Fang Chen put down his fishing gear and walked with Langya Wenqiu toward Cheng Yuhan.

The situation seemed quite tense. The local manager stood between them, trying to mediate.

Nan Gong looked at Cheng Yuhan and the antagonistic young man and earnestly advised, "You all came here to catch Black Dragon Fish and paid the entrance fee. Instead of wasting time arguing, why not focus on fishing so you can earn your money back at least?"

Cheng Yuhan's voice was deep. "I was just about to focus and cast my line, but this troublemaker keeps running his mouth off. Nan Gong, I suggest you throw him out."

The young man sneered. "Who do you think you are making such demands? Even the sword cultivators from the Void Immortal Sword Sect wouldn’t be so domineering."

Fang Chen realized that the young man had no idea about Cheng Yuhan and his companions' background.

"What exactly do you want?" Wang Hu asked with a frown.

It was clear to him that the young man was deliberately provoking them. There had to be some underlying motive.

"Here’s the deal: since two of your group have paid the fee to fish, why don’t you have a contest with me and my friend here? Let’s see who can catch the most Black Dragon Fish within a day. Highest quality wins. Are you up for it?" The young man taunted.

Langya Wenqiu transmitted a message to Fang Chen, "

It seems he’s trying to make more off of Cheng Yuhan since he lost last time.

"

Fang Chen nodded. The young man’s intentions were quite clear.

Cheng Yuhan, not wanting to back down, retorted, "This is my junior brother’s first time here. If you want a competition, it’s between you and me. We shall not include him."

The tension in the air was palpable as both sides prepared for the challenge.

Cheng Qing and Cheng Shuang couldn’t help but send a reminder via transmission, but Cheng Yuhan, aware of the other party's intentions, decided to go along with the bet.

Someone sneered and addressed the young man. "Fellow cultivator Lin, looks like he’s afraid. Why don’t we just do our own thing since he doesn’t dare accept?”

The young man looked at Cheng Yuhan with a half-smile. "What, are you really afraid? If you want it just between us, sure. You won’t be catching a single Black Dragon Fish anyway."

Cheng Yuhan’s expression turned serious. "Alright then. Let’s make it a bet between just the two of us. What’s the wager?"

Cheng Shuang immediately sent a transmission, "

Is this a trap? If we lose.…

"

Cheng Yuhan transmitted back, "

I’ve already made up my mind. This guy gets on my nerves. If we lose, I’ll wait for him outside and fight him.

"

Cheng Shuang nodded nigh-imperceptibly. "

That’s fine then.

"

The young man proposed, "You bet 20 mid-grade spirit stones last time. This time, let’s bet 40 mid-grade spirit stones."

Cheng Yuhan agreed without hesitation. "Alright. One day to see who catches more and better-quality Black Dragon Fish. Nan Gong, you’ve heard the terms. Be our witness. Don’t want these guys backing out after losing.”

Seeing that everything had been settled, Nan Gong nodded and turned to leave with his group.

"Brother Fang, don’t worry about me. I won’t lose! Be at peace and fish," Cheng Yuhan said loudly on purpose.

Fang Chen nodded and returned to his fishing spot along with Langya Wenqiu.

On the other side, the young man's friend quietly transmitted, "Fellow cultivator Lin, are you confident?"

"What’s there to be afraid of? It’s obvious that the guy with him is here for the first time. Did you forget how many mid-grade spirit stones we had to lose before we learned a thing or two? A newcomer might not catch a single fish even if they come four or five times," Lin Hai said confidently.

Aside from this, he was confident because, as a cultivator from the Great Expansion Dao Gate, he practiced the Supreme Response Technique. This technique was very helpful for fishing for Black Dragon Fish.

"Just focus. We’re bound to win this time. We’ll split the 40 mid-grade spirit stones. Seventy, thirty."

The other person agreed after a moment’s thought. Even if they lost, Lin Hai would be the one footing the majority of the loss anyway. Since Lin Hai’s fishing skills were superior, having him around meant that their side was likely to win. Getting twelve mid-grade spirit stones for free was a nice gain, especially since it had come out of nowhere.

In the distance, Meng Tianshu from the Seven Profound Sect slowly withdrew his gaze, still showing a hint of surprise.

"Senior Brother Meng? Senior Brother Meng?"

Seven or eight young men and women looked surprised. It was rare to see Meng Tianshu lost in thought. Just a group of ordinary Golden Core Realm cultivators arguing had captured the attention of an Immortal Seedling.

Snapping out of it, Meng Tianshu looked at the girl beside him. "Oh? What’s the matter?"

The woman looked at him eagerly. "Senior Brother, you’ve already caught three Black Dragon Fish today. That’s amazing! What’s your secret?”

The others also looked at him with anticipation. Meng Tianshu never walked out of the Black Dragon Lake empty-handed. He would catch at least three to five Black Dragon Fish. He’d often even catch ten. They were eager to know his secret.

Meng Tianshu wore a faint smile. "What’s my secret? Haven’t I already told you? It’s about calming your mind and focusing, becoming one with Black Dragon Lake.”

The others exchanged glances. They looked skeptical.

Becoming one with Black Dragon Lake? That sounds too mystical.

"Don’t doubt it. It’s a state of mind. You can only find the way in by trying it out. This state not only helps with fishing for Black Dragon Fish but also makes it easier to win battles," Meng Tianshu added.

His gaze involuntarily shifted back to Fang Chen.

He remembered Fang Chen. Back at the Immortal Dynasty Manor, Fang Chen had effortlessly countered his sword, nearly becoming his mental demon.

Fortunately, Fang Chen had reassured him before he left, saying they could have another match in the future. This had helped him maintain his mental state.

Later, he realized that this encounter had been the first of his Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations. After realizing he had overcome this trial, he felt genuine fulfillment and was ready to attempt a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm. However, he knew he still had his own shortcomings, so he had decided to solidify his foundation further before considering the breakthrough.

Thus, he came to Black Dragon Lake to use the Black Dragon Fish here to refine his Golden Core and make it purer. When Meng Tianshu had noticed Fang Chen, he had unknowingly entered a brief moment of deep reflection. This moment of realization had dissolved any idea of fighting Fang Chen.

He knew he could not match up to Fang Chen.

For a cultivator to acknowledge their own deficiencies was also a form of mental cultivation.

Meng Tianshu began to quietly observe Fang Chen, curious about how many Black Dragon Fish he could catch in a single day given his skills.

***

Seeing Fang Chen skillfully setting up and casting his line, looking nothing like a novice, Langya Wenqiu couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Fang, have you fished before?"

"Is that surprising? Fishing can be quite meditative. I had a few idle years where I often went fishing," Fang Chen replied with a smile.

"That's good to know. I’m sure you’ll be able to catch Black Dragon Fish. After all, Junior Brother Fang, you’re different from the other Golden Core Realm cultivators here," Langya Wenqiu said, seemingly confident in Fang Chen's abilities.

She asked, "Junior Brother Fang, once you catch a Black Dragon Fish, will you eat it or sell it? Black Dragon Fish can temper the Golden Core, but different people have different needs. Some might need seven or eight, while others might require twenty or more."

"I’ll eat some and store the rest. If there’s any extra, I’ll sell it," Fang Chen answered, smiling carefreely.

He wasn’t just here out of curiosity. Black Dragon Fish were valuable spiritual materials with significant use in alchemy. Out of the 4,800 recipes in the Yellow rank introductory tome, nearly one-sixth required Black Dragon Fish. Many recipes in the Profound rank tome also needed it.

He planned to eat some, store some, and sell the rest.

Before Langya Wenqiu could respond, Fang Chen suddenly flicked his wrist, and a Black Dragon Fish leaped out of the water, landing at their feet and flopping around.

Langya Wenqiu was immediately stunned. "What the…."