Chapter 15: Fishing
Chapter 15: Fishing
"Who made a pact with you? Talk to me about it in your next life!"
"With the Ten Thousand Lives Scroll, I'll just take the Ten-Thousand Chariot Dragon Ascension Sutra in this life and claim the Nine Metamorphosis Dragon Art in the next—it'll all be mine either way!"
From the start, Lv Yang had never trusted Zhao Xuhe.
This nonsense about sharing cultivation manuals was nothing but a temporary measure. Lv Yang was certain that once Zhao Xuhe escaped death, he'd waste no time killing him.
But Zhao Xuhe was stronger, and Lv Yang couldn't guarantee victory—not without risking his own life in a deadly struggle. Worse still, his loan repayment deadline loomed, and failure meant certain death. With time running out in this life, Lv Yang detonated himself the moment he secured the manual.
[You exploded violently and died.]
[Current Hundred Lives Tome Remaining Pages: 97]
[Reincarnate once. You may choose one of the following gains from this life:
1. Treasures.
2. Cultivation.
3. Lifespan.
4. Forfeit all gains and randomly awaken a talent based on past experiences.]
"Those whose names are called should step forward."
As his consciousness stabilized, Liu Xin's familiar, irritating voice rang from the stage. Lv Yang ignored it, silently selecting, "Cultivation."
Boom!
A surge of true qi erupted from his dantian, racing through his limbs and organs, violently transforming his essence, energy, and spirit. Gritting his teeth, Lv Yang activated the Breath-Sealing Method he'd stolen from the three black-cloaked men, suppressing all internal turbulence beneath his flesh.
After a moment, he exhaled a thick cloud of turbid air.
"I'm back!"
Refining Qi Fourth Layer, mid-stage!
Lifting his head, he stared at Liu Xin on the stage. Fear had vanished—she was only at Refining Qi Sixth Layer herself!
Once she selected an apprentice disciple and refined their primordial qi to break through to late-stage Refining Qi, she might finally see through his Breath-Sealing Method. Until then, even standing before her, he'd remain an undetectable ordinary man.
"But there's an unexpected bonus."
Lv Yang turned his vision inward. Drifting within his dantian was a wisp of ethereal white qi—the primordial qi from his past life, still intact!
"I understand now. The Ten Thousand Lives Scroll doesn't reset to the original starting point—it resurrects my previous life!"
This was excellent news. It meant treasures, cultivation, and lifespan he chose in each life could carry over, eliminating the need to rebuild from scratch.
Lv Yang proceeded as planned.
Stage registration, allocation, Happiunion Hall.
Survive Yushuzhen. Bide his time. Three months later, breakthrough—quietly becoming a Formal Disciple.
"This life, according to my plan, there are two more matters worth pursuing besides the remaining Nine Metamorphosis Dragon Art."
First: the Merit Lottery.
After a few days in the Cultivation Cave, Lv Yang visited the Merit Accumulation Hall to claim his "Merit Accumulation Task", then hurried to the Gongde Pool.
"2025113!"
Among the crowd at the Gongde Pool, Lv Yang stylishly brushed his hair, already imagining how to spend his jackpot.
Ten billion merit points! Enough to last a lifetime!
Farewell, poverty. I'll miss you.
The next second, gasps erupted from the crowd. Countless eyes turned toward Lv Yang—and the Gongde Fish corresponding to his number.
"Brother, you've got luck!"
Someone approached, envious. "Purple Gongde Fish. Not as good as golden or colorful, but still rare!"
".What?"
Lv Yang blinked, a question mark hovering above his head.
Purple? Not golden or colorful?
He double-checked his fish—blue light shimmered faintly. His number, 2025113, was correct. Why no jackpot?
Had the previous lucky winner, Xiao Shiye, lied? But how could he know someone could reincarnate? There was no reason to deceive.
So...
"There's foul play!"
Lv Yang trembled with rage, face flushed. The truth hit him: that "lucky winner" Xiao Shiye was clearly a plant—a privileged insider!
"Ah well, a Gongde Fish is still a Gongde Fish." He consoled himself. Purple was rare enough—second only to golden and colorful. Though ten billion was out of reach, consuming it would likely push him to Refining Qi Fifth Layer.
The thought eased his anger.
To be safe, he consumed the fish on-site instead of returning to his cave, immediately beginning to refine its essence.
When he finished, he noticed several lingering gazes finally dispersing.
As expected, the purple Gongde Fish's energy smoothly propelled him to Refining Qi Fifth Layer, even brushing the threshold of Sixth Layer.
"And this is just purple..."
Lv Yang's heart raced imagining golden or colorful fish. After all, in his past life, Xiao Shiye had consumed a colorful one and skyrocketed from early-stage Refining Qi to full mastery overnight.
"Ah well, can't force it."
Calm returned quickly. The first plan had failed, but the second remained: the "Soul-Stealing Yin Puppet Price Bubble Incident."
Elder Wang Borong had nearly lost everything due to this scheme, later becoming cannon fodder for Zhao Xuhe's Coiling Dragon Isle. The difference? Wang Borong had entered too late. Lv Yang, however, knew the exact timeline of the bubble.
"Prices are already rising slightly now."
Lv Yang checked the Soul-Stealing Yin Puppet's market value on his Disciple Talisman. The fluctuating numbers confirmed insider manipulation.
"But to play this game, I need a large enough principal."
He turned to the Merit Accumulation Hall.
As expected, the veteran disciples viewed newbies like him as easy prey. Soon enough, Zhao Xuhe approached.
"Junior brother, you look troubled. Facing difficulties?"
Lv Yang lifted his head, forcing a bitter smile. "Just short on merit points. Senior brother, any high-reward tasks available?"
"Ah, money troubles! I've been there. At your age, I was desperate for merit points too—daily grind, broken relationships..." Zhao Xuhe sighed, feigning camaraderie.
He patted Lv Yang's shoulder. "Let me share a universal truth I've learned: money is dead."
"Make your money work for you. Use merit points to earn merit points. Only then can you escape being a Holy Sect pawn, breaking free from this ox-and-horse existence!"
Lv Yang feigned admiration. "Your words are enlightening!"
But he quickly lowered his head, "Still, senior brother, I have no merit points to start with..."
"Short-sighted! So short-sighted!"
Zhao Xuhe's smile widened. "You can borrow! Earn first, repay later!"
"But..." Lv Yang hesitated.
Zhao Xuhe seized the moment. "Since we're kindred spirits, I'll lend you some!"
Lv Yang's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Seeing his eagerness, Zhao Xuhe knew the fish had bitten.
"Absolutely! Now, how much do you need?"
Lv Yang paused, then raised two fingers.
"Two hundred?"
"Two thousand!"
Lv Yang declared resolutely. "I haven't used my Cultivation Technique Loan yet—it's worth 1,000 merit points. Plus my newbie rewards: Whitebone Flying Sword, Vital Energy Pill, Human-Faced Horned Owl. I'll pledge them all. Senior Zhao, can you loan me 2,000 merit points?"
Zhao Xuhe froze.
These kids nowadays... so reckless?
He'd barely started scheming, and the kid was already all-in?
Before Zhao Xuhe could react, Lv Yang dropped another bomb: "Senior Zhao, I plan to go all-in on Soul-Stealing Yin Puppets."
"What!?"
Zhao Xuhe's shock shifted to realization. "Junior brother... you've heard insider news, haven't you?"
"Senior brother sees through me", Lv Yang whispered. "While choosing techniques at the Scriptorium, I overheard Elder Wang Borong mention southern front losses—the mass graves producing Soul-Stealing Yin Puppets have fallen. The Holy Sect is covering it up."
"Shit!"
Zhao Xuhe inhaled sharply, greed flashing in his eyes. If true, this was a goldmine.
Watching Zhao Xuhe's excitement, Lv Yang smirked inwardly.
The fish had swallowed the hook.
(End of Chapter)
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