Chapter 232: Sixth-Level Water Immortal, Fish-Biting Grass, Azure Sea Cloud Vine

Zhao Xing carried two boxes: one was a toolbox, and the other was a bamboo box.

He handed the bamboo box to Old Chen, then opened the toolbox.

"What are these segmented things in here?" Long Xiao asked, curious, as he came closer. "They look like fishing rods to me."

"They are fishing rods," Zhao Xing said with a grin.

Xia Jing was speechless.

"There's the sixth-tier Fish-Dragon Hook, the Heaven-Earth Rod, and the Yellow Dragon Rod."

"Seven-Star Hook, Celestial River Line, Hundred Vine Silk, Divine Luo Silk..." Ji Ziyun, clearly knowledgeable, picked one up. "Huh? Are these custom-made?"

Xia Jing, barraged by the repeated mention of "fish," frowned instantly and retreated behind the others.

"Brother, why are you backing away? You're part of this fishing trip too," Zhao Xing said, pulling Xia Jing forward. "You need to overcome this."

"I..."

"Qilin'er," Ji Ziyun said, "Zhao Xing spent a lot of money; don't disappoint him. These things are luxury items, they're not cheap."

"Alright," Xia Jing nodded helplessly. "I suppose I'll have to endure this ordeal sooner or later."

"That's the spirit," Zhao Xing nodded, satisfied.

Ji Ziyun was right; he had indeed spent a considerable amount of money on these items.

However, when Zhao Xing captured Fire Dragon Pass and Soul Sacrifice Pass, he also received a good share of the spoils.

Generals like Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang were very generous. They didn't take the lion's share, distributing it to the mid and lower-ranking generals instead. As a result, Chen Shijie, Zhao Xing, and Long Xiao were wealthier than Liao Rulong, Wen Shaoyang, and the others.

Upon returning to the Ten-Yang Grotto-Heaven, these spoils were converted into points. Before their treasure hunt outside Yang City, Zhao Xing had collected Long Xiao's and Chen Shijie's points. Combining their funds, they purchased many items.

As for Xia Jing, he also contributed, but he had less money. This was because he was actually quite poor; as a commanding general in the Black Armored Army, Xia Jing, like Liao Rulong, had distributed his spoils to his subordinates. Moreover, the Young Lord was even more generous; seeing the truce and no more battles, he didn't keep much for himself.

Ji Ziyun didn't participate, as they weren't very familiar with him at the time, and the equipment was already mostly prepared. It could be said that the liquid assets of Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, and Xia Jing had largely been converted into items stored on the Qilin Flying Ark.

"The Extreme Night Sea was already a famous location; I anticipated we'd visit here, so the items in this box have come in handy now."

Zhao Xing asked, "Brother Ji, how are your fishing skills?"

Ji Ziyun replied, "I know a little."

Ji Ziyun was the type of humble gentleman who, when saying "I know a little," actually meant he had good skills. Zhao Xing immediately let him choose a rod first.

"Wait, fishing requires skill?" Long Xiao scratched his head. "Isn't it just casting the line?"

"Preparing bait, making a nest, choosing a fishing spot and position, understanding fish habits, different waters, weather changes, the flow of vital energy... aren't all of these skills?" Chen Shijie said. "You're thinking too simply."

"How did I not know you became a fishing enthusiast?" Long Xiao looked at his good friend, puzzled.

"During my first two years in Gucheng, I often felt bored and anxious, so I frequently went fishing at East Lake," Chen Shijie explained. "It helped me cultivate patience."

Hearing their conversation, Zhao Xing immediately took out two fishing rods from the box. "Long Xiao, you use this Divine Luo Rod." The sixth-tier Divine Luo Rod was designed for simple, "foolproof" operation, perfect for beginners like Long Xiao.

"Old Chen, you use the Heaven-Earth Rod."

"Xia Jing, you also use a Divine Luo Rod."

After distributing the rods, Zhao Xing turned to Ji Ziyun. "Brother Ji, please help assemble the lines and teach them how to set up and cast the rods. Old Chen and I have other things to do."

Ji Ziyun smiled faintly. "No problem."

"Qilin'er, Long Xiao, let's go."

The three immediately jumped down from the flying ark.

Biting cold wind swept over them as they landed on the ice sheet. Ahead of them were four or five ice holes that had been carved out. Pei Yuanchang was still a decent person, seeing things through to the end. This area had been left behind by them earlier. Originally there were forty or fifty ice holes, but now most had frozen over again, leaving only a few that were sustained by ice well formations. Beside the ice holes were a few simple warming sheds.

"Brrr, it's really cold," Ji Ziyun quickly cast a spell, his body emitting a blue glow to regulate his temperature. As for Xia Jing and Long Xiao, they simply endured the cold with their physical prowess.

Watching the three descend, Zhao Xing restarted the Qilin Flying Ark and flew towards another location. The military-grade bamboo box was quite large, almost like a container. He and Old Chen stood beside it, chatting.

"I went out for a moment and even with the internal Five Elements Heaven-Earth harmonization, I still felt a biting cold. The Great Cold atmospheric node here is truly unbreakable," Zhao Xing observed his surroundings. Neither he nor Old Chen tried to release their Atmospheric Node Tokens to regulate the weather, because it couldn't be adjusted at all. Even a fifth-rank司农 of the Heavenly Timing Faction couldn't change the celestial phenomena here with their Atmospheric Node Token. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a need to chisel ice; the deepest a fifth-rank司农 could descend into the water was just over five hundred meters.

"If we released an Atmospheric Node Token now, it would explode instantly," Chen Shijie said. "The pressure from the heavens is too great; the Heavenly Timing Atmospheric Node Tokens are useless here."

"The Earth Advantage Law is also almost ineffective," Zhao Xing nodded. "There's no land, just ice layers."

"So, what you brought in here are all cold-element aquatic species?" Chen Shijie hadn't asked Zhao Xing what he spent money on, so he didn't know what was in the container.

"Not entirely," Zhao Xing said. "I also brought some soil."

"You want to build a warming shed?" As an expert, Chen Shijie understood immediately. "But this military bamboo box is too low-grade, isn't it? Can it be disassembled and used to construct a warming shed?"

A warming shed, in essence, was a fantasy version of a greenhouse, capable of creating its own micro-environment. Atmospheric Node Tokens and Earth Advantage Laws couldn't be used outside, but they were easy to deploy within a warming shed. However, building one here would be very difficult. Because the one they had was only a fifth-tier bamboo box; though large, it wasn't large enough. Constructing a warming shed in this location would be a major undertaking.

"I did," Zhao Xing chuckled. "Didn't you notice the warming cabin got much larger?"

"I actually didn't notice; I haven't been inside for days." Chen Shijie glanced back and immediately saw the difference.

"Well, you're certainly bold. The Qilin Flying Ark is a gift from the imperial court, and you dared to drastically modify it."

"Hahahaha, you finally noticed! What do you think? It's a good modification, isn't it? Only an expert would see it," Zhao Xing said proudly.

"It truly is well-modified," Chen Shijie praised after a closer look.

Zhao Xing had sectioned off a part of the Qilin Flying Ark, added another section, removed some useless decorations, but also added an illusion formation. So, from the outside, it still looked no different from before.

"Mainly, the Qilin Flying Ark is a royal exclusive; it has existing devices and materials, and its energy supply technology is first-class. It's hard to buy these quickly, and custom-making them takes too much time, so it's better to modify it extensively. I believe His Majesty won't blame me; I'm a司农, so practicality comes first."

"No wonder you said the bulk of the cost was on this ark," Chen Shijie said. "You meant it literally."

"Indeed," Zhao Xing said. "It's a pity it's still missing something; traveling with an assembled ark isn't quite as satisfying."

"If one reaches the Pure Origin Realm, cultivates the **Later Earth Returning to Origin Secret Canon** to an advanced level, perfects the second layer of the **Yin-Yang True Self Scripture**, and has all four True Self techniques at a high tier, then one can cultivate within the pure origin soil in their dantian."

"Difficult," Chen Shijie said. "Normal fifth-rank司农 primarily cultivate Heavenly Timing or Earth Advantage laws; they wouldn't waste effort on the True Self Faction. None of the conditions you just mentioned are easy to achieve."

The fifth-rank Pure Origin Realm was merely the threshold for the True Self Faction. To give birth to pure origin soil, cultivate internally, and manifest a 'pure origin projection' was incredibly difficult. Many司农, even upon reaching fifth-rank, only superficially cultivated the True Self Faction's techniques.

Back at Soul Sacrifice Pass, Liu Tianning and Li Yuanzhen, a fourth-rank司农 of the Black Armored Army, appeared on the battlefield simultaneously. But Li Yuanzhen was overshadowed by Liu Tianning. This was simply because Li Yuanzhen used the Heavenly Timing Law, and although his technique was profound, it wasn't rare; many fourth-rank司农 could modify 'Yin Five Elements Heavenly Timing'. Perhaps not as deftly as Li Yuanzhen, but they could still do it. However, Liu Tianning manifested a pure origin projection, instantly planting rows of divine trees on the battlefield! Numerous plant soldiers formed a seventh-tier defensive line! Li Yuanzhen could only concede, as he had not condensed pure origin soil and knew how difficult that path was.

"Difficult, but worth trying," Zhao Xing said. "I'm still young; I have plenty of time." If he could find Mi Fu and obtain the **Profound Yellow Analysis of Origin Art**, combined with certain rituals and materials, this time could be greatly shortened, and he could even become stronger... Zhao Xing thought to himself. But this old man's whereabouts were still unknown. However, Zhao Xing wasn't in a hurry; he hadn't even reached the fifth-rank yet.

"What do you think of this place?" Chen Shijie suddenly pointed downwards. "The ice layer here is relatively thin, and icebergs on either side block the strong winds, making the cold less severe."

"It's good. Let's mark it and keep looking," Zhao Xing said. He needed to build a warming shed, and site selection was crucial; otherwise, rework would be time-consuming and troublesome.

On Pei Yuanchang's multistory ship, the direct descendant of King Lingshuang was handling fishing matters. Currently, the catch was mediocre, estimated at only around a thousand catties of fish per day, and the quality wasn't high either. Not just him, but other top exploration teams were in a similar situation. Firstly, their tools were inadequate; only after arriving did they realize what level of equipment was needed here. Secondly, at Night Fort Number 98, the transformation of spiritual essence into fish was not yet large-scale; only a few jumped out, and fishing underwater was quite difficult.

"Today's catch is estimated to be only 1,200 catties of fish. Most of them are vital energy-type fish."

The cost invested far exceeded the income, but Pei Yuanchang continued to increase his investment. He had an icebreaker on its way, and he was constantly inviting skilled individuals to join his forces.

"My Lord, Zeng Changguang from Taixi Commandery is willing to join your command," a scholar reported. "He's a martial artist in the early Pure Origin Realm, but his cultivation of the 'Frigid Ice True Spirit Art' has reached the seventh level, developing a 'Frigid Spirit Martial Physique'."

"Oh?" Pei Yuanchang said. "That could work. What are his demands?"

"His demands are a bit high," the strategist replied. "He wants to occupy a slot for a senior explorer. He demands seventy percent of the current harvest, with thirty percent going to us, and he wants this slot to be permanent, with no possibility of being dismissed halfway through."

"Seventy percent? And a permanent slot?" Pei Yuanchang scoffed. "He's quite brazen."

A mere martial artist in the early Pure Origin Realm was hardly worth mentioning to Pei Yuanchang. This was because there were plenty of fifth-rank cultivators wanting to come to the Extreme Night Sea, but they lacked the qualifications and were stuck in Yang City. Moreover, outside the Ten-Yang Grotto-Heaven, many more were waiting. In the current situation, qualifications and slots were valuable, not manpower. Demanding seventy percent and a permanent slot was simply excessive.

"If this person hadn't cultivated the Frigid Ice Spirit Physique, he wouldn't even be on my radar," Pei Yuanchang said. "Discuss two options with him. One: he takes thirty percent, and his senior qualification is revoked at the end of the Extreme Night Sea expedition; he goes back to where he came from. Two: he gets the senior qualification for two months, during which he must stay in the Extreme Night Sea for one month, and all his catches belong to me. My terms are already much better than those offered by other factions," Pei Yuanchang stated. "If he doesn't agree, there's no need to discuss further."

Although the seven major exploration teams had united to form an alliance, excluding other factions and blockading the sea (Liu Tianning was not present and thus not counted as a faction), they were still competing with each other, akin to an arms race, all wanting to expand rapidly and dominate wider sea areas and more spiritual essences. Among the seven major exploration teams, his territory was currently the smallest. The terms offered by Pei Yuanchang were indeed somewhat better than those from other factions. But the qualification for a senior explorer was incredibly valuable. Such a qualification could even earn the favor of a king; how could a fifth-rank martial artist expect to get it for just a few days' work? Impossible.

"Alright, I'll contact him again to see if he's trying to bargain or if he genuinely lacks self-awareness," the strategist said.

"There's also a fifth-rank司农 named Ren Fang, who is outside the Ten-Yang Grotto-Heaven. He's connected through Marquis Mingwei."

"What did Marquis Mingwei say?" Pei Yuanchang asked. Marquis Mingwei was the commanding general of the Black Armored Army, and Marquis Mingwu was the commanding general of the Tiger Dragon Army.

"Marquis Mingwei merely passed on a message; he didn't personally advocate for him."

"Does this person have even a tenth of Liu Tianning's capability?" Pei Yuanchang asked again.

"Probably not."

"Does he follow the True Self Faction?"

"He primarily cultivates the Heavenly Timing Faction."

"Refuse him," Pei Yuanchang said. "Given the current situation in the Extreme Night Sea, neither Heavenly Timing nor Earth Advantage can be easily influenced. Apart from True Self Faction司农, others are unlikely to achieve much." In truth, even True Self Faction司农 were only useful if they had cultivated 'pure origin soil'. Otherwise, they wouldn't be very effective. But since he primarily cultivated the Heavenly Timing Faction, there was no need to ask further. Not every fifth-rank司农 was like Liu Tianning. If this person had even a tenth of Liu Tianning's capability, Pei Yuanchang would personally welcome him and treat him as an honored guest.

After his subordinate left, Pei Yuanchang couldn't help but smile. "What an unconstrained Marquis Yuanrang, truly unconventional in his methods." The Qilin Flying Ark was a symbol of status and honor, a gift from Emperor Jing; others would worship it, yet Zhao Xing drastically modified it simply because some of its materials and craftsmanship were useful. "This person truly embodies the pragmatism of a司农 to the fullest. I heard he mastered high-tier True Self Faction techniques when he was seventh-rank; no wonder Liu Tianning valued him. I wonder what wonders he'll cultivate now," Pei Yuanchang mused, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"Fifth-tier Water Immortal seedlings, fifth-tier Fish-Devouring Grass seedlings, fifth-tier Azure Sea Cloud Vine seedlings. These three types are fifth-tier even as seedlings and are all derivative species, pre-treated by high-grade司农. Just buying them cost a fortune, and given the right environment, they have a chance to grow to sixth-tier."

"Old Chen, our task is to maximize these chances," Zhao Xing said in the warming shed, pointing to the seedlings in the dark soil.

Chen Shijie looked at the three types of seedlings, somewhat dazed. Of the three plants Zhao Xing mentioned, he had only heard of the Water Immortal; he had never even heard of the other two! Why? Because they were derivative species! They didn't naturally exist but were new varieties artificially cultivated and born later. Old Chen understood native species, but derivative species were beyond his scope of knowledge. Furthermore, the two types Zhao Xing mentioned were not ordinary derivative species. They were the research achievements of high-grade司农 from Shangluo Academy in the Military Domain. In other words, these were cutting-edge, high-end products, circulated only within a small circle and not yet officially released to the public. How did he get them? Naturally, through Liu Tianning's connections.

"You only bought sixty plants?" Chen Shijie asked. This quantity was very, very small for seedlings. He read the official gazette every day, yet when the high-end techniques from the gazette were actually right in front of him, Chen Shijie was somewhat hesitant to start. He was afraid of harming these precious seedlings; one small mistake, and the previous investment would be wasted. Plant life, regardless of its tier, is relatively fragile during the seedling and seed stages. If not cultivated properly, they would simply die. As for mutation and degradation, that was even more common.

"Old Chen, be bolder, don't be afraid," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "You've already undergone a transformation within the Heavenly Gate. One of your Foundation Strengthening Laws has reached a high tier. Speaking of which, your advanced Foundation Strengthening Law is perfectly suited for nurturing the Azure Sea Cloud Vine."

Being with Zhao Xing these past few days and constantly encountering such advanced things, Chen Shijie was still a bit unaccustomed. Furthermore, due to the short time, he hadn't fully realized that he was actually quite formidable, a genius among sixth-rank司农. However, at this moment, prompted by Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie regained his confidence.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the Azure Sea Cloud Vine."

"Not just that, you'll also have more work to do. You'll be in charge of controlling the atmospheric node changes within the warming shed," Zhao Xing said. His Atmospheric Node Token cultivation realm was not as high as Chen Shijie's, mainly because he hadn't had much time to cultivate; his last seclusion at Soul Sacrifice Pass was less than two months. It was enough for cultivating individual spells, but too short for cultivating sectarian classics.

"Alright," Chen Shijie immediately began to act.

Zhao Xing also began to tend to the Water Immortal and Fish-Devouring Grass. Both of these plants served as bait. The Water Immortal could emit low-frequency vibrations, attracting most fish and causing them to enter their mating and breeding season prematurely. The seeds of the Fish-Devouring Grass were fish's favorite food, acting much like catnip for cats. Once cultivated, these two items would be used for baiting fishing spots. Using sixth-tier plants for baiting might seem a bit wasteful. But in this situation, it was entirely worthwhile!

"Since we can't go into the water, we'll let the fish come to us," Zhao Xing said with a faint smile. "These fish are drawn to the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, but they are still fish; they won't fail to take the bait. Let's get to work, let's get to work!"

Both immediately became full of vigor.

At the ice well formation, Long Xiao, Ji Ziyun, and Xia Jing were fishing for spiritual essence, their backs to the ice mountain. Zhao Xing had also saved some ordinary third and fourth-tier bait earlier, so there was no worry about lacking bait.

"It moved, it moved!" Long Xiao shouted excitedly, yanking up the Divine Luo Rod.

*Whoosh!* The rod and line snapped up, swinging sideways, trailing a hazy blue glow. Then it smacked Ji Ziyun and Xia Jing, who were fishing.

Xia Jing: "..."

Ji Ziyun: "..."

Ji Ziyun helplessly untangled the fishing line wrapped around him. "Brother Long, perhaps... you should take a break first."

"Long Xiao, do you even know what you're doing?" Xia Jing also cursed. "You've smacked my cousin and me thirteen times in two hours! Are you fishing for fish or for people?"

Xia Jing indignantly removed the fishhook from his topknot. The Seven-Star Hook would enlarge with large catches and shrink with small ones. If a fish's vital energy was weak, the hook would remain normal size. If a fish's vital energy was strong, the hook would rapidly expand and grow larger. How else could a single fishhook be sixth-tier? When it struck just now, the Seven-Star Hook had turned into a Seven-Star Anchor! The Seven-Star Hook even came with a locking effect, which Xia Jing couldn't avoid at all. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and locked his vital energy, causing the hook to shrink considerably upon approaching him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Long Xiao said, extremely embarrassed; he just wasn't cut out for this. "I'll listen to Brother Ji and take a break."

"How are you so focused when practicing swordplay, but you can't sit still for a moment when fishing?" Xia Jing wondered. He had sparred with Long Xiao before; it was common for them to practice together during their time spent. Sword cultivators had intense focus; Long Xiao was the kind of man who could practice swordplay for days and nights without sleep, even sleeping with his sword.

"This... I can't explain it," Long Xiao scratched his nose. "As soon as I see the hook move, I can't help but want to pull it up and see." *Sigh*, fishing was much harder than sword practice.

"Never mind," Xia Jing said. "Come rest over here. I'll catch some fish for you."

"Okay!" Long Xiao put away his fishing gear and went to Xia Jing's side.

Strangely enough, over the past two hours, the one with the biggest catch wasn't the skilled fisherman Ji Ziyun. It was Xia Jing.

Shortly after he spoke, Xia Jing raised his hands, and the Divine Luo Rod rapidly shrank, while the fishing line quickly reeled in.

*Splash!* A fish shimmering with a faint silvery-white glow leaped out of the water, and then Xia Jing flicked his wrist, the fish unhooked itself and fell into the fish basket twenty meters in front of him.

*Flop, flop!* The fish thrashed about powerfully in the basket. But after a while, it became still.

"Young Lord, that's amazing!" Long Xiao ran over to look, then excitedly ran back. "You've caught fifteen already! Brother Ji only has seven."

"It's probably just luck," Xia Jing said, a faint smile on his face. He didn't like eating fish; even the smell made him nauseous. Now, with good luck, having caught more than his cousin, he actually felt a slight enjoyment for fishing.

"We're both beginners, how did you do it?" Long Xiao humbly asked for advice.

"This Divine Luo Rod, you have to..." Xia Jing earnestly began sharing his experience.

Ji Ziyun listened from nearby, quite puzzled. How could he be worse than his cousin?

They fished for another two hours. At this moment, Zhao Xing flew over.

"Xia Jing, Brother Ji, Long Xiao, how are your catches?"

"I didn't catch a single one," Long Xiao said. "But Brother Xia caught a ton, look!" He held up the fish basket, where colorful fish were swimming.

"Hm? All of these were caught by Brother Xia?" Zhao Xing was also a bit surprised. Was this the beginner's luck halo?

Xia Jing raised his head, his chest unconsciously puffing out.

"Amazing!" Zhao Xing praised. But Xia Jing's habit hadn't changed; he even placed the fish basket twenty meters away.

"And Brother Ji?"

"I only caught ten small ones," Ji Ziyun said, a bit dejected. He was supposed to be an expert in this! The fish he caught didn't even weigh half as much as Xia Jing's.

"Hahaha, no worries, let's change locations," Zhao Xing chuckled. "You're going to be busy next."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Ji Ziyun asked.

"Just follow me."

Outside the warming shed, only a small portion of the Qilin Flying Ark remained. The rest had become part of the warming shed. It covered an area of seven or eight mu. Why was it so large? Because the warming shed Zhao Xing constructed primarily consisted of accumulated ice blocks. Materials and devices removed from the Qilin Flying Ark were embedded and suspended inside, expanding it to this size.

"Wow, you dismantled the flying ark!" Xia Jing laughed. "You're really willing to do that."

"What's there to be unwilling about? There'll be plenty of rewards for future merits," Zhao Xing said. "Please, gentlemen, come in."

Upon entering the ice door, the temperature inside suddenly rose. The interior was still predominantly snowy white, however, a striking patch of green caught their eyes in the center. Amidst the pristine white snow, a patch of grass had actually appeared. Shallow ponds on both sides were blooming with flowers. In the center, a vine wrapped around a tree, with single leaves measuring four or five meters.

Chen Shijie was bent over, like a diligent old farmer, harvesting grass seeds. The Atmospheric Node Token in the sky emitted light and heat, like a miniature sun. Due to the temperature difference, mist rose inside, flowers bloomed, and a pervasive aura enveloped the space, making it feel as if they had instantly stepped from an icy wilderness into a farm estate.

"The role of a司农 is truly wondrous," Ji Ziyun couldn't help but exclaim. "Even in a world of ice and snow, they can create miracles of life."

Xia Jing was only concerned with their function, as he had become somewhat addicted to fishing and wanted to start quickly. "What are these things for?"

"The Water Immortal is to be transplanted to the water's surface, and the Fish-Devouring Grass seeds are for baiting the fishing spot, or they can be used as bait directly," Zhao Xing introduced.

"What about this tree?" Long Xiao stared at the large-leaved tree in the center.

"It's not a tree," Chen Shijie corrected, "It's a vine, the Azure Sea Cloud Vine."

"A vine? What's its purpose?"

Zhao Xing walked over to the Azure Sea Cloud Vine with a smile, pushed aside a large leaf, and revealed a door on the "tree."

"The Azure Sea Cloud Vine can root ten thousand miles deep into the seabed below and ascend to the nine heavens above. Of course, this particular vine of mine isn't that old and has been treated with the Segment Bending Method. Its roots are currently only extending downwards and haven't fully matured yet, but they should eventually reach about ten li in length."

Zhao Xing opened the door, revealing the space within. "The vine is thick and hollow inside. We can follow the roots of the Azure Sea Cloud Vine downwards to directly reach below the water's surface. This way, we can observe the underwater environment and see at a glance whether there are fish, avoiding wasted bait and pointless efforts. Its root system is layered; if you cut it horizontally, you'll see more than a dozen concentric circles in the cross-section. We can even open a hole in the first layer of the vine, let fish in, and then seal the opening when we're ready. This way, we can even try to catch the large fish from beneath the sea... Why are you all looking at me like that?" Zhao Xing suddenly paused.

"You're truly a genius, damn it," Xia Jing said with a strange expression. "I feel like you've done this kind of thing many times before."

Ji Ziyun nodded, sharing the same feeling.

"This was something Old Chen and I discussed together, and it's our first attempt," Zhao Xing said, his expression unchanged. It was indeed discussed, but he had guided Old Chen to think in this direction. In his previous life, he had, of course, done it many times. Ascending to the heavens, descending to the earth, patrolling mountains, searching seas—what hadn't a司农 done? Some司农 players were most keen on exploration, then sharing their experiences of creative ways to die. The Azure Sea Cloud Vine, after Zhao Xing learned to cultivate it in his previous life, he also experimented with it once. It was quite good, a reliable small underwater base.

"So, do we go down first, or do we fish first?" Long Xiao asked.

"Old Chen and I have already been down once," Zhao Xing said, closing the wooden door. "There are many fish schools beneath this ice layer, so it should be a better spot than where you were previously fishing. The ice layer here is also relatively thin, so breaking the ice is simple. Even a martial artist with a sword could cut out a crack, and afterward, we just need to clear the floating ice. We'll expand the fishing area, then try baiting to see the effect," Zhao Xing said.

"Breaking the ice and moving the floating ice, I'll handle that," Long Xiao said, touching his sword.

"Reinforcing the fishing platform and setting up formations, I'll handle that," Ji Ziyun said, flicking his sleeve.

"Grass seed bait, cultivation spells, I'll handle that," Chen Shijie stated.

"Underwater observation and surface baiting, I'll take care of that," Zhao Xing said.

"What do I do then?" Xia Jing felt a bit lost, as if his teammates had already taken care of everything.

The four exchanged glances, and a mischievous smile appeared on all their faces. "You'll be in charge of catching the fish."

Xia Jing: "!!!"