Immortal Cage - Chapter 51: Fish in the Vessel
With the blood clam in hand, Yu Lie conducted some experiments in his stone house. The next day, he picked up his fishing rod, hooks, and other tools, and headed to the Black River to fish for the Black Serpent Fish.
He needed to quickly feed the blood clam.
Otherwise, the blood clam would absorb a large amount of his qi and blood every day. If delayed further, he would truly not be able to bear it.
As for the matter of using the bronze wine cup to refine the blood vessel, although Yu Lie was tempted, his current cultivation level was low, and he barely came into contact with many blood vessels. He could only suppress this thought for now.
Yu Lie's current priority was to feed the blood clam and quickly complete his third transformation, advancing to become a middle-level Daoist!
Thus, in the town of Blackwater, Yu Lie began to methodically carry out his activities in the Poison Mouth, Stone House, and by the Black River.
With the assistance of the blood clam, whether it was fishing or selling fish, it became much more convenient for him.
Yu Lie no longer needed to gut fish in the wilderness but could slowly slaughter them at home, which was safe and also honed his slaughtering skills.
At the same time, the Black Serpent Fish stored in the blood clam did not undergo changes like those stored in the bronze wine cup. Yu Lie only needed to return once a day to switch methods and sell fish in Blackwater Town.
There is one more point worth mentioning.
After obtaining the secret from the gambling house, Yu Lie continued to act as if nothing had happened, deceiving the leader of the Poison Mouth, Du Liang, and playing along.
Although Du Liang was unaware that Yu Lie had seen through his intentions, he continued to interact with Yu Lie with a smile every day, maintaining peace.
This allowed Yu Lie to temporarily find peace in the inn, helping him to focus on making money and breaking through without distractions.
On this day, by the Blackwater River.
In the early morning by the river, mist enveloped the surroundings, creeping into people's necks, chilling like ice-cold snakes wriggling, making people shiver.
Yu Lie's fishing this time was farther from the safe zone than usual, but he still did not dare to venture too far outside the town.
Within a few hundred steps around him, it was pitch black, with only him fishing.
Yu Lie crouched in an inconspicuous but convenient hiding spot, took out a batch of finely prepared fish bait, hung it on the hook, and deftly cast it into the Black River.
The float landed on the Black River silently.
Yu Lie focused and quieted his breath, with only the silent Black River and the surging river water in his eyes.
The strong fishy smell of the water and the cold iron fishing rod gradually absorbed his body heat, but his heart remained fiery.
Yu Lie had been fishing for months and was now considered an experienced fisherman. Coupled with his growing familiarity with the bronze wine cup, Yu Lie had gained some insights into how to lure the Black Serpent Fish with fish bait. He even figured out how to use mixed fish meat to attract a large number of Black Serpent Fish in advance, making fishing more convenient.
Today, he deliberately went deeper into a secluded area to prevent others from discovering the fish nest he had set up accidentally.
Hold your breath and concentrate, splashing water sounds!
Yu Lie's eyes widened as he picked up his fishing rod and vigorously lifted it. A large Black Serpent Fish leaped out of the Black River, struggling, but was eventually pulled ashore by Yu Lie.
After the Black Serpent Fish came ashore, with its mouth full of sharp teeth, it actively pounced on Yu Lie, attempting to attack him.
Yu Lie, being an experienced fisherman, knew how to handle the situation. The Black Serpent Fish was half the size of a person and an old Black Serpent Fish, not only fierce but also cunning, knowing how to actively attack Yu Lie.
It was indeed a big catch that Yu Lie had lured over in advance, perhaps even considered a fierce beast!
Facing the attack of the old Black Serpent Fish, Yu Lie remained calm. Instead of using his hooks, he picked up a steel fork that was inserted nearby, confronted the Black Serpent Fish head-on, and forcefully stabbed it with the fork!
Under the dim moonlight, Yu Lie, holding the fishing rod in one hand and the steel fork in the other, was agile and swift. He seemed to be covered in a layer of silver armor.
The Black Serpent Fish wriggled, trying to dodge the stabbing fork, but with the restraint of the fish hook and weakened strength after coming ashore, it couldn't avoid it.
The steel fork ruthlessly pierced the body of the old Black Serpent Fish, pinning it in place.
A strong fishy and bloody smell emanated, bringing a smile to Yu Lie's face. He skillfully cleaned the old Black Serpent Fish and kicked the bloodied soil and stones off the riverbank.
Then, he took out some medicine powder and quickly sprinkled it on the shore to cover the smell of blood, preventing it from attracting beasts or other people.
After finishing the handling, Yu Lie held the Black Serpent Fish with joy in his eyes:
"What a big fellow, full of spiritual power in its body. It seems I have to keep this one, not feed it to the blood clam or sell it. I need to keep it to nourish my strength during my transformation!"
Yu Lie chose not to process the old Black Serpent Fish but directly placed it into the blood clam in his abdomen. He then refreshed himself and resumed fishing on the shore, battling with the Black Serpent Fish in the river.
Due to the pre-prepared fish nest, he had a more bountiful harvest today compared to usual.
The appetite of the Black Serpent Fish was fierce. Even though Yu Lie was happily fishing on the shore, the blood of the fish in the water became richer. However, the gathered Black Serpent Fish continued to increase.
Soon, Yu Lie fed a Black Serpent Fish with a pierced gallbladder to the blood clam.
At that moment, the blood clam in his abdomen suddenly twitched and jumped, causing a strange expression on Yu Lie's face. He reached out to touch his navel, and a look of joy immediately appeared on his face.
After days of feeding, the blood clam had finally grown from a semi-finished product to a complete one!
Yu Lie peeled back his robe and looked down, finding that the blood clam attached to his abdomen was slowly expanding, covering a larger area and better protecting his internal organs.
The hunger feeling emanating from the blood clam disappeared suddenly.
Yu Lie peeled back the blood clam and carefully probed inside. With a thoughtful expression on his face, he said, "That merchant didn't deceive me. After feeding the blood clam, its internal space has indeed increased slightly."
The original blood clam could hold three units of things inside, such as three large water barrels. Now, the blood clam could hold three and a half units!
Yu Lie pondered, "I wonder if continuing to feed it will further expand its internal space..."
Making a mental note of this, Yu Lie planned to try it out later when he was wealthier or had another opportunity.
For now, he cherished the joy of feeding the blood clam and continued fishing diligently!
Yu Lie had planned to gather all the necessary spirit coins for the "Bronze Sinew Iron Bone" transformation that evening, aiming for a double stroke of luck!
Yu Lie was very confident. He had even arranged his schedule, waiting to sell the fish, get the money, buy other medicinal materials, and then retreat to his room.
The Blackwater River flowed endlessly.
Throughout the night, Yu Lie wrestled with the fish on the shore.
The harvest did not disappoint him, and with the fish nest and high-quality fish bait, he was accurate with every catch. If other fishermen saw this, they would surely exclaim that he was extraordinary!
The mist began to dissipate.
Half an hour before dawn, Yu Lie, fully focused, was fishing when a big fish took the bait.
The river water splashed!
But just as his face lit up, his expression changed the next moment. Instead of raising the steel fork, Yu Lie threw the fishing rod into the Black River, quickly retreated, somersaulted, and jumped back onto the shore.
A black shadow swept past the shore, scratching the rocks, sparking.
Luckily, Yu Lie dodged quickly and was not hit.
The eerie sound of water ripples echoed under the riverbank where Yu Lie was fishing, indicating a looming threat.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Yu Lie stood at a distance.
He squinted at the faintly visible black shadow approaching the riverbank and thought to himself, "It seems I've attracted a real big guy again!"
The catch was not an ordinary fish but most likely the rumored Black Serpent Fish King.
This was not the first time Yu Lie had encountered the fish king. Besides the first fishing encounter, he had a few more encounters. Even though Yu Lie carefully adjusted the purity of the fish bait, he could still inadvertently attract the fish king.
For some Daoists, this might be a great opportunity, a chance encounter. But for Yu Lie, it was a bit tricky. As a lone individual, he couldn't subdue the fish king. Even if he advanced to a middle-level Daoist, completed the Bronze Sinew Iron Bone transformation, and wanted to subdue it, he would probably need some help; otherwise, the risk would still be significant.
Gazing at the Black River, Yu Lie decisively chose to pack up and leave.
With the Fish King's arrival, his fishing spot was now compromised. The Fish King was cunning and would remember this location, possibly even patrol it from time to time. Even if he used ordinary Black Serpent Fish as bait, the Fish King might still bite the hook.
The Black Serpent Fish in Yu Lie's bag was almost enough.
His next step was to head to Blackwater Street, sell the fish for money, buy medicine, and consume it!
On the rugged mountain path.
Yu Lie, carrying an empty fishing rod, dragging the fish he caught, walked joyfully towards the town center.
As for the Fish King, he decided to let it roam freely in the river below for a while, grow fat and strong, and deal with it later.