Among everyone present, apart from the Ying heir, Ji Qing was actually in the best shape.
After his flesh was restored through the rebirth sprouts, he easily regrew his Sumeru Ghost-Skin, then followed the other Spirit Construct Disciples to gather by the lakeside.
The others clearly recognized the fisherman's identity and dared not disobey a single word of his.
Ji Qing, on the other hand, understood nothing. He simply spread open his Worldly Insight, pushing it to the limit to observe the changes.
Rod, line, hook, float, and bait were all extraordinary artifacts. Yet even with all his strength, he couldn't glean a shred of useful information.
The group waited silently until the float suddenly trembled. The old man jerked the rod upward, reeling in his catch.
Ji Qing instantly felt a vast spatial turbulence surge out of the depths of the clouds, as if another cavern-heaven was being connected to this one.
And then, as the line reeled back, a terrifyingly powerful fiend was dragged out.
It looked like a tiger with wings, its skin a sickly green, its face ghastly like a ghost mask, bristling with quills, tusks, and claws.
Through Worldly Insight, Ji Qing saw clearly: it was a Fourth-Rank Star-Seizer Demon.
Qiongqi
Rank: Star-Seizer (Fourth Rank)
This Qiongqi had bitten down greedily on the dragon bait, only to be caught on the fisherman's hook. Once caught, it was doomed. Dragged from another world, it was forced into the Zhuoling Cavern-Heaven.
The beast struggled madly, thrashing across the lake's surface, but it had no hope of escape.
The old man treated it as if he were playing with a carp, enjoying the fight as he "played the fish." Only after a long while did he snap the line, flinging the Qiongqi into the lake.
The Fourth-Rank monster instantly panicked. It sensed the lake as a place of death, and with terror and resistance beyond words, it plunged beneath the surface.
ROAR!
The calm waters erupted as the Qiongqi left its final bellow in this world before dissolving into nothing but a pool of blood, merging completely into the lake.
Watching the entire scene, Ji Qing felt a chill crawl across his scalp.
From baiting the hook, to reeling it in, to turning a Star-Seizer fiend into mere blood-water swallowed by the lake, it was all so practiced, so casual, as if this great demon were no more than a common river carp.
And yet behind that casual ease lurked a power so unfathomable that Ji Qing could not even begin to grasp it.
As the lake churned, a ripple of leaked energy spread outward. Ji Qing felt that it was clearly an unimaginably vast well of life force that lay within.
That life force, seemingly pure, must have been distilled from the blood of countless demons and monsters. It was terrifying in its refinement.
In that moment, Worldly Insight pierced through the veil and revealed the lake's secret:
Spirit Construct: Longevity Fish Pool
Type: Root-Seeking
Rank: Second Rank
Suppression Requirement: Destiny Resonance
Lifespan Burden: One year per day
A Second-Rank Spirit Construct of unimaginable power!
This was Ji Qing's first glimpse of such a lofty realm. Forget its mysterious abilities; even the burden alone was staggering. A full year of lifespan is consumed for every single day of use!
Triggered by this revelation, the Dao Book of the Nether Cycle of Yanfu stirred. Long-sealed knowledge of the upper realms began to seep forth.
Since reaching Third Rank Heaven Mending Ji Qing had yearned for a glimpse of the level beyond. Now, for the first time, he understood a sliver of what awaited.
This realm carried no single name. Each tradition called it differently.
But no matter the name, the powers were alike, all summed up by one phrase: Fishing the Void.
At the Second Rank, a cultivator transcends the limits of a single world, becoming a true great being who straddles myriad heavens.
At this level, one can pierce the veil of space, casting into the endless void. To them, the infinite-dimensional chaos is nothing more than a fishing pond.
Thus, they are called: Players of the Ten Thousand Worlds. Anglers of the Void. Walkers between Dimensions.
In the Yanfu Path's legacy, this realm is called Reincarnation. At that stage, a cultivator can hook into all realms, draw out souls and spirits, and forge their own Cycle of Rebirth and an underworld of their own.
Within the Daoist Canon, there were also brief descriptions of how other traditions defined the Second Grade realm names such as Dragon Fishing, Grand Derivation, Void Mother Tree, Lord God, and others.
No matter the title, all pointed toward one truth: mastery of the endless void and its exploitation.
Just like the fisherman before them, he was precisely a Dragon Fisher, one who devoted himself to angling in the void, plundering untold resources from foreign worlds.
At this moment, after hauling in yet another Fourth-Grade Qiongqi, he finally turned to the gathered cultivators and said:
"The observer from the Celestial Gang Tower has yet to arrive. That gives us time; I will explain matters to you clearly."
"I came here from beyond this realm, seeking refuge in the Yingfu Tuo World. Long ago, I reached an accord with the local Upper Third-Grade cultivators: every hundred years, this cavern-heaven is opened, inviting the young elites of each great lineage to enter. This tradition has continued unbroken for twenty-four thousand five hundred years."
"You are the two hundred and forty-sixth generation of the fortunate."
"Among the fortunate before you, no fewer than two hundred and ninety-five have attained the Fourth Grade Star-Seizer Realm or higher. That number accounts for more than half of all such cultivators in Yingfu Tuo World."
"Such results are possible only because of the rare fortune of this Zhuoling Cavern-Heaven, perfectly aligned with cultivation, allowing those of the Lower Third Grades to rebuild their foundations into greatness."
"I call this opportunity the Fish-Fight."
"That you are here to partake in this Fish-Fight is itself a blessing."
He gestured toward the lake before them.
"This lake is the root of my own Dao attainment. It is called the Longevity Fish Pool. Within it lies the boundless vitality and lifespan I have gathered from the void."
"Each of you may guide a thread of my power into yourselves, transform into spirit-fish within the pool, and thereby reforge your cultivation roots."
"The Longevity Fish Pool has three divine effects. Each one will greatly aid your path."
...
First Effect: Stealing Heavenly Time
"This effect opens a branch current of time, infused with a century of lifespan I bestow. It allows you to alter your own timeline and rewind your lifespan."
"Regardless of your actual age, you may rewind by a hundred years until your flesh and spirit are restored to sixteen years of age."
"All your cultivation, power, and bodily accumulation remain untouched. Only your lifespan is reset, which means your accumulated training effectively increases."
"If there are years left over after this rewinding, those can be used within the current to cultivate. And since this pool is saturated with first-class vitality, the effects are unparalleled."
"For example, this disciple of Yuhua Gate here is one hundred and twenty-four years old. With a century stolen back, he will return to twenty-four."
"Or this cook of Kitchen Lord Hall, only twenty-three years old. He can only rewind seven years, back to sixteen, but will gain ninety-three years of cultivation time in the pool enough to polish the Lower Third Grade to perfection."
"And as for the Ying clan prodigy, not yet sixteen, such a case yields even greater effects. You will understand once you enter."
"Note, however: though the pool grants vitality and secret techniques, it cannot raise your realm directly. This is something of a disadvantage for you, young Ying. Still, your progress has been too rapid. To linger in the Dragon-Elephant Realm for a century of tempering is not entirely a bad thing."
...
Second Effect: Victory in Combat
"Once the rewinding of lifespan is complete, the pool will open a combat illusion. Within it, you may manifest a perfect duplicate of yourselves."
"This duplicate will wield your full cultivation and abilities for simulated battle."
"With eight of you here, there will be seven rounds of duels until a final victor emerges. Naturally, there will be extraordinary rewards."
...
Third Effect: Refining the Spirit Construct
"With each victory in the combat illusion, you may draw upon the unique energies of the Longevity Fish Pool to wash and refine your Spirit Construct, greatly enhancing its effects."
"This refining power is the harvest of my centuries of fishing in the void. It is limited in quantity, and this year's share is wholly devoted to you as a reward."
"Since there are only eight of you this time, fewer than usual, your share will be larger. Do not squander such a fortune!"
...
The old man's voice grew heavier:
"But hear this clearly: once you enter the Longevity Fish Pool and accept its fortune, you have forged a covenant with me."
"Should you perish before reaching the Fourth Grade, all your cultivation and accumulation shall belong to me."
"Unless someone redeems you with a Fourth-Grade fiend, your fate will be to enter my box as bait for the void, never to reincarnate again."
"Think carefully. If you lack the confidence to contend for the Star-Seizer Realm, you may leave freely. I will not stop you."
Having spoken, the old fisherman turned away, casting his line once more into the unseen heavens.
The gathered disciples fell silent, each lost in deep thought.
Ji Qing, most of all, his mind whirring, Worldly Insight running at full tilt, simulating every possible course through this Fish-Fight.
And at last, he made his decision: he would commit himself fully to the contest!
If even with a foundation like his, he could not break through to the Fourth Grade, then becoming bait was a fate he was willing to accept.
And he was not alone; none of the eight who had arrived chose to withdraw.
The next question was how to make the most of this century of cultivation: how to spend it to maximize strength, not waste the gift of time.
At first, Ji Qing had nearly given up on competing with the other Spirit Construct Disciples, these second-generation elites with their outrageous inheritances. Against them, he had seen no chance of victory.
But now, the situation was different.
With a hundred accelerated years to refine his path and rebuild his foundations, his strength would surely undergo a qualitative leap.
Out of the six matches, he resolved to fight with everything he had if not to win them all, then at least to avoid leaving with nothing.
He had to secure at least one chance to wash and refine his Spirit Construct.
Watching the other disciples, he was convinced this boon was worth even more than a century of cultivation.
From hopeless to faintly hopeful, to perhaps standing equal with his rivals once he emerged from the pool, Ji Qing knew he had to seize this opportunity with both hands.
Already, his mind was sinking deep into plans for cultivation.
Just then, another figure drifted in from the outside: a scholarly cultivator with graying temples.
He walked straight to the fisherman, bowed politely, and said:
"Forgive me, honored one, for my delay. I thank you all for your patience."
The fisherman nodded and replied:
"Now that the observer has arrived, the Fish-Fight shall begin."
"If you are ready, into the pool with you."
At once, the Ying clan scion leapt forward and plunged into the lake.
Power enfolded him, and the peerless youth was transformed into a scarlet spirit-fish, darting through the water.
Next was the pudgy youth of Kitchen Lord Hall, still clutching his ladle. He had even managed to slip the Ying heir a dish of food before they entered.
He had fared well compared to the others, suffering little loss. As he entered the pool, he became a round-headed fish, plump and lively.
Then came Ling Mingji, the bird-headed cultivator.
Ji Qing thought grimly that this man had already advanced to the Spirit-Suppressing realm. For him, lifespan mattered little; clearly, he was here for the unique refining power of the Longevity Fish Pool.
He became a feathered fish, wings still sprouting from his sides.
After him entered the palace-garbed beauty bound to the Cloud Bamboo Seed, and the fox-spirit Tamamo-no-Mae.
Both had suffered great damage to their Spirit Constructs and desperately needed the cleansing power of the pool.
The palace beauty entered gracefully, becoming a resplendent koi, her jade-like scales glimmering softly.
The fox-spirit shifted into a strange form: a fish with nine tails, each faintly glowing as it flickered through the water.
Next was the insect maiden of Zhushan Sect. Smiling sweetly, she leapt into the pool, becoming a long golden centipede-fish, writhing and coiling with eerie grace.
At last, only Ji Qing and the Chongxuan Palace disciple remained.
Ji Qing glanced at the man still tinkering with his broken war machine, then stepped in himself.
He transformed into a small, black-and-white striped tiger-fish, smaller by far than any of the others.
A quarter-hour later, the mechanist finally finished his repairs and entered, piloting his Chain-Construct into the water. He became a stiff, metallic fish, heavy and clumsy, yet sturdy.
With all eight Spirit Construct Disciples immersed, the pool rippled as though welcoming them.
The Fish-Fight had officially begun.
On the shore, the fisherman bent down, pressing his forefinger to the water's surface. The first divine effect was triggered:
"Stealing Heavenly Time begins!"
Instantly, time warped. An aura of boundless years fell upon the spirit-fish, freezing them in stillness and casting them into deep meditation.
For the next year, they would train under the pool's acceleration, a hundred years of cultivation in but a single year outside.
This wondrous power leveled the gap created by unequal time, ensuring all would stand on a comparable footing.
Yet in truth, the younger one entered, the greater the benefit.
When Ji Qing emerged, he would truly be a sixteen-year-old youth again. And in terms of absolute growth, he was confident he would outstrip them all.
…
Meanwhile, the newly arrived observer stood quietly beside the fisherman, watching him cast again.
Before long, the line jerked. The old man pulled, and from another world he hauled not a beast but a pale-skinned beauty in crimson robes.
He chuckled, bound her casually, and tossed her into the surrounding mist, unconcerned.
With such an unexpected catch, the fisherman's mood improved even further.
The old fisherman reeled in his line, then turned toward the visiting observer and asked:
"Huang Yan, this past hundred years, how has your Heavenly Gang Tower fared?
Ninety-nine percent of the blessed grotto-heavens in the Yingfutu Realm are already in your custody. Surely you've reaped some treasures worth showing?"
The man who had arrived was indeed one of the four great powers guarding the Huntian Instrument. Smiling faintly, he replied:
"Honored one jests. You know well the state of our realm. We still haven't recovered from the Great Calamity. We barely have the strength to seal breaches, let alone to cast lines outward."
The old man shook his head.
"Such waste. Pass a message to Heavenly Suzi: lend me a few of the grotto-heavens you oversee. If there are spoils, we split them half and half."
Huang Yan nodded.
"I'll relay the matter, but I fear the Honored One's wish may not be granted.
Your method of fishing the void bears far too heavy a karmic burden. It doesn't suit the path of the Yingfutu Realm."
Then he turned to look at the eight spirit-fish swimming within the lake.
"This year's Fish-Fight with the Ying clan's heir present, the next three centuries, the other lineages will only play runner-up.
A Spirit Construct above Third Grade, bearing a Heavenly Mandate as its foundation, truly a profound root."
The fisherman only shook his head.
"The Ying clan uses this insect-breeding method to select heirs, force-growing saplings. They will never raise a true Main God of the Second Grade or higher.
"The strange auras I have gathered over eons are best used to refine the Self-Seeking Root. But your realm's sects are all greedy for the combat power of external Spirit Constructs straying from the proper path.
"I, on the other hand, favor the two youths from Pure Sun Ruins and Kitchen Lord Hall. Their strength lags for now, but their foundations are solid. If they grow steadily, they may one day step into the Upper Three Grades."
Huang Yan neither agreed nor disagreed, only remarking:
"Pure Sun Ruins' legacy is broken. Unless Shang Xi dares to leave this realm entirely with his disciples, they'll never find the space to grow within the Yingfutu Realm."
The old man shook his head again.
"Nothing is absolute. If you yourself wish to progress, you too must think of how to walk beyond this realm. Don't spend your days grubbing in the dirt here."
With that, he cast his line once more. His luck was good; he hadn't had cause to drop a third hook in a long while!
…
Meanwhile, in the Longevity Fish Pool, waves slowly rolled. The eight spirit-fish each claimed a corner, beginning their extraordinary cultivation.
This was the divine power of a Second Grade supreme expert, using the exalted status of his Zhuoling Grotto-Heaven to alter the flow of time itself, granting these cultivators a chance to patch flaws and perfect their paths.
For lower-grade disciples, a hundred years of cultivation added out of thin air meant their foundation would be centuries beyond their peers.
Ji Qing, transformed into a black-and-white striped spirit-fish, plunged into the pool. Immediately, boundless vitality surged into his body and soul.
The divine effect of Stealing Heavenly Time took hold. He clearly sensed a countdown of one hundred years.
During that time, his lifespan itself would pause, but all cultivation progress would continue without interruption.
He could not condense a Dharma-Manifestation, true, but every other Manifestation of training would advance normally.
More than that, because his true age had not yet reached sixteen, he triggered the hidden second effect of Stealing Heavenly Time.
Sensing inwardly, Ji Qing realized this second effect was where the true wonder lay, filled with the fisherman's cunning craft.
At this moment, his physical body was only four years old, twelve years away from sixteen.
He could choose to strike a new bargain with the fisherman: within the Longevity Fish Pool, borrow the power of time to grow naturally to sixteen.
For every year he matured, his Life Measure would increase by one qian, a massive boost to talent and foundation.
By his count, that meant a gain of one tael and two qian of Life Measure!
In exchange, at some point in the future, he must repay the pool with twenty-four Third Grade Life Essences.
It was, in essence, a high-stakes investment deal in the cultivation world.
The fisherman lured in the realm's brightest geniuses with opportunity, then singled out those under sixteen, granting irresistible rewards in exchange for a binding debt repayment in Life Essence down the road.
For Ji Qing now, it was like an angel investor's seed capital. Without hesitation, he accepted.
Once he reached the Third Grade Heaven-Mending Realm, with his deep foundations, he would never lack for Life Essences.
To cash in future gains for present resources was a clear win-win.
A gain of over one tael of Life Measure at the lower grades, its value was immeasurable.
So with a hundred years, plus twelve years of natural growth, he had one hundred and twelve years of cultivation ahead. His progress would be unimaginable.
His Worldly Insight had already laid out the full curriculum. With no distractions, he only needed to follow it step by step.
His soul turned inward, descending into the Fate-Stele Space where a freshly captured Qiongqi spirit beast stood proud.
It had been far too long since he'd had such a powerful soul incarnation to spar with.
Compared to this Qiongqi, all his other soul-forms were trash.
Raising his sword-light, he slashed toward the towering demon.
His first training assignment had begun: to amass chances for forging Fate!
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