"What is that? Is that… a lake?"
"How could this newly revealed area be a lake? Are they planning for us to go boating and enjoy the scenery?"
Voices of astonishment echoed as a new region of the Holy City emerged from the fading mists.
"It's the Nightmare Celestial Lake—that's its name! It's not just a regular lake… It's a celestial pool! Look—there's a sign showing the rules!"
Indeed, a stone stele had risen at the edge of the lake, detailing everything about the pool.
"Fishing… it's for fishing! This place is made for fishing!! But look at the cost—this is insane!""One fishing attempt costs at least 1,000 Nightmare Coins. Then there are tiers—3,000, 10,000, even 100,000 and 1 million coins?! That's robbery!"
Before the pool stood a massive board detailing the system.There were seven different fishing rods available, and only these rods could be used for fishing here—each representing a color:
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Purple.
These were the Seven-Colored Rods, and each had a different function.Their exact effects? Unknown. You'd have to test them out yourself.What could you fish up? No one knew.You might haul something up… or walk away with nothing.
That uncertainty was what made it so enticing.
"Interesting. Mystery and the unknown are my favorite. Let me give it a shot!"
Just then, two chubby brown bears waddled out.
Their round, cuddly appearance made them instantly likable—not the least bit threatening.In fact, many wanted to hug them.
"Bear One and Bear Two," Qian Mian muttered with recognition.These two clearly weren't nobodies in the Holy City.
The pair stepped toward the lake. Instantly, a large boat appeared.
They boarded it, and at the bow, seven rods of different colors shimmered into view.Below the rods was a vessel filled with shimmering baits—each one glowing like a pearl.
"Huh? We have to pay to get bait?"Bear Two blinked at the vessel. He grabbed a handful of Nightmare Coins and dropped them in—exactly 1,000.
Whoosh!
A white bait popped out of the machine and attached itself to the red rod.
Bear Two grabbed the rod excitedly.
"Here we go! Something's gonna bite! I'm a master angler!"
With great confidence, he cast the line, his form precise—clearly no amateur.The bait sailed out and landed precisely where he wanted.
Onlookers watched attentively, hoping to learn from his attempt.Knowledge here meant advantage later.
Bear One wasn't far behind—he also tossed in 1,000 Nightmare Coins, grabbed the orange rod, and cast it out.
"Got something!!"
Suddenly, Bear Two felt a tug. Without hesitation, he yanked hard.From the lake, a jar shot out and landed on the deck.
"Something's in here! Let me see what treasure I've got!"He excitedly popped open the lid and reached in—pulling out a golden substance.
"Honey! My favorite—this is amazing! I've never tasted honey this good before!"
He licked a bit of it, and his expression turned into one of sheer ecstasy.He hugged the jar tightly—no one was prying this from his paws.
This wasn't ordinary honey.
It was Royal Jelly—infused with spiritual essence and unmatched in flavor.Its value was tremendous. The flavor alone was dozens of times stronger than ordinary honey.
"I've got something too!"Bear One yelled and pulled in his line—but found nothing.
"Lost it!""Was it a false bite, or did it escape?"
"Red rod gets honey—must be good for material-type items. Wonder what orange will give…"
The crowd was already analyzing.Two rods in, and theories were forming.
The Seven-Colored Rods (Functions Revealed):
Red (万能竿 – Universal Rod)
Can fish up anything: spiritual fruits, materials, treasures, pills, techniques, etc.
Low to mid-tier items are most common.
Moderate chance of no catch (missed/escaped).
Orange (灵物竿 – Spirit Material Rod)
Specializes in fishing up raw spiritual materials: herbs, fruits, minerals, divine plants.
Best for alchemists, refiners.
RNG-dependent, still has chance of no catch.
Yellow (功法竿 – Technique Rod)
Can fish up cultivation techniques, manuals, secret arts.
Random tier and type. Still subject to escape.
Green (丹药竿 – Pill Rod)
Brings up pills, potions, elixirs.
Finished medicinal products only.
Cyan (宝物竿 – Treasure Rod)
For divine artifacts, weapons, equipment.
Includes even innate spiritual treasures.
High chance of failed catches.
Blue (生灵竿 – Creature Rod)
Pulls up living beings!
Any race, any form.
Risky—some might retaliate or even kill the angler.
Purple (寿命竿 – Lifespan Rod)
Directly fishes up lifespan.
Highly unreliable—9 out of 10 tries are duds.
Amount of lifespan gained is completely random.
Soon, dozens of fishing boats began appearing across the lake.The city was buzzing with excitement.
Every minute, someone pulled up something incredible.But for every winner, there were far more empty-handed anglers.
One thing was certain:
The Nightmare Celestial Lake was a bottomless money pit.
Coins poured into it by the thousands. And it never gave anything back for free.
"Brilliant. This Nightmare Lake is perfectly crafted to tap into people's addiction to gambling."Yi Tianxing nodded with admiration.
"Indeed," Qian Mian agreed."That temptation… to bet it all for a shot at greatness—who can resist?"
Even he felt the urge to give it a try.
"I can't resist either. Since I'm here, how could I not cast a line?"Yi Tianxing smiled."Daoist Qian Mian, I'll leave the slave lord transaction to you. Follow up carefully and complete it as soon as possible."
"Of course!"
Qian Mian replied without hesitation.
This was a massive deal. The profits would be unimaginable—he had no intention of being careless.
Yi Tianxing walked up to the lake and declared he wished to fish.
A boat appeared.
He boarded it and began feeding coins into the system.
His boat began moving forward, deeper into the vast lake.
The further he traveled, the more coins he had to spend—one Nightmare Coin per meter.
He went on for 10,000 meters, and still hadn't reached the lake's center.The scale was almost unfathomable.
"Let's see what I can fish up… Anything's possible with the Red Universal Rod."
He took the red rod and invested 100,000 Nightmare Coins into bait.
A bait ball emerged—four-colored, glowing with extraordinary power.
He cast his line.
Ripples spread across the surface.
Moments passed.
Then—bam!
A massive tug nearly pulled Yi Tianxing overboard.It felt like some living creature was resisting from below—trying to drag him in.
"Interesting. Come out!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with excitement.
He flicked his wrist, and his internal strength surged.The rod responded—its power amplifying.
SPLASH!!
A glowing ball of light burst from the water, landing heavily on the deck.
The glow faded—revealing a middle-aged Taoist with an air of wisdom and profound dignity.
His presence commanded respect.
"Who dares summon this poor Taoist without cause?"
The man's face was a mix of annoyance and confusion.