Chapter 24: Fishing for a Dragon
It’s a big one!
Li Hao immediately realized from the tremendous force of the struggle that the creature in the water was no small fry. He felt a chill in his heart and dared not be careless. Instead of yanking the fishing line recklessly—which might tear the fish’s mouth and loosen the hook—he carefully alternated between pulling taut and easing off slightly.
In an instant, the calm, dark water erupted into furious waves, creating a whirlpool with a diameter of over ten meters.
Li Hao could faintly see a massive black shadow being dragged upward from the depths. As it neared the surface, it struggled violently, revealing its menacing form—a terrifying creature nearly eight meters long. With every struggle, it sent ripples far beyond its immediate vicinity.
Maintaining tension on the line, Li Hao persisted in his methodical approach, drawing the enormous shadow closer to the shore little by little.
Suddenly, the creature beneath the water seemed to sense something and leapt out, revealing a broad, flattened fish head. Its mouth was filled with sharp fangs that looked like countless sharpened bamboo spikes.
Its emerald-green eyes glared at Li Hao on the fishing platform with feral malice. But when it saw that its adversary was merely a seven- or eight-year-old child, the light of ferocity in its eyes suddenly flared with anger.
“How dare a clueless brat try to fish for your Grandpa Catfish!”
The fish demon, surprisingly, spoke in human language with a shrill, piercing voice. Instead of continuing its resistance, it swam rapidly toward the shore. The fishing line that had been taut moments ago slackened in the water.
“I’ll eat you alive!”
In a blink, the fish demon had closed the several hundred meters between them, its turbulent wake churning behind it. It leapt from the water, aiming directly for the fishing platform, which was over three meters above the surface.
As the fish demon came ashore, a notification flashed before Li Hao's eyes:
[Fishing Experience +68]
[Fishing Dao upgraded to Tier 1]
Simultaneously, a flood of fishing techniques surged into his mind.
However, Li Hao couldn’t spare a moment to digest this newfound knowledge. Instead, he braced himself, focusing intently on the immediate threat.
The foul stench of the monster’s maw was now right in front of him. He could even see the trembling pink flesh deep in its throat.
It was Li Hao’s first time facing such an adversary, and while his heart raced with nervousness at the fish demon’s grotesque ferocity, he remained composed. The creature’s movements appeared slow as a turtle to him, thanks to his training.
During his time at the Tingyu Pavilion, Li Hao had studied three different Body Refining Techniques specifically for enhancing vision. By combining and refining their teachings, he had elevated his eyesight to a level far beyond the capabilities of someone in the Tongli Realm.
Biting his tongue to stay calm, Li Hao swiftly sidestepped, bent low, and extended his hand. Gripping the demon’s jagged teeth, he twisted his body and swung it with all his might.
The entire sequence unfolded in an instant, smooth and uninterrupted.
With a resounding crash, the fish demon was hurled dozens of meters away, smashing into a rocky cliff. Its tail slapped furiously at the ground as it writhed in pain.
“W-what kind of monster are you?!”
Dazed and battered, the fish demon gasped in horror.
It twitched weakly, and years of cultivation filled it with an ominous sense of dread. Staring at the white-skinned, tender-faced child standing before it, the fish demon was convinced it wasn’t dealing with a human but rather a descendant of some great demon.
Hearing the creature’s words, Li Hao paused momentarily, then broke into laughter.
But he wasn’t about to underestimate it. Deciding to finish things quickly, he dashed forward in a burst of speed.
Suddenly, the fish demon’s gills puffed up, and with a disgusting gurgle, it spat out a jet of foul black sludge. The putrid substance shot through the air like a venomous dart.
Li Hao, having anticipated an unknown attack, reacted instantly. The moment he saw the sludge, he pivoted sharply to evade. Planting his feet firmly, he pushed off the ground and closed the distance between them in an instant.
“Spare me! Please…”
The fish demon’s plea for mercy came too late. Li Hao’s fist had already connected with its head.
The sheer power of his physical strike sent tremors through the demon’s body, caving in its skull with a sickening crack. Blue-green brain matter splattered everywhere, and Li Hao couldn’t avoid being doused in the gore.
The overpowering stench of fish and blood made him gag.
No wonder Grandpa always smelled fishy. Years of fishing had clearly made such encounters unavoidable.
The fish demon’s tail twitched weakly as it continued to slap against the ground, but its movements were now only reflexive spasms.
To ensure it wasn’t feigning death, Li Hao struck its head twice more. Only when a gaping hole exposed its oozing brain did he retreat cautiously.
Li Hao mused to himself that he should bring a sword next time. If a bigger monster appeared, he’d risk becoming bait instead of catching it.
Of course, with Li Muxiu nearby, Li Hao wasn’t in much real danger. He hadn’t even used the Golden Talisman his grandfather had given him.
Still, Li Hao disliked relying on others too much.
With the fish demon dead, Li Hao finally revisited the flood of new information in his mind. Countless fishing techniques surfaced, making him feel as if he had spent over a decade perfecting the craft.
Skills like observing water patterns, measuring line tension, and concealing hooks became second nature.
Returning to the fishing platform, Li Hao tidied his rod and the tangled line. When baiting the hook this time, his actions were far more adept. With a few quick motions, the bait clung tightly to the hook.
...
The once pitch-black lake now appeared distinct in Li Hao’s eyes. He could perceive the subtle shifts in water flow and even see several meters below the surface. The ripples on the water, now calm, seemed to sketch patterns depicting the undercurrents below.
Through these patterns, Li Hao discerned movement farther out in the lake.
Realizing the waters near the fishing platform were now devoid of significant prey after the commotion, Li Hao decided to move.
Grabbing his rod, he walked along the shore, scanning the water’s surface periodically to pinpoint his next target. Using the patterns of undercurrents as his guide, Li Hao tracked potential prey beneath the surface.
After walking about a kilometer, he stopped at a spot resembling a bay. He chose a sturdy patch of ground as his platform and cast his line.
This time, despite his forceful cast, the heavy hook entered the water with barely a ripple, creating none of the earlier splashing sounds.
The line, drawn by the hook, sank slowly into the depths.
Li Hao crouched slightly, his posture steady as he waited patiently.
Within minutes, there was movement on the float.
Li Hao wasn’t surprised. With this cast, he had essentially delivered the bait directly to the underwater creature’s doorstep.
With a swift motion, the float plunged beneath the surface. "Heh, an impatient one," Li Hao murmured with a light chuckle as he yanked the rod upward.
The line tightened immediately, transmitting an immense resistance. From the force of the struggle, Li Hao quickly judged the creature’s weight—about 2,000 jin. It was likely another fish demon at the Tongli Realm, one whose intelligence had yet to fully develop.
He maintained his practiced rhythm of heavy pulls followed by gentle tugs, ensuring the hook lodged deeper, reducing the chance of escape.
After playing the fish for seven or eight minutes, he managed to exhaust it. With a final effort, he dragged the weary fish demon out of the water.
...
[Fishing Experience +23]
The fish demon flailed wildly and lunged at Li Hao, but it was no match for him. One punch sent it flying onto a nearby hillside, where it lay motionless.
Li Hao rebaited the hook and returned to fishing.
“There are still more down there,” he muttered to himself, scanning the lake’s surface once more.
...
Meanwhile, high above the Black Lake, a figure floated in the sky. It was Li Muxiu. He didn’t carry a fishing rod but instead held an almost invisible fishing line that extended straight into the depths below.
His Fishing Dao had long reached the stage of "line perception," allowing him to sense underwater movements through the line as clearly as if he were using his divine soul to scan the lake.
He had cast the line with utmost subtlety, yet the Old Dragon beneath the lake remained unresponsive.
Earlier, one of the smaller fish demons Li Hao had caught had been devoured by another, larger fish demon. The cycle of big fish eating small fish continued, but Li Muxiu’s goal wasn’t fish—it was dragons.
“Seems this Old Dragon must be sleeping somewhere today. Who knows where it’s hiding in this 3,000-li expanse of the Black Lake,” Li Muxiu murmured, shaking his head. His gaze swept across the vast, unending lake, but there was no sign of his quarry.
With a sigh, he reeled in his line, pulling up a fish demon over ten meters long covered in sharp spikes. It had served as bait for the dragon.
Flicking his fingers, the enormous fish demon’s body instantly compressed, shrinking into a palm-sized black-spotted fish, which he dropped into his fish basket.
“Wonder how the kid’s doing. Hopefully, he hasn’t lost patience and walked away empty-handed.”
Li Muxiu muttered as he grabbed the basket and flew back toward where Li Hao had been fishing.