Chapter 126: Jiang Taigong Fishing

Zongwang Prompt: You have completed the Soul Trial.

You have obtained the Guan Di Order, acquiring an unknown mission.

Having observed Guan Sheng Dijun's true intent, your 【Blade Technique Mastery】 has upgraded → 【Blade Intent】.

【Blade Intent】: You are a master of blade weapons, having broken free of ordinary technique limits and entered a new tier. You are an expert in combat with blade weapons; if you wish, many will accept you as teacher, and you could even open a blade‑training hall in a city.

(When wielding a blade: Hit 3, Damage 3, Attack Speed 1).

Your realized Blade Intent: Sever the shackles.

(You become immune to slow, immobilize, suppression and other restrictive debuffs; when dealing damage to incorporeal targets, you add a point of true damage.)

(When using Ten Thousand Armies Take Head, the first strike is guaranteed critical, the second strike always hits, the third strike is guaranteed critical and hit, and it has a chance to inflict instant death damage.)

"What a marvelous feeling!"

After the Soul Trial, Mu Yi was amazed by his own change; he could slice a massive stone with his blade without exerting force, encountering no resistance at all, as if he were cutting butter rather than rock.

The array blade in his hand had become an extension of his body; he understood how to wield it so its power could erupt at a single point, even using the blade to carve characters onto leaves.

A great boost—Mu Yi could feel his combat power surge, even sensing that he could defeat the two previous versions of himself.

Having tasted the sweet reward, Mu Yi hesitated little, adjusted his state, and chose to commence the Soul Trial here.

When he previously trained in bow and arrow specialties, he had also earned a chance at a Soul Trial, which he now decided to use.

【Zongwang Prompt: Please select the Soul Trial you wish to undertake!】

【Flying General Li Guang Shooting the Tiger】

【Lu Bu Yuantmen Spear Shot】

【Jiang Taigong Fishing】

Mu Yi sensed the aura of a riddle; though he did not know why a Jiang Taigong was inserted into the Soul Trial, this proper martial temple offering seemed something he should not miss.

As he confirmed, a dizzying sensation arrived, and the space abruptly shifted; everything before his eyes became utterly unfamiliar.

All around, turbulent waves roared, with dozens of grayish river dolphins swiftly swimming, cutting through the surf and leaping out of the water.

The river surface glittered with jagged reflections, the setting sun casting upon it as if a golden dragon were mirrored there.

On the riverbank, an elderly man in a raincoat sat cross‑legged, fishing.

"Come over!" the old man called, and Mu Yi instinctively walked toward him; this must be Jiang Taigong.

"Give it a try!" Jiang Taigong tossed a fishing rod to Mu Yi.

Mu Yi glanced at the rod in his hand; indeed, as the legend described, it had a straight hook with no curve. Could this thing really catch fish?

"Only the willing get hooked!"

Sensing Mu Yi's doubt, Jiang Taigong smiled faintly and said so, then gently retracted the line; a golden‑colored small fish leapt out, voluntarily biting the straight hook, and Jiang Taigong reeled it in.

Mu Yi was stunned—could it really reel in a fish?

"Fish, fish, big fish won't bite, little fish stop fooling around!"

Jiang Taigong tossed the small goldfish back into the river, then cast the hook onto the surface again.

"Hehe, you try it too!"

Having said that, Jiang Taigong closed his eyes and fell silent.

Mu Yi scratched his head, looking at the rod: the fishing pole was short, the line only three feet long, the hook straight, and no bait was used.

He mimicked Jiang Taigong's cross‑legged posture, tossed the rod into the river, and, like Jiang Taigong, the hook hovered about three feet above the surface.

However, he never imagined that the instant he cast the rod, his consciousness suddenly descended beneath the water's surface.

Mu Yi instinctively struggled, but the struggle was futile; he could not feel his body, only the icy temperature of the water.

Amid the silence, chaotic sounds converged from all directions; Mu Yi, thoughtful, closed his eyes, and then, from a strange perspective, beheld a new world.

In dimness, countless fish and shrimp swam silently, invisible from the river's surface.

Soon he heard sounds—extremely chaotic—seeming to be the mingled noises of countless fish and shrimp, whose simple wits kept them immersed in instinct.

No fish or shrimp cared about the floating straight hook; they were solely immersed in instinct, seeking food as their only thought.

Mu Yi tried to focus on a small fish; suddenly he felt a wave of resistance, but his will could not be overruled, and he instantly became a fish.

Mu Yi vaguely grasped Jiang Taigong's meaning: only the willing get hooked—so he himself was the willing one, huh?

It was as if he were born a fish, able to swim freely beneath the surface; after moving for a while, Mu Yi began attempting to leap out of the water.

With a powerful flick of his tail, his whole body vaulted into the air.

However, lacking momentum and with the wrong angle, he failed to bite the straight hook.

He crashed heavily onto the surface; the recoil of the force left his head feeling dizzy.

Mu Yi was undeterred, persisting with repeated attempts.

He realized that what propelled him was not the fish's own strength but the power of his will, his will driving the fish; after all, he was not a fish.

Having enlightened himself to this, Mu Yi found the correct method.

He locked his will onto the straight hook, using willpower to swing his tail; his form became like a great bow that had been bent, snapping the string in an instant, straightening mid‑air and leaping out of the water, then snapping at the hook hovering three feet above the surface.

The moment his mouth clamped the hook, Mu Yi's consciousness scattered like a tide, returning to the riverbank, feeling the fresh river breeze and the still‑rising setting sun—a sensation as if from another world.

He lifted the small fish from the hook and released it back into the water; the fish flicked its tail and vanished beneath the river.

"Not bad!" Jiang Taigong opened his eyes, looking at Mu Yi with approval.

"Since you have embarked on the path of divine cultivation, your will is the foundation of your existence. Though all roads lead to the same destination, the process matters; remember not to invert the fundamentals!"

"I've been taught, sir!" Mu Yi sheathed his rod, clasped his fists, and saluted Jiang Taigong.

"Being a Military Family Descendant, it's natural we have a connection, yet your path lies ahead, different from mine; all I can do is lend you a helping hand!" Jiang Taigong's words were filled with regret.

Mu Yi's future road, though not yet set, is clearly not the same as the one he walks now; he could only lend Mu Yi a hand at the most basic stage.

Saying so, Jiang Taigong waved his sleeve, and Mu Yi vanished from the spot.

"Interesting youngster, perhaps we shall meet again in the future!" Jiang Taigong said, smiling as he gazed at the river.

Zongwang Prompt: You have completed the Soul Integration Trial.

Zongwang Prompt: Conducting comprehensive assessment of the Soul Integration Trial; based on your performance, your rating is Perfect, and you have gained 5,000 points of Universal Experience.

Commencing reward settlement: Special conditions met, extra reward item: Fragment of the Six Strategies.

You have undergone a baptism of will, with a slight increase to perception attributes.

You have mastered Grand Duke Fishing.

Grand Duke Fishing

Quality: Purple Epic

Category: Cultivation Technique

Effect: After performing a standard action, conduct an immersive void fishing; upon completion, the divine will will be enhanced to varying degrees based on the fishing result.

"Thank you for the Grand Duke's gift!" Mu Yi solemnly bowed in thanks to the void.

Once he received a gift from a senior Military Strategist, which made him feel ashamed for not achieving any merit yet enjoying the benefits, truly weighing on his conscience.

This Hundred Schools gathering must be approached with utmost effort, also serving to bring glory to the Military Strategists.

Mu Yi closed his eyes and began attempting void fishing.

Freed from the constraints of a fishing rod and environment, this void fishing felt exceedingly abstract.

The void truly exists within the Multiverse, embedded in its gaps and capable of linking to any region; when Mu Yi immersed his will into the void, faint, chaotic ripples occasionally arose.

Accompanying Mu Yi's immersion, his will drifted within the void, and the emanating ripples attracted uninvited guests hidden therein.

Just as the sea harbors fish and shrimp, the void is not solely filled with nameless horrors; there also exist some weak creatures.

Mu Yi need do nothing; Instinct urges them to eagerly bite onto the straight hook.

However, when the first void creature bit the straight hook, everything vanished.

In reality, a peculiarly shaped shadow soul appeared before Mu Yi.

Crimson flames rose without wind, igniting the shadow soul; it could not endure for seconds before being completely incinerated.

"You have completed a void fishing, with a slight increase to perception attributes."

"You killed a level‑3 shadow soul; based on your level, you cannot gain any experience."

Zongwang Prompt: You have contributed to Heaven and Earth, gaining 1 point of merit.

Mu Yi stared at the final message, thoughtful; the cultivation technique Jiang Taigong gave him seemed far more than merely enhancing will.

By drawing nutrients from external beings, could it enlarge the world itself?

Moreover, since the last Heaven‑offering, the main world's operating rules have become increasingly refined, even generating merit.

Could it be that this world has already become parallel with Jiuzhou?

Mu Yi pressed his chin, as he had expected; after all, the previous upheaval could not be sustained by a mere artifact fragment.

In more modern terms, this realm has now been acquired by the Jiuzhou headquarters?

So what is he now? A senior employee? Or perhaps a shareholder of this branch?

Mu Yi couldn't figure it out, but it held no meaning for him; for him now, the benefits always outweigh the drawbacks, and merely sipping the broth is fine—no need for a bicycle.

As for sovereignty, it has always been in the hands of the strong; pondering it before becoming strong only adds needless worry.

In the following days, Mu Yi immersed himself in will‑tempering training; to deepen the immersion, he even fashioned a fishing rod and raincoat for cosplay.

The effect indeed seemed to rise invisibly; the catches grew ever more bizarre, and his strength rose like a boat on rising water.

Yet regardless of the power of the evil spirits or void creatures, Mu Yi received only 1 point of merit after destroying them, seeming merely a commendation for his actions rather than genuine aid to Heaven and Earth.

He remained immersed in this pleasure until a special form appeared in the data stream on his retina.

The time has finally arrived.

Zongwang Important Prompt: The Hundred Schools Contest has begun; please use a ticket to reach the venue within this calendar day.

Real Dungeon: Hundred Schools Contest

Challenge Level: 1

(Please note: Players not belonging to Hundred Schools disciples entering the order side will cause a drastic difficulty increase, expected Challenge Level 20.)

Dungeon Participant Count: 1 (solo only permitted)

Event Organizer: Hundred Schools

This event's person in charge: Legalist – Shang Yang

Event Restriction: Hundred Schools disciples (under 25)

Event Rewards: equipment, materials, cultivation techniques, pills (faction‑limited), curios (faction‑limited), exclusive titles, Heavenly Gods and Earth Deities positions (rank 7 to 9), related inheritances, Hundred Schools treasury rewards…

This event aims to gather outstanding Hundred Schools disciples for friendly sparring, mutual exchange, and joint progress, upholding the spirit of friendship first, competition second.

Even with a lower ranking, other rewards can still be obtained.

Hundred Schools disciples who rank in the top three will receive additional rewards from the other Hundred Schools.

Seeing this, Mu Yi raised an eyebrow.

This hardly looks like "friendship first"; the wording almost writes "smash the other schools' heads" between the lines.

Yet, thinking further, although the Hundred Schools often appear as a whole, Confucianism, Mohism, Buddhism, Daoism… their doctrines and beliefs are fundamentally different, even opposing.

Moreover, crucially, this event even offers direct promotion to a Heavenly Gods and Earth Deities position as a reward.

The slogan "friendship first, competition second" is one thing, but in reality who wants to fall behind others!

Even sports competitions are fought with all one's might, let alone a gathering of this scale.

One step slow, each step slow; no one wishes to be forever trampled.

It's just unknown how exactly this gathering will be conducted.

Zongwang Prompt: Transferring characters to the venue!

As Mu Yi teleported via Zongwang to the venue, across the hall the event's person in charge, Shang Yang, was inspecting the venue.

Although the Legalist School sometimes clashes with other schools, the few assemblies that have been held were all led by the Legalist School.

After all, for the Legalist School, law is above all; they can maintain the most impartial stance, since the rules are jointly created by them, overseen by the Legalist School, and everyone feels reassured.

"Huh?" Shang Yang stared into the void, as an unrecorded being was transmitting toward this world.

Although it was not recorded, it did indeed hold a ticket, which made Shang Yang involuntarily frown.

In previous assemblies, it was not unheard of for people from other worlds to obtain tickets and intrude, and there have always been major disagreements on how to deal with such individuals.

However, as long as they are not evil, they usually choose to give them a chance—either let them be a well‑behaved spectator or set a test; if they pass, they are allowed to join the competition, which adds some fun, and they generally do not kill them.

But if they are evil, the weak ones are tossed to the contestants to deal with, while the strong ones are directly annihilated by their team leaders.

In this assembly, the team leaders of the Hundred Schools, according to the Comprehensive Network's standards, are at least demigods even at their weakest; even if they cannot win, they can still pull people down from above.

If truly some peerless great demon idly shows up to cause trouble, the Buddhist Sect doesn't mind directly asking its own Buddha to intervene, ushering the demon into the Buddhist Sect, which would then be considered a great merit for them.