Chapter 439: Old Mo’s Fated Chance |
Jiang Chen paused, his brow furrowing. “Didn’t he just return a few days ago?”
Jin Fugui sighed through the talisman. “A few days ago, he said he was heading to Black Pool to fish for Dragon Carp. Since I was preparing for Foundation Establishment, I didn’t follow him. I never expected him to vanish without a trace.”
Black Pool?
Dragon Carp?
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Why would he go back there?”
Jin Fugui sounded equally baffled. “Ever since Old Mo returned, he’s been acting like a shadow. I always felt something was weighing on his mind.”
Jiang Chen pondered for a moment. “Let’s wait until he returns to celebrate your breakthrough.”
Jin Fugui grunted in agreement. “Alright.”
The connection severed with a faint hum.
He had long since slaughtered the Fish Demon that once haunted those waters.
The dragon bone deep within, the Thunder-Struck Tree, and the Wood-Fire Spirit Crystals were already resting in his own pockets.
Even the Fated Chances hidden within the Dragon Locking Abyss-the Water Spirit Palace, the Water Spirit Fruits, and the Water Spirit Pearls-had been swept clean.
Aside from a few oversized fish, the place was utterly barren of value.
For Old Mo to venture there now was deeply suspicious.
After a moment of deliberation, Jiang Chen summoned the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost and tore through the sky toward the pool.
He arrived at Black Pool shortly after.
The environment was dim, choked by a heavy, gloomy mist.
Truth be told, the place was just as eerie as he remembered.
Ever since the Fish Demon vanished, more cultivators had flocked here hoping to hook a Dragon Carp, yet every single one had returned empty-handed.
Old Mo and Old Jin had tried their luck several times before, and the results were exactly as one would expect.
Even without the Fish Demon lurking below, catching a Dragon Carp remained a near-impossible feat.
The core issue lay in the bait; it required an irresistible allure.
Naturally, Jiang Chen’s past successes had nothing to do with bait. He had simply piloted his water-repelling vessel directly into the depths to snatch them by force.
Now, the shoreline was littered with discarded fishing gear-rods, lines, and hooks-all cheap, worthless trinkets.
But there was no sign of Mo Yu. Not even a ghost stirred in the mist.
Staring down at the water radiating a sickly green glow, Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Old Mo, Old Mo… you didn’t actually dive in to catch them by hand, did you?”
Although a cultivator with a Water Spirit Root faced almost no danger beneath the surface, such a method was truly a bit… unhinged.
He did not hesitate. With a swift leap, he plunged into the freezing depths.
Now, possessing a Water Spirit Root alongside his Dragon Carp and Flood Dragon Transformations, he could glide through the currents unimpeded, even without the Mirage Thunder Dragon Boat.
As he ventured deeper, Jiang Chen was surprised to find the waters entirely devoid of Dragon Carp.
During his previous visits, he could easily snatch five at a time. Now, there was nothing but empty water.
“Could Old Mo have caught them all?”
“Since when did he grow such a spine?”
“Things are getting interesting.”
The deeper he swam, the more his curiosity regarding Old Mo grew.
The man had never dared to attempt something so reckless before.
What had changed during his trip to the Canglan Sea to give him such brazen courage?
He propelled himself through the murky depths, his eyes scanning the darkness.
Before long, he reached the trench where the dragon bone had once rested. Now, there was nothing but undisturbed silt.
Seeing no trace of Old Mo, Jiang Chen refused to turn back. He pressed deeper, knowing the Dragon Locking Abyss lay just ahead.
For the next hour, he scoured the pitch-black waters, forcibly resisting the urge to harvest the massive fish that occasionally drifted past.
Just as the crushing pressure of the Dragon Locking Abyss loomed ahead, he finally spotted Old Mo.
The man appeared to have just emerged from the abyss, yet for some unknown reason, he had fallen into a profound slumber.
Five Dragon Carp circled his floating body, while a thick, gray barrier encased him like a protective cocoon.
Taking in the sight, how could a seasoned Master of unearthing Fated Chances like Jiang Chen not understand?
Clearly, Old Mo had stumbled upon a massive Fated Chance and was currently in the midst of absorbing it.
Once he awakened, his very foundation would undergo a qualitative rebirth.
Judging by the density of the barrier, he had likely been asleep for days. No wonder he had vanished without a word.
Yet, that gray barrier gave Jiang Chen a nagging sense of familiarity. He had seen it somewhere before, though the exact memory eluded him.
Seeing that Old Mo was safe, Jiang Chen naturally wouldn’t disturb his cultivation. However, he had no intention of leaving him defenseless. He settled into the dark waters nearby, standing guard.
Time trickled by. Suddenly, the gray cocoon surrounding Mo Yu began to ripple.
The five Dragon Carp circling him inexplicably accelerated, darting around in a frenzied dance.
It was as if they had sensed an approaching predator.
Jiang Chen swept his Divine Sense outward, his gaze snapping toward the murky gloom.
A massive black water snake, dozens of zhang long, was slithering through the currents, drawn by the aura radiating from Mo Yu.
Jiang Chen’s fingers twitched, ready to sever the beast’s head, but he paused. The snake harbored no killing intent. In fact, as it gazed at Mo Yu, its reptilian eyes betrayed a distinct trace of reverence and fear.
As it drew near, it made no move to attack. Instead, it coiled defensively beside the sleeping man, standing guard.
“Master, I scoured the area. The Water Spirit Fruits have been stolen!”
“Stolen?”
“Even my subordinate, that Sunfish Demon, was slaughtered!”
Mo Yu and the water snake were conversing via sound transmission, their voices hidden from the outside world.
Watching this unfold, Jiang Chen marveled inwardly. “Just what kind of Fated Chance did Old Mo unearth? Not only is his body transforming, but he also wrangled five Dragon Carp and tamed a water demon.”
Truth be told, even he felt a twinge of envy.
If Jiang Chen hadn’t already plundered the most valuable heavenly treasures from this place…
Old Mo would have undoubtedly skyrocketed to the heavens this time, perhaps even securing a position as a core disciple.
As it stood, his greatest spoils were merely a single water snake and five Dragon Carp.
Jiang Chen weighed his options and decided his presence was no longer needed. He turned to leave.
With a water snake dozens of zhang long standing sentinel, nothing in these waters could threaten Mo Yu.
“Master, what about this human cultivator?”
“Placate him for now. Once I recover my strength, I will initiate Body Seizing immediately!”
“In that case, you will directly inherit the identity of an Immortal Sect disciple?!”
The silent conversation continued, but the commanding voice echoing in the water snake’s mind did not belong to Mo Yu.
…
…
Two days later, Mo Yu finally emerged from Black Pool.
Yet, his first action wasn’t to seek out Jiang Chen or Jin Fugui. Instead, he marched straight to the sect and handed over a Dragon Carp.
It was common knowledge that a Golden Core stage fishing fanatic resided in Beast Mountain. The elder had publicly declared that any disciple who presented him with a Dragon Carp would be accepted as his personal student.
Thus, Mo Yu bypassed the usual hierarchy, leaping from a formal disciple of Rain Pavilion to a formal disciple of Beast Mountain. The crucial difference was that he now had a Master.
And a Golden Core stage Master at that.
Witnessing this sudden rise firsthand, Jin Fugui’s eyes clouded with complex emotions.
He had believed that by reaching Foundation Establishment, he could finally narrow the gap between himself, Old Jiang, and Old Mo. He never expected that the chasm would only grow wider.
As a friend, he was naturally thrilled for them, but deep down, a bitter seed of anxiety had taken root.
Jiang Chen was already a formidable cultivator who could hold his own in the Spirit Farm.
Even Mo Yu had now secured a Golden Core stage backer.
Only he remained stagnant… wasting away in mediocrity!
