Chapter 445: Poor Mental State
“Heretical methods.” The fishing uncle sneered at the act of netting fish.
“Uncle, are you even any good at fishing?” Bai Hongtu approached while carrying a bucket full of fish, barely keeping them from jumping out. “Look at this full bucket – golden carp, lionfish, longevity fish… I’ve got them all.”
With each fish name Bai Hongtu listed, the old fisherman’s grip on his rod tightened. Catching just one of these would make today’s trip worthwhile – what incredible luck this kid had!
“How did you catch these?” The fisherman asked casually, pretending not to care.
“By netting them.” Bai Hongtu answered truthfully.
“This is a fishing spot! How could you net fish here?” The old man glared at Bai Hongtu.
“Found any competitors yet?” Bai Hongtu ignored him and casually asked Jiang Li.
Jiang Li sighed and produced a golden trophy inscribed with “Nine Provinces Fishing Competition – Dongyun Lake Regional Champion.”
“No luck. The people here are too unskilled to qualify for the tournament.”
Bai Hongtu also looked disappointed. “Really? I thought Dongyun Lake, being the second largest in the Nine Provinces, would have many skilled fishermen. To think we couldn’t find a single qualified participant – these people are truly mediocre.”
“Indeed. Though our competition is just starting out and not well-known, it’s unfortunate we can’t find any cultivators to participate. What a pity for this trophy – the first championship cup holds such commemorative value.”
“If we can’t find anyone, I suppose I’ll reluctantly accept the championship.” Bai Hongtu’s expression showed anything but reluctance.
As Yu Yin would say – this was the smugness of petty men succeeding.
After serious consideration, Jiang Li prepared to hand the trophy to Bai Hongtu. “Fine. Choosing the best among the worst – this trophy is yours.”
“Nonsense! With his meager haul wanting to be champion? I could net several buckets just by using a bit of magic power!” The old fisherman grew furious. Though he didn’t know which organization held this competition, letting Bai Hongtu win would insult all serious fishermen who frequented Dongyun Lake.
We only fish for pleasure, but when it comes to netting fish, we won’t back down from a challenge.
Without hesitation, the old man channeled his magic power, lifting dozens of cubic meters of lake water and extracting all the fish within.
“Hahaha! What a bountiful harvest! See this, boy? My catch dwarfs yours!” The old man laughed heartily. He didn’t care about the trophy – he just couldn’t stand Bai Hongtu’s smug, triumphant expression if he won.
“Indeed, I can’t compare.” Bai Hongtu chuckled, unbothered.
“Yang Ming! We’re all here to fish, yet you dare net them and laugh so arrogantly? Do you mean to insult us?” Another fishing cultivator grew angry at the old man’s boisterous laughter.
Even if some strangers used unconventional methods to net fish, at least they didn’t flaunt their cultivation.
They came to fish to cultivate their mental state. You netting fish is one thing, but making such a spectacle?
What, is your cultivation that impressive?
Seeing Yang Ming’s actions and hearing his laughter, other cultivators grew displeased and competitive.
Soon a second cultivator began netting fish with magic power.
Like dominoes, a third followed, then a fourth, a fifth…
Soon Dongyun Lake descended into chaos with strange phenomena everywhere.
Dark clouds pressed low as giant silhouettes waved arms behind them. A broadsword wielder split the lake into nine sections, the water kept apart by blade energy. One cultivator froze a section of lake along with its fish. Another with powerful spiritual sense controlled schools of fish to swim toward him. Yet others displayed great magic, attempting to lift the entire lake – leading to magical tug-of-wars over the water.
Most fishermen here were high-level cultivators with limited room for further growth, seeking mental peace for breakthroughs or quiet retirement.
“Their mental states still need work.”
“Indeed. Getting riled up over such trifles – they need more tempering.”
“I would never act like that.”
“Me neither.”
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu critiqued the cultivators.
Jiang Li wasn’t skilled at artifact crafting, having only made this one trophy.
The Dongyun Lake battle raged on. The trial materials were too basic to withstand the cultivators’ attacks, their residual energy shredding Yu Yin’s fishing nets. Qin Luan and Yuan Wuxing couldn’t fish under these conditions either, forced ashore. Fish ignored Wuzhi’s sutras, let alone biting hooks. The trial rules only permitted magic use when crafting – all else was forbidden.
Finally, the battle ended with a Divine Transformation cultivator emerging victorious, having netted every fish in the lake. At this cultivation level, moving mountains and draining seas was trivial – emptying a lake posed little challenge.
Yet the victor hesitated, unsure what to do with his haul. Their fishing competition had been impulsive, not truly angry. Not returning the fish would ruin future fishing, but releasing them after such a heated battle would seem ridiculous. Having fought most fiercely, he couldn’t bring himself to release them.
“Congratulations on your championship.” Jiang Li cheerfully presented the trophy.
“What trophy?” The cultivator blinked, not knowing where Jiang Li came from.
“Nine Provinces Net Fishing Competition – Dongyun Lake Regional Champion. Following recycling principles, we’ll return these fish to the lake.”
Seeing an honorable exit with a trophy, the cultivator laughed heartily and accepted it. “Then these fish are yours to handle.”
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu thanked him, acquiring all of Dongyun Lake’s fish.
The Human Sovereign candidates, unaware of the full story, only saw someone laughing, others angrily netting fish, then cultivators brawling to catch more. Only Yu Yin, who kept watching Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu, understood how these two troublemakers had broken conventions again. No using magic power? Just get other cultivators to net fish for you.
…
Jiang Li gathered all candidates in the consciousness space.
“Who believes they netted the most fish this trial?”
Silence. Everyone reflected inwardly.
“This trial featured two candidates working seamlessly together, convincing helpful cultivators to net all the fish at minimal cost, who then generously donated their entire catch.”
“May we ask who these two candidates are?” The others wondered, having been too focused on fishing to notice.
“I won’t say – guess for yourselves.” With that, Jiang Li returned everyone to their original locations.