Chapter 77: Chapter 77
The night sky stretched clear and endless above the mountains, everything bathed in silver silence.
The moonlight lay like a sheer gauze skirt over the Azure Origin Dao Sect, softening the sharp edges of stone peaks and drawing glimmers from every dewdrop resting on the grass.
Ethan walked easily down the moon-washed slopes, letting the cool breeze slip through his hair.
The world felt still, and yet anticipation thrummed within him, especially as the familiar voice of the system echoed in his mind.
[New fishing mission released!]
[The moonlight is so beautiful tonight and is suitable for fishing. Host, please go fishing at a new fishing spot!]
[Fishing targets: Golden Carp1, Silver Trout*1, Blue Perch*1.]
Ethan let out a quiet laugh at the system’s ever-fancy list of targets, even as he followed instinct and memory toward Echo Lake.
Unlike the Serene Mirror Lake, which was infamous for exile, Echo Lake rested near the base of Celestial Lotus Peak, a place whose serene beauty was only rivaled by the clear, chilly depths of its waters.
Though it was late, he doubted anyone would be foolish enough to linger there now.
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of mischief.
Surely, even if some female disciples from Celestial Lotus Peak were bathing or playing in the water, things were different now—he was no longer a powerless child misunderstood by fate or circumstance.
He picked a hidden spot, far from the laughter and starlight glittering on the water. Reaching into his storage pouch, he retrieved a unique flying spiritual weapon: wings fashioned from the bones of an ancient Phoenix.
With a subtle shift and a burst of wind, he took flight, a streak of cyan light threading through the star-laden sky and carrying him to the lakeshore.
By the time Ethan arrived, Echo Lake’s vast surface gleamed like a fractured silver mirror.
Mist stirred over bluestone and tangled grass by the shoreline; the band of moon trapping waterfalls and ripples at the edges.
He settled in, found a well-hidden position atop a flat slab of rock, and silently set up his fishing kit.
A few enchanting figures—female disciples, light as butterflies, their laughter dancing over the water—caught his eye for a moment. But with supreme focus, Ethan drew in his senses, hiding his presence with practiced breath-concealment technique.
His mental power swept outward, assuring he was all but invisible to any curious cultivator. Not even a peak master in full force, he mused with a smirk, would be able to easily spot him here.
Soon, Ethan slipped into the soothing rhythm of fishing.
Within an hour, two of the targets—a golden carp and a silver trout—flopped into his bucket, wriggling as if reluctant to face their new fate. The third, a turtle, proved more elusive.
Odd, Ethan thought. Turtles shouldn’t exist in small Lakes—or so he’d have claimed in his old world.
Here, anything was possible: lakes harbored monsters, rivers gleamed with spiritual energy, and wonder lurked just beneath the ordinary.
His patience was rewarded, eventually.
The last of the female disciples departed, leaving the lake shrouded in peaceful dusk. Something heavy splashed on the distant shore—a soft-shelled turtle, glimmering faintly beneath the moon, lay there blowing lazy bubbles.
"Come here, you!" Ethan stretched out a hand, deftly plucking the turtle up with a touch of mental power.
[Ding! The host has completed the task.
Reward: Heart of Seawood.]
[Fish in a new fish pond and win a surprise grand prize: the Creation Pill of Heaven and Earth!]
[The host has completed the number of tasks and the system has begun to evolve.]
[Iterating, please wait...]
[Iteration successful]
[Hello, Mr. Ethan, the god-level fishing system v2.0 is at your service]
[Unlock new features: Personification]
[Unlock new features: Q&A]
Ethan raised an eyebrow, mildly amused by the new "v2.0" boast.
"The system’s upgraded, huh? Even doing question-and-answer now."
"How do you use personification?" he asked, interest piqued.
[This system can take on any appearance the user wishes. Please select your face shape... Please select hair accessories...]
Ethan couldn’t help but laugh as he scrolled through options, making sport of the system’s new power.
Soon, a figure appeared beside him—stunningly beautiful, as tall as himself, short blue hair, oval face, gentle and intelligent aura: a blend of soft grace and subtle strength.
[You may give the system a nickname.]
"Call you Alicia," Ethan declared.
[Okay Host, Alicia 2.0 is at your service.]
"Drop the numbers, and you don’t need to call me ’host’—call me sir."
[Yes, Sir.]
Ethan felt himself grin, satisfied with the playful exchange.
"Right, Alicia, what’s my current cultivation?"
[Sir’s current cultivation is the Perfection of Steel and Iron Bones stage. You have reached the upper limit of your body cultivation. To progress, you must condense the blood elixir.]
"Where’s the combat assessment?"
[With the opening of the new realm, combat capability assessments have been cancelled.
Realm: Perfection of Steel and Iron Bones.]
"Alright. Introduce the treasures I just won."
[Heart of Seawood: A mutated spiritual plant, grown in the bottomless depths where no light ever touches. It absorbs immense deep-sea power, becoming Seawood over tens of thousands of years. The Heart of Seawood is its essence, housing vast Water-elemental power and rare attributes: extreme speed, unparalleled defense, and the ability to purge your body of water.]
[Creation Pill of Heaven and Earth: An ancient, legendary elixir rumored to contain heaven’s mysteries. It grants the user insight into the order of creation, and—most crucially—the power to sense and absorb the true energy of heaven and earth.]
Ethan’s eyes shone. "The energy of heaven and earth... Just what I need."
With this pill, the threshold blocking the formation of his blood elixir could be crossed.
The Heart of Seawood, too, would enhance his Celestial Jade Physique’s third stage, granting abilities his body craved and greater powers still.
"Alicia, what is the energy of heaven and earth? What’s your understanding of it?"
He stared intently at the personified system.
A/N:
Extra Chapters
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200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters
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