools, flowers bloomed.
At the center, a vine coiled around a tree, with leaves that spanned four or five meters in size.
Chen Shijie, bent over like a diligent farmer, was harvesting grass seeds.
Solar Term Commands hovered in the air, radiating warmth like miniature suns.
The temperature difference caused mist to rise, and the lush vegetation thrived in the humid atmosphere. It felt as if they had stepped from an icy wasteland into a serene country estate.
"The work of a Shennong is truly miraculous," Ji Ziyun couldn’t help but marvel. "To create life in the middle of an ice world—this is nothing short of a miracle."
Xia Jing, on the other hand, was more focused on the practical side, as he was now hooked on fishing. "What’s all this stuff for?"
"The Water Immortal will be transplanted to the water’s surface, and the Fish-Devouring Grass seeds will be used as bait," Zhao Xing explained.
"And what about that tree?" Long Xiao asked, staring at the giant leaf-covered plant in the center.
"That’s not a tree," Chen Shijie corrected him. "It’s a vine, the Azure Sea Cloud Vine."
"A vine? What’s it for?"
Zhao Xing smiled, walking over to the vine and parting its leaves to reveal a hidden door.
"The Azure Sea Cloud Vine can extend its roots down thousands of miles to the seabed and stretch upward to the heavens."
"Of course, this particular one hasn’t matured yet, and I’ve treated it with special methods. For now, its roots only extend about ten li down."
Zhao Xing opened the door, revealing a space inside the vine: "The vine is hollow, and we can follow its roots downward to reach below the water’s surface."
"This way, we can observe the underwater environment, see if there are fish, and avoid wasting bait and setting up a useless fishing spot."
"Its roots are layered. If you cut it crosswise, you’d see concentric circles."
"We could even open a hole in the first layer, let fish in, then seal it up when the time is right."
"That way, we could capture the fish even at the bottom of the sea... Why are you all staring at me like that?" Zhao Xing suddenly paused.
"You’re a genius," Xia Jing said with a strange expression. "It feels like you’ve done this many times before."
Ji Ziyun nodded in agreement. He had the same feeling.
"This is something Old Chen and I brainstormed together, and it’s our first time trying it," Zhao Xing said calmly.
It was true they had brainstormed it together, but Zhao Xing had led Old Chen in that direction.
In his previous life, of course, he had done this many times—diving into the heavens and earth, exploring mountains and seas. What hadn’t a Shennong done?
Some Shennong players were obsessed with exploration and loved sharing their creative (and sometimes risky) experiences.
After learning how to cultivate the Azure Sea Cloud Vine, Zhao Xing had tried it once in his past life with great success—it was a perfect small-scale underwater base.
"So, should we go down first or fish first?" Long Xiao asked.
"Old Chen and I have already gone down once," Zhao Xing said, closing the wooden door. "There are quite a few fish below the ice layer here, and this spot should be much better than where you were fishing earlier."
"The ice here is also thinner, so breaking through it will be easier. Even a martial artist with a sword could carve out a chunk, and then we’d just need to clear away the floating ice."
"We’ll expand the fishing area and test the bait’s effectiveness," Zhao Xing said.
"I’ll take care of breaking the ice and clearing the floating pieces," Long Xiao said, gripping his sword.
"I’ll reinforce the fishing area and set up formations," Ji Ziyun said, flicking his sleeves.
"I’ll handle the bait, planting, and spellwork," Chen Shijie said.
"I’ll monitor the underwater environment and prepare the bait," Zhao Xing added.
"So, what do I do?" Xia Jing asked, feeling confused as if his companions had taken care of everything.
The four of them exchanged glances before grinning mischievously: "You’ll be responsible for catching the fish."
Xia Jing: "!!!"
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