Chapter 473: What? For Eating?

The monk's "Master" was a purely unconscious slip of the tongue, but it was close enough for Ji Yuan to hear. He glanced at the monk but paid him no mind, instead refocusing on the large fish before him.

"Splish, splash, splish, splash..."

Although Ji Yuan had pulled the large fish from the water, its violently thrashing tail still dragged immense amounts of seawater. Streaks of light encircled the fish, pulling at the water as if the light and water were glued to its tail. It refused to be pulled completely out, putting up its final struggle.

Besides the splashing, the surrounding seawater also seemed to shift between light and shadow. Ji Yuan was momentarily caught off guard, and his initial attempt to fully lift the fish failed; instead, it bounced back into the water.

"Plop..."

The large fish plunged back into the water, and a powerful force traveled up the fishing rod, causing Ji Yuan's body to sway forward. The fishing line instantly slackened, allowing the fish to drag the hook deeper into the seabed.

Although the monk riding the breeze was still very anxious, he remained silent this time. His intuition told him that the green-robed cultivator holding the jade-green fishing rod could certainly handle the situation, perhaps even possessing a deep understanding of the spirit fish beneath this Mirror Sea.

Ji Yuan's greatest asset was patience. He held the rod, letting the fish tire itself out, completely motionless for half an hour. He continued to subtly infuse more thunderous energy; once the fish had taken the bait, there was no spitting it out.

"You swallowed this date pit and still think you can get away?"

Ji Yuan chuckled, his hand applying force with practiced control. The jade-green fishing rod bent into a deep curve, and the magical light on the silk line appeared almost imperceptible against the surrounding shimmering glow. Each subtle flicker was accompanied by a flash of thunderous energy.

This method of 'electrocuting' the fish made every struggle of the immensely powerful golden fish feel like "a lot of noise, little impact." Combined with the unique properties of Ji Yuan's fishing rod and his personal skill, handling the fish's thrashing became increasingly effortless and masterful.

Furthermore, armed with the experience from his previous attempt, Ji Yuan approached the task with greater precision this time.

Finally, just as the fish propelled itself back to the water's surface with a powerful thrust of its tail, Ji Yuan suddenly increased his strength, instantly bending the fishing rod into a crescent moon shape. While his right hand firmly gripped the rod, his left hand, with a flick of his finger, lightly tapped the rod.

"Thrum."

A crisp, resonant sound originated from the point where Ji Yuan's left middle fingertip contacted the fishing rod. A distinct ripple of light vibrated along the rod, and this vibration immediately extended down the line to the large fish below.

"Whoosh..."

The connection between the golden fish's tail and the mirrored seawater below was severed in that instant. Ji Yuan's eyes lit up, and he sharply swung the rod once more, completely flinging the several-foot-long golden fish into the sky.

Ji Yuan quickly transferred the fishing rod to his left hand, then swung his right arm upwards and outwards, creating an illusion for onlookers of a grand sleeve sweeping across the sky. The very next moment, the large fish in the sky had been collected into Ji Yuan's sleeve, completely severing its connection to the Mirror Sea below.

"Mr. Ji, where's the fish?" asked Wei Yuansheng, looking at the empty fishing rod with confusion. Ji Yuan's movements had been too fast for him to clearly see, but it seemed as though Mr. Ji had gathered it into his sleeve.

"It's right here."

Ji Yuan swept his right arm, depositing the golden fish onto the deck, simultaneously covering its surface with a thin membrane of water.

"This... it's not a fish? No, I mean, this isn't an ordinary fish, is it?"

Wei Yuansheng, having at least embarked on the proper path of cultivation, quickly discerned the unusual nature of this golden fish. Ji Yuan nodded in response, but before he could speak, the monk who had been fishing earlier arrived within the airship's vicinity, still riding the breeze. His voice reached them before he even landed on the deck.

"Naturally, it's no ordinary fish. This fish is unique to the Mirror Sea, known as the Glazed Gui Water Golden Scale Sturgeon. Although it is a creature formed from water essence, its strength is boundless and its resilience unmatched. When in the Mirror Sea, its power is endless, making it exceedingly difficult to reel out of the water."

Ji Yuan looked to his side, and the man quickly cupped his hands and bowed respectfully to Ji Yuan.

"Master truly came prepared! I don't know what divine power or exquisite method you used, but you managed to reel in this Golden Scale Sturgeon in less than half an hour! Last year, I caught one, and it dragged my small boat around the Mirror Sea for nine days and ten nights before I finally won the struggle and managed to pull it out of the water!"

As he spoke, the man carefully examined Ji Yuan's fishing rod, noticing a peculiar pit on the hook, from which a faint fragrance emanated.

"Oh, a Glazed Gui Water Golden Scale Sturgeon," Wei Yuansheng remarked, "What a beautiful name!"

Wei Yuansheng, nodding from the side, squatted down to carefully examine the several-foot-long fish. He noticed that although the fish was entirely still, it was still opening and closing its mouth.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuan frowned as he looked at the man before him. He had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a dignified appearance, no beard or topknot, and was clad in a somewhat loose blue robe that appeared quite appropriate.

"My friend, 'Master' is not a title to be used so lightly."

"I understand. Of course, 'Master' shouldn't be used lightly, which is precisely why I am not using it lightly! My name is Lu Min, a cultivator from the Jingxuan Sea Pavilion, and I wish to acknowledge you as my Master!"

The man's smile faded, and he performed a very solemn, deep bow towards Ji Yuan. However, Ji Yuan simply took a step to the side, deftly avoiding it.

"Since you are a cultivator from the Jingxuan Sea Pavilion, isn't it taboo to casually take a master? Even if your sect were to agree, I, Ji, certainly would not."

The cultivator chuckled happily.

"That's what *you* said! It's not that I wouldn't take you as my Master, but that you refused to accept me as a disciple. Don't go back on your word!"

Ji Yuan was both exasperated and amused.

"Rest assured, I, Ji, will not go back on my word!"

Lu Min visibly exhaled in immense relief; it would indeed have been too foolish to end up with a master under such circumstances.

"That's good, that's good. Oh, by the way, may I be so bold as to ask your esteemed name? And could you perhaps explain how you managed to catch it? This fish is pure water essence, capable of using the Mirror Sea's flowing light as its method. One can only hope to exhaust it, never for its power to fully run out."

Ji Yuan offered a slight bow.

"My name is Ji Yuan, and I belong to no particular sect or school."

Ji Yuan then gestured towards the fishing line and explained.

"I used thunder magic to paralyze its body, preventing it from gathering the spiritual power of the still seawater. Finally, by flicking the rod, I detonated the thunder energy inside its body, and that's how I reeled it in."

"Thunder magic?"

The man was momentarily stunned.

"Thunder magic is useless against the Golden Scale Sturgeon; it only provokes their ferocity! What kind of thunder magic did you use?"

Ji Yuan, not wanting to explain further, simply replied.

"Believe it or not, as you wish."

"I believe, I believe, I believe! When it comes to fishing, you are certainly qualified to be my master, so I naturally believe you. Heh, how about you teach me just a bit of that thunder magic, and in exchange, I'll tell you how to refine this Gui Water Golden Scale fish?"

Ji Yuan was indeed somewhat interested in how to refine this golden scale fish, but he had no interest in teaching thunder magic. Furthermore, he had other plans for the fish, beyond refining it back into its Gui Water essence form.

Ji Yuan had been playing the fish for some time, and many people had been observing. Now, they all gathered closer, some of them recognizing the fish.

"I heard that beneath the Mirror Sea, a kind of Gui Water essence forms, transforming into a golden-scaled fish. It's an extremely rare creature."

"Is that the fish?" "Most likely!"

"There shouldn't be any normal fish beneath the Mirror Sea, should there?"

"Not necessarily..."

While others on the side commented and discussed, Ji Yuan reached out, grasped the fish's lip, and lifted the large fish. He examined it up and down, then directed a question to the cultivator from the Jingxuan Sea Pavilion.

"This fish was caught in the Mirror Sea; I presume it is considered a possession of the Jingxuan Sea Pavilion? Does Ji need to pay a certain fee for it?"

When catching such an extraordinary fish in someone else's territory, it was only proper to inquire rather than simply taking it.

"Oh, there's no need for that. Since you were permitted to fish, it would be unreasonable to demand a fee once you've caught something. My friend, please do consider my suggestion. I, Lu, always keep my word and am truly sincere!"

Ji Yuan nodded, but instead of addressing Lu Min, he turned to Wei Yuansheng with a smile.

"We're in for a treat tonight."

The smile had barely formed on Wei Yuansheng's face when it was instantly startled away by a loud shout from the side.

"What?! Eat it?! Friend... no, Master! Could you possibly include me?"

The first part of his sentence was uttered with extreme astonishment, but the latter half shifted tone, becoming immediately softer and filled with anticipation.

"I've never seen this Gui Water Golden Scale fish prepared for eating, nor have I ever tasted it. Please, let me have a taste too?"

Completely disregarding the man's intentions, Ji Yuan, carrying the fish, strode away with Wei Yuansheng towards the entrance of the airship's inner cabin.

While refining this fish into Gui Water essence might yield its greatest value, seeing it instantly reminded Ji Yuan of the water essence fish soup he'd once had. The taste of that soup remained unforgettable to this day. This fish was so large; braised or roasted, it would undoubtedly be incredibly delicious.

And now, Ji Yuan was confident he could cook the fish thoroughly without it dissolving, ensuring it maintained its form and didn't simply turn into a mouthful of soup.

Ji Yuan ignored others, but he couldn't prevent them from clinging on. After all, this airship belonged to Xuanxin Manor, and they were in the territory of the Jingxuan Sea Pavilion. He couldn't simply beat the man away.

It must be said that Lu Min was indeed quite thick-skinned. He simply followed along without speaking further. Whenever Ji Yuan or Wei Yuansheng glanced at him, he would just offer a smile. Yet, no matter how much Ji Yuan frowned, or how much disdain Wei Yuansheng's eyes conveyed, Lu Min refused to leave.

He followed them all the way to the Jade Embrace Mountain Guesthouse. Ji Yuan and Wei Yuansheng stepped directly inside. When Lu Min, who was trailing behind, attempted to enter, Wei Yuansheng, already inside, swiftly and with a resounding "bang" shut the courtyard gate.

As soon as the courtyard gate closed, the small courtyard's protective formation activated, leaving Lu Min stranded outside.

"Hey... Daoist Ji... and you, little friend... don't! Daoist Ji, I can *still* take you as my Master, just let me have a taste!"

Lu Min knew himself too well. If he had caught the Golden Scale Fish, he wouldn't have been able to make the decision to eat it on his own, and even if he could, he surely would have been too reluctant to use it for food. However, eating someone else's catch caused him no such heartache, and filled him with eager anticipation.