https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-307-The-Azure-Horned-Dragon-Carp/12544282/
Chapter 306: The Capabilities of a Spirit Herbalist
Chapter 306: The Capabilities of a Spirit Herbalist
Seeing Shi Zhong's cautiousness and his desire to learn fishing from him, Lu Chen was taken aback.
"There's no need for such formality, Fellow Shi. I was just lucky."
"Since I had no prior experience fishing for sea creatures, perhaps it's the so-called beginner's luck that allowed me to catch several Manybone Arrowsquids in a row."
Lu Chen supported Shi Zhong and said gently, "Is that so?"
Shi Zhong was half-believing. Indeed, Lu Chen's consecutive catches of the Manybone Arrowsquid were difficult to explain rationally, and one could only attribute it to luck or some kind of blessing.
"Ahem..."
"Fellow Lu, the wind is rather strong at my spot, and it's making me uncomfortable. May I swap spots with you?" Shi Zhong coughed lightly and made the request with a thick skin.
"Sure, as you wish, Fellow Shi," Lu Chen agreed casually, not minding at all.
The two exchanged positions. Shi Zhong excitedly sat down, bringing with him four fishing rods, each baited with a different demonic insect.
Lu Chen, unhurried, walked to the wooden tower Shi Zhong had previously occupied. He grabbed a lump of bait, wrapped it around the hook, and cast it into the deep seawater.
After about half a stick of incense, his keen spiritual sense detected movement on the hook. With a strong pull, a hideous sea creature splashed onto the surface and instantly dived back into the depths, disappearing without a trace.
Unfazed, Lu Chen had already gained a clear understanding of the sea creature's condition the moment it bit the bait.
He carefully examined the bait in the box, pinched off a new piece, molded it, and cast his line into the distance.
Soon enough, the sea creature was once again attracted by the specially prepared bait and couldn't resist the strong temptation. After a few cautious attempts, it bit down hard.
Lu Chen was ready. In an instant, his arm transformed into crystalline white jade as he grasped the rod and yanked it upward with force, causing the hideous sea creature to shoot out of the water.
"Fellow Lu indeed has a way with fishing. After changing spots, you've caught another second-grade sea creature in no time," the sharp-featured female cultivator opened her eyes and said with a slight smile tugging at her lips.
"Haha, it's all luck," Lu Chen laughed it off and placed the strange fish into the rune water pool before returning to the wooden tower to continue fishing.
During the process, he wasn't worried about the bait being eaten by the sea creatures at all.
Instead, he was more concerned about not having any sea creatures take the bait.
As long as they consumed the bait he offered, he could understand their detailed information, including their habits and preferences.
Then, based on this information, he could make minute adjustments to the bait, greatly enhancing its allure to various sea creatures.
The more sea creatures he attracted, the more naturally hooked.
In this way, he caught sea creatures at an increasing rate, and eventually, he would even have a sea creature on the hook as soon as he cast his line.
To save time, Lu Chen even instructed a Qi cultivation practitioner to specifically bring the caught sea creatures to the pool.
Although the frequency of catches was slightly lower than when fishing for the Manybone Arrowsquid, it was still considered a high yield compared to Shi Zhong in the distance.
On the other hand, after swapping spots with Lu Chen, Shi Zhong only managed to catch a single Manybone Arrowsquid after half a day's work.
His efficiency was far inferior to Lu Chen's earlier performance, and seeing Lu Chen's continuous success, his eyes turned red with envy.
"Fellow Lu, I, Shi, have fished for half my life and never met a master like you. I admit defeat. Please teach me your ways!" Shi Zhong said earnestly.
"It's not really teaching, just a mutual exchange," Lu Chen said with a smile.
"It's quite a coincidence, but the reason I'm able to catch these sea creatures so quickly is largely due to my background as a spirit herbalist.
"I had no idea spirit herbalists had such capabilities," Shi Zhong exclaimed, his perspective on spirit herbalists, whom he had previously looked down upon, began to shift. He even felt a sudden urge to delve into the study of demonic beasts when he returned to the sect.
"It's not something your average spirit herbalist can achieve," Lu Chen replied.
"It's all thanks to my little cheat," he added inwardly.
Seeing that Shi Zhong still looked doubtful, Lu Chen pointed at the half-dead demonic insects in the wooden box.
"Fellow Shi, with your years of fishing experience, you must know the best way to catch the Manybone Arrowsquid in the sea," Lu Chen said.
"I know a thing or two about it," Shi Zhong replied.
"Manybone Arrowsquid love to devour all sorts of demonic insects, and they have a hunting instinct for those in motion. So, the faster your insect bait moves in the water, the more likely you are to hook a Manybone Arrowsquid," Shi Zhong explained confidently.
"Indeed, Fellow Shi is well-versed in this. But there's one thing you might not be aware of," Lu Chen said. "Aside from their preference for fast-moving prey, Manybone Arrowsquid also have a particular fondness for fresh and vibrant demonic insects with strong life forces."
Lu Chen generously imparted the knowledge he had gained.
"The demonic insects in your wooden box have been caught for quite some time, and they are injured. Even if they're still alive, they are barely clinging to life and are half-dead," Lu Chen continued. "I used healing spells to restore their vigor, and by using these lively insects as bait, it naturally becomes much easier to catch the Manybone Arrowsquid."
"So that's how it is... This is indeed a detail that's easily overlooked," Shi Zhong murmured.
Lu Chen's words instantly cleared the doubts in Shi Zhong's mind, giving him a feeling of enlightenment.
"Additionally, different sea creatures have slightly different preferences for bait. The key is to use the right bait for each type," Lu Chen went on to explain the subtle differences in the preferred bait of various sea creatures.
"Thank you, Fellow Lu, for enlightening me," Shi Zhong expressed his gratitude sincerely. Lu Chen's insights were, to him, as valuable as a high-grade cultivation technique.
"Fellow Lu, I must find a way to properly thank you for your kindness," Shi Zhong said earnestly.
"Please feel free to ask for anything, Fellow Shi. As long as it doesn't involve sect secrets or endanger me or the sect, I'll do my best to accommodate your request," Lu Chen replied.
"Then I won't hold back," Lu Chen said with a smile. "Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you about as well."
"Since you arrived at this archipelago before me, Fellow Shi, have you heard any news about third-grade or higher spirit liquids?" Lu Chen inquired.
"Third-grade spirit liquid? Didn't you just obtain a bottle of Xuan Yuan Heavy Water from the Aurora Chamber of Commerce? Do you still need more?" Shi Zhong asked, puzzled.
"I've been attempting to cultivate and improve some spirit herbs lately, and I need to conduct experiments using different spirit liquids for comparison. That's why I want to collect as many high-grade spirit liquids as possible," Lu Chen explained, choosing not to reveal that he needed it for cultivating the Five-grade Dragon Corpse Grass.
"Third-grade and higher spirit liquids... I don't have such treasures on me, but I have heard some rumors. Let me confirm them once we're back on the island, and I'll get back to you with an answer," Shi Zhong said after a moment's thought.
"Thank you, Fellow Shi. I appreciate your help," Lu Chen expressed his gratitude. He felt it was already a good deal to exchange some valuable information about sea creatures for news about high-grade spirit liquids.
(End of Chapter)
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