Chapter 23: Experience Soars
Chapter 23: Experience Soars
Li Hao didn’t hide anything and told the old man the truth.
Li Muxiu nodded slightly upon learning it was Mighty Ox Strength. He didn’t say much and tossed Li Hao a backpack:
"Inside is the fish bait you’ll use. Force Mastery demons love it. What you catch depends on your luck."
With that, he was about to take Li Hao downstairs.
"What about my fish basket?" Li Hao asked.
"Hah..." Li Muxiu chuckled, "We’ll see if you catch anything. If you do, you can share mine."
"Alright."
Li Hao didn’t push the issue.
As soon as they descended, they saw Li Fu waiting outside the building.
"Second Uncle, what are you two doing..."
Seeing the fishing rod in Li Hao’s hand, Li Fu was momentarily stunned, his eyes widening slightly.
"Do you need to ask? We’re going fishing, of course", Li Muxiu glanced at him, clearly uninterested in this wooden-headed man.
Li Fu was on the verge of tears, "Second Uncle, Hao can learn Mighty Ox Strength in three months and achieve mastery. His Body Cultivation talent is extremely high. You can’t hold him back!"
"You said the same thing yesterday. Can you say it differently?"
Li Muxiu scratched his ear and said, "What can Body Cultivation achieve? At best, you’ll reach your level. Tell me, are you that strong? Could you stop ten thousand troops?"
Li Fu was speechless.
The ten thousand troops Li Muxiu referred to were not ordinary soldiers but the elite warriors of the Li Family’s Yuan Battalion. Ten thousand of them could crush half a city, far beyond Li Fu’s capability.
"Hao, ignore him. Let’s go."
Li Muxiu, fearing Li Fu might interfere with Li Hao’s thoughts, took Li Hao’s small hand and left.
"Uncle Fu, don’t worry."
Li Hao waved to Li Fu. Although this man was stern and rigid, Li Hao didn’t overlook his concern.
"Hao..."
Li Fu opened his mouth to plead, but seeing Li Hao’s face, bright with a smile as he was being led away, the words stuck in his throat and couldn’t be uttered.
*Can the vast Divine General Manor not support one child?*
Those words from yesterday echoed in his mind once again.
Li Fu fell silent.
Perhaps, at this moment, Hao is happy.
At least he can have a happy childhood...
The old man and the child disappeared in an instant, leaving the man standing there, gazing for a long time before letting out a soft sigh...
...
...
It felt like riding on clouds. Li Hao was led by Li Muxiu, flying swiftly through the air.
The various courtyards of the Divine General Manor passed beneath them at great speed. Li Hao saw maids and servants drawing water and cooking, his mother taking a morning walk in the courtyard, and the Fifth Lady sending her children to the Training Grounds, giving them last-minute instructions at the gate...
These scenes flashed by, making Li Hao marvel at how much life was already bustling while he usually slept in.
"Scared?"
Li Muxiu asked calmly, looking down.
"Of heights? Not really", Li Hao replied.
He felt as if he were standing on solid ground, supported by an incredibly firm force.
The early morning chill seemed to be filtered, leaving only a gentle, cool breeze that ruffled his hair.
Li Muxiu smiled slightly, "I’m going to speed up."
With that, the scenery before Li Hao’s eyes blurred as they sped forward.
In no time, they were flying out of Qingzhou City, heading for the vast wilderness beyond.
Half an hour later, Li Muxiu gently landed Li Hao by a vast lake.
The lake stretched endlessly, its black waters swirling.
Green water is deep, black water is profound.
Clearly, the lake was bottomless. The surface was calm with only slight ripples, but this very calmness gave an eerie, unsettling feeling.
Surrounding the lake were several large mountains, some steep and close to the water, others broad and gentle.
They landed at the base of one of these mountains. Li Muxiu scanned the area and, with his experienced eye, said, "The water is shallow here. You can fish from here. I’ll go to the center of the lake to catch the bigger ones. Take this; it can protect you in an emergency. Don’t worry, if anything happens, just shout, and I’ll be there in an instant."
"Alright."
Li Hao nodded and took the Golden Talisman the old man handed him.
"Do you know how to bait the hook? Let me see you do it first."
Li Muxiu didn’t leave immediately. He waved his hand, and a large stone beside them crumbled into a fishing platform.
He then cleared the surrounding brush to prevent the fishing line from getting tangled in branches and weeds, which would waste time for a beginner like Li Hao.
Li Hao hopped onto the stone platform, opened the backpack, and found a bag of damp, red dough.
"To catch Force Mastery demons, dead bait is fine. Later, when you’re stronger, I’ll give you live bait, which increases your chances of catching something", Li Muxiu explained.
Li Hao didn’t fuss, nodded, and skillfully scooped out a ball of bait, immediately catching a whiff of its pungent odor.
He kneaded the bait onto the fist-sized hook, using quite a bit to cover it completely.
Seeing Li Hao’s confident stance, Li Muxiu was somewhat surprised, "Have you fished before?"
"No."
Li Hao asked, "Isn’t this how you do it?"
"Indeed." Li Muxiu nodded, glancing at Li Hao. He didn’t think much of it, as he had already noticed the child's intelligence in their brief conversation yesterday.
"This powder can mask your scent."
Li Muxiu pulled out a handful of powder from somewhere and patted it on Li Hao, then said, "Let's cast the line. If you can catch one today, I'll bring you back tomorrow."
"Alright."
Li Hao nodded and immediately swung his fishing rod, extending the line to its maximum length and casting it into the lake a hundred feet away.
As the hook hit the water with a gentle splash, a 1st Rank font appeared before Li Hao’s eyes:
【Fishing Art: Rank 0 (1/100)】
【Fishing Experience +2】
Li Hao smiled inwardly. Indeed, the fishing art from the game could also be recorded on his panel.
Moreover, to Li Hao's surprise, just casting the line earned him 2 experience points!
Usually, a single chess game would only grant him 1 point. It would take a slightly more challenging game to earn 2 points.
It seemed that fishing, like the Chess Dao, was more challenging, indicating that this lake was relatively dangerous for fishing.
"Remember, be patient and stay quiet. Don’t disturb the creatures below."
"Don’t look around; keep your eyes on the float."
"At the beginning, fishing might seem a bit boring, but once you catch something, you’ll realize that all the waiting is worth it."
Li Muxiu earnestly instructed, worried that Li Hao’s childlike nature might make him give up quickly.
After all, fishing was usually something done by older people. An eight-year-old child, full of energy, would find it hard to endure the silence.
"Okay."
Li Hao nodded.
Seeing Li Hao’s calm demeanor, Li Muxiu’s lips curved into a smile, and he remained silent, quietly observing from the side.
Since Li Hao wasn’t the one casting the line, he secretly released his mental energy to check the underwater activity. He saw two creatures approaching: a Force Mastery Rank 4 and a Rank 7 fish.
"Truly, the beginner protection period is effective. It didn’t take long for something to show up. Let’s see if he can catch it."
Li Muxiu felt a twinge of envy. Although he could use his skills to make the fish bite the hook, thus greatly cultivating Li Hao’s interest in fishing, his own love for the sport prevented him from doing such a boring thing.
Before long, Li Hao saw the float move.
His eyes lit up, and he waited a moment, allowing the float to submerge halfway before quickly pulling the rod.
The line immediately tensed, and the hook caught something that was struggling fiercely, pulling with tremendous force.
But in Li Hao’s hands, this force felt like a gentle caress. He gave a firm tug, and the other end was pulled uncontrollably towards him.
"Take it easy, or you might lose the fish", Li Muxiu warned from the side.
Li Hao quickly adjusted his pace, and under Li Muxiu’s guidance, he reeled in the fish with a steady rhythm.
The black lake water churned violently, creating large splashes.
After about ten minutes, Li Hao finally dragged the exhausted demon fish onto the shore. It was about four or five meters long, with sharp fangs that could swallow an adult in one bite.
If someone fell into the water, they would definitely become a feast for this demon fish.
Force Mastery fish hadn’t learned to transform and their intelligence was just beginning to develop, but they were filled with a bloodthirsty and fierce nature.
As the fish was dragged ashore, a font appeared before Li Hao’s eyes.
【Fishing Experience +37】
Li Hao’s eyes widened slightly. Good grief, that was almost half a bar of experience!
The demon fish, still thrashing on the shore, opened its mouth and lunged at Li Hao, intending to devour him.
Li Muxiu flicked his finger, and the fish’s body contracted, transforming into a small fish. He casually picked it up and tossed it into the fish basket.
"Kid, I didn’t expect you to catch something so quickly."
Li Muxiu laughed and said to Li Hao, "How do you feel? Tired? This fish is Force Mastery Rank 7, and its strength underwater is immense. Even a Force Mastery Rank 8 might struggle to pull it in. You’ve got some talent!"
"Not tired."
Li Hao grinned.
"Alright, keep going. I’ll use this fish as bait."
Li Muxiu, itching to try his hand, picked up the fish basket and stepped out, flying to a distant spot, quickly becoming a small black dot.
Li Hao watched him for a moment, seeing him reach the middle of the lake, where he could barely make out a small point.
Shaking his head, Li Hao didn’t linger and focused on gaining more experience.
He baited the hook again and cast the line.
【Fishing Experience +2】
Li Hao sat on the fishing platform, his eyes fixed on the float as he waited patiently.
The previous catch had shown that successfully landing a fish would grant more experience, so he didn’t let his mind wander.
Time slowly passed.
Perhaps the prolonged struggle and the large splashes had disturbed the surrounding fish. Li Hao sat for an hour without seeing any movement on the float.
Had the fish already eaten the bait?
This thought crossed Li Hao’s mind, and he wanted to pull the line to check, but he restrained himself.
He had tried to exploit the system by repeatedly casting the line, which would have earned him more experience faster.
However, the second cast only gave him 1 point, and the third cast gave him nothing.
Clearly, casting too frequently without a catch limited the experience gain.
Just then, the still float suddenly moved.
Li Hao’s nearly numb eyes lit up, but before he could wait any longer, the float disappeared underwater.
Li Hao quickly pulled the rod, and the line tightened with a whistling sound, pulling straight. A tremendous force, equivalent to dozens of tripods, came from the other end.
(End of Chapter)
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