https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-323-Sword-Master-s-Command-Yaizu-s-Test-Part-2-/13450495/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-325-Proposal-Guiding-Lin-Qingying-Part-2-/13450500/
Chapter 324: Fishingholy Son, Top 100Holy Son Battle (Part 2)
Chapter 324: Fishingholy Son, Top 100Holy Son Battle (Part 2)
After Li Hao cultivated all the cultivation techniques recorded in the Sword Tower into Dao Domains, the number of his Dao Domains reached 172!
Among these, over a hundred were various Sword Domains!
Once activated, the Sword Qi within these Dao Domains crisscrossed, and now, with their different Sword Intentions overlapping, they showed a tendency to merge.
Li Hao didn't know what kind of power and scenario would result if the Dao Domains merged into a single, complete Dao Domain.
Unfortunately, he had already collected all the cultivation techniques within the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary. To further enhance his Dao Domains, he would need to seek out other forces. This left his Dao Domains stuck at a bottleneck.
After Li Hao finished his cultivation, the second round of the selection battles began the next day.
Before the Top 100 Battle, there were three rounds of preliminary selections to ultimately select the top 100 participants to face the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens.
Li Hao accompanied Lin Shanhai and the other Alchemists, but this time, he didn't go to watch the battles. Now that he had collected all the cultivation techniques in the Sword Tower, staying here would only allow him to harvest experience. However, compared to that, Li Hao had a more suitable candidate, and he could also accumulate some Fishing Experience in the meantime.
Li Hao noticed that, apart from Yaizu and the other three Semi-Saints, the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens who had previously watched the battles didn't return.
Lin Qingying was still sitting in the courtyard, contemplating the sword before they set out, clearly preparing for the upcoming major battles.
Despite the intense battles in the ten Arenas, Li Hao felt a sense of calm before the storm.
But who would be the one to stir up the storm and stand out?
Li Hao hoped it would be Lin Qingying.
...
When they arrived at the Sword Tower, the environment was quiet and serene. As Li Hao approached, a figure appeared before him as if by teleportation—it was the Sword Attendant from the previous day.
Seeing Li Hao again, he was somewhat surprised and asked, "Are you here to exchange cultivation techniques?"
The Great Dao Sword Art was extremely difficult. If Li Hao wanted to exchange it, the Sword Attendant could understand, as only those with a profound talent in Sword Dao would find it worthwhile to delve into it.
"No, I'm here to visit the Sword Master. I wonder if the Sword Master is Fishing today?"
Li Hao said, clasping his hands in greeting.
The Sword Attendant understood and smiled, "Master is Fishing at the Sword Cliff. It's rare to find someone who understands, so you can keep him company. He's been quite lonely."
As he said this, a hint of sorrow appeared in his eyes.
Although they, as disciples, wanted to accompany the Master, their fishing skills were too poor. During the tedious wait for a bite, they often became distracted, their minds wandering to Sword Dao, and they wouldn't even notice when the bait was eaten. This frustrated the Master so much that he no longer allowed them to accompany him.
At the Sword Cliff, when Li Hao and the Sword Attendant arrived, they saw the same scene as yesterday: the Sword Master was Fishing at the edge of the cliff.
Seeming to sense something, the Sword Master's voice rang out, "You've come. Do you have your own Fishing Rod?"
"I don't have a Fishing Rod. I use the line-casting method."
Li Hao replied.
"Can you form energy into a line? The little guys in the Dragon Pool down there are quite cunning. It might not be easy to get a bite", the Sword Master said.
"We'll see", Li Hao smiled, confident when it came to Fishing.
"Then come and give it a try."
The Sword Master said.
Li Hao immediately stepped forward and sat down on a dark brown rock not far from the Sword Master.
Sitting at the edge of the Sword Cliff, his gaze naturally fell to the bottom of the cliff, which was over ten thousand feet deep. At the bottom, the water was churned up by a waterfall, forming a deep pool where large black shadows could be seen moving.
Li Hao's eyes lit up, and he raised his hand, forming a line of energy. He then used the Hidden Line technique to quietly cast the line down.
The Sword Master glanced at Li Hao's technique, his eyebrows slightly raised, and a smile curved his lips. It seemed that yesterday's performance wasn't just a fluke. This young man truly had some skill. The Hidden Line technique was so subtle that if applied to cultivation, it could become a profound concealment technique.
To dedicate so much effort to Fishing was a clear sign of true passion.
"You haven't attached any bait yet."
The Sword Master said calmly.
Li Hao smiled and said, "No bait to be had, but the willing will take the hook."
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing these words, Sword Master's eyes flickered, and his thoughts couldn't help but shift slightly from his Fishing Rod, landing on Li Hao's extremely subtle Fishing Line.
At this moment, Li Hao was also focused, waiting intently.
Fishing may seem leisurely, but it is actually a process of mental and strategic competition. One must remain hidden, observe the fish, and set up the fishing spot—these are all mental battles.
At this moment, Li Hao's Fishing Line was hidden at the edge of the Dragon Pool, in the most inconspicuous position. At the front of the line was a hook, barely visible.
"Fifth Elder, look, isn't that a hook?"
"It looks like a Fishing Hook!"
Inside the Dragon Pool, several large Dragon Monsters were swimming around, all noticing the barely visible Fishing Hook. What puzzled them was that there was no line attached to the hook; it was just a hook!
"Is it Sword Master? Has he come Fishing again?"
"Sword Master isn't that foolish. He previously used a trick to turn the Fishing Hook into a small fish to lure me in."
"I think so too. Could it have fallen there? When did it appear? I didn't notice it."
"Sixth, go pick it up and check."
The Dragon Monsters murmured among themselves, and one of them approached, using its Claw to lift the Fishing Hook. It said in confusion, "It really is a hook... Ow!"
Before it could finish speaking, the hook suddenly jerked upward, piercing its arm. The hook then rooted itself, extending deeper into the wound, piercing its body, and dragging it out of the deep pool!
"Ouch!"
The Dragon Monster cried out in pain, being yanked into the air.
It panicked and didn't dare struggle. Once it was pulled out of the deep pool, it saw Sword Master and a young man sitting on Sword Cliff. The one dragging it wasn't Sword Master, whose rod hadn't moved, but the young man!
For a moment, it felt not just pain but also shock and anger.
Being caught by Sword Master was one thing; he was a Sage, so being caught wouldn't be shameful.
But a young man? Why him?!
Roar!
It roared and lunged at Li Hao.
"Still struggling?" Li Hao smiled, pulling the line with a casual sweep, flinging the Dragon Monster away, then pulling it back to eye level.
The Dragon Monster felt its body torn apart with excruciating pain, screaming nonstop. When it was dragged back to the front of Sword Cliff, it became even more panicked. With Sword Master present, it knew it couldn't hurt the young man, and this young man seemed to have a very high Cultivation level, making it no match.
"Holy Son, spare me, Holy Son, spare me..."
The Dragon Monster hurriedly pleaded, mistaking Li Hao for a Holy Son of the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary.
Who else could sit and fish with Sword Master except a Holy Son?
Hearing its plea, Li Hao found it amusing. He looked at the Fishing Experience he had gained on the panel, smiled, and with a flick of his finger, the hook that had rooted itself in the Dragon Monster's body quickly retracted.
Since it was formed from energy, its presence and disappearance were controlled by his will.
"Since you are sincerely begging for mercy, I'll let you off this time."
Li Hao said with a smile, "Go."
The Dragon Monster's eyes were filled with gratitude and tears. "Thank you, Holy Son, thank you, Holy Son!"
With that, it vanished, diving back into the deep pool beneath Sword Cliff.
"Sixth..."
The other Dragon Monsters quickly gathered around, examining it. "Are you hurt? You said it was a Holy Son?"
"Yes, another new Holy Son. How annoying!"
"How cunning, deliberately showing the hook to make Sixth pick it up."
"At least Sword Master is merciful. He never kills us when he catches us, and the bait is so enticing. I could even Cultivate Sword Momentum from it."
The Dragon Monsters whispered to each other. They were both imprisoned by Sword Master in the Dragon Pool and enjoyed their lives there. After all, being able to feed at the feet of a Sage was a great opportunity.
However, they often fell for his tricks, being caught and entertained by Sword Master, which made their lives a mix of pain and pleasure.
"Be careful. Don't pick up strange things anymore. We need to be more cautious."
"Sword Master is up there Fishing, but we didn't see his bait. We don't know what form it might take. We need to be careful."
The Dragon Monsters were all on high alert.
Every day, they engaged in mental battles with Sword Master, and they were almost becoming paranoid.
If the bait had been disguised as something else, they might not have picked it up. But the hook being so obviously a hook made them curious, and they ended up taking the bait.
On Sword Cliff, Sword Master saw that Li Hao had actually caught a Dragon Monster with such a simple trick and couldn't help but laugh.
Li Hao didn’t pause, reeling in his Fishing Line and casting the hook once more.
This time, the line was hidden, and the hook was half-concealed. Midway through the line, a second line branched out, extending to another part of the Dragon Pool, barely noticeable.
"Look, the hook is down again."
"Hmph, his tricks are all used up. We won’t fall for the same ploy twice, will we?"
"Look, a stupid fish is approaching, sniffing around."
Several Dragon Monsters hovered nearby, closely watching the fish hook. Other fish were in the vicinity, as the lower part of the Dragon Pool connected to a river and sea outside the Holy Mountain, where Fish Demons were trying to leap the Dragon Gate.
The small Fish Demon looked insignificant, gently touching the hook, but there was no reaction.
The Dragon Monsters were surprised but quickly realized that the Fish Demon’s touch was too light, possibly undetectable, or it was too small to be worth pulling in.
"Go on, tug harder!"
The sixth Dragon Monster, whose mouth had been hooked before, growled at the Fish Demon.
The Fish Demon was timid but refused to comply.
The sixth Dragon Monster, never expecting a small Fish Demon to defy him, was enraged and sucked it into his mouth.
"Die..."
Before he could finish, the Fish Demon in his mouth suddenly hardened and extended, piercing through.
"Hook?!"
The sixth Dragon Monster’s eyes widened in shock.
A powerful force yanked him up, lifting him into the air and pulling him up to the towering Sword Cliff.
The one controlling the line was still Li Hao.
"Holy Son, spare me, Holy Son, spare me..." the Dragon Monster Ao Jie pleaded desperately.
Li Hao felt a bit helpless and said, "Why is it always you? Can’t you be more careful?"
Ao Jie was on the verge of tears. It’s not that he wasn’t careful; it’s that Li Hao was too devious. Who would have thought he could disguise himself as a small fish and touch his own hook?
Li Hao withdrew the Power in his palm and said, "Don’t get hooked again."
I wish I could... Ao Jie was filled with frustration. What kind of situation is this, getting hooked and still being rejected?
Beside him, the Sword Master’s hand, which held the Fishing Rod, trembled slightly.
The calmness in his eyes turned slightly more intense.
The first cast was a Qi Channeling trick, a small gimmick. The second cast, however, had a more experienced touch, and it was a chain hook.
The first cast targeted greed, the second, anger. The opponent was fishing for emotions, for the heart of the demon!
At this moment, the Sword Master had to admit that Li Hao’s fishing skills were indeed impressive.
Li Hao glanced at the Sword Master, then cast his line again.
The Sword Master felt a bit uneasy under Li Hao’s gaze. He had reached the peak of Sword Dao, where loneliness was as pure as snow, but in fishing, he was still a climber. Now, he unexpectedly felt a sense of competition and challenge.
The Sword Master didn’t speak but became more serious.
Soon, Li Hao reeled in his line for the third time.
This time, it was Ao Jie again.
Li Hao was exasperated. Was this Dragon Monster destined to get hooked?
Fishing the same prey multiple times would diminish his Fishing Experience, and he didn’t want to catch this Dragon Monster again.
Can’t you let someone else get hooked for a change?
Li Hao stared at Ao Jie, considering whether to release him back into the Dragon Pool.
Ao Jie, sensing Li Hao’s intention, quickly pleaded, "Holy Son, spare me, I promise I won’t move again. I’ll just lie there, even if the sky falls, I won’t move!"
Li Hao thought for a moment and decided to release him again.
Time passed, and after a while, during the fourth cast, both Li Hao and the Sword Master reeled in their lines simultaneously.
Seeing the Fishing Experience, Li Hao knew he hadn’t caught Ao Jie again.
However, when the two Dragon Monsters were pulled up, Li Hao still heard Ao Jie’s voice, but this time, it was on the Sword Master’s hook.
"Sword Master, spare me..."
Ao Jie looked miserable. How did a simple sneeze end up with him sucking the hook into his mouth?
Li Hao glanced at Ao Jie, speechless. This Dragon Monster must have a lot of luck to still be alive.
The Sword Master didn’t say a word, removed Ao Jie, and threw him back into the Dragon Pool, then cast his line again.
Li Hao did the same, not killing the Dragon Monster.
Shortly after, the Sword Master caught several more, once even reeling in two Dragon Monsters at once.
In front of the Sword Cliff, the cries of the Dragon Monsters echoed, while in front of the Holy Mountain, the intense battles in the Ten Arenas continued.
As the sun set, the Sword Master put away his Fishing Rod. In the end, he had a slight edge over Li Hao, catching seven times to Li Hao’s six.
"Today is not early, let's meet again tomorrow."
Sword Master said to Li Hao, a rare smile on his face.
Today, this young man actually made him feel a sense of urgency, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Alright."
Li Hao nodded.
In the following days, the second round of the Ten Arena battles continued, while Li Hao visited the Sword Cliff every day to accompany Sword Master in fishing.
The Dragon Monsters in the Dragon Pool had almost become old acquaintances to Li Hao.
One day, while Li Hao was fishing, another young man arrived.
Sword Master, seeing him, smiled lightly. "You're here, take a seat."
This young man stood tall and straight, but his attire was simple, and he wore a rusted, broken sword at his waist. A sword scar ran across his forehead, its light contained.
Upon seeing Li Hao, a hint of surprise flashed in his calm, indifferent eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected anyone else to be here besides himself.
He said nothing, walking to the edge of the Sword Cliff on his own. He took out a fishing rod from his Heavenly Earth Space, baited the hook, and cast the line, also beginning to fish.
"This is Holy Son Wuhen, his name is Clear Wind."
Sword Master, holding his fishing rod, casually introduced them to each other.
Li Hao and Qiu Wuheng exchanged glances. Qiu Wuheng's eyes flickered; the name Clear Wind sounded familiar. He quickly recalled who it was and nodded slightly to Li Hao as a sign.
Li Hao nodded in return. The three of them then fished in silence.
No one spoke, each immersed in their own enjoyment.
As the fish began to bite, Li Hao noticed that Holy Son Wuhen's fishing line was infused with a Sword Intent.
This Sword Intent was flexible and casual, soft yet sharp.
However, this softness was different from Lin Qingying's Utmost Softness; they were two distinct Sword Arts.
Li Hao recalled a Sword Art from the ninth level of the Sword Tower, the Thousand Silk Sword Rain Technique. It seemed that this was what the other was cultivating.
At the pinnacle of cultivation, one could condense thousands of threads of Sword Intent, weaving them like rain to slice through space.
"By fishing, Wuhen can gain insights into the Sword Dao. You can try this method in the future."
Sword Master said to Li Hao, "Heaven and Earth can both be used to understand one's Martial Dao."
He knew Li Hao had a profound Insight and supreme Talent, and this was a form of cultivation guidance.
"Alright." Li Hao nodded.
Hearing their conversation, Qiu Wuheng, who had been frowning, his eyes flickered with surprise. Was Sword Master actually giving advice to a Potion Master?
Could it be that the other party, besides Alchemy, also wanted to excel in the Martial Dao?
But trying to excel in both areas could lead to neither being fully achieved. After all, most prodigies struggled to reach the pinnacle in a single Martial Dao, let alone dividing their attention.
He reined in his thoughts, not dwelling on them further, and focused his gaze on his fishing line.
...
After the second round of battles ended, the third round began, lasting nearly half a month.
All the matches were one-on-one, with no defending champions, making the pace much slower.
Li Hao still came to the Sword Cliff to fish every day. Occasionally, when Sword Master was absent, only Li Hao and Qiu Wuheng were there.
On the tenth day after obtaining the Great Dao Sword Art, Li Hao went to Yaochi Peak.
Seeing Li Hao climb the mountain, Jiang Yingyue hurried over and led him to Yaizu.
"Ten days have passed. How is your Sword Dao practice? Demonstrate it for me." Yaizu sat on the holy platform, radiating a soft, holy light, and spoke gently to Li Hao.
Li Hao nodded, casually picking up a sword from the nearby rack, and began demonstrating the Great Dao Sword Art.
However, he restrained his Sword Intent and Sword Momentum, including the essence of Sword Dao, and did not perform the True State-level Great Dao Sword Art. Otherwise, the commotion would have been too great and too shocking.
Even so, his sword techniques were fluid and agile, reaching the Agile Level.
Yaizu's usually calm eyes showed surprise. To master such a difficult and obscure Sword Art in just ten days indicated extraordinary talent in Sword Dao!
Beside her, Jiang Yingyue was also stunned by Li Hao's Agile Level demonstration of the Great Dao Sword Art. But remembering that Li Hao had a ninety-seventh Dao Domain, she felt reassured.
It seemed that Li Hao's talent was even higher than she had imagined. Besides cultivation, his innate talent in Sword Dao was on par with hers!
You must understand, within ten days, even she wouldn't be confident in cultivating this sword to such a skillful and proficient level, unless guided by a Semi-Saint.
But Li Hao hadn't come up the mountain in the past ten days.
"Did you figure it out on your own, or did someone else guide you?"
Yaizu waited for Li Hao to finish his demonstration before asking, her gaze focused.
Li Hao noticed the surprise in Jiang Yingyue's eyes and wondered if he had overdone it.
He then replied with an honest expression, "Qing Ying gave me a few pointers."
Yaizu understood and said, "Even with guidance, for you to make such progress is extremely rare. Your talent in the Sword Dao is more than enough to enter the Inner Gate. Would you be willing to be my disciple?"
"This is a significant matter, and I need more time to consider it."
Li Hao repeated the excuse he had prepared.
Yaizu's eyes flickered, hearing the evasion in Li Hao's words. She was somewhat surprised because taking on a disciple was a rare occurrence for her, and many male disciples dreamed of joining Yaochi Peak.
However, Li Hao's refusal reminded her of the clear and pure look in his eyes when he was painting her, free of any impure desires.
A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she admired Li Hao even more. "No problem. You can give me your answer whenever you're ready. I can wait for you!"
The last few words were slightly emphasized, making Li Hao realize her sincerity.
Li Hao felt a twinge of guilt. He had originally intended to use her token to access the Sword Tower to record cultivation techniques and had no intention of becoming her disciple.
"Alright."
Li Hao nodded, knowing he would have to find another way to repay her later.
Jiang Yingyue was taken aback when she heard Li Hao politely decline her Master. She quickly realized that someone with Li Hao's talent and 97 layers of Dao Domain must have a strong background. Perhaps he already had a Master?
She suddenly felt that the identity of this Clear Wind Alchemist seemed somewhat suspicious.
But since the Sword Master hadn't questioned it, it wasn't her place to meddle in such matters.
...
After bidding farewell to Yaochi Peak, Li Hao continued his daily sword cliff fishing.
Half a month passed quickly. After a total of twenty days of selection, the Top 100 list was finally announced, and the entire Holy Land was bustling with excitement. Countless disciples were in an uproar.
To rank among the Top 100 in a sea of prodigies was a remarkable achievement. In any first-rate power, they would be treated as personal disciples.
Each person on the list quickly became well-known, their reputations spreading far and wide.
With the Top 100 Battle Rankings announced, the battle platform on Saint Mountain Peak was also erected.
The upcoming battles would include the Holy Son and Holy Maiden, and the pairings would be random. It was possible that two extremely strong Holy Sons might face each other on the first day!
Losers would have the chance to challenge again, and the Top 16 would be determined by a points system.
As the Top 100 Battle began, Lin Qingying, who had been meditating on her sword for many days in the courtyard, also set out for Holy Mountain.
This time, Li Hao followed Lin Shanhai and the other Potion Masters, who still had floating seats.
In the spectator area below, besides the million Outer Sect disciples, the defeated Inner Sect disciples also came to watch, a rare opportunity to gauge the gap between themselves and the Holy Son and Holy Maiden.
"Look, that's the Sword Saint. The Sword Saint has personally arrived."
On Saint Mountain Peak, three arenas were erected, surrounded by arrays.
As everyone arrived, a middle-aged man in spotless white robes, with his hands clasped behind his back, slowly descended above the battle platform.
His imposing figure seemed to cause a slight crack in the void, and countless sword qi shadows flickered around him.
Even his soft sleeves gave off a sense of sharpness, making it hard to look directly at him.
Li Hao narrowed his eyes slightly. This was the strongest of the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary, the Sword Saint!
No other title, just a simple two-word name, yet it exuded a sense of uniqueness and supremacy!
In addition to the Sword Saint's personal presence, three more Semi-Saints, including Yaizu, appeared, each occupying a spot in the air, their auras unhidden, influencing their surroundings and creating various phenomena.
Behind Shanzu, a massive, towering peak-like shadow loomed.
Behind Yaizu, a ethereal and mysterious Jade Pool Holy Platform appeared.
The other Semi-Saints had various effects behind them, some emitting lightning, while others condensed crimson flames that illuminated the void with a reddish hue.
The overwhelming pressure caused the Top 100 prodigies present to hold their breath, and the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens, who had all gathered at the scene, no longer had the aloof and careless expressions they had before, but instead looked exceptionally solemn.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
