Immortal Road.

Lin Shan: "."

I just went in to participate in the fishing competition, and I lost a Grade 7 spirit crystal. Is this fee reasonable?
Several Nascent Soul stage cultivators happened to walk by and handed over a sixth-grade spirit crystal before being allowed to pass.

The supervising monk explained to him:
"The fees vary depending on the cultivation level. Those fish on the list are highly skilled and their cultivation level is comparable to the Void Realm. Naturally, they cannot be caught by the Nascent Soul stage, so the fees will be different."

what did you say?
Are the fish in the lake possessing supernatural powers?

How am I supposed to fish like this?!
A scene immediately flashed into Lin Shan's mind: a giant creature in the lake opened its ferocious mouth, snatched the bait, and swam away. The cultivators on the shore, whose cultivation was not high enough, might be dragged into the lake if they were not careful, and die on the spot as fish food!

"Ahem, of course, fishing with ordinary fishing rods and lines is risky, so we, the organizers, provide fishing rods, with different prices for different grades."

Lin Shan looked over and almost jumped up and down on the spot!
Renting a fishing rod made of a Heavenly Treasure for one hour costs ten sixth-tier spirit stones; renting it for five hours would probably be enough to buy a Heavenly Treasure.

Isn't this robbery?

"That's normal. That's why I, an old Taoist priest, exhausted my family fortune and specially crafted a Xuan Tian fishing rod before I left, just so I could win first place in this competition!"

The old Taoist priest Jinchi stood proudly to the side, and behind him, a long strip of cloth radiated golden light, containing rare treasures.

A fishing rod of the Xuan Tian Ling Bao level?

The supervising monk was slightly startled upon seeing this. He exchanged glances with his colleagues, clearly feeling uneasy and worried, fearing that the fisherman had caught too many, but also unable to break the rules.

"It's you? I don't think you had this name at the last Yunzhou Grand Gathering."

Someone recognized him and looked him up and down with a slight hesitation.

"Hehe, it's not important."

Old Taoist Jinchi chuckled, though it was unclear what he meant.

However, when the topic of ticket money came up, his face fell again. He pitifully pleaded with Lin Shan, saying that he had no money and begged him to pay for it first.

So, you're actively making connections outside the city just to find a sucker in the Void Refinement stage to buy you a ticket?
Lin Shan suddenly realized!

I thought to myself, "You're such a nice person. We were complete strangers when you took the initiative to show me around the city, acting as my tour guide. I thought you were just being hospitable, but it turns out you were waiting for me here."

He couldn't help but sigh that he was still too naive most of the time; the old monsters in the immortal realm had so many tricks up their sleeves that they were practically impossible to guard against.

"Fellow Daoist Xing Shuzi, could you pay for my entrance ticket first? Once I catch this giant and make a fortune, I'll definitely repay you double, how about it?"

Old Taoist Jinchi's eyes gleamed, like a gambler about to sit down at the table, which sent a chill down Lin Shan's spine.

Don't come back to me endlessly asking for money when you run out of gambling funds!

However, since the guy had acted as his tour guide for a day, Lin Shan still gave him a spirit stone out of politeness, mainly because of the guy's Xuan Tian Ling Bao fishing rod.

With such a treasure in hand, how could we possibly fail?

The two obediently paid the money and took their competition certificates. The supervising monk asked him if he needed to rent a pole, but Lin Shan refused.

Walk along the floating bridge to the island in the middle of the lake, where staff will greet and guide you to fishing platforms 52 and 53 in the Geng area.

"There are special array-fixing clips here that can be locked onto the seat to prevent the pole and the person from being pulled down together."

You know what, they're quite thoughtful!
Clearly, there had been previous incidents of people falling into the water, so the organizers took safety measures, which shows how ferocious the giant creature in the lake is.

The surrounding area is all marked with the character "庚" (Geng), and a group of anglers are intently watching the lake, secretly putting in a fierce competition.

Lin Shan wasn't in a hurry to start fishing; he wanted to see how the locals fished first.

As a result, we discovered a lot of things that were truly shocking.

Most people always get their bait off the hook; every time there's a movement below, they find the bait has been taken when they lift the rod again.
Some people's lines break while they're fishing; the fish in the lake have sharp teeth and swallow the hook and line together.
Some people's rods broke halfway through fishing! They were pulled by strong fish in the lake, and several rods were destroyed in the process. You have to pay for the damaged rods rented here.

Some people finally manage to fish ashore, only to have the fish swallow them whole in mid-air, and then they bounce and splash back into the lake!
So the safety measures aren't up to par?

While the group of people around him were risking their lives to fish, the old Taoist priest Jinchi next to him was much more composed.

He took out a bag full of golden loaches from who-knows-where, and was about to hang it up when a referee came up behind him to stop him, telling him that cheating with loaches was not allowed in the competition.

They insisted on using the bait distributed by the company throughout the process, arguing that it was to create a fair environment.

"."

There's nothing we can do; whatever the organizers say goes, so we have to follow the rules.

The two added some water to the bait and stirred it until it was almost ready. Only then did the old Taoist priest Jinchi finally open the long cloth bag behind him.

A golden fishing rod is held in my hand!
The moment the rod was cast, it instantly stirred the spiritual energy on the lake's surface, causing numerous ripples to spread and tiny bubbles to spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The fish in the lake below were all agitated!
Ok?
This widespread anomaly instantly attracted the attention of everyone on the island, who all looked over to see what was going on.

The senior monk on the opposite shore of the lake turned pale and could only pretend not to see it.

"I have been preparing for a thousand years, and changed my name to Jinchi (Golden Pool), meaning that a golden carp is no ordinary fish. Today, no matter what, I will catch the golden carp in the lake!"

With a fierce flick of his wrist, the old Taoist priest Jinchi shoved the fishing rod straight into the lake!
Before the people around him could even start cursing, the lake water boiled as if it were boiling, and a large number of strong fish rushed towards him. No matter how many fish he tried to catch, it wouldn't have the same effect!
Then, with a sudden lift, a huge silver-tailed fish, eight feet long, was thrown into a basket on the shore. This fish basket was also a spatial treasure; once inside, it immediately turned into a tiny little bean, swimming around restlessly in the water.

"A Nascent Soul stage demon carp is worthless. Watch as I cast another cast, ho!"

This time the commotion was even greater, with water even forming a fountain below, cascading into the sky like a waterfall, bringing a heavy rain to the lake. Under the scattered sunlight, a rainbow appeared, and the fish below, somehow bewitched, all rushed over in a swarm.

Let him take the bait again!
With a gentle lift, a ferocious black sturgeon, baring its teeth and biting the fishing line, was tossed into the fish basket.

"A Nascent Soul stage demonic sturgeon, worthless, let's have another one!"

The people around him were stunned, forgetting that they were there to participate in the competition. They were only focused on watching him cast his line repeatedly, and soon his fish basket was full.

Lin Shan stared wide-eyed. Everyone was using the same bait, so why were you catching fish so easily?

Contrary to what others might expect, Jinchi Daoist was sweating slightly at this moment.

The senior monk on the opposite shore of the lake was relieved to see this and sat back down with a smile, while several other monks were still gazing into the distance.

"Sir, that old Taoist Jinchi is causing so much trouble, why don't we do anything about it? Why don't we find a reason to kick him out for violating the rules?"

"Hey, no need. If I'm not mistaken, he's probably almost out of bait."

This is indeed the case.

At this moment, the old Taoist priest Jinchi was flustered and his hands were trembling. Although he kept catching fish, they were all garbage!
There wasn't a single fish on the list.

However, the bait around them had been used up. According to the organizer's "Fishing Friendship" rules, once the bait was used up, it meant the end of the round of the competition, and they had to settle accounts and leave.

Otherwise, if everyone is provided with unlimited bait, the fishing would never end.

After hooking another piece of trash, Jinchi Laodao was sweating profusely and couldn't wait to ask Linshan for help.

"Fellow Daoist, I'm almost out of bait. Could you spare some of yours for me?"

The referee monks behind them had been lying in wait for a long time, and upon seeing this, they immediately jumped out to stop it!
"During the competition, each person has a fixed number of baits, and they cannot borrow bait from each other, as this would violate fairness."

There's nothing we can do; the rules are set by them, and there's no room for compromise.

Lin Shan had originally intended to lend it to him, since he had more bait than he could use, but now he saw it was a waste and could only slowly take a twig out of his pocket.
Many people around were paying attention to this scene, and when they saw him take out a tree branch, they were all so surprised that they couldn't close their mouths, and some people couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Look! Someone's using a tree branch to fish!" "A tree branch is awesome!"

Does he treat this competition like a game? Or does he look down on us?

"Could it be that they can't afford to rent a fishing rod? They look so poor."

"In my opinion, that old Taoist priest next to him is also an unlucky fellow. He has the Xuan Tian Treasure Rod but can't catch any good fish. I might as well use it."

In their mockery, they also dragged Jinchi Laodao into it.

This is understandable, because the Xuan Tian Bao Gan made too much noise just now, scaring away many fish in other areas, so everyone was full of resentment.

Seeing him humiliated made everyone feel better.

Lin Shan kept his eyes straight ahead, busying himself with winding fishing line around a tree branch. He had found the line and hook himself, then casually cast the baited hook into the lake.
Pfft!
He then calmly closed his eyes and waited.

after awhile.

There was no sound at all, so I opened my eyes in confusion. The lake was as calm as a mirror, without a ripple.

That shouldn't be the case.

This is the Immortal Fishing Rod that the man in the straw hat gave me after I completed his mission! How could it be inferior to the Mysterious Heavenly Treasure Rod?
The old Taoist priest Jinchi next door had long since quieted down.

With a pained expression, it squatted to the side, looking at Lin Shan with a pitiful expression. The bait was empty, and a bunch of tiny fish were swimming around in the fish basket, but none of them were to its liking.

The referee monk from the Gengzi District was weighing and selling the goods to him right now.

"A silver carp in the Nascent Soul stage, twelve zhang long, weighing 390,000 jin, is worth two sixth-grade spirit stones."

"A black sturgeon in the Nascent Soul stage, eighteen zhang long and weighing 520,000 jin, is worth two sixth-grade spirit stones."

“A Nascent Soul stage red carp, seven zhang long and weighing 190,000 jin, is worth five grade five spirit stones.”

"A Nascent Soul stage stone-like creature, fifteen zhang long and weighing four hundred thousand jin, is worth one sixth-grade spirit stone."

"Wait, how come grouper is cheaper than silver carp?"

Jinchi the Taoist priest was dissatisfied, feeling that the judge's bid was inaccurate, and demanded an appeal, but the judge completely ignored him and continued to fiddle with the fish basket and put it on the scale.

"A small crucian carp in the Golden Core stage, one zhang long and weighing 12,000 jin, is being bought back as a fry. Just release it back; it doesn't count!"

"???"

The old Taoist priest Jinchi was completely numb.

No, I have my Xuan Tian Treasure Rod in hand, what are you, a little crucian carp, doing getting involved? I should be fishing for your grandma, okay?

The little crucian carp thrashed its tail as the referee monk tossed it back into the lake, but it immediately bit Lin Shan's hook and was caught by him with a tree branch.

"."

The two looked at each other in silence, a silence that spoke volumes.

They spent a fortune to participate, but they won't even recoup their investment!

Are you telling me this is a branch venue of the Yunzhou Grand Gathering? Could it be some powerful organization's private fishpond, illegally raising funds to make money off ticket sales, specifically to fleece us rogue cultivators?

The referee monk behind him had just finished calculating the fish, stood up, stretched, and casually pointed to the tree branch of Lin Shan.

"That little crucian carp is a fry, so it doesn't count. Let's throw it back into the lake."

The two were furious, but when they saw the buyback price he offered, it was only forty sixth-grade spirit stones. At an exchange rate of 1:100, they couldn't even earn back half of the ticket price!

Lin Shan turned his head away expressionlessly.

"Is this what you meant by 'double the return' if I catch a giant fish'? Where's the giant fish?"

Jinchi Laodao stood awkwardly on the shore, holding the Xuantian Treasure Pole in his hand, scratching his head in bewilderment.

The secret passage shouldn't exist!

This is a fishing rod that he spent over a thousand years collecting materials and commissioning several supreme weapon-refining masters to make for him. How could it not catch a giant fish?
But the reality is that it has become a laughing stock for many anglers!

However, compared to him, his only problem was the quality, but the quantity was still good. Most of those people are still in the air force, and they are in a much worse situation than him.

"Brother, can you lend me another seventh-grade spirit stone so I can participate in the competition again? I'll definitely pay you back with interest!"

"Can you still participate?"

Lin Shan turned his head in surprise and was told that if he added a seventh-grade spirit crystal, he could get an extra serving of bait.

Isn't this robbery?
I'm offering you a worthless bait with a seventh-grade spirit crystal? Why don't you just rob me out of my pocket?

"No."

Lin Shan refused on the spot, cutting his losses in time, and focused on fishing, not even glancing at the people around him.

The old Taoist priest Jinchi pleaded desperately, but he remained unmoved.

If all else fails, I'm thinking of lending the Xuan Tian Treasure Pole to Lin Shan. The culmination of a thousand years of hard work shouldn't be wasted; it would be a great opportunity for Lin Shan to shine.

But the referee monk had been watching from behind and stepped forward to stop him, telling him that fishing rods were not allowed to be shared.

The old Taoist priest Jinchi burst into tears on the spot. He was so angry that he died before he could even begin his mission!
Lin Shan was single-minded, placing high hopes on his immortal fishing rod, and calmly waited for those willing to take the bait.

But no matter how long they waited, the fish just wouldn't come.

Half a day later, when I gently lifted it, I realized that the bait was long gone, and I didn't know when it had disappeared.

Is this correct?
Unconvinced, he baited the lake again and cast it in. This time, his eyes flashed with demonic light as he activated his supreme divine power, the Star-Slaying Demonic Eye, trying to see what was happening at the bottom of the lake.

Then the referee monk jumped out again, warning him that he was not allowed to cheat using his pupil techniques during the competition!
The two finally lost their temper.

"I've been putting up with you for way too long!!!"

After an incense stick had burned, Lin Shan and the old Taoist priest Jin Chi were asked to leave the island in the middle of the lake because they assaulted the referee and were disqualified from the competition.

The senior monk on the shore saw them off with a smug smile, looking as pleased with himself as possible.

"Waaaaaah!"

Old Taoist Jinchi hugged his fishing rod and wept bitterly, kneeling on the ground and wailing.

"I've waited over a thousand years for this day, and it's all over so abruptly. Why am I so unlucky!"

Lin Shan barely managed to refrain from hitting him. You still owe me money!
However, there's nothing to regret; just consider it an experience.

Thinking back to his time in the lower realm, the straw-hatted man used to sit and fish for an entire day at a time. It seems this immortal fishing rod can't save him from losing.

In that case, cutting your losses and finding a project that matches your expertise is the best course of action.

And don't forget, there's also an antique appraisal event!
He admitted he wasn't good at fishing, but appraisal was a genuine skill. With the enhanced panel, becoming number one on the leaderboard was a piece of cake, wasn't it? (End of Chapter)