Chapter 128: No need, Zhou Tianming has already become my disciple

Cursing is cursing, hatred is hatred, but Jiang Taomu himself knew perfectly well.

This lake is unfathomably mysterious; it not only traps him here, making escape difficult, but also cuts off all contact with the outside world.

If he wanted to escape this damned place, his only hope now lay with Lin Yang.

Thus, he endured the lake draining his vitality and the constricting pressure on his body, exerting all his strength, and slowly, painfully swam toward where Lin Yang was casting his net.

Lin Yang, full of anticipation, cast his first net.

He had thought he could catch some fish, but when he lifted the net to look,

Empty net!

He curled his lips: "Today's luck is really weird."

Then.

He moved to another spot, full of confidence, and cast another net.

Who would have thought.

Still empty net.

After several nets in a row, it was still empty—he didn't even see a single fry.

"Could it be that there are no fish in Canghai Lake?"

Lin Yang couldn't help but suspect that there were no fish in Canghai Lake.

However.

He had previously seen fish leaping in Canghai Lake.

Thinking that way.

He walked farther still, trying a more distant spot to see how things were.

Seeing Lin Yang walk away, Jiang Taomu was practically dying of anger.

"This guy must be doing it on purpose."

"How outrageous!"

His life was being drained, and with the lake's constricting pressure, each step he took was excruciatingly painful and difficult.

What's more,

Lin Yang was now running even farther.

Thus.

He could only grit his teeth and exert all his strength to chase after Lin Yang.

Lin Yang cast several nets, but the result was still empty.

"How strange."

He muttered to himself, and just then he happened to look up and saw Old Jiang Taomu nearby, constantly lingering where he cast his net, baring his teeth and claws, as if—

Scaring the fish!

His heart gave a jolt, and he angrily retorted, "I already let you swim in my lake—that's generous enough, yet you're here causing trouble, scaring all my fish away?"

"Really over the top!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and he casually flung the fishing net toward Jiang Taomu's head.

He actually wanted to haul Jiang Taomu ashore to question him about why he scared the fish away.

As he watched, Lin Yang's big net was cast down.

Jiang Taomu felt a holy light shine into his forehead.

Old tears streamed down his face.

Was he about to be saved?

Before he could react, his whole body was tightly bound by the net.

Immediately after.

A huge force suddenly jerked him, as if he were being dragged back from the depths of an endless star river into the real world.

It felt as if his very soul were about to be torn away.

With a plop.

Jiang Taomu was flung onto the shore, in a sorry state.

Lin Yang stepped forward, looked at the miserable Jiang Taomu, and asked, "How did you end up here?"

Jiang Taomu shuddered, and only now did the solid, real feeling of standing on firm ground surge over him.

"I… I actually escaped from that lake?"

He belatedly realized he had clearly escaped from that deadly lake.

Instantly.

The joy of surviving a disaster flooded over him like a tide.

"Great, I'm truly blessed with fortune and longevity."

"I thought I'd never get out."

Just as he was rejoicing, Lin Yang furrowed his brow and asked again, "Why did you scare my fish away again?"

Those words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Jiang Taomu's joy.

His anger flared up instantly, and he pointed at Lin Yang, shouting angrily, "I haven't even disciplined you, yet you're the one disciplining me."

"Are those things you did even human?"

Lin Yang was completely bewildered.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Isn't it all your fault?"

Scrape!

Jiang Taomu grew even angrier: "What's wrong with you? Is everything my fault?"

"Isn't it?" Lin Yang retorted.

Hmph!

Jiang Taomu snorted coldly: "Originally we had agreed, we'd have a fair duel—whoever first goes to Penglai and picks the Heavenly Spirit Fruit would take Zhou Tianming as a disciple."

"But what about you? While I was away picking the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, you secretly took Zhou Tianming—do you still have any shame?"

Lin Yang blinked slightly; it turned out this old man was upset about this matter.

However, back then the situation was urgent, so he had no choice; his expression softened as he patiently explained: "Old Man Jiang, you've misunderstood."

"At that time Zhou Tianming's life was hanging by a thread; if I hadn't rescued him promptly, he would have died."

"So I didn't have time to explain the reason to you and left early."

Jiang Taomu stared fixedly at Lin Yang, fuming, and said: "I simply don't believe it's really like that."

"Exactly so." Lin Yang spoke slowly: "If I really wanted to trick you, why would I tell you my name and home address?"

Upon hearing that,

Jiang Taomu's anger subsided a bit; he had indeed seen Lin Yang at the Azure Cloud Sect's Heavenly Dao Peak.

"Then... how is Zhou Tianming now? Has he been cured?"

Lin Yang replied: "Rest assured, he's already been cured."

Jiang Taomu then nodded slightly, but in an instant he recalled his own desperation underwater.

"Then let me ask you: just now I was struggling for my life underwater, begging for help—why did you turn a blind eye? Do you know I almost died in there?"

Lin Yang's face showed surprise, he spread his hands, and said innocently: "I saw you splashing in the water and thought you were happily swimming."

You...

Jiang Taomu, upon hearing that, was so angry he rolled his eyes.

Lin Yang continued: "Besides, you're so strong—how could such a tiny lake possibly trap you?"

Jiang Taomu was like a mute eating coptis—unable to refute, he could only grumble.

"This lousy lake is too evil—it almost took my life."

Then.

He looked at Lin Yang: "This lake is on your Heavenly Dao Peak—don't you know how dangerous it is?"

Lin Yang shook his head with a wry smile, indicating he didn't know either; after all, the Vast Sea Lake had just been given by the system, and he truly didn't know the lake was so formidable—even Jiang Taomu was helpless against it.

Looks like it's a good thing.

Seeing that he couldn't get anything from Lin Yang either, Jiang Taomu stopped pressing and asked instead.

"Where is Zhou Tianming now?"

Hmph.

"I'm warning you—we still have to make another bet, seeing who reaches Penglai first and picks the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, to decide whose disciple Zhou Tianming will become."

Lin Yang acted as if he hadn't heard, making no response at all.

Instead, he walked straight to the lakeside, bent down to pick up the fishing net on the ground, flicked his wrist, and the net traced a beautiful arc in the air before sinking into the lake again.

"Boom"—a huge roar.

Water sprayed everywhere, and a huge fish with purple scales was instantly hauled out by Lin Yang's fishing net.

The big fish was still struggling fiercely in the net, sending water and stones flying in all directions.

Seeing this, Jiang Taomu's eyes widened in shock.

It was exactly such a purple-scaled giant fish that had dragged him into the lake, tossing him about until he was near death.

Now Lin Yang, however, easily netted it and dragged it ashore.

"This..."

He didn't know what to say for a moment.

Meanwhile, Lin Yang merely glanced back at Jiang Taomu, lightly brushed off the water droplets on himself, and said calmly.

"There's no need to continue the contest—Zhou Tianming has already become my disciple."