Chapter 1546 - 1543: The Lord of the Lake

Today's temperature is considered warm for this season. After walking in the forest of giant coniferous trees for a while, the two found Xilin, who had already started fishing by the lakeside. Judging by his appearance, he probably hasn't encountered the lake's lord yet. A few people were gathered around him, and more sparsely seated near him, probably all spectators!

"Wow, ha, ha, the sunny weather is just wonderful."

"Hello, Mr. Xilin."

Ye Qiu and Fang Wushang nodded to him. This is a group that includes people of all ages, and it's said that each of them is a member of the fishing family organized by Xilin. They greeted them with excitement only to find that no one seemed to recognize Fang Wushang.

Speaking of which, this old gentleman is more energetic than imagined, probably a great boss at his original company. Before Ye Qiu and Fang Wushang arrived, he had already started the fishing contest to create a mood; the whole scene was quite lively.

"The First Fishing Contest officially begins!"

After Xilin announced loudly, holding the long fishing rod with one hand, the crowd cheered enthusiastically. Ye Qiu casually glanced at the thick fishing line, and upon seeing the object hanging at the foremost end, he was startled.

It was a lizard. And a very large one, about as big as an adult's upper arm. Its surface, dotted with what looked like poisonous red and black bumps, shone as if to demonstrate its freshness.

"Wu-ee..."

A bit later than Ye Qiu, Fang Wushang noticed the object, tightened his face, and took two or three steps back. If this is the bait, what on earth are they planning to catch?

But before Ye Qiu could open his mouth, Nishida turned towards the lake, raising the fishing rod high above his head. He then swung it with all his might, and before long, the bait sank, leaving everyone wondering what was happening underwater—was the bait already eaten?

Xilin almost never waits while fishing. Once the bait is in the water, you can find out within tens of seconds whether a catch was successful or if the bait was taken for a failed attempt. Everyone present swallowed and stared at the submerged fishing line.

Sure enough, not long after, the front end of the fishing rod vibrated two or three times. However, Xilin, holding the rod, didn't move an inch.

"It's coming, Xilin sir!"

"It's still too early!"

Xilin's eyes, originally kind behind his glasses, now glowed with brilliant light as he carefully watched the vibrating rod tip.

Ultimately, the fishing rod tightened further, dragging Xilin along with it.

"It's now!"

Xilin's small body leaned back, lifting the fishing rod with all his might. The tension in the line was evident even to the spectators, accompanied by a "ping" sound effect through the air.

"It's on the hook! The rest is up to you!"

Ye Qiu cautiously tried to pull the fishing rod they got from Nishida but couldn't move it at all, feeling as if the hook accidentally snagged the ground. Just when Ye Qiu was uncertain whether something was really on the hook, a fierce pull suddenly dragged the line into the water.

"Whoaa!"

Ye Qiu hastily braced his feet, lifting the rod anew using strength beyond daily norms.

"I feel like it's about to break!"

Worried about the durability of the rod and line, Ye Qiu asked Xilin this:

"This is the finest quality! Don't hold back on the force!"

Nodding at Xilin, whose face flushed with excitement, Ye Qiu repositioned his grip and applied full strength. The fishing rod, forming an inverted U-shape from the middle, bent further.

In battling enemies, one could freely choose to boost either strength or agility. Theoretically, an ax-wielder prioritizes strength, whereas someone like Fang Wushang, a Finesse Sword Master, emphasizes agility.

Though as an orthodox swordsman, Ye Qiu has trained both attributes, personal preference shifted more towards improving agility.

Still, perhaps due to strength growth exceeding anticipations, this tug-of-war's outcome was evident from the start.

"Ah! I can see it!"

Fang Wushang leaned forward, pointing at the water. Ye Qiu, leaning back away from the shore, couldn't verify the prey's current state. An uproar arose among the crowd, who rushed to the shoreline to peer diagonally into the lake's depth. Fueled by curiosity, Ye Qiu mustered full strength and tugged the rod upwards.

"...?"

All of a sudden, those onlookers leaning over the lake surface jerked as one. Everyone retreated two or three steps.

"What..."

Before Ye Qiu could complete his sentence, those guys turned and sprinted away at a remarkable speed. To Ye Qiu's left, Fang Wushang, and to the right, Xilin, both dashed with faces turning white. Startled, Ye Qiu attempted to glance towards them when the resistance in his hands vanished, causing him to fall backward and land hard on the ground.

"Did the line break?" Upon questioning this, Ye Qiu swiftly discarded the rod and rushed to the lakeside. But at that moment, the shining silver waters ahead of Ye Qiu rose upwards.

"What"?

Ye Qiu, eyes widening and jaws dropping, froze; from afar came Fang Wushang's voice.

"Ye Qiu, danger!"

Turning around, he saw everyone, including Fang Wushang and Xilin, had reached the shore's embankment, a fair distance away. A sense of looming dread arose in Ye Qiu's heart, directing his gaze back towards the lake.

A fish stood there.

To elaborate, it was a creature between fish and reptile—somewhat like a coelacanth but more reptilian, midway through evolution. Water cascaded like a waterfall off its body, with six sturdy legs planted on the shore's grass, looking down at him.

It can be described as looking down since the creature stood over two meters tall. The mouth, capable of swallowing an entire cow with one bite, hung slightly above Ye Qiu's head, the former lizard's foot protruding from the corner.

The massive ancient fish's eyes, each the size of a basketball far on either side of the head, met Ye Qiu's, and he sensed the same deadly intent as when encountering ordinary monsters.

Xilin had said before that the lake's master was as big as a monster yet different from the creatures appearing in the tides.

How was this any different from the monsters in the tides? This thing was clearly a monster!

A stiff smile crept onto Ye Qiu's face as he stepped backward. He then turned and ran forward fast as a fleeing rabbit.